[39] Since the above was written, this church has been visited by a most extraordinary and afflictive dispensation of Providence. Elder Crandall, supposed to be labouring under a temporary fit of insanity, put a period to his existence by suspending himself from a beam in his barn, in September, 1850.
[40] Since writing the above, I have been verbally informed that Elder Joel Green was called to preside over the church at Hounsfield, as colleague to Elder William Green, to the great dissatisfaction of the latter, and in consequence of which, such a great difficulty arose, that the ministrations of both were suspended,—but I will not vouch for the accuracy of this statement.
[41] For all the incidents relating to the early history of this organization, I am indebted to Rev. John Davis, of Shiloh.
[42] One of these fathers, who was considered no mean preacher in his day, and who was instrumental, not only in organizing, but in supporting and bringing to maturity an infant church, used to remark that he desired no better time for studying a sermon than when following the plough.
CHAPTER IV.
SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES, CONTINUED.
SECTION I.
THE KEITHIAN SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS.
The Keithian Baptists were seceders from the Quakers of Pennsylvania, and were so called from their leader, the famous George Keith, who, in 1691, with forty-eight other individuals, withdrew from the communion of the Quakers, and set up separate meetings in different places, and a general one at Burlington, in opposition to that of Philadelphia. Subsequently they published several works of a controversial character, and finally, by resigning themselves to the guidance of Scripture, they became altogether Baptist in their religious practices. At the time of this change in their denominational character they numbered four churches, of which one was situated at Upper Providence, another at Philadelphia, a third at Southampton, and a fourth at Dublin. These continued for some time, but in 1700, a difference arose among them concerning the Sabbath, that broke up their societies. Some of them contended rightly that the original Sabbath remained unchanged, and that its observance was still incumbent upon Christians. The division appears to have been fomented by one Abel Noble, who, according to Morgan Edwards, came to this country in 1684, and who appears to have been the first Seventh-day Baptist in the state of Pennsylvania. His name is found among those who, in 1691, signed the articles of the Keithian separation. By him was the first Keithian baptized in 1697, and by him were they gained over to the observance of the seventh day. Through his instrumentality four churches of that order were constituted. The first at Newtown, in Upper Providence, about twenty-four miles from the city of Philadelphia. Their meeting was held at the house of one David Thomas. Three families belonged to this place, of whom seven individuals were baptized members of the church, in 1770.
Another society resided at Pennapack, in the county of Philadelphia. It was to this society that Richard Sparks belonged, and to it he donated the lot of land for a burial-place, which subsequently became the property of the Shiloh and Piscataway Churches. William Davis was their minister. He was baptized in 1697, by Rev. Thomas Killingworth, of Cohansey, now Greenwich. In 1701, they built a place for worship in Oxford township, on a lot given to them by Thomas Graves, but neglecting to take a deed in due time, the Episcopalians dispossessed them of both the house and lot. In 1711, their preacher, William Davis, leaving them, and no one rising to supply the vacancy, they were soon scattered like sheep without a shepherd. The third society of them was at Nottingham, about fifty miles from Philadelphia. Their meetings were sometimes held at the house of Abigail Price, and at others in the dwelling of Samuel Bond, in the contiguous state of Maryland. The Sabbatarian families to which Nottingham was central, were six, of which eight persons were baptized. Here a yearly meeting was kept during the last week in August, 1770. This church originated from the Keithians at Upper Providence; but being destitute of a settled pastor, it received few additions. Its most influential members were the family of Samuel Bond, whose son, Richard Bond, became subsequently the founder of a Sabbatarian church in Virginia.
Another society of them was in East Nantmill Township, about thirty-two miles from Philadelphia. Here was a meeting-house, built in 1762, on a lot of one acre square, the gift of David Rogers. The Sabbatarian families in this place were six, of whom ten individuals were baptized. They had no settled pastor, and subsequently they removed in a body to French Creek, near Meadville, and became the fathers of the present church at Hayfield. Thus it appears that in 1770 there were twenty-six families of Sabbatarians in Pennsylvania, and thirty-one baptized individuals of that order. That they had two yearly meetings and one meeting-house. At this time also they had one minister, Rev. Enoch David. He was born in 1718, at Duck Creek, county of Kent, in the state of Delaware; called to the ministry, at Welshart, in 1751; and ordained in 1769. He was married four times, and became the father of nine children. Ebenezer, his oldest son, was considered a very promising young man. He entered Rhode Island college as a student in 1770, and became a member of the Newport Church the same year. He was ordained to the work of the ministry in 1775, and being a young man, accepted the office of chaplain in the American army, under Washington, where he remained until his death, in 1778. He was highly esteemed by both officers and soldiers, and afforded every promise of future eminence and usefulness.