The Second Sabbatarian Church in America at Westerly, Rhode Island

Profile manager: David Randall [send private message]

Please check out my companion freespace page: First Families of Westerly, Rhode Island which covers many of the founding members of Westerly's Sabbatarian Church.]

History

On 23 Dec 1671, William Hiscox, Stephen Mumford, Samuel Hubbard, Roger Baster, Tacy Hubbard, Rachel Langworthy, and another Sister whose name is not now known, covenanted together to form the Seventh-Day Baptist Church at Newport, Rhode Island. This was the first such church in the American Colonies.

A few years later, several persons emigrated from Newport to the mainland, and formed a settlement named Misquamicut, afterwards named Westerly.^[1]

Westerly, this first of the first month of 1676:^[2]

Dear and well-beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, this may signify unto you, that your careful salutation we received, dated the 13th of the 12th month last past , by Peter Crandall; for which, as duty and good affection binds, we return you thanks, hoping that these will find you in good health, as are we, through mercy at this present, in good health and in peace, and can assemble ourselves together, none making us afraid.

We do desire that this great privilege may be prized according to the value of it, and that we might not wax wanton and careless under such great enjoyments, but that both you and us may stand carefully upon our watch, and earnestly crave the assistance of God’s Holy Spirit, so that neither this or any other of his benefits may slip out of our minds. To that end, we earnestly desire your prayers to Almighty God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he will be pleased to give us such manifestations of his Holy Spirit, that we may stand fast in the faith and order of the Gospel that we have visibly professed before Heaven, and many other witnesses here upon Earth, and not to look at it as a light or a slight thing to break covenant with God and with one another. Let us therefore be much in prayer to that he will give us wisdom and understanding, that we may not only discover, but may, by the assistance of his blessed (Holy) Spirit, be able to resist the wiles of the devil; for certainly, if he was ever transformed into an angel of light, it is now, and if it were possible, he would deceive the very elect.

Beloved brethren, our prayer unto God is for you, that ye may, like good soldiers, stand with your loins girt, ready resist the adversary, and not give way, though he come with never so fair pretenses. Nay, though he bring(eth) law in his mouth, ye are not to believe him. Wherefore, dearly beloved, seeing it so, that we are beset with enemies without and within, let us be earnest with the Lord one for the other for the assistance of the Holy Spirit, so that we may be able to withstand temptation.

We also return thanks to the congregation for the messengers they sent the last year. We hope their labor of love was not lost nor in vain, which we hope will be good encouragement to remember another time your duty in that respect.

JOHN RANDALL

ROBERT BURDICK

JOB BABCOCK

JANE BABCOCK

MARY SAUNDERS

ELIZABETH RANDALL

Sources

1. ↑ History of the Seventh-Day Baptist General Conference: From Its Origin 1802 to its 53rd Session at Toledo, Ohio September 1865 by Rev. James Bailey bailey & Co. Publishers Toledo, OH, 1866
2. ↑ The Seventh-Day Baptist Memorial VOL. I #1 New York, January 1852