USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Washington > The church on the green; the first two centuries of the First Congregational church at Washington, Connecticut, 1741-1941 > Part 6
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Thus the misunderstanding about salary was an impor- tant factor in deciding Mr. Porter's acceptance of the Andover call. He entered upon his duties at Andover upon the first day of April, 1812, and remained with that institu- tion until the day of his death in 1834, becoming its presi- dent in 1827. All through the years he had a constant struggle with ill health. In 1814 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by Dartmouth College.
Concerning Mr. Porter's appearance and character, Mr. Matthews leaves the following pen portrait: "Imagine a well-proportioned, manly, but emaciated form of about six feet in height. Imagine that form endued with native inde- pendence, firmness, energy, candor, frankness, simplicity and benevolence, united with an enlargement of mental vision, which intuitively perceived the relations and bearing of objects; regulated and controlled by that sound common sense which rightly apprehends circumstances, and adapts means to ends ; the whole assemblage of attributes chastened and invigorated by Christian piety, sanctifying, ennobling,
,
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and giving impulse to the natural man,-imagine this indi- vidual daily struggling with disease and suffering, in active, persevering, disinterested, holy effort; renouncing lawful indulgences, enduring incessant toil and weariness for others' good, living, in a word, not unto himself but unto God, and then you have the likeness of Dr. Porter."
Upon the monument erected to his memory by the Ameri- can Education Society, in the cemetery at Andover, there is this epitaph: "Of cultivated understanding, refined taste, solid judgment, sound faith, and ardent piety ; distinguished for strict integrity and uprightness, kind and gentle deport- ment, simplicity and godly sincerity, a father to the institu- tion with which he was connected, a highly useful instructor, a zealous patron of the benevolent societies of the times in which he lived, a true friend to the temporal and eternal in- terests of his fellow-beings."
Several months after Mr. Porter's departure for Andover, a call was given to Mr. Asa Blair and was accepted. A com- mittee was appointed to make arrangements for the ordina- tion and installation. A vote was passed to give Mr. Blair six hundred dollars a year for his salary. There then is found in the society records this unusual note: "Owing to opposi- tion and to the coldness of friends, Mr. Blair concluded, by and with advice, that it was not best for him to settle here."
The Rev. Cyrus Gray was then called to be the pastor and settled here in April, 1813, with an annual salary of $550. In his letter of acceptance, Mr. Gray wrote, "The support you offer is thought by my friends hardly adequate to free your minister from those perplexities from which you wish him to be free. This has indeed been my own opinion. At the same time, I could not justify myself in questioning your liberality. These are matters of opinion merely. They con-
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cern not the heart. Relying upon your liberality of feeling, praying that whatever is done may be to the upbuilding of this church, I subscribe to your invitation and shall hold myself in readiness to appear before the ordaining council."
After a short pastorate of two years, difficulties arose be- tween Mr. Gray and the members of the church. The records do not state the nature of the serious misunderstanding. An unhappy meeting of the Ecclesiastical Consociation was held and the difficulties were carefully considered. Both pastor and church members were reproved and the dissolution of the pastoral relationship was recommended. As a result the church was left in an unfortunate frame of mind and re- mained without the services of a settled pastor for two and a half years.
On September 29th, 1817, at a society meeting, it was voted to unite with the church in extending a call to Rev. Stephen Mason to become their settled minister. On Nov. 11th, the Society's Committee, composed of Daniel B. Brins- made, Preston S. Hollister and Calvin Calhoun, was asked to make arrangements to have Mr. Mason preach in the church. On December 5th, it was voted to offer Mr. Mason $550 a year as his salary. In a letter written on January 10th, 1818, Mr. Mason accepted the call.
For ten years Mr. Mason served the church with great zeal and faithfulness. For some years preceding his arrival the church records had been neglected. Mr. Mason, like Mr. Porter, kept a faithful record of events during his pastor- ate. In beginning the account, he relates that he found the church in a divided state of mind. After his installation on February 18th, a new spirit of harmony began to prevail. A new interest was revealed in the evangelistic and educational work of the church. The catechising committee was enlarged
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so as to have one instructor for each ten children. The com- mittee for that year was comprised of the following: Dea- con Preston S. Hollister, Gideon Hollister, Jr., Ebenezer Clark, Daniel Nettleton, Mrs. Betsy Mason, Mrs. Mary Brinsmade, Mrs. Silence Mitchell, Mrs. Lois Mitchell, Miss Polly Loggan and Miss Julia Loggan.
During the summer of 1820 there was a series of prayer meetings with the result that in September, 19 persons joined the church. An interesting resolution, passed Aug. 29th, 1822, "set apart next Tuesday as a day of humilia- tion, fasting and prayer on account of the alarming sick- ness which is prevailing and also on account of the low state of religion." In such a manner, the minds of the people were turned to spiritual matters and during his pastorate there was a marked revival of interest and loyalty in the church.
It is not easy at this distance to understand why friction developed in most of the pastorates during the first century in the history of the church. As had been the case with Mr. Brinsmade, Mr. Porter and Mr. Gray, so now a critical atti- tude developed toward Mr. Mason. At a society meeting on Nov. 4th, 1828, presided over by Daniel B. Brinsmade, it was voted to appoint a committee "to inquire of the mem- bers of this society whether they are satisfied with the Rev. Stephen Mason as their minister or not, and to confer with him as to the state of feelings in the society."
On Nov. 17th, this committee made their report and stated that 52 were satisfied, 52 were dissatisfied and 9 ex- pressed no opinion. When asked to vote whether they wanted Mr. Mason to continue as their minister, under the circum- stances, 27 voted in the affirmative and 45 in the negative. When the result of this vote was communicated to Mr. Mason, he wrote to the church, expressing his desire that the
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pastoral relationship be dissolved. A meeting of the Con- sociation was called and the pastoral relationship was dis- solved. The statement by the Consociation held a rebuke for the church. Concerning it, a note in the church records has this to say: "The result of the Consociation in dismissing Mr. Mason from his pastoral relation to this church and society may be seen in the society record. The Consociation came to this result solely on the ground that a dissatisfac- tion with the Rev. Stephen Mason existed to a considerable extent, for which dissatisfaction no sufficient reasons ap- peared. The society record may afford some light on the causes of this dissatisfaction but comparatively little will be publicly known till the record of God shall be declared respecting it at the final judgment."
There can be little doubt that Mr. Mason was a man of earnest and gentle Christian spirit. His kindly and peace- able attitude may be seen in the spirit with which he met the contention and criticism of the church. He was willing to make sacrifices rather than endanger the unity of the church. He was zealous for the cause of evangelism. He was particularly active in the formation of the County Bible Society and also the General Union for promoting the ob- servance of the Sabbath.
Six days after the reference to Mr. Mason's departure in the church record, there is an interesting item that illus- trates the connection between New England and the Middle West that was now being opened up to settlement. On Dec. 28th, 1828, it was voted "that vessels which were formerly used by the church at their communion be presented to the Church of Christ in Medina in the state of Ohio, as a token of our respect and affection and that a committee of the church be appointed to draft a communication expressive
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of our fraternal feelings to accompany the same. Brother D. B. Brinsmade appointed for that purpose."
At a meeting of the society on Sept. 14th, 1829, it was voted to call Rev. Gordon Hayes to settle in Washington as the minister of the church, and the society united with the church in extending the call. It was also voted to offer Mr. Hayes $550 per year for his services as pastor. On October 7th, Mr. Hayes accepted the call and the installation took place on October 28th. Then began a ministry which ex- tended over a period of twenty-three years.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Revivals
A FTER THE Great Awakening which occurred during the years when the church was being established in Judea, beginning in 1734, there was a gradual decline in religious fervor in New England churches. The Revolution may well have been an important factor in this decline of religious in- terest. In the rush and turmoil of war conditions, uncertain- ties and anxieties, it is not surprising that the cause of re- ligion suffered. The minds of the people were on other things. Taxation was an ever-present problem. The creation of the new Republic with its numerous constitutional questions was also a diversion. Furthermore a spirit of skepticism and of rationalism was prevalent in Europe and America.
Whatever the causes may have been, religious conditions at the close of the eighteenth century were deplorable. There was widespread profanity, much drunkenness and also im- morality. The Sabbath was not treated with the reverence it had formerly received. In his "History of Connecticut," George L. Clark says that during the years 1790-96, Nathan Strong, the successor of Thomas Hooker in the First Church of Hartford, carried on a distillery a short
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distance away from his church. City records show real estate deals involving over $30,000, in which the pastor had a leading part. Another story concerns three Congregational pastors around Hartford, one of whom was said to raise the rye, another to distill it into whiskey, and the third to drink it.
After the year 1797, there came a change. President Dwight of Yale preached a series of sermons that had a tremendous influence. Revivals began to take place in vari- ous parts of New England and continued to occur at inter- vals for sixty years. With these revivals, a good deal of the looseness of doctrine and laxity of discipline in the churches disappeared. The Connecticut Home Missionary Society was organized in 1798 and has performed valiant Christian services throughout the state from that day to this. Various seminaries were established, including Yale in 1822 and Hartford in 1834.
Thus the new century was ushered in by a great increase in religious interest. There was a spiritual momentum to be reckoned with. It had its introspective aspects such as de- pressing self-examination and continuing anxiety. It was thought that a genuine conversion must be accompanied by morbid self-torture. Yet there were many outward and wholesome phases of the revival movement. Churches gave increased attention to Bible study, especially for young people. Ministers began to preach temperance. Weekly prayer meetings were held in the churches and family prayers were restored. The keeping of the Sabbath once again took hold of the public conscience.
While the revival movement was spread over the years, there was a noticeable ebb and flow. The years 1803, 1821, 1831 and 1837 were noteworthy revival years. The church
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at Washington felt the impact of the movement in each of those years. But so did other churches in this whole area. In the "Connecticut Evangelical Magazine," during the year 1800, letters appeared from correspondents telling of the revival of religion in Torringford, West Britain, New Cambridge, Northington, Torrington, West Simsbury, Bridgehampton, New Hartford, Wintonbury, Norfolk, Goshen, Farmington, Harwinton and other places.
Mention has already been made of the revival of religious interest during the pastorate of Mr. Porter. This renewal of interest began in the year 1803. During the fall and winter various meetings and conferences were held. People were eager and earnest. In his excellent paper "The Revival History of the Washington Church," delivered at the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary, Deacon S. S. Baldwin says that during this revival two more deacons were ap- pointed in order to assist in the work. By a vote of the church two young men were chosen for the office. They were twin brothers, Preston Sherman and Sherman Preston Hol- lister, sons of Captain Gideon and Patience Hurd Hollister. They closely resembled each other and it is said that Mrs. Gunn could only tell them apart by their overcoats; one wore a gray and the other a blue overcoat. They married sisters, united with the church at the same time, some ten years before being appointed deacons, and resigned together at the age of seventy from their work as dea- cons. Each had a son named for him. Deacon Preston married Lois Ford and lived at the homestead on the top of the hill near the East Street schoolhouse. Deacon Sherman married Sarah Ford and lived in a house which Captain Gideon built for him and which he passed on to his son, Samuel Ford Hollister, who died there in 1888.
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It was during this same period that another Hollister ap- peared on the scene who was later to achieve fame as the author of the "History of Connecticut." This was Gideon Hiram Hollister who was baptized on June 7, 1818. He was a great-grandson of the original Gideon who had settled in Nettleton Hollow. He graduated from Yale in 1840 and soon became a leading lawyer in the state. He is best known for his historical research, his history appearing in 1855.
Deacon Baldwin tells of a young people's social gather- ing on Thanksgiving eve in 1816 at the house of Samuel Baldwin in Sabba' Day Lane. During their evening together, a serious mood entered into their fellowship and they re- quested a young Christian, John A. Oviatt, to pray with them. Before separating they invited him to conduct a meet- ing at the house of Mr. Bryan in Calhoun Street the fol- lowing week. He consented to do this if he could secure the aid of Lemuel Brooks, a young man who was preparing for the ministry. The meeting at Mr. Bryan's home was marked by spiritual earnestness and from this small beginning a new spirit took hold of the church. Prayer meetings were held in different parts of the town, and also union meetings with members of the New Preston church. Some of these meetings were held in the homes of Martin Whittlesey and Taylor Mitchell. It is said that at a meeting in the North- east district, a licentiate named Rev. Samuel R. Andrews offered a prayer three quarters of an hour in length. Mr. Andrews was later pastor of the church in South Wood- bury for about thirty years.
The revival of 1821 was unusual from the standpoint of those who united with the church, a majority of whom were past middle age. There were also a number of young women who united with the church at that time who rendered
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valiant service in the life of the church for many years to come, singing in the choir, teaching in the Sabbath School and helping in many other ways. Among them were Sophronia Leavitt, Frances Hickox, Rebecca Hine, Susan Fenn, Clarissa Hollister, and Mary Ford. There was Edwin Bronson who became the successful pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania. There was Dr. Warren R. Fowler who joined the church at the age of forty-one. He was Washington's beloved physician from the year 1800 until he passed away in 1826. He lived in the house known as the Hurlbut house, now the Washington Club. He is spoken of as a man of keen intellect, sound judgment and wide influence. He had a fine tenor voice and sang in the choir. In 1826 there was an epidemic of malignant fever and Dr. Fowler was a victim to it as were other prominent men like Judge Brinsmade and Sheriff Gunn. A younger brother, Dr. Remus Fowler, was called from Massachusetts to at- tend his brother Warren and remained here to carry on his practice.
Another to join the church during this revival was David Punderson. During his early days he was an open critic of the church and ridiculed religious activities. He was to become an active Christian worker and to hold the office of deacon for thirty-two years. Still another was Nathaniel J. Galpin of whom it was said that he attended more prayer meetings in his day than any other living man. Deacon Baldwin comments that the parlor in Mr. Galpin's home was the birthplace of three revivals.
In 1825 an evangelist named Rev. Asahel Nettleton visited Washington and conducted meetings for the people. As a result of his efforts twenty-nine persons were added to the church.
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In 1827, while Mr. Mason was still pastor, there was an- other movement of the spirit among the members of the church. In this work various church leaders were active, among them the two Deacon Hollisters. Young people were drawn into the life of the church and district prayer meet- ings were held. For two days there was a large conference at which there were representatives of about thirty churches. Reports were given and there were many addresses by lay- men, among them President Timothy Dwight of Yale.
During the early part of the ministry of Rev. Gordon Hayes, in the spring of 1831, there occurred another re- vival in the church. It is said that a man in the northern part of the town arose in the middle of the night and asked his young wife to pray for him. Another in the southern part of the parish was so agitated by his sense of sin that the bed shook under him. Rev. Albert Judson of Philadelphia, a visiting clergyman, preached a sermon on the text, "Think on these things," in which he discussed the meaning of con- version and of the soul's submission to God. A sunrise prayer meeting was established. Beginning August 14th, meetings were held continuously for four days. Writing of this revival some time later in the "Religious Intelligencer" the writer said that of the revivals in several nearby towns in Litchfield County, the one at Washington was the most powerful.
The following account of this revival is found in the records of the church : "This day one hundred and thirteen united with the church, thirty-three of whom received the ordinance of baptism; fruits of a revival which commenced on May last. At this time it is judged that two hundred are subjects of hope. We had a four days' meeting in August. During the meeting and three or four days subsequent not
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less than fifty attained hope. In this revival Christians have been ardent in prayer and felt it their duty to go from house to house and on all suitable occasions warn sinners of their danger and urge them to immediate repentance. These ap- pear to be the means most signally blessed to the salvation of souls." Oct. 28, 1831.
Among those joining the church was a man over seventy and a child of eight years. There were five who later became ministers of the gospel of Christ and several who became deacons. On the first Sunday of March, 1832, fifteen more united with the church. Both the Temperance Society and the Anti-Slavery Movement had their origin in this revival.
In 1842, once again a spiritual awakening was felt throughout the church membership. A committee of parish visitation went out two by two, visiting and praying with families in turn. Conferences were revived, the first being held at the home of Truman Woodruff where there was a discussion concerning the question, What must I do to be saved? At another meeting at the home of Mrs. Elliott Brinsmade, the theme of the meeting was the cry of two blind men, "Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy upon us." At a third meeting in the schoolhouse in the East district, the thought of the meeting was concerned with the prayer of the dying thief, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." As a result of these meetings, forty-five mem- bers were added to the church, many of them young people. Among them was Abner W. Mitchell who gave his life for his country.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Church Discipline
I N HIS excellent paper, given at the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the church, Rev. W. S. Colton spoke of the formative influences at work in the early New England churches. As pure gold comes forth refined from a hot fire, so the colonists were shaped by their difficult living conditions. Their lives were governed by a hard discipline and it is not surprising that the note of discipline was thus stressed in church life. If discipline was desirable for home and community life, it was equally important for church affairs. Theology was of a somber nature. People took their religion with desperate earnestness. Christian convictions were deeply held and church members spent much time in dis- cussing religious doctrines. In the early days of this church it was entirely in order for the church members to discuss publicly delinquencies in faith and practice and, if deemed desirable, to suspend and even excommunicate church mem- bers.
For example, turning over the pages of the church record, one finds the following resolution of July 31st, 1825: "the disorderly conduct of Sister X and Brother Y being laid
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before the church, these two members were suspended from the privileges of the church by vote and during the pleasure of the church."
November 4th. "At a regular church meeting, voted that as Brother Y and Sister X have given no evidence of repent- ance and taken no measures to become reconciled to this church, that the pastor be authorized to cite them to appear before the church on Friday the 30th of December, 1825, to show cause if any exist why the church should not proceed to an act of excommunication against them."
May 5th, 1826. "At a regular church meeting at the close of divine service, preparatory to the sacrament of the sup- per, on next Sunday. Voted almost unanimously that Sister X be excommunicated from this church. Also voted that Brother Y be finally cut off from this church. And this act of the church respecting each of these persons be made public at the close of worship on Sabbath after next."
Again, under the date March 23rd, 1828, we find the fol- lowing resolution : "The offenses of Sister A and Sister B being laid before the church and it appearing that each of them had been faithfully labored with according to the direc- tion of the gospel, the church voted to suspend them from their communion for the term of six weeks, and that the pastor cite them to appear before the church at the close of worship on Sabbath the 5th day of May next."
May 5th. "No answer having been made by Sister A and Sister B to the letters of citation and they not appearing at this time, the church adjourned the meeting to the first Sabbath of June next."
June 1st. "The church met according to adjournment and concluded, before passing a final act of excision against the offending members, to labor with them still further. A
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committee was raised for this purpose who were to report next Sabbath."
June 8th. "The committee reported that having labored with Sister A, they find her giving no evidence of repentance. The brethren then voted with unanimity that Sister A be excommunicated from this church and that this act of the church be made public next Sabbath."
"The committee reported favorably in the case of Sister B, stating that she not only acknowledged her offense, but gave some evidence of penitence, and recommended that in consideration of her peculiarly trying circumstances, she be allowed a further opportunity of being reconciled to this church. Whereupon voted that Sister B be allowed the space of three months in which she may have the oppor- tunity, according to her own conscience, to make satisfac- tion to this church."
Sept. 21st. "The church after considering the case of Sister B and learning from the committee that she requested further time be allowed her to be reconciled, resolved by their vote that she be continued in a state of suspension dur- ing the pleasure of this church."
This suspension must have been of a rather lengthy nature as no further mention is made of the case of Sister B in the records of the following years.
There were occasions when the church felt it necessary to take note of the neglect of religious duties as well as matters of moral conduct. For example, under the date of Sept. 1st, 1843, the following note is found in the church records : "The committee appointed to visit Brother A reported that they had discharged the duty assigned them and that while Brother A acknowledges a continued neglect of public and family worship and the sacrament of the Lord's supper and
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