Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Dr. John Clarke, Americas First Baptist Pastor – Clarke Passes Away & Obadiah Holmes Fills the Pulpit – Part Ten
Clark Passes Away & Obadiah Holmes Fills the Pulpit – Part Ten
THOMAS E KRESAL ADMIN · 2 HRS JUNE 3, 2020
Baptist History, Heritage & Distinctives – Dr. John Clarke, Americas First Baptist Pastor – Clarke Passes Away & Obadiah Holmes Fills the Pulpit – Part Ten
The church was sadly afflicted in 1676 by the death of four of its standard-bearers. Torrey died early in the year, and was followed in April by Clarke, in October by Weeden, and in December by Lukar. The church had already suffered two schisms, and the Quaker agitation had hindered its progress. When these four noted men had been removed by death, those who remained may well have felt discouraged.Obadiah Holmes, already a septuagenarian (he was born about 1606), succeeded to the pastorate and retained it till his death in 1682. He was well educated, and had for many years, at great personal cost, labored in the Baptist cause. The narrative of his sufferings in Massachusetts in 1651 will be found in the next chapter. Among the more noted members of the church during the latter part of the century was John Cooke, who had been a Congregational minister in the Plymouth colony, and who was converted to Baptist views before 1680 by reading the “Narrative ” of Elder Russell, of the Boston church. As a boy he was among the passengers of the “Mayflower” and was still living in 1694.Another prominent member was Philip Edes, who, according to Samuel Hubbard, was “one in office in Oliver’s [Cromwell’s] house, was for liberty of conscience, a merchant, a precious man, of a holy life and conversation, beloved of all sorts of men, his death much bewailed by all.”
Thomas E. Kresal from: John Clarke and the Baptists of Rhode Island by Albert H. Newman, 1894 and and Clarke, “Ill News;” ” Records of the Colony of R. I.,” i.; Arnold, i.; Backus; Winthrop; Hubbard; Lechford; Barrows, “History Sketch,” “Dev. of Bapt. Pr. in R. I.,” “Baptist Quarterly,” 1872, pp. 483 seq.; J. C. C. Clarke, in “Baptist Quarterly,” 1876, pp. 180 seq.; Adlam; Callender; Comer.
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