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

Historical Address 73
the colonists, and so proved of the greatest value. Winslow
and Hampden departed from Sowams followed by the blessings
of the sachem and all his people. At Corbitant*s invitation
they, on their way home, spent a night with him here,
being treated with most generous hospitality.
During the twenty years next succeeding, the colonists
added to Plymouth the six settled towns, Duxbury, Scituate,
Taunton, Barnstable, Sandwich and Yarmouth. A trading
post was located in Sowams as early as 1632, in which year
Massasoit fled for shelter from the Narragansetts "to an
Enghsh house at Sowams. " But there was no settlement in
this vicinity suJGBcient to warrant a town organization tifl 1645,
when Rehoboth was incorporated. The same year John Brown
bought Wannamoisett Neck of Massasoit. Three years later
the church of Rehoboth suffered a "serious schism," the "first
real schism" in rehgion which had taken place in the colony.
Obadiah Holmes and eight others withdrew, set up "a meeting
by themselves," and afterwards joined a Baptist church in
Newport, whither some of them moved.
The same year a Baptist church was organized in Swansea,
in Wales, under the pastorate of John Myles, who for the previous
four years had preached with great success in various
places. This was in the first year of CromweU's protectorate.
Under the religious freedom thus gained, the church at Swansea
grew to a membership of three hundred. Mr. Myles became
the leading Baptist minister in Wales. When the monarchy
was restored the act of uniformity was passed, which
drove two thousand of the best ministers in England from their
places. Mr. Myles, with some members of his church, came to
America in 1663. Finding that in Rehoboth there were persons
holding his faith, he went thither and formed a church of
seven members.
Their *'holy covenant" is a remarkable document, both
in respect to the piety, and the spirit of Christian fellowship,
which It evinces. They declare that union with Christ is the
sole ground of their union, and of the Christian fellowship
which they seek and will give.
Nevertheless, as soon as it became known that a Baptist
church had been organized, the churches of the colony solicited
the court to interpose its influence against it, and Pastor Myles
and James Brown were fined each £5 and Nicholas Tanner 20s.
for setting up a pubHc meeting without the knowledge and
approbation of the court, to the disturbance of the peace.
They were further ordered to desist from their meeting for the
space of a month, and advised to remove to some place where
they would not prejudice any other church. This colonial dis-