USA > Connecticut > Tolland County > Columbia > The 150th anniversary of the organization of the Congregational Church in Columbia, Conn., October 24th, 1866 : historical papers, addresses, with appendix > Part 3
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TRIBUTE TO THE MEMORY OF REV. THOMAS BROCKWAY, ONE OF THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH.
BY DoCT. O. B. LYMAN, HARTFORD.
ONE spot dear to memory let us turn now to view, The scenes of the past it will call up anew ; 'Tis that spot where once stood the house for God's praise, Where worshiped the fathers in earlier days. The house in its structure was ancient and plain, Its pews did no carpets or cushions contain; No soft seated sofa its pulpit to grace, No costly chandelier to light up the place; No glowing hot furnace to displace the cold, Unknown were such things to the churches of old. As an aid to the speaker's laborious tongue, O'er his head a broad sounding canopy hung; And perched on its top was the form of a dove, An olive branch bearing the emblem of love. There first in the pulpit we, hoary heads, saw An advocate stand for the truth of God's law, And heard him proclaim the Gospel of Peace, To the mourner a solace; to the captive, release. There first too we heard from the "church going bell," The saddening deep tones of a funeral knell; Or its call on the Sabbath for such as inelined, To go up to the temple to seek food for the mind. As onward time sped in its work of decay, There arose a desire for modern display ; And at length 't was resolved a new structure to raise, That would better compare with the taste of our days; But the site of the former most lonely is left, And of all that was sacred seems sadly bereft.
Mark yonder old church-yard where all is at rest, How calmly it lies there declined to the west ; This sacred spot enter with reverent tread, "T'is a place of reposit-a rest for the dead; Our fathers sleep there awaiting their time, To arise and put on immortality's prime;
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And affection las reared many monuments there, Breathed many a sigh, and shed many a tear, O'er the graves of its kindred where silent they lie, While angels their spirits have becked up on high. How often we've wandered those lone graves among, And thought of that numerous celestial bright throng, Of spirits immortal that peacefully roam,
Through the elysian fields of the blest spirit home! Did sometimes the question then seem to arise, " Do these spirits roam far beyond the fair skies? Or do they draw near by an influx of soul, Our thoughts and affections for good to control?"
Mark there 'mid the graves of his people appears, The tombstone of BROCKWAY, grown mossy with years; Long, long has he lain there beneath the cold sod, Yes, almost forgotten, that servant of God. Now could he to earth from the spirit-land come, And visit the spot where of old was his home, View the change that appears on the old village green, Where he walked in his day with dignified mien, Find the temple removed where he anciently stood, And pictured the cross stained with innocent blood, Old structures demolished and new ones upthrown, Familiar old faces and kindred all gone,- On the prospect how strangely his spirit would gaze, While the change it contrasted with primitive days !
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
BY JOHN S. YEOMANS.
THE second or new Ecclesiastical Society, as it was then sometimes called, was incorporated by the General Assembly of the Colony, at their May session in 1716. It is supposed that the Society immediately acted in the matter of procuring a minister, but we have no record evidence preserved for the next eight years.
The first entry on our records is December 24th, 1724, when "Mr. Samuel Smith desired the Parish that he might lay down his Pastoral office to which they consented by vote." From that date to the present time we have a continuous, unbroken record of the transactions of the Society. The ter- ritorial limits of the Society, as defined at that time, are the same as the present boundaries of the town; with the excep- tion of the triangular tract, set off to Andover, on the forma- tion of that Society, about the year 1748, and which contained at that time about twenty-four tax-payers, as appears by rate bills extant. The main portion of the territory was included in what is known as Clark and Dewey's purchase, and Joseph Clark and Benony Clark, two of the sons of William Clark, the Proprietor, were among the first settlers, and were the leading men of the Parish.
The first acts of the Parish show that they were actuated by the same spirit that sent our Pilgrim Fathers to this then wild and rock-bound shore,-" Freedom to worship God," -- conse- quently the Church and the School House claimed their earliest attention; and we will first endeavor to trace their foot-prints in this direction.
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MEETING HOUSES.
THE . first Meeting House was raised probably some time during the summer of 1724.
Where the Rev. Samuel Smith held his meetings we have no means of knowing, but probably at the house of Joseph Clark.
A Parish meeting was held January 27th, 1725, at which meeting they " Voted to give the Rev. William Gager a call to settle with us in the work of the Ministry;" they also " voted to remove the meeting to the house of Benony Clark."
At a Parish meeting held December 15th, 1725, they " voted to John Mory twelve shillings for sweeping the Meeting House." This is the first record we have in regard to a Meeting House. It was probably covered and the floor laid and occupied during the summer for worship on the Sabbath.
At a Parish meeting December 14th, 1726, " voted to make provision for laying the gallery floors, and for making the stairs and finishing the coving and building the breast work of the gallery, and for making steps for the three doors, and appointed Henry Woodward, Lieutenant Martin, and Josiah Lyman, to manage the affair; also, voted to Deacon Wright one pound for sweeping the Meeting House."
December 26th, 1728, "voted to procure boards to seal the Meeting House, and for the pews, and slit work for the galle- ries and pews, and all other stuff needful for the work."
December 4th, 1730, " voted to do something towards finish- ing the Meeting House."
November 3d, 1731, "voted to finish the seats and plaster the walls of the Meeting House; Captain Sprague, Lieutenant Woodward, and Sarjeant Daggit to see the work executed."
During the season of 1732, it seems that the Parish had so far completed their first Meeting House that at a special meet- ing held January 10, 1733, " they voted to Seat the Meeting House."
As this is a practice that has almost universally gone out of . use, I give, as a curiosity, the entire record of this meeting.
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" Made choice of John Sims, Joseph Clark, and Thomas Woodward to be a committee to seat the Meeting House. Voted that no man shall be brought lower than he was seated before.
Voted that the seaters should reckon one, and but one head to each list.
Voted to seat the Meeting House by the last Rate or List.
Voted to vallew one year's age to two shillings in the rate.
Voted that the pews next to the great door shall be vallewed next to the first or highest pews, and those by the stairs equal to the second seat ; the fore seat in the front to be equal to the second seat in the body of the Meeting House, and the fore seat in the side gallery, to be equal to the sixth seat.
At the same time they made choice of Deacon Wright, Captain Sprague and Sarjeant Lyman to be a committee to seat the seators."
At the same time they " voted that Samuel Woodward, Israel Woodward, William Simes, Noah Dewey, Samuel Wright and Preserved Wright, shall have liberty to build themselves a seat or seats, a pew or pews, for them and their families, in the front gallery, behind those seats that are already built; to be built at their own charge ; and also be debarred from any other seat in the Meeting House ; they to have all the room that is behind the seats that are now built."
With the gradation of the pews, the definite property quali- fications as determined by the last list by which they were to be seated, a committee of their own choice to seat them, and a sub-committee to seat the seators, it would seem that they might worship in their new house with quiet minds and con- tented spirits. February 8th, 1733, less than a month from the time of the appointment of the seating committee, another meeting is called, and it is " voted that the pew by the great door in the Meeting House, shall be reconed equal to the fore seat and corner pew ; and also voted to accept of what the seating committee had done." Whether the pew by the great door was not sufficiently dignified, or those who were assigned to it were degraded, we have no means of knowing. At any rate it seems that a vote of the Society was needed to give
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characteristic dignity, either to the pew or people; and we need not smile at this act of our ancestors, for similar devel- opments of human nature exist to-day.
The size of this Meeting House is not known. It was probably about forty or fifty feet in length and breadth, as the votes show that there were galleries on three sides, wide enough to have pews built back of the seats, which could not be done in a house of less dimensions.
It was probably a rude building at best, as is usually the case with pioneer settlers, for in November, 1733, they " voted to repair the windows, both wood and glass, and also to make new steps; also to give liberty to Joseph Loomis, Jolm Sims, and Benony Loomis, to build themselves a pew over the women's stairs, not hurting the stairway nor the window." This last vote was probably not carried out, for in November, 1740, " the Parish Committee were authorized to grant liberty to Nathaniel White,. Jun'r, John Payne, with sundry others to build a scat or pew over the women's stairs, as they think proper ; also voted to fill up the broad alley with seats and to take down the coving of the Meeting House ;" and in 1744, " to fill up the aisles at the east end of the Meeting House."
At a Parish meeting, November 22d, 1744, probably about twenty years only from the time the first house was raised, the proposition to build a new one was brought before the Parish, and they voted in the negative; also, at the same time " voted not to repair or make addition to the old one." But the Great Awakening of 1741 had passed over New Eng- land. The new Pastor, Rev. Mr. Wheelock, was active in it; his people had shared largely in its blessing, and the church accommodations were insufficient for the thronging multitude which each returning Sabbath brought to its courts.
Consequently at their annual meeting the next year, Nov. 21st, 1745, they " voted to make some provision for building a new Meeting House and to make repairs upon the old one for present comfort." The location of this house is learned from the location of the second which was determined by a committee appointed by the Legislature in 1747, to " ascer- tain and fix a place to set a Meeting House upon, among us."
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This "committee reported that they had stuck a stake about ten rods south of the present Meeting House on the common, -the sills of the house to enclose the stake. This Meeting House, as many of us will remember, stood in front of the present dwelling house of Mr. John Armstrong, consequently the first Meeting House stood about where the school house now stands and most probably on the same ground.
In 1747 " The Society voted to build a new Meeting House, 64 feet in length and 46 feet in width and 26 feet in height from the top of the sill to the underside of the plate. Also voted to get the timber, hew, and frame and raise it, cover the roof and board the outside and provide timber, either pine or ceder, for the window frames, by the first day of Dec. 1748, and also voted a tax of two shillings upon the pound towards defraying the charges of the Meeting House, also a tax of 13 pence on the pound for Parish charges, and appointed Captain Joseph Clark, Ensign Nathaniel Cushman, and Lieutenant Benajah Bill, a committee to carry on the work of building, so far as they have agreed to do it."
In August, 1748, ".Voted to clapboard the south side and the ends with Ceder, and the back side with Chestnut, and to do it this fall." I record this fact for the purpose of showing the care bestowed by the Parish in the selection of the build- ing material of this house. These clapboards were still on the house when it was taken down in 1832, eighty-four years from the time they were put on ; and it was thought by many better to remodel and repair the old house than to build new, be- cause the outside covering was so good ; as many of us well recollect. Oct. 5th, 1749, "voted to improve the old Meeting House toward finishing the new one, either by sale or any other way ;" and in Sept. 1751, " voted to finish the house within two years."
"Also appointed Joseph Clark, Benajah Bill and Nathaniel Cushman to carry on the work."
The probability is that the Sabbath worship was held in the new house at this time, as a vote was passed to seat the Meeting House.
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In December, 1753, " voted to Collour the Meeting House sky collour and also to pave round it with round stone or flatt and to make such alterations in seating as the Com'y think proper."
In Dec. 5th, 1754, a Parish meeting was held, at which time they "voted to settle with the meeting house committee at this meeting. The accounts were cast up and, errors excepted, amounted to £4458 1s. 4d." ($14,860.00.) This certainly shows a good degree of energy and perseverance in a small parish with but 170 tax payers, as appears by old town and Parish rate Bills of that day.
In the year 1792, a Steeple was erected and a Bell pro- cured by subscribers at a cost of $150.00. The vote of the Parish is as follows: " Voted, to give liberty to the subscri- bers for building a Steeple, to erect one and annex it to the west end of the Meeting House, and furnish it with a Bell, and if so erected and furnished with a Bell, the society will receive it as theirs and afterwards keep it in repair."
From the time the Steeple was erected, Mr. David Hun- tington was Bell ringer, till his death in 1828; a period of 36 years ; and no man was ever more attached to Idol than was he to the Bell. At 12 o'clock at noon and 9 o'clock P. M. year in and year out, the tones of this Bell moved by his arm ' would be heard by the people. And if, (as was often the case,) some urchin on mischief bent, could find his way into the Meeting House and commence ringing the Bell, no night was so dark, no storm so pelting, but that the old man would hasten to the Meeting House, and rest not till every window and door was examined and secured. Wo! to the wight who should chance to be caught. But the agile feet of youth were usually too fleet, and seldom were they caught. Yet I apprehend that more than one who hears me to-day, would, if that faithful, honest and good old man were to rise from his grave and appear in our midst, feel like asking his for- giveness for the annoyance which, in the hilarity and thought- lessness of youth, they had caused him.
Of the present Meeting House I propose to say but little, as all the people of middle age are acquainted with the facts
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connected with it. Aug. 29th, 1831, a Society meeting was held and " voted to request the Committee to warn a meeting for the purpose of raising a tax to repair the Meeting House. Also voted that Deacon Lyman be requested to address the society on the subject of a Meeting House," and adjourned to Sept. 12th, when a committee was appointed "to make a draft of a Meeting House." At a subsequent meeting, Sam- ucl Little, Esq., Samuel West, Jr., Daniel Hunt, Erastus Post, George Loomis and Chester Bliss were appointed a com- mittee to superintend the building of the House. They were to use the old house in the construction of the new one.
A contract was made, and the work commenced in the Spring of 1832, and the house was completed and dedicated the same Fall.
Its length is 58 feet. Breadth 42 feet.
The whole expense for their house was - $2,015.92
For the land on which it stands, 75.00
$2,090.92 . .
This sum was paid by subscription ; the name of each sub- scriber and amount given being entered on the Society Re- cords.
In the Spring of 1850, this House was thoroughly repaired, the roof shingled, the outside painted, the windows on the East end closed up and chimneys built from the ground, supports placed under the steeple, the lathing and plastering over head renewed and whitewashed, the desk remodeled and the inside painted and varnished, with other repairs, at a cost of $535.79, which was paid by subscription ; the names of the donors and amount given by cach being entered on the Soci- etics books.
In addition to this, the Ladies Benevolent Association fur -. nished the house with window blinds, trimming for the desk, and carpeted the aisles, and the young men furnished the Sofa for the desk.
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SKETCH OF MINISTERS FROM THIS PARISH.
BY THE PASTOR.
JOHN SMALLEY was born in Lebanon Crank, June 4, 1734. He was the son of Benjamin and Mary Smalley, both mem- bers of this church. When he was six years old he heard Mr. Whitfield preach, and his young heart was deeply moved; but his most permanent religious impressions were received on discovering his eminently devoted mother, "at a certain time, as he entered an apartment of the house, in a dark cor- ner, in a kneeling posture, engaged, as he supposed in prayer." That scene never went from him through all his manhood. He was fitted for college by his pastor, Mr. Wheelock, and was graduated at Yale College, in 1756. He was licensed to preach by the Litchfield South Association, in 1757, and in Nov. of that year he began to preach in Berlin, now the first church in New Britain, where he was ordained pastor, at the time of the organization of the church, April 19, 1758. There he continued in the faithful discharge of the duties of his office till the autumn of 1808, a little more than 50 years, though he preached occasionally till Sept. 1813. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the College of New Jersey in 1800.
Dr. Smalley was one of the prominent Theologians of his day, distinguished both as a teacher of Theological students and as a standard writer. He published two volumes of ser- mons ; the first volume in 1803, and the second in 1814 ; also six other sermons, two of which, on natural and moral ina- bility, were republished in London. He died June 1, 1820, aged 86, having held the pastoral office 62 years.
Bezaleel Woodward, who was licensed to preach the gospel but not ordained, was born in 1745, and was graduated at Yale College in 1764. . He became the first Prof. of Mathe- matics in Dartmouth College. He died in 1804, aged 60.
Samuel Collins was born in 1747. Having worked at his trade till he was past twenty-one years old, he commenced a course of study, and was graduated at Dartmouth College in
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1775. He was ordained pastor in Sandown, New Hampshire, Dec. 27, 1780. He was dismissed April 30, 1788, and in Nov. following was installed over the Presbyterian church in Hanover Center, New Hampshire. This church, being but a remnant of that from which the majority had been taken by the former pastor, "his ministry there was beset by trials. He was, however, universally esteemed as a devoted and ex- cellent christian minister." He was again dismissed in 1795; and, after a brief ministry in Craftsbury, he died in that town Jan. 7, 1807, at the age of 59.
Daniel Crocker was graduated at Yale College in 1782, and was licensed by the New Haven West Association, in 1788. Ile was settled in Redding in Oct., 1809, where he re- mained till Oct., 1824. He was again settled in New Fair- field in Oct., 1827, and died in March, 1831.
Walter Harris was born in 1761, the son of Nathaniel and Grace Harris. He served three years in the war of the Rev- olution, his only brother falling a sacrifice in that struggle, and was honorably discharged when less than nineteen years old. Ile removed to Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he came under the influence of a powerful revival of religion, and gaining satisfactory evidence of his conversion, he devoted himself to the work of the ministry. He was graduated at Dartmouth College, in 1787. Having studied Theology with Dr. Emmons, he was ordained pastor of a church which he was instrumental in organizing in Dunbarton, New Hamp- shire, Aug. 26, 1789. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Dartmouth College, in 1826.
As a preacher he was said to be " mighty in the scriptures. He uttered himself with a deep solemnity that showed that he never lost sight of his own final account. He chose out acceptable words, but they were charged with an energy which it was not easy to resist." One of his hearers onec said, "every sermon of his is a broad-axe, cutting away every refuge of lies, and laying prostrate every thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God." He received many young men as Theological students, who ever after held him in the highest estimation, as a man and as an instructor.
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Towards the close of his active duties as pastor, we have this testimony concerning him from one who is remembered by some here to-day, as a school-master in Hop River District, Rev. Dr. Barstow, of Keene, New Hampshire ; his words are, "I was struck in those days with his deep humility and un- wavering confidence in God, with his comprehensive views of the christian system, and the facility with which he could put to silence the ignorances of foolish men. I could not but feel that he was a master in Israel, and that it was good to sit at his feet and listen to his instruction." And this same witness recalls these words spoken to him by Dr. Harris when at Saratoga for the benefit of his health :- " I told my people the last Sabbath, that I had done ; that I had cared for them for more than forty years, without leaving them unsupplied for many Sabbaths, and that now they must take care of themselves ; that I hoped they would hold fast the doctrines which I preached, for I verily believed they were the truth of God, and I would willingly risk my own soul upon them. The people were somewhat affected, and I too was affected with the thought that I must meet them at the bar of God. I warned them to meet me as the disciples of Christ, that 1
might not be a swift witness against them." After these forty years' labors he was not able to continue the active du- ties of the ministry, yet he remained with his people till his deatlı, Dec. 25, 1843, at the age of 82. Fifteen of his ser- mons were published, also an address before the Pastoral Convention of New Hampshire.
Ezra Woodworth was born in 1765. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1788 ; was ordained pastor of the first church in Winsted, Jan. 2, 1792 ; was dismissed in 1799, and died in 1836, aged 71.
Joel West, son of Samuel and Sarah West, was born March 12, 1766. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1789, and ordained pastor of the third church in Chatham, (now East Hampton,) in Oct., 1792. He remained the esteemed and faithful pastor of that church till his death, in Nov., 1826, at the age of 60.
Bezaleel Pinneo, son of Deacon James and Jerusha Pinneo,
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was born July 28, 1769. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1791; studied Theology with Dr. Smalley ; was licensed` by the Hartford South Association in Oct., 1793, and was ordained pastor of the first church in Milford, Oct. 26, 1796. While pursuing his labors as pastor, he acted, for a time, as instructor of students of Theology, among whom was the distinguished Evangelist, Rev. Dr. Nettleton, remem- bered by some who are here to-day, as preaching for a few Sabbaths before the settlement of Mr. Kittredge. Mr. Pin- neo remained in the active duties of the pastoral office forty- three years, very widely known and respected, as excellent in judgment and earnestly devoted to his work. Bearing the infirmities of age for nearly ten years, he died among his people Sept. 18, 1849, aged 80.
Diodate Brockway, second son and third child of Rev. Thomas and Eunice Brockway, was born Dec. 29, 1776. He was graduated at Yale College in 1797, united with this church in Sept., 1798, studied Theology with Rev. Elijah Parsons of East Haddam, was licensed by the Middlesex As- sociation, Oct. 3, 1798, and was ordained pastor of the church in Ellington, Sept. 19, 1799. He retained the pastoral office fifty years, though by reason of his infirmities he had the as- sistance of colleagues the last eighteen years. He was a-Fel- low of Yale College from 1827 till his death. He died Jan. 27, 1849, aged 72. He published a sermon, preached at the funeral of Deacon Gurdon Elsworth, 1803; another at the dedication of the Meeting House in Ellington in 1806 ; a ser- mon before the Missionary Society of Connecticut ; an Elec- tion sermon in 1818, and a New Year's sermon in 1828.
Jacob Allen, son of Timothy and Mary Allen, was born Aug. 18, 1781. While studying with Rev. E. T. Woodruff, in North Coventry, he hopefully became a subject of divine grace, and turned his thoughts towards the ministry. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1811, studied Theol- ogy with Dr. Burton of Thetford, Vt., was licensed by Orange Association, and ordained pastor at Tunbridge, Vt., in Oct., 1813. He was dismissed in 1820 and installed in Eastbury in July, 1822. Being dismissed in 1835, he was installed
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