USA > New Jersey > A history of Baptists in New Jersey > Part 52
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All denominations and moral influences were a unit and politicians found it necessary to pay respect to the temperance element, especially in nominating men who were known as good men, with the result whichever party triumphed, safe men were in office. Temperance was not isolated to a third party and was a target for all political bodies and all of the bad elements of the community to outrage and vent their vileness on. Prohibition was an accepted possibility. The sentiment of morality and of virtue was the plea on which temperance was com- mended and had its advocates in all parties. An alliance of the liquor interest with corruptionists and the bad elements of society was im- possible; for there was not a party to battle against and there good and true in all parties whose sympathies were with the temperance reform. There is now an acceptance of the doctrine that total absti- nence from intoxicants is a principle of piety. This triumph is a trophy of the nineteenth century. Before 1800, and long after social custom made intoxicants a test of hospitality. To refuse its proffer was an affront and rude. Pastors and all others were subjected to the temp- tation to excess. Clergymen recognized as an honor to their calling were ofttimes ensnared by "drink" and in several instances were ex-
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cluded by the church of which they were pastors. At a funeral of an eminent Baptist minister, another pastor of high repute, a foremost man of his denominational assemblies and special friend of the man who had died, was intoxicated. The incident was told to the writer by his mother, who was at the funeral and saw the whole affair. As the funeral left the sanctuary, for the burial, this pastor rode on his horse at the head of the procession to the grave, shouting and swing- ing his hat about his head and dashing into a side track as the funeral passed by, would rise in the stirrups and shout words of glee and drunken revelry. In justice, it is due to be said that when his delirium was over and he had been told of his conduct, his remorse was very great and he vowed never again to touch the accursed thing. He kept his vow and at his death was conceded to be the good man he was.
Another significant instance of the ideas of people on temperance in the earlier days was supplied to the writer by Rev. William Watkin- son, pastor at Hamilton Square Baptist church, touching a legend of former days. He writes: "As regards the tavern question, when I settled in 1863, almost one of the first things I was told was that I was entitled to a Sunday morning dram at the hotel." This was a common remark made to me by all the older families in the church at that time. I was told that when a member of the church sold the tavern property, he put this proviso in the deed, that the minister of the Baptist church should have his Sunday morning dram free.
"The only pastors that availed themselves of this liberty, Peter Wilson and John Seger, so far as I know." Some of the revered and most useful pastors of the earlier days were snared in this net of Satan and it is well to know of their ensnarement through the universal vicious customs of social life. Times have changed. What was once a viol- ation of social etiquette is now a token of Christian character and an instance of how effectually Christianity modifies social life. First, the person, then the home and then social life. Among Baptists, fore- most in this reform was Samuel Aaron and after him, C. W. Mulford, until there was a concert of conviction in both the pews and the pulpit. Ere long, came a wonderful unanimity to get rid of this cause of uni- versal woe. Antinomianism and the drink habit being in alliance, North New Jersey lingered behind central and south New Jersey. But Zelotes Grenelle, the Teasdales and the Barrass brothers won victories in the overthrow of the allied forces of evil. The writer has seen in his father's house, Rev. W. T. Brantley, Sr., pastor of the First Baptist church of Philadelphia, when calling, help himself to a drink at the sideboard where divers liquors were always pro- vided.
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ANTINOMIANISM.
In America, we have numerous Baptist families. The regular Baptists outnumber all others and are the most numerous sect in the United States, with one exception, who if they include probationers in their summary are less in number to Baptists. Prof. A. H. New- man of McMaster University, Canada, has written a remarkably clear, comprehensive and reliable history of Baptists in the United States. Regular Baptists are derived from the Welsh Baptists, who were said to have had an apostolic planting. For this we do not vouch. However, the early Baptists ministers in the colonies were chiefly of Welsh origin. The Morgans, Jones, Edwards, Griffiths, Davis' and Evans knew what constituted a Baptist church and were intensely jealous to preserve it and hand it to their children uncontaminated with the "isms" of the continent.
They were high toned Calvinists and the churches were educated to prefer "strong meat." An inkling that a preacher was lowering the standard stirred the pew as much as the pulpit and there was no alternative for him but to prove his orthodoxy or to retire. Pastor William Parkinson states in a historical sermon of the First Baptist church in New York City that a General Baptist church had been formed in the city, but the regular Baptists withheld their support and it died, showing the unwillingness of Baptists to lower the Calvinistic standard. Under pastors who nurtured intense convictions and a companionship that cherished them, it is not strange that their views became Hyper Calvinistic. Still in both cities and country, piety impelled the use of means and the forming of mission societies, if pos- sible to save some. But care was essential lest the work of God be taken out of his hands and some one got to Heaven who was not elected or that some one missed salvation, who had been elected. Thus, under the ministration of Parkinson of New York; Staughton and the Joneses of Philadelphia, our churches came to the verge of antinomianism. The decrees of God narrowed room for faith and prayer. It is im- possible for one who has not been in contact with the flood and ebb tide of antinomiansim in New Jersey and the middle states to know or to believe how strong it was, nor to put too high an estimate on the patience, kindness and persistence of men whom God called to overcome the Hyper Calvinism of pew and of pulpit.
It was a test by which the young convert and the preacher were each tried. The brothers, Thomas and John Teasdale in North Jersey; Zelotes Grenelle, G. S. Webb, Thomas Roberts, Joseph Sheppard, C. Bartolett in Central New Jersey; C. W. Mulford, Dr. Bacon and H. Smalley in South Jersey are worthy of constant remembrance and are
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entitled to a lofty place in our histories. To Rev. H. Holcombe, pastor of the First Baptist church of Philadelphia, it was providentially assigned to mortally wound this octopus in his memorable sermon on "The Attainableness of Faith." He was denounced as a heretic. His own church officers repudiated him and constituted another church and all the host, who had in the doctrine of the Divine Sovereignty, the length and breadth of their ideas, arranged themselves against him, led on by his jealous predecessor, who found in Holcombe a man whom he could not mould or modify. In the earlier days in the South some ministers were wealthy. Mr. Holcombe was one of them. As is indicated by his gift to an educational school, which Baptists were founding, which Holcombe guaranteed if sold, would return twenty- six thousand dollars toward a building fund. Mr. Holcombe was chosen first president of this school.
Prof. Newman writes of him, that he was a calvary officer before he was twenty-one in 1782, converted when twenty-two, he began to exhort. His first sermon was preached on horse back to his troops; made a Baptist by the New Testament, he rode twenty miles to be baptized. He was a member of the convention that approved the Constitution of the United States. He was prevailed on to undertake work in Savannah, where a number of Baptists resided and various efforts had failed to found a Baptist church. A Baptist church of ten members beside himself and wife was organized in November, 1800. He remained here, called to Philadelphia and received a salary of two thousand dollars a year, probably the largest salary up to that time, ever received by a Baptist minister. Prof. Newman adds: "As a pulpit orator, writer, organizer and originator of schemes for the advancement of the denominational work, he deserves to be placed side by side with his friend, Richard Furman, as one of the ablest men of his time. He is said to have originated the Georgia Penitentiary system and to have led in founding the Savannah Female Orphan Asylum.
He was the first to advocate and plan for concerted denominational action in education and missions. He seems to have been the first among American Baptists to publish a religious periodical. (The Analytical Repository, 1802, 1803). Thus, everywhere and in all things Henry Holcombe was a foremost man. His coming to Phila- delphia was a special Providence in the history of the Baptist denom- ination in America. When Staughton first met Holcombe in the streets of Philadelphia, Staughton exclaimed, "Do you come for peace or war?" Holcombe protested that he was a peace man. Staughton then said: "Exchange pulpits with me next Sunday." Holcombe
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replied: "I must consult with the deacons on the matter." For he knew Staughton had been dismissed. Then Staughton exclaimed "Then it is war, and it shall be war to the knife!" His physician when returned from Holcombe's death bed in answer to the question "What is the matter with our pastor?" replied: "Nothing, physically. He is dying with a broken heart." Pastor Holcombe was one of the most tender hearted and self restrained of men. None ever saw him angry, nor yielding to passion or temper except in condemnation of wrong. Then he was a "terror to evil doers." Then, like to his Mas- ter, he spoke plainly as in Matt. 23, 13-35. An antinomian movement had been ripening since the organization of the now American Baptist Missionary Union in 1814, then known as the Triennial Convention.
The whole division arose not on the organization of a mission society, but upon the question of Christian activity involved in the last commission of Christ: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." To-day, we are a missionary people and the denomination may well rejoice for a man who foresaw the future and turned the tide for God and humanity. Many Baptist churches in New Jersey have been swept into the vortex of antinomianism. Two of them survive, one of them a fruitful mother until swept from her moorings in the Gospel.
An entire association in North Jersey has been broken up and the antinomian body has itself passed away. The wreck of churches was not, however, the chief evil issuing from the antinomian plague. It diffused itself widely, often constituting large minorities to stir up contention and to paralyze Christian activities and unseat devoted and earnest pastors. Evils that cost generations of time to recover from. Rev. L. O. Grenelle, son of Zelotes Grenelle, who had a vast share in staying the flood of antinomianism in North Jersey, writing of the history of that period, says: "Painful in contrast with sixty years ago, is the condition of our denomination in North Jersey. From being the strongest and most efficient there it has been outstripped by others and is now third on the list. Nor is the outlook encouraging to a hope of regaining what we have lost." The reflex influence of the antinomian influence, has been exceedingly bad on the churches that formerly held to the missionary cause. The Warwick Association still has an existence as an antinomian body. But it is composed of only six churches, one of which is in New York City. The Brookfield church then numbered three hundred and forty members. In 1883 it had only six members. Nor has it had a pastor for twenty years.
The Franklin and Mt. Salem churches have ceased to exist. But three churches having any strength remain. The regular Baptist
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strength is a painful record. Many churches are feeble, some scarcely able to sustain a pastor. Great progress has been made in all outside material interests, so that the relative strength of our denomination is far behind. One church then the largest, in the state has become very feeble and others, once efficient are now struggling to maintain an existence.
Antinomianism diffused itself as a death shade begetting dissention and contention and the disciples of the Gospel of peace sought refuge in quietude. Other denominations maintained peace and grew as Baptists shrank in number, power and efficiency. This blight extended west to the borders of the state. It reached southward till it met the stanch strongholds of Baptist integrity at Scotch Plains, Plainfield, Piscataway and New Brunswick, where it was stayed. Morristown resisted the seduction, but the church isolated from other Baptist churches repelled the desolation only by the intense integrity of the main body of the church. Nevertheless, it was badly hurt by the baleful miasm which had so seriously tainted the surrounding churches. As already said, Pastor Holcombe's sermon stayed the strength and courage and gave to others a barrier against which the angry waves of Hyper Calvinism and Arminianism beat only to be hurled back on themselves. Baptists cannot be too grateful for the courage and clear foresight of him who, as the David of the Baptist Israel, smote to the death the giant which, if it did not defy God, perverted the truth and led captive many of our choice men and women and turned fruit fields of Zion, ripening into harvest, into a Sahara desert, where the living verdure died and none followed it.
CHAPTER LXI.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS OF NEW JERSEY.
By O. B. Leonard.
Seventh day Baptists sprang from the Sabbath keepers of the middle ages. Probably the origin of the denomination as a continuous body can be placed no earlier than about 1400 and was transferred to America, in Rhode Island in 1664-65, and earliest showed itself in Newport, R. I., in 1644. The first Seventh Day Baptist church was established in midwinter in Newport in 1671. It is said that in the province of Rhode Island, there were adherents of that faith at its early settlement contemporary with the founding of the first Baptist church.
The denomination appeared in New Jersey first in Piscataway, when East Jersey was sold to William Penn in 1682, and there came into the colony many Scotch, English, and Irish. Among these were numerous Quakers and Ana Baptists. There were also a large incom- ing of New Englanders. The agitation of the subject about 1687 in Pennsylvania, prepared the way for its introduction into New Jersey. There was a decided tendency to Baptist and Quaker ideas in these discussions. The first movement for a Baptist church was in Middle- town, New Jersey, as early as 1667, and some believe earlier in 1664. Elias Keach of Philadelphia founded a Baptist church at Penepack as early as 1688. Many of various religious relations came to Pennsyl- vania. These all inclined to Baptist and Quakers. The Quakers especially in New Jersey, having had meetings long before Penn came to America. Mr. E. Keach showed a good deal of activity in preach- ing despite troubles made by Mr. William Davis near to 1691, who became a Seventh Day Baptist.
With him, Thomas Rutter allied himself about 1698. Mr. Rutter also had relations to the Seventh Day people at Newport, R. I., and through their influence, Mr. Rutter maintained his standing much longer, had he not had their influence. He died in 1729. Abel Noble was another of these men, disturbing Baptist assemblies. Later however, the agitation of the Sabbath question in Pennsylvania in-
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duced its consideration in New Jersey. About 1700, the Seventh Day question appeared in the Piscataway church, and it seems that Davis and Noble were active to influence its members to side with them in their Seventh Day views. Abel Noble is said to have first preached Sabbatarianism in New Jersey, about and before 1700, whether at Pis- cataway or not, as yet, is unknown. However, Mr. Edmund Dunham adopted Sabbatarian views and used his influence to persuade others of their correctness. Mr. Dunham was an influential man and of the best repute among his neighbors.
He sustained meetings in his own house and seventeen individuals adopted his views. The controversy with his brother resulted in the adoption of the views of Mr. Dunham by his brother. Finally, the Seventh Day people concluded that they better withdraw. Ac- cordingly, the following minute shows the steps toward a public recog- nition and organization of the original Seventh Day Baptist church in New Jersey: "The church of God, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ, living in Piscataway and Hopewell, in the province of New Jersey, being assembled with one accord at the house of Benjamin Martin in Piscataway, the 19th day of August, 1705, we did then and with one mind, choose our dearly beloved Edmund Dunham, who is faithful in the Lord, to be our Elder and assistant, according to the will of God, whom we did send to New England to be ordained, who was ordained at the church meeting in Westerly, R. I., by prayer and laying on of hands by their elder, William Gibson, the eighth day of September, 1705."
After adopting an outline of doctrines, embracing a few articles of faith, the following seventeen persons, besides the leader, forming the constituency of the new Seventh Day Baptist church signed their names to the covenant: Edmund Dunham, pastor, and his wife, Mary Bonham Dunham; Benajah Dunham, pastor's son and his wife and daughter, Dorothy Martin Dunham. Five other constituent members of this new society were Mr. Dunham's two brothers-in-law, John Fitz Randolph and Hezekiah Bonham; among the rest were the latter's father-in-law, Hugh Dunn and John Smalley, whose son mar- ried Edmund Dunham's daughter. Last, but not least, was Rev. John Drake, who became later the first official pastor of the regular Baptist church. The Piscataway Seventh Day Baptist church pros- pered from the start under Rev. Mr. Dunham's guidance, notwith- standing several depletions by colonies migrating to other places. His son, Jonathan, succeeded him in the care of the church, 1734, and led the society along with varying numbers till the days of the Amer- cian Revolution. In his ministry, there were two hindrances to its
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increase. The influence of Armenianism and the devastation of war. In 1734, was called by the church to the office of Deacon, for which he was formally ordained November, 2nd, 1734, at the house of Jonathan Davis, near Trenton.
The church met for worship in private dwellings until 1736, when a meeting house was built on a lot donated by Jonathan Fitz Randolph. This building lasted till 1802, when a new church edifice was erected on the same lot and served the generation till 1836, when their present house was built, and was moved into New Market and remodeled in 1856. Rev. Jonathan Dunham died March 10th, 1777, in his eighty- third year. He was buried in a lot appropriated by himself for burials, where also his wife and many of his descendants lie. In the early part of his ministry, a number of his parishioners withdrew to form the Shiloh church in Cumberland County, then Salem County. This was
in 1737. Some of these were living in South Jersey. Among them were members of the families of Dunn, Jarman, Ayars and others, whose ancestors lived in Piscataway. For a decade after the death of Mr. Dunham, there was no settled pastorate, resulting in scattered con- gregatons and broken households, on account of the seven years' war for independence. Many enlisted in the militia, while the aged, infirm, and women with their children moved to the interior and made homes in Sussex, Somerset, Hunterdon and Morris counties. In Sussex, a suf- ficient number settled near enough together to maintain public worship.
Nathan Rogers followed Rev. Mr. Dunham, a grandson of the erratic Pennsylvania convert to the Seventh Day Baptists. Rev. William Davis and Mr. Rogers lived at Ephrata. After preaching for months as an evangelist, Pastor Rogers entered on his pastoral office in November 1787 and remained ten years. In 1797, Rev. Henry McLafferty was pastor for fourteen years. In 1812, Rev. Gideon Wooden was called to be pastor. He resigned in 1830. Many ad- ditions were made to the church in his charge. The sixth pastor was Rev. William B. Maxson, who settled in May 1832. While pastor two hundred were added to the church and the third house of worship was built near New Market. Toward the close of Mr. Maxson's labors and after a large revival, fifty-six were dismissed to constitute a church in Plainfield. The church has always been an influential body in the Seventh Day denomination. It has been a parent church; the mother of several children, having dismissed constituents to three other church- es. There have been nine pastors in New Market church.
In a very early day, Baptists from Holland and Baptists from Ireland settled in Salem County. The Cohansie church was consti- tuted in 1690. The first Cape May church was organized in 1712.
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A large majority of the population and the earliest settlers were how- ever, Friends, (Quakers) who with Baptists, were allied in support of the principles of "Religious Freedom" and "Equality before the law." There is no assurance of how early the "Friends" settled in South Jersey. It is known however, that long before William Penn came to America they were in the Jersies.
Early in 1700, there was agitation among our churches in South Jersey on the question of the Scriptural Sabbath. The matter even claimed the attention of the Philadelphia Association in 1724, also in 1730, in answer to a question from Cohansie. "In case a member of a regular Baptist church separate himself, on account of the Seventh Day and join himself to those the same for a Sabbath, and presume to be a leader among the aforesaid Seventh Day people, what must the church do in such a case in order to discharge their duty?"
By the spring of 1737, it was decided among the Sabbatarian brethren to constitute themselves into a Gospel church. On March 27th, 1737, these did form themselves into the Shiloh church: Elijah Bowen and Deborah, his wife; John Jarman, Caleb Barrett and Abigail Barrett; Hugh Dunn and Amy Dunn Rev. J. Davis, Esther Davis, Caleb Ayars, Jr., Joseph Swinney, Anna Swinney, Deborah Swinney, Samuel Davis, Anna Davis and Jean Phillips. In all, sixteen. Rev. Jonathan Davis was their first pastor, ordained November 26th, 1738 and died February 2nd, 1769, aged sixty years. Second pastor, Jonathan Davis, ordained November 13th, 1768, died July 23rd, 1785, in his 34th year. In 1771, a new brick house of worship was built, iwhich was in use for about eighty years and was then transformed into an academy. Third pastor, Nathan Ayars, ordained November 13, 1766; pastor till 1802; died July 20th, 1811, sixty-two years old Fourth pastor, John Davis, ordained September 14th, 1807; served till 1841, when he resigned, aged seventy-nine years. While pastor, three hundred were baptized. Fifth pastor, Azor Estee, serving till 1841- 1844.
The sixth and seventh charges were in part an interchangeable, 1844-48. Solomon Carpenter, 1844-46; Rev. M. Langworthy Giles, . eighth pastor, 1846-49. Ninth pastor, William M. Jones. A new church edifice built, now in use,. Tenth pastor, Rev. Walter B. Gillette pastor, 1853-1873. The membership increased three hundred by baptism. He died February 12th, 1885. In 1873, Rev. Abram H. Lewis was pastor till 1876, additions sixty-four. He was followed in 1876 by Rev. D. H. Davis, who was pastor three years. Rev. Theo. Gardiner began his charge in 1879 and was pastor eleven years. In that time there were two hundred and twenty-seven additions to the
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church. 1890, Rev. Ira L. Cottrell became pastor and continued for nine years.
Rev. E. B. Saunders was pastor from July 8th, 1899. The present membership of the church is three hundred and thirty and its past has been a period of spiritual growth and power. From the Shiloh church in 1811, the Marlboro church of sixteen members: Jacob Ayars and wife, Abigail; Aaron Ayars and wife, Prudence; Joshua Ayars and wife, Keziah; Alvin Ayars and wife, Prudence; Elia Ayars and wife, Rebecca; James and Tamer Ayars; Phebe and Amy Ayars, Mrs. Patience Ayars, Ephraim Bee, Thomas Bennett, Hannah Bacon, Daniel Camp- bell and wife, Abigail, Moses Crossley and wife Catharine, Mrs. Abigail Davis, Catharine Campbell, John Kelly, Jonathan Wood. Their present membership is thirty-two.
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