USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > Shrewsbury > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 2
USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > Salemville > A history of Seventh Day Baptists in West Virginia : including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsylvania and the Shrewsbury church in New Jersey > Part 2
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William Davis was educated at Oxford University, his parents intending that he should become a clergyman. While at Oxford. he became interested in the doctrines of George Fox, the Quaker, and joined that church. He now left the university, and became a public speaker among the Quakers. He soon afterward sailed for America, with a company of Quakers, to join William Penn's Pennsylvania colony.
He arrived in America in 1684, and seven years after- ward, in 1691, he was one of forty-eight persons who separat- ed from William Penn and became followers of George Keith, who was what may be termed a Baptist-Quaker. Some five years later, he again changed his views, and was baptized by Rev. Thomas Killingworth, the pastor of the Baptist Church
1. Davis, Welsh Baptists, p. 135.
2
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
in Cohansey (now Roadstown), New Jersey, and soon after- ward joined the Pennepek Baptist Church, near Philadelphia, of which he was made pastor.1
February 17, 1698, he was banished from the Pennepek Church, on account of his un-orthodox views concerning the person of Christ. William Davis maintained that Christ was neither hunian nor divire, but of a blended nature, like "wine and water in a glass."
He at once went to Upper Providence near Philadelphia upon the invitation of Abel Noble, and learned from him the doctrine of the supremacy of the moral law and the binding force in perpetuity of all its precepts, and the consequent inevitable conclusion that the Seventh Day of the week, the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, was the Sabbath enjoin- ed upon all Christians. He now joined the Seventh Day Baptist organisation in Pennsylvania.
The following year he published a book, entitled "Jesus the Crucified Man, the Eternal Son of God," etc., in vindication of the doctrine for which he was expelled from Pennepek.2 This provoked a spirited reply from Rev. John Watts, pastor of the Pennepek Church in a book entitled "Davis Disabled."3
In the latter part of 1699, William Davis returned to Pennepek and there organised a Seventh Day Baptist church from among former Keithians and others in the vicinity, as the first branch of the Providence (Pennsylvania ) Church. Thomas Graves gave the church a lot of ground on which they erected a log meeting house. In the year 1700, William Davis baptized six persons in the Pennepek.
I. "In 1687 a company of Welsh and Irish Baptists crossed the Atlantic and settled at Lower Dublin, Pa., otherwise called Pemmepeka, Pennepek, or Penny- pack, a word of the Delaware Indians which signifies, according to Heckewelder, a 'pond, lake, or bay; water not having a current.'" Armitage, History of the Baptists, P. 707.
2. Issues of the American Press in Pennsylvania. By Charles R. Hildeburn. No. 86. The Complete title of William Davis's book was as follows: "Jesus || The Crucified Man, || the || Eternal Son of God, || or, an || Answer || to an Anathema or Paper of || Excommunication, of John Watts, en- || tituled, Points of Doctrine preached & || asserted by William Davis, || wherein the mystery of Christ's Descen- || tion, Incarnation and Crucifixion is || Unfolded, || By William Davis. [Printed by Reynier Jansen, Philadelphia, 1700]." Cf. Sachse's German Pietists of Provincial Pennsylvania. Pp. 162, 164 et seq. The fac simile, on the opposite page, of the title page of William Davis's tract is from Sachse's German Pietists, p. 165.
3. "There was an order for printing this book dated August 3, 1705, but it was not executed." Benedict, General History of the Baptist Denomination in America. Vol. I, p. 582.
WILLIAM DAVIS OF WALES . 3
JESUS The Crucifyed Man, THE Eternal Son of God. OR, AN ANSWER TO An Anathema or Paper of Excommunication, of John Wats ca- tiruled, Points of Dodrine preashed C. .ferred by William Davis.
Wherein the Myftry of Chritts Defeen- tion, Incarnation and Crucifixion is Unfolded.
By William Dauts.
[PRINTED BY REYNIER JANSEN. PHILADELPHIA, 1700.]
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SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
In 1702, George Keith, who had returned to England some time before, again came back to Philadelphia as a full- fledged priest of the Church of England, whose "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts," but lately organised in London, had sent him as a missionary to the New World.
His return was the signal for a fierce struggle between Keith and Evan Evans on the one hand: and on the other, Thomas Killingworth, who besides being the ablest Baptist clergyman in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, was also judge of the court at Salem, New Jersey ; and William Davis, the pastor of the Seventh Day Baptist Church at Pennepek, who strangely enough now united in common defence.
William Davis published another edition of his book, with a supplement entitled "George Keith Disabled."
Keith was now challenged by Killingworth to a joint debate in public, which resulted in a drawn battle.
Evan Evans, who was a former enemy of William Davis, made war upon him with such success that Thomas Graves again joined the Episcopalian Church, and deeded to that church the lot on which stood the meeting house of the Seventh Day Baptists, who had never had a deed for the lot. Deprived of their house of worship the church continued to hold meetings in the houses of the members, but they were badly demoralised and disheartened by their reverses, and little progress was made.
In 1706, William Davis applied for membership in the Seventh Day Baptist Church at Newport, Rhode Island, but complaint from his Pennsylvania brethren preceded him, and his request was denied. The cause of his difference with his fellow church members was due to his eccentric ecclesiastical views, similar in a measure to his views already cited touch- ing the person of Christ, and which, however real and funda- mental they appeared to him, were in their last analysis, nothing more than mere differences in the definitions of terms.
On October 12, 1710, William Davis and Elisabeth Brisley, his wife, applied for membership in the Westerly, afterward the First Hopkinton (Rhode Island) Church, which had been organised some two years previously. His
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WILLIAM DAVIS OF WALES
wife was immediately received into membership, but the church deferred final action upon his application.
At a church meeting held June 22, 1711, the Westerly Church decided that William Davis had complied with "the rule of Christ," and was therefore eligible to membership in that church. In order, however, to satisfy a group of doubting members, the church presented the case to the Yearly Meeting, at Westerly, July 14, 1711. The Yearly Meeting ap- proved the action of the church, and William Davis became a member of the Westerly Church, in fun and regular standing.
This action, however, involved the Westerly Church in an embroilment with Rev. William Gibson, of the Newport Church, together with Jonathan Davis and the brethren in Pennsylvania, which was prolonged until as late as the latter part of the year 1713.
William Davis was invited by the Westerly Church to preach, and in the first part of the year 1713 was authorised by the church to administer the ordinance of baptism.
On March 1, 1714, William Davis requested a letter of recommendation from the church, in order that he might join one of the Seventh Day Baptist churches in England, whither he expected to remove. The church granted his re- quest. His friends, however, were anxious to prevent his go- ing, and circulated a subscription to raise money to compen- sate him for whatever financial loss he might sustain in aban- doning his contemplated removal to England, the object of which was to claim his share in a large estate left him by the death of his father, in Wales. He persisted, however, to the point of going to Newport, ready to embark upon his voyage. At the last moment, he consented to remain ; whereupon num- berless troubles ensued, some of which found their way into the courts. These difficulties grew, almost if not quite wholly, out of the subscriptions made to induce William Davis to re- main in America. The troubles resulted in correspondence on the part of the Westerly Church, with the churches in Newport (Rhode Island), and in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and London.
Some time during the year 1716, after an ineffectual attempt at reconciliation, the church withdrew its communion from William Davis, with but four dissenting votes. He now
.
6
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
decided to leave Westerly, and under date of May 16, 1717, he received a letter signed by twenty-three of his neighbours, testifying to his Christian character, and exonerating him from blame in his litigation and church troubles. This letter became the subject of some spirited correspondence after William Davis had removed to Pennsylvania.
After his removal from Westerly back to Pennsylvania, he suffered a severe loss from fire about the year 1724. This loss, Governor Keith, of the colony of Pennsylvania, ordered made good; but through the secret interference of some enemies of William Davis at Westerly, the order was not carried out.
The whole matter was now dropped, apparently, for a period of twelve years, when we find William Davis again making his home within the bounds of the Westerly Church, in Rhode Island. Under date of October 21, 1734, from his home in Stonington, Connecticut, he wrote a letter of confession to the church, praying for a reconciliation. To this letter, the church replied, under date of November 19, 1734, desiring explanation upon several points named in the letter written by the church to Wil- liam Davis. Under date of December 16, 1734, he replied to the communication from the church, whereupon he was requested to attend the next church meeting. There is no rec- ord of his restoration to membership in the Westerly Church, further than that his name appears as that of a regular attend- ant at church. Nevertheless, the reconciliation was undoubt- edly effected, greatly to the satisfaction of all parties concern- ed, and to none, doubtless, more than to William Davis himself.
William Davis was married twice. His first wife was Elisabeth Brisley. By her he had four children ; vis., Martha, William, John, and Mary. His second wife was Elisabeth Pavior. By her he had seven children; vis., Thomas, Joseph, Lydia, Edward, James, Elisabeth, and William,-the William by his first wife having died.
Soon after the year 1740, a settlement of Seventh Day Baptists was formed in Monmouth County, New Jersey, near the Manasquan River. Perhaps one of the first of this group of settlers was Joseph Maxson, from Stonington, Connecticut.
7
WILLIAM DAVIS OF WALES
He sailed from Stonington for the mouth of the Manasquan River, in the fall of 1742. His vessel was caught in the ice in Long Island Sound, and he did not reach his destination until the following spring.
In the fall of 1744, a party of German Sabbath-keepers, consisting of Israel Eckerling, Samuel Eckerling, Alexander Mack, and Rev. Peter Miller, from Ephrata, Pennsylvania, visited their English-speaking, Sabbath-keeping brethren in Monmouth County, New Jersey. They reported that they found there several Sabbath-keepers, who had come to that place a few years before, from Stonington, Connecticut, and from Westerly, Rhode Island. There were also several mem- bers of William Davis's family from Pennsylvania. They found fifteen adults in this group of settlers.
Whether William Davis himself had come to Monmouth County, New Jersey, at the time of the visit of this delegation from Ephrata, Pennsylvania, or not, we have no conclusive evidence. At all events, he had come when the group organised itself into a church, at a date not later than 1745.
William Davis, however, had come to his new home in New Jersey, but to die among his children, a large number, if not nearly all, of whom had settled here. His death occurred be- fore the close of the year 1745, when he was eighty-two years of age. His life was a tempestuous one. Its close was peace- ful and uneventful, however. But his works ceased not with his death. He may fairly be termed the father of the Shrews- bury Church ; whence his followers and descendants scattered to the Piscataway and Shiloh churches in New Jer- sey, and crowded into the wilderness of Western Virginia, and into Ohio, and afterwards still further westward across the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Slope.
Seventh Day Baptist descendants of William Davis may be found to-day in the states of Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Arkansas. California, and in all probability, in other states as well.' The churches of the South-Eastern Association, with the exception of the Salemville Church, at Salemville, Pennsylvania,
1. A Biographical sketch of William Davis, in which he is characterised as an "ma"c'est." may be found in the Seventh Day Baptist Memorial. Vol. II, pp.
8
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
are composed very largely of the descendants of William Davis; and upon the roll of his posterity are to be found the names of upwards of twenty-five Seventh Day Baptist clergymen.
Descendants of William Davis have held positions of honour and trust in almost every walk of life, public and private, business and professional, in war and peace.
II.
THE SHREWSBURY CHURCH.
UST what attracted these Seventlr Day Baptists, who settled in Mon- mouth County, to New Jersey, is J uncertain. Some of their number were shipbuilders, and found occu- pation in that business. Tradition has it that there was a Seventh Day Baptist shipbuilders' yard on the banks of the Manasquan River, owned by the Maxsons. Others appear to have engaged in the manufacture of salt, a business which thrived at the mouth of the Manasquan and up the coast as far as the mouth of the Shark River. Still others engaged in farming, and possibly some were sailors, owning their own boats, and carrying salt, garden vegetables, and farm products to New York City.
The first settlements were at the mouths of the Manas- quan and Shark rivers, respectively. Gradually, they extend- ed inward from the shore, until they reached as far as Squan- kum, and Lower Squankum, south of the Manasquan River. From there they extended northward as far as Deal, which was situated between the present seaside resorts of Long Branch and Elberon. At a somewhat later date, there was a Attlement at Clay Pit Creek, an arm of the Navesink, or North Shrewsbury River. near the present village of Navesink. Clay Pit Creek then, as now, was in the town of Middletown. The other Seventh Day Baptist settlements were all at that time in the town of Shrewsbury. That part of Monmouth County is now embraced in the towns of Wall, Howell, Nep-
10
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
tune, and Ocean, besides the lower part of the present town of Shrewsbury.
It may be observed in passing, that at the time of which we write, Monmouth County embraced the whole of the present counties of Ocean and Monmouth, and that then the entire county was divided into the two towns of Shrewsbury and Middletown. The present county of Monmouth contains sixteen towns, and Ocean County, eleven.
A little less than four miles from the ocean, on the banks of a little brook, which in dry weather contains no running water, a group of these people built a little village, which, for the lack of a better name, we shall call Squan.1 In fact there is some evidence that Squan was the name by which the village was actually known, although it was full two and a half miles from the Squan River (contracted from Mana- squan to Squan in much the same way that the cacophonous contraction, 'phone is obtained from telephone).2
The little brook on which was situated the village of Squan, was known as the South Branch of Little Brushy Neck (now Cranberry Bog), which in turn, forms what was known then, as now, as the Great Branch. The Great Branch, in its turn, empties into what is now called Wreck Pond, which opens into the sea through Sea Girt inlet, a little more than half way from the mouth of the Shark River to the mouth of the Manasquan River.
Great Branch is very similar to a number of other "branches" along the coast near by, among which are Long Branch and Branchport Creek. Some six or eight miles north of the mouth of Great Branch, are the well known seaside summer resorts of Asbury Park and Ocean Grove.
The book of records of the Shrewsbury Seventh Day Baptist Church, situated at the village of Squan, begins as follows :
"This is a book of records of the settlement and proceedings of the Church of Christ, keeping the commandments of God, particularly the Holy Seventh Day, with the rest of the commandments of God, and believing and practising the Holy Ordinances of the Gospel of Christ
1. Squan has been incorrectly written Squam, by nearly every writer of Seventh Day Baptist history for more than half a century. The editors of the Seventh Day Baptist Memorial wrote it Squam.
2. Manasquan is an Indian name meaning Squaw. Town; literally, an island with an inclosure for squaws.
II
THE SHREWSBURY CHURCH
NEW YORK CITY
NEWARK
HEBROOKLYN
"ATOT
. . . ITSJURY
LONG ISLAND
TICISITY ..
ISLAND
SE Plainfield
.INEW MARKET
RARITAN BAY
SANDY HOOKSY
WNO- Brunswick
CLAY PIT CREEK
MIDDLE TOWN
DEAL
SHARK
Asbury Park
Freehold me
Ru
IC ?
GLENDODAL
SHREWSBURY
LASQUAN RIVER . A. N . T
DE LALEWND
ATL.
OCEAN
SHREWSBURY CHURCHO
STATEN
12
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
and the Doctrines thereof, inhabiting at Manasquan, Shark River, and places adjacent, in Shrewsbury, in the Province of East New Jersey, &c.
"These first members came from Stonington in New England. This is a list of their names that came and settled as a church :
"WILLIAM DAVIS, an aged minister of the gospel, and formerly an an elder of a church of Christ in Pennsylvania, but sometime since from Stonington, aforesaid,
"JOSEPH MAXSON, a ministering brother in the church aforesaid,
"JOHN DAVIS, a ministering brother in said church,
"THOMAS BABCOCK, a member,
"THOMAS DAVIS, a member,
"WILLIAM BRAND, Junr., a member, and
"JOSEPH DAVIS, a member.
"These are the brethren, there, and the sisters were
"ELISABETH DAVIS, wife of William Davis, the Elder,
"BETHIAH MAXSON, Joseph Maxson's wife,
"ELISABETH DAVIS, John Davis's wife,
"RUTH BABCOCK, Thomas Babcock's wife,
"BETHIAH DAVIS, Thomas Davis's wife,
"ELISABETH BRAND,
"MARY STILLMAN,
"JUDITH DAVIS, wife of James Davis,
"ELISABETH DAVIS, Junr., alias Maxson.
"These are the sisters.
"These persons, with others, have from their first settling in this place, endeavoured to uphold the public worship of God at appointed places on the Sabbath Day, with the help of the ministering brethren amongst them, by joining in prayer, reading the Scriptures, preaching, and expounding the Word of God, one to another.
"The persons above named, being in the above noted circumstances, there had been discourse at some times of the need of choosing and appointing persons to the work of the public ministry amongst them, that they might be capable of administering the holy ordinances amongst themselves and to such as may be found willing to join them- selves to the Lord, considering it to be their duty so to do.
"In October the eighth [sic] month, 1745, Elisabeth Davis, widow, went to sojourn with her son Joseph in Pennsylvania, and Thomas Davis and his family went thither also in March following, in 1746."
It will be observed from the foregoing, that the exact date of the organisation of the Shrewsbury Church is unknown. Certain it is, however, that it was organised long before the end of the year 1745, for we find William Davis, whom, in the preceding chapter, we have styled the father of the church, and who was one of its constituent members, had died before
13
THE SHREWSBURY CHURCH
1 SHARKY RIVER
Glendo la | +
BELMAR
Cranberry Bog'
SHREWSBURY CHURCH OF
MANASQU
GREAT BRANCH
Spring LAKE
Squankum
V
m Brook
Squankun
MAP
SHOWING THE ORIGINAL SITE oṛ THE
SHREWSBURY CHURCH ( marked thus NEAR CRANBERRY BOG
OW
and
THE PRESENT SITE OF THE BUILDING AT GLENDOLA ( marked thus "+ )
River
Point Pleasant
ATLANTIC OCEAN
214908
14
SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN WEST VIRGINIA
the close of that year. 1745 is generally accepted, however, as the year of the organisation of the church.
The following letter written by the Shrewsbury Church to the church at Westerly, Rhode Island, perhaps at the time of the Yearly Meeting, is of interest at this point. It is noteworthy because of certain details of information it contains concerning their settlement at Shrewsbury, their health, fast- ing, and the doctrine of feet-washing. It reads as follows :-
SHREWSBURY, 1750.
"The Scattered Remnant of the little flock of Jesus Christ, living at Squan, Squankum, Deal, etc., in Shrewsbury, and at Middletown, all in the Province of East New Jersey; keeping the Commandments of God, particularly that of his holy Seventh Day Sabbath; and believing and practising the faith and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to our well beloved brethren and sisters of the same faith and practise, the church of Christ in Westerly and places adjacent, in the Colony of Rhode Island in New England, Sendeth Christian Salutation : wishing that you may grow in grace and increase in all spiritual wisdom and understanding; that you may walk worthy of your high calling, and be able to bear a faithful testimony to the truth; that you may increase daily, both in members and graces; that you may be steadfast and immovable,-always abounding in the work of the Lord; that you may continue faithful unto death, and, at last, receive a Crown of eternal glory through the merits of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be Glory and Dominion, now and ever. AMEN.
"DEARLY BELOVED :
"Although Divine Providence hath set our habitation at so far a distance, one from another, and we have so long neglected this Chris- tian duty of Christian commerce, one with another, by writing; yet we are willing, we hope, to revive this beneficial work, and we desire that you may join with us herein for the future, to improve all suitable opportunities to send one another some lines, that we may know each other's state, and encourage one another in our Christian race; and, in order to it, we shall in this give you a brief account of our present state.
"When Divine Providence had sent us into this remote place we found our disadvantage for want of Gospel ministers from among us; and we had made choice of, and sent to you, and obtained our request in the ordination of our beloved brother John Davis to be our Elder (for which we return God and you thanks) : we speedily endeavoured to embody ourselves into a church state, and have endeavoured to maintain the public worship of God, upon his holy Sabbath; and according to our ability and opportunity, to practise the ordinances of the Gospel; and by the grace of God continue it hitherto.
SITE OF THE FORMER VILLAGE OF SQUAN ADJOINING THE SHREWSBURY CHURCH. (Site of Church indicated by white circle. Graveyard to right). (From a photograph taken in autumn of 1904).
15
THE SHREWSBURY CHURCH
"It hath pleased the sovereign Lord to remove some of our dear brethren and sisters by death, and to receive them to himself : may he give us all that grace to follow them in his time.
"There is about four or five families whose habitations are so near that we may and do endeavour to meet constantly on the Sabbath (may the Lord grant it may be to worship God in truth) and for the rest, though they are scattered more remote, yet we visit one another as often as we conveniently may, and join together in the duties of the Gospel.
"It hath pleased God, by his providence and grace we hope, to add seven to our number ; may his grace go on to make the means effectual to add many more in his own time.
"And now, dear brethren, we shall use the freedom to acquaint you with one thing, and do heartily desire to recommend it to your serious and Christian consideration, and that is about the duty of washing one another's feet.1
"This is a duty and work which some of us have been long thoughtful and in part persuaded of, even many years before our departing from you; but within the space of some years past, we have conferred and considered more thoroughly about it, and are fully persuaded that it is our duty; and have concluded to and have put it in practise some time since, in the following manner; vis., At the end of the Lord's supper, and before we sing an hymn and go out, the Elder, in imitation of the Lord, takes a towel and girds himself; then he pours water in a basin and begins to wash the disciples' (viz.) the brethren's feet, and from him they take it, and the brethren to the brethren, and the sisters to the sisters, they wash one another's feet through the present assembly.
And so dear brethren, we have plainly and simply given you our thoughts and practise in this matter in brief, and desire you to consider
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