USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Chester > For two hundred years the same, an intimate and revealing account of the beginning and growth of the town of Chester, Connecticut, and the Protestant churches therein > Part 5
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Some years before the legislature removed the penalty for non- church attendance, we find mention of the Chester church chastizing its members. In February, 1812, a meeting was held at the pastor's house to consider the case of a physician of the parish. Those attend- ing impatiently suffered the preliminaries of prayer, psalm singing, and scripture reading. Then they turned expectantly, to the com- mittee which had investigated the case. This group of stern men reported that they had conferred with the guilty person "respecting his neglect of Duty, neglect of the Lord's supper-and his speaking disrespectfully of the church in General-& that they had got no satisfaction from him." Although the discussion of his case was heated, it accomplished little.
While no record was made of the disposition of the matter of the physician, in the next fifteen years the more righteous of the parish displayed the greatest zeal in persecuting the sinners of the congregation. Church members were called before the meeting to answer charges such as "habitual neglect of summer worship in this place, and missing communion of the Lord's supper." The favorite method of dealing with these sinners was to appoint a committee to "convene" with the offenders and to suspend them from attending communion for several months. If the convening committee was un- successful in bringing a sense of guilt to the minds of those with
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whom they labored, they reported back to the meeting, and often a new committee was appointed. Usually, however, the offending members were so impressed with their sins that they appeared before the meeting, made written confession and recantation, were admonished publicly by the pastor, and taken back into the fold. A few more independent or stubborn souls, however, refused to admit their guilt when they came before the meeting, insisting that they be allowed to explain their conduct. The church demanded re- cantation, not explanation, and in most instances refused to hear the case. One obdurate couple turned a deaf ear to all committees for several years because of a fellow church member, saying only that "they could not Fellowship [with] him nor [in] the Church Inasmuch as the Church do not Join with them in incriminating the said Brother."
When members proved too stubborn to recant, the church sus- pended them. At first the suspensions were for several months, but if this chastisement had no effect, excommunication followed. Since this usually meant ostracism from one's neighbors, the proceeding generally was effective. The guilty, parties would request permission to appear before the meeting, exhibiting the necessary attitude of penitence and humility, and presenting a written confession of their sins "with their names signed to it." Several of those excommuni- cated left town, however. One man moved to Ohio, and six years later sent back his written confession of sin, asking to be restored to the church. As he had married during this period, perhaps his wife may be credited with achieving what all the committees appointed by the Chester meeting had been unable to perform.
By 1819 the Fourth Parish of Saybrook numbered 115 families. 77 of these were Congregational, 31 Baptist. In this population there were to be found righteous folk and some who gave the others . cause for concern. By 1823 the Congregationalists were appointing committees to inquire and make reports on "some instances of Immoralities." Intemperance, profanity, speaking lightly or con- temptuously, of religion, not presenting children for baptism-all these were reported by the committees which were appointed at the monthly meetings of the church held for that purpose. Either these committees were successful in their efforts, or the people thought they had better mend their ways, for by August, 1827, there is recorded a church meeting which reported "great unanimity" of feeling in the parish.
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With affairs in the Fourth Parish in a healthy state, the church turned its attention to neighboring towns. A committee was appointed to join with a like committee from Hadlyme to visit families in both parishes to "converse with all persons on the interest of their souls." This committee reported "an interested state of feeling on the sub- ject of religion in both Societies". They were "generally received with cordiality & more, though pained in some instances with the stupidity, & hardness with which they met .. . " They stirred up such feeling, however, that on the following Sabbath no sermon was preached at the afternoon service, "the whole time being requisite for the admission of members & for the Communion service." Twenty-three persons were admitted at one service; a like number at another. Now all the ardent and righteous folk could sit back and rejoice.
The rejoicing did not last long, however, for within a year a committee was appointed to confer with delinquent members. The church voted that it "ought to proceed to discipline for breeches of the fourth commandment." A year later other committees were re- porting people for breaking the seventh commandment. The revival of these inquisitive committees threw some of the more timid people into much soul-searching. One woman voluntarily appeared and admitted violating the seventh commandment. She was "restored to grace" by the church which, if she had kept quiet, would perhaps never have known she had fallen from that estate. A man asked to be dismissed from the church "as he did not feel himself worthy to walk with it." The church sternly replied "Excommunication or death alone dissolve this relation" and denied his request, though they appointed a committee to labor with him.
Both Baptist and Congregational churches distributed tracts to their members and staged revivals. The Congregational church maintained a standing committee to visit parish members "with a view to edification ; and to attend to any cases of delinquency which might exist." This committee brought up cases of people not attend- ing church for two years, intemperance in addition to non-attendance, slander, illegal receipt of pensions, and general delinquency. One woman was suspended for a year because "her conduct has brought a scandal & disgrace upon the Church." Excommunications became frequent, neighbor turned against neighbor, father against son. One of the oldest, more ardent church members and his wife were found delinquent, and this matter, failing of settlement among the parish
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members, was taken to the state association. The result of this cru- sading spirit was that some families moved out of town, while many members were forgiven and received back into the favor of the church.
One courageous person appeared before the meeting, confessed the sin of which he was accused, and then turned the finger on the righteous committee and smug faced congregation by specifically pointing out to them how their united conduct had forced him to err. Consternation and meetings followed. There were excited huddles whenever men met at the mill, at the smithy, or in the fields. Eventually the intrepid one was called to face the church again. Proudly but alone he stood before the assembled group. Everyone in town was there, Congregational, Baptist, or nothing at all, whether or not he had a vote. Slowly, the chairman of the committee arose and gravely said that the church acknowledged its guilt, but-and all eyes turned to that lone figure standing before them-either he must make written confession of his guilt, be admonished by the church and pastor, or they would excommunicate him. Bravely the offender looked around at the weathered faces. Eyes dropped before his glance. No one stirred until he turned again to the committee, bowed low, and walked out of the meeting and out of town.
Many others were walking out of town, too. While we cannot be certain that people from Chester parish joined the great trek to Ohio, suddenly there appears many records of dismissals to churches in that territory. Apparently some members left without getting a letter to another parish church, for in 1842, just over a hundred years after the Congregational church was formed, there was great anxiety expressed over the number of non-residents who still retained their membership in Chester, the number being twenty- three at that time. By-Laws to prevent the increase of such non- profitable members were suggested and adopted. These provided that members leaving should join some other church within one year, and likewise those coming into town should join this church within the same period. Moreover they tackled a rider onto these By-Laws regarding church membership. The sale and use of intoxicating liquors was considered to be opposed to the spirit and requirements of the Christian religion, and those so indulging were to be re- garded "as inconsistent with a credible profession of religion". The liquor question had been agitating the people of the town for some eighteen years past, and in these first recorded By-Laws the church took its stand.
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The Congregationalists were not only losing members to other states ; requests for dismissal to join the Baptists were steadily com- ing in. Originally, when these requests were granted, or recognition given of the certificates of attendance at Baptist churches in neighbor- ing towns, the persons affected were members of the First Baptist Church of Saybrook (the Winthrop church). Until 1823 the Baptist families from Chester parish made the journey to Winthrop through winter cold and storm, through summer heat and dust, down rocky, winding roads to the church of their faith some four miles away. The Baptists, like the Congregational members nearly a hundred years earlier, met one day in the home of a parishioner (one David Read of Killingworth). There many long hours of thought, dis- cussion, planning, and labor bore fruit in the decision to build a house of worship in the parish of Chester.
Although, with the building of the first Baptist meeting house, the people did not have to journey out of town, for ten years they retained their membership in the First Baptist Church of Saybrook. During that time they had no regular minister, with preaching by elders, deacons, and an occasional visiting minister. By 1832, how- ever, the Baptists formally organized their society in Chester with sixty-six members. The growth of this flourishing group caused some concern among their Congregational brethren, and for a few years requests for dismissal from that society to join the Baptists were frequently denied "out of regard to the feelings of two or three who would have been aggrieved by such an act." A man and his wife were disowned for their "disorderly" conduct in "uniting with the Baptist Church in this place." At last, however, a more charitable spirit prevailed, and the Congregational church was con- tent to withdraw "watch and ward" from those who desired to leave the fold in favor of the Baptist church.
During one six year pastorate 152 new members were received into the Congregational church. The Baptist society was slowly. growing, also. There were occasional lapses from grace, for each year a committee was appointed to investigate any member absent from services for six months, or any one concerning whom rumors of unchristian conduct were heard. Prayer meetings became more largely attended, with the two congregations often joining for a week of prayer. A few members were dismissed from the Baptist church for continual non-attendance at services, refusal to support the church and its ordinances, intemperance, or absence from com-
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munion. Nevertheless a feeling of tolerance and general good will became increasingly evident. The Baptist people requested more services during the week and on Sunday, but after these had been held for a few months the pastor asked permission to go back to the old schedule because of the falling off of attendance. The men of that church met to see what could be done about the morals of the young men in town. The children in the Sabbath schools were taught to lead blameless lives. The choirs sang of the blessings to be found in Christian love.
In 1892 the Congregational church celebrated its 150th anni- versary with a "very, large" meeting, "but none too large for the hospitality of the church". Its membership at the time was two hundred seventy-nine, but a number of people on this list lived out of town and were not active. It was voted, therefore, that after three years absence a name should be placed on the absentee list, and one year later should be dropped without any special vote of the church. This was, however, seldom carried out, and there was a large non-resident membership list in each church.
Parish and church affairs moved along fairly quietly, at least as far as the records indicate. Routine matters were discussed at meetings, members came and went, and the two churches lived side by side in general peace. The Baptist church reached its peak of membership at about the turn of the century (1900). Thereafter it became increasingly difficult to support the church and a minister. This church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1932 with special services both morning and afternoon, and with a determined note of optimism entered its second century. Finances, however, were not becoming easier in either church. More and more young people were going out of town to further education or promising jobs, after finishing high school. Among the members of both churches arose a feeling that the two denominations should unite. Some, of course, opposed this action, but the idea grew, until, in January of 1933, it was suggested in a Congregational church meeting, that the two bodies should unite.
Nothing much was done about the matter for six years, but the germ of the idea had been planted, and resulted '(in April of 1939) in the appointment of a committee of six from each church to meet and talk over possibilities. After twenty-three months of arranging details, meetings of each church body were held on the same night in the adjoining churches, the proposed conditions of merger
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thoroughly read and discussed, and accepted unanimously by each congregation. The Baptists completed their vote first, so a messenger was sent across the lawns and the intervening road to carry the good word. This was on March 31, 1941.
Within the next two weeks the papers were prepared, and on April 15, 1941, the Trustees of the Baptist Church and the Com- mittee representing the Ecclesiastical Society and the Congregational Church members met in the vestry, of that church. There, before a Notary Public, the unification agreement and the deeds transferring all properties of both churches to the United Church of Chester, were signed. With this signing both Baptist and Congregational churches of Chester went out of existence and the United Church was born.
This new church had no officers except the deacons of each former body who were, by the agreement, carried over as deacons of the new church. Nor had it a pastor. Therefore a general meeting was called for the following night. Then Rev. James W. Lenhart, formerly minister of the Congregational church, was issued a call to become the first pastor of the new United Church. At the same time church officers were elected. This meeting was followed in short order by the dissolving of the two hundred year old Ecclesiasti- cal Society of the Congregational Church, and the adoption of By- Laws for the United Church of Chester, a re-united protestant body.
Now the membership list was enlarged and old animosities put aside. New visions, new plans, new ideals beckoned the members. Everything was not perfect, however. That could not be expected in a people as ruggedly individual as the good Yankee stock which makes up these Connecticut communities. Nor could it be hoped that the descendants of those who were so piously, self-righteous and censorious should find everything completely to their liking. In general the atmosphere became one of peace, harmony, and a desire to cooperate in the promotion of a true religious spirit in the town. The number of church members increased until in 1948 it read three hundred and twenty resident, seventy-two non-resident, and thirty-nine inactive members. With the old compulsory church attendance system long abolished, an average Sunday morning saw about a hundred persons worshiping together, although special occasions such as Children's Day or Easter brought out capacity, crowds.
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CHAPTER VIII
"The Female of the Species
From Jonathan Hough's wife, who, unable to do anything about it publicly herself, nevertheless prodded her husband into instituting measures to relieve her and other females of the tiny settlement of Pataquonk from the long, wearisome, freezingly cold or chokingly hot trek to Sabbath worship in Pettipaug, down to the wives of today who get up in meeting and speak their piece and then serve on the committee afterwards, the women of Chester have always been of more influence than the men would sometimes admit. Those great-great-great-grandmothers of ours might be church mem- bers-indeed, they outnumbered the men in that respect two to one- yet they could not speak in meeting, could not vote, could not pub- licly propose measures for the good of the parish. The number of times the minds of the men were changed after parish meetings, however, would indicate that their wives were a power, nonetheless. All the Society offices were held by men for one hundred and forty years. Finally, however, three women were elected to the church committee, and after female suffrage became universal they were allowed to vote on Society matters.
Nevertheless, those earnest women of Chester did not confine their activities on behalf of the parish to blandishment, arguments, or other private means of persuasion with their husbands, fathers and brothers. Before the Congregational church here was one hundred years old, (or in June of 1814, to be precise), the first women's organization was formed, a group of ladies meeting at the pastor's house to launch the "Female benevolent and praying Society of Chester in Saybrook." Their fragile old record book, handmade from unmatching scraps of paper by the woman who was secretary for twenty-nine years continuously, opens with the con- stitution which gives as the purpose of the Society "praying with and for each other, for the church of God in this place, and for the building up of the Redeemer's kingdom in the world; ... and for the relief of the pious poor ... "
There are a total of seventy-nine names signed to the consti- tution. Some are unreadable, too well crossed off by the zealous secre- tary when either death, removal from town, or other conditions
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made such deletion necessary. The members agreed to meet on the first Monday of each month in concert with the "Boston Female praying Society," and said that "each member shall consider herself under indispensible obligations to attend". The more zealous mem- bers held meetings oftener, sometimes every week-meetings opened by prayer, scripture and singing. As time went on the society took six subscriptions to the Missionary, Herald, articles from which were read at the meetings. These six copies were circulated among the members, but after the third month, one or two women who had withdrawn from the society asked if they might also see the paper. The group voted that it be allowed, but the secretary, with opinions of her own on the subject, recorded the vote with the notation "not because they have any right to the books, but for the sake of accommodation."
Dues were 1c per member per week, but some of the more affluent members made a contribution of twenty-five or fifty cents upon joining. By the fourth meeting the secretary had $1.67 in the treasury. At that meeting it was mentioned that a needy member could not attend public worship "for want of suitable apparel- therefore it is concluded by the society to lay out $1.25 .. . to pur- chase a pair of shoes, and otherwise to assist her." Several months later two members in "feeble state of health" were given $1.00 each, and a psalm book was presented to a member destitute of one. Later a Bible for one and an apron for another member was procured. The first mention of outside aid comes fourteen months after the founding of the society, when $12.00 was sent to the Home Mission Board, and eighteen months later, $16.00 to Foreign Missions. Frequent items refer to aid to members, contributions to a Bible Society, to the "Education Society in New Haven for Preparing indigent pious young men for the ministry", and contributions towards the local minister's salary, paint for the second meeting house, and the purchase of a window blind for the pulpit window. In the first eleven years of the society's existence the record states $148.17 was collected, with $145.96 paid out, almost entirely in benevolences of one sort or another.
All was not completely harmonious, however. We read of a committee appointed to converse with negligent members. One lady desired to withdraw and stated she would pay what she owed, not to the delegation calling on her, but directly into the hands of a destitute member, thus salving her conscience and spurning the group. Another
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who had shirked her responsibilities, agreed to attend the meetings and pay the dues.
The collection of dues seems to have been a disturbing element at times, small though the amount was. At one meeting the secretary indignantly, wrote of a member, "She is abundantly able to pay and refuses to fulfill a voluntary engagement-Her connection with the society is dissolved and her name erased." We can almost see the set of Sarah Silliman's lips and the quivering of the quill as she reso- lutely drove it across the page. Another member announced in a meeting that she was going away. Tersely the secretary noted "there is due from her $1.13 which she said nothing about paying." But withal the society was lenient with those whom they considered had a good reason for not paying the dues. Four sisters found themselves in straightened circumstances, so the society, voted "to count their rates as so much given to the Poor."
Deaths of the members are recorded with the secretary's personal observations. Two years after the organization of the group she states "This is the first breach in our Society by Death. May all the sisters take a suitable notice of it." As time went on and the original members of the society grew older and the secretary's handwriting more feeble, more and more of these little notes appear, pointing out, for those who might read in generations to come, the inevita- bility of that final dissolution of the bond between the society and its individual members.
Twenty years after the organization the secretary wrote :
Today it is 20 Years since we first met to form this Society. In the course of that time 72 Members have belonged to it
of this number
14 have died
24 have gone away
14 withdrawn
Members now remaining 20 of These most are aged and feeble and have probably almost finished their course. Total receipts 217.39
expenditures 210.54
From this time on, although the society struggled along for six years more, the faithful secretary reported fewer and fewer meet- ings. Because of stormy weather, intense cold, funerals, and other causes, the meetings fell off. In the years 1838 to 1840 several entries read "pleasant day but no one came in to attend meeting". The records end, or drift to a stop, with the notation "May, 27, 1847", but there is no account of a meeting being held. The last annual
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meeting was in June, 1843. There were only thirteen names left on the roll. Twenty members had died, twenty-eight gone away, and eighteen withdrawn during the life of the society. The book, started in a hand firm and true with lines evenly spaced, ends with entries slanting on the page, the writing showing the impact of the past thirty-six years on the devoted secretary, Sarah Silliman.
Nothing seems to have been done by the women of the parish for some six years. "The Female praying and benevolent Society" drifted to an end with the going of one minister, and no new society rose in its place until the new pastor had been here some time. Since this six year period coincides with the time when one hundred and fifty-two new members were received into the church, it is possible the women were too busy with other matters to meet as a group. However, the end of this influx of new church members (with the usual two-to-one feminine majority) resulted in the formation, in September of 1853, of the Ladies Benevolent Society.
The Preamble of the Constitution of that Society sets forth its aims thus :
Whereas it is the duty of those who enjoy the light, and privileges of the gospel, to impart the same blessings to the destitute, and to promote, as far as in their power, the cause of Benevolence at home and abroad, we the Subscribers engage to combine our exertions, with the design of aiding, by our industry these important objects, and do hereby, form ourselves into an Association for that purpose, and agree to adopt the following Constitution
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