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 5
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tions " of that Jeremiah over his choice; and from that day to this Newtown people have been marrying Stratford people. The daughter of our senior deacon married a Stratford brother, and he is now deacon in the Newtown church. So you will see how we are tied together by these memories of the past as well as of the present.
But the most interesting tie, and I allude to this in closing, Mr. Mother, is this: that the most successful pastor the church in Newtown ever had was a native of Stratford, Rev. David Judson, born, as I have been told since I came here to- day, near the foot of your Academy Hill. He had a pastorate of one-third of a century in Newtown, and was loved when there and in all the churches of this region. He was a revo- lutionary soldier or chaplain, and died in the war, and his grave is with us, in the Newtown cemetery to this day ; and a beautiful and suggestive fact connected with it is, that, out of the very heart of the grave, there is growing an evergreen tree, keeping alive, in the memory of his successors and those who have taken up the work after him, the memory of that good and godly man, Rev. David Judson, of Stratford. With these memories in my mind, wishing I could say more, but lim- iting myself to this, Newtown, with her fertile farms, with her manufactures, with her four different railroads, soon to be- come five, with her hundreds of industrious citizens, we come back to our mother to-day, and extend to her our greet- ings and congratulations; and we say, giving it a meaning more true and deep and tender than the Englishman can when they sing that song, "God save the Queen,"-the Queen mother of all these churches. And we reverently add, God save the churches themselves, and all the members of these churches, and bring us all home at last to the great family gathering in the palace of the great King.
MR. IVES. Before singing the 1309th Hymn, I desire to say that there were no " cross purposes," as Brother Palmer sug- gested, but only an earnest desire on the part of the choir leader to follow out my wishes and make the services as brief as possible. We will now hear the response from the church
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in Huntington. Will those who are to respond from Trum- bull and Monroe please come forward so as to have no delay.
RESPONSE from the Church in Huntington,
REV. A. J. PARK.
VENERABLE MOTHER : We come to you to-day with greeting, realizing how precious is this thought of coming home to our mother. The affection and love of children to mothers is that which can be realized only in the heart. It can never be told. And we come, dear mother, as a child already one hundred and sixty-five years old last February, not so very youthful, and yet vigorous and strong. In bringing you greetings it seemed to me that perhaps a bit of history of that little church away up there, that was called Ripton parish once,- now Huntington,-might be profitable. In 1724 the mother went up there and performed the nuptial vows that made a new church with a pastor who began a ministry among those hills and forty-eight years labored there alone, (in the forty- ninth year of his ministry they called an associate,) and living for three years longer, completed about fifty-two years of pas- torate. Dr. Ely, who was called as an associate of Jeremiah Mills, was forty-three years there as a pastor. Unfortunately, somehow the records of Brother Mills pastorate have nearly all been lost. Only a mere sketch of the organization of the church is to be found; no record of the number of members that were added to the church during his ministry, nor those that were baptized. From the time that Dr. Ely came into the church, the records appear very correctly, and we have received from that time, with those who were at the organization of the church, something over three hundred and thirty, making an average of five and a-half annually gathered into the church. Dr. Ely, when he became pastor, adopted the special part of the Covenant which reads as follows : "That you will endeavor by the strength of God to walk in all his commandments and ordinances blameless, desiring to put yourselves under the watch and care of this church, to be trained up in the school of Christ for His Heavenly Kingdom, promising also that you will give up your children to God in baptism and to bring
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them up in the fear of the Lord." A little part of that I have never seen in any Covenant before. As a result of this you may see in the records of Dr. Ely, baptized in the church in forty-three years, eight hundred and fifty-seven, a yearly aver- age of twenty ; thus bringing before us a thought that it seems to me we need to go back to, realizing our Covenant relation- ship with God, realizing our obligation as Christian parents to our children, inheritors with us of the blessings and priv- ileges of the gospel. This part of the Covenant seems to have been left out at the end of his ministry, but during the next twenty-eight years the yearly average was six and a-seventh, and during the last forty-five years only two and a-half. So we see how the gradual diminishing of the thought of this covenant relation of parents with their children has grown up among the people. The largest membership of the church was in the year 1833, when the number reached two hundred and three. During the last forty-five years there have been ten preachers. I believe only two of them have been installed, their time of labor ranging from a year and a-half to six years and a-half, so you see while the time has been about equal to that of Dr. Ely, ten ministers have occupied the pulpit, and the results have been only partially what they were during his, in regard to the receiving and baptizing of children, and, also, to the membership of the church.
Now, as we have only this moment, let us pray that God will bless and prosper, not only the mother but the children in all that which tends to build up and to establish the faith of the saints. Praying that God may bless and cheer and. comfort you in this your age, we greet you with our richest blessing.
MR. IVES. Mr. H. L. Fairchild for the church in Unity.
RESPONSE from the Church in Trumbull,
H. L. FAIRCHILD.
MR. MOTHER: I would be glad to be consigned in accor- dance with your mother goose insinuation, but our church has grown altogether too old for any such consignment. To your
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kindly greetings and hearty welcome we respond to-day with the heartiest thanks ; and it seems, as we come before you on such a memorable family gathering, that it is entirely proper that the daughter should tell some of her experiences; and I was reminded by your suggestion in regard to the main chance at the dinner of an incident which occurred a few years before our church was organized, at about the time of the early set- tlement. Then there was a great snow. Cotton Mather tells us of it in his "Magnalia." It was about the year 1717, and, if the accounts are at all correct, it completely distances the blizzard of a year and a-half ago. The people in Stratford became solicitous in regard to the stock of provision in the outlying settlements; so a party went out, dug their way through up into our region, and found a house very nearly covered with snow, the chimney barely peeping out. They found their way inside, and, instead of a shortness, the people there were just sitting down to a dinner of roast wild turkey, and they with great benevolence joined the circle and helped demolish the turkey. I think, Mr. Mother, that we have to- day paid off the score, if not before!
Our first minister, the Rev. Richardson Minor, settled, as you see, in 1730, was a man of ceremonious, formal, methodical habits, and, as might naturally be expected, after a successful ministry of fourteen years, he joined the more prosperous ministry of the Episcopal church, and, in doing so, you have referred to his giving you much trouble. He gave us still more, for our church was practically demoralized and dis- heartened, and it took us four years more to recuperate and start again. Then followed the ministry of Rev. James Beebe, a man in singular contrast to his pedecessor, being active, vig- orous, and independent. His independence, perhaps, was shown in his treatment of church counsels; for, while he was warm-hearted in his fellowship with all the neighboring churches, he would brook nothing like authority. His own church was independent in that respect. His courage was manifest during the French war, for, after several seasons of disheartening disaster, he aroused his people and enlisted them for the war, and went with them himself in the succes-
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ful campaign which permanently checked the French power. Likewise again, in the darkest days of the Revolution, he went with the army for six months at Valley Forge; and perhaps in nothing was his independence more clearly shown than in his complete disdain of English. orthography, for in looking over his record in his marching list may be found on a single page the word "March" spelled in eight different ways. His pastorate lasted for thirty-eight years. The next longest pas- torate is that of the Rev. N. T. Merwin, about twenty-five years, too recent for me to speak of, further than to say his evident aim was to live "Wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove." These three pastorates cover very nearly half of our life as a church.
We have had many good deacons of the genuine New Eng- land sort, one of whom said one day to a neighbor that he considered his office worth to him, in the way of business, $50 a year. It is also said of one of our deacons that he held the office for over fifty years, and was present at every communion, and during all the years of his active service only failed once to officiate. On that occasion, on his way to the meeting, on horseback, he was thrown from his horse and broke his collar- bone. He sat through the morning service, and then was obliged to retire to have the bone adjusted. An aged St. Louis lady, long since dead, told me the story; and, although sainted, I am almost afraid to call her aged! Another widow, almost ninety years of age, among us, was one day asked by a younger relative how old she was. "A very improper ques- tion," was the reply, "under the circumstances a very im- proper question, indeed." A good Christian and. charitable brother among us one Fast Day morning was approached by a neighbor pleading illness, and he sold him a glass of spirits. That day, on his way to meeting, he found the young men and boys playing the national game of ball on the Green. In holy indignation he remonstrated, but in vain. Then he proceeded to take down their names for prosecution, but, being re- minded of the sale of cider in the morning, he saw the situa- tion, and so charitably forebore to prosecute !
. We have through all these years fairly maintained our
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strength, although our town has increased but little in popu- lation, and although many other churches have come in; yet our numbers are to-day greater than at any time in our past history; and we come here joyfully to congratulate you on your illustrious history of two hundred and fifty years. We congratulate you on the number of colonies which you have sent out as churches to be influences for good. We congrat- ulate you on the individuals who have gone out from you to almost every part of the world to maintain the standard of right, and we especially congratulate you for the tide which is rolling in upon you from the west, which, like a new ele- ment to reinvigorate, is like the notorious elixir; for we be- lieve, with others that have spoken here to-day, that a church has no right to grow old, much less to die, so long as there are souls to save; and the best wish that we can extend to you to day is that responsibility may so come in upon you that by exercise you shall maintain a manly, useful strength, a radiant, maidenly, Christian loveliness, to win souls to Christ.
MR. IVES. You will next hear from New Stratford, Deacon W. Well Lewis. I hope Deacon Lewis will take the platform, otherwise it is almost impossible for those in the galleries to hear. It is of no nse to speak if you cannot make yourself heard.
RESPONSE from the Church in Monroe,
DEACON W. WELLS LEWIS.
IT would be very natural for any person in this house, after hearing such kindly words of welcome, after listening to so many words of greeting, and after hearing so much that is calculated to benefit and instruct, to be able to say something. I am here to-day, and the thought that suggested itself to me as I came down here was: "I am coming home, coming home." Now, the sound of my voice never before was heard within these walls, yet I am one of your number, I am one of your . household, I am one of your family. I am here to-day to hold out to you friendly greetings. I am here to-day to enter into your sympathies. I am here to-day to be one among you.
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A long period of years ago, this church put forth its branches, and many branches of righteousness have grown up and become transplanted in the heavenly Jerusalem above. The thought suggested itself to me: Suppose that all the members of this household, suppose that all this company should be gathered together and should rise up to you to-day, how large a church would we need in order to accommodate you ? A very large structure would certainly be needed. In the little town of Monroe our church is not large, our mem- bers are few : yet we have those there, that are praying men. We have praying men, praying women. There are those there who live daily in the atmosphere of a Savionr's love. There are those who live in constant, daily communion with their God. They are fully satisfied that in order to reach Christian manhood and womanhood they have got to seek for it, they have got to work for it. We have an active minister, a min- ister that is not satisfied with theory alone, but theory and practice must go hand in hand. I am exceedingly sorry that he could not be here to-day to respond to this call. We have in the little town of Monroe a Society of Christian Endeavor which is doing a mighty work. It is doing a powerful work, more perhaps than any other young people's organization we have ever had there. Taking it altogether, although our num- bers are few, we say in the language of David, "If God be for us who can be against us ?" And now, this gathering here to-day is a joyous one, it is a glorious one, it is one that will be remembered a long time. Will it not, my brethren, be re- membered till that glorious gathering when all these grand- children, when all these great-grandchildren, when all these sons and daughters, that have grown up as the branches of the spiritual vine shall stand up triumphant together in the streets of the New Jerusalem? I am here to-day to hold out to you the right-hand of Christian fellowship. I am here to mingle my voice with your voices, and also to receive the ben- ediction of the mother. Finally, friends, when this mighty work shall be accomplished; when we shall go away, as we soon shall to our homes, we shall separate one from another, and we shall have formed acquaintances here that will never
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be forgotten; and when we come to meet each other this gathering will be spoken of. Reminiscences will be brought up. The kindly feelings entertained here, the new acquaint- ances that we have formed here, will be held up there; but this will not be the end of it. Eternity, Eternity itself will only disclose the glorious reality of this home gathering.
Singing, Hymn written for the occasion, by the pastor. [See page 11.]
MR. IVES. We will now hear a response from the church in Southbury by the Rev. David C. Pierce.
RESPONSE from the Church in Southbury,
REV. DAVID C. PIERCE.
THE grandchild of Southbury cordially responds to your kind greeting; and we will say that, although you have traces of antiquity about you, we would scarcely know it, and we rejoice that there is no decadence in strength. We rejoice to be with you and all the children and grandchildren that have gathered together here upon this happy occasion ; and although we stand here before you representing a grandchild of this ancient church, yet we feel that in a certain sense we also have a little of antiquity about us. It is about one hundred and fifty- seven years since the church was first started to preach the Word of God in Southbury. Branching off from the First Church of Woodbury, they erected a church in the beautiful valley of Pomperaug, and we feel particularly proud that we may say that the first pastor of that church, the Rev. John Graham, was a descendant of the Marquis of Montrose, who labored there some thirty-three years, and was a most efficient and worthy laborer in the Church of Christ. To show you some of the disadvantages, when we started, although they began service immediately after he was settled, yet it was some three years before the church was finished, and for those three years, during the greater portion of the time, they worshipped with only a part of a floor laid; the windows were not in place and a large portion of the building unplastered. At that time
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they had no means of warming the church except such little means as were provided by foot-stoves, the ladies brought to church. Now, we should think it hard, indeed, to worship among the inclemency of our New England winters in the structures of those times and have no better warmth than one fireplace. The Rev. John Graham lived there until feebleness and sickness coming on, put a close to his labors, but he re- mained some eight years longer till he died. His remains now rest in the North Cemetery in our village. After him came Benjamin Wildman, who labored some forty-seven years in that church, a man noted for his wit and the aptness of his re- plies. It was during his ministry, in the year 1772, that the second church was erected. The first building was used as a place of worship some forty years. After him came a succes- sion of laborers in the field, among them the Rev. Elias Wood, who labored some three years, who was followed by the Rev. Daniel Clark, who labored three years longer; and during the next seven years there was no settled minister, but they were supplied by three or four laborers in the service. After this came the Rev. Thomas Shipman, father of Judge Shipman, who was with them ten years, and was a most efficient laborer, and during the period of his ministry there was a large revival and many were received into the church. There was one item I forgot to mention when I was speaking of the first minister, the Rev. John Graham, showing the efficiency of his labors, that during the period of his ministry over three hundred mem- bers were received into the church, and over eight hundred children were baptized. Thus we feel that we can show a record concerning the former laborers in this branch of the Lord's heritage that shows that we had earnest men in the days of old; and although we, like our grandmother, show something of the signs of decadence, as you know that many of the New England villages are not in a flourishing condition, but population is being drawn off toward the centers of trade and commerce; yet we trust we have something of the spirit of God in us, and we can cordially respond to the greeting upon this occasion and desire that all the children and grand- children who are represented here to-day may unite together,
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with this ancient church, in ascribing praise unto God who hath wrought thus far in his work amongst us, and that we may be counted as worthy laborers as well as the fathers of old, in carrying forward this good work; and with that view in mind the church which I represent sends to you this senti- ment: In memory of our venerable forefathers who were so earnest in the cause of God: May we imitate their virtues and may we strive to follow in their footsteps, ever bearing in mind, their memory with tender emotions.
MR. IVES. We will now hear from Dr. Bellamy on the hills of Bethlehem by the mouth of the beloved John-my class- mate, the Rev. John P. Trowbridge.
RESPONSE from the Church in Bethlehem,
REV. J. P. TROWBRIDGE.
BELOVED BROTHER: Fifteen years ago last Spring we went out together from our studies in a Theological Seminary, and now, to-day, we meet, you to represent an aged and superb grandmother, and I to represent a curly-headed grandchild. And in meeting thus together upon this happy commemorative occasion, our minds have of course those feelings natural to class-mates who sojourned together and studied together for three years, natural to those who at the same time or nearly at the same time began the Christian ministry, natural to those who have in the work of the Christian ministry been endeavor- ing to present the truth as it is in Christ. Many of you re- member that Mr. Longfellow, near the close of his life, when he was called upon to participate in exercises of deep interest to himself and to the college of which he was a graduate, be- gan, that beautiful poem, one of the most beautiful of all his writings, by citing the custom of the Roman Gladiator, saying, "We, who are about to die, salute you." And I have thought, as I have anticipated this pleasant meeting with the ancient church of Stratford, that if in those ancient days of Rome, amid the pageants and surroundings where they were placed, they could look up at their great rulers and say, as they were about to enter into a contest like that which we are enter-
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ing into, against principalities and powers in the high places of the earth, "We, who are about to die, salute you," certainly their brethren and friends in the Christian ministry, we who have not died, we who are representatives of the ancient church of New England, who cannot expect to die, may certainly with great gratitude and joy salute this ancient church, its pastor, its membership, it daughters and its granddaughters. We come here to-day, amid these favorable influences and bright surroundings. We greet one another as a common family. Our names are all on a common line, none of them being ele- vated above the other, all standing together in a common place representing upon a common platform the unity and the brother- hood that we enjoy. We are grateful for the memories of the past, grateful for the truth that has been proclaimed, as it has been represented in the discourse this morning from the min- istry of this ancient church, to uphold the gospel in its purity and power. Every one of these churches has pecular memories. The church in Bethlehem has a peculiar tribute of gratitude to bring to lay upon the altar here of her grandmother's affection and household care. Turn back to the early history of the church in the east part of the north purchase, now called Wood- bury, and you find that Dr. Bellamy was licensed to preach the gospel when, I think, he was eighteen years of age, in the year 1736, by the Fairfield East Association of ministers, with which the pastors of this church, I doubt not, have been gen- erally associated, and in 1754, when great events in the life of Dr. Bellamy occurred, and he was so earnestly called to go to the First Presbyterian Church in New York and there labor and spend the most fruitful years of his life, he laid the mat- ter, that was so weighty upon his mind, that he could not decide at first, before the Consociation of Litchfield County ; and after they had deliberated sufficiently in regard to it, not being able to come to a decision, they called to their fellow- ship, and for mutual consideration, the Fairfield East Conso- ciation, with which this church has been connected. So you see, friends, that his early Christian life work was at Bethle- hem, where the best years of his life were spent, and where it is a providence of God that he was permitted to live, for if he
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had gone to New York, whence he was called with such earnest- ness, at the time he was called, and had spent in that metrop- olis the best years of his life, during the confusion of the Rev- olutionary War it is very doubtful, if he ever would have given to the church of New England the body of divinity that he composed, and have exerted the influence he did as a theolog- ical teacher in the early history of New England. So I do not exceed the bounds of the truth and the proper expression of it when I say we are deeply obligated, not simply in Bethlehem, but all the churches of Connecticut, for the influences that the church of Stratford and the consociated churches in the Fair- field East Consociation exerted upon the mind of Dr. Bellamy, that kept him within our limits; and that enabled him to live and devote his time to that work that has made him pre-eminent in our Commonwealth as a writer, as a theological thinker, as a teacher in the chair of Theology. I bless God to-day that I am permitted to bring to you the congratulations of the church of which he was the first minister, over which for fifty years he was the faithful pastor, and from which his spirit speaks to-day.
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