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HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COLLEGE BY HON. JOHN C. PATTERSON, 1883
HISTORY OF HILLSDALE COLLEGE
BY HON. JOHN C. PATTERSON
Read June 13, 1883
Hillsdale College was founded by the Free-Will Baptist denomination. It was first located at Spring Arbor, in Jackson county, Michigan, under the corporate name of Michigan Central College, and was afterwards removed, or, more accurately speaking, abandoned at Spring Arbor, and re-established at Hillsdale. Michigan Central College and Hillsdale College, although having different corporate names, different locations and different charters, were owned, controlled and conducted by the same denomination, managers, and faculty, had the same patrons, and were, in fact, one institution. The history of Michigan Central College is the early history of Hillsdale College.
DENOMINATIONAL
In the year 1778, Benjamin Randall was pastor of a Baptist church at New Durham, in the State of New Hampshire. Randall had been converted under the inspired preaching of George Whitfield, and was fired by the same religious zeal. It was observed however that he did not preach the stern Calvinistic doctrines then entertained by his denomination. When asked why he did not preach the doctrines of predestination, etc., he replied, "Because I do not believe them. " He was accused of heresy, tried before and ecclesiastical tribunal, found unsound in doctrine, and disfellowshiped in 1779. Although adjudged guilty of heresy, Randall continued to preach the gospel as he understood it, and on the 30th day of June, 1780, he organized the first Free-will Baptist church, consisting of seven members, and laid the foundation for the denomination at New Durham, New Hampshire.
EARLY MICHIGAN
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