The Perfect Rule of the Christian Religion: A History of Sandemanianism in the Eighteenth Century

246 Pages·2009·1.192 MB·English

by  John Howard Smith

THE
P R
ERFECT ULE
OF THE
C R
HRISTIAN ELIGION
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THE
P R
ERFECT ULE
OF THE
C R
HRISTIAN ELIGION
ì
A History of Sandemanianism
in the Eighteenth Century
John Howard Smith
Portrait ofJohn Glas.
By James McArdell,after William Millar.
Mezzotint,mid 18th century
14in.x 9 7/8in.(355mm x 251mm) paper size
NPG D2440
Given by the daughter ofcompiler William Fleming,MD,Mary Elizabeth Stopford,
1931–06–25
© National Portrait Gallery,London
Published by State University ofNew York Press,Albany
© 2008 State University ofNew York Press,Albany
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Library of Congress of Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Smith,John Howard,1968–
The perfect rule ofthe Christian religion :a history ofSandemanianism in the
eighteenth century / John Howard Smith.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4384-2507-8(hardcover :alk.paper)
1. Sandemanianism—History—18th century.2. United States—Church history—18th
century. I.Title.
BX9747.S65 2008
289.9—dc22
2008020827
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1.“I Thought Myself a Sound Presbyterian” 9
2.“The Perfect Rule of the Christian Religion” 37
3.“He Becomes Possessed of a Truth” 65
4.“May God Preserve Our [Churches] Amidst All Attacks” 93
5.“Spirited Conduct” 121
6.“Mine Eyes Must Flow with a River of Tears” 153
Epilogue 177
Notes 183
Bibliography 211
Index 231
v

Acknowledgments
I am an Alan Alda fan,and when I bought a ticket to see Sweet Liberty
in the late spring of 1986, I thought I was going to spend a couple of
hours enjoying what I expected would be a good comedy. Little did I
know that it would change my life.In the film,Alda plays an early Amer-
icanist professor of history,and when I saw the scenes of him teaching a
course on the American Revolution,suddenly a casual interest in eigh-
teenth-century America, which began with an oral presentation on
Thomas Jefferson in 1976 for a Cub Scout merit badge,forced its way
to the surface.As I gazed upon the screen,I knew I wanted the kind of
life that Alda’s character had,and,though I took many exciting detours
along the way,I inevitably found myself becoming an early Americanist.
I owe Mr.Alda a heartfelt note of thanks for making a good movie,and
for showing me the way ahead.
This book began, as all such things must, with a question. I was a
doctoral student at the University at Albany, State University of New
York,taking Sung Bok Kim’s seminar in early America,and I was writing
an historiographical essay on Benedict Arnold biographies.James Kirby
Martin’s Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior
Reconsidered (1997) mentioned an incident when Arnold, leading a
group of Danbury, Connecticut, Sons of Liberty, was “’mobbing the
Sandemanians,’”quoting Samuel Peters’s late eighteenth-century General
History of Connecticut.A parenthetical note only identified the Sande-
manians as “a small Scottish religious sect in New Haven,”which did not
satisfy my curiosity.If they were suspected Tories,why note their religion
as though that had some bearing on their political orientation? And
anyway,what is a Sandemanian? I took my second question to a selec-
vii
viii THE PERFECT RULE OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
tion of eminent scholars and specialists in New England history in a
series of emails, and the only response came from Laurel Thatcher
Ulrich, who directed me to the Massachusetts Historical Society’s
Sandeman-Barrell Papers. I then discovered Williston Walker’s short
article in the American Historical Association’s Annual Report for 1901,
and a 1987 article by Jean F. Hankins in the New England Quarterly,
none of which explained fully what the Sandemanians believed or where
they came from except that an immigrant Scot, Robert Sandeman,
founded a few primitive Christian churches in New England in the
1760s. I went on to write a seminar paper on the Sandemanians during
the years leading up to and through the War for Independence,which
was published in the Historical Journal of Massachusetts, and that in
turn grew circuitously into a doctoral dissertation,and finally evolved
into the present book.
When I began my doctoral studies,I intended to concentrate on the
social and political dimensions of loyalism,but gradually found myself
gravitating toward the history and culture of early American Chris-
tianity. I was—and continue to be—interested in those Loyalists who
were so out of religious convictions, and the first incarnation of my
dissertation was a study of religious loyalism throughout revolutionary
America. The Sandemanians,however,repeatedly demanded my atten-
tion,and Professor Kim suggested that I narrow my focus to that group,
applying substantive flesh to what seemed to be mainly bone and sinew.
That the Sandemanians have for the most part been ignored in the major
scholarly literature is a mystery,and I hope that in years to come others
will give them the pride of place they deserve in the history of Chris-
tianity in Britain and North America.
I have incurred a great many debts as I have made my way through
various projects that culminate in this book,and to name them all would
take up too much precious space, but several must be acknowledged.
First,I want to extend my gratitude to Professor Ulrich,who inadver-
tently kicked off my career with her kind response to a novice historian’s
out-of-the-blue question.I owe a debt to the many archivists and librar-
ians I have had the pleasure to work with as I conducted my research,
especially the staffs at the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Yale
University Library,the Boston Public Library,the Danbury Historical
Society,and the David Library of the American Revolution.A number of
people have encouraged my academic ambitions over the years since I set
out to become a historian, and without whom I would never have
achieved the realization of my dream. Thanks to Julia K. Woodcock,
Milton Ready,Kathleen Nilan,the late Jeanne Marty,Teddy J.Uldricks,
Robert F.Yeager,Nadieszda Kizenko,John Monfasani,Candis Murray,
Acknowledgments ix
Gary L. Loura,Dennis Brennan,Mary Linnane,Alice Malavasic,Jere-
miah Patrie,Rosamond Hooper-Hammersley,and Jeannine Chandler for
their friendship and support.I thank the participants at an Omohundro
Institute of Early American History and Culture Spring Colloquium in
2002,with whom I discussed eighteenth-century American Christianity,
and who were gracious—and vigorous—in their comments and criti-
cism. I am especially indebted to Ron Hoffman, Fredrika Teute, and
Christopher Grasso for their insights and hospitality.
I have been privileged to have the comradeship and support of several
scholars who have been most helpful in the development of this project.
Chris Beneke and Karen O’Brien have been great friends and frequent co-
panelists at several academic conferences, where they have both been
subjected to my fixation with fringe religious groups,unorthodox theo-
rizing, and penchant for Indian cuisine. I also thank the many fellow
panelists at conferences in the United States and Great Britain who have
commented on my work,especially J.R.Pole,Andrew Colin Gow,Chris-
tine Leigh Heyrman, Stephen A. Marini, Nancy L. Rhoden, James
Leamon,Seth Cotlar,and Richard W. Pointer. Pauline Maier offered a
note of encouragement at a critical juncture. The history department at
Texas A&M University-Commerce has provided a nice environment in
which to work,and my thanks go out to Scott Downing of Gee Library’s
interlibrary loan department, who is a skillful wizard at procuring
obscure texts. I am also grateful to James Klein,formerly Dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences at A&M-Commerce,for approving course
reductions so that I could revise the manuscript. Nancy Ellegate and
Ryan Morris at SUNY Press have been extremely helpful and accommo-
dating.Rosemary Wellner is a thorough and gifted editor.
My wife,Charlene D. Gentry-Smith,has been an unfailingly patient
supporter and sounding board, contending with the precarious life of
someone establishing a career in academia.She was also an able research
assistant during my many trips to Boston. This project could not have
been completed without her accommodating grace.
Most of all I thank my mentor, Sung Bok Kim, who taught me so
much more than just how to be a historian. He has been a stern, yet
good-humored father figure since I first began working with him in
1998,and I dedicate this book to him. Its strengths are the result of his
guidance,and the comments and criticisms of many of these wonderful
people,while its weaknesses remain entirely my responsibility.
ì
Thanks to the Massachusetts Historical Society for permission to quote
from the Sandeman-Barrell Papers and the Winslow Family Papers.