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Benjamin Randall: Founder of the Free Will Baptists ABSTRACT The Awakening of the Freewill Baptists: Benjamin Randall and the Founding of an American Religious Tradition Scott E. Bryant, Ph.D. Chairperson: William H. Brackney, Ph.D. The last decades of the eighteenth century brought numerous changes to the citizens of colonial New England. As the colonists were joining together in their fight for independence from England, a collection of like-minded believers in Southern New Hampshire forged an identity as a new religious tradition. Benjamin Randall (1749- 1808), a principal founder of the Freewill Baptist movement in colonial New England, was one of the many eighteenth century colonists that enjoyed a conversion experience as a result of the revival ministry of George Whitefield. Randall’s conversion included a direct revelation from God that communicated God’s universal love and grace for all people. As a result of his conversion he began evaluating the spiritual condition of his fellow parishioners and he was disappointed that his peers did not share his newfound zeal for spiritual matters. His spiritual zeal prompted him to examine the scriptures on his own and he questioned the practice of infant baptism. Randall completed his separation from the Congregational church of his youth when he contacted a Baptist congregation and submitted himself for baptism. When Randall was introduced to the universal love and universal grace, was at odds with Calvin’s doctrine of election that was affirmed by the other Baptists. Randall’s spiritual journey continued as he began to preach revival services throughout the region. His ministry was well received and he established a new congregation in New Durham, New Hampshire, in 1780. The congregation in New Durham served as Randall’s base of operation as he led revival services throughout New Hampshire and Southern Maine. Randall’s travels introduced him to many colonists who accepted his message of universal love and universal grace and a movement was born as Randall formed many congregations throughout the region. Randall spent the remainder of his life organizing, guiding, and leading the Freewill Baptists as they developed into a religious tradition that included thousands of adherents spread throughout New England and into Canada. Copyright © 2007 by Scott E. Bryant All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS v DEDICATION vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. THE COLONIAL BAPTIST MILIEU PRIOR TO 1740 11 The Puritans Roger Williams Colonial Baptist Diversity 3. TOWARDS A COMMUNITY OF BAPTISTS 1740-1780 35 The Revivals Bring Controversy The Pre-Whitefield Baptist Churches Isaac Backus The Origins of the Warren Baptist Association The Founding of Rhode Island College 4. THE AWAKENING OF BENJAMIN RANDALL 76 Randall’s Childhood and Early Spirituality Randall’s Conversion Randall’s Call to Preach 5. THE AWAKENING OF THE FREEWILL BAPTISTS 110 Organizing Churches Problems in New Durham Organizing a Movement Further Organization Ordaining Leaders Death of Randall iii Chapter Page 6. THE THEOLOGY OF THE FREEWILL BAPTISTS 168 Henry Alline Elias Smith Randall’s Effort to Control the Connexion 7. THE LEGACY OF BENJAMIN RANDALL 224 8. CONCLUSION 249 Appendix 1. June 30, 1780, Covenant of the Church of Christ of New Durham 254 2. April 13, 1791, Covenant of the Church of Christ of New Durham 255 BIBLIOGRAPHY 257 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The scholastic endeavor may appear to be the task of one individual but in reality it is a communal task. Many individuals and organizations have contributed in significant ways towards the completion of this research endeavor. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to William H. Brackney for his support, guidance, and vision for this project. Dr. Brackney’s support for my abilities has not wavered since my entrance into the Baylor University doctoral program and his belief in me and my work served as a life preserver many times when I felt as if I was about to go under. I would also like to express appreciation to Dr. William L. Pitts who constantly demonstrates gracious hospitality whether he is in the classroom, his home, or in England. Scholars cannot accomplish any project without the able assistance of librarians and I am indebted to the following institutions for their expert support: Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections at Ladd Library of Bates College; Franklin Trask Library of Andover Newton Theological School; Jesse H. Jones Library of Baylor University; Maine Historical Society; and Tuck Library of New Hampshire Historical Society. Specific thanks also to Marc Nicholas, Social Science and Humanities Reference Assistant at Jones Library, who discovered numerous sources that I had trouble locating on my own. Special thanks are also in order to the members of the First Free Will Baptist Church in New Durham, New Hampshire, who allowed me unlimited access to the church records that helped this project come alive. Individuals have also contributed to my own personal sanity and well being throughout this academic process. Personal words of thanks to my colleagues in the v lounge who provided numerous laughs along the way and helped keep things in perspective. I would like to express a final word of thanks to Clova Gibson who provided expert assistance throughout the dissertation process. vi To Natalie: “let’s live” Anna: “let’s dance” Luke: “let’s tackle ” Reid: “let’s play” CHAPTER ONE Introduction In the early part of the eighteenth century, the Great Awakening brought confusion and diversity to the religious life of the American colonies. Following the example of British Evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770), itinerant preachers used innovative methods to stir the hearts of colonists and this resulted in spiritual vigor and reform throughout the region. Individuals left the established churches in their home towns because of a perceived lack of spiritual vitality and they formed new congregations. The nascent Baptist movement benefited greatly from the religious turmoil initiated by the revivals as it experienced significant numerical growth in the eighteenth century. While scholars have long debated whether the “Great Awakening” is the correct terminology for what occurred in eighteenth century colonial America, it is beyond dispute that the religious upheaval initiated by the revivals had a direct impact on the formation of Baptist congregations in the colonies.1 In New England, one significant development in Baptist life was the birth of a new faction of Baptists that espoused belief not in God’s election, but in humanity’s free will to choose or deny God’s offer of salvation. In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, the Freewill Baptist movement, as 1See Jon Butler, “Enthusiasm Decried and Described: The Great Awakening as Interpretive Fiction,” Journal of American History 69 (September 1982): 305-325 and Frank Lambert, Inventing the Great Awakening (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999). 1 2 it came to be known, originated and developed through a series of revivals in upcountry New England, including Southern New Hampshire, Southern Maine, and Vermont. One of the principal founders of the Freewill Baptist movement was Benjamin Randall2 (1749-1808). Randall himself had experienced conversion following his attendance at one of Whitefield’s revivals in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1780. Following his conversion, Randall began to evaluate the spiritual vitality of his fellow parishioners in a local Congregational church and was unimpressed with the level of piety and holiness exhibited by the membership. He soon began to participate in and lead spiritual meetings outside of the authority of his congregation. In the same year that the colonies each declared independence from Great Britain, Randall helped form a separate congregation and declared his independence from what he perceived to be a spiritually dead Congregational church. Randall’s spiritual journey continued as he became the leader of a Baptist congregation at upcountry New Durham in New Hampshire. Randall was not content to preach only to his congregation and, like many of his separatist peers, he began to itinerate throughout northern New England. His emphasis upon free grace, freewill, and free communion soon attracted the attention of neighboring Calvinistic Baptist ministers who questioned his theology and eventually distanced themselves from Randall and his ministry. Seemingly unaware of his theological divergence from the Calvinistic Baptist majority, Randall was not deterred by the lack of support from the Baptist clergy. In response to his censure by the Calvinistic Baptist majority, Randall formally constituted 2There are inconsistencies in the spelling of Randall’s name. Even Randall himself used a couple of variations including Randal and Randell. For the sake of uniformity I will use Randall unless the name is part of a quotation. 3 the New Durham Baptist church as a Freewill congregation in 1780. His itinerant preaching resulted in the founding of additional Freewill Baptist congregations and Randall established a system of quarterly and yearly meetings called the Freewill connexion in an effort to maintain accountability within the movement. Randall spent the remainder of his life (1780-1808) attempting to oversee the spiritual vitality of numerous congregations in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts. The Freewill Baptist movement is a uniquely American story and the academic community has yet to explore fully the significance of the Freewill Baptist movement to the greater
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