| HIST |
distinguished Baptist minister, of Charleston, South Carolina From the city Gazette of the Daily Advertiser, issue of May 7, 1789 - Furman-Burn Marriage Notice - Married, on Tuesday evening, the Rev. Richard Furman, pastor of the Baptist Church, of this city, to Miss Dorothea Burn, daughter-in-law of Mr. Charles M’Donald, of this city.
Sumter's Furman an outstanding minister, educator
BY SAMMY WAY Item Archivist
The Sumter County Historical Commission rededicated the Furman Academy Historic Site on Dodgen Hill Road at Ballards Hill in the Dalzell community on Saturday. Why, almost 200 years after his death, is Dr. Richard Furman so revered? An examination of his life and contributions holds the answer.
This account, the first of two parts, of one of America's eminent divines is based largely on a biography compiled in 1913 by Dr. Harvey T. Cook, Emeritus Professor of Greek at Furman University and a revered instructor. The sound philosophy of his lectures comparing Greek democracy with American republicanism gained him the sobriquet "Socrates." Cook made a scholarly and exhaustive study of all original "source material," including the many letters to and from Furman, which his great-grandson Alester G. Furman gathered with a view to depositing them in a fireproof vault at Furman University. Cook relied also on two anonymous biographies, a short one in 1826 and a longer one in 1845, which have been traced to Wood Furman. The first, written the year after Richard Furman's death, carries great weight because the facts were so fresh in the mind of the writer. It is almost as if Furman himself were speaking.
This issue of Reflections will offer a transcription of an essay on Furman first published in The Sumter Daily Item in May of 1950. The article has been edited and condensed due to its length. Sources used in securing data for this issue were The Item archives and the writings of Cassie Nicholes.
Birth and Boyhood
Richard Furman was born in Esopus, N.Y., Oct., 1755. His father and elder brother, Josiah, left for South Carolina during the preceding summer. His mother, sister Sarah, and infant Richard followed some months later, about February, 1756.
Richard's father, Wood Furman, obtained a royal grant for lands in the High Hills of Santee in November, 1755, where he found no school for his children. Therefore, he accepted an invitation to teach at a school on the coast maintained by "Beresford's Bounty." After some years the family moved to the High Hills where Richard lived the wild, free life of the pioneer, becoming an expert marksman and developing a splendid physique that made him a striking figure in any gathering. His mind was more active than his body. He devoured every book he could lay his hands on with the Holy Bible being the most available. On this he formed his style of convincing speech. An irresistible craving for knowledge made him a student throughout his life and he was essentially self-taught.
Becomes a Baptist
In 1770 a Baptist preacher, the Rev. Joseph Reese, came to the High Hills on an evangelistic mission. Of course, the 15-year-old Furman went to hear him although he had been reared in the established church, the Church of England. Little did Reese realize that he had won a convert destined to make South Carolina a Baptist state, that church having more communicants than all other churches combined. This disparity was due not only to his remarkable gift of eloquence, but to his vision and organizing genius. A fundamental doctrine of the Baptist church is the autonomy of each congregation. Furman subscribed to this so far as matters of faith were concerned, but he foresaw that little could be accomplished for missions and education without unity of purpose.
Since the separate churches prided themselves on their independence, the utmost tact and patience were needed to make them realize that organization was essential for practical results and that the associations and general conventions would not impair doctrinal independence.
One of his most deeply rooted beliefs was that if the people were properly informed, they could be depended on to do the right thing. It was this belief that inspired his untiring work for education.
It grieved the boy to leave the mother church, but he was compelled by his convictions. The powerful influence he exerted over others is shown by the fact that his mother and his sister followed him; however, his father did not, nor did his first wife, Elizabeth Haynsworth, nor Henry Haynsworth, his brother-in-law.
The pioneers were absorbed in conquering the wilderness, yet they spent their leisure hours in sports, hunting, fishing, gaming and cock fighting. They gave little thought to religion. Being no idle dreamer, Furman set about the task of rousing his neighbors to their duty. He even made trips to other sections. His father was rather annoyed by these expeditions, thinking that the stripling was more apt to run into trouble than to accomplish anything worthwhile. The father, however, did not forbid it. But the old gentleman was not endowed with the eloquence and persuasive powers of his son. So successful was the son in this work that he was called to the pastorate of the newly established High Hills Church, May 10, 1774, before he was 19 years old.
The Patriot
It was Furman's confidence in his fellowmen that moved them to go about teaching the people to defend their liberties. He profoundly believed in the justice of the American cause. He would thunder, "The man who forsakes his country in her hour of need cannot claim to love his God." He wrote an address appealing to the people of his section, which Gen. Richardson published in cooperation with the Rev. Oliver Hart of the First Baptist Church Charleston. Also, Furman visited sections in which Tories were in the majority. On one trip, the men whom they were to address planned to deliver them over to the British; but they made so clear the rights of the colonists, that their hearers were led "to suspect that they had been deceived in regard to their duties and interests, and finally openly declared that they would henceforth relinquish all opposition to the American Congress."
Young Furman volunteered to serve in the company commanded by his brother Capt. Joseph Furman. But Gov. John Rutledge, having heard of his services, urged him to go back and continue his work of enlisting the colonists, assuring him that he could thus serve his country better than by shouldering a musket. According to tradition, Lord Cornwallis stated, "I fear the tongue of that young preacher more than the armies of Sumter and Marion." Cornwallis initiated a plan to make an example of so notorious a rebel. This scheme forced Furman to go to Virginia, but did not stop him. While in Virginia, he continued to preach; Patrick Henry frequently went to hear him.
After the battle of King's Mountain, which Theodore Roosevelt, in "Winning of the West," identifies as the decisive battle of the war, he came home to a joyous welcome.
Religious Liberty
Belief in freedom of religion was in his blood. A century and a half before, his ancestor, John Furman, had come to Massachusetts seeking this "Pearl of great price." What more natural then than Furman's insistence on religious as well as civil liberty? Of course, there was no question of persecution or the right of the different faiths to hold their services unmolested. Such fanaticism never gained any foothold in South Carolina. But the "established church" was supported by taxation of all the people. When a new constitution was about to be adopted, "much uneasiness was excited among Christians not connected with the establishment by the fact that it was retained with all its wealth and power." The church property, valued at 380,000 pounds and the salaries of the clergy, came from the public treasury. The dissenters didn't think it fair to make them underwrite religion for a group amply able to take care of their own needs. Most of the wealth was in the (Church of England) at that time.
In the spring of 1776, before the Declaration of Independence was written, a meeting was called at the High Hills Church to which were invited representatives of the dissenting churches, of which there were 79 against while 20 parishes favored the established church. A petition to the Constitutional Assembly was drawn up and put into circulation.
Another meeting on Jan. 11, 1777, was well attended. The most prominent figure in attendance was Dr. Tennent, the great Presbyterian divine, who later died of fever at Gen. Richard Richardson's plantation. ... It doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes, however, to discover who was behind this entire congregation. There had been a great deal of talk, but the movement that got results was started at High Hills Church before Richard was quite 21. Always modest, Furman was content to stand aside and yield leadership to Tennent.
A petition signed by thousands against the Church of England was presented to the Assembly and to Gen. Gadsden, who warmly supported it. Tennent made a notable address, and a striking feature of this gathering proved to be a young Charles Pinckney who opposed the change, while Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, a conservative Federalist, favored the petition on the ground that such discrimination was not in harmony with the principles of liberty. Charles later altered his views completely and became one of the greatest American liberals, a colleague and warm friend of Jefferson. After an amendment to the resolution was voted down, 70 to 50, it was unanimously adopted. South Carolina exited from the aristocratic age-old institution known as the established church, the very idea of which in present-day America seemed preposterous.
The Young Pastor
Soon after his ordination by the Reverends Joseph Reese and Evan Pugh, Furman married Elizabeth, sister of Henry Haynsworth, who had previously married Richard's only sister, Sarah.
Sarah was her brother's confidant - almost his alter ego. Much of their correspondence has been preserved. Devoted love and respect for each other radiate from their letters. Sarah was named church clerk, a position which she held for more than a half century. During the 13 years her brother was pastor at High Hills, she was his right hand. After he went to Charleston, they kept in close touch with each other by correspondence and visits.
The record speaks of "a numerous congregation, comprehending the great majority of the serious and respectable residents within its limits," and further of "crowds hastening to the house of worship, which was frequently unable to contain the persons coming from a distance of fifteen, twenty or more miles. ... He was instrumental in gathering (establishing?) several churches between the Wateree and Pee Dee. ... He baptized a sufficient number to constitute a church on one occasion."
Reach Item archivist Sammy Way at waysammy@yahoo.com or (803) 774-1294.
Posted in Reflections on Sunday, April 22, 2012
Part 2: Furman's impact on religion, education grows
Part 2: Furman's impact on religion, education grows
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
Today's Reflections concludes the edited "account of (Dr. Richard Furman), one of America's eminent divines, based largely on a biography compiled in 1913 by Dr. Harvey T. Cook, Emeritus Professor of Greek at Furman University and a revered instructor."
Furman Goes
to Charleston
Dr. Richard Furman's reputation spread, and in 1785 the Church at Charleston called him; however, he was unwilling to leave High Hills. Nevertheless, in November 1787, after repeated calls he accepted, to the great grief of the whole High Hills community.
The young minister immediately won a prominent place in that conservative city. A letter from Gen. C.C. Pinckney in 1790 shows the impression he was making on the most prominent men of the community. The general wrote: "I cannot deny myself the satisfaction of informing you how much I was pleased and, I trust, edified by the excellent discourse delivered this morning. Religion is always venerable, always necessary; and when she is delineated with the beauty and eloquence she was today, we are enraptured with her portrait."
Excerpts from Dr. Brantley's funeral sermon will perhaps give an insight into his remarkable gifts: "The general character of his preaching was judicious, affectionate and instructive. But frequently he adopted a loftier strain, and yielding to the impulse of a feeling deeply tinged with the native grandeur of his sentiments, he appeared before his audience in all the power of a commanding rhetoric. ...
"His style, which was simple and clear, rose by a natural elevation with this subject, and was enriched with chaste and pertinent illustrations."
But behind this there was something even more powerful - his personality. Brantley speaks of "his engaging address, his manly face over which charity had kindled a melting glow; his spirit of unaffected good will towards his fellowmen." Again, "There was something in his manner that partook of divine eloquence. ... But that which imparted a charm to his whole life was the Divine unction which pervaded and sweetened all his superior endowments." Another witness said, "His delivery was animated, but never vociferous. It was his special aim, by exhibiting divine truth in its simplicity and importance, to enlighten the understanding."
1790 Constitutional Convention
So powerful was the impression made on the rock-ribbed Episcopal city of Charleston by this young Baptist minister that he, along with the Rev. Dr. Purcell of the Episcopal Church, was included in the delegation to the Constitutional Convention. A question arose in this convention that aroused the young liberal. A resolution was introduced barring ministers from membership in the Legislature. This he vigorously opposed, "not from a belief that in ordinary cases they should be chosen, or should be willing to serve, but that they were equally bound to contribute to the support and defense of the state." The eloquence and power of his speech was adroitly seized upon to weaken this position. The ordinary citizen was no match for such a member, and the majority would be at a disadvantage. This argumentum ad hominem ("a series of statements or a demonstration that leads to a logical conclusion") seems to have caught the fancy of the convention, and the resolution was adopted, over the opposition of such men as Chancelor DeSaussure. The resolution ignored the training and oratory of lawyers, with the result that lawyers have ever since dominated the Legislature.
Other evidence of the high consideration in which Furman was held is that the Society of the Revolution and the Cincinnati both invited him in 1800 to make the memorial address on the death of Washington, and again in 1804 on the death of Alexander Hamilton. When Lafayette came to Charleston in 1825 as the guest of the nation, Furman was again chosen to make an address.
Apostle of Education
It was as a founder of schools that Furman means the most to succeeding generations. As has been said, the principal tenet in his social creed was that his fellowman would do right if properly informed. He devoutly believed that education was necessary for the fullest enjoyment of liberty and the proper development of Christian life.
The marvel in this is the patient wisdom with which Furman handled this undertaking. Delay usually irks an energetic spirit. Beginning his work in 1790, he waited 25 years to start operations. He had two reasons for this: (1) He believed that sufficient funds should be gathered to ensure permanence; (2) he felt that the people must be won over to continue its support.
He therefore began by collecting funds to send promising young men to Rhode Island College (now Brown University) to be educated. This school is considered by many to be the First Baptist College founded in America in 1764. These in turn would go out as missionaries to convince the people of the necessity for education. Dr. Cook names 32 who were assisted. Finally in 1815 when the Triennial Convention had been organized in Philadelphia, he felt that the time was ripe.
According to Cassie Nicholes in "Historical Sketches of Sumter County," "Through his matchless courage and tireless energy Dr. Richard Furman was instrumental in founding at least eight colleges and seminaries. Among these is South Carolina's own Furman University begun in 1826 as Furman Institution with a classical department and a department for ministerial education. Though the name was changed in 1833 to 'The Furman Theological Institution' since only young preachers were admitted, some academic training was also necessary. An outgrowth of this institution is the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky."
A Picturesque Incident
On one of his convention trips, Furman stopped over in Washington, where he was introduced to James Monroe (best remembered as the author of the Monroe Doctrine, but at that time a member of the cabinet), as "Mr. Furman of Charleston." "Furman, Furman, of Charleston? May I inquire if you were once of the High Hills of Santee?"
"I am the same," said Dr. Furman.
Mr. Monroe then narrated to the company the Revolutionary incidents herein before told, and made an appointment for him to preach in the Hall of Congress which he hesitatingly accepted. The account continues: "He had great liberty, and riveted the attention of the audience not only by his commanding eloquence, but by the spirit of power, sent down from above. The earnestness and plainness with which he rebuked the nobles and rulers (sic) were enough like Nehemiah and the first Baptist to startle his time serving, conscience-stricken hearers." (A bit pungent that!) "He paused for an instant at the end of his speech, and, while all was still as the grave, uttered with the utmost effort of his clear, stentorian voice, 'and now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized.' At the word 'arise' not a few of his august but electrified audience did rise from their seats as if alarmed at their sinful sluggishness.
"Such a plain, unvarnished tale" did a correspondent write to "The Christian Secretary." This incident not only came down by tradition, but it appears in Dr. Cook's Biography and in Colyer Meriwether's "History of Higher Education in South Carolina" written for and filed in the Bureau of Education in Washington.
Other Interesting Items
Furman's first degree was an M.A. from Rhode Island College. In a letter to his mother, dated Oct. 9, 1792, he announces this honor modestly as "a good natured mistake." In 1800 the same college conferred the degree of D.D. A few years later South Carolina College conferred a doctorate. He is credited with securing Dr. Jonathan Maxcy as the first president of the school.
In 1814 he visited Esopus and preached in the Dutch Reformed Church to which a great portion of his mother's people belonged.
There was no narrowness in Dr. Furman. His relations with other churches were most cordial. In a letter to his sister, Sarah, Sept. 18, 1795, he tells of being invited by Mr. Ellington, Rector at Savannah, to preach in the Episcopal Church. This was almost an unheard of thing in that day. It is only in recent years that the law banning from the pulpit preachers not of the "apostolic succession" has been relaxed. His reputation had evidently preceded him, for though it was raining, some 500 people crowded the church to hear him.
Another notable instance of this cordial relation can be found in his interview with Col. Robert Barnwell. This distinguished gentleman, an Episcopalian, had come up from Beaufort to Charleston to consult a Baptist Minister "respecting his Christian assurances." Barnwell was reassured and on his departure paid a glowing tribute to his great counselor. Gen. Pinckney was his devoted friend throughout his life, preceding him to the grave by eight days. A formal invitation to the general's funeral is still preserved.
In 1825 the greatest Baptist minister since Roger Williams went to his reward. As the long funeral procession marched, six abreast, the bells of St. Michael's were tolled.
He was great as a pulpit orator, a founder of churches, and organizer of denominational work, a believer in his fellowmen; he was great in character and intellect, in personal charm and magnetism, in wisdom and tact, in tireless effort to lead men into a better life; but he was greatest of all in his patient work in founding great educational institutions ever growing into the finest monuments that the heart of man could desire.
Reach Item archivist Sammy Way at waysammy@yahoo.com or (803) 774-1294.
Posted in Reflections on Sunday, April 29, 2012 [9, 14, 15, 16] |
1755 - 1825 (69 years)
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