have not, as Mr. Neal expresses it,' "crumbled to pieces," but have kept together, and behaved as well as those who have lived under the severest penal laws; and those of all the various denominations amongst Protestants, have lived here in peace and love, and have ever shewn more kindness and charity one for another, than hath commonly been found amongst brethren of the same communion in the neighbouring governments. And as equal liberty and protection hath been all along allowed to every society, this hath prevented any emulation amongst them for superiority and power; but hath excited one of a much more laudable nature, that is, which should adorn their profession most, by practising every Christian virtue and duty. But long experience hath at last convinced all men, that religious liberty is not incompatible with civil government, and the peace and welfare of mankind; and therefore that perfect liberty of conscience, first began by Roger Williams, and first practised in his little town of Providence, hath spread itself, and is at this day established, in some degree, in every part of the British dominions.

2

To return to the order of time from which I have digressed. The first church formed at Providence by Mr. Williams, and others, seems to have been on the model of the Con

even then only gradually, though I can hardly add gracefully, to a steady modification of its original theory." "Nothing but perfect freedom, absolute soul-liberty for the individual can make the process [of government] safe on the trial." ("Lowell Institute lectures on the early history of Massachusetts," p. 124, 126).

(1)Neal's "History of New England,” I. 143.

(2) The compact," says Professor Diman, "signed by the Pilgrims in the cabin of the Mayflower, has been praised as the earliest attempt to institute a government on the basis of the general good; surely the covenant subscribed by the settlers of Providence deserves a place beside it as a first embodiment in an actual experiment of the great principle of unrestricted religious liberty. In either case the settlements were small and the immediate results were unimportant; but the principles were world wide in their application." ("Orations and essays,” p. 122). (3) Governor Hopkins has already remarked, (p. 19): “This small company Mr. Williams formed into a church." How far any attempt at organization was at first carried is not quite clear. Governor Winthrop, writing

gregational churches in the other New-England colonies.

But it did not continue long in this form; for most of its members, very soon embraced the principles and practices of the Baptists; and some time earlier than 1639, gathered and formed a church at Providence, of that society, the principal members' of which

in December, 1638, (Journal, I. 340), speaks of "religious meetings" as held at Providence, "upon the week days," as well as on Sunday. Knowles, the earliest of Williams's biographers, remarks: "It does not appear that there was, at first, any organization into a distinct church." (Memoir of Roger Williams, p. 162). Yet it is obvious, as pointed out by Mr. Upham, that they still considered themselves "the minister of this [the Salem] church, and a chosen band of his faithful flock." ("Second century lecture," Salem, 1829, by Charles Wentworth Upham, p. 44). "Those," says Rev. Dr. Hague, "who had been members of the church in Salem would naturally regard him as their pastor still." (Historical discourse, First Baptist Church, Providence, 1839, p. 23-24).

Besides Williams, himself, Thomas James, one of Williams's twelve original companions, was also an ordained preacher," (Arnold's "Rhode Island,” I. 107), and Mr. Blackstone, a clergyman of the Church of England, was accustomed, says Gov. Hopkins, "frequently to come to Providence, to preach the gospel." (See p. 25). Governor Hopkins placed the date of the organization of the church with its present distinctive principles as at "some time earlier than 1639" (see above), and this agrees with the entry in Winthrop's Journal, I. 352-53. The letter of Rev. Mr. Peter, of the Salem church, also (see p. 57-58), dated July 1, 1639, is confirmatory of it.

(1) Mr. Williams's name is not mentioned in this list by Governor Hopkins. Governor Winthrop remarks, (I. 352-53), under date of March 16, 1638-9, that Mr. Williams" was rebaptized by one Holyman, a poor man late of Salem. Then Mr. Williams rebaptized him and some ten more." He, however, left "the church a few months after its constitution." (Hague's "Historical discourse on the First Baptist Church in Providence,” p. 88).

"The fact is," says Rev. Dr. Caldwell, "Williams was a high-churchman. He believed in apostolic succession. But the line was broken." [Article in Baptist Quarterly, VI. 405.] Compare Williams's own language in 1652: "I commend the pious endeavors of any (professing ministery or not) to doe good to the soules of all men as we have opportunitie. But that any of the ministers spoken of are furnished with true Apostolicall Commission (Matth. 28, [19–20]) I see not.” gansett Club Pub., IV. 371).

[Narra

"But with all this," adds Dr. Caldwell, "he was a Baptist," [in his belief as to the ordinance]. Compare his letter to John Winthrop, the younger, Dec. 10, 1659, [Narragansett Club Pub., VI. 188.]

5

were William Wickenden,' the first elder, Chadd Brown,2 Thomas Olney, Gregory Dexter, John Throckmorton, Ezekiel Holliman, Stukely Westcot, &c. That this church was began as early as I have placed it, is evident from a letter of the famous Hugh Peters, minister of Salem, to the church at Dorchester, dated the first of the fifth month, 1639, in which he writes,'

"Reverend and dearly beloved in the Lord.

WE thought it our bounden duty to acquaint you with the names of such persons as have had the great censure passed upon them, in this our church, with the reasons thereof.

8

*

Roger Williams, and his wife, John Throckmorton, and

Amid all this conflicting testimony, there is perhaps nothing more to the point, thau Professor Diman's statement :

"With his religious belief," says Professor Diman, there was very little change. He was a sturdy, uncompromising separatist when he renounced the communion of the Church of England, and such he remained to the day of his death." "Having been for a brief period connected with the Baptists, he renounced their communion, and lived for the rest of his days isolated from all visible church fellowship." ("Orations and essays," p. 134).

(1) William Wickenden. Gov. Hopkins was a descendant from Mr. Wickenden, in the third generation.

(2) Chad Brown, (not "Chadd Brown," as here spelled). Nicholas Brown, the benefactor of Brown University, was a descendant from him in the fourth generation.

(3) Thomas Olney. He came from Salem in the year 1639.

(4)Gregory Dexter. The widow of his son Stephen, by a second marriage,

became the grandmother of Gov. Hopkins. These four men, Wickenden, Brown, Olney and Dexter, served at various times as pastor of the church.

(5) Messrs Throckmorton, (or Throgmorton), Holliman, Olney, and Westcot (or Westcott) were all from Salem and were among Mr. Williams's twelve companions in the original settlement of Providence in 1636; and Throckmorton had come in the same ship with him from England. (Winthrop, I. 50).

(6) See the very full examination of Peter's career by the late Mr. Charles W. Upham, in his "Second century lecture of the First Church," Salem, 1829, p. 13-27. Also the "Postscript," on the "character of Hugh Peters." (11 pages), reprinted from the Christian Register.

(7)This letter is printed in full in Knowles's "Roger Williams,” p. 176, 177. It is found in Hutchinson's History, I. 421.

(8) "Throgmorton," as printed by Knowles, p. 177.

his wife, Thomas Olney, and his wife, Stukeley Westcot,' and his wife, Mary Holliman, widow Reeves:-These wholly refused to hear the church, denying it, and all the churches in the Bay, to be true churches, and except two, are all re-baptized.-Yours in the Lord JESUS, HUGH PETERS.3

2

There seems to have been but one society or meeting of the Baptists, formed in the English nation, before this at Providence, and that was in London, under the pastoral care of Mr. John Spilsbury, on the 12th of September, 1633. The second in England was in 1639, gathered by Mr. Greene, and others. This first church of Baptists, at Providence,* hath from its beginning kept itself in repute, and maintained its discipline, so as to avoid scandal, or schism, to this day; hath always been, and still is a numerous congregation, and in which I have with pleasure observed, very lately, sundry descendants from each of the above-named founders, except Holliman.

6

The records concerning lands, first begin to appear about the year 1643, in the Providence books." Whether their first books of records were lost in the Indian war, or none were made before this time, I have been able to gain no information. From this time forward, returns of surveys, and deeds of land were constantly found entered on the records. The deeds of differ so widely from the formal tautology of our pres

that age

(1)Westcott."

(2)(except two)."

(3) The signature in the original manuscript is "Hu. Peter."

(4) See (1) "the History of the first Baptist Church in Providence, 1639-1877," by Rev. Dr. Caldwell and Professor William Gammell; (2) "An historical discourse delivered at the celebration of the second centennial anniversary of the First Baptist Church, in Providence, Nov. 7, 1839," by Rev. William Hague, pastor of the church.

Also, (3) the "Address delivered before the Charitable Baptist Society on the one hundredth anniversary of the opening of the First Baptist Church, Providence, R. I., for public worship, May 28, 1875," by Samuel Greene Arnold, president of the society.

(5) See Staples's "Annals of Providence," p. 562-93.

(6) See the late Zachariah Allen's "Address on the two hundredth anniversary of the burning of Providence." In 1678, after the close of the war, those which were preserved were handed over to Daniel Abbott, the town clerk. See the inventory of the papers, printed in Appendix III.

ent deeds, that one of them, as a specimen of the simplicity of our ancestors, may not be disagreeable to the reader.

"THE 27th of the 11th month, 1644, William Field sold unto William Wickenden, all the share of land called six acres, lying upon the hill, called Foxe's Hill; bounding on the east and southeast with the land of Francis Wickes, and on the north and northeast with the highway, on the west and northwest with Mile-end Cove, and on the south with the sea."

All the deeds of land in Providence, down to the year 1660, will be found nearly in the same form; but these deeds were made, or, at least, solemnly acknowledged by the grantor, in an open town-meeting; and if the town approved of the sale, they, by a vote, ordered the deed to be immediately recorded; and this made the conveyance valid: But if the town disapproved of the bargain, the whole was void.—Whether any later invented method of conveying lands, hath been better adapted to prevent overreaching and fraud, is left to every honest man to determine. Indeed, in these days, they took so much care one of another, that a man was not permitted to sell his own lands, without leave of the town; for in 1652, I find, one Richard Pray petitioned the town that he might be permitted to sell some land of his own; and his request was granted.

The first settlement in the Narraganset country was began in the year 1643, by Mr. Richard Smith, who set up a trading house in what is now called North Kingstown, at the place where the mansion house of the Updike family now stands: And Mr. Williams, and one Mr. Wilcox, soon after, set up another in the same part of the country; and some few plantations thereabouts were purchased of the Indians, and settled about the same time, or not long after.

The same year affords an instance of a very arbitrary exertion of power, by the Massachusetts colony, against the inhabitants of the town of Warwick, in this colony. Mr. Samuel Gorton, born in London,' of a good family, was a man of good (1) From this point through the next twelve lines, the only copy of the Prov. idence Gazette accessible, is torn, and a later reprint is followed.

(2) "He was born," says Brayton, "in the parish of Gorton," in Lancashire. ("Defence of Samuel Gorton," p. 5).