Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/174

 132 THE HISTORY OF BAERINGTON. Mr. Myles continued his labors among this people for three years or a little more after his return, and died Feb. 3d, 1682-3, between sixty and seventy years of age and in the thirty-eighth year of his ministry. The record of his death is, " Mr. John Myles, pastour of the church of Swan- sea, deceased February the third, 1682, William Ingra- ham, Town Clerk of Swansea." He was a man of good tal- ents and education, with unusual energy of character. He was liberal in his religious opinions, but not loose; he was an apostle and not a proselyte. His sacrifices for con- science's sake testify to his firm adherence to truth, and his interest in civil society is evinced by the labors which he undertook for its prosperous advancement. His burial place is supposed to be with many of his people, near his home and place of preaching, at Tyler's Point, Barrington. Silence alone marks the resting place of this pioneer and founder of Swansea and of a larger religious freqdom, through the first Baptist Church within the bounds of the present common- wealth of Massachusetts. Cotton Mather mentions Rev. John Myles as "among those who deserve to live in our Book for their piety, as having a respectful character in these churches of this wilderness." Hutchinson says, " I have seen a letter dated not many years after this time (1665), from Mr. Myles, a Baptist min- ister of Swansea, to one of the Congregational ministers of Boston, which breathes the true spirit of the Gospel, and urges Christian concord, charity and love, although they did not agree at every point." The name of his wife was Ann Humphrey ; John, Susannah and Samuel, were their children. John, Jr., probably lived and died in Swansea. He was town clerk for many years, Samuel was at college at Cambridge in 1682, graduated in 1684 ; taught school in Charlestown 1684-5 ; went to England, received A. M. at Oxford ; took Episcopal orders, settled as minister of King's Chapel, Boston, in 1689; and died in 1728. Of their descent, Daniel and three brothers served in the patriot army in the Revolution, and Daniel, with his great