USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Articles of faith and covenant of the Berkeley St. Congregational Church, Boston : with a list of its members, 1868 > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 B65bok 1822093
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
Gc
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01105 9729
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£
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/articlesoffaithc00unse 1
ARTICLES
OF
FAITH AND COVENANT
OF THE
Berkeley St. Congregational Church,
BOSTON:
WITH A
LIST OF ITS MEMBERS:
1868.
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
BOSTON: PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY. 1868.
1822093
D 28441 .033
1
I: BOSTON. BERKELEY STREET CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH. Articles of faith and covenant of the Berke- ley st. Congregational church, Boston: with a list of its members. 1868. Boston, Printed for the Society, 1868. 80p.
SHELF CARD
1055
0
NL 36-2479
RUDD SC. BOSTON
ULBAR
1055
From the Acts and Resolves passed by the General Court of Massachu- setts, 1861.
Be it enacted &c. as follows: - The Pine Street Congregational Society shall hereafter be called and known by the name of the Berkeley Street Congregational Society.
Approved, January 18th, 1861.
PRESENT OFFICERS
OF THE Berkeley Street Congregational Church. 1868.
PASTOR. Rev. WILLIAM BURNET WRIGHT. DEACONS.
ALEXANDER F. SWIFT.
BENJAMIN F. BURGESS.
FRANKLIN SNOW.
WILLIAM H. MERRIAM.
- CLERK.
SAMUEL W. CREECH, JR. TREASURER.
BENJAMIN F. BURGESS.
AUDITOR.
WILLIAM WILLETT.
EXAMINING COMMITTEE.
Rev. WILLIAM BURNET WRIGHT, PASTOR.
ALEXANDER F. SWIFT.
BENJAMIN F. BURGESS.
FRANKLIN SNOW. 1 DEACONS.
WILLIAM H. MERRIAM.
SAMUEL W. CREECH, JR., CLERK. JOSEPH B. QUIMBY.
CHARLES H. DICKINSON. BARNA S. SNOW. OTIS M. HUMPHREY. GEORGE E. NOYES. T. F. SHEDD.
Boston, February 27th. 1868.
At a meeting of the Berkeley Street Congregational Church held this even- ing, the Clerk was ordered to prepare and have published for distribution to the members of the Church, a manual containing the Articles of Faith and Covenant and list of members.
Attest,
SAMUEL W. CREECH, JR., Clerk.
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF THE
erkelep
treet
Congregational
Church.
ON the evening of 21st March, 1827, a large number of members of the five Orthodox Congregational churches then existing in Boston-Old South, Rev. B. B. Wisner, pastor; Park St., Rev. E. Beecher, pastor; Essex St., Rev. S. Green, pastor; Green St., Rev. W. Jenks, D. D. pastor ; and Hanover St., (afterwards Bowdoin St.) Rev. L. Beecher, D. D., pastor-met at the Lecture-room of the Hanover St. church to consider what measures ought to be adopt- ed to extend the influence of vital religion in the community. As the result of their deliberations, it was soon decided that a new Evangelical Congregational church ought to be founded. Dr. Lyman Beecher, then at the hight of his influence in this city, jumped up upon a settee and made an eloquent appeal to those present to decide to have two new churches instead of one : plead- ing that the North end and South end equally favored and required Orthodox church extension, and that two meeting-houses could be built as well as one, if they would only think so. Moved by his earnestness, the assembly enthusiastically voted to adopt his suggestion, and proceeded to take measures for the erection of two Church edifices. The necessary committees were appointed; a subscription was opened and pushed to $30,000; land was bought at the corner of Bennet and Salem Sts. at the North end; and at the corner of Pine and Washington Sts. at the South end; and the Salem and Pine St. meeting-houses were soon commenced.
The corner-stone of the Pine St. house was laid on the 20th
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HISTORICAL SKETCH.
June following, and the finished structure was dedicated to the worship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, on the 25th December of the same year. The land cost $9,000, and the build- ing $25,000-a total of $34,000. As the entire subscription for both houses was only $30,000, and the North end edifice, from the choice of donors, received the largest share of that amount, there remained a debt of $20,000 on the Pine St. house at its completion, which had been incurred by the committee which had been appointed by the three churches to supervise its erection, no member of which committee ever belonged to the Pine St. church, or congregation. When the house began to approach com- pletion, a committee was raised by the five cooperating churches, to designate individuals-members of those churches, who should be requested to take letters of dismission for the purpose of organ- , zing a church to occupy the building; and on the evening of Sabbath, 2d September, 1827, forty two persons, who had been thus designated, were embodied as the Pine St. church. And when the house was done, these individuals-no one of whom had any large pecuniary ability-proceeded, at the request of the other Churches, and with the general promise from them that "they would see them through," to assume the responsibility of the new enterprise, with its great debt; in the hope that, with a popular pastor, the house might be immediately filled, the pews sold, the indebtedness paid, and the enterprise made a success.
REV. THOMAS HARVEY SKINNER, D. D., called from the- pastorate of the 5th Presbyterian church in Philadelphia, was installed first pastor, 10th April, 1828. He was a preacher of much ability, but the feebleness of the church, the heavy debt, and the sparse population then surrounding the Meeting-house, combined to prevent any marked success from his labors; and, discouraged and in failing health, he was dismissed, after a pastorate of only four months and eight days.
Five months after, REV. JOHN BROWN, D. D. from Cazenovia, New York, was installed pastor, and with a success constantly im- paired by the embarrassment of the debt, struggled on; until, dis- heartened and unable to obtain further aid from the other church- es, the church notified him of their inability longer to support him, and he was dismissed, after a pastorate of a little less than two years.
To this time the church had had the entire responsibility of the enterprise. An Ecclesiastical society was now organized in con-
.
7
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
nection with it, the meeting-house property was transferred to its charge, and arrangements made which it was hoped would ensure greater prosperity ; and, 13th Sept. 1832, REV. AMOS AUGUSTUS PHELPS, invited from the care of the church in Hopkinton, Mass was installed pastor. After retaining this relation about eighteen months, he retired to a field which seemed more inviting.
He was succeeded, nine months after, by REV. ARTEMAS BOIES, called from the pastorate of the Church in South Hadley, Mass., who was installed 10th Dec. 1834. The pecuniary affairs of the society still continuing in a very embarrassing state, a great effort was made, in 1836, and by the aid of members of the other churches, the debt was reduced $10,000. But so much ground had been lost in the preceeding nine years of feebleness, as to make it very difficult to awaken either confidence or hope in the community towards the undertaking, while the remaining debt still pressed heavily upon members of the Society ill able to bear it, until in September, 1840, Mr. Boies sent a communication to the church stating that the deacons had made known to him the embarrassments under which-notwithstanding all that had been done-they were still struggling, and that, in view of all the cir- cumstances, he felt it to be his duty to resign his office. He was dismissed in a few weeks. In default of payment of interest the debt had now increased to $21,500, and the house was threatened with sale by the mortgagee.
A desperate effort was once more made to retrieve the fortunes of the enterprise. The debt was again reduced to 10,000, and the house thoroughly repaired, and, in March, 1842, MR. AUSTIN PHELPS was ordained pastor. He remained in office six years, several months longer than any previous incumbent, when he accepted an election to the professorship of Sacred Rhetoric in the Theological Seminary, Andover. During his ministry the congre- gation steadily increased, the attention and confidence of the com- munity were attracted towards the church and society in a degree unknown before, and there were large accessions to the church, but each year continued to demonstrate, by its steady deficit, that the debt was still an incubus upon the prosperity of the enterprise, by whose continued presence the future was made perpetually dark.
In the following spring, 18th April, 1849, Rev HENRY MARTYN DEXTER, invited from the pastorate of the Franklin Street Con- gregational church in Manchester, N. H., was installed. Soon after his settlement, an Ecclesiastical Council was called to advise
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1
8
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
with reference to the settlement of a serious difficulty within the church, which had been for some time standing in the way of its usefulness, and after this had been settled, by advice of some of the more enterprising members of the society, the church edifice was raised, renovated, and fitted with stores in the basement, the rental of which, it was anticipated, would gradually pay the old debt, and the new one incurred in these alterations. For a time all went well, and the house filled with worshippers, until the in- come of pew-rents alone yielded a small surplus over expenses. But subsequently the store-rents fell off, and the old embarrass- ment returned, until it was felt so heavily as finally to bring the society and its friends to the conviction that the wisest thing to be done would be to sell the meeting-house property, pay the debt, and make an effort to build again in a better locality, and where advantage could be taken of the rapid growth of the newer por- tion of the South End. The house was accordingly sold, in July 1858, for $40,000, and a subscription raised for the purpose of building a plain neat structure to contain double the number of sittings of the old house, with the view of thus maintaining public worship at one half the old cost to each participant. The sub- scription-all of which was raised by the pastor, acting, by vote of the Society, as its agent for the purpose-by the most strenuous self-sacrifice on the part of the congregation, and by the generous help of members of other churches and of the community at large, ( many of whom in other cities, and in towns widely scattered in New England, felt a special interest in any plan looking toward a reduction of the necessary expenses of church-going here) was filled to the sum estimated as necessary for the erection of a spa- cious and convenient house, and a lot was purchased on the cor- ner of Berkeley St., and what is now Warren Avenue, the contracts made and the work commenced. The corner-stone of the new house was laid 23d July, 1860. Before the building could be com- pleted, however, the war of the rebellion broke out, and for a time it seemed as if all the new hopes of the resuscitated enterprise must be wrecked in unforseen financial disasters consequent thereupon. By the blessing of God, however, the house was dedi- cated in April, 1861, at a cost of $56,000, $11,400 being for the land ; and the Society was enabled to make arrangements by which it was able to hold the property and go on, with the prospect of soon being able to sell the pews which it holds, completely pay its new indebtedness, and thus gain undisturbed possession of one o
9
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
the most spacious, comfortable, neat and accessible houses of worship in this or any other city. On the opening of the new house the congregation rapidly increased, and the church enjoyed much spiritual prosperity. In keeping with its new location, its name was now changed to that of the Berkeley Street Church.
In the Spring of 1867, the pastor was invited to take charge of a new Congregational Theological Seminary proposed to be started in California, and, believing that he ought to accept the invitation, resigned his office, to take effect on the 1st July following. Before that time arrived, however, Providential circumstances led him to feel it to be his duty to remain at the East, and accept the Editor- ship of the combined Congregationalist and Boston Recorder, for which purpose he was dismissed 28th June, 1867, after a pastorate of a little more than eighteen years.
REV. WILLIAM BURNET WRIGHT, called from the charge of the South Congregational Church in Chicago, Illinois, was install- ed as his successor on the 30th October following; and the church and society have thus far been permitted, under his ministrations, to enjoy a degree of prosperity which they have never known before, and which encourages the most cheering hopes for the future.
10+11
PLAN OF ORGANIZATION
OF THE
BERKELEY STREET
Congregational Church and Society.
WHENEVER the Berkeley-street Church and Society shall be destitute of a settled Pastor, and a new one is to be ob- tained, a Joint Committee of the Church and Society, con- sisting of seven persons,-of whom four shall be chosen by the Church and three by the Pew Proprietors,-shall sup- ply the pulpit, and take all necessary measures to that end ; and also the Church shall have the right, in all cases, to select a Pastor, or colleague Pastor when it may be deem- ed expedient by the Church and Society to have a col- league, to be proposed to the Pew Proprietors for their concurrence; and if they shall concur with the Church in such selection, a call shall be given by the Church and Pew Proprietors jointly to the person selected. But, if the Pew Proprietors do not so concur in the selection, the Church shall select again, and so on, from time to time, until the Church and Pew proprietors shall be agreed in a choice ; and, when so agreed, a call shall be given to the person so
12
PLAN OF ORGANIZATION.
selected, by the Church and Pew Proprietors, in the man- ner above stated ; that is, jointly. The amount of salary to be paid to the Pastor shall be fixed by the Pew Propri- etors. Temporary supplies of the pulpit, during the ab- sence or sickness of the Pastor, shall be provided by the Pastor and Deacons of the Church; and the bills of expen- ses necessarily incurred for that purpose shall be submitted to the Prudential Committee, and, when approved by them, shall be paid by the Treasurer.
By the word " Church," hereinbefore used, is meant male members of the Church, of the age of twenty-one years and upwards. .
No alterations shall be made to this Plan of Organiza- tion, unless the same shall be agreed to by two-thirds of the Pew Proprietors present at a special meeting regularly notified.
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13
ARTICLES OF FAITH.
ARTICLE I.
WE believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Tes- taments were divinely inspired, and we receive them as our perfect rule in faith and practice.
ARTICLE II.
WE believe in one God-The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
ARTICLE III.
WE believe that all men are ruined by sin, and can be justified before God only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
ARTICLE IV.
WE believe that all who exercise faith in Christ are re- newed by the Holy Spirit, and by Him sanctified and made partakers of eternal life.
ARTICLE V.
WE believe in the resurrection of the dead, in the final and general judgment-the issues of which shall be eternal life and everlasting punishment.
ARTICLE VI.
WE believe in the holy observance of the Lord's Day, and in the visible Church, with the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
ARTICLE VII.
WE believe that all who exercise faith in Christ ought to confess him before men and devote themselves to his service. [ Do you so believe ? ]
14
COVENANT.
REVERENTLY acknowledging the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as your God, confessing your sinfulness and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you present yourself to unite with this Church.
Relying upon the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance, you promise to imitate the example of Jesus-studying to know the Father's will; living in communion with the people of God and charity toward all men.
You promise to seek the purity, peace and edification of this church ; according to your ability, to be present at the communion ; to attend its stated meetings ; to share its work ; ' to submit to its government and dicipline, and to cultivate brotherly love toward all its members.
We, therefore, the members of this Church [Here the members of the church rise,] rejoicing in your confession and covenant, do cordially welcome you into this fellowship with us. We promise as brethren to watch over you, to pray for you and walk with you as members of one family in Christ.
May the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever ! Amen !
15
ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
I. Rights of the Church .- This Church is independent, so far as relates to its internal organization and the regulation of its affairs.
II. Connection with other Churches .- This church will extend to other Evangelical Congregational Churches and receive from them, that fellowship advice and assistance, which the law of Christ requires. It will extend the usual rights of Communion and practice the usual transfer of members, ac- cording to its own convictions of duty. It holds itself bound to regard the decisions of regular mutual Councils, and to seek the promotion of peace with all the Churches of our Lord.
III. Rights of members .- Every member has a right to Church priviliges, unless forfeited by misconduct, and when thus forfeited, he can be deprived of them only by regular process. When accused, he has a right to know the explicit charges, and to have an open and candid hearing.
IV. Duties of members .- Any member having cause of complaint against another, should immediately seek to have it removed in a Christian manner, as directed in Matthew, Eighteenth Chapter, 15th, 16th and 17 verses. Any member wishing to withdraw from this to another Church, should signify his wishes and reasons, and apply in a proper spirit to be first released from his obligations to this Church; any other mode of withdrawing will be deem - ed irregular and censurable.
V. Censurable Offences .- This Church considers immoral conduct, breach of express Covenant vows, neglect of acknowledged religious or relative du- ties, and avowed disbelief of the Evangelical doctrines, as offences subject to the censure of the Church.
.
VI. Evidence .- The confession of the party accused, the concurrence of two competent witnesses to the same fact, or circumstantial evidence to the same amount, shall be deemed sufficient for conviction.
VII. Permanent Officers .- The permanent Officers of this Church, are the Pastor, or Pastors, and the Deacons. The Pastor shall be a member of this Church, and to him pertains the office of moderator. To the Deacons accord- ing to seniority pertains the office of moderator in the absence of the Pastor, that of assisting in the administration of the Lord's Supper, and that of aid- ing the Pastor generally in the spiritual care of the flock.
16+17
STANDING RULES.
I. All meetings for business shall be opened with prayer.
II. Ten male members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
III. The Annual Meeting of the Church shall be held on the 2d Monday Evening of January.
IV. A special business meeting may be called at any time, when in the opinion of the Pastor and deacons, it shall be expedient; and shall be called at any time, upon the written application, of five male members of the Church.
V. At the Annual meeting the following elections shall be made for the ensuing year.
1. A Clerk, who shall keep the records of the Church.
2. An Assistant Clerk.
3. An Examining Committee, in addition to the Pastor, Deacons and Clerk, of six members, of whom at each annual election, the two who have served longest shall be considered ineligible for one year. They shall meet on four Friday evenings immediately following each communion season, and examine all applicants for admission, and present a written report of the names of such as they shall approve to the Church. They shall also act as a Committee of inquiry and discipline, and shall make a report of the state of the Church and of the absent members at the annual meeting.
4. A Treasurer who shall take charge of all moneys collected for Church. purposes, and make a written report thereof at the Annual meeting.
5. An Auditor, who shall examine the Treasurer's accounts and report at the annual meeting.
6. A Committee of three upon collections for religious and charitable objects, who shall receive all moneys collected, except those made for the Church poor and at the Communion services, paying the same into the hands of the Treasurer, and shall make a written report thereof at the Annual meeting.
7. A Superintendent of Systematic visitation and Tract Distribution, who shall assign districts to the visitors, furnish them with tracts and blank reports, consolidate their reports when returned to him, and present the result at the home concert; also to preside at that meeting in the absence of the Pastor, and exercise a general supervision over the whole matter.
VI. All these officers shall be chosen by ballot.
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18
STANDING RULES.
VII. The order of business at the Annual meeting shall be as follows.
1. Prayer,
2. Reading the records of the last Annual meetings.
3. Choice of the Clerk and Assistant Clerk.
4. Reports of the Treasurer and Auditor.
5. Choice of the Treasurer and Auditor.
6. Report of the Examining Committee.
7. Choice of the Examining Committee.
8. Report of the Committee on Collections.
9. Choice of the Committee on Collections.
10. Choice of the Superintendent of Systematic Visitation and Tract Distribution.
11. Deferred business.
12. New business.
VIII. Candidates for admission shall stand propounded at least four weeks, and notice shall be given to the Congregation of such as are intending to make a profession, at least two weeks previous to their admission.
IX. All persons admitted to the Church shall sign its covenants.
X. The Lord's supper shall be observed on the first Sabbaths of Janu- ary, March, May, July, September, and November.
XI. There shall be a meeting of the Church on Friday Evening of each week, for devotional exercises and religious conference, and for the transac- tion of any business that may regularly come before the Church. The meet- ing last preceeding each communion season shall be especially devoted to preparation for the proper reception of the ordinance.
XII. At the close of cach communion season, a contribution shall be taken to be appropriated after payment of church expenses, especially to the relief of indigent persons, at the discretion of the Deacons.
XIII. The necessary expenses of all delegations to Ecclesiastical Councils shall be paid by the Treasurer from the funds of the Church.
XIV. Delegates to Ecclesiastical Councils in all cases of special import- ance, shall make a report of their doings and of the action of the Council, at the meeting on the Friday evening succeeding the termination of the Council
XV. Members of sister Churches statedly worshiping with us, are expect- ed to obtain a dismission and recommendation to this Church within one year from their coming with us.
XVI. Members of this Church removing their place of worship, are ex- pected to obtain a dismission from this and a recommendation to the church with which they worship, within one year from the time of such change, unless reasonable excuse be rendered for their neglect
XVII. Letters of dismission shall be valid six months only from their date, and members who have received such letters shall not vote in our Church meetings, unless they have returned the same.
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STANDING RULES.
XVIII. Members who have been habitually absent from the worship and ordinances of this Church for one year shall not vote in the meeting of the Church without special permission.
XIX. When any officer of the Church shall cease regularly to worship with us, his office shall be vacated from the time he thus ceases to worship with us.
XX. The Chairman of the Examining Committee, as often as once in two months, shall examine the entries made in the Church records, and if found correct approve them. An entry of such examination and approval shall be made and signed by him.
XXI. The following shall be deemed the regular course of procedure in all cases of discipline.
1. The brother offended or aggrieved, should seek the removal of the offence, in the spirit of the Gospel, by fraternal conference with the offender alone.
2. Failing in the removal of the difficulty thus, he should take with him one or two judicious brethren, and with their mediation strive for Christian satisfaction.
3. This being in vain, he should bring the matter to the notice of the Examining Committee, who shall endeavor to bring about a reconciliation, and who, (if this cannot be offered, or does not result in harmony) shall prefer a formal complaint before the Church against the offending brother.
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