its pastor. It does not appear that any farther correspondence was ever maintained. Elder Corp and his church met a decided opposition, but nevertheless the little vine grew and flourished. Mr. Nicholas Northrup, who had been a sailor, and was now a member of this church, commenced preaching; and finally was, at the request of the church, ordained by Elder Corp without assistance. Thomas Talman who had been one of Burgoyne's soldiers, was converted, joined the church, commenced preaching, and was ordained by Elders Corp and Northrup. Both of these men, as well as Elder Corp, were active and very efficient ministers. tor. against none was it more furious than against Elder Farley. The settlers on the Mohawk river were mostly Dutch, and. passionately devoted to the Dutch church, which had then had little more than the name to live. They called him John the Baptist, and took every means to annoy and oppose him. Finding their efforts vain, and that the work of the Lord spread rapidly, they applied to their minister to put him down; but he wisely kept in the distance. At length Major Cassler, Col. Bellinger, and Judge Rosecrants were induced to meet him in a public disputation, but being effectually silenced, they soon quit the contest. He travelled considerable, and revivals followed him wherever he went. As the result, churches were nube,) Whitmontown, Burlington, Starkville, and subsequently several others. He still lives, but has been disabled from preaching for a long time, by an affection of the throat. About this time a church was organized in Florida, (now Ames) Montgomery Co., N. Y., and George Elliott ordained its pas-organised in Litchfield, Minden, (now DaIn 1797 Elder Corp settled in Russia, Herkimer Co., and in 1799 a most powerful reformation resulted from his labors. A church was formed in June, 1800, by Elders Corp and Elliott, over which Elder Corp remained pastor, until his decease in 1838. He however travelled considerable, and assisted in many ordinations and organizations of churches. He was a very useful preacher, much beloved, distinguished for his tenderness of spirit and power of appeal, and died full of years and usefulness. Northrup remained for many years the efficient pastor of the church at Stephentown, and Talman raised up several churches in Canada which were afterwards gathered into a conference. Both died in faith. Another church was gathered in Richfield, Otsego Co., over which John Straight was settled as pastor. Elder Straight proved to be a corrupt man, and the church finally became extinct. Before this how ever a society was gathered in the adjoining town of Plainfield, Oct. 8th, 1822, which still remains a permanent and efficient church. About this time a church was organized in Worcester, and Ezekiel Carr ordained, but Elder Carr dishonored the cause, and the church lost its visibility. John Farley, a member of the Richfield church,commenced preaching in 1801, and was ordained in 1803. He was a young man of vigorous intellect, and proved eminently successful. During all this time opposition and persecution ran high, but The churches had become so numerous that a general meeting or conference was held in 1803 composed of delegates from the several churches. Some say one was held as early as 1801. This conference afterward continued to meet annually, when the best means of promoting the cause of Christ were discussed, and strength gained by uniting in religious services. Devotion seems to be one of the prominent objects of these meetings, although the conference licensed and ordained ministers at the request of the churches of which they were members, and attended to such matters of general interest as came before them. They disclaimed any power to revoke the decisions of individual churches. Councils, with advisory powers, were also appointed to deliberate in matters of difficulty. The name of Free Communion Baptists had already been adopted. From this time, their principles spread and their number rapidly increased. In 1806, churches had been gathered in Canada, Vermont, and Pennsylvania; and a correspondence opened with some General Baptists in Virginia and the Carolinas. This correspondence was, however, soon after interrupted. Many new and efficient preachers were raised up, while the churches were continually strengthened and many new ones gathered in the adjoining towns and counties. There were churches among the Indians at Brothertown and Stockbridge. These tribes were mostly from the state of Rhode Island, and have now nearly dwindled away, and the churches which were subsequently united, have become extinct. They had two or three preachers among them, one of whom, Elder B. G. Fowler, is still living in Wisconsin. Elder Nathaniel Dickerson from New Jersey, visited the conference in 1811, and stated that there were about 400 in connection with him, who were similar to the Free Communion Baptists; but from some unknown cause the correspondence was not long continued. Like all other denominations, they had their trials,-their scenes of adversity, as well as of prosperity. Not the least among these, was the defection of some of their ministers, and the consequent dispersion and extinction of several flourishing churches. Not withstanding this they increased in numbers and influence, so that in 1820, twentyfive churches were represented, containing 2142 members. The Canada and Vermont churches were not represented, and it is probable that others were not. In the mean time the cause gained ground, and churches multiplied, many having been collected north of the Mohawk river; as well as in Brookfield, Sherburne, Nelson, Columbus, McDonough, Lebanon, and several other places south of it. Thirtyfive churches were represented in 1825, when a division of the conference was made; the river being the dividing line. These were all in the state of New York, the other churches having ceased to represent themselves to this body. The two bodies were called the Northern and Southern Conferences. The ministers, not before mentioned, who during this time had been most active and efficient, were Elders Caleb Easterbrooks, P. W. Lake, William Hunt, Russell Way, Benjamin Rowland, Amasa Dodge, Bennett Hart, and others. Of these, perhaps none were more efficient than Elders Easterbrooks and Hunt. The former was truly a foster father to the churches, possessed of considerable talent, extensive influence, and universally beloved. His death, in 1831, was a severe blow to the churches, from which they hardly recovered. The latter still lives, (1847,) but he is one who has come down to us from another generation. His head is frosted for the grave, and soon its embrace must hide him from our sight. But he goes like a shock of corn fully ripe. Very many will rise up and call him blessed, for but few men have been the instruments of the conversion of more sinners than he. Way, Rowland, and Dodge are also still living. The Pennsylvania Conference, which was principally located in Susquehanna and Wayne counties, and then numbered 700 members, soon began to decline; and the remnants subsequently united with the Freewill Baptists, before the union of the main body. The churches in Massachusetts and Vermont organized a conference, which soon after represented itself to the Freewill Baptist General Conference. They do not appear to have ever had any very close connection with the conference in N. Y. No very regular correspondence was maintained with the conference in Canada. In 1837, it had 11 churches, 8 ministers, and 426 members. Some of these have since joined the Free-assembled annually. In 1836 the two will Baptists in that province, and of the rest, the writer has little knowledge. A delegation from the Freewill Baptists attended a conference at Brothertown in 1821, with the proposition of a union of the two bodies. For some reason this was entirely unsatisfactory, and the attempt was not renewed for several years. After experiencing the mutations incident to such bodies-the successes and reverses which are the lot of all, thirtyone churches were represented in the two conferences in 1835. Delegates were also, at the same time, appointed by them, which met and formed a General Conference of the whole body, which likewise conferences were each divided, making four Annual Conferences, representing themselves to the General Conference. These conferences were farther sub-divided into ten Quarterly Meetings, which held their sessions four times a year; while the Annual Conferences, which were still held, were composed of delegates from the Quarterly Meetings, instead of directly from the churches, às heretofore. This sub-division took place in 1838. Many of the churches, especially in the Southern Conference, were accustomed to leave out the term "Communion" in their name; and the second General Conference in 1836, voted to expunge it altogether, although many churches continued to use it. Hence they are sometimes known under the appellation of Free Baptists. The term "Open Communion" was also used for the same purpose. These names are all indicative of the same people. Their statistics were as follows, in 1840. A General Conference, 4 Yearly Conferences, 9 Quarterly Meetings, 51 churches, and 2,470 communicants. A few individual churches in the Northeastern part of the state had recently united with the Freewill Baptist Quarterly Meeting, and the German Q. M., including seven churches, had been expelled from the connection the year before for mal-practice. Some of these churches have since been gathered up, and the rest have lost their visibility. EDUCATION, BENEVOLENT EXER- Most of the ministers were men who had not enjoyed extensive literary and scientific privileges. A few, however, were well educated, and the need of the aid of education was early felt. No school under their charge, existed for some time, and such of them as obtained more than a common school education were either self-educated, or were indebted for it to the schools of other denominations. At length a systematic effort was made, and a Seminary, of the higher grade, was established, under flattering prospects, at Clinton, Oneida Co., N. Y. The buildings were soon found too straight for them, and the trustees disposed of their location and property here, and purchased the commodious buildings of the Oneida Institute, at Whitestown, which had become private property. This was in 1844. In the same year the Freewill Baptists located their Theological Seminary at the same place, since which time, both departments have ranked among the best educational institutions in the country. The Free Communion Baptists also took a bold stand in favor of the various benevolent operations of the age, such as Anti Slavery, Temperance, Moral Reform, Sabbath Schools, and Missions. The rum drinker and the slave holder or their apologists were refused admission to their churches, pulpits, or communion. Respectable sums were raised for foreign and domestic missions. One of their ministers, Jeremiah Phillips, of Plainfield, N. Y., was sent out to Orissa, a province in Hindoostan, under the patronage of the Freewill Baptist Board of Missions, but they contributed most of his support. He is still laboring, with a native church under his charge at Balasore, but as he has learned the language of the Santals and reduced it to writing, he will probably soon be transferred to a mission among that people. The Santals are a people living in the same country, but having a different language, customs, and religion from the Hindoos. They also generally take a strong stand against Secret Societies. DOCTRINE AND CHURCH POLITY. In these respects they were so similar to the Freewill Baptist, that little need be added. (See last article.) In the early history of the F. C. Baptists they generally held to the so-called doctrine of the final perseverance of the saints; but they soon regarded it with less tenacity, and finally abandoned it altogether. They also had written covenants and articles of faith, which some of the Freewill Baptists once discarded. They would not commune with anti trinitarians, nor does it appear that they ever regarded washing feet as a Gospel ordinance. Their church government was strictly congregational, and the power of their conferences, councils, etc., was only advisory, and had no authority to revoke the decisions of churches. A rule was adopted that, "If any elder in our connection be expelled for perjury, habitual drunkenness, theft, fornication, or adulte. ry, he shall not be restored to his official station." UNION OF THE FREEWILL BAPTISTS. | was finally mutually compromised by For some time after the unsuccessful agreeing that each church should adopt attempt at union with the Freewill Bap. either name as it saw fit; and that Free tists in 1821, little correspondence was Communion, Free, and Freewill Baptists, kept up with them. But eventually, as should be significant of one and the same acquaintance became more intimate, the people. prejudices, differences, and local difficulties, measurably wore away, and it was gradually revived. After a little, there was several exchanges of ministers, which greatly hastened a union. Several committees were respectively appointed by the General Conferences of the two denominations, to investigate the matter, and not a little discussion and excitement was elicited by it. Various reasons induced several Free Communion Baptist ministers to strongly oppose the union, but the great majority were decidedly in favor of it. Considerable opposition arose to a change of name on both sides, and the matter Thus the union was finally consum mated in 1841, but a few churches and ministers refused to assent to it. Most of these have since joined, although the church in Russia, which Elder Corp organized in 1800, still stands aloof. All the others that have not joined are well nigh, if not entirely, extinct. So the Free Communion Baptists are now known only as an integral part of the Freewill Baptist denomination. It should be noted that at the time of the origin of the F. C. Baptists, neither they nor the Freewill Baptists were aware of the existence of the other. HISTORY OF THE OLD SCHOOL BAPTISTS. BY ELDER S. TROTT, OF CENTERVILLE, VA. had been used to recognize as brethren. THE Old School Baptists hold themselves | than break fellowship with those whom we a separate church, as distinct from the New School, or Mission Baptists, and from the Reformed Baptists, or Campbellites, as from other denominations. But at length, we becoming wearied with the continued increase of those humanly devised institutions, with the corruption in Formerly our churches and associations doctrine, which they fostered, the spirit of stood in connection with what are now the the world, which they brought into the Mission Baptists. When modern mission-churches, the confusion and contentions, ism and its kindred institutions began to be brought in among us, about 1813, some of our churches and associations would have nothing to do with them, some in a limited measure countenanced them; others stood neutral, trying to bear with them rather which they occasioned in the associations; and further, being more sensibly convinced, as we trust, by the teachings of the Spirit, and from a comparison of those institutions with the Scriptures, that they are entirely diverse from that simplicity of order insti predestination and special atonement, by those who thought themselves wiser, in having learned in Fuller's new school, that system which suspends every thing touching salvation, on conditions to be complied with by the creature, and opened the floodgate for letting in all those contrivances in religion, as though the bringing of the many sons unto glory depended on human effort. We thus use the appellation be tuted by our Lord, and declared in the New Testament as the law of his kingdom, and by which he would keep his people constantly mindful, that, in the building up of his churches, in the giving to them pastors and teachers, and in the gathering in of his elect, the excellency of the power is of God, and not of us, a determination to seperate began to be manifested, correspondence was had with brethren in different sections of our country, and then a meet-cause, as an opprobrious term, it was first ing was held of brethren from different associations and states, and an address published in 1832, setting forth the reasons why we could not longer give countenance to any of that mass of institutions and societies which had been introduced among us, nor fellowship to those who should continue to adhere to them. This brought brethren, churches, and associations that had been groaning under the burdens of human inventions and impositions in religion, to separate themselves, some sooner and some later, from the whole mass of the popular religion and religionists, and to take a stand, as a distinct people, upon the old baptist standard, the holding of the Scriptures as the only and a perfect rule of faith and practice, and Christ as the Foundation, the Head, and the Life of the church, the only source and medium of salvation. This separation occasioned the splitting of several associations, and many churches. We took, as a distinguishing appellation, the name, "Old School Baptists." This name we considered appropriate to us, not only as going back to the ancient order of Baptists, but also from its having been given to such as adhered to the old doctrine of given to those who held the doctrine for which we contend,-not as approving of scholastic religion. I am not furnished with data to give a correct statement of our numbers. There are but few States or Territories in the Union, in which there is not an association of churches of our order, and in most of them there are several associations. Some adhere to the former order of associations, that, of churches uniting to form a compound body by articles of constitution. Other churches simply agree to hold meetings together, yearly, or oftener, for keeping up a correspondence among them, rejecting the idea of such compound bodies being connected with the church of Christ, and all constitutional compacts among churches, believing that the love of the brethren will have a sufficiently binding influence. There are several periodicals published by Old School Baptists, the oldest of which, and the one most extensively circulated, is "The Signs of the Times," published by Elder Gilbert Beebe, at New Vernon, Orange county, N. Y. By our opponents we are called Anti-mission and Anti-effort Baptists, &c. |