Chapter XX: Section IX: General Summary

The reader who has followed me through this brief and imperfect sketch of the history of the Seventh-day Baptist Denomination, cannot fail to perceive that our churches have gradually and healthfully increased in numbers, notwithstanding the continual opposition which is manifested to the cause we advocate, and the continual discouragements that we have to encounter both in society and business. It is now about one hundred and seventy years since the first Seventh-day Baptist church was organized in America; and the efforts which have been made within the last thirty years have accomplished more to advance the interests of the cause than what was done for nearly a century and a half preceding. This has not been produced by any special excitement, but by increased energy and courage, and by the multiplication of means for disseminating the truth; and those means have but just begun to develope their influence. Our Education, Missionary, and Tract Societies are yet in their infancy; our denominational paper is only beginning to acquire a circulation corresponding to its merits, indicative to other denominations of Christians of our literary resources,—and yet effects that would have astonished our ancestors have been realized. In 1805, we numbered eight churches, and about one thousand five hundred communicants. Twenty-five years increased that number to three thousand four hundred; but the five subsequent years to more than four thousand five hundred. In 1840, we numbered a fraction over five thousand members, which in three years increased to six thousand. At this period, there are about seven thousand communicants in the connexion. There are sixty-five churches united with the Conference; sixty ordained ministers, and about thirty licentiates.

RECAPITULATION OF CHURCHES FOR 1849.

EASTERN ASSOCIATION.

Date of Number of
Designation. Organization. Communicants.

Newport, 1671 28 First Hopkinton, 1708 344 Second Hopkinton, 1835 173 Third Hopkinton, 1835 166 Marlborough, 1811 131 New York, 1845 33 Piscataway, 1707 174 Pawcatuck, 1840 172 Plainfield, 1838 83 Richmond, 1843 25 Shiloh, 1787 261 South Kingston, 1840 25 Waterford, 1784 110 Westerly, 1837 72

CENTRAL ASSOCIATION.

Adams, 1822 230 First Brookfield, 1797 200 Second Brookfield, 1823 109 Third Brookfield, 1823 128 De Ruyter, 1806 111 Diana, 1846 18 Hounsfield, 1841 65 Lincklean, 1831 104 Otselic, 1830 50 Preston, 1806 81 Richland, 1845 14 Scott, 1820 176 Truxton, 1824 51 Watson, 1841 66 First Verona, 1820 70 Second Verona, 1837 31 Berlin, 1784 272 Petersburg, 1829 109

WESTERN ASSOCIATION.

Amity, 1834 27 First Alfred, 1816 437 Second Alfred, 1831 249 Clarence, 1828 77 Friendship, 1824 155 First Genesee, 1827 171 Second Genesee, 1834 60 Third Genesee, 1842 39 Hartsville, 1847 54 Hayfield, 1771 85 Hebron, 1833 61 Independence, 1834 118 Pendleton, 1844 20 Persia, 1832 59 Scio, 1834 40 Ulysses, 1845 17 Wirt, 1827 34

SOUTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION.

First Hughes River, Va., 1833 12 Second Hughes River, Va., 1840 7 New Salem, Va., 1745 71 Lost Creek, Va., 1805 68 Jackson, Ohio, 1843 40 Northampton, Ohio, 1837 20 Port Jefferson, Ohio, 1840 31 Sciota, Ohio, 1842 20 Stokes, Ohio, 1842 22 Pike, Ohio, 1824 30 Madison, Ia., 1843 12 Woodbridgetown, Pa., 1780 4

NORTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION.

Albion, Wis., 1843 90 Milton, Wis., 1838 112 Walworth, Wis., 1849 21 Fredonia, Ia., 1842 9 Farmington, Ill., 1849 16

In dating the organization of the churches, I have had recourse to Clarke's History, and to the old Conference Minutes; between which and the minutes for 1849, I discovered some discrepancies. Should the reader wish to institute a comparison between my work and other documents, he will please refer to these sources, by which, for several reasons, I consider it safest to be guided.

Besides these churches, there are many scattered families of Sabbath-keepers in different parts of the Union. The Rev. Isaac P. Labagh, a minister of eminent ability and attainment, in connexion with the Episcopal Church in New York, is an observer of the Sabbath.