USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > Westerly > Westerly (Rhode Island) and its witnesses : for two hundred and fifty years, 1626-1876 : including Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond until their separate organization, with the principal points of their subsequent history > Part 10
USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > Charlestown > Westerly (Rhode Island) and its witnesses : for two hundred and fifty years, 1626-1876 : including Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond until their separate organization, with the principal points of their subsequent history > Part 10
USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > Hopkinton > Westerly (Rhode Island) and its witnesses : for two hundred and fifty years, 1626-1876 : including Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond until their separate organization, with the principal points of their subsequent history > Part 10
USA > Rhode Island > Washington County > Richmond > Westerly (Rhode Island) and its witnesses : for two hundred and fifty years, 1626-1876 : including Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Richmond until their separate organization, with the principal points of their subsequent history > Part 10
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The movement resulted in the separation of scores of churches from the Standing Order, and in the general renovation of the State churches themselves. In fact, the Revival was the blow that, in its consequences, led to the separation of church and state, and resolved the Presbyterians into Congregationalists. And how much the American Revolution owes to the Great Awakening, as a prepara- tion both in spirit and principles, might well engage a chapter of our national history.
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It was natural that the State churches which were so shaken and rent by the Revival, should oppose and misrepresent it. They re- proached all who left them as Separatists, schismatics, and fanatics. And they were particularly displeased with them because they verged towards the principles and ground of the Baptists. Such is human nature, that never, in the history of the world, has it been known that a class of men, invested by the government with special prerogatives, powers, and franchises, have surrendered them to the classes below them until they have been compelled by circumstances to do so.
How far the Awakening agitated Connecticut, may be inferred from the fact that not less than thirty-two churches of Separatists were organized within the State; we think there were more. The following are some of the reasons assigned by them for withdrawing from the Standing Order in Connecticut and Massachusetts : -
"Corruption in the church."
"Denying the power of godliness."
" The Church not making conver- sion a term of communion."
" Admitted members into covenant who were not in full communion."
"Private brethren being debarred the privilege of exhortation and prayer."
"Denying that the power of ordi- nation lies in the church of Christ, i. e. in the brethren of a church that has no pastor."
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"Making a half-way covenant."
" Denying lay preachers."
" Discountenancing of public ex- horting."
" Admitting persons not experi- enced into the pulpit."
"Unbelievers in the church."
" Pastor and church in darkness."
" Want of gospel liberty."
"Bound to rites and forms."
"Letting in all sorts of persons, without giving any evidence at all of their faith in Christ and repentance towards God."
"Neglect of church discipline."
" The church's continuing the tak- ing rates from those that dissent upon principle."
"Admitting in unconverted per- sons into the churches."
" Making money an essential qual- ification to vote for ministers."
"Disqualified persons voting into the ministry unconverted men."
"The ecclesiastical laws assuming that authority and rule that belong to Jesus Christ, and exercised in the church."
"The colony combining together to despise and reject the Holy Spirit of God as it operates upon the hearts of the children of men."
"Discountenancing such as had been the subjects of a glorious work of grace."
"So treating the work of God and the subjects thereof, styling it en- thusiasm and imagination. as if it might proceed from a distempered brain or conceit of the mind."
We have quoted enough to fairly present the points at issue. We have carefully taken the very words of the Separatists, lest we should, by any, be suspected of exaggeration. It will be noticed that the points at issue were great and vital principles.
While the New Lights became numerous in New England, they also spread into the Middle and Southern States. A prominent agent in extending the new life southward was Shubael Stearns, a native of Boston, who, becoming a Separate, labored among the Sep-
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arate churches as a preacher till 1751, when he embraced the. senti- ments of the Baptists, and was baptized in Tolland, Conn., by Rev. Wait Palmer, of Stonington, and was ordained the same year by Rev. Mr. Palmer and Rev. Joshua Morse, of New London. He "had strong faith in the immediate teachings of the Spirit.
Incited by his impressions, in the year 1754, he and a few of his members took their leave of New England. He halted first at Opec- kou, in Berkeley County, Va., where he found a Baptist church," and where he met his brother-in-law, the celebrated Daniel Marshall, who was also a Separate. Mr. Stearns and Mr. Marshall, "joining companies, settled for awhile in Hampshire County, about thirty miles from Winchester." Stearns and his party shortly "got under way, and traveling about two hundred miles, came to Sandy Creek, in Guilford County, North Carolina." Here, taking up permanent resi- dence, they built a meeting-house and formed a church of sixteen mem- bers, which soon " swelled to six hundred and six members." "The preaching of Mr. Stearns, Mr. Marshall, and Joseph Breed greatly stirred the Southern people, who were fast bound in formalism. Their manner of preaching seemed as strange as their novel doc- trines of grace and the new life; they had acquired a very warm and pathetic address, accompanied by strong gestures and a singular tone of voice."
Mr. Marshall preached in North Carolina, Virginia, South Caro- lina, and Georgia. Other preachers were raised up and many churches were planted. "The Separates, in a few years, became truly a great people, and their churches were scattered over a country whose whole extent, from north to south, was about five hundred miles ; and Sandy Creek Church, the mother of them all, was not far from the centre of the two extremes,"
We may here give a hymn composed by one of the New Lights, and often sung in their assemblies. It was used in the meetings in Westerly and Hopkinton.
HYMN.
THE NEW LIGHT.
"Come all who are New Lights indeed, Who are from sin and bondage freed, From Egypt's land we've took our flight, For God has given us a New Light.
"Long time we with the wicked trod, And madly ran the sinful road; Against the gospel we did fight, Scared at the name of a New Light.
"At length the Lord in mercy called, And gave us strength to give up all; He gave us strength to choose aright A portion with despised New Lights.
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"Despised by man, upheld by God, We're marching on the heavenly road; Loud hallelujahs we will sing To Jesus Christ, the New Light's King.
"Though by the world we are disdained, And have our names cast out by men, Yet Christ our captain for us fights; Nor death, nor hell, can hurt New Lights.
"Come, sinners, with us New Lights join, And taste the joys that are divine; Bid all your carnal mirth adieu. Come, join, and be a New Light too.
"Your carnal mirth you'll count a toy, If once you know the heavenly joy ; No solid joys are known below But such as New Lights feel and know.
"I know not any sect or part, But such as are New Lights in heart; If in Christ Jesus you delight, I can pronounce you a New Light.
"For since in Christ we all are one, My soul would fain let strife alone ; No prejudice can any bear, No wrath, in those who New Lights are.
" Thus guarded by the Lord we stand Safe in the hollow of His hand; Nor do we scorn the New Light's name, - Christians are all New Lights - Amen.
" Amen, amen, so let it be ; Glory to God: this light we see : New light from Christ to us is given; New light will be our light in heaven."
Whatever may now be said of the poetry, the sentiments are Evangelical. And those who have read the early psalmody of New England will not complain of the verse. Some of the Puritans of Connecticut sang, -
"Ye monsters of the briny deep, Your Maker's praises spout ; Up from the deep, ye codlings peep, And wag your tails about."
As these Separatists have so often been unjustly censured and stigmatized as fanatics and heretics, in justice to their memory and the noble work they performed for the country, it may be proper, as it will be instructive to the present generation, to present the real views they entertained. We copy their sentiments as they were drawn and subscribed by a large convention of their churches, - omitting only the proof texts attached.
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THE GREAT REVIVAL.
ARTICLES OF DOCTRINE.
"1. We believe that there is but one only living and true God, who is a Spirit of himself, from eternity unchangeably the same, Infinite in Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness, and Truth ; merciful, gracious, and om- niscient God, and incomprehensibly glorious, and eternally happy in the pos- session and enjoyment of - hinself.
"2. We believe that this one God subsists in three Persons in the God- head, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, which are but one essence from all eternity, distinguished in order of office, being essentially coequal and coeternal, and jointly working in all their Divine Operations; but yet the Son was begotten of the Father, and the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son; a mystery of mysteries; a Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity; a mystery too deep for men or angels to unfold.
"3. That God, being infinite in knowledge, doth from all eternity per- fectly see and know all things past, present, and to come; even to eternity did fore-ordain that whatsoever came to pass either by his order or permis- sion, should bring about his honor and glory ; and though God did not fore- ordain men to sin, yet he did for the glory and honor of his great name fore- ordain the punishment for sin.
"4. That God did in the beginning create the heavens and the earthi, and all things that are in them; and in prosecution of his decrees doth uphold all things by the word of his power.
"5. That God did create man in his own image, in knowledge, right- eousness, and true holiness, and capable of obeying and enjoying free and happy communion with God, and so entered into a covenant of life with him; the condition thereof was perfect obedience; and so left him to act as a free agent, and public head or representative for all his posterity.
"6. Man, being left to himself, soon fell from that happy and glorious estate in which he was made, by eating of the forbidden fruit, and so ruined himself and all his posterity, and brought upon himself, and all his race, death temporal, spiritual, and eternal.
"7. That man being thus dead to all spiritual and divine life, his recovery is wholly and alone in and from God, through Jesus Christ.
"S. That God did, out of his own mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elect a number to everlasting life, and did, in the grand compact between the Father and the Son, give them to liis son, Jesus Christ. in the covenant of redemption, which is the only foundation or first cause of the salvation of the poor lost sinner.
"9. That man, in the human nature, rebelled against an infinitely holy God; therefore, in the human nature, in personal union with the Divine Nature, satisfaction must be made to Divine Justice for the rebellion.
"10. That God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, who took the human nature, lived a perfect life on earth, and died the accursed death for sinners; a Person every way qualified, being both God and Man, and stood for the honor of his Father's law, and, having our natures, was touched with the feeling of our infirmities, yet without sin; and, by putting himself in our low place, made full satisfaction to the Infinite Justice of God for all elect.
"11. That the Holy Spirit of God (proceeding from the Father and Son), he only can and doth make a particular application of the redemption (purchased by Christ) to every believer, as it is revealed in the word of God, namely, by convincing us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, and being utterly slain by the holy law of God, and completely conquered into the hands of a sovereign and absolute God, where we see Justice clear and God's throne guiltless if we were eternally damned. Thus being conquered,
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God the Holy Ghost revealed Jesus Christ in our souls, in his glory, power, love, and all-sufficiency; and for what we beheld in Jesus Christ, or the attributes of God, our souls accepted him freely upon gospel terms; and so the Lord wrought in our souls faith and love, which was accompanied with a living union to Jesus Christ, and a new obedience which flows from an immortal principle of holiness and likeness to God; and hereby we are brought to trust our eternal all into the hands of this unchangeable and faithful God; and thus we come to the knowledge that we are elected of God to eternal life, and that Jesus Christ has wrought out a pure, spotless righteousness for us, and is now, by virtue of his merits, interceding before the Father for us.
" 12. We believe that being, by the grace of God in Jesus Christ, per- fectly justified, so we shall also be wholly sanctified and be made perfectly holy by the further work of the Holy Spirit of God in our souls, by which alone we are sanctified, and not by any works of our own, either in whole or in part.
"13. That the life of religion consists in the knowledge of God as he reveals himself by his Spirit in his word, and conformity to God in the in- ward man, which necessarily produces an external conformity to the holy law of God, which is a transcript of the moral image of the Divine Being; so that though civility and external acts belonging to morality, and the form of religion, in themselves (separate from the Spirit of God) are no part of the essence of the religion of Christ, yet they are all comprehended in true religion, and brought forth by it.
"14. We believe, by the testimony of Scripture, and our own expe- rience agreeing therewith, that true believers by virtue of their union to Jesus Christ by faith and love, have communion with God, and, by the same grace, are in Christ united one to another, and have communion one with another; for, without union, there can be no communion with God nor with the saints.
" 15. That real believers in Jesus Christ, and none but such, are mem- bers of the true church of Jesus Christ, and have a right to all the gifts and privileges which Christ has left for his church in this world; and who- ever presumes either to partake of the ordinance of baptism or the Lord's Supper, without saving grace, are in danger of sealing their own damna- tion."
ARTICLES OF PRACTICE.
"1. A church of Jesus Christ is a number of true believers. by an ac- quaintance in the fellowship of the Gospel, voluntarily and understand- ingly covenanting and embodying together, for the maintaining and carry- ing on the worship of God, and the administration of the ordinances of the gospel, and the discipline of the church of Christ, according to the light God has given and shall hereafter give by his word and spirit.
. "2. That there are two sacraments of the New Testament, which Jesus. Christ las instituted to be observed in his church till he come; to wit, Bap- tism and the Lord's Supper.
"3. That no adult person ought to be baptized without a living faith in Jesus Christ; and as such believers, and they only, have a right to (or can, according to the nature of the thing) give up their children to God in baptism.
"4. That the Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus Christ only to com- memorate his death and sufferings, which he bore for their sins; and, in order to our right communing together in that ordinance, it is necessary that we have a good scriptural evidence and soul-satisfying knowledge of one another's union to Jesus Christ.
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"5. That, in order to the church's having a gospel evidence and knowl- edge of each person's qualifications for communion, we believe it is expe- dient and according to God's word, that every member admitted into the church do, before the church, publicly make manifest of what they have experienced (more or less) of God's grace upon their hearts; and, upon the church's fellowship and satisfaction, be received into the privileges and watch of the church.
"6. That at all times the door of the church shall stand open to every meet member, and at the same time be carefully kept against such as cannot give a satisfying evidence of a work of God upon their hearts, whereby they are united to Jesus Christ.
"7. That a number of saints in the fellowship of the gospel, being visibly united together as a church of Christ, have power to choose, and set apart by ordination, such officers as Christ has appointed in his church, such as Elders and Deacons, and by the same power to depose such officers as evi- dently appear to walk contrary to the rules of the gospel, or fall into erro- neous principles or practices.
"8. That, before choice and ordination of such officers, trial should be made of their qualifications by the church in which they are to be officers.
"9. That the minister or elder has no more power in church meetings where there is any matter of controversy to be decided, than any brother in the church; yet the elder or elders having superior gifts in ruling, ought to exercise and improve the same for the help and benefit of the church in their rule and discipline; and the whole church ought to be subject to the gifts and grace bestowed on the minister from the Lord, whilst he is regularly acting in his place, whose work it is to administer the sacraments, pray with, preach to, and exhort the people, with visiting and knowing the state of the flock over which the Holy Ghost has made him the overseer.
"10. We believe that the grace and gifts that are given to any of the members are to be improved by them in their place, for the edifying of the saints, for the building up of the body of Christ; in order to which there ought to be such a gospel freedom whereby the church may know where every particular gift is, that it may be improved in its proper place and to its right end, for the glory of God and good of the church; and the church ought to be subject to such improvements; and where the gifts and qualifi- cations for preaching are given by God to any brother, he has a right to improve the same: for we believe that the essential qualifications for preach- ing the gospel are wrought by the Spirit of God; so that the knowledge of the tongues, or college learning, is not absolutely necessary, yet they may be helpful if rightly used; but if brought in to supply the want of the spirit of God, they prove a snare to those that use them and all that follow them; so also we look upon all gifts as equally dangerous that are improved with- out the assistance and gracious influence of the holy Spirit of God.
. "11. That, in the administration of church discipline, or in matters of difficulty, we believe it may, upon some special occasions, be convenient and profitable to call for or request the advice and counsel of the neighbor- ing churches of Christ; yet their advice and counsels are not binding any further than they are instrumental of giving light; neither has any council, church, or church member, a right to look on their judgment as decisive, unless they see it to be regulated by the word and Spirit of God; and who- ever acts without this rule is guilty of presumption.
"12. We believe the gospel is to be supported by a free contribution, - both they that preach the gospel, and all houses made for God's public wor- ship; and also that the poor, who in God's providence call for support, - they should be supported by free contributing publicly or privately, as the circumstances of the case may call for; and those that neglect to contribute
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to either of these according to their ability, God reserves the punishment of that neglect to himself alone, and has never left it to men to force it from their fellow-men, by rates, fines, or prisons.
"13. We believe that, from the beginning of time to the end of the world, God as a sovereign in mercy has reserved and set apart the seventh part of time directly to be spent in religious worship and improvement; from the beginning of the world till Christ's resurrection, the seventh or last day of the week was kept in commemoration of God's finishing the work of crea- tion in six days, and resting on the seventh; and from the resurrection of Jesus Christ to his final coming, the first day is, and should be, kept in wit- ness and commemoration of Jesus Christ's finishing the great and myste- rious work of redemption, and his rising on the first day, and resting from his works of redemption, even as God did from his of creation.
"14. We believe God has ordained and appointed the ordinance of civil justice, to rule under God in the Kingdom of Providence, for the protecting and defending the poor as well as the rich in their civil rights and privileges, without either the major or minor having power to oppress or lord it over the one or the other. The work of the civil magistrates is to execute, and to punish the breaches of, moral precepts; they have no right to touch that which does infringe upon conscience, nor order, nor dictate, in the wor- ship of the living and dreadful God, for that belongs entirely to Jesus Christ, the great law-giver and head of the church.
" 15. We believe marriage is an ordinance appointed by God, that male and female might become mutual help-meet for each other, and that the man ought not to have but one wife, or the woman but one husband, at the same time, or whilst the first wife or husband liveth. All persons have a moral right to marriage, that are qualified to answer the end that God has pro- posed in that relation.
" 16. Although it may be lawful and right to sue a person that does wickedly and wrongfully withhold from his neighbor that which is his just due, yet we believe that brethren in Christ that have covenanted together to walk in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blamelessly, ought not to go to law one with another, but all their differences and diffi- culties ought to be decided by the brethren.
"17. We believe the Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, to be the revealed mind and will of God to mankind; from which these articles now written are drawn; and in which Testaments we believe there is a full and perfect rule given both of faith and practice.
"18. We believe there will be a general and final judgment, when all the sons and daughters of Adam (that have been, are, or shall be till Christ comes in like manner as he ascended) shall be summoned up into the awful, sweet, and glorious presence of the dreadful God, to be rewarded according as they have obeyed or disobeyed God, in the gospel of Jesus Christ; the righteous will be received into full, complete, and everlasting enjoyment of God; and the wicked will stand like ghastly damned ghosts, to receive a dreadful, heart-rending sentence from the Great Judge of quick and dead, - 'Depart ye cursedinto everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels'; and all heaven will own the sentence just, saying, ' Amen, hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Amen, and Amen.'"
Such were the principles of the Separatists, - the reformers of their age. From their principles of faith and practice, and the rea- sons assigned for their separation from the Standing Order, it will be perceived that the New Lights were contending for the very exist- ence of Evangelical religion. We no longer wonder at the great-
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ness of the upheaval produced by the Great Awakening, and the strength of the opposition it encountered. Through the intervention of the Spirit of God, it was a new birthday to our land ; formalism fell before the truth, and ecclesiasticism gave way to the Spirit. Would that the work had been more complete. If the old churches of Massachusetts had cordially accepted the New Light diffused by the Spirit through the testimony of Whitefield, Tennent, Backus, and the Separatists, they would have been spared the pain and loss that finally came upon them, through their half-way covenants, in the apostasy of multitudes, in the bosoms of the churches, who under the plea of liberalism went over to the ranks of Unitarianism, and rent the churches and societies, and bore away from them much of their invested property. The Presbyterian churches in Connecticut, now become Congregationalists, by finally yielding to the light, escaped the consequences that came upon the Bay State. They, however, yielded reluctantly. Many of the Separate churches con- tinued their organizations till the first part of the present century. That in North Stonington, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Chris- topher Avery, remained till near 1820. Most of the Separate churches, however, became Baptists. Of their coalition with the Baptists we shall be called to speak in another chapter.
The Great Awakening was the child of a great and precious, yea, a priceless truth. It was no mere ebullition of feeling, no mere wave of emotion, but a great religious truth struggling for recognition and liberty. This truth, fairly understood, is the key to the whole vast agitation, and will explain both the accelerating and retarding influ- ences of the Revival. The truth at stake was a divine one, a cardinal doctrine or principle of Christianity, namely, " the new birth," the doctrine of regeneration, or a spiritual change of man, a conscious renovation of the heart, and hence a change of motives and of life. It was experience rising paramount to profession.
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