The Puritan Influence I
by F.E. McConvey
Published 11 May 1988
As you diligently labour on the task of tracing your ancestry, have you eer considered how events that occurred over 400 years ago in England have directly affected your search? Probably not. Yet, had it not been for the religious upheavals that ruptured forth during the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries your family background would have been very different; indeed, the entire history of North America would have been drastically altered.
We have already touched on some of the events that prompted hordes of Irish to emigrate to America during the mid 1800's -- and, most of us are familiar with the story of the American Revolution that brought the great influx of people, loyal the British Crown, to this land of ours.
Because of this massive migration, the many descendants of those Loyalists must, heaven forbid, return to that great nation to seek their roots. Whether the thought can be tolerated or not, it must be remembered that at the beginning, we were one people.
But, getting back to England......
During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I the rather contemptous name, "Puritan" was applied to those who proposed reforms within the Church of England, the established church. These reformers believed the Bible was their sole authority and that certain rituals performed during the services were steeped in "Roman superstitions".
In view of this, Puritans strongly objected to the rules laid down governing clerical garb. They also wished to abolish the act of kneeling during the Lord's Supper and the use of a ring in marriage ceremonies. In addition, it was their desire to eliminate the employment of the sign of the cross during baptisms.
Surprisingly enough, in 1563, when they presetned this reform program to the Church's legislative body, they were held back by only one vote. Nonetheless they persevered and were optimistic that one day these changes would be implemented.
Some, though, were not as patient as others and, believing the reforms would never be accomplished with the structures of the established church, seperated. These seperatists were also labelled Puritans.
Naturally, man being the complex creature he is, differences began to appear in the basic beliefs of the reformers. These nuances became the cornerstones on which many of our Protestant churches were built.
One view held that each parish should have appointed elders, elected pastors and that the offices of archbishops and archdeacons were superfluous. These were the tenets upon which Presbyterianism was established.
Others felt that the only true church was composed of believers who were united to Christ and themselves by their own free will. Each church should be self-governing, ruled by officers and the loaws of Christ's bidding. Each member would accept responsibility for the well-being of the others and no one church had authority over any other. These were the approaches of Congregationalism.
As yet, these two ideas were still nurtured within the confines of the established church, their adherents not yet having considered seperations as the solutions to their needs. However, little was done for these Puritans. A translation of the Bible known as the "Authorized" or "King James Version" was offered as an appeasement and the order was issued for them to conform. Many did.
Meanwhile, the Separatist movement was gaining momentum and a congregation was formed at Gainsborough with John Smyth at its head. Because of religious persecutions these members exiled themselves to Amsterdam around 1608. Here, Smythm, after studying the New Testament became convinced that the only way to admit members into the fellowship was by baptism after a declaration of faith in Christ and the repentance of sins. Thus, shortly after their arrival in the Netherlands, the first English Baptist Church was formed, albeit on Dutch soil. Within a few years they returned to their native land, spread their faith and became known as "General Baptists".
In the interim, another pot was beginning to bubble. One group, led by Henry Jacob, was working on the "non-separatist Congregational postion". Attempting to stay within the Church of England, they aimed to set up a "nation-wife system of established Congregational churches". In 1616 Henry Jacob founed the first Congregational Church to remain in continuous service at Southwark.
In spite of their efforts, this kettle boiled over in the 1630's, The result was the beginning of a second Baptist faith in England called the "Particular" or Calvanistic Baptists because of their acceptance of the "particular or restricted atonement confined to the elect". In 1641 they accepted immersion as the only appropriate method of baptism. This practise was quickly adopted by all English Baptists.
A second group of Separatists congregated in Scooby, England. Once of its members was William Bradford (1590-1657). They also journeyed to Holland and eventually settled in Leyden in 1609.
These were the people who concentrated their efforts in American and firmly planted Congregationalism on the New England shores. Their spiritual leader was William Brewster and William Bradford, despite his youth, soon became their governor. They are more familiarly known as the "Piligrim Fathers".
QUERIES:
37. FRANCIS HATT settled in L'Etang in 1785. CH: (1) JAMES b. 1791 m. PHOEBE b. 1797 (2) WILLIAM b. 1797 m. ANN b. 1797?/1801?
(1) JAMES CH: (a) SAMUEL b. 181 m. MARY; (b) JAMES b. 1817 m. LOUSIA: (c) STEPHEN b. 1822 m ELIZABETH: (d) JOSEPH b. 1834; (e) CHARLES b. 1837; (f) HENRY b. 1840 m. HANNAH STEEN: (g) CHARLOTTE b. 1846 m. ROBERT STEEN.
1a. SAMUEL CH: PHOEBE b. 1834; MARY ANN b. 1836; LYDIA b. 1839; SAMUEL b. 1841; JAMES b. 1842 and SARAH b. 1845.
1b. JAMES CH: ELIZABETH b. 1841; PHOEBE b. 1843 and JOHN b. 1845.
1c. STEPHEN CH: PHOEBE b. 1841; ELIZABETH b. 1845 and STEPHEN b. 1848.
1d. JOSEPH CH: MELVIN and JOSEPH.
There are also WILLIAM b. 1831 who had a child STEPHEN b. 1851. Was he the son of JAMES and PHOEBE?
2. WILLIAM CH: JAMES b. 1830; JANE b. 1830; WILLIAM b. 1837; JOHN b. 1839; AMY b. 1841 and MARTIAN (sic) b. 1846. Seek any info on these families.
Note: In-Laws, Outlaws and Kinfolk articles have been published on this site with the permission of the St. Croix Courier. Special thanks goes to the Courier for allowing me to reprint my mother's articles.