USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Newington > Half-century discourse, history of the church in Newington: its doctrine, its ministers, its experience; presented in the discourse delivered on Tuesday the 16th of January, 1855. > Part 2
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HISTORY-EXPERIENCE.
On the sixteenth day of January, 1805, just fifty years ago this day and this hour, I was con- secrated as the pastor of this church, and minister of this people. What an era in my life, and in my condition for eternity ! The council was large and able, and, in my eyes, they were venerable men ; but they are gone from earth. How am I impressed with the thought, that those hands which were then laid upon my head are dissolved into dust! that every member of the council is gone to the grave ; Rev. Messrs. Joshua Belden, John Smalley, Nathan Strong, John Marsh, Na- than Perkins, Benoni Upson, Evan Johns, Abel Flint, Calvin Chapin, Aaron Cleveland, Joseph Washburn. Every delegate from the churches too is gone to his grave ; Gad Stanley, Esq., of New Britain, Dea. Samuel Williams, of Weth- ersfield, Dea. John Treadwell, (Governor of Con- necticut,) of Farmington, Dea. Joseph Steward, of Hartford, Dea. Joshua Hempsted, of Hartford, Dea. Selah Hart, of Kensington, Dea. Jedidiah Sage, of Worthington, (Berlin,) Dea. Jedidiah Mills, of West Hartford, Jabez Riley, Esq., of Rocky Hill. Since that day of ordination, eight hundred millions have died from this earth, and a greater number have entered into the world ! How the flood rolls into eternity !
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HISTORY-EXPERIENCE.
"The tall, the wise, the reverend head, Must lie as low as ours."
The ordination, then a new thing, almost every church in the neighborhood having an aged min- ister, drew a large number of ministers, perhaps fifty, and gathered a multitude of people, far beyond what could be received into the house. It was an extraordinary occasion. I should like to give a distinct view of the exercises. Rev. Abel Flint, of Hartford, scribe, introduced the solemnity by reading the minutes of the council. Rev. Evan Johns, an Englishman, minister of Worthington, made the first prayer. Rev. Na- than Perkins, D. D., of West Hartford, preached the sermon on the text in Colossians i. 7: " As ye also learned of Epaphras, our dear fellow- servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ." Rev. John Marsh, D. D., of Wethers- field, made the ordaining prayer, with laying on hands by Rev. Messrs. Belden, Smalley, Marsh and Perkins. Rev. John Smalley, D. D., of New Britain, moderator of the council, gave the charge .* Rev. Calvin Chapin, of Rocky Hill, gave the right hand of fellowship. Rev. Benoni Upson, of Kensington, offered the concluding
* See Appendix, No. 1.
25
HISTORY-EXPEREINCE.
prayer. "This is that day of the Lord to be much observed by me," in all the way of my life, and " in my generations." How wonderful is that divine hand, which after fifty years of service, gives me strength to stand up and speak before you here this day ! I do acknowledge it with admiring thanks to the God of mercy. I give glory to his name for every soul that has received grace, and I have "much fear and trembling " at thought of any who may have come short of salvation. I would fain indulge the hope " that I am pure from the blood of all men."
It becomes me to say, that " having obtained help of God I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, knowing nothing among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." And when I reflect, that I was only twenty-three, when I received the charge of the congregation, a youth surrounded by those aged and intelli- gent faces, I wonder how I could stand up with confidence, and how I should be so favorably re- ceived. Let me look round for a moment upon that assembly. How I can see them, "in my mind's eye !" Shall I call up some of my old friends by name ? David Lowrey, Lemuel Whit- tlesey, Robert Wells, Francis Deming, Joseph Camp, Enos Hunn, Martin Kellogg, Justus Fran-
4
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HISTORY -EXPERIENCE.
cis, Abel Andrus, Elizur Andrus, Dea. James Wells, Asher Atwood, Robert Francis, the only one still living, (in his ninety-second year,) Elias Seymour, Elias Deming, Elijah Wells, Dea. Daniel Willard, Unni Robbins, Luther Latimer, Jonathan Stoddard, Benjamin Stoddard, Josiah Willard, Levi Hurlburt, Amos A. Webster, Levi Lusk, John Kirkham, Simon Kilbourn, and many others somewhat younger, that I would gladly mention, but time would fail. The men- tion of their name revives their image. But the people quickly gave me their confidence. The blessing of God be upon their remembrances in our minds. I was readily received by them, as they had confidence in my aged teacher and patron. In this I was something like my brother Hawes. The people of Hartford, divided into several parties, yet bound to the general good, said to Dr. Woods, of Andover, "Send us the man whom you judge to be right for this city, and upon your word we will have him." There he has stood nearly forty years, and I thank him for coming to pray with me and strengthen me this day.
I have never been sick. I acknowledge the hand which has "held my soul in life." I was once lame, and detained two or three Sabbaths ;
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MEMBERS-EXPERIENCE.
but I have not put my people to the cost of a single Sabbath's preaching, since I began on the seventh day of October, 1805. " Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Let me do the highest honor to the work of the Holy Spirit, that divine comforter, which has "never left us, never forsaken us." Members of the church at the time of my taking the oversight of it, viz., Eunice Wolcott, James and Abigail Wells, Martha Wells, Elijah Wells, Hannah Kel- logg, Robert and Abigail Wells, Daniel Willard, Levi and Martha Hurlburt, Mercy Churchill, Elizabeth Romans, Jemima Kellogg, Justus and Lois Francis, Tabitha Andrus, Mabel Webster, Dorothy Stoddard, Octavia Belden, Abel and Rhoda Andrus, Sarah Rockwell, Elizabeth Sey- mour, Jerusha Seymour, (the only remaining member, aged eighty-five,) Mary Atwood, Anne Deming, Abigail Griswold, Alma Wells, Honor Blinn, Lucy Wells, Hannah Andrus, Clara Wells, Mary Kellogg, Anna Camp, Levi Deming, Ash- bel Seymour, Mary Lowrey, Jemima Kellogg, Joshua and Dorothy Belden, Francis Coslet, Ole- dine Andrus, Eunice Seymour, David and Lucy Lowrey, Roger Hurlburt, Lydia Andrus, Esther Latimer, Anna Andrus, Lois Andrus. Fifty-one. In 1805, some minds were touched with a
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HISTORY-EXPERIENCE.
sense of sin, and made sensible of the Saviour's love, eleven of whom were admitted to the church. In 1812, a class of the young came to me every week "to ask after Christ and him crucified," of whom ten or twelve made a public profession. In 1815 a number appeared to " be born again." In 1816 another company "gave themselves to the Lord." In 1819 and 1820 young people gathered around me for religious instruction and prayer, eight of whom came into the church. Thus during the first sixteen years of my ministry I enjoyed a continued, silent, encouraging, religious attention in the minds of my people. The year 1821 is a memorable year, not only here, but in all New England, and indeed extensively through the United States. I suppose that was the greatest revival that has ever been enjoyed since the settlement of the country. Rev. Asahel Nettleton, one of the most useful preachers of that day, through whose ministrations, as I believe, thousands and thou- sands in the land, were brought to a saving " knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified," was much with me, and he gave occasion to our people to have him in remembrance through everlasting ages. He was a choice brother to me, and his spirit has been felt in every one of
29
HISTORY-EXPERIENCE.
my sermons, from that day to this. The whole people were overwhelmed with thoughts of the soul and eternity, "and many were added to the Lord." From that time religious attention has been periodical, as though not greatly demanded in ordinary times. This I have lamented. In 1826 the youth in my school had a precious sea- son of prayer and inquiry, and some of them became teachers and ministers. In 1829 the young were awakened, and fourteen were united with the church. In 1831 and 1832 there was a great attention, and twenty-nine were received to communion. In 1837 and 1838, just after the renewing of this house, there was an extraordi- nary impression upon our people. The lingering were roused and hastened. Twelve aged people joined the church together, many of whom are gone to their judge. Thirty-three younger were brought in at another communion. In 1842 and 1843 there was a remarkable awakening which led thirty-four to a public profession of the Saviour's name. In 1844 the people were again moved, and nine came to the family of Christ. Since the last date twenty-four have been re- ceived, by letter and profession. How pleasant and how cheering it has been to me to see the people coming up, and how delightful to help
.
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HISTORY-EXPERIENCE.
them in their coming up to mount Zion ! "O that all the Lord's people had become holy."
Our population has always been small, con- sisting of six or seven hundred, and therefore my account will not seem very wonderful to you who are surrounded by your thousands of peo- ple ; but I consider that one redeemed soul is an eternal treasure. I have received into the church, in all, three hundred and twenty-one ; baptized, in all, four hundred and one; dismissed and recommended to other churches over one hundred ; married two hundred and fifty-seven couples ; and buried four hundred and fifty-three bodies. I suppose there is but one here now that voted on the question of my becoming the minister. And here he is at my side to-day, having come with me from the first day all the way through, a man of equal age, an old, con- fiding friend, always satisfied with my work, and now in his grey hairs, standing on the margin and looking over into the land that lies beyond. God grant that we may stand together before the face of Jesus Christ with exceeding joy. There is not one couple remaining, within these whole precincts, (and hardly in the world,) not one unbroken, that was in the marriage covenant fifty years ago.
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HISTORY-EXPERIENCE.
God has caused me to stand upon this one spot so long, that I am now preaching " Christ and him crucified " to the fifth generation, and what I especially admire is, that he has made me to be favorably received by all these generations. I have stood here while my brethren all around me have been changed. I have been in asso- ciation and service with five different pastors of the church in Wethersfield, in Worthington seven, in New Britain nine, in West Hartford six, in the city of Hartford from thirteen to twenty ! This long union with my people in the ministry of the word, and blessings of sal- vation, has made them to me as my own life and soul. You can not tell with how much pleasure I have looked upon them. The greatest exhila- ration that I ever had in my life, I have enjoyed while standing here as I now do, preaching " Christ and him crucified," to this people.
The church may be called a peaceable church. It implicitly confides everything to the minister, and supposes that he will always do right. The office-bearers of the church, so far as I have had any intercourse with them, may well receive my word of acknowledgment and blessing, for their entire friendship and kindness to me. I should like to give their names from the beginning.
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DEACONS-SABBATH SCHOOL.
Dea. Jabez Whittlesey is recorded as early as the church itself; but about the year 1745, he removed to Bethlem. Dea. John Deming died May 1, 1761. Dea. Josiah Willard is mentioned among the earliest and most active helpers in the church and society, and may have been in office as early as 1725. Dea. Joshua Andrus was chosen 1757. Dea. John Camp was ap- pointed 1761. Dea. Elisha Stoddard was chosen August 13, 1782. Dea. Charles Churchill was chosen Aug. 31, 1786. Dea. James Wells was appointed Aug. 5, 1790, died March 25, 1825. Dea. Daniel Willard was chosen Feb. 24, 1803, died Jan. 16, 1817. Dea. Levi Deming was ap- pointed Oct. 29, 1818, died Jan. 1, 1847. Dea. Origen Wells was chosen Oct. 29, 1818, still living. Dea. Jedediah Deming, was appointed July 1, 1847, still living. Dea. Jeremiah Sey- mour, was chosen Nov. 29, 1849, still living. It gives me great pleasure to say, that I never have found the least disposition in these brethren to interfere with the pastor's authority, or work, or influence ; but, on the contrary, always ready to support and aid him. The six last named have all served the church with me.
The Sabbath School and Bible Classes are worthy of a special consideration. It is nearly
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HISTORY-BIBLE CLASS.
forty years since the opening of the Sabbath school, which has been conducted with the greatest patience, constancy, and fidelity. I feel myself called upon to say, that the superintend- ents and teachers have rendered a great service to this people, and to the world, in giving so much Christian instruction to the young, and I do trust they will meet the approbation of Christ, their judge. Often has the divine influence been felt in the Sabbath School. Our most active Christian people have been raised in the Sabbath School. If we are to have Christians, Ministers, and Missionaries, we must look for their begin- ning, to the pious family and to the Sabbath School. Therefore let me urge you to cherish the Sabbath School more and more. Our super- intendents have been, Brother Daniel Willard, Deacon Origen Wells, Brother William Deming, Deacon Jedidiah Deming, and Brother Levi S. Deming ; and to them I give my word of hearty commendation .*
I have taught a distinct Bible class, for more than thirty years, not so much that I expected to teach them better, but I wanted to maintain my acquaintance with the young, and I have
* See Appendix, No. 3.
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HISTORY-SINGING.
enjoyed the pleasure of receiving the greater part of them into the church. I found a Thurs- day evening meeting, the first week that I came here, a prayer meeting statedly held by the praying brethren, and I have maintained it to this time, besides many other extra services, and in seasons of special attention, I have sometimes preached nine addresses in a week. I have en- joved in the course of the half-century, the assistance of many praying brethren, who have kindly helped me in the prayer meetings, which I do acknowledge with great pleasure. The monthly concert of prayer for missions has been attended here ever since the monthly concert began, and it has been a fountain of blessings to this people as well as to the heathen.
I have a few lines for the choir of singers, both the performers and the leaders in sacred music, of whom I do speak with complacency, from the days of Arthur Andrus, Ashbel Sey- mour, Joseph Camp, and others, to the services of Henry L. Kellogg, which we have enjoyed so long, and I do acknowledge, as far as I am capable, how much we owe to them, and to their companions, in this delightful part of public wor- ship. Our singing has generally been good, often excellent, such as might really assist us in loving,
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HISTORY-CONTRIBUTIONS.
enjoying, praising our God and Redeemer. I feel that the prosperity of the congregation de- pends almost as much upon good singing as it does upon a good ministry, and I know that we are quite liable to undervalue the diligence and constancy of those who keep alive good sacred music. According to my feeling, the pleasure enjoyed in the singing, to say nothing of the preaching, is a rich reward for all the labor of attending on the house of God, from the begin- ning of the year to the end of the year.
Collections for promoting the " knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified," over the world, have long been made by my people both gratify- ing to me and profitable to themselves. I believe they have generally been more willing to have me as pastor, make the regular calls, than to give their contributions occasionally at the solicitation of agents, and in justice, I am bound to say, that they have never turned me a deaf ear. They have done it by system and organization. I began with my first year, and for a number fol- lowing, I made only one collection annually, to aid the Connecticut Missionary Society in preach- ing the gospel to the new settlements, that is to say, New Connecticut and Vermont, and I felt rich, when my sermon on the first Sabbath in 1116277
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HISTORY-TEMPERANCE.
May, under permission of the Governor's procla- mation, produced twenty dollars for our destitute brethren. Then as the calls for missions ad- vanced, my people enlarged and extended their benefactions, by the action of the young men's home. mission, gentlemen's association, ladies' association, young ladies' association, monthly concert, Sabbath school, and infant class, all yearly contributors to the missionary work, until the amount has come well toward an equality with what my salary has been. They have made collections for home missions, foreign mis- sions, Bible societies, tract societies, education of ministers, Greeks, sufferers by fires, building churches, asylums, retreats for the mute and insane, evangelists, and every other means of enlightening and blessing mankind. Many times in the year have they opened their hand, and they have found the " blessings of the liberal man."
Temperance must not be passed over in this review. At my first coming among my people, they generally drank ardent spirits, although they were not intemperate, according to the standard of that day. The first cost of the liquor was greater, I judge, than the minister's salary ; but that was not equal to one-half of
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HISTORY-IMPROVEMENT.
the sacrifice. The materials for making strong drink were abundant. The trade was profitable and honorable. Some of our most excellent men had their distilleries in operation, and they thought no evil. And there were others of equally good character who thought it no harm to retail. Such was the patronage of intemper- ance. But no sooner was the mischief under- stood, than those very men quenched their fires, and abandoned their trade, at whatever sacrifice. The temperance work was undertaken here with decision and determination. As far back as 1816, the reform from indulgence of the appetite became strong. Dr. Chapin, of Rocky Hill, was the first man to move for the exclusion of liquors from the association of ministers, and he was soon sustained by every member. The example of ministers was followed by the people, and now, for a long course of years, there has been in this place no distillery, no tavern, store, shop, or other place of selling liquor. I have been a witness of a wonderful change, and I must tes- tify to the remarkable temperance and sobriety of this people.
The pecuniary means of our people are, as I judge, augmented by ten fold within the last half- century. Let me give most hearty thanks to the
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HISTORY -ACCOMMODATIONS.
Author of Bounty, who has not suffered them to grow poor, notwithstanding all their ecclesiastical sacrifices and missionary contributions. It fills me with peculiar pleasure to be enabled to give this public testimony to the honor of God, upon " the cheerful giver." I might invite you to look into their neat and happy homes. Scarcely a floor was carpeted when I came here ; and now they all have carpets. Elegant furniture, center- tables, beautiful books, abound in their dwellings. New houses have taken place of the old, and excellent dwellings have been built on new situ- ations. Migration to the west, which had for years been equal to the population left behind, has been checked, and has given way to the multiplying of young families at home. I can not but admire the conveniences for riding. In- stead of two or three curricles which were found in the whole parish, lines of polished carriages now come to the public worship from every quar- ter. When I first came to this place we rode to- gether on horseback upon our saddle and pillion, the minister and his wife among them, and we thought the conveyance good ! For a long time we had no post-office, and were obliged to go four or six miles, to Wethersfield, or Hartford, for our letters, whereas now we are cheered by
39
HISTORY-IMPROVEMENTS.
awaiting the constant mail. The employment of our people is chiefly agricultural; but one mill and two factories are in continual operation. The music of the spinning-wheel, once so uni- versal in our habitations, has given place to the sound of the piano and melodeon, which are skillfully used; while the hand cards, wheel, and reel, (if our daughters should see them,) would scarce be known what things they were. Fine linen I wore, not brought from Egypt or Tyre, but made from native flax, by kind hands now in this house, and I received the donations to my family very much in home-spun yarn. Rough and unwrought highways have become smooth as the railroad.
For many years this house was unwarmed except by the living fire of human bodies; and some came from the remotest parts of the parish, in the severity of cold, and never saw fire until they returned to their homes! This house, which was seven years old when I received ordination in it, was renewed in 1838, and within the last year has been made, as you now see it, a beautiful and honorable sanctuary, as pleasant a place for public speaking as I ever used. This burying-ground, which lay open to the highway and was trodden by all manner of feet, has been
40
HISTORY-SCHOOLS.
changed into this comely cemetery, "where they softly lie and sweetly sleep," and where we pleasantly look for the angel of the resurrec- tion.
Schools were remarkably good here, fifty years ago, sixty years ago, in the hands of your Willards, and Wellses, and Seymours, and Stod- dards, and Kirkhams, and many teachers were furnished for other places. I can not say that the school-houses have received much advance- ment in the course of the half-century ; but education has been carried on.
The money has been expended upon the mind, and not upon the buildings. During the last twenty years there have been employed, as I judge, and as a well experienced brother here, judged with me, more than one thousand dol- lars annually in purchasing education abroad, in addition to the benefit derived from our own academy school, which has enjoyed the teach- ings of Foster, Cooley, Emerson, Hoyt, Gillett, Marvin, Wales, Kilbourn, Horton, Fisher, Ses- sions, Ripley, Linsley, Atwood, and Welles, during a period of more than twenty years. From twenty to thirty men of more public edu- cation have been raised here, in addition, a number of whom have been, or are now, minis-
41
HISTORY-READING.
ters of the gospel. For thirty years I had a school in my own house, of perhaps two hun- dred in the whole, out of which some came to be teachers, lawyers, physicians, ministers, mem- bers of congress, and officers in missionary insti- tutions. I do hope they never learned anything of me but what might lead them to " Jesus Christ and him crucified."
Reading has always been a great entertain- ment among this people, and it is so now as much as ever, and perhaps more .. But the reading of this day encompasses a wider circle than the reading of the ancients. The first class that I met here were men of intelligence, men of sound mind and good cultivation, men of real theological and scriptural knowledge. There are three public libraries, not very large but good, Newington library, charity library, social library, full of the standard works in divinity, his- tory, philosophy, poetry, travels, enough to give any attentive student, a good education. These books now lie at rest, while the current publica- tions fill the minds of the younger generations. We had but two papers, the Connecticut Courant, and the American Mercury, and but one mag- azine, the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine ; and now we have both magazines and papers 6
42
HISTORY-ROADS.
without number. Thousands of Sabbath school books have been read here. I have observed all the way that books have imparted to their minds an intellectual pleasure, which has raised them above all trifling meetings and vain recre- ations, and the gospel has given them sobriety, conscience, and respect for eternal retribution.
For twenty years we had no public signal for the hour of meeting, which privation subjected me to many anxious watchings, and many mor- tifications, whenever I was behind my people in punctuality. But on the evening of a "Thanks- giving Day," my friend Roger Welles said, " I will try for a bell," and in a few days he gath- ered money sufficient; and from that time we have enjoyed the pleasure of the " church-going bell."
Fifty years ago there was no road from this place to Hartford, and the little intercourse with the city was carried on, either by going over the mountain to Wethersfield, or by passing round through West Hartford ; whereas now this road by Josiah Atwood's is one of the most traveled ways in the region, a real thoroughfare, which identifies almost all the business of this place with the commerce of Hartford. The present generation can hardly conceive what an im-
43
HISTORY-FAMILY.
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