History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Churches 103
meeting without the knowledge and approbation of the court,
to the disturbance of the peace of the place. They were
ordered to desist from their meetings for the space of a month,
and advised to remove their meeting to some other place where
they might not prejudice any other church. Upon this order
and advice Mr. Myles and his church removed from Rehoboth
to New Meadow Neck, a place south of Rehoboth, which is
now Barrington, R. I. Then it was not embraced in any town.
They appear to have erected a house for worship soon after
their removal beyond the bounds of Rehoboth. This house
seems to have been about two and a half miles from the present
house, west.
In 1667 the Plymouth Court granted to this church, with
others, a grant of a town to be called Swansea. The grant of
this town, that the Baptists might have a resting-place, shows
that the Plymouth Colony was much more tolerant than the
Massachusetts Colony. We now find our fathers of this
church, with their pastor, free from oppression. On the incorporation
of the town the church entered into covenant with
each other, as appears by the covenant itself on record.
Whether they had a covenant before is not known; neither
have we any means of knowing whether the church increased,
diminished, or remained stationary.
In 1675 the Indian war commenced, under King Philip,
of Mount Hope. This town and this church first felt the
calamities of that war, which spread such devastation over
much of New England. Here it first began. While this
church was engaged in public worship, the Indians were preparing
to attack the people of this new and unprotected town
on their return home. They killed one and wounded others.
Here its effects fell with great severity, as it is said one-half of
Swansea was burned. The house of Mr. Myles was made into
a garrison. As to the state and progress of the church, we
have nothing to enlighten us. From the nature of the case all
must have been gloomy.
Mr. Myles preached much of three years in Boston,
previous to 1679, and whether this church was supplied during
his absence is doubtful. About this time the town voted to
remove the meeting-house to the lower end of New Meadow
Neck. It seems this idea was abandoned, and it was voted and
ordered, Sept. 30, 1679, "that a meeting-house of forty feet in
length and twenty-two in breadth and sixteen feet between
joints be forthwith built. " From the above and other records
it appears the place of meeting was changed, and that the
minister went there also.
Feb. 3, 1683, Mr. Myles closed his labors on earth, having