y, early
attracted a considerable number of Baptists from New England, England and
Wales. About 1684 a Baptist church was founded at Cold Spring, Bucks
county, Pa., through the efforts of Thomas Dungan, an Irish Baptist
minister who had spent some time in Rhode Island. The Pennepek church was
formed in 1688 through the labours of Elias Keach, son of Benjamin Keach
(1640-1704), the famous English evangelist. Services were held in
Philadelphia under the auspices of the Pennepek church from 1687 onward,
but independent organization did not occur till 1698. Several Keithian
Quakers united with the church, which ultimately became possessed of the
Keithian meeting-house. Almost from the beginning general meetings had been
held by the churches of these colonies. In 1707 the Philadelphia
Association was formed as a delegated body "to consult about such things as
were wanting in the churches and to set them in order." From its inception
this body proved highly influential in promoting Baptist co-operation in
missionary and educational work, in efforts to supply the churches with
suitable ministers and to silence unworthy ones, and in maintaining sound
doctrine. Sabbatarianism appeared within the bounds of the association at
an early date and Seventh-day Baptist churches were formed (1705 onward).

The decades preceding the "Great Awakening" of 1740-1743 were a time of
religious declension. A Socinianized Arminianism had paralysed evangelistic
effort. The First Church, Providence, had long since become Arminian and
held aloof from the evangelism of Edwards, Whitefield and their coadjutors.
The First Church, Boston, had become Socinianized and discountenanced the
revival. The First Church, Newport, had been rent asunder by Arminianism,
and the nominally Calvinistic remnant had itself become divided on the
question of the laying on of hands and showed no sympathy with the Great
Awakening. The First Church, Charleston, had been wrecked by Socinianism.
The General (Six Principles) Baptists of Rhode Island and [v.03 p.0376]
Connecticut had increased their congregations and membership, and before
the beginning of the 18th century had inaugurated annual associational
meetings. But the fact that the Great Awakening in America was conducted on
Calvinistic principles was sufficient to prevent their hearty co-operation.
The churches of the Philadelphia Association were organized and engaged to
some extent in missionary endeavour, but they sho