USA > Rhode Island > A history of Block Island : from its discovery, in 1514, to the present time, 1876 > Part 18
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There was a town vote to repair the meeting-house in August, 1764, and another in April, 1766, and at the time of passing the latter it was voted that one acre of land be leased to Rev. David Sprague, M. D., " Ninety nine years for one barley-corn a year." His house was built upon this "acre," near the Precious Spring, on the east shore of Fresh Pond. This seems to have been about the time of commencing his pastoral labors on the Island, although in August, 1759, the town had
"Resolved, that Capt. Robert Hull and Samuel Rathbone are chosen a committee to write to the Rev. David Sprague and give him with his wife and family an invita- tion to come and settle among us."
On the 19th of April, 1775, the town repealed all the previous acts concerning the use of ministerial and town lands granted to "Dr. David Sprague." On the 29th of May following a similar vote was passed, appended to which was the statement that " Dr. David Sprague was
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about to remove from the Island." This left the sheep without a shepherd during the remainder of the Revolu- tion, except as they were ministered to by the abiding " Good Shepherd," and the faithful deacon, Thomas Dodge.
Under the call given to Mr. Sprague by the town he and a few baptized, believing members organized them- selves into a regular Baptist church, October 3, 1772, as seen in the records of the First Baptist church of New Shoreham.
In 1772 a little band of Christians on the Island asso- ciated themselves in covenant relation for mutual watch- fulness and spiritual improvement. They were not for- merly organized as a church, and yet they were pledged to God and to each other to live "according to the rule and order of the gospel." They recognized no bishop, nor ecclesiastical body as their superior. They had a house of worship, made their own appointments, chose their own moderator and clerk, and exercised all that religious freedom in worship for which they well knew Roger Williams had contended so bravely, and which the Islanders had enjoyed for more than a century. How long previous to 1772 they had been accustomed to main- tain covenant meetings, we are not able to say. From their record, commencing Sept. 3d, of that year, it is evident that such meetings had been customary. At that meeting their record says. "Bro. T. Dodge owned his covenant to God and hath renewed his fellowship with his brethren." The same was said of three other breth- ren, viz .: Trustom Dodge, Ezekiel Rose, and James Rose. To this it was added: "The following sisters, Catharine Adams, Mary Woodley, and Experience Sprague each owned their covenants and renewed their fellowship." Rev. David Sprague was present at this meeting, and also at adjourned meetings of Sept. 10th and 17th. At the
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latter he "read a copy of his ordination, which was sol- emnized July 12, 1739."
FIRST ORGANIZATION.
At an adjourned meeting, October 3, 1772, they " Then read the articles of fellowship with one another, and then the church gave Elder Sprague the right hand of fellow- ship to administer the ordinances of God as an evangel- ist." Here we have the first mention of a "church," on Block Island. We see it self-organized, taking the Scrip. tures as their guide and rule of action, choosing their own minister, and by their act of giving him the " right hand of fellowship," exhibited their sense of equality with him in regard to religious freedom and ecclesiastical authority.
The following names are included in the first church of Block Island, at the time of its organization, October 3, 1772.
REV. DAVID SPRAGUE, Pastor. Lay Members.
Thomas Dodge, Ezekiel Rose, James Rose, Henry Willis, Mercy Willis his wife, Hannah Dodge, and Mar- garet Franklin; eight in all. James Rose was the first church clerk.
On the 2d of January, 1773, the pastor of this church " preached to show and prove by reason and the sacred Scriptures what a gospel church is, and when capable of discipline according to all the laws of Jesus Christ the King and Head of the church, and then proved by Scrip- ture that we are such a church."
At this last-named meeting the pastor called upon each brother " to pass single before the Lord to see whether there was one in the church that was called of God to the office of a deacon." Thomas Dodge, in doing so, con- fessed his conviction that he was called of God to give himself up to the Lord for that service. Then the pastor,
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Mr. Sprague, "met him in a covenant way and declared that he believed that his dedication was of God, and gave him fellowship in the office of deacon." This office he held until 1784, and so well " used the office of a deacon " as to purchase for himself "a good degree," for he was then ordained pastor of the church. Rev. David Sprague was the first pastor of it, and continued as such until 1775.
Rev. Thomas Dodge, the second pastor, was a cotem- porary and intimate associate with the Baptist pastors who organized the Groton Union Conference soon after his ordination, at which one of them officiated, Isaiah Wilcox, who preached the ordination sermon, gave the charge, and the right hand of fellowship, the deacons of the church, Oliver Dodge making the first prayer, and Dea. Trustom Dodge making the second. This occurred Aug. 19, 1784, and on the first Sabbath in September following, Mr. Dodge administered the Lord's Supper. During his ministry of twenty years this church was one of the churches that composed the Groton Baptist Association, and continued such until 1834 when it was transferred from that association to the Warren Baptist Association.
Rev. Thomas Dodge, above mentioned, was a man of sterling worth, and is still remembered by some of the oldest inhabitants of the Island, where he was born in 1737. He preached in the house of worship that stood near the Fresh Pond, and in that beautiful mirror reflect- ing the heavens he was wont to follow the example of his Lord. There, on the 13th day of November, 1784, he immersed his first candidate, Mercy Littlefield. He labored with his hands for his support, and while in ap- parent health and vigor suddenly died on the beach at the Harbor, November 11, 1804, in his sixty-seventh year. His grave in the Island cemetery is distinguished by an appropriate marble .slab. He was doubtless one of the
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main pillars of the church while deacon, during which time the Island was so fearfully scourged by the War of the Revolution. During that period the church was greatly scattered, and Mr. Dodge probably followed the example of his excellent predecessor, the venerable Simon Ray, doing all the essential work of a pastor except the administering of the ordinances.
On the day of Mr. Dodge's ordination the church adopted a series of articles of faith, eleven in all, and a solemn covenant to keep them in practice, and in fellow- ship with each other. A written copy of these articles is still in the possession of the same church. A few of them are here quoted as unequivocal evidence of the character of the first church of Block Island.
First Article. "We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the words of God and the only rule of faith and practice."
Fifth Article. "We believe that the justification of God's children or Believers, is only by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to them without the consideration of any works of Righteousness done by them, and that the full and free pardon of all their sins and transgressions past, present, and to come is only through the blood of Christ according to the riches of his grace."
Sixth Article. "We believe the work of Faith, con- cerning regeneration, and sanctification, is not an act of man's free will and power, but of the mighty efficatious and attractive grace and power of God."
Eighth Article. "We believe that all those who are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sancti- fied by the Spirit shall certainly and finally persevere and hold out to the end, so that not one of them shall ever perish, but shall have everlasting life."
Ninth Article. "We believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are ordinances of Christ to be continued
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in his church and practiced by Believers after his own example and in obedience to his commands until his second coming, and that the former is requisite to the latter."
Tenth Article. "We believe that the first day of the week ought to be kept as a Sabbath day of rest, &c."
No one familiar with the faith and practice of the regular Baptists will be at all doubtful of the character of the first church of Block Island as he examines the above articles. They recognize no authority in the church but the Scriptures; no justifying merits in good works; no power of free will to effect, or produce faith, conver- sion, regeneration, and sanctification; no final perishing of the saints; no baptism of unbelievers, as infants; no communion with persons before their immersion, and no Sabbath but the first day of the week. These articles adopted on the 19th of August, 1784, were doubtless expressions of views that had been entertained from the earliest settlement of the Island. Thirty-one names were put upon record at the time of adopting said articles, in 1784.
In 1815, thirty-one years thereafter, the same articles were copied from the old manuscripts and were adopted as the standard of faith and practice, and were subscribed to by Enoch Rose and the other members of the church present at the time of their adoption. The committee appointed for the examination and copying said articles were "Enoch Rose, Samuel Mott, and Edward Dodge, together with Elder E. Stedman," January 6, 1815.
Enoch Rose was chairman also of the meeting when appointed chairman of the committee for examining and copying the old articles of faith, and as chairman he pre- sented them to the church for acceptance, February 4, 1815. He probably took an active part in church affairs during the interval between the death of Rev. Thomas
22
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Dodge, in 1804, and the settlement of the next pastor, Rev. Enoch Stedman. Mr. Rose was baptized by Rev. Thomas Dodge, on the 4th of September, 1785, and although a troublesome member, several times, during his thirty-four years of standing in the church, the members bore with him until the early part of the year 1818. Then, on the 21st of February, the church put upon its record the following: "Taking up the matter that so highly concerns as we trust for Christ and his cause sake, as it respects our brethren Enoch and John Rose who have gone out from us and fellowshipped such as deny the Divinity of Christ our God and Saviour, and also refused to be admonished by us, and deny the govern- ment of the church; therefore we withdraw the hand of fellowship from them, and all that hold them in commun- ion." This case of discipline clearly illustrates the mode of church government in this church. Mr. Rose had been deacon for twenty years, but in excluding him the church exercised its own independent authority.
In 1817 Rev. Enoch Steadman became pastor of the first church of New Shoreham, and held that office during a very troublesome period in the church, much of the trouble originating from Enoch Rose's defection, and from various vices. He was highly esteemed in the Groton Union Baptist association, which met about the time of his death, and put on record the following: " Our beloved father and brother, Enoch Steadman, pastor of the church of New Shoreham, has left this world, to receive, we hope, the everlasting reward of the righteous in the mansions of the blessed. By this stroke another is added to the list of the destitute churches." Rev. Mr. Steadman was buried on the 19th of June, 1833, in his seventy-fourth year, after a pastorate of sixteen years. He is also remembered as having been a soldier in the war of 1812, previous to his ministry.
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FIRST ORGANIZATION.
The Rev. John S. Dill, March 29, 1834, was called to the pastorate of the first church of Block Island, and accepted. At the same time the church voted to ask as- sistance from the convention. He had troublesome mem- bers. In June, 1836, the church voted him and his wife letters of dismission. During that month they were visited by Rev. Arthur A. Ross. Things were sadly mixed during the year following-troublesome members defaming the character of Rev. Mr. Dill. In July, 1837, a council was " held in the Baptist meeting-house at New Shoreham; " letters and records were examined; the troublesome members confessed their wrongs, as well as Mr. Dill, and mutual forgiveness was expressed. On the following day, at an adjourned meeting, all the members agreed to "bury all their difficulties with each other, and in future live together according to their covenant obliga- tions, and strive together for the faith of the gospel." It was also voted unanimously that nothing had been brought before the council to impeach the character of Rev. Mr. Dill. Rev. Arthur A. Ross, and Robert Dennis were committee from the convention at this council. On the 26th of August, 1837, the church voted Mr. Dill a dismission from the pastorate of said church, after a settle- ment of three years and a half.
Rev. Elijah Maccomber was Mr. Dill's successor. His pastorate began Jan. 1, 1838, and his first year's salary was $250, "and also the appropriation from the conven- tion." In April of that year Wm. A. Weeden was ap- pointed a "tidingsman, to keep order in the meeting- house." On the same day a committee of five were ap- pointed to raise funds to secure a parsonage. In Septem- ber, 1841, measures were taken for the incorporation of the church under the name of the First Baptist Society of New Shoreham. It seems to have had no pastor during the summer of 1841. In June a pulpit committee of five
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HISTORY OF BLOCK ISLAND.
were appointed. In September it was voted to raise a subscription to induce Rev. Mr. Maccomber to return to the Island. He was in a church-meeting, Feb. 11, 1842, and again became pastor of said church. On the 4th of March, 1843, one hundred and ninety-seven members renewed their covenant with each other. Then followed a continuation of former discords, Millerism excitement, and exclusions which sadly characterized Mr. Maccomber's entire connection with this church. Many, doubtless, were unjustly excluded, and some unwisely admitted. His chief error seems to have been in fixing the precise time of the second Advent, of denouncing the Bible in case of failure, and of severity towards those who did not adopt his Millerism. His pastorate closed in 1844, and in October of that year a pulpit committee was ap- pointed to consider the character of candidates for the pulpit.
Rev. Silas Hall, from the Baptist church in South Kingston, R. I., was received as a member of the First Baptist church of New Shoreham, Apr. 26, 1845. In June of that year the articles of faith and practice were read before the church, and approved. In July a slash- ing vote was passed in reference to those who had em- braced the Miller doctrine, and for several months after- wards similar votes were repeated, until it was evident that those who sowed the wind under Mr. Maccomber's pastorate reaped the whirlwind while Mr. Hall served the church. In August, 1846, the church was so badly divided that at a meeting on the 29th, it was voted to lay their records before the Warren association which met at Pawtucket, Sept. 9th and 10th, following. The asso- ciation put upon record this statement: "A persevering adherence to the errors of Millerism is an offense merit- ing exclusion from a Christian church," but omitted action upon the particular acts of said church, and appointed a
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FIRST ORGANIZATION.
committee to visit and advise with its members. On the 28th of September said committee came to the Island and read to the church a most conciliatory and wise address, in which they justified the exclusion of "those persons who had embraced Millerism and denounced the church," but reproved the church as acting in a "language and spirit unnecessarily hasty and severe," and advised the church to relinquish the services of both ministers upon the Island, Messrs. Maccomber and Hall, as soon as pos- sible and to unite in the support of another.
In May, 1848, the church called the Rev. Joseph P. Bur- bank, and he entered heartily upon the labors of reconcil- ing former discords and restoring excluded members. His salary the first year was $200, keeping of his horse, " separate from grain," and assistance from the conven- tion. During his pastorate of about two years a better spirit pervaded the church.
Rev. C. C. Lewis was called by said church, Jan. 18, 1852, and continued his pastorate up to the spring of 1856. He suffered much from taking an active part in politics.
Rev. Albert Gladwin, during the summer of 1856, then a licentiate, served the church faithfully, and distin- guished his labors by raising funds to build the present house of worship. It September of said year Rev. Dr. Jackson, and Rev. S. Adlam, of Newport, visited and counseled the church. The new house was formally de- livered to the church by Mr. Gladwin, at a meeting held Dec. 31, 1857, at which time a vote of thanks was given to Mr. Gladwin for his services, together with $244.99 of unpaid subscriptions "as a remuneration for his services in collecting funds for the purpose of building and fur- nishing this house, and also as building committee to get the same built and furnished, and for his services with us as a minister of the gospel."
Rev. Cummins Bray, in September, 1858, was called to 22*
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the pastorate of said church, on a salary of $350.00. He was a faithful minister of the gospel of peace. During his ministry old wounds were healed, and a new and healthy spiritual life became apparent. A judicious ob- server, and visitor to the Island, in 1860, wrote: "In this work of charity and reconciliation much credit is due and is freely accorded to their present pastor, Rev. C. Bray, whose judicious labors in the cause of temperance, and his kindness of heart which is patent to all have made him a general favorite over the Island." His pastorate closed Oct. 1, 1865.
Rev. J. H. Baker, Oct. 19, 1866, became pastor of said church, and continued such until Jan. 19, 1867. He was about that time taken with a paralytic shock in the pulpit, and never recovered.
His paralysis was first discovered while he was praying, as he repeated several times his last words in the pulpit, " being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work."
The church treated him with great kindness thereafter, until his removal from the Island. During his pastorate Rev. Wm. Taplin was his assistant much of the time, after which the church was supplied by the latter, and by Rev. Mr. Harris until March, 1867.
Rev. I. B. Maryott, April 1, 1867, began his pastorate with said church, and continued his faithful labors until April 1, 1872, during which time the church was blessed with a good degree of peace and prosperity. Rev. Solo- mon Gale, as pastor, served the church from April 1, 1872, to February, 1873.
Rev. R. Russell was called to the pastorate of this church, April 1, 1873, and continued his services until September 30, 1874. He will long be remembered as the aged minister with the elastic step and cheerful spirit of youth, under whose ministry occurred the great revival
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of the winter of 1873-4, during which he baptized 121 members. Salary, $750.00.
Rev. S. T. Livermore of Bridgewater, Mass., was called to the service of this church, in the fall of 1874, and began his labors November 1st. Salary, $1,200.00. Members in 1876, four hundred and six.
In the history of the First Baptist Church of New Shoreham we find ample evidence of the stability of a religious society that governs itself independently of bishops, or of bodies clothed with higher grades of eccle- siastical authority. There is also seen evidence of the truthfulness as well as the irony of the saying of a pre- late that "There must be a divinity in the government of the Baptist churches or they would ruin themselves by their follies." We own this with a degree of glory, in that we have only Christ for our Head and Ruler; and of shame, in that we so poorly exemplify his rules of church order. Yet with his Word as our only law of faith and practice, in spite of all our follies, we feel safer than we should by recognizing any intermediate authority between us and Him. Thus this church, from a germ planted in the days of Roger Williams, and by his kindred spirits who gladly left the places of persecution on the main-land, took up their abode on a lonely island far out at sea, to dwell among savages, unprotected by a strong force, has become a large and fruitful vine, sending out.its branches to the sea all around. Many a time has the writer been asked by visitors at the Island, on learning the circum- stances of its settlement: "Why did they come here, so far from the main, and settle amid so many Indians ?" The most reasonable answer that he has yet been able to give has been: "They came to Block Island for the same reason that Roger Williams went to Providence." They, however, did not wait to be banished. But they did im- mediately put in practice the sentiments for which he had
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been banished, and have continued doing so until the present. In no part of the world, perhaps, has religious freedom been maintained so purely for two hundred years as on Block Island. Here it has never been disturbed by any civil enactments. Here no ecclesiastical authority has ever infringed upon private opinions of religious faith and practice. Here the church has never felt the over- ruling power of bishops or synod. Here no religious duties have been enforced upon helpless infants. Here the ordinances have ever been administered in their prim- itive simplicity. Here the acts of sprinkling, pouring, and signing with the cross have never been witnessed. Here the minister has no more ruling authority in the church than the youngest member. No authority is recognized in it except that which comes from the Scrip- tures. Thus amid the severest trials, this church, depend- ing upon its Head for life and protection, has stood and prospered while the great hierarchy of Rome has ceased to trample upon the necks of kings and to slaughter the saints with racks and guillotines to subdue the world to its ecclesiastical authority, and politically has faded away. While civil and religious freedom has stood on Block Island two hundred years, how many kingdoms have fallen !
Its most remarkable revival occurred during the pas- torate of Rev. R. Russell. It began with a few in a prayer-meeting, in a time of coldness, and resulted like the "handful of corn in' the earth upon the top of the mountains," amid ice and snow where a divine power made "the fruit thereof shake like Lebanon." The pas- tor was then absent considerable of the time on account of his son's sickness, but the meetings continued with increasing power until human instrumentalities were almost invisible amid the manifestations of God's power. The places of intemperance were deserted; profanity
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ceased; enemies became friends; one hundred and twenty- one were baptized; the aged minister with whitened locks flowing in the wind, nerved with superhuman strength, with his frail body warmed by a divine fire within, from Sabbath to Sabbath, surrounded with ice, stood in his chosen Jordan and immersed score after score of rejoicing converts, verifying the simple old couplet,
" Brethren, if your hearts are warm, Snow and ice will do no harm."
The baptismal scenes, for many years, have been at the south end of the Great Pond, a short distance northwest from the house of Mr. Samuel Mott, and have been very impressive. While many witnesses assembled on the slightly elevated shore, the candidates met at Mr. Mott's house for preparation where many rooms were warmed and opened for their convenience. When all were ready, the pastor with the senior deacon, followed by a choir of male singers chanting a recitation of all the circumstances of Christ's baptism, followed by the candidates, and these by their friends, marched in a procession to the water. There, after prayer, the ordinance was administered. There many have felt the deep conviction that the ordi- nance was not of man, nor to please man. In the winter of 1876 three young ladies were thus baptized. The wind was blowing strongly; the waves came a long dis- tance on the Great Pond; the shore was bordered with ice and snow, as one after another, in the presence of a multitude, walked calmly down into the water, and on returning to the shore exchanged kisses with her compan- ion going down to the liquid grave in obedience to a divine command. Many a heart was cheered with the strong conviction that the power sustaining these delicate females in such a Jordan would be ample support in
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