Lord, insomuch that in three years after, all the minis ters, and about fifty-five private members had submitted to the ordinance."

The Welsh Tract church was the principal, if not the sole means of introducing singing, imposition of hands, church covenants, &c. among the Baptists in the middle States. The Century Confession was in America, before the year 1716, but without the articles which relate to these subjects; that year they were inserted by Rev. Abel Morgan, who translated the confession to Welsh, about which time it was signed by one hundred twentytwo members of this church. These articles were inserted in the next English edition, and adopted with the other articles by the Philadelphia Association in 1742.

The pulpit of this church was filled by great and good men of Welsh extraction, for about 70 years.

The first minister was Thomas Griffith, who emigrat ed with the church. All we can learn of him, is, that he was born in Lauvernach parish, in the county of Pembroke, in 1645, and after faithfully serving this church twenty-four years, died at Pennepek, July 25, 1725.

Mr. Griffith was succeeded by Elisha Thomas, who was born in the county of Caermarthen, in 1674. He emigrated from Wales with the church whereof he was one of the first members, and died, November 7, 1730, and was buried in this church-yard, where a handsome tomb is erected to his memory: the top-stone is divided into several compartments, wherein open books are raised, with inscriptions and poetry both in Welsh and English.

Mr. Thomas's successor was Enoch Morgan. He was brother to Abel Morgan, author of the Welsh Concordance. Their father was Morgan Ryddarch, a famous Baptist minister in Wales; but it was a common thing, in that country, for the children to take the personal name of their father instead of the sirname, only joining to it the names of their progenitors, by a string of aps. Mr. Morgan was born in 1676, at a place called Allt gach, in the parish of Lanwenrog, in the county of Car

* I remember, says Morgan Edwards, to have seen a Bible of my grandfather's with the following title page; Fiddo Edwards ap William, ap Edword, ap Davydd, ap Evan. MS. Hist. of the Baptists in Delaware, p. 241.

digan. He arrived in America with the Welsh Tract church, whereof he was one of the constituents; he took on him the care of the church at Mr. Thomas's decease, and died in 1740, and was buried in this grave yard, where a tomb is erected to his memory.

The next pastor of this church was Owen Thomas. He was born in 1676, at a place called Gwrgodllys, in Cilmanllwyd, and county of Pembroke. He came to America in 1707; took the pastoral care of the church at Mr. Morgan's death, in which office he continued until 1748, when he resigned it, to go to Yellow Springs, where he died, November 12, 1760. Mr. Thomas left behind him the following remarkable note; "I have been called upon three times to anoint the sick with oil for recovery; the effect was surprising in every case, but in none more so, than in the case of our brother Rynallt Howel: he was so sore with the bruises which he received by a cask falling on him from a waggon, that he could not bear to be turned in bed the next day he went to meeting."

The next in office here was David Davis. He was born in the parish of Whitechurch, and county of Pembroke, in the year 1708, and came to America when a child, in 1710; was ordained in this church in 1734, at which time he became its pastor; he continued in this office 85 years, viz. until 1769, when he died. He was an excellent man, and is held dear in remembrance by all who knew him. Two of his sons were preachers. Jonathan was a seventh-day Baptist, and John was some time pastor of the 2d Baptist church in Boston, Mass.

Thus it appears, that hitherto the pastors of this church were all Welshmen. Those who have succeeded were native Americans, and the first was John Sutton, whose biography may be found in the history of the Emancipating Baptists, in Kentucky. He took on him the oversight of this church in 1770, and resigned it in 1777, to go to Virginia.

The next to him was John Boggs, who was ordained to the pastoral office here in 1781. He was born in East-Nottingham, in 1741; was bred a Presbyterian, but embraced the Baptist sentiments in 1771. He died at Welsh Tract, of a paralytick stroke, in 1802, and was

succeeded by Gideon Ferrell, the present pastor. Mr. Ferrell is a native of Maryland, and was born in Talbot county, in 1763. He was bred a Quaker, but was baptized by Philip Hughes, in 1770. As Mr. Boggs, his predecessor, was much inclined to itinerate in the surrounding country, for which employment he was well qualified, Mr. Ferrell had preached for the church once a month, and sometimes oftener, for the space of about seven years, before he was invested with the pastoral care of it.

The Welsh Tract church is very handsomely endowed; for after all the casualties, which have befallen its temporalities, it has about thirteen hundred and thirty dollars in funds, at interest, and a lot of six acres, on which the meeting-house stands, and a plantation, the bequest of Hugh Morris, on which its pastor resides.

This church is the oldest in the State, and has now existed upwards of 100 years. It has been the mother of the Welsh Neck, church in South-Carolina, the London Tract, the Duck Creek or Brynsion, and, in some measure, of Wilmington, Cowmarsh, and Mispillion, and was one of the five churches which formed the Phila delphia Association, in 1707.

DUCK CREEK OR BRYNSION.

THIS church, which was formerly distinguished by the first name, but now altogether by the latter, is situated about 70 miles to the south-west of Philadelphia. The meeting-house was built of brick in 1771, on a lot of one acre, the gift of John and Philemon Dickinson.

The tract of land which was called Duck Creek Hundred, was settled in the year 1733, by a number of Welsh families, some of the Independent and some of the Baptist denominations. The Independents built a meeting-house on the lot where the Baptist house now stands, and called it Brynsion, viz. Mount-Sion. They had divine service performed in it by Presbyterian ministers, viz. Rev. Messrs. Thomas Evans, Rees Lewis, David Jenison, &c. But in process of time this Independent society dwindled away, partly by deaths, and partly by emigrations; and the Baptists made use of

their house while it stood. The Independents neglected to have the lot conveyed over to them; for which reason it reverted to the Dickinsons, and continued in their hands, till conveyed to the Baptists at the time above specified.

The Baptists who settled here were about 8 or 10. The names of the heads of them follow, viz. James Hyatt, Nathaniel Wild, David Evan, Evan Rees, David Rees, James Howel, Evan David Hugh, Joshua Edwards, &c. This last was an exhorter among them, until he went to Pedee, in South-Carolina. These Baptists emigrated hither, chiefly from Pencader, in Newcastle county, and were members of Welsh Tract church. In May 18, 1735, Rev. Hugh Davis, of the Great Valley, preached to them at Brynsion meeting-house; otherwise they held their worship at the house of James Hyatt. In September 18, 1737, Rev. David Davis, of Welsh Tract, administered ordinances here; worship was then held at the house of Evan David Hugh; in 1749, Rev. Griffith Jones settled at Duck Creek, and continued among these people to his death, in 1757. In the spring of 1766, Rev. William Davis, from New-Britain, settled here; but he died the 25th of September following. After him, Rev. Messrs. David Davis, John Sutton, John Boggs, &c. ministered to them, till their number increased to thirty. Then they petitioned Welsh Tract for leave to become a distinct church. These thirty persons were constituted a church by Messrs. Boggs and Fleeson, November 24, 1781; and in 1786 were received into the Association of Philadelphia.

The ministers who officiated at Duck Creek, while it was a branch of Welsh Tract, have already been mentioned. The first pastor, which it had after it became a separate church, was Eliphaz Dazey, who continued with them a short time, and then resigned, and was succeeded by James Jones, their present pastor.

WILMINGTON.

THIS church is of later date than some other churches in Delaware, which are at present less distinguished.

There were a number of individuals in this town for about twenty years before the denomination began much to flourish and prevail.

One

About the year 1769, Baptist ministers began to preach in Wilmington, in a transient way, but without any apparent success; and the few members began to despair of seeing a church arise in the town. And the first time that a prospect opened to the contrary, was in 1782, when Rev. Philip Hughes came to print a volume of hymns. He preached here, and gained some attention In the month of April following, Mr. Thomas Ainger and family settled in the town; he was a member of the Presbyterian church in Philadelphia, but his wife a professed Baptist; he constantly maintained family worship without any uncommon effect for a time. Lord's-day evening, he read the 20th chapter of Reve lation, and found a strong impulse to comment upon it, particularly on the 12th verse. This diffused seriousness through the family, and laid a foundation for a religious society, in which good was done. Two of his apprentices and some others, attribute their conversion to this society. It quickened four more, who had been converted long before; these were baptized by Rev. John Boggs, May 25, 1784; their names were Thomas Ainger, Rachel Ainger, Noah Cross, and Mrs. Ferries. The same year, 1784, Rev. P. Hughes came to town to print his book on baptism, which detained him near two months; he preached all the while, sometimes at a Presbyterian meeting-house, and sometimes at the town school-house, which collected many hearers. By him were baptized four persons who had been awakened at the said society, viz. Robert Smith, John Redman, James M'Laughlin, and Henry Walker. Messrs. Fleeson and Boggs continued to visit the place alternate. ly every week.

More were baptized by them, insomuch that a sufficient number of materials for a church were soon prepared, and in October, 1785, Messrs. Fleeson and Boggs, with Abel Griffith and Eliphaz Dazey, met and gave them fellowship as a Gospel Church. The names of the constituents were, Thomas Ainger, James M'Laughlin, Thomas Williams, Henry Walker, Joseph Tomlinson, John Redman, Robert Smith, John