Account of the Sufferings of Mr. Corbly. 599 Mr. Corbly and his family set out on a Lord's Day to walk to meeting, less than half a mile from his house. After going a short distance, it was found that his Bible, which had been given to his wife, had been forgotten, which obliged him to go back. On his return to overtake his family, he saw two Indians run, one of whom gave a direful yell. Suspecting evil he ran to a fort or blockhouse a short distance off, and obtained assistance. When he came to the place, he found his wife killed with a tomahawk; her infant, after having its brains dashed out against a tree, was thrown across her breast. Three other children lay dead on the spot, two more were terribly wounded, and scalped, and apparently dead, but afterwards recovered. Only one out of the seven children remained unhurt; she was a little girl, an Indian caught hold of her and was about to dispatch her, but being seized by a large dog, she escaped and hid herself in the bushes. It was afterwards ascertained that seven Indians were engaged in this barbarous transaction. The feelings of the bereaved husband and father may better be conceived than described. For a while he remained inconsolable; but reflecting on the signal act of Providence in preserving his own life, he recovered his spirits, recommenced his ministerial labours, which, from excess of grief, were for a time suspended, married a third time, and continued a zealous and successful minister till 1805, when he finished his course in peace. One of his sons is now a Baptist minister in the Indiana Territory. Two other incidents befel this good man, which were peculiarly distressing: The first was the conduct of a base woman, who accused him of making frequent criminal propositions to her, which she offered to confirm on oath. When cited before a magistrate, she was taken with a fit of trembling, and for some time remained speechless. Some were for excusing the vile accuser, and letting the matter pass off; but Mr. Corbly insisted on her making oath-which she did, and expressly declared, that he was altogether innocent, adding, at the same time, that it was a plot laid by certain persons, whom she named. In the Whiskey Insurrection, so called, Mr. Corbly was suspected of aiding and abetting the insurgents, and on that suspicion was suddenly arrested, carried to Philadel 600 Account of the Beulah Church. phia, conducted in disgrace through the streets, and lodg ed in gaol, where he remained some time in great afflic tion. While there, he was comforted and supplied by Dr. Rogers and other friends in the city. His case was never tried, and of course it was not legally determined whether he was accused falsely or not. In the opinion of his friends he by no means deserved the treatment he received. At Beulah, in the county of Cambria, in the midst of the Alleghany mountains, a church was founded by emigrants from Wales in 1797, under the direction of the late Morgan J. Rees. The original members of this body set sail from Milford Haven, South-Wales, March 8, 1796, and landed in New-York the May following. They soon went to Philadelphia, where they united in church fellowship with a number of their countrymen of the Independent and Calvinistic Methodist persuasions. Their minister was Mr. Simon James. After tarrying in Philadelphia a few months, a number of the members of this mixed communion church removed about 200 miles westward, and began a settlement, to which they gave the name of Beulah, hoping to experience the divine favour, which the term imports. This was in October, 1796. Others of their company followed them the ensuing spring, by which time the number of Baptists amounted to twenty-four, who, being dissatisfied with their plan of church building, in August, 1797, separated from their Pedobaptist brethren, and formed a community of baptized believers only. Since that time, they have been visited by a number of ministers from their native country, some preachers have also been raised up among them, but many both of preachers and members, have travelled on to the State of Ohio, where they have founded two or three churches. Thomas Powel settled in Licking county, Henry George at Owl Creek, David Kimpton has lately gone to a place in the New Pur. chase, and settled near Wooster, where he has gathered a church. Beulah appears to have been a stopping place for many Welsh brethren, who have removed to more distant regions. The present pastor here is Mr. Timothy Davis, and besides him they have two preachers, whose names Presbyterian Ministers baptized. 601 are William Williams and John Jones. They sometimes preach in English, but mostly in their mother tongue. Mr. Rees died among this people in December, 1804; he had travelled much, not only in his native country, but in England, France, and America. His widow now lives in Philadelphia. Beulah is about 80 miles east of the Redstone country, some distance north of the main road from Philadelphia to Pittsburg. Of the remaining churches and ministers in this Association but a little information has been obtained. Mr. David Philips, pastor of Peter's Creek church, is a native of Wales, came to America when a child, lived in Chester county in this State, till 36 years of age, when he removed to his present situation, and was one of the early settlers of the country. Mr. Henry Spears, pastor of the Enon church, also settled in this quarter, when it was but a little more than a wilderness. He is a native of Dunmore county, Virginia, is of Dutch descent, and has a very large, luxuriant plantation on the Monongahela river, about 26 miles from Pittsburg. The church at Connollsville on the Yohogany River was founded in 1796. Its principal promoters were two brothers by the name of Trevor, viz. Samuel and Caleb, natives of Leicestershire, England. Dr. James Estep was the pastor of this church in 1809; whether he still remains with them I have not ascertained. He, with others, proposed forwarding additional information, which has never been received. The doctrine of the laying-on-of-hands became a subject of dispute among the Redstone churches a number of years ago, most of them had, from their beginning, practised the rite, but some were for making it a term of communion; it was, however, finally determined, that all should be left to act according to their respective opinions on the subject. A church was formed in Pittsburg in 1812, which has probably united with the Association under consideration. In that year two Presbyterian ministers were baptized in Washington county, and another minister of the same denomination was to be baptized soon after at Chenango, in Ohio, not far distant.* * Massachusetts Baptist Miss ionary Magazine, vol. iii. p. 205 602 Association of Independent Baptist Churches. In the neighbourhood of this Association, a small collection of churches, some of whom were formerly members of it, have formed a Confederacy under the name of the Covenanted Independent Baptists. Their principal leader appears to be Dr. Thomas Hersey, a native of Massachusetts, who began preaching in the State of Ohio. These churches are, as they say, called by some Semi-Calvinists, by others, Semi-Arminians. From the best information it appears, that the principal difference between them and the Redstone Association turns upon the doctrine of the atonement as stated by Gill and Fuller.* Those who may wish for a further account of the sentiments of these Independent Baptists, may find them expressed in a work, published by Dr. Hersey in 1810, entitled, "Experimental Views," &c. INDEX, THE state of the world at the coming of Christ, p. 7. First churches gathered-Temple of Janus, note-Extent of the Roman Pliny's letter to Trajan, 10-12. Constantine the Great embraces christianity-the effects of this event-re- Beginning of the Church of Rome, 15. How the Pope obtained the title Blasphemous pretensions of Gregory VII. 19. Origin of the Monkish orders, 21. Celibacy no friend to virtue, 22. Councils, 23. Crusades, 25. Indulgencies, 27 Supererogation, 28. Per- Greek Church, 31-34. Protestants, Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, Church of England established➡ Missions, Romish-Protestants of different sects, 43-45. History of Baptism. John's baptismal stations-extravagant honours paid Description of Jordan and Enon, 48, 49. A refutation of the criticisms on Catechumen state, 55. How children were first admitted to baptism, 56. Infant baptism introduced into Europe, 60. How it was hastened forward, 61. Pouring first allowed by Pope Stephen III, 65. Dr. Wall against sprink- Baptisteries began to be built, 67. Description of those at Constantinople The Pope immerses three children, 71. Many evidences in favour of Concessions of Catholicks-Protestants-Gill's account of dipping places How doubtful words are to be determined-Dr. Gale's definition of bapti- The Greeks understand their own language best, they always have im- The Catholicks have 22 ceremonies in baptism-Bill of fare at a baptism- Different meanings of the word infant, 85, 86. Proselyte baptism, 88. Different modes of defending infant baptism, 89. The terms Baptist and Anabaptist defined, 92. Six sorts of Anabaptists, all reject the term, 93, 94. The first christians Baptists-Council at Jerusalem, 95–100. |