Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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8?h> Our Mm; of < 'nlcuduih. Camden Chronicle \ Wot'Vl) w,.iiii wiiiu\ "ju -i i M MIil'Mt I-. VOI.IJMK XXIII. , OAMUKN, MOUTH ? Am?l4NA.; ??!-? ?<? ?<"< HISTORICAL ADDRESS AT BAPTIST CHURCH Delivered at Centennial Cele bration by Hon. Mendel L. Smith, and Recently Pub liwlied in Pamplet Form for Distribution.? Worthy of a Place Among Your Files. Brother Lawaou, Members of tho Camden Uaptiat Church, Ladiea and Gentlemen: In attempting to per forin the part which the kittUneuH of tho committee on programme huu aawlgned to mo in theae very inter esting exercises, 1 am approhonBlve * .lluVe yl?lded too much to ttio attractiveooHB of u wider field of historical Investigation than was con teijipluted J,, objegt before mo, and ua/ a very natural result have 'tilled to do justice to either. 1 am alBO fearful that a lack of time due to engagements of a more or loan urgent nature, particularly the preparation and trial of causes in Court, whose aeaaiona have not yet been concluded, will wholly pre udo uny attempt to do more than merely relate a plain, unadorned his torical narrative. I am comforted by the thought, however, that for a relief from the dullneua and dryness which a popular estimate generally JiHsociates with bucIi diacourses, I araj Justified in relying upon a very nat-I ural and warm personal lntesest in the subject by thoae to whom it shall bo my purpoao to present it. In tho preparation of what 1 shall ?uy to you. and it shall not be my purpose to present anything more than a brief compilation, 1 must gratefully acknowledge as sources of valuable information, without fur ther reference, Wood Furman's His tory of the Charleston Association, J. C. Purman'g Sketch of Richard Furman, Ramsey's History of South Carolina, Benedict's History of the Baptists in America, Newman's Cen tury of Baptist. Achievement, re cords Jn the office of the Clerk of Court of Kershaw County, a mass of interesting and valuable data which was placed at my disposal by Mr. Thomas E. Goodale, a dea con of tho church, who has pursued the collection of this material for quite a long time with splondid care and discrimination, and whose la bors have, to a .large extent, re lieved the burden of securing accu rate information with regard to the early history of the church, the rem iniscencea of Mrs. S. E. Goodale, who has been a ihember for over fifty years, Mr. John Arranta and other sources of Information to which definite reference will be made when used. From these sources I have drawn freely and, In many instances, have adopted such partB of their narratives as were di rectly applicable to the limitations of the subject under discussion, as I Hhall endeavor to present it. There can be no ultimate survival of any people whose life is con formed to a radically false concept tlon of God. Whatever pertains to the promotion of the true con ception is essential and construct ive. This la the great purpose and mission of the Church, regardless of what name any sect or denomi nation may conceive. Origin of Name "Baptist." The term "Baptist" as it ia used to designate the religious denomina tion to which we of this church be long la not by any means one of an cient origin. During the early days of the Reformation it was applied by certain people to the Antl-pedo baptlsta In derision for the great stress and importance which they placed upon believer's baptism. Pe dobaptlgts are those, aa you well' know, who believe in the baptism of infants. It Is certain that the Antl-pedobaptlsts never applied this term to those of their belief during the 16th century. Wo are told they dealgnated themselves as "Chris tiana," "Apostolic Christians," "Brethren," "Disciples of. Christ," "Believing Baptized Children of God." It was not until some time after the middle of the 17th cen tury that the English Pedobaptlsta adopted the term "Baptist," as a denominational" designation, repudi ating the name "Anabaptist," which Dr. Newman tells us their adversa ries sought dllllgently to apply to them with Its "worst continental application." The first person to advocate Bap tist doctrines in this country was Roger Williams, who also establish ed the first Baptist church on Araer lean aoll at Providence, R. I., in the year 1639 In many respects no man has ever exercised a more sal utary Influence upon American civ ilization than this zealous and God ly man. To the untiring devotion, sublime purity, uncompromising courage of conviction, tho unaltera ble stand for liberty of conscience of this man and his great compan ion and colaborer, John Clarke, Is due the fact that in the entire his tory of the Province and State of Rhode- Island the product of their years of hardship, toll ana perse verance', no one has ever suffered because of his worship of God ac cording to the free and unrestrain ed dictates of his own conscience. Every school child knows ?ome iklig m tfcs itolwy it >i|it WU? liuuih, but there are some incidents tn hi? lifu of u 'distinctly religious character that may bo here briefly summarized. He waH a native of Waleu, and was born about the year 1698, Dr. Newman nays lt>00.. In early life he became the beneficiary of the very k^iktoum patronage of Hlr Edward Coke, one of the inobt fortunate endowments that could have come to a youth of that day and time. 8ir Edward Coke observ ed, while at church services 011 one occuhIoh, that Young Williams wuh takiuK notes of the sermon, lie'be came very much Impressed and at traded thereby and called the youth to him. ^ He noticed that the notes were not only taken with great rare and Judgment but that they embod ied the loftiest sentiments of the discourse. Sir Edward Immediately Bought out his parents and secured permission to control his training and education. He was first educat ed a? a lawyer, bptj he soon gave up hl? work thfCt he might turn his attention to divinity. The progreas in hia chosen field was mo remarka ble that Sir Edward secured for him episcopal orders. Roger William*. He embraced the views and sen timents of-H.he Puritans, and an a result was made a victim of bitter persecution, and, at great person al sacrifice, lie cast his lot with hiu persecuted countrymen and came to America when about the age of 3 2 years. He arrived in this country and was called to the ministry of the church at Salem, in the Mas sachusetts Colony, in the capacity of au assistant to the pastor who wa8 a Mr. Skelton. We are told at the Governor and IiIb council ^ere uot favorable to the selection and the call was withdrawn. He then received a call to the church at Plymouth, where he preached with great favor and success, when he again received a call to the Sa lem church, Many of the congre gation at Plymouth objected to his accepting the call to the Salem church. There was, however, a Mr. Brewster, who finally prevailed up on the .congregation to dismiss him, his reason being that If Williams remained with them that he would spread too widely and- firmly the Anabaptist idea. So the second call to the Salem church was ac cepted. While here he preached the doctrine of liberty of conscience, which seems to have been his favor ed topic, and also against the priv ilege of the civil magistrates inter ferance in church affairs. He pro claimed the doctrino that in these matters Christian people are sub ject to no laws or control except those of their Master. These -doc trines immediately involved him in a series of bitter controversies with members of his congregation and the magistrates, which finally re sulted in his banishment from the colony. He left with some of his sympathizers and first settled at a Place called Rohoboth, which was beyond the Jurisdiction of the Mas sachusetts colony, but the Plymouth colony, having heard that he had settled there, informed him that he was in their Jurisdiction, and gave him peremptory orders to depart. There was nothing for him to do but seek refuge in the wilderness of the savage, among whom he dwelt on peaceful terms and whose good and elevation ho always sought. The relation existing between Roger Williams and tho savages was one of rospect and kindness towards each other. His effort to elevate them to a kindly and peaceful In tercourse not only constitutes a beautiful part, and effort, of his life, but resulted in much material benefit to his colony and its neigh bors. Williams- and his great friends and colaborers, Thomas Ol ney, ThomaB Angel and a hired ser vant, we are told, came over the ri ver in a canoe and settled at a cer tain place. Realizing now that ho had been the beneficiary ' of the kindness, mercy and protection of God, and in commemoration of his gratitude for this Divine manlfesta tion, he called the place at which he Bettled Providence, which was the beginning of the city of this name, now the capital of the State of Rhode Island. Williams had evi dently for some time entertained hostility to the doctrine of infant baptism, and to him was now pre sented the opportunity to give full expression to his views and to or ganize a church whose brdinances would embody tho s&me. He and eleven absociates, whose names now appear in the records of thlB an cient church, had become thorough ly convinced of the form, symbolism and design of baptism, but thero wbu no one authorized to adminis ter the rite. In this emergency -they selected one of their _ number, Ezeklel Holllman, whom we are told waH a man of "gifts and pioty," to baptize Williams by Immersion, who thereafter baptized Holllman and bis other associates, and thus was planted on the apierlcan continent our first Baptist iraurch. I wish it were- possible to give a more ex tended account of this organization, its early history, hardship* and Its Btrugglaa. Early Baptist Churches. In the year 1641, Dr. John Clarke -who has been already referred to aa a colaborer of Roger Williams established a church at Newport Bhodt Wml. " Benedict' XW4 as Waate. In TTI. ?mm te MmUm aad Ue fcound that greeted hl? ear? wan the groan? and criea of a bitter perse cution. He uuhettltatiugly allied hliUBelf with the persecuted party aud led them to aeek more penue ful homeu and scones. He received a grain from tike Indians, through the Influence of Koger Williams, to Aquidneck Island. which name wm* afterward changed to the Isle of Rhodes, or Rhode Island, llere they formed u colony and govern ment in which the "headship of Christ" was thoroughly recognit ed. It watt the union of thin colo ny with the I'rovldunce colony, und tim combined iufluence and activity of Cl&rke. Williams and Mrs. Anne Hutchinson in their behulf, which finally resulted in the formation of t . ' b#? i?urha|>H prouiK't'tt more neiioua Od&tuutioll and villtl lent I Vi' blood* HQfd than any other one cause m th# world'u history Krlixious I'mtloin, It may not lit some re#ti<H-is be fortdgn to the l>efori? us to submit the observation that many of those agencies, Influences and ~pi>w? irt which have been largely la struinentnl In working out tiit? des tiny of our Commonwealth were firm manifested in it glorious d? feijci* of liberty of conscience. When France was rent with a bitter religious intolerance, with c.eaHcU'hrt strifes and conflicts. whleh fun .1 wo countries destroyed Its re aourcoH and retarded its progress, and gave to the world a shocking HON, MKNDKI, |,. SMITH. tho province and present State of | Rhode Island. I In 1663, John Myles, a Welsh Baptist preacher, who emigrated from England with his church, se cured a grant of land near the Rhode Island frontier and estab lished a church, which they called Swansea. In 1665 the first Baptist church of Boston was organized and for years suffered most grievously at the hands of its persecutors. So unbearable were the indignities and sufferings to which the members of this church were subjected that ma ny of them left and settled in Maine, where they formed a relig ious organization in Kittery, on the Piscataque River, in the southwoat part of the district. Tho constit uents of this church were: William Scriven, elder; Humphrey Church wood, deacon; Robert .Williams, John Morgandy, Richard Cutts, Ti mothy Davis, Leonard Brown, Wil liam Adams, Humphrey Azell, Geo. Litten and several sisters. This church did not last long. Scriven and others went to Charleston, S. C., and did a noble work, which will bo referred to a little later on. In all times and everywhere the human being has yielded to an in example of cruelty and bigotry; when Innocent meti and women were subjected to unwarranted ex ecutions and imprisonments, depriv ed of civil rights and the abjura tion of their faith, strong enough to send them to the stake, was sought at the hands of rough and insolent dragoons, the willing tools of a haughty tyranny, thousands of tier best citizens were driven out with- their charming refinement, culture, skill, Industry and wealth to make thoir hornet in other lands. It was this condition and motive that prompted Admiral Coligny to conceive the idea of founding a colony in the Now World, and which inspired Jean llibault to un dertake the perilous command of that colony of determined Hugue nots who in 1 r>62 were driven by the winds into that beautiful and placid harbor which they named, yielding to the impression and im pulse of the moment, ".Port Roy al," which name has ever been re tained. History does not present in the pioneer life of this country filled with Its thrilling adventures, difficulties and dangers, or else where, a more sublime picture than that which followed. Sublime, be cause it portrayed the true dignity nate restlessness and irrepressible | longing for the existence and guid- I am-rv^of a supreme power or sover- ] eignty, to which motive and con-J duot could be referred for approval or condemnation. That religion is alone true which directs this great original, innate feeling in the chan-1 uelg of truth, and realising that every person should bo as free and unfettered in the Investigation of j this line of truth as any other, lib erty tjf conscience became a great naturill i-lght which no person pan be made to righteously yield in en tering organized society any moro than the rlgfct of ?elf preservation Wl-en In impending peril, the right to acquire prbperty or freedom of speech. Stracgo to s&y, this great truth has nayjir been, and is not now, universally admitted. The re ?ognJMon of Ue oppoali* principle I and worth of man?his assertion of | a privilege beyond the control of [ his fellow creature and an humble. | obedient, recognition of God. This little band cinoved up the stream, [which empties into the harbor, a J short distance to an island, and | thero disembarked. Here In tho I middle of the wilds of this unox plored country, with tho cruel and treacherous savago, no doubt, crouching and peeping through the thickness of the foliage, they plant ed a stone upon which was engrav ed the court-of-arms of their coun try, which had denied them a safe refnge, una far away from the world's civilization, beyond its fa vor and protection, at the mercy of the .wilderness, the mon stood In llna with uncovered and bowed heads, "while "a'gratafuT"pr*yer *** offarM and a psalm sunt. Thar* in iho hiillilt**# of ihe forest, >>> which t imagine the roar ami the dash of I ho wuvtib about them and the howl of the beast were at lout nature paying an awo-lnsplring tri bute to their splendid devotion and enterprise? could he heard the words of the gallattt coin mander, "Here I hope we shall build a new Kruti'ce where no man may auok to lilnder our con Helen to in what we consider God's true aervlcij " Willi (hits motive also rame other Huguenot families, who made I heir hometi on , the Suntoe and Cooper I'ivers; Joseph Morton's expedition [of English dissenters, wlio refused ! their allegiance to the Established Church of England, most til whom bottled on tlu- bank* of the Kdlhlo Ulvor in ltiSl; also hundreds of others who swelled tlu- population <?f tho ancient city of Charles Town, and whoso homes dotted the coast from that city to tho mouth of the Kd Isto. Among the early settlers were found many Baptists. One colony came about lf>SH rrom the western coast of England under' Lord Card roue and Mr. Make, and settled "about Ashley and Cooper Mi vers, others about tin- month of tin* Ed is to River." The same year came the porsocu ted band of Mnin<> Baptists, under Wm. Scriven, as already .staled, to Charleston. The;, sell led at ??Sum .merton." I'ituaie.i on Cooper Hlver and at a small distance from Char teuton " As a result they formed about I <; S t lie first Baptist church in this State, which was known as the CharleHton Church. In this church was moved to the'City of Charleston This is the oldest Baptist church in the South .Charleston \ ssodut ion. Tho early Baptists did not seem to make very much progress. Tin Charleston Association was founded in 1 7f? 1 and at that time only con sisted of four churches, to which brief references will be ina.de. The first in tho order of constitution was the Charleston Church, lo tin organization of which I have alrea dy referred. The Ashley. Hlver < hurch, which was located at Ash ley Hlver, was i he next. This church was for some lime a branch ot the Charleston churchy but on ?VIoy J 1, 1 7:i. was constituted a separate organization, with the Key. Isaac Chandler as its first pastor. In 17X7 a company df Welsh Bnp tists came from what is known as the Welsh tract of the Delaware KlVer to South Carolina and nettted on tl.e I'ee Dee ltlver. In January of the following year they constitu ted d Baptist church on . the Welsh Neck of the I'ee Dee Hlver, which was the third church. The fourth cnurch comprising tho Charleston Association was organized at Eu Itaw In May. 17 4 G. This church was originally a branch of the Charleston Chuhch, and nurlntain |.ed this relation over fifty yearB. I It was composed of members who ! resided principally on Edlsto Island The Rev. Francis Helot was prdaln od the first pastor of this church. It was located about eighty miles southwest of Charleston. From this church .the Pipe Creek, Black Swamp and Beaufort churches wero formed. In 1778 the membership of the Charleston Association had Increas ed from four to seventeen. In the year 1 778 four churches ^ere ad mitted, viz, the Savannah River (or Pipe Creek) church, constituted in March, 177f>, with the. Rev. Josh ua Lewis as its first pastor; the, High Hills of Santee, constituted January 2:5, 17 72, with the Rev. Richard Purman as its first pastor; Lynches Creek, constituted May 4, 1777, with the Rev. John Cowan as its first pastor, and Ebenezer, at Jeffers Creek, constituted January 19, 1778, with the Rev. Tlin I)ar gan its first pastor. It is in the constitution of the High Hills of Santee Baptist .Church that the members of this church are most interested. This church was gath ered by the Rev. Joseph Reese lu 1770. He conducted a gre;it revi val at this time, and succeeded In interesting the people very much in the subject of religion. Tribute to Klchard Furinuu it is becoming that we pause here long enough to pay a feeble tribute to that great and good man. Richard Furman, who as stated, be came pastor of the Hills-Church in 1 772. It is indeed very doubtful, when fairly judged, If the State has ever produced a greater orator, pa triot and j)lHrlne than he. In the distressing days when our liberties were assailed and the outlook was dark and seemingly hopeless; when our fathers were fighting des perately to protect their firesides and freedom, this man's eloquence was yo inspiring, his patriotic de votion so energetic, his prayers so faithful and ardent that he became a terror to the Tories and so much dreaded by Cornwallls that the lat ter declared he ."feared the pray ers of that Godly youth more than tho armies of Sunuer and Marion," and offered a reward of a thousand pounds for his head, forcing him to seek refuge In the American camp. In estimating the circumstances and conditions which finally result ed In the constitution of tho Cam den Church I do not believe that any influence was more potent, di rectly and indirectly, than tho ''ex ample and inspiration of thlB great servant of Qod, working upon tho minds and hearta of the people. From J. C. Furman's sketch of Richard Furman we learn of a very Interesting visit ho mride to Cam den some time before tho organiza tion of the church. He says: "Near the commencement of the Revolution an appointment had bee made for Wtf"(Revi Richard man) 1ft the Court Houee In Oftjn* ft-.; _? i ft- y:? ?<'?-.JpT?* where Hit* (lOspMl I'lircl) if ?.y ur luiit been dispensed ,\ lacuu ?iudleuce UMht-iuhind (o hear iho word of lit.-, but wore kept wall Inn out of (lours The sheriff. in whose lUblody vsii.s II... ,.,?ruHi??| to upon iho building ?>r to give up iho ?>, alleging as Ills I'i'Mhoii (hilt Ml'. Minna" w?h not n minister of ilu> KMiuhJlNhcil Chuivh A number of "?e hi roh|)t.? lal?U. citizens pros ?'in wore 11)rlfnuil io obtain an en trance by to no, |,u) youthful |iu-hdunKi'i of peace begged a hem o desist, u.|||?K congregation If Hp) ivuulil ivim* to }l spot U| j, |j|. ? I.- distance. where I hOy could ho >t?'(*oiuoUau>i| hot lot* than where they "loud. |?. would addreus them in Iho "I'oii air. 11?? Hu n preached wn Uio Vital doctrines ?.t iilt. (Joh|>cl. \siin a rtoloiuiiily, pungency U|ld pathos fill < ti iitod to make a ti?p impression ?vnd hlit*h wiim ii,,. no, ,|jrt, course was long and af feel lonutolv remembered. Tho principal citizen of (ho place, hy w hose 'lustlgat foil " wa" ?"Mk<v.'d| II,.. sheriff a,.|,mI WU? soon iil'tor tho sormon coming "om his house and showing tho preacher marked attention. Tills ho fon.tlnuod to do. over after and Hie use of tho Court Iiou?>> wa? not again refused, In a recent urtlcio in the Uaptlst ourler Mrs t'harloK H. Itvland. ?ec iotary and treasurer of Richmond ollogo. has puhiIslo'd an article v. Iiu ii has appear..,) Jn the < |,rls '?in Secretary, an.) was reproduced in tho UoligfoiiA Herald in isf.t) which is such a splendid tribute to io eloquence in consecration of j>| ' urinan that It |K well worth a brief reproduction here I lie article In substance slates that "t tho close of one of the first ses sions of the Baptist Triennial Con vention of which Dr. Furtnuu was He first president, lie stopped 011 us way homo in tj,0 City of Wash ington. While there he met an ac 'lualni<1 lice In tlio company of Mr ?Monroe, who was then a minister of Me Cub I riot and subsequent ly Prosi 'Jent of the United Stales. He was Introduced to Mr. Monroe, who wua ?o much Impressed W|t|i the name 'nat he Immediately Inquired If Dr. ' urmun was of Charleston, express ing fainiiiarltj with the name and place, and also wanted to know ir be had once lived on the High Hills </i?,h(.? Han,ee- "l>on being Informed ' Ml he was the one to whom Mr Monroe referred, their mooting bo n,l?!V>e,ryJ?UChlU* 11,1(1 we a? told ( 0|- Monroe would not let him vco until he hud related to those proBont something of his Revolution ary history, and particularly the in-' cldont of having to seek refuge in 'be American tump in consequence of tho reward which Cortuvallls of fered for his houd. Through the nfluence of Col. Monroe, Dr. Fur mun at once became the chief per sonage in tho Nutlonul Cupltal. It wag arranged for him to preach in the Congressional hall. with us ual and becoming modesty he did everything ho could to !.\V| u; lb.? appointment, hut Prnh#Ki " Insisted upon it. robab y never before or since has any minister of the Gospel been Kroeted with such a distinguished audience as faced him on this occa "? His devotion, courage, advent ures and his eloquence had been irnHi/f over the city. There weriv' gathered to hear him, the Prosl ent. and his Cabinet, ambassadors foreign ministers and the city's fin HOclet>' With charac Sfi T8 und de9,ro to ac* complish good ,he took as his text, And now why tarryst thou? Arise and bo baptized." (Acts 22; 16.) e central idea, which he pressod tome with all the force und vigor be could command, In this thrill ing discourse, was a rebuke to the conscience-stricken hearers." As he closed this remurkable discourse, ho reached the climax of. his perora 'VnriJ th<?, roPetltlon of his text, ?tun it is said as he uttored with In tense earnestness the word "arise" henr a n"mb?,r ot spellbound neurers actually arose from their "oats as If frelghtoned. This was indeed a wonderful tribute to this i. ? nian H P?w?rs of eloquence and intense earnestness . FunnaiiN Visits to Camden. After he had returned from exile at tho close of tho Hevolutlonary ?ar he probubly visited Cuniden sev J?eH tt,ul Preached to the DOo Ple. Kershfiw s diary, as recorded n Historic Cumden," shows that UyV? 0(1 her" ?n Novemher 9. RflnH0."1 H'8h H,U8 of Sa"t^ Japtis, Church several churches ZT an<1 1 trust ^at you refere, Ke "l? l? make a brief eference to some of these. The earliest church was tho Upper Fork or Lynches Crook, and located about chur/1 ,lorth?aat of Camden. This wl , U.HH con8,ituted in 1 774. and ^oc^Min ,tod,lc the Charleston As th? v ? ln 1787' wlth Rev- Jepb ne*t i K ,ft8 ,tfl flr8t Pa"tor. The Church" ?^?r Was L>'nch?? Creek hurch. There were throe churches ?mme- The f,rst was constl ? h b?Ut 1755? and admitted to '1C}>ftrle8ton Association the sHnie~ wn/' bl,t became extinct before tho Ho ?. I e Rev' Henry Ledbetter was its first ordained pustor. Tho secondI wrs constituted May 4. 17 77. dmltted ln the Association in the Rev. John Cowan aa 8 first pastor, to which reference o&s already been made. The third was constituted ln 1808. and was ad mitted to membership in tho same fhfriiw,th Rov- Samuol Timmons as . flrat pastor. The second church is the one which is here referred to ni** b*?n form0d from the ??Kn Hills of Santee Baptist Church. ^fieuu?tjEis_Blb?iexet, at Jetfert. Continued on Last* Page t sj?J :? i"%. --A '.V ? -