USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Stratford > The quarto-millennial anniversary of the Congregational Church of Stratford, Connecticut. The historical address by the pastor, and a full report of all the exercises, September 5th, 1889 > Part 3
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May 25, 1864, Rev. Louis E. Charpiot was installed pastor, the sermon being preached by Dr. Noah Porter, and during the two years that he ministered twenty-five were added to the church.
William K. Hall, D.D., after theological studies in New
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Haven and in Germany and ordination as chaplain of the Con- necticut volunteers, was installed pastor of this church Octo- ber 24, 1866, and was dismissed May 21, 1872; a letter of res- ignation having been sent to the church March 31st, which stated, to quote Dr. Hall's words, "the discouragements under which I was pursuing my work among them, from a want of their cooperation in that work."
In July, 1867, "It was voted that the public services of the afternoon be omitted and that public worship be held in the evening." - For nineteen years the plan of holding the second service in the evening during several months in the summer and in the afternoon during the rest of the year was continued, with something of friction whenever the votes were taken, till November 14, 1886, when it was voted to hold the second ser- vice in the evening during the entire year.
In 1869 a manual was issued which shows a membership of two hundred and sixty-six; during the year previous forty- three were added to the church. The church is greatly to be commended for issuing so much of historical matter which had been gathered by the research of Rev. Mr. Swan. A second manual was issued in 1881, in which were added pic- tures of the present edifice and of the edifice preceding this, and, also, a list of members from the beginning, gathered with great patience and labor by Mr. C. H. Warner. The member- ship of the church was then two hundred and seventy.
Dr. Hall accepted a call from the First Presbyterian church in Newburgh, N. Y., in January, 1873, and is still ministering to that people with increasing usefulness.
April 6, 1873, a call was extended to Mr. Frank S. Fitch, who was about to graduate at Yale Theological Seminary. June 17th, he was ordained pastor, and ministered with great acceptance and marked success till September 29, 1878, when he resigned to accept a call from the Seventh Street Congre- gational church in Cincinnati. These were years of revival, and one hundred and twenty-six were added to the church, making at the present time about one-quarter of the member- ship. "He that winneth souls is wise." It has always seemed to me extremely unfortunate that after receiving this large
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company of young people to the church Mr. Fitch could not have remained to train them in Christian work and establish them in the faith.
Samuel Howard Dana, D.D., was called to this pastorate December 22, 1878, and was installed March 12, 1879. At his own request he was dismissed December 6, 1881. The fol- lowing is from the "Result of Council ":
"In reluctantly consenting to sanction the removal of Mr. Dana from the fellowship with the churches of this body to which he was cordially welcomed nearly three years since, and in which he has been increasingly appreciated, we tender him our heartiest wishes for his future welfare and usefulness, and we commend him to the churches in the midst of which his lot may be cast hereafter, as an active, earnest and dili- gent minister of Christ, of Catholic spirit, of fine culture and scholarly aspiration ; of unblemished character and in good repute as a preacher and pastor ; and as a man whose patience and dignity in peculiar trials have been recognized with admi- ration both by the people of his immediate charge and by the Christian public surrounding them."
For the past six years Dr. Dana has been the successful pastor of the Union Congregational church of Quincy, Illinois. We are sorry not to have him with us in these festivities.
During the six months, beginning with February, 1882, Dr. Edwin Johnson supplied the church, and during the summer Rev. F. S. Fitch, to whom a unanimous and hearty vote was extended to assume again the pastorate. In declining Mr. Fitch wrote, "My heart has said 'yes' all along, but my judg- ment has constrained me to say 'no.'"
Early in 1883, H. M. Ladd, D.D., supplied for several weeks and a call was extended to him, which he declined. As the year wore on many candidates were heard, till September 23, 1883, a call was extended to your present pastor, whose term of service is, by a few months, longer than any since that of Mr. Weed. Meanwhile the membership of the church had been growing less, from two hundred and seventy to two hundred and fifty, but since 1884, eighty have been added, making the number about the same as during Mr. Hall's and
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Mr. Fitch's ministry. Oh that the Lord might visit his her- itage in blessing and fit pastor and people for a large ingather- ing of precious souls !
October 26, 1885, a Young People's Society of Christian En- deavor was organized and has been a most hopeful and help- ful means of bringing the young people into the Christian life and of training them for Christian service. For more than a year a Junior Society has been found useful in fitting the little ones for work, and in encouraging them in looking for- ward to helpful participation in the activities of the church.
Philip Groves' name appears among the earliest lists of the Colony. He was the only Ruling Elder of the church; in 1654 he was chosen "Assistant," and "was empowered to marry persons." The following is the list of Deacons: John Birdsey, whose son, John, was born in Stratford in 1641; Timothy Wilcoxson, Thomas Wells, Robert Walker, John Thompson, Ephraim Judson, Job Peck, Elnathan Wheeler, Isaiah Brown, Ebenezer Coe, Nathan McEwen, Samuel Ufford, Agur Curtis, Philo Curtis, Agur Curtis, "3d," David P. Jud- son, Agur Treat Curtis, Lewis Beers, Charles C. Wells, Samuel T. Houghton. and Samuel E. Curtis.
The first house of worship was on the shore of the creek at Sandy Hollow, where is now the barn belonging to Captain William Barrymore. There are no records of its dimensions, but if it was like the first meeting-house in New Haven, it was square, with a hip-roof, and on the top an out-look against the approach of Indians, and, also, some provision for a bell, which is said to have been the first church bell in the State. The first sexton and bell-ringer was John Peet; when his duties began we do not know, but in 1660 John Pickett was elected by the town to fill his place. In 1661 "it was agreed that there shall be a gallery builded in the meeting-house in the convenient place." This house was in use about forty years, for in 1681 it was torn down and the materials sold at auction; some of the timbers being in the house near by, now occupied by Mr. Joseph Savage.
" Goodman Peake " and "Goodman Pickett " not only cared
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for the building and rang the bell for meetings and at "nine of the clock," but were required " to watch over the disorderly persons in the meeting and use his discretion in striking any person whom he finds so disorderly."
As the years went on the population of Stratford moved "up town." So that in 1678, when the location of the new church, which had been resolved upon only two years after the Narragansett war, was mooted and five different localities were mentioned, Rev. Israel Chauncey agreed to give £40 if they would "sett the meeting-house upon the hill," and No- vember 25, 1679, it voted to "move up town."
The location, which we call Academy Hill, was then Watch- house hill and in early years marked the northern boundary of the settlement, as along the northern brow of the hill there was a row of palisades, within which was the Watch-house. The dimensions of this second meeting-house were "forty-eight feet in length, forty-two feet in breadth, and sixteen feet be- tween joints," from which I judge that the general appearance of the building was the same with the first. The building committee were "Captain William Curtis, Sergt. Jerem. Jud- son, John Curtis, Sergt. Jehiel Preston, and John Birdseye, Jr." The house was built during the summer of 1680, and by vote of the town the inhabitants were seated according to rules of dignity, one special rule being the amount they paid to the new building, which was of course by tax and not volun- tary. At this time a day's work was credited at two shillings and sixpence to three shillings.
The tax which was voted "to pay charges about the build- ing" was £100. In 1689 it was voted to fortify the house so that it could be used "as a place of security for women and children."
In 1700 an end gallery was built, and in 1715 two side gal- leries, and it was voted in 1718 that the west side gallery " shall be seated with married men, the east gallery with married women, and antiant bachelors and antiant maidens the second seats." In 1715 "farmers were granted liberty to erect suit- able shelter for their horses on all public days." The first pews were built about 1710.
INTERIOR OF OLD CHURCH.
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During the pastorate of Mr. Gold, on the "second Monday, February, 1743, voted that it is necessary to build a meeting- house." This is the action of the ecclesiastical society, not the town. There was also a difference of opinion in regard to location, for "Captain Theoplius Nichols, Mr. Robert Wal- ker, Jr., and Sergeant Daniel Porter," were empowered to make application to the General Assembly for " a committee to fix a place where the said society shall erect their meeting- house." The dimensions were to be sixty feet in length, forty in width, the posts twenty-six feet, and a steeple one hundred and thirty feet high. This third meeting-house was located near the sight of the old academy, a few rods west of the pre- ceding house, facing south, where was the door of entrance, and some marks of the bridle-path leading to it now remain. It was destroyed by lightning June 11, 1785, the fire bursting out first from the steeple. This was during the pastorate of Mr. Stebbins.
The society seem not at all to have been disheartened by their loss, for the frame of the new house was begun to be raised on Friday, May 17, 1786, upon this location where we now are, which was then called Hiell's hill, and also Smith shop hill, and in just twenty-five weeks it was completed, the services of dedication being on Sunday, November 12th, when Mr. Stebbins preached in the morning from Psalms 107:7, after which was the communion, and at three in the afternoon there was a union service, at which time Mr. Stebbins again preached.
The dimensions of this fourth building were the same as the third, and the general appearance is familiar from the cut in our manual. It was an imposing structure for the times. The view of the interior has been preserved through the thoughtfulness of Mr. R. W. Bunnell, who stepped into the building November 1, 1858, as it was being torn down to make way for the present edifice, and sketched the pulpit, sounding- board and surroundings so perfectly that the room has been finely reproduced. Mr. Swan records that six hundred and twenty-four were received to the church membership in that building.
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Mr. William A. Booth, of New York, then living here, built the beautiful parsonage, which each pastor since Mr. Swan has greatly enjoyed, and for several years rented it to the society for a nominal sum. It was afterwards purchased of him. He was largely instrumental in the erection of the present meeting-house, which was dedicated October 27, 1859, with the scripture reading by Dr. Brace, of Milford ; the prayer by Dr. Hewitt, of Bridgeport, and the sermon by Dr. R. S. Storrs, of Brooklyn. Its architecture is peculiarly ecclesias- tical and beautiful. Last year it was greatly improved by the introduction of steam heating apparatus, as well as thoroughly repaired.
The town meeting has frequently been referred to as the corner-stone of our civil freedom. Too much honor cannot be given to Connecticut as the mother of our democracy and the author of our widespread doctrine of civil government as well as the source of the compromise out of which grew our present National Constitution, in which Stratford had her honored part; but beyond this I agree with Senator Platt in the declaration, that "The Congregational church was a re- ligious democracy, and our civil independence and political self-government are its necessary out-growth. The day of the meeting-house was a day of moral earnestness."
The metrical version of the Psalms, by Sternhold and Hop- kins, was printed with the Bibles of the latter part of the 16th century, and was probably used by the founders of this church. The Bay Psalm Book was published in 1640, and after a few years was in general use in New England. It is interesting to remember that at the organization of this church the King James verson of the Bible was not in universal use. The Gene- van Bible was used for many years at New Haven, and not unlikely in this church, also, with the same strong opposition to "any change in the Word of God," which we find to- day with reference to the Revised Version. Dr. Watt's Scrip- tural selection was in use after the Bay Psalm Book and, also, Tate and Brady, which was also published in 1765 with an appendix from Dr. Watts. "A hundred years after this we find
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the Church Psalmody, and in 1857 there was in use here the "Psalms and Hymns," issued by the State Association. In February, 1873, a committee was appointed who selected the "Songs for the Sanctuary," which has been in use since then.
In early years one or more choristers were elected who set the tune with a pitch-pipe; after that the base viol and other stringed instruments led the service of song, with the addition of a choir completing the four parts. Fugue tunes came into use in the latter part of the 18th century. The next advance was a melodeon with two banks of keys, and in 1868 our pres- ent organ was purchased.
" All nations prayse the Lord; him prayse all people. For his mercies bee great toward us ; also always the Lord's truth lasts, the Lord prayse yee."
[From Bay Psalm Book, 1640.]
In this brief time, which can be taken from the crowded ex- ercises of this anniversary, I have given a few meagre outline touches along the two hundred and fifty years of our history. The simple facts would be of little interest were it not that a "master thought " underlies them all. It is, What God has wrought through His people for His kingdom. The work- inen-more than two thousand of them, members of this church-have died, but the work dies not. The star of hope never shined more brightly. The hastening glory of the com- ing kingdom is beyond the dawning, it climbs toward the zenith of its consummation. We have been considering the history of our church, but we are a part of a great whole. There is a wider sweep of historic forces-there is the univer- sal church of God. And although our Congregational churches do not yet number their membership in the millions, we do take pride in the contributions which we have made to the past and in that which we are williang to make to the more glorious future. Our freedom of worship, our liberty of thought, our protest against any hierarchy, our equality before God-" the common priesthood of believers "-our zeal for the Kingdom of Righteousness and Truth,-these are the truths which our fathers gave us, and these are the things
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which we would bear onward to the church of Christ univer- s.l. "For yet a very little while He that cometh shall come," and in that triumphal glory we shall have our share, while to Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb shall be the everlasting praise.
COMMUNION.
REV. W. K. HALL, D.D.
ST. PAUL said, That which I have received give I unto you. On the same night in which our Lord was betrayed he took bread and blessed it. In imitation of our Lord's example let us look now for the Divine blessing upon this bread.
ALMIGHTY FATHER, it is with a holy joy and devout thanksgiv- ing that we gather around the table of our Lord to-day. We are thankful for the past. We are thankful for the fathers' faith, and the fathers' love, and the fathers' service, thankful to Thee for their consecration to Christ and to His service. We are conscious to-day of receiving not simply a heritage of circumstances, a heritage of knowledge, a heritage of truth from them, but a heritage of life, a life that was fed upon the Christ upon whom we feed to-day. We are thankful, our Heavenly Father, that we are possessors of this life, that has been communicated to us down through the centuries, and we rejoice to-day in the same truth in which our fathers rejoiced ; and to-day we are having the same comforts and the same source of peace and strength, and the same inspiration for high purpose and earnest work, here at the table of our Lord. Amid all the changes of the changing years we gather around this table conscious that the significance of the symbol that is now before us has remained unchanged; that He is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; that the cross that was once up-lifted, and the Christ, who once gave Himself to redeem the world, are the same, and so upon the same food we eat to-day as our fathers did. And grant, and grant now, we pray Thee,
NOTE .- The following officiated at the Communion : Deacons R. B. Lacey, J. H. Linds- ley, W. Wells Lewis, E. W. Woodruff, A. L. Winton, A. T. Curtis, and C. C. Wells.
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that the blessings with which Thou didst bless them, the blessings of spiritual strength, the blessings of hope, of life, of comfort, of peace, of joy, may be ours to-day. And we would, our Father, not simply look back upon the past or cast our eye down the future; and while we are thankful for the past, which has been bequeathed to us, with all its rich leg- acies and ever-constant power for good, thankful to Thee for the presence in which we stand, we pray for blessings upon the children and the children's children that may come after us; that the light here may continue to shine, giving forth no uncertain light, and that this table, with its blessed sig- nificance, may continue to give nourishment and strength to those, who shall come after. May there be loyalty, truth and allegiance to Christ and love for Him. And may we hear the voices from this high day of festivity and joy, with renewed purpose to serve Thee, with renewed consecration prompted by Thy love shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost ; and, denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, may we live righteous and godly in this present world, looking unto the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. And to the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, be praise forever. Amen.
And when our Lord had blessed the bread he gave it unto his disciples, saying, This is my body broken for you. Take, eat. This do in remembrance of me.
REV. F. S. FITCH .- He also took the cup and gave thanks.
WE thank Thee, our dear Father in Heaven, for Thy love wherewith Thou has loved us, and for all these efforts which Thou hast been making for our salvation. We thank Thee especially for the gift of Thy dear Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, through whom we have remission of sins and newness of life and access to Thee. We beseech Thee that Thou wilt fill our hearts with gratitude to the Holy Spirit for this gift of our Lord; and as we receive this fruit of the vine, may we understand Thy measure of infinite love; for greater
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love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend. May we be able to discern his wounded body, his broken life, his agony, his death: Who, though he was no sinner, stood in our place and suffered as our surety. Help us also, our Heavenly Father, to have a due sense of our own unworthiness. May we realize that, if our disease was so fatal that no other remedy would avail, that sin must be a great terror to our souls. May we understand that, without the remission of blood through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, there is no salvation, and may we therefore gladly acknowl- edge our indebtedness to Him who hath made this costly sac- rifice for us. Wilt Thou set apart for holy uses so much of this fruit of the vine as we shall drink, that it shall not be a type of the world's greatest debauchery and sin, but that it shall be a type to us of the vine and the branches, of that im- partation of life which strengthens us here and makes immor- tality possible. We beseech Thee as we receive this cup that we may receive it as a token of Thy grace and to the honor of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
BENEDICTION.
REV. JOEL S. IVES.
AND now, the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you per- fect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Recess for collation at Town Hall.
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COLLATION TABLES IN TOWN HALL ..
THE DIVINE BLESSING WAS INVOKED BY
REV. H. A. DAVENPORT.
OUR Father, God: we want Thy blessing at this family table of the household of faith. We thank Thee for the brightness and fellowship of this day. We thank Thee for Thy favor to us in spiritual and temporal matters. We, therefore, earnestly crave thy blessing, that Thou wouldst sanctify these comforts and these pleasures and this sweet Christian communion. Be gracious to us this hour, we pray Thee, and accept our thanks, in Jesus Christ. Amen.
AFTERNOON SERVICE.
PRAYER,
REV. GEORGE W. JUDSON.
LET us pray.
Thou hast been our dwelling place, O Lord, in all genera- tions. Before the mountains were made, before Thou didst form the earth and the world, even from everlasting to ever- lasting, Thou art God. And yet we rejoice to know Thee as our Heavenly Father, and we rejoice to acknowledge Thy presence in these last festivities, and in these joyful memo- ries. Accept then, we pray Thee, the gratitude and the thanks- giving of our hearts for all the mercies and blessings which, in all the days that have gone by, Thou hast bestowed upon this ancient church. We rejoice in the character of Christian piety and fervent enthusiasm of those who established this church. We rejoice in the work which was done by all those who followed in the footsteps of the founders of this church. We rejoice for Christian fathers and mothers. We rejoice for Christian homes. We rejoice in all the lives of beneficence and influence in this place that have been lived, showing forth not the glory of self, but the glory of Christ. We do thank Thee for the children which have gone forth, in the days that have gone, from the maternal roof, in the midst of other sur- roundings, continuing the good work which they were per- mitted here to begin. And we do beseech Thee that, as child- ren and the children's children have gathered to-day in the old home, Thy blessing may rest upon us; and that those, who shall bring the tributes of their love and their affection, may be able to give adequate expression to the gratitude and love of their hearts. Now bless us, we beseech Thee, in the especial services of this afternoon. Grant that the welcome home may make us feel, each and every one of us, at home in our fellow-
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ship with one another, and in our communion with Thee, our common Lord. Grant, we beseech Thee, that the word spoken unto us by former pastors of this church may come to us bring- ing to our minds the remembrance of services which they were permitted here to do for Thee, and may the remembrance of these services add impressiveness and power to the words of counsel which they shall bring to us, and as those churches, which are here represented, shall bring one by one the tidings and the messages of their love and affection, may it be that a tide of love for Thee shall fill all our hearts, for Thee, the giver of these good gifts, for Thee, the inspirer of all this Christian endeavor, and thus may it be that the services of this hour shall do us all good, shall stimulate and quicken us in our Christian endeavors, shall inspire us in all that we have to do in following the Master, that we may be able so worthily to serve Thee with all the Israel of God, that not only Thy kingdom shall come but Thy will be done in earth as it is done in heaven. We ask it in the name of our Lord and Master. Amen.
ADDRESS OF WELCOME,
BY THE PASTOR.
THE grandmother is keeping house to-day; and she finds herself somewhat in the position of that mother of our nursery rhymes, who had so many children that she didn't know what to do! But we are here to give you a most hearty welcome ;- you who are the children and the grandchildren of this ancient church. We are here to bid you most hearty welcome who come as friends, and who come in remembrance of the ancestors who have lived in this church. We bid you most hearty welcome. It is our rejoicing that you are with us to-day. We are glad because the years have rolled around till this anniversary has been reached, and in this joyous occasion we can thus cele- brate our Quarto-Millennium. Yet this upon the programme which you read, "Address of Welcome by the Pastor," was put on simply to fill up and make the programme look well. It wasn't intended that there should be any set address. We
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