Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-01-17
Local.


Local.
TIsa Virginia Baptises.
HIGHLY INTERESTING HISTORY CT THE THEN
SERMON BY REV Gro. B TAYLOR PERSECUTION
OF THE EARLY BApT1sTs THE LASH AND THE
P1LLoRY IN Observation-Disclosures THROUGH
JAIL WINDOWS THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE LEG
IsLATURE OF VIRGINIA AND THE CoUNTRY-T The
FIRST CHURCH IN SrAUNToN.
&c, &C., &c.
The UNCONVENTIONAL history of the Baptists,
the origin Of their mode of worship, and the Pc
culiarites of their religious faith are matters, in
which the Baptists themselves have more inter-
est, than anybody else but the history of
handful of men who, ia this country, have grown
through opposition and persecution, into a
powerful denomination, second only to the Meth
odists in number, owning IA, 600 churches and
possessed of SAL, 900, 900 of church property, is
of interest to every one, and as worthy of study,
by the public at large, as any other. Last Sum
day Rev George B Taylor closed series of ser
mons on the history of the denomination, by
one on s'The Baptists in Virginia" in the prep
araton of which be said he used the manuscript
History of Virginia by his father, left to his son
for completion, and various historical works
long since out ofprint. 1t was discourse of great
interest not only for the entirely new histori
cal facts given, but for the spirit of brotherhood
evidenced towards other denominations. We
give @ report of the substance of his remarks, in
which our reporter has embodied the main facts
Of the address
THE COLONIAL LAWS
The laws of the cavaliers, said Mr.. Taylor,
who settled Virginia. concerning religious mat
ters were devoted almost entirely to sustaining
the Established Church of England, and so Sc
we're were they in 1911, that when man landed
in the colony, he was made to give an account of
his religious faith to the minister, and if he re-
fused, was to be whipped every day until he
complied, and confessed his fault before the con-
gregation The legislation of the colony was,
according to Henning, almost, if not exclusive
ly confined to church laws, and provisions for
temporary defensive operations against the In
dians Ia 1912 they became so severe in their
legislation, that laws enacted forbidding
all, except ministers of the Church of England,
to preach publicly or privately and banishing
Roman Catholic priests from the colony after
days' notice These and other similar laws were
carried but with violence, congregations OF dis
senters were dispersed, men were pilloried and
whipped, and some missionaries sent by the
General Court of Boston were banished from the
colony.
THE APPEARANCE OF THE BAPTIsTs.
During the first century of the colony the
Baptists were not known by that name, though
doubtless many existed in it, as they were
numerous in the adjoining state of Carolina
but in ia they made public demonstration,
by assembling Tin large numbers:" according
to Dr. Howell in Isle of Wight and Surry coun-
ties, and sent to England for minister, (Robt.
Nordin) who came and organized the first Bap-
fist church in Virginia, which exists to this day
under the name of the ''blil Swamp church.
A little later ministers from the WEIGH settle
ments in Pennsylvania, organized Baptist
churches in Louloun Berkeley and the coatig-
uous counties, one of them "Ketockton," exist
ing to this day.
THE JAIL, THE PILLoRY, THE LASH AND THE HOUND.
celebration act' of William and Mary, which
gave them the right of ''free' worship, after the
payment ofvarious oppressive taxes, was evaded,
far as could be done to give the rulers affair swing
at them, and, according to DR.. Hawkes., the
Episcopal historian, "cruelty taxed its ngenui-
-ty to devise new modes of punishment and an
noyance" The ministers were fined, beaten
imprisoned poisoned and hunted with dogs
aud the congregations were assaulted and dis
:persed; the ordinance Of Baptism was violently
interrupted, and administrator and candidates
.olunged and held beneath the water until nearly
dead they were subjected to mock trials and
ssven in the courts were forced to undergo the
most infamous Indignities. The jails of Cupep-
er, Orange, Caroline Fredericksburg, Middle
sex, King and Queen Chesterfield, and other
counties were filed with men imprisoned for
preaching, and sometimes for praying al private
houses, or even allowing their dwellings to be
used for Baptist meetings. Pickett, Ireland ,
Harris, the three brothers Craig, Jno. Waller,
Weber, Greenwood, Barrow, Weatherford,
Ware, Wofford, Tinsley and score of Others
suffered such indignities and trials, and some
BORE TO THEIR GRAVES THE SCARS Of THE BEATiNGs
they received. But these prosecutions did not
discourage them. They preached from Jail win
,dows to eager crowds, in some instances despite
THE beating Of drums, vainly used to drown the
voice of the preacher. and in one case over a
high wall erected to stop their meetings.
One hundred years ago the Baptists in Vir-
sginia numbered so churches, 40 ministers and
1000 COMMITMENTS and even then had to help
support the Established church, and receive their
marriage from an 'establishei" parson. They
formed general meeting called first an 'tasso-
citation" and afterwards ''committee' the main
object of which, was to influence tn e law making
power in favor of
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,
in which they had the cooperation of Jefferson
and Madison, and it is little remarkable too,
that the able papers Of these great statesmen,
bore striking likeness to the utterances of these
humble, but strong minded men, whose main
text book was the New Testament. The party
tency of Wrestling liberty from the crown, and
vet leave religious fetter on their country men,
nor could they afford to despise the aid of the
Baptists who, while others fatered, stood alone,
sas people, in favor Of an entire separation of
church and state.
THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION
was formed in I'LL, and for few years held
distinct meetings on the north and south side of