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 4
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are rejoicing that two of the former pastors of this church are present with us, and it devolves upon them to give the greetings to these children and grandchildren who are with us to-day. We are glad now to listen to Dr. Hall.
GREETINGS TO THE CHILDREN AND GRAND- CHILDREN OF THE CHURCH,
REV. W. K. HALL, D.D.
I SUPPOSE it was the intention simply to fill out the pro- gramme. It is so short!
I have been looking at these panels and have been wonder- ing, my dear brother, whether it was for to-day you have had so many panels put in this church, so that at the time of this celebration there would be just so many churches' names to fill in.
MR. IVES. We are just one child short and had to put up that flag.
DR. HALL. You haven't heard from all of them.
It is about a score of years ago, twenty years next May, if my memory serves me rightly, this dear old grandmother was invited to participate in the birthday exercises of her first- born child, the Woodbury church; and I have been requested by your pastor to limit my words to greetings to the Wood- bury church and her children. As I read that request, my mind went back twenty years ago to the lovely feast we held up among the hills and by the beautiful river, with this bright, beautiful, fair daughter two hundred years old I was then a young man just entering the ministry, and I was called upon to represent this old grandmother; and the sentiment at that time proposed to which I was called upon to respond was this, or something like it: "Venerable mother: Thou that dwellest by the sea, called in thy green old age to celebrate the birthday of thy first daughter, we greet thee and we wel- come thee to this fair heritage with which the Lord our God hath blessed thee."
That is pretty good for the memory of one who is called
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upon to represent a church that was then about two hundred years old. At that time this daughter, and the children and grandchildren that were then with her, in the course of the day's festivities, referred to the time which would not be far away. It seemed to me then to be very far away, when we would assemble beneath the old homestead roof and celebrate the Two Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the mother's life. The years have gone by, dear friends, and those of you who were with us at Woodbury perhaps think it was only yes- terday we had the lovely pleasant time together. How heartily we entered into the rejoicings of that day! While this mother has had, I think, about five children, this daughter has had five, and a granddaughter; so that she is not simply a grand- mother but a great-grandmother; for, if I mistake not, the church in South Britain is the grand-child of the church in Woodbury. Am I right?
MR. IVES. I don't know, sir.
DR. HALL. I thought you were the historian.
MR. IVES. Not of that church.
DR. HALL. I think the South Britain church was a grand- child of the church of Woodbury. If so, the old church here is a great-grandmother instead of a grandmother. We greet and welcome you, dear child of Woodbury, and your children and your grandchildren to-day. You see your own mother hale and hearty as ever. There is no sign of decrepitude or decadence about her. It is one sad thing when we come to visit our parents in declining years to find marks that make us sad. We see the deep furrows in the face, we see the tot- tering step, we see the failing faculties; and it is sometimes far more saddening than joyous to see an old parent from whom we have been separated perhaps many years. But not so with the church of the living God. If she is fulfilling her mission, doing the work that God has assigned her, she grows youthful with the years; and, though the years wax and wane, she seems to take on with increasing years increased vitality. And so to-day this old church of Christ presents as fresh a life, as buoyant a heart, as sprightly a step, as any of her children. And as you draw nearer to her, and receive her
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warm congratulations and greetings to-day, beneath the old roof, by the old fireside, the daughters, and the daughters' children, there come the evident tokens of a life prosperous, strong and vigorous. You find one who is as true to-day to the standards of the faith as when, two hundred and fifty years ago, the few gathered together to sign with their own hands the solemn covenant. Your mother has never desired one verse less in the Bible. She has never abbreviated her creed, nor has she shortened the commandments. Faithful to truth: and although she may have an increase of knowledge above that of the fathers, yet still she looks back with reverence and with devout thanksgiving to the grace of God that hath crowned the years, and looks forward with bright, keen eye to the future, believing that, as long as yonder river flows to the sea, and as long as yonder waves beat upon the shore, though the old town of Stratford, with its historic records and glories, may be engulfed within the more modern but prosperous, busy city of Bridgeport, that is continually grasping from her old reach and domain; and though she may lose possibly in the years to come, her very name; yet, while this church of Christ stands, it will stand by the truth of God, it will stand by the old symbols the fathers have handed down to her, faithful to the end. And so she bids you, children and grandchildren, as you leave her fold to-day, to go back to your own homes and own fire-sides, to take back with you the spirit of vitality, that you breathe in anew as you come to these old haunts of your youth, of the years long gone by. But I remind myself that I am to speak but five minutes, and I think I must have spoken five minutes and a half.
MR. IVES. You will now hear a response from the oldest daughter.
RESPONSE from the First Church of Woodbury,
REV. J. A. FREEMAN.
As representing this daughter to-day, I say, Here are we and those whom God has given us. We do rejoice to be present with you to-day, and to speak this word of congratu-
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lation. I think perhaps it may be well when I commence to let you down just a little: we have been going up pretty well. But the element of brevity comes in here, and this saying I have heard: "Be learned or unlearned; formal or informal, wise or unwise, only be brief." We will all be brief, dear friends, we will all be brief. There is something, however, to say that I think is very important now, in reference to the relation this daughter, that has gone out from Stratford, has to the old mother; and it seems to me that the relation is not very different from what the relation between the mother and her children always is. I look around and about on these pan- els, and I see these different names, and I remember many years ago the oldest daughter going out from home, and coming back, after the years were past, with her children. We come to-day to congratulate, to be one with you. What is the use of it all? What is the use of a daughter going to California, or Washington Territory, or Oregon, or any of those places ? What is the use? Why are not the daughters and all the granddaughters here in Stratford? Why haven't they lived here through the years up to the present moment and enjoyed the society of mother and grandmother? Why, it is the same old story, illustrated by us, illustrated by the grandchildren, illustrated all the time, the eagle stirring up the nest and the young being turned out of the old place to find their new homes and fulfill their destiny. So up among the hills two hundred and twenty years ago almost, the daughter went for better or for worse; and the hills in the Pomperaug valley now see a change, the hills feel the influence of the separation that came two hundred years and more ago. They feel that influence whether Calvinist, Presbyterians, or this, that and the other, what the difference ? It is God's way, it is God's way, putting down his hand into the nest and stirring up the nest, and the young birds go, and there are new homes, and you see the results of it all.
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Now, there is one thing that I want to say, to-day, that we can boast about a little when we come back. These children you have spoken of so well-now there are children to show for themselves. They are a very modest people-
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DR. HALL. They get that from the grandmother.
MR. FREEMAN. Yes, they get it from the grandmother. They are very modest, very modest indeed. They are all very modest, especially the youngest daughter; the youngest grand- daughter is very modest indeed. They are all modest, nice children; they are all nice children, all clean, all do just right. We have brought them back here. As a matter of fact, in reference to what you have said, there is not a daughter, neither of these daughters I believe, certainly not this one and the daughter of this one on the hills, that has ever let down the great principle of the mother here in this church, not one of them ; and they have lived there, and they have touched that whole region, and they have carried the principles of which we have heard to-day in that whole region. Daughter,- Woodbury First Church, 1670, and grandchildren, with their names around in this house on these different panels, they are not ashamed to come back here, to-day, and speak of what they are, as related to the mother and the principles they have held through all these years.
MR. IVES. Mr. Hall has taken the Woodbury Church with the children. We shall now hear a greeting from Mr. Fitch to the rest of the family.
REV. F. S. FITCH. I remember some sixteen years ago as a theological student in my senior year, at the invitation of Mr. Sedgwick, coming over here to spend the Sunday; and as I . walked along the north of the church to his residence, I was very much delighted with its external appearance, and as I passed to the centre of the street I was charmed with the view which stretched out far to the south; and the village and the church of Stratford has looked lovely in my eyes ever since. I have been absent from you more years than I was with you ; and yet I am sure I can say, as I have no doubt Brother Hall can say, that we have never lost our love for this church or its members, or our pride in its inheritance. My early life was spent in Ohio, and my early student days in Oberlin, in the early days of anti-slavery excitement., And my conception of religious life and the church life was one, in which
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earnestness and fervor were the essential elements. I remem- ber while in New Haven, as a member of the old Center Church, that, with a young man's pharisaism,-I suppose it must have been,-I was some little time in discovering very much piety in the Center Church; and, I suppose, had I known this church at that time, I should have been equally slow to discern the hidings of its strength. But my acquaintance with the First Church in New Haven and my acquaintance with this church, following the Western life of my boyhood, and preceding the Western pastorates, which I have had in two Western cities, have been of incalculable benefit to me. They have given me the power of appreciating, in some degree, the element of time in church life, and the element of time in the unfolding and the manifestation of personal character; and I am sure that in the historic lessons, we have been learning in the last few years, both in our church life and national life, we all of us, whether members of these historic churches or members of the newer churches of some other part of the land, are coming to appreciate, as we never did before, the conservative and preserving power of these ancient churches. There are some to-day, who question the place of the church of Christ among the forces of modern society, who call our attention to the press, to the platform, to the scientific congress and to the many influences, which are permeating and characterizing modern life. But I am sure that to-day, in this presence, and crowded and pressed as we are with the memories of the past, that we will be very slow to admit that there is anything, which God in his goodness has given this nation, which is of more value or which has more manifest marks of his approval and affection than the gift, to this ancient church, of his Son. How many ministers, how many missionaries, how many Chris- tian workers have gone out from the circle of churches which are to-day represented in this maternal home! I remember, when I was called upon to hear words of greeting from Brother Palmer and all the rest, the day of my ordination in this church, sixteen years ago, when our honored and beloved President Dwight preached the sermon, and when Brother Palmer gave the charge to the pastor, and Brother Davenport
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the right hand of fellowship, and it seems to me a very curious duty, that I should be called upon to give any words of greet- ing to you, for it seems but yesterday when you laid your hands on my inexperienced and untried head, and set me apart to the sacred office of pastor of this flock. But we are re- minded by these changes and by these differences of relation, that we are all brethren, and that we have one common Head, even the Lord Jesus Christ. And as years and experience come to me I rejoice more and more in the work of the Chris- tian ministry, and I trust I appreciate with some measure of earnestness and seriousness the value of these churches to this Commonwealth, and to our great Nation.
Is the problem of the hour the labor problem? Where can we find any satisfactory solution except in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ? Is it a question of good order among all the diversified classes of our national life ? Where are we to find any fraternity, any abiding love except that which comes from the brotherhood of the Lord Jesus ? Is it a question of education ? The church has not only been the mother of us all but our teacher. Yale University is known in many parts of the land and the world, where these New England village churches are not known; but we come here and the historian tells us of a time, which antedated the birth of that venerable university, and the relation of these pastors and this people to the very foundation of that ancient seat of learning. And were it possible for us to trace all the influences, that have centered about that venerable seat of learning we can find that very much of it had come from the choicest life of the churches of our order in this Commonwealth. It is a National Univer- sity; it is catholic toward all sects; it is hospitable toward all ideas; it is ready for any new truth; and yet the source of its inspiration and the warrant of its being was the spon- sorship given by these early churches. I welcome all the churches that have been mentioned by name most heartily in the name of this mother church; and, as one by one, we see your faces and hear your voices, we will join in the universal Te Deum that God has given us such rich memories and such a worthy parentage, and wherever our lot may be cast we will
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try to be true to the churches of our order in this ancient Commonwealth.
MR. IVES. Rev. Mr. Palmer will respond in behalf of the First Church, which has been so prolific of good in our neigh- boring city.
RESPONSE from the First Church, Bridgeport,
REV. C. R. PALMER.
The relation of the First Church of Bridgeport to this ancient church in Stratford is certainly somewhat peculiar. It is not often that a child is blessed with two mothers; and yet it must be admitted that just as truly as the Stratford church is the mother of the First Church of Bridgeport, the Fairfield church is the mother of the First Church of Bridge- port. But we have this to remember that is in favor of the Stratford Church. When a movement began to set off from the Town of Stratford a few members, and from the Town of Fairfield a few members, to be incorporated as the Stratfield Parish, of which the First Church in Bridgeport is the out- growth, our Fairfield mother was exceedingly unwilling to part with her children. The tradition is that she thought she should miss the pew taxes ; and she went so far as to resist, in the General Court, a bill to incorporate the Parish of Strat- field for two or three years, and it was after four years, if I remember aright, that her opposition was overcome. Now there is no record that the Stratford mother ever showed any reluctance to have us go. Either, there were some people there as to whom she felt that their room was better than their company, or else there was a generous, liberal spirit here in Stratford, that said, "Let the children go, let them set up for themselves, we shall be all the better by-and-by because they do." Now, as there is no record that the first alternative, which I mentioned was the correct one, I incline to believe the latter was the correct one. And, standing here to repre- sent that ancient Stratfield church, I rejoice and give thanks in the remembrance that the mother was liberal and generous enough to let us go with her blessing.
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Well, sir, a good many years have passed away. Very soon we expect to celebrate the second centennial of the incorpora- tion of that church. Things are moving fast. Perhaps, by that day, this will be the North Congregational Church of Bridgeport. If so, the mother will outrank us entirely, and we shall have to bow, whereas now we boast to be the oldest church in Bridgeport. We rejoice very much in our children, some of whom have grown to be larger than ourselves, but they all will join; I am sure, in welcoming you back to Bridge- port when you shall come.
Seriously, sir, I have a great deal of sympathy with the re- marks which my Brother Fitch has made. A church of Christ in New England, with its ancient foundation and its centuries of history, is a splendid record if you can appreciate it. It is not merely what you see when you come into this town of Stratford; it is not merely what you see when you come in and look at the First Church of Bridgeport : it is not merely what you see when you come into Milford and look at the First Church of Milford, which measures the significance of one of these ancient records. Why, sir, what fountains of in- fluence these churches have been. Four or five weeks ago I. was preaching out in Central New York and when I got through and came down out of the pulpit, a lady came for- ward to meet me: "I want to speak to speak to you, sir," she said. "Very well, ma'am," I rejoined, "I am very happy to see you." She said, "I am a Stratford woman, and I couldn't see a Bridgeport minister in this pulpit and not want to greet him." In how many communities should we find Stratford people-why, they are scattered the country over and every where, I dare say, as in that instance, they represent the best elements of the community. So it is. Why, I have been pastor, not a great while, but long enough to remember Brother Hall here and to have taken part in Brother Fitch's installation, and Brother Dana's and Brother Ives'; and in my own church the people have scattered from it the country over till there is hardly a region in the whole nation where I can not put my finger upon some one and another and say, there is one that has gone out from this old church in Bridge- port.
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Well, sir, there is a peculiar value in these ancient and long continued churches. I had to baptize a child one day in my church, and the grandfather said to me, "Well, sir, there is the beginning of the ninth generation in this church." Now, it is of value that there are communities where there are con- tinuous lines of godly family history ; of families trained in the fear of God, in the love of liberty, of righteousness and of truth. It is a proud record that this church has ; it is a proud record that all these ancient New England churches have, that they have ministered to the development of the history of this nation in this indirect way of scattering children taught in the fear of God and the love of right and truth and liberty all over this broad country.
Once more, sir, as representing the First Church of Bridge- port, we hail and congratulate our Stratford mother. We re- joice in the continuance of her history to this day. We re- joice in her prosperity. This morning when we saw the cross purposes between the choir and the minister about the hymn we could not help thinking, a good deal of the independent spirit of years gone by is with her yet. Perhaps it is just as well; she will live the longer !
MR. IVES. You remember the parable of the sheep that was lost. In hunting up our children we were delighted in happen- ing upon a child that was lost off on the Newtown hills, and we greet her to-day.
RESPONSE from the Church in Newtown.
REV. J. P. HOYT.
I wish to take half a moment, of the five minutes assigned me, 'in relating an incident very briefly. It is said that, in a convention or gathering similar to this, the pastor of the church, in offering the introductory prayer, forgot for the moment there was more than one speaker, and so invoked the divine blessing upon the speaker of the afternoon. Then, re- membering that there was another, he offered a petition for him, but, just as he was closing, he remembered that there was another still, and more to follow, and so he said in his
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closing words, "and may the Lord have mercy on the third speaker and those who are to follow him, and all those who are to listen to him." I cannot but think that my brother, the pastor of this church, is offering this prayer mentally, and I am very glad that I am not the nineteenth speaker, to whom you will listen after a few moments have passed.
But in regard to this lost sheep, to whom the pastor has referred, I am very glad to come to you to-day and say, the lost is found, and we are glad to be here and join in these greetings. But we deny that we were ever lost! We think the mistake is with the pastor of this church, as I can prove to you out of his own mouth, or rather, from his own pen; for, in writing to me on this subject, he said, we welcome you as a child; although, until I investigated the matter, I was in utter ignorance that we had a child upon the Newtown hills. Well, my friends, the fact is that this ancient church of Strat- ford is like the Queen of England in one respect, she has many daughters most happily settled in life; and there are so many of them that I suppose she sometimes forgets their names and forgets where they are and how they are. For example, there is the church in Bridgeport from whom we have just heard. She is the Princess Royal of the Royal Family, and has an empire of her own by the sea, and right grandly does she hold it and sway it.
Then there is the Woodbury church who may be compared to the Princess of Lorne, if I may use that name. She has wandered up towards Canada, far away from the mother church. But she does not dwell there 'lorn and lone, but she is in a vast Congregational berry field, Waterbury, Roxbury, Middlebury, Southbury, etc., etc. These are only specimens of the beautiful, bounteous, glorious fruits which the branches of this mother church have borne as they have run over the walls. Now, I am here to-day to represent before you the third daughter of this ancient church, who has stayed nearer the homestead and who has always been consociated with her mother and this family of churches; and we, who form this Consociation of Fairfield East, gather around our mother to day, and we ask her blessing; and all her children rise up and
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bless her. We are proud of our parentage; and, as we united to-day in singing the hymn, " Blest be the tie that binds," our hearts, as well as our voices, rendered blessing unto the Great Head of the church for thus binding us closely and lovingly together.
But there are some special ties which unite us to this mother church, to which I may briefly allude, though the time is so brief I can only outline them. The first tie is in the name Newtown itself. There is a tradition, (and this has be- come the certainty of a fact in my mind as I have investigated it,) that Newtown was called Newtown in order to distinguish her from the old town of Stratford. from which she was set off. So we are in Newtown: you are in Old-town; and all the characters which Mrs. Beecher Stowe has rendered famous and illustrious in her "Oldtown Folks" live here in Stratford without doubt. Then again, the early settlers of Newtown came from Stratford. The Hawleys who founded Hawleyville came from this place, and they gave their name to that future city. There was a family named Clark who came from this place, and one of the descendants of that family told me only this week that her ancestor, who originally came from Strat- ford, feeling the need of help in clearing away the wild land of Newtown, came back to Stratford; and what do you think he did? He bought a slave here in Stratford, a negro boy eight years old, paying eight pounds for him, a pound for every year of his life; carried him to Newtown, and, when there was a declaration of independence, as far as slavery was concerned, in this Commonwealth, gave him his freedom; but the noble colored brother said, "You have cared for me in my boyhood, I will care for you in your old age ;" and he remained with him till the day of his death. Then there was a man by the name of Jeremiah Turner, who came from Stratford to Newtown; and it is recorded on a monument in one of the old cemeteries, that he was the father of the first male child born in Newtown. It is also recorded in the Town Records, I think, that he returned to Stratford for a wife. This Jeremiah Turner returned, so he was a re-Turner to the old Town of Stratford, and I venture to say that there were no "lamenta-
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