594 Montgomery and South-Hampton Churches.

from Philadelphia. It was once handsomely endowed with lands and funds; what is the present state of its tempor. alities I have not been informed. The first pastor at the Valley was Mr. Hugh Davis, a native of Wales. After him was John Davis from the same country; their present pastor, Mr. David Jones, is also of Welsh extraction.

MONTGOMERY.-This church was also founded by. Welsh Baptists, and was constituted in 1719. Two of its pastors, viz. Benjamin Griffiths and John Thomas were born in the Principality, the first in the county of Cardigan, 1688, the other in that of Radnor in 1703. Who have been pastors of this body since Mr. Thomas does not appear; it is now under the care of Dr. Silas Hough.

SOUTH-HAMPTON was the seventh church which arose in the Province of Pennsylvania, and was constituted in 1746. It was founded by some members of the church at Pennepek, and by the remains of a society of Keithians, who settled in the neighbourhood about 1700. The first pastor was Mr. Joshua Potts, who was ordained the same year the church was constituted, and continued in office till his death in 1761. Since Mr. Potts, this church has had in succession for its pastors or supplies, Thomas Davis, once at Oyster-Bay, New-York, Dr. Samuel Jones, now of Lower-Dublin, Erasmus Kelly, who died at Newport, Rhode-Island, the late William Vanhorn, David Jones, now at the Great-Valley, Thomas Memmenger, and Thomas B. Montanye, who is still with them, but talks of leaving his pleasant situation for the attracting, ultramontane regions of the west. Mr. Montanye was born in New York, 1769, was settled a number of years in Warwick in that State, and came to South-Hampton in 1801. This church has a valuable estate, the gift of John Morris, one of its ancient members.

It is pleasant to find that so many brethren and sisters in the old churches through New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, had the cause of Zion so much at heart, that they made provision for its support after they were gone. If more now would think of this matter, and if churches would see that all their members did their proportion, or else turn them out of fellowship, they would not have occasion so often to go down to Egypt for help.

Philadelphia

Association.

595

From the South-Hampton church originated those eminent ministers, Isaac Eaton and Oliver Hart.

The church at NEW-BRITAIN arose out of a division of the Montgomery, and was formed in 1754. Their three first pastors were Joseph Eaton, William Davis, and Joshua Jones, all from Wales.

The HILLTOWN Church also sprang from the ancient community at Montgomery, of which it was formerly a branch. It was constituted a distinct body in 1781, had for its first pastor Mr. John Thomas, next to him Mr. James M'Laughlin, now pastor at Piscataway, and after his removal, Mr. Joseph Mathias, one of their number, be gan to preach, and was ordained their pastor in 1806.

PHILADELPHIA ASSOCIATION.

WHERE a particular account of churches is previously given, the less remains to be said of the Associations which they compose. We have already mentioned in Epoch Second, that this ancient Association was formed in 1707. It begun with five churches, but in process of time became a numerous body, and for many years extended from Ketockton in Virginia to Northeast-town in New-York, a distance of about 400 miles. From it originated the Ketockton, Baltimore, and Delaware Associations on the south; on the north, those of New-York, Warwick, and New-Jersey. Its ministers were sent for, and travelled to assist in regulating churches in trouble, in the lower parts of Virginia and even to the Carolinas. Its influence was exerted with good effect among the turbulent churchmen of Virginia, and also among the fleecing Pedobaptists of NewEngland. It being the oldest institution of the kind in America, was looked up to as a pattern of imitation by those which succeeded, and by it were given rules, and even doctrine, to many and indeed most of the first Associations in the southern and western States. This body has long maintained a correspondence with her sister communities in both extremes of the Union, with a number in England, and lately with the brethren in India.

In it originated the design for the Rhode-Island College, and by it have been projected many other plans, which had particularly in view the welfare of the Baptist interest in

596

Abington and Chemung Associations.

America. It has now been in operation 106 years, and I do not find that it was ever complained of for infringing on the independency of any church in its connexion, a convincing proof that Associations, when skilfully conducted, are altogether harmless on this point.

About 200 miles west of Philadelphia, in and near to the Alleghany mountains, are the following churches belonging to the Baltimore Association, viz. Konoloway, Sideling-Hill, Huntington and Tuscarora-Valley.

In the county of Luzerne, near the line of New-York, on the Susquehannah River, a small Association was formed in 1807 by the name of

ABINGTON.

ITS churches, in 1811, were only three in number; its ministers were William Purdy, Elijah Peck, John Miller, and Samuel Sturdivant, and its total number of members about 250.

CHEMUNG ASSOCIATION.

THIS body is situated in a region settled mostly since the last war in Pennsylvania and New-York. The churches in Pennsylvania are in the counties of Luzerne, Northumberland and Lycoming. Those in New-York are in the adjoining parts, the counties are not known. It was formed of five churches, viz. Chemung, Romulus, Fredericktown, New-Bedford, and Brantrim, in 1796. Its principal ministers appear to be Roswell Goff and Thomas Smiley. The oldest church, and the mother of a number of the rest, is the one called Chemung, which was founded in 1791, in the following manner. Soon after the war, Mr. Ebenezer Green and others from the Warwick church in NewYork, settled on the west branch of the Susquehannah, at a place called the Black-hole. There they kept up a meeting till they were visited by James Finn, who baptized some among them. Being disappointed about their lands, they soon removed in a body to the Chemung Flats, then just beginning to be settled. Here they were soon joined by many others from different parts, among whom was Mr. Roswell Goff, who began to preach among them,

Account of Rev. Mr. Smiley.

597

and under whose ministry they were gathered into a church at the time above mentioned. Mr. Goff was born in Spencertown, New-York, in 1763, and was baptized at Deer-Park, at the age of 25.

Mr. Smiley was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, May 29, 1759, was brought up a Seceder, a rigid sect of Scotch-Presbyterians, was baptized by James Finn in 1792, at Wyoming. In the contentions about lands in this region, about the year 1800, Mr. Smiley, on account of having some governmental papers about him, was dragged out of his bed, in the dead of the night, by a band of what were called the Wild Yankees, with their faces blacked, and who, with pistols at his breast, compelled him first to burn his papers, and then tarred and feathered him. Besides this they threatened his life on account of his adhering to the Pennsylvania side, which led him to flee for safety to White Deer Valley, on the west branch of the Susquehannah, now in the county of Northumberland. Here he founded a church in 1808, over which he still presides, but travels much as a missionary in the surrounding parts under the patronage of the Philadelphia Asso

ciation.

In the neighbourhood of this Association is a large church founded by Elder Jacob Drake, from Canaan, New-York, in 1796. They have become large and are scattered along the Susquehannah River to the distance of many miles. They have three Elders, whose names are David Dimock, Griffin Lewis, and Joel Rogers. They hold church meetings in eight different places every month. Their number of communicants is not stated, but it must probably amount to three hundred. They are said by their neighbours to be Arminians in every point of doctrine, except that of falling from grace. Their own account of their sentiments is as follows: "The Arminian principles we deny, believing salvation to be wholly and totally by grace ;-on the other hand, we deny particular election, and special vocation," &c. The reader must judge for himself how much these brethren have mended the matter.

598

Redstone Association.

THE RED STONE ASSOCIATION

Was organized in 1776. It is situated in the western part of this State, adjoining Ohio. Some few of its churches are in that State, and others are in Virginia. The centre of the Association is no great distance south of Pittsburg. One of its oldest churches was gathered in 1770, under the ministry of Elder John Sutton. It was at first called Great Bethel, now Uniontown, and is upwards of 50 miles south of Pittsburg, in the county of Fayette, This church was the mother of many others, which arose around it. Mr. Sutton was a native of New-Jersey, and was one of five brothers, who were Baptist preachers. He settled in the Red-stone country, when it was in a wilderness state, and was long a laborious and much respected preacher throughout an extensive circle of churches, which were planted either wholly or in part by his means. The time of his death is not known, but it is believed to have been not far from the year 1800.

Cotemporary with this evangelical servant of God, was, the pious and successful John Corbly, who was made to drink deep of the cup of affliction. Mr. Corbly was a native of Ireland, and while young agreed to serve four years for his passage to Philadelphia. After the expiration of that term he settled in Virginia, in or near Culpepper county, where he was converted under the ministry of the renowned James Ireland. While persecution raged in that State, he was, among others, thrown into Culpepper gaol, where he remained a considerable time. This was, probably, previous to 1770, for about that date he settled in the region now under consideration, and in conjunction with Mr. Sutton, planted the first churches in it. Mr. Corbly was probably educated a Catholick, as his first wife was of that persuasion, and was a thorn in his side during her life. After her death he married an amiable woman of his own sentiments, by whom he had seven children, four of whom with their mother, were taken from him in a barbarous and most afflicting manner. The Indians, at that time, were extremely troublesome in this county, and often committed terrible ravages among the inhabitants.