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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01105 5495
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PRESENT CHURCH EDIFICE, Dedicated April 23, 1856.
Centennial Memorial 0
-OF THE-
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
-OF-
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,
March 23d and 24th, 1890.
HARTFORD: PRESS OF CHRISTIAN SECRETARY. 1890.
1
" The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers." I Kings viii. 57.
1231194
PREFACE.
-
THIS memorial volume was prepared under the direc- tion of the Centennial Committee of the church. It is intended partly to be a souvenir of the very pleasant centennial celebration, and partly to present in perma- nent form, for the friends of the church, some of the more important and more interesting elements of the first hundred years of its history.
The addresses of Messrs. Howard, Stone, Bronson, Wheeler, Dimock and Barbour, delivered at the celebra- tion without notes, were stenographically reported, and are given here substantially as they were spoken, with slight revision at the hands of the several speakers. The other addresses are reproduced from the manuscripts of the authors. The historical sermon of Dr. Sage was prepared without opportunity for any verification of facts by reference to records. The doctor's memory, however, seems to have served him accurately and well. It need scarcely be added that each speaker is himself responsible for his own words, and shares that responsibility neither with the committee or the church.
The Historical Sketch, down to the close of Mr. Eaton's pastorate, is largely an abridgment of Dr. Turn- bull's Memorial Discourse, delivered in the spring of 1856. Important additions, however, have been made from other sources. The biographical sketch of Mr. Grew, the second pastor, was kindly furnished by his honored daughter, Miss Mary Grew, of Philadelphia ; that of Mr. Grosvenor, the third pastor, by Mr. Cyrus P. Grosvenor of Worcester, Massachusetts. The sketches
Goodspeed
20 /1 8 1
4
PREFACE.
of Dr. Sears, Dr. Jackson and Mr. Eaton, have been considerably enlarged. Whatever relates to the last forty-five years was prepared especially for this volume. The official records of the church, supplemented by files of many sorts of documents and the testimony of many living witnesses, constitute the sources for this material. Important information has been given especially by Miss Maria L. Savage, Mrs. Maria F. Chapman and Miss Mary Page, all of whom were baptized by Dr. Jackson in 1838. The Roll of Membership as given is supposed to be substantially correct down to August Ist, 1890, with all losses after January Ist, 1890, noted at the close.
The electrotypes of the first and second church edifices are used by permission of Elihu Geer's Sons of Hartford. The portraits presented include several living members of the church who have been in its fellowship more than forty years. All of them delivered addresses at the centen- nial celebration, and are prominently known outside the church. Their portraits are inserted by the direction of the majority of the committee, without consultation with the gentlemen themselves, and in almost every case without their knowledge. If in opening the book any of them should be surprised to see their own faces, a legion of friends, within and without the church, who have ever associated their names with the most import- ant period of its history, will be more than pleased to see these faces thus connected with the church they so much loved and handed down with this memorial long after they shall have passed away.
Hartford, August 1st, 1890.
Contents.
PAGE.
PREFACE, 1 -
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3
CONSTITUENT MEMBERS, -
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8
INTRODUCTION, -
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9
ORDER OF EXERCISES, -
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- I2
MR. HOWARD'S ADDRESS, -
2I
MR. DAVIS' ADDRESS, -
- 27
DR. SAGE'S SERMON,
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- 35
DR. STONE'S ADDRESS, -
- 59
MR. THOMPSON'S ADDRESS, - -
- 65
MR. BRONSON'S ADDRESS, -
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- 70
MR. WHEELER'S ADDRESS,
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- 78
MR. DIMOCK'S ADDRESS,
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91
MR. BARBOUR'S ADDRESS,
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- 94
DR. ROBINS' ADDRESS, I
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- 105
REMINISCENCES OF DR. TURNBULL, -
- I18
MR. BATTERSON'S ADDRESS, -
- 127
MR. TWICHELL'S ADDRESS, -
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- I39
DR. KING'S HYMN, -
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- 146
MR. JAMES' ADDRESS, -
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- I47
DR. CRANE'S LETTER, -
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164
LETTERS OF REGRET AND CONGRATULATION, - 169
PASTORS OF THE CHURCH, -
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180
HISTORICAL SKETCH,
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181
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
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DEACONS AND CLERKS OF THE CHURCH,
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241
PRESENT OFFICERS,
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242
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ROLL OF MEMBERSHIP,
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Index of Illustrations.
PRESENT CHURCH EDIFICE, EXTERIOR, - Frontispiece.
CENTENNIAL INVITATION, - -
- Opposite page 8
PORTRAIT OF JAMES L. HOWARD, -
2I
PORTRAIT OF GUSTAVUS F. DAVIS,
66 27
PORTRAIT OF DR. DAVIS, - -
30
PORTRAIT OF DR. SAGE, - - -
66 34
PORTRAIT OF WILLIS S. BRONSON, -
71
PORTRAIT OF JOSEPH W. DIMOCK, -
91
PORTRAIT OF DR. TURNBULL, - -
II8
PORTRAIT OF JAMES G. BATTERSON, -
66 127
PORTRAIT OF THE PASTOR, -
147
THE PRESENT CHURCH EDIFICE, IN- TERIOR,
66
166
GROUP OF EARLY PASTORS, -
180
THE FIRST CHURCH EDIFICE, -
. .
66 185
THE SECOND CHURCH EDIFICE, -
66
199
PLAN OF THE PRESENT CHURCH EDI-
FICE, - 1 -
66
2II
PORTRAITS OF MRS. FOWLER AND MRS. EATON, - - - -
216
GROUP OF EARLY OFFICERS,
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240
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8
THE CONSTITUENT MEMBERS OF THIS CHURCH.
SAMUEL BECKWITH, Mrs. BECKWITH,
JOHN BOLLES, Mrs. LYDIA BOLLES,
LUTHER SAVAGE,
Mrs. JERUSHA SAVAGE,
SAMUEL FOWLER, Mrs. GRACE FOWLER,
Mrs. SARAH FOWLER,
THEODORE OLCOTT,
Mrs. MARGARET OLCOTT,
EBENEZER MOORE, REUBEN JUDD, PRUDENCE LOOMIS, EUNICE ALFORD, Mrs. MARY MERROW.
1890
1190.
The First Baptist Church of Hartford, Connecticut, Pond's Greeting You are cordially invited to be present at the Celebration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Organization of this Church. The Contennial Exercises will be held Sunday, March 23rd and Monday, March 24 th 1890. Kindly send your acceptance of this invitation to the Committee as early as convenient. Mm. A. Eving: Cher. J. d. James, Pastor. 6.9. Hunyan, Block. Silas Chapman Ir. Geo. J.Olltley . Committee on Invitations
INTRODUCTION. 86-
THE church adopted a resolution, January 5, 1890, authorizing the celebration of its First Centennial and the appointment of proper committees of arrangement, as follows :-
The Hon. JAMES L. HOWARD, Chairman.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH .- The Rev. J. S. James, pastor; C. G. Munyan, clerk; G. F. Davis, J. G. Batter- son, J. W. Dimock, M. M. Johnson, M. D.
INVITATIONS AND PRINTING .- William A. Erving, Silas Chapman, Jr., George T. Utley.
ENTERTAINMENT .- W. S. Bronson, R. P. Chapman, A. J. Pruden, Mrs. Isaac Glazier, Miss Harriet I. Eaton, Mrs. E. B. Bennett, Mrs. Silas Chapman, Jr., Mrs. C. M. Holbrook, Mrs. Edward Habenstein.
MUSIC .- C. O. Spencer, Ludlow Barker, Herman L. Bolles, H. H. Saunders.
DECORATION .- The Young People's Association.
FINANCE .- William B. Clark, C. O. Spencer, W. O. Carpenter, William C. Bolles, Silas Chapman, Jr., Dwight Chapman.
ORDER OF EXERCISES .- The Rev. J. S. James, the Rev. Albert Guy, M. M. Johnson, M. D.
2
10
INTRODUCTION.
The several committees carefully perfected all details of arrangement. A program was prepared, and invita- tions to the celebration sent to all members of the church whose address the committee found it possible to secure, and also to the clergy of the city of all denominations, and to the Baptist ministers of the state.
The large auditorium of the church was filled at each of the four public meetings. In addition to the seating accommodation afforded by the ordinary pews, some three hundred chairs were arranged in the aisles and on the platform to meet the extra demand. The speakers appointed were all present but Dr. Robins and Mr. Jerome, both of whom were detained away by ill health. The paper of the former was read, and the Rev. Dr. George M. Stone gave the reminiscences of Dr. Turnbull.
The South, the Asylum Avenue and the Memorial Baptist Churches of Hartford suspended their Sunday meetings in whole or in part, and joined with the mother church in the happy celebration. At the Sunday School Mass Meeting the whole body of the auditorium was oc- cupied by the members of the several schools and their missions. Fully fifteen hundred persons were present.
The Scripture reading was from a copy of an English Bible, published in 1599, and brought over to America in 1698 by an ancestor of some of the members of the church.
Mr. Herman L. Bolles, the organist, was a great- grandson of the first deacon, Mr. John Bolles.
The floral decoration of evergreen and potted plants and flowers were in the best of taste. Around the walls of the vestry and the spacious vestibule were hung paint-
11
INTRODUCTION.
ings, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, photographs or en- gravings of every pastor of the church and of almost every deacon and clerk.
At the social reception, Monday afternoon, a former pastor, the Rev. Dr. Sage, and his good wife, stood by the side of the present pastor and his wife, in the vestry, to greet the hundreds of friends who gathered to renew the happy associations of the past. These friends came from near and far, some from the far West. From others letters and telegrams were received expressing regrets and offering congratulations.
The two succeeding Thursday evening meetings were devoted to reading the letters of regret and congratula- tion.
Everything combined to make the celebration excep- tionally pleasant. The preparation was complete, the music delightful, the addresses full of interest, the at- tendance up to the full capacity of the house, the work of the ushers prompt and efficient, the work of the ladies even more than could have been anticipated, and the weather a surprise of sunshine.
*ORDER OF EXERCISES.
Sunday Morning, March 23d, at 10.45 o'clock.
ORGAN VOLUNTARY .- Doxology.
INVOCATION,
THE REV. ALBERT GUY.
ANTHEM .- " Oh Sing unto the Lord," Dudley Buck. CHOIR.
SCRIPTURE READING,
THE REV. H. M. THOMPSON.
PRAYER,
THE REV. THOMAS S. BARBOUR.
HYMN,
THE CONGREGATION JOINING. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word ; What more can he say than to you he hath said, To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled ?
Fear not, I am with thee ; O be not dismayed ! I, I am thy God and will still give thee aid ; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
13
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I will not desert to his foes ; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake.
George Keith, 1787.
OPENING ADDRESS,
THE HON. JAMES L. HOWARD.
REMINISCENCES,
DEACON GUSTAVUS F. DAVIS.
MUSIC,
CHOIR.
HISTORICAL SERMON,
THE REV. A. J. SAGE, D. D.
HYMN,
THE CONGREGATION JOINING. All hail the power of Jesus' name, Let angels prostrate fall ; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him Lord of all.
Let every kindred, every tribe, On this terrestrial ball, To him all majesty ascribe, And crown him Lord of all.
O, that with yonder sacred throng, We at his feet may fall ; We'll join the everlasting song, And crown him Lord of all.
Edward Perronet, 1780.
BENEDICTION.
14
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
Sunday Afternoon, at 3 o'clock .- Sunday School Mass Meeting. ORGAN VOLUNTARY.
PROCESSIONAL,
Onward Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe ; Forward into battle, See his banner go.
REFRAIN-Onward Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus, Going on before.
Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane, But the church of Jesus Constant will remain ; Gates of hell can never
'Gainst that church prevail ; We have Christ's own promise, And that cannot fail.
Onward, then, ye faithful, Join our happy throng, Blend with our's your voices In the triumph-song ; Glory, laud and honor,
Unto Christ the King ; This through countless ages, Men and angels sing.
S. Baring-Gould, 1865.
PRAYER,
By Superintendent GEORGE T. UTLEY.
15
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
MUSIC,
CHOIR AND SCHOOL.
ADDRESS .- " Child Life,"
THE REV. GEORGE M. STONE, D. D., Pastor of the Asylum Avenue Baptist Church.
ADDRESS .- " Those Little Ones that Believe on Me," THE REV. H. M. THOMPSON, Pastor of the Memorial Baptist Church. TENOR SOLO AND CHORUS .- "Sanctus," Gounod.
ADDRESS,
THE HON. WILLIS S. BRONSON, Superintendent of our School for Twenty-Five years.
ADDRESS .- " Planted in the Courts of the Lord," THE REV. J. KITTREDGE WHEELER, Pastor of the South Baptist Church.
MUSIC,
CHOIR AND SCHOOL.
BENEDICTION.
Sunday Evening, at 7.30 o'clock.
ORGAN VOLUNTARY.
CHANT,
CHOIR. Wilson.
PRAYER,
THE REV. A. J. SAGE, D. D.
REMINISCENCES,
MR. JOSEPH W. DIMOCK, Senior Member of the Church.
ADDRESS,
THE REV. THOMAS S. BARBOUR, FALL RIVER, MASS.
16
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
HYMN,
THE CONGREGATION JOINING. I love thy kingdom, Lord, The house of thine abode, The church our blest Redeemer saved With his own precious blood.
I love thy church, O God, Her walls before thee stand, Dear as the apple of thine eye, And graven on thy hand.
For her my tears shall fall, For her my prayers ascend ; To her my cares and toils be given, Till toils and cares shall end. Timothy Dwight, 1800. ADDRESS AND REMINISCENCES,
THE REV. HENRY E. ROBINS, D. D., Professor in the Rochester Theological Seminary.
REMINISCENCES OF THE REV. ROBT. TURNBULL, D. D., THE REV. EDWARD M. JEROME, New Haven.
HYMN,
THE CONGREGATION JOINING.
Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God ; He whose word can ne'er be broken, Formed thee for his own abode.
Lord, thy church is still thy dwelling, Still is precious in thy sight ; Judah's temple far excelling, Beaming with the Gospel's light.
On the Rock of Ages founded, What can shake her sure repose ? With salvation's wall surrounded, She can smile at all her foes.
John Newton, 1779.
BENEDICTION.
17
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
Monday afternoon, March 24th, from 3 to 6 o'clock. Social Reception and Reunion of Members and Friends of the Church, past and present.
Monday Evening, at 7.30 o'clock.
ORGAN VOLUNTARY.
ANTHEM .- " Judge Me, Oh God," Mendelssohn. CHOIR.
PRAYER,
THE REV. J. V. GARTON, Meriden.
HYMN,
THE CONGREGATION JOINING.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee ;
Let the water and the blood, From thy side a healing flood,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling ;
Naked, come to thee for dress ;
Helpless, look to thee for grace ;
Foul, I to thy fountain fly, Wash me Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyelids close in death, When I rise to worlds unknown, See thee on thy judgment throne : Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee.
A. M. Toplady, 1776.
18
ORDER OF EXERCISES.
ADDRESS,
THE HON JAMES G. BATTERSON.
TENOR SOLO .- " Abide With Me,"
MR. HUBERT MARCKLEIN. Shelley.
ADDRESS,
THE REV. JOSEPH H. TWICHELL, Pastor of the Asylum Avenue Congregational Church.
MALE QUARTETTE .- " Lead Kindly Light," Dudley Buck.
ADDRESS .- " The Future's Debt to the Past," THE REV. J. S. JAMES, Pastor.
CHORUS,
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind ? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And days of auld lang syne ?
We two have run about the slopes And pulled the daisies fine ; But we've wandered many a weary foot Since auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the brook, From morning sun till noon ; But seas between us broad have roared Since auld lang syne.
And here's a hand my trusty friend, And give a hand of thine ; And we'll take a right good hearty shake For auld lang syne.
BENEDICTION,
THE REV. FLOYD W. TOMKINS, JR., Rector of Christ Church, Hartford.
SUNDAY MORNING.
JAMES L. HOWARD.
OPENING ADDRESS
BY THE
HON. JAMES L. HOWARD.
It is my privilege as chairman to open these services, and I find myself somewhat affected as I look around on this congregation, and recognize so many of the old members, children of the church, many of whom have come long distances to be with us to-day.
I recognize here members of our sister churches in the city; those who are children and grand-children of this old church. We welcome you all home. Never was a mother more glad to see her children than we are to receive and recognize you to-day.
It is my privilege to declare closed the first, and to open the second, century of our history. How much has occurred within one hundred years! How much have we seen in this country in these hundred years of marvellous growth! Hartford had 3,500 inhabitants when that little band of sixteen organized this church. Our country had four millions of inhabitants at that time! Our Baptist churches in this country numbered sixty or seventy, all told, with perhaps 10,000 church members! How different now, with a population in our city of 50,000, in our country of 60,000,000, with
22
OPENING ADDRESS
Baptist churches scattered all over this land, to the number of 33,000, with a membership of over three millions ! How changed the conditions in which we live to-day! When, on March 23d, 1790, that little band of seven brothers and nine sisters met in Luther Sav- age's house (where now stands Mr. Silas Chapman's house), and consulted with reference to the formation of a Baptist church, how little did they realize that the day which we see ยท would come !- as little as we can realize that which is before us! How little they foresaw that, starting from the day they sat there, with many prayers and many tears; there should be united with this church, and the churches springing from it, five thousand members, nearly four thousand of whom were baptized on the profession of their personal faith !- and that the united membership of these churches in the city of Hartford to-day would reach 1600! How little they could have looked forward to that !
I am not going to preach a sermon-that is not in my line-but I want to say that when the right ought to be done we should do that right, without reference to the amount of help we can have, but do our duty as we see it and the Lord will give us strength and prosperity in its performance. I think that is the lesson that is taught us by that little band who founded this church. Among those sixteen persons was the first deacon, John Bolles, and no speech will be perfect without reference to him, any more than any Baptist speech, on any public occasion, would be complete without reference to Roger Williams. John Bolles was the apostle of the church. He was a brother beloved like the apostle John of old. There
23
BY THE HON. JAMES L. HOWARD.
were also other good men connected with the church, the Robins' and others, men of deep piety, earnest faith, strong principle; all of whom by their noble example made an impress upon this church which has not been lost. This church has had too, a strong array of talent in its ministry, beginning with Brother Nelson, a very remarkable man, whose face I hope you will all look at as it hangs in the photograph frame in the vestry of the church. He was a strong man, greatly beloved and greatly blessed. And in connection with him I want to mention a very pleasant fact; that notwithsanding Bap- tists in those days were looked upon with distrust, there were men of broader minds than to distrust them, among them Rev. Dr. Strong, pastor of the First Church of this city, who was a firm friend of Mr. Nelson all his way through.
In those days, and in the days since then, too, our women have had a marked influence upon the character of this church. We must know the mothers in order to know the children. In this church it has ever been the case that the women have had a strong and abiding influence, a state of things that has not gone by yet. Among those whom it was my pleasure to know was Mrs. Sarah Fowler. You have heard to-day a selection read from the Bible that was brought from England in 1698 by her grandfather (or great-grandfather, I am not sure which) nearly two hundred years ago. Her father and mother were also constituent members of the church. Mrs. Fowler was a person of rare character; small of stature, but strong in mind; possessing and retaining her faculties to the very last day of her life. It was my
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OPENING ADDRESS
pleasure to wait upon her at the time of the dedica- tion of this house; sitting with her during the services. Being curious to know what impression the surroundings would make upon her mind of simple character, I asked her, after leaving the house, how she was pleased with what she had seen; "Oh," said she, "it was very beautiful; I am glad I have lived to see this day." She was very fond of the Bible-read it through and through -and I well remember her saying to me once, " James, if you would understand the Bible you must not only read it from Genesis to Revelation, but you must read it from Revelation to Genesis, and then you will under- stand the spirit and the scope of it." She was not with- out a little humor, even in her old age. I recollect that upon one occasion I visited at her house with her son, who was as white-haired as myself now. We found her sewing, at ninety-five years of age; her son was disposed to reprove her a little, and said, "Mother, I think it is about time you stopped sewing." Said she, " Charles,
if we don't sow, we shan't reap!" I recollect upon another occasion, when she lay upon her bed during her last sickness, another son, a dignified gentleman, came to see his mother. In a room adjoining the bedroom, I said, "Uncle Jerry, I want you to come home and dine with me this noon," but a voice spoke up from the bedroom, "Jerry, you'll stay here!" Jerry turned to me and said, "I can't go; I always have to mind my mother!" I had the pleasure of waiting upon her to this house on one other occasion; it was the Sabbath of Dec. 5, 1858; in the same pew with her sat her daugh- ter, her grand-daughter and her great-grand-daughter;
25
BY THE HON. JAMES L. HOWARD.
four generations represented in that one pew upon that occasion, and a very delightful season it was to her.
I remember others, too, of the women of this church, whom we greatly honored. There was Mrs. Robins, Mrs. Canfield, Mrs. James G. Bolles, Mrs. Gilbert, and others, whose voices occasionally were heard in our meetings, and to whom we gave the greatest attention, for they always addressed the church in a very tender, loving, and devoted way. Then in our pastors' wives we were blessed. There was Mrs. Davis, whom I re- member when I first came to Hartford, mother of my brother G. F. Davis. Her influence in the house, and as co-worker with her husband was marked. Then there was Mrs. Eaton, whom many of us remember as coming here first as the bride of our then young pastor, and working with us for five years as his aid. She was one indeed with us, she seemed married to the church, and her influence and her spirit were felt by us all; so much so that when the years had passed away, and Brother Eaton had been laid away in the grave, the church invi- ted her to return to us as assistant of the pastor. She came in 1871, and remained in the service of the church until 1879, a blessing to all who came in contact with her, a blessing especially to the poor. Her religious influence, with her strong character and her earnest faith, has been felt by us all. I thought I would men- tion these sisters, for the thoughts of others may run in other channels.
I have in my hand a letter written in England in 1698, from some unspeakable place in Devonshire. It was given to a brother who had left home on account of 3
26
OPENING ADDRESS.
some little personal unpleasantness, such as would oc- cur in England occasionally in those times of war. He brought it with him that he might find a home among the Baptist churches in America. This letter simply shows that there was a connection at that time between churches of the Baptist faith in England and in this country. I mention it to show you that in the veins of some of the fathers of this church was the blood of those who believed, and who stood by their faith.
(I now have the pleasure of introducing to you my friend, Deacon Davis of this church.)
GUSTAVUS F. DAVIS.
ADDRESS
OF
DEACON GUSTAVUS F. DAVIS.
The First Baptist Church in Hartford was constituted on the 23d day of March, 1790, under advice of council. John Bolles was the first deacon, and is regarded as the father of the Baptist cause in this place.
It was not until about eight years later that the first meeting-house was built on the corner of Temple and Market Streets, where it still remains.
It is also worthy of notice as the place in which the first sessions of Washington (now Trinity) College were held.
The first pastor was the Rev. Stephen Smith Nelson, an alumnus of Rhode Island College (now Brown University). He was called to supply the pulpit in 1796, ordained in 1798, and continued in charge until 1801. He married the daughter of Deacon Ephraim Robins, and was said to be the first educated Baptist minister in the state.
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