[39] Since the above was written, this church has been visited by a most extraordinary and afflictive dispensation of Providence. Elder Crandall, supposed to be labouring under a temporary fit of insanity, put a period to his existence by suspending himself from a beam in his barn, in September, 1850. [40] Since writing the above, I have been verbally informed that Elder Joel Green was called to preside over the church at Hounsfield, as colleague to Elder William Green, to the great dissatisfaction of the latter, and in consequence of which, such a great difficulty arose, that the ministrations of both were suspended,—but I will not vouch for the accuracy of this statement. [41] For all the incidents relating to the early history of this organization, I am indebted to Rev. John Davis, of Shiloh. [42] One of these fathers, who was considered no mean preacher in his day, and who was instrumental, not only in organizing, but in supporting and bringing to maturity an infant church, used to remark that he desired no better time for studying a sermon than when following the plough. CHAPTER IV. SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS IN THE UNITED STATES, CONTINUED. SECTION I. THE KEITHIAN SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS. The Keithian Baptists were seceders from the Quakers of Pennsylvania, and were so called from their leader, the famous George Keith, who, in 1691, with forty-eight other individuals, withdrew from the communion of the Quakers, and set up separate meetings in different places, and a general one at Burlington, in opposition to that of Philadelphia. Subsequently they published several works of a controversial character, and finally, by resigning themselves to the guidance of Scripture, they became altogether Baptist in their religious practices. At the time of this change in their denominational character they numbered four churches, of which one was situated at Upper Providence, another at Philadelphia, a third at Southampton, and a fourth at Dublin. These continued for some time, but in 1700, a difference arose among them concerning the Sabbath, that broke up their societies. Some of them contended rightly that the original Sabbath remained unchanged, and that its observance was still incumbent upon Christians. The division appears to have been fomented by one Abel Noble, who, according to Morgan Edwards, came to this country in 1684, and who appears to have been the first Seventh-day Baptist in the state of Pennsylvania. His name is found among those who, in 1691, signed the articles of the Keithian separation. By him was the first Keithian baptized in 1697, and by him were they gained over to the observance of the seventh day. Through his instrumentality four churches of that order were constituted. The first at Newtown, in Upper Providence, about twenty-four miles from the city of Philadelphia. Their meeting was held at the house of one David Thomas. Three families belonged to this place, of whom seven individuals