Er ist verheiratet mit Martha Larrabee Stearns.
Sie haben geheiratet
THIRD COMPANY OF SEPARATES FROM NEW ENGLAND.
In the account of the Virginia Baptists an incidental reference is had to Stearns and his company passing through the State on their way to the south. It may be proper here to observe that most of the Separates had strong faith in the immediate teaching of the spirit in special instructions as to the path of duty.
âStearns, listening to some of these instructions from heaven, as he esteemed them, conceived himself called upon to move far to the westward, to execute a great and extensive work. Such were the impressions under which this distinguished man left his New England home for the long and laborious journey which resulted in such abundant usefulness.â
Mr. Stearns was a native of Boston, Mass., but was baptized after he joined the New Lights, in 1751, by Wait Palmer, and soon after was ordained by Palmer and Joshua Morse, in Tolland, Conn.
In 1754, he and a few of his members commenced the important mission. He halted first at Opeckon, in Berkley Co., in the upper part of
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Virginia, where he found a Baptist church under the care of Rev. John Garrard, who received him kindly. Here also he met his brother-in-law, Rev. Daniel Marshall, who was also a Separate, but as yet in the pedo-Baptist connection, and of whom much will be said in the history of the southern Baptists, just returned from his mission among the Indians, and who, after his arrival at this place, had become a Baptist. They joined companies, and settled for a while on Cacapon, in Hampshire Co., about thirty miles from Winchester. Here, Stearns not meeting with his expected success, felt restless. Some of his friends had moved to North Carolina; he received letters from these, informing him that preaching was greatly desired by the people of that country; that in some instances they had rode 40 miles to hear one sermon. He and his party once more got under way, and traveling about 200 miles, came to Sandy Creek, in Guilford county, North Carolina. Here he took up his permanent residence. The number of families in Stearns' company were eight, and the number of communicants 16, viz.: Shubeal Stearns and wife, Peter Stearns and wife, Ebenezer Stearns and wife, Shubeal Stearns, Jun., and wife, Daniel Marshall and wife, Joseph Breed and wife, Enos Stimson and wife, Jonathan Polk and wife.3
As soon as they arrived, they built them a little meeting-house, and these 16 persons formed themselves into a church, and chose Shubeal Stearns for their pastor, who had, for his assistants at that time, Daniel Marshall and Joseph Breed, neither of whom were ordained.
The inhabitants about this little colony of Baptists, although brought up in the Christian religion, were grossly ignorant of its essential principles. Having the form of godliness, they knew nothing of its power. Stearns and his party of course brought strange things to their ears.
The doctrine of the new birth, as insisted on by these zealous advocates for evangelical religion, they could not comprehend. Having always supposed that religion consisted in nothing more than the practice of its outward duties, they could not comprehend now it should be necessary to feel conviction and conversion; and to be able to ascertain the time and place of one's conversion, was, in their estimation, wonderful indeed. These points were all strenuously contended for by the new preachers. But their manner of preaching was, if possible, much more novel than their doctrines. The Separates in New England had acquired a very warm and pathetic address, accompanied by strong gestures and a singular tone of voice. Being often deeply affected themselves when preaching, corresponding affections were felt by their pious hearers, which was frequently expressed by tears, trembling, screams, and exclamations
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of grief and joy. All these they brought with them into their new habitation, at which the people were greatly astonished, having never seen anything on this wise before. Many mocked, but the power of God attending them, many also trembled. In process of time some of the inhabitants became converts and bowed obedience to the Redeemer's sceptre. These uniting their labors with the others a powerful and extensive work commenced and Sandy Creek church soon swelled from 16 to 606 members.
Daniel Marshall, though not possessed of great talents, was indefatigable in his labors. He sallied out into the adjacent neighborhoods and planted the Redeemer's standard in many of the strongholds of Satan. At Abbott's Creek, about thirty miles from Sandy Creek, the gospel prospered so largely that they petitioned the mother church for a constitution and for the ordination of Mr. Marshall as their pastor. The church was constituted; Mr. Marshall accepted the call and went to live among them. His ordination, however, was a matter of some difficulty. It required, upon their principle, a plurality of elders to constitute a presbytery. Mr. Stearns was the only ordained minister among them. In this dilemma, they were informed that there were some Regular Baptist preachers living on Pedee river, (S. C.) To one4of these Mr. Stearns applied, and requested him to assist him in the ordination of Mr. Marshall. This request he sternly refused, declaring that he held no fellowship with Stearns' party; that he believed them to be a disorderly set, suffering women to pray in public, and permitting every ignorant man to preach that chose; and that they encouraged noise and confusion in their meetings. Application was then made to Mr. Leadbetter, who was then pastor of the church on Lynch's Creek, Craven county, South Carolina, and who was a brother-in-law of Mr. Marshall. He and Mr. Stearns ordained Mr. Marshall to the care of this new church. The work of grace continued to spread, and several preachers were raised in North Carolina. Among others was James Read, who was afterwards very successful in Virginia. When he first began to preach he was very illiterate, not knowing how to read or write. His wife became his instructor, and he soon acquired learning sufficient to enable him to read the Scriptures.
While Marshall and Harris bent their courses, one to the north and the other to the south, Stearns maintained his station at Sandy Creek, where his labors were greatly blessed; he, however, often traveled a considerable distance in the country around, to assist in organizing and
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regulating the churches which he and his associates were instrumental in raising up. Thus the Separate Baptists were headed by three most distinguished men; distinguished not for human acquirements, but for purity of life and godly simplicity which they, amidst the shipwrecks of many, maintained to the end; and for a pious ardor and invincible boldness and perseverance in their Master's service. Other preachers were soon raised up under their ministry, whose zealous and abundant labors were crowned with great success; so that the Separates in a few years became truly a great people, and their churches were scattered over a country whose whole extent from north to south was about 500 miles; and Sandy Creek church, the mother of them all, was not far from the centre of the two extremes.
âVery remarkable things (said Morgan Edwards in 1775) may be said of this church, worthy a place inGillis' book, and inferior to no instance he gives of the modern success of the gospel in different parts of the world. It began with 16 souls, and in a short time increased to 606, spreading its branches to Deep River and Abbott's Creek, which branches are gone to other provinces, and most of the members of this church have followed them; insomuch that in 17 years, it is reduced from 606 to 14 souls.
âThe cause of this dispersion was the civil commotions with which the State was affected at that time.â
The church at Little River was no less remarkable than the one already mentioned; for this was constituted in 1760, five years after the Sandy Creek, and in three years it increased from 5 to 500, and built five meeting-houses; but this church was also reduced by the provincial troubles and consequent dispersion of the inhabitants mentioned above.
âBut to return,âSandy Creek church is the mother of all theSeparate Baptists.From this Zion went forth the word, and great was the company of those who published it. This church, in seventeen years, had spread her branches southward as far as Georgia; eastward, to the sea and Chesapeake bay; and northward, to the waters of the Potomac. It, in seventeen years, became mother, grand-mother, and great-grandmother to 42 churches, from which sprung 125 ministers, many of which are ordained, and support the sacred character as well as any set of clergy in America; and if some have turned out bad, where is there a set of clergy that can throw the first stone, and say, âwe are all good.ââ5
This statement was made by a very accurate historian, almost eighty years ago.
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SANDY CREEK ASSOCIATION.
As this is the oldest Association in the State, and the fourth in the order of time in this country, it may be proper to go more into detail as to its history than we shall be able to do in the other bodies of this kind in this extensive State.
In the year 1758, three years after Stearns and his company settled at Sandy Creek, a few churches having been constituted, and these having a number of branches, which were fast maturing for churches, Stearns conceived that an Association composed of delegates from them all, would have a tendency to forward the great object of their exertions. For this purpose he visited every church and congregation, explained to them his contemplated plan, and induced them all to send delegates to his meetinghouse in January, 1758, when an Association was formed which was calledSandy Creek,and which continues to the present time; but it has experienced many vicissitudes of prosperity and adversity; and at one time, on account of exercising too much power over the churches, it became embarrassed in its movements, and very near to extinction.
For twelve years, all the Separate Baptists in Virginia and the two Carolinas continued in connection with this Association, which was generally held at no great distance from the place where it originated. All who could traveled from its remote extremities to attend its yearly sessions, which were conducted with great harmony and afforded sufficient edification to induce them to undertake with cheerfulness these long and laborious journeys. By the means of these meetings the gospel was carried into many new places where the fame of the Baptists had previously spread; for great crowds attending from distant parts, mostly through curiosity, many became enamored with these extraordinary people and petitioned the Association to send preachers into their neighborhoods. These petitions were readily granted, and the preachers as readily complied with the appointments. These people were so much engaged in their evangelical pursuits that they had no time to spend in theological debates, nor were they very scrupulous about their mode of conducting their meetings. When assembled, their chief employment was preaching, exhortation, singing, and conversation about their various exertions in the Redeemer's service, the success which had attended them, and the new and prosperous scenes which were opening before them. These things so inflamed the hearts of the ministers that they would leave the Association with a zeal and courage which no common obstacles could impede.
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âAt our first Associationâ (says the MS. of James Read, who was present), âwe continued together three or four days. Great crowds of people attended, mostly through curiosity. The great power of God was among us. The preaching every day seemed to be attended with God's blessing. We carried on our Association with sweet decorum and fellowship to the end. Then we took leave of one another, with many solemn charges from our reverend old father, Shubeal Stearns, to stand fast unto the end.â
At their next Association they were visited by Rev. John Gano, who at that time resided in North Carolina, at a place called the Jersey Settlement. Mr. Gano was received by Stearns with great affection, but as there was at that time an unhappy shyness and jealousy between theRegularsandSeparatesby the others, he was treated with coldness and suspicion; and they even refused to invite him into their Association. But Mr. Gano had too much knowledge of mankind, humility and good nature, to be offended at this treatment. He continued awhile as a spectator of their proceedings, and then retired with a view of returning home. Stearns was much hurt and mortified with the shyness and incivility of his brethren, and, in the absence of Mr. Gano, expostulated with them on the matter, and made a proposition to invite him to preach with them. All were forward to invite him to preach, although they could not invite him to a seat in their Assembly. With their invitation he cheerfully complied, and his preaching, though not with theNew Lighttones and gestures, was in demonstration of the spirit and with power. He continued with them to the close of their session, and preached frequently much to their astonishment as well as edification. Their hearts were soon opened towards him, and their cold indifference and languid charity were, before he left them, enlarged into a warm attachment and cordial affection; and so superior did his preaching talents appear to them that the young and illiterate preachers said they felt as if they could never attempt to preach again.
âThis Association, in its early movements, held many sentiments of a peculiar nature, and which do not prevail among their brethren even here at the present time. In their laudable endeavors to carry out, to the letter, all suggestions of the New Testament as to Christian duties, they discovered, in their estimation, the nine following rites, viz.:Baptismâthe Lord's Supperâlove-feastsâlaying-on-of-handsâwashing feetâanointing the sickâright hand of fellowshipâkiss of charityâanddevoting children.They also retained the offices ofruling elders, elderesses, anddeaconesses.And, to close the whole, they held toweeklycommunion.
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âThe nature and design of all the above enumerated rites and offices will be easily comprehended, except that ofdevoting children.This rite they founded on the circumstance of parents bringing little children to Christ, &c. It was thus performed: As soon as circumstances would permit, after the birth of the child, the mother carried it to the meeting, when the minister either took it in his arms, or laid his hands on it, and thanked God for His mercy, and invoked a blessing on the child, at which time it received its name. This rite, which was by many satirically called adry-christening, prevailed, not only in the Sandy Creek Association, but in many parts of Virginia.â6
It must not be understood that all the churches in this body were strenuous, or even uniform, in the observance of this long list of rites, all of which, however, appear to be suggested by the Scriptures, and some of them, aslove-feastsand deaconesses, were unquestionably maintained among the early Christians. Nor did those who maintained the whole of them refuse communion with their brethren who neglected a part.
Mr. Stearns finished his course at Sandy Creek Nov. 20, in 1771, and was buried near his meeting-house. He was a man of small stature, but good natural parts and sound judgment. His voice was musical and strong, and many stories are told respecting the wonderful and enchanting influence which was exerted on his hearers by his vocal powers and the glances of his eyes. His character was indisputably good as a man, a Christian, and a preacher.7
The Regulars and Separates, all of whom were, in early times, included in the two Associations of Sandy Creek and Kehukee, by a similar, though somewhat longer and more tedious process, in due time, effected a reunion similar to the one in Virginia, which we have already described. A brief account of this transaction will soon be given.
This ancient community has now existed 92 years, and has been the nursery of many ministers, churches, and Associations. The late Dr. Brantley, who, in his day, occupied a number of important stations, and died pastor of the First Church, Charleston, S. C., and Dr. Manly, president of the Alabama University, originated in this body; I believe they were members of the same church.
I was in this region in 1810, and visited a number of the pastors of the churches of this old body; among them wasJohn Culpepper, sometime a member of Congress, who was one of its most efficient ministers,
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