And what God spake within his heart
He did to man repeat.
So much from one of the early Rogerenes against the union of church and state and in favor of equal religious liberty; thoughts, sentiments, principles which lie at the basis of our new constitution; published and scattered throughout the land at an early period, instilled into the hearts of children, blossoming out in speech and inspiring efforts which aided the complete establishment of religious liberty in Connecticut. Descendants of John Bolles were among the very foremost, ablest, and most efficient workers in this cause, baptized, as it were, into these sacred truths. A few examples will be given; but we can hardly hope that the despisers of the Rogerenes will find in them “evidence that their testimony or their protestations had the slightest influence in correcting any of the errors of the times, in regard to the relations of civil and ecclesiastical authority.”
To show that early descendants of the Rogerenes were trained in goodness, as well as in argument, we will speak of John Bolles of later times, brother of Rev. David Bolles and grandson of the John Bolles of whom we have said so much. He was the founder, and for forty years a deacon, of the First Baptist Church of Hartford, of which Rev. David Bolles was one of the first preachers. We quote some interesting passages concerning him from Dr. Turnbull’s “Memorials of the First Baptist Church, Hartford, Conn.,” which were read by Dr. Turnbull as sermons, after the dedication of the new church edifice, May, 1856:—
There was no man, perhaps, to whom our church, in the early period of its history, was more indebted than John Bolles.... He was a Nathaniel indeed, in whom there was no guile. And yet, shrewd beyond most men, he never failed to command the respect of his acquaintances. Everybody loved him. Decided in his principles, his soul overflowed with love and charity. Easy, nimble, cheerful, he was ready for every good word and work. He lived for others. The young especially loved him. The aged, and above all the poor, hailed him as their friend. He was perpetually devising something for the benefit of the church or the good of souls. How or when he was converted he could not tell. His parents were pious, and had brought him up in the fear of God, and in early life he had given his heart to Christ, but all he could say about it was that God had been gracious to him and he hoped brought him into his fold. On the relation of his experience before the church in Suffield, the brethren, on this very account, hesitated to receive him; but the pastor, Rev. John Hastings, shrewdly remarked that it was evident Mr. Bolles was in the way, and that this was more important than the question when, or by what means, he got in it; upon which they unanimously received him. He was very happy in his connection with the church in Suffield. The members were all his friends. He would often start from Hartford at midnight, arrive in Suffield at early dawn, on Sabbath morning, when they were making their fires, and surprise them by his pleasant salutation. After breakfast and family prayers, all hands would go to church together.
Of course, he was equally at home with the church in Hartford, and spent much of his time in visiting, especially the poor of the flock. He had a kind word and a ready hand for every one. One severe winter, a fearful snow-storm had raised the roads to a level with the tops of the fences. A certain widow Burnham lived all alone, just on the outer edge of East Hartford. The deacon was anxious about her; he was afraid that she might be covered with the snow and suffering from want. He proposed to visit her; but his friends thought it perilous to cross the meadows. But, being light of foot, he resolved to attempt it. The weather was cold, and the snow slightly crusted on the top. By means of this he succeeded, with some effort, in reaching the widow’s house. As he supposed, he found it covered with snow to the chimneys. He made his way into the house and found the good sister without fire or water. He cut paths to the woodpile and to the well, and assisted her to make a fire and put on the tea-kettle. He then cut a path to the pig-pen and supplied the wants of the hungry beast, by which time breakfast was ready. After breakfast, he read the word of God and prayed, and was ready to start for home. In the meanwhile, the sun had melted the crust of snow, and, as he was passing through the meadows, he broke through. He tried to scramble out, but failed; he shouted, but there was no one to hear him. The wind began to blow keenly; he did not know but he must remain there all night and perish with cold. But he committed himself to God, and sat down for shelter on the lee-side of his temporary prison. He finally made a desperate effort, succeeded in reaching the edge, and found, to his joy, that the freezing wind had hardened the surface of the snow, which enabled him to make his way home.
On a pleasant Sabbath morning, some seventy years ago, might be seen a little group wending their way from Hartford, through the green woods and meadows of the Connecticut valley, towards the little church on Zion’s Hill. Among them was a man of small stature, something like Zaccheus of old, of erect gait, bright eye and agile movement. Though living eighteen miles from Suffield, he was wont, on pleasant days, to walk the whole distance, beguiling the way with devout meditation; or, if some younger brother chose to accompany him, with pleasant talk about the things of the Kingdom. This was Deacon John Bolles, brother of Rev. David Bolles, and uncle of the late excellent Rev. Matthew Bolles, and of Dr. Lucius Bolles so well known in connection with the cause of foreign missions.
In the year of our Lord 1790, just about the commencement of the French Revolution, this good brother and a few others came to the conclusion that the time had arrived to organize a Baptist Church in the city of Hartford. Previous to that, they had held meetings in the court-house and in private houses. On the 5th of August, 1789, the first baptism, according to our usage, was administered in this city. On September 7, it was resolved to hold public services on the Sabbath in a more formal way. Accordingly, the first meeting of this kind was held, October 18, in the dwelling-house of John Bolles. These services were continued, and in the ensuing season a number of persons were baptized on a profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. On the 23d of March, 1790, sixteen brothers and sisters were recognized as a church of Christ, by a regularly called council, over which Elder Hastings presided as Moderator.
When the Baptists began to hold public services, an over-zealous member of Dr. Strong’s society (the Centre Congregational Society) called upon him and asked him if he knew that John Bolles had “started an opposition meeting.” “No,” said he. “When? Where?” “Why, at the old court-house.” “Oh, yes, I know it,” the doctor carelessly replied; “but it is not an opposition meeting. They are Baptists, to be sure, but they preach the same doctrine that I do; you had better go and hear them.” “Go!” said the man, “I am a Presbyterian!” “So am I,” rejoined Dr. Strong; “but that need not prevent us wishing them well. You had better go.” “No!” said the man, with energy, “I shan’t go near them! Dr. Strong, a’n’t you going to do something about it?” “What?” “Stop it, can’t you?” “My friend,” said the doctor, “John Bolles is a good man, and will surely go to heaven. If you and I get there, we shall meet him, and we had better, therefore, cultivate pleasant acquaintance with him here.”
Dr. Bushnell, many years after, paid him a sweet tribute, in his sermon “Living to God in Small Things.” “I often hear mentioned by the Christians of our city (Hartford) the name of a certain godly man, who has been dead many years; and he is always spoken of with so much respectfulness and affection that I, a stranger of another generation, feel his power, and the sound of his name refreshes me. That man was one who lived to God in small things. I know this, not by any description which has thus set forth his character, but from the very respect and homage with which he is named. Virtually, he still lives among us, and the face of his goodness shines upon all our Christian labors.”