A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE SEVENTH DAY BAPTISTS IN RHODE ISLAND

by **Harry** Sun Jun 28, 2015 1:10 pm

Here is a little history of the Seventh Day Baptists in Rhode Island back in the 1700’s. Remember his use of the word “catholic” means “universal”. This is taken from Vol.2 of The History of the Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and America.
EASTERN ASSOCIATION. 617

Three hundred ninety-five were added during the pastorate
of Elder Joshua Clarke, (1773-1793). and one hundred
eighty-six in one }"ear. Two hundred were added in one year
during the pastorate of Elder John Burdick, and one hundred
eighty-six during the pastorate of Elder Abram Coon. In
the twenty-six years from 18 12 to 1838. over one thousand en-
tered the fellowship of the church. The number added while
Elder Matthew Stillman was leading pastor was seven hun-
dred fifty-four. There never has been a pastorate without
large increase, often fifty or one hundred. The conversions
have not been big-meeting conversions, where the same persons
were converted over every revival.

For more than a century this church was the only one in
several adjoining towns to live. Other denominations made
efforts to establish churches but failed. This was not because
they were opposed by the Seventh-day Baptists, as the follow-
ing quotation from Arnold's History of Rhode Island will
show :

"The Rev. N. Price, missionary at Westerly, expresses his aston-
ishment at the kind treatment he received, so unlike that which every-
where else was accorded to those wiio differed from the prevailing
religious sentiment, he says :

" 'The Sectaries here are chiefly Baptists that keep the Saturday
as a Sabbath, and are more numerous than all the other persuasions
throughout the town put together,' and then proceeds to express
his wonder that those Baptists, 'who I imagine w'ould oppose me.
and all of the same interest with me, should be so far from it, that
they have expressed a gladness of ministers coming to those of
a different persuasion from them; that instead of separating and
keeping at a distance they should many of them come with my own
hearers and be as constant as most of them, and but few that would
not occasionally do it and manifest their liking; that w'hen I sup-
posed that if they did come, it would be to pick and carp, and find
fault, and then go away to make the worst of it, that they should
come after a sermon and thank me for it ; that instead of shunning
me and keeping oft' from an acquaintance with me, the}' should
invite me to their houses and be sorry if I would pass by without
calling; that their two ministers in the town, who I expected would
be virulent and fierce against me, and stir up their people to stand
to their arms, should not only hear me, thank me. visit me, but
take my part against some of their own persuasion that showed
a narrow spirit towards us. and be the most charitable and catholic
whom I thought to have found the most stiff and prejudiced.'"

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