USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > South Boston > Articles of faith, and form of covenant, adopted by the Evangelical Congregational Church in South Boston : together with the names of the members > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 B652bo 1822078
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01100 8973
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https://archive.org/details/articlesoffaithf00sout
ARTICLES OF FAITH,
AND
FORM OF COVENANT,
ADOPTED BY THE
EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH IN SOUTH BOSTON.
TOGETHER WITH THE
NAMES OF THE MEMBERS.
BOSTON : PRESS OF PUTNAM AND DAMRELL. 1832.
1822078
1:
D 28441 .065
BOSTON. EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Articles of faith, and fors. of coveran :. adopted by the Evangelical Congregational Church in South Boston, together with the names of the members. Boston, Putnam, 1832. 24p.
CHILF CARL
1055
NL 36-2332
EVANGELICAL
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
SOUTH BOSTON.
PRINCIPLES AND RULES.
Of the rights of the church and its members. This church has a right, we believe, to be in- dependent, so far as relates to its internal organization, and the regulation of its affairs. We believe it to be amenable to.no other eccle- siastical body, except by its own consent, or according to regular and established congre- gational principles. With these exceptions, it controls the admission, discipline and removal of its members, according to our understanding of the word of God.
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 ex- tend the usual rights of communion, and prac-
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tice the transfer of members to other churches holding what we believe, to be the essential doctrines of the gospel. It holds itself bound to regard the decision of regular mutual coun- cils, and to seek the promotion of peace, with all the churches of our Lord.
Every member has a right to church privile- ges, unless forfeited by misconduct, and when thus forfeited, he or she can be deprived of them only by regular process. When accused, each member has a right to know specific char- ges, and to have an open and candid hearing.
Discipline. This is the exercise of that au- thority which Christ has appointed in his church, the designs of which are the removal of offences, the purity of the church, the vin- dication of the honor of Christ, and the bene- fit of the offenders themselves.
Offences are of two kinds, public and pri- vate. Private offences, are such as are known only to an individual, or at most to a few. These are not to be brought before the church unless those means of reconciliation have been used, which are laid down by Christ in Matthew xviii. 15, 16. It is the duty of every member who has aught against another,
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immediately to seek its removal, according to the spirit of the gospel. Public offences may come under the immediate cognizance of the church, but even then, it is proper and expedi- ent for the church to appoint individual mem- bers or committees to converse privately with the offenders, in order to reclaim them, and ob- tain satisfaction. If these means are unavail- ing, the church shall exercise such discipline as the nature of the case, and the laws of Christ seem to require.
Disciplinary offences we consider to be, im- moral conduct; breach of express covenant vows; neglect of acknowledged religious or relative duties; and avowed disbelief of any of the essential articles of our faith. .
Oficers und Standing Rules. The perma- nent officers of the church are the Pastor and Deacons. The Pastor shall be a member of this church, and preside at all meetings when present. The Deacons according to seniority, shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Pastor, or call on some one else to do it; shall assist in the administration of the sacra- ment, and aid the Pastor generally, in the spiritual care of the flock.
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There shall be an annual meeting during the first week in January, when the following an- nual officers shall be chosen (by ballot, or from the nomination of a committee) with such other committees as may be deemed expedient, viz : A Clerk to record the doings of the church.
A Treasurer to collect the taxes on the pews and the subscriptions, to pay the salary of the Pastor, and other necessary expenses; who shall report at each annual meeting, and hold his office till another be chosen.
An Examining Committee, of whom the Pastor and Deacons shall be a part, to exam- ine all applicants for admission to the church.
A Standing Committee, to attend to the sec- ular affairs of the church.
A Committee on singing.
All meetings for business shall be opened with prayer. The church will meet for church business at the close of each preparatory lec- ture, and other meetings may be called by the Pastor or Deacons, or at the request of five members.
The church will meet for devotional exerci- ses to promote their growth in knowledge and grace, every Friday evening; the time how- ever, may be changed, or the meeting omitted
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by the Pastor and Deacons, if circumstances require.
The stated season of communion shall be as often, at least as once in two months. A pre- paratory lecture shall be preached during the week previous to each communion, which each member shall consider it his or her duty to attend.
Previous to the stated administration of the Lord's Supper, a general invitation shall be given to members in regular standing or other churches, holding the same great doctrines of the gospel with ourselves, to commune with us, and to the congregation to remain and witness the solemnities.
Of admission to membership, and dismission. All candidates for admission, whether by pro- fession or letter, shall be examined by the ex- amining Committee, and such as they approve, shall be propounded publicly, at least two weeks. It is also deemed desirable that the Committee should, previous to their admission, meet them a second time, explain to them our Articles of Faith, and obtain their assent to the same, at which meeting, any member of the church has the privilege of being present.
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Members may be admitted at each commu- nion season. At the close of the preceding preparatory lecture, the Examining Committee shall present in a written report, the names of such as they approve, and the church may then vote to receive them, when they shall publicly enter into covenant with us, and subscribe to our confession of faith and covenant of fellow- ship in Christ.
Such as join by profession, will come out publicly before the congregation, on the com- munion sabbath, when the covenant will be Lead to them by the Pastor. When he shall tell them they are affectionately received as members, the church will rise in token of the same, and as a pledge to fulfil their part of the covenant. The Pastor will also publicly an- nounce the names of such as have been receiv- ed by letter.
No individual who joins us can cease to be a member of this church unless regularly dis- missed, recommended and received to another church, or excommunicated for some offence.
Any member wishing to withdraw from this to another church or denomination should sig- nify in writing his or her wishes and reasons, stating the particular church which he or she
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wishes to join, and apply in a proper spirit to be released from his or her obligation to this church. Any other mode of withdrawing will be deemed irregular and censurable; and this church holds itself bound to grant dismissions and recommendations to members in good stand- ing, who conscientiously prefer any other evan- gelical denomination of Christians when they apply as stated above.
As we are bound by our covenant vows to watch over each other, when members remove from us, and do not transfer their church rela- tion, or be with us at least one Sabbath in a year, the church will, by its pastor, or a cor- responding committee, write them at least an- nually, inquiring with the affection which mem- bers of one church should have to each other after their spiritual welfare, and requesting an answer.
It shall be a standing rule hereafter in the admission of members that each of them sign the following pledge.
Whereas the use of intoxicating liquors has been found by experience to be the source of evils of incalculable magnitude, both as to the temporal and eternal interests of individuals, families and communities, and whereas the pre-
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valence of this vice has such a fatal influence in hindering the success of all the common means which God has appointed for the moral and religious improvement of men, and where- as their duty to God and their fellow men re- quires each professor of christianity to abstain from every thing that shall in any degree retard the progress of the Gospel; Therefore Resolved, that we, members of the Evangelical Congre- gational church in South Boston, will abstain from the use of distilled spirits ourselves, and that we will not allow the use of them in our families, except as a medicine, nor provide them for the entertainment of our friends or for per- sons in our employment, and that in all suitable ways we will discountenance the use of them throughout the community.
Resolved, that it is expected that members of other churches who commune with us, will in like manner abstain from the use of intoxi- cating liquors.
ARTICLES OF FAITH.
We, the Subscribers, feeling desirous to unite in the forma- tion of an Evangelical Congregational Church, in South Boston, and considering it important to our comfort and fellowship, that we should harmonize in sentiment, do en- gage to adopt the following Confession of Faith and Covenant; and shall expect the same will be adopted by all those who shall hereafter be admitted to our Communion.
We believe that the Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testament, are given by in- spiration of God; and consequently are to be received as the only rule of our faith and practice.
As to a system of doctrines, we believe in those which are usually styled "the doctrines of grace."
Particularly ; FIRST, We believe in one liv- ing and true Gop: subsisting in three persons, the FATHER, the Sos, and the HOLY GHOST, one in essence, and equally possessing the same Attributes and the same Perfections.
SECOND; We believe that the purposes of GOD, like his existence and his perfections, are immutable and eternal.
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THIRD; We believe that Gon has one un- changeable plan of government, -that his own glory is the great end of all his works, -- that his perfect plan is executed in infinite wisdom and benevolence, and that, in the execution of it, his providence extends to all his creatures and all their actions.
FOURTH; We believe that mankind are by nature entirely depraved, destitute of holiness, under the dominion of sin, exposed to the wrath of Gon, and deserving of endless perdi- tion.
FIFTH; We believe that the vessels of mercy are chosen of God from eternity, that they should be holy and without blame before him in love.
SixTH; We believe that JESUS CHRIST is the SON or Gon, coeternal and coequal with the FATHER, -that he took upon him a true body, and a rational soul, and by his sufferings and death made a complete atonement for sin; so that the offers of salvation are freely and indis- criminately made to all men.
SEVENTH; We believe that mankind are free moral agents, and though Gon executes the
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good pleasure of his will, he does it in such a manner that their moral freedom is not destroy- ed nor impaired.
EIGHTH; We believe that mankind are ca- pable of complete compliance with all the re- quirements of the Gospel, but that such is their love of sin, that this compliance never takes place without an influence from above.
NINTH; We believe that a radical change of moral character or renovation of the heart, which is usually styled regeneration, is essen- tial to salvation, and that this change is always produced by the special influences of the HOLY SPIRIT.
TENTH; We believe that those who are born of Gon will persevere in holiness unto life-eter- nal; and that they will finally be justified, not by their own works, but by the righteousness of Christ.
ELEVENTH; We believe that all those who exercise true faith in the REDEEMER, will, when they leave the world, be immediately received up to glory; and that all those who remain in unbelief till death, will immediately be doomed to the world of misery.
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TWELFTH; We believe that there will be a general resurrection of the dead; that there will be a general judgment, when the whole human family will be separated into two dif- ferent classes, the righteous and the wicked, -that the sentence passed upon both these classes, will be final and decisive,-that the happiness of the righteous will be eternal, and that the misery of the wicked will also be with- out end.
THIRTEENTH; We believe that CHRIST has instituted in his church the sacraments of the LORD'S Supper and Baptism; the former to be administered to believers only; the latter, to none but believers and their offspring. As to church government and discipline, in common with our sister churches, we adopt the Congre- gational form, agreeably to what is usually styled " the Cambridge Platform."
With regard to the admission of members into this church, we consider it indispensable, that every candidate should be examined, and exhibit satisfactory evidence of being a subject of renewing grace.
Believing that it will be for our mutual com- fort and edification, as well as for the glory of
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GOD, we now make a public profession of our faith, associate together as a company of be- lievers, and without reserve, dedicate ourselves to him who has loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
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PRESENT OFFICERS.
JOY H. FAIRCHILD, Pastor.
Deacons. JEREMY DRAKE, Consecrated March 2d. 1828.
MARCUS WHITING, " November Ist. 1829. ALVAN SIMONDS, Clerk. SAMUEL GALE, Treasurer.
FORM OF ADMISSION.
You have presented yourselves in this public manner before Gon, to dedicate yourselves to his service, and to incorporate yourselves with his visible people ; you ure about to profess sincere love to him, sincere contrition for all your sins, and faith unfeigned in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, to enter into the solemm covenant, to receive the FATHER, SON and HOLY GHOST, as they are offered in the Gospel, and to walk in all the commandments and or- dinances of the LonD blameless. We trust you have well considered the nature of these professions and engagements. The transaction is solemn, and will be attended with eter- nal consequences. Gop and the holy angels are witnesses. Your vows will be recorded in heaven, to be exhibited on your trial at the last day. Yet be not overwhelmed. In the name of CHRIST you may come boldly to the Gon of grace, and provided only, you have sincere desires to be his, may venture thus unalterably to commit yourselves, and trust in him for srength to perform your vows.
Attend now to the Covenant.
In the presence of Gop, his holy angels, and this assem- bly, you do now solemnly dedicate yourselves to Gon the FATHER, as your chief good, to the SON of Gon as your Mediator and head, humbly relying on him, as your Proph- et, Priest, and king ; and to the HOLY Spiker as your Sanctifier, Comforter, and guide. To this one Gon, FA- THER, SON, and HOLY Ghost, you do heartily give up yourselves, in an everlasting covenant, to love and obey him. Having subscribed the Articles of Faith and Gov- ernment, adopted by this Church, you promise to walk with us in conforunty to them, in submission to all the
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orders of the Gospel, and an attendance upon all its ordi- nances, and that by the aids of the DIVINE SPIRIT, you will adorn your profession, by a holy and blameless hfe. This you severally profess and engage. In consequence of these professions and promises, we, the members of this church, (here the church will rise) affectionately receive you as members of this Church, and in the name of CHRIST, declare you entitled to all its visible privileges. We welcome you to this fellowship with us in the blessing of the Gospel, and on our part engage to watch over you and seek your edification, as long as you shall continue among us ; should you have occasion to remove, it will be your duty to seek, and ours to grant a recommendation to another church ; for hereafter you can never withdraw from the watch and communion of saints, without a breach of covenant. And now, beloved in the Lord ; let it be im- pressed on your minds that you have entered into solenin circumstances, from which you can never escape. Where- ever you go these vows will be upon you ; they will follow you to the bar of Gop, and in whatever world you may be fixed, will abide upon you to eternity. You can never be again as you have been ; you have unalterably commit- ted yourselves, and henceforth you must be the servants of Gon. Hereafter the eyes of the world will be upon you, and as you demean yourselves, so religion will be honored or disgraced. If you walk worthy of your profession, you will be a credit and comfort to us ; but if it be otherwise, you will be to us a grief of heart and a vexation. And if there is a woe pronounced upon him who offends one of CHRIST's little ones ; woe, woe, to the person who offends a whole Church. .
But, beloved, we are persuaded better things and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. May the LORD guide and preserve you till death, and at last receive · you and us to that blessed world, where our love and joy shall be forever perfect. Amen. 1
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NAMES OF THE ORIGINAL MEMBERS AT FORMATION.
Those marked * have deceased, those marked t have been dismissed to other churches, and those marked # have been excommunicated.
# RUFUS BALL,
POLLY SIMONDS,
* ISAAC THOM, JANNA HEWINS, t SUMNER FULLER,
SOPHIA THOM,
TTHOMAS HAMMOND, I ABEL HEWINS,
ABIGAIL FENNO, HANNAH DEWIRE,
CHARLOTTE HOWARD, PHEBE HOLLIS.
+ JOSEPH JOHNSON.
-
February 8th, 1821.
+ Rebecca Osgood, Maryann Dunham, t Abigail Townsend, + Abigail F. Spear, t Mary HI. Fuller, Andover.
March 14th, 1824. Abigail( Harrington,) De Santier Bathsheba Bradford, Old South.
October 10th, 1821. +-Samuel Gale-3d Church, Salem, + Salome I .. Johnson, Pres. Church, Salem, * Hannah Hawes, Glastonbury.
November 14th, 1821.
Hannah Gainage.
20
April 10th, 1825.
Polly Babbit,
Lucy Babson,
October 9th, 1823.
Jane Riley.
June 11th, 1826.
t Josiah Curtis,
+ Joshua Goodale, 3d. church, Salem,
Jeremy Drake, Milton.
August 14th, 1826.
Eleanor W. Elins, Dorchester.
October Sth, 1826.
Ruth Bray.
November 12th, 1826.
t Lucy Shaw.
June 10th, 1827.
* George Lane,
Isaac Ewell, Alvan Simonds,
Abigail Drake,
Lucretia B. Blasland,
Caroline Fenno,
Rachel Damon, Braintree.
Priscilla Elmus, ..
December 7th, 1827.
Rev. Joy H. Fairchild, East Hartford.
January Gth, 1829.
George Carpenter, Green St.
# Barnum Field, Old South. t Frances E. Field Artemas Simonds, Thomas Biasland Jr. f Elza A. Hunting, * Ruth Haskell, Newburyport.
21
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May 4th, 1828.
Sophia M. Belcher, Campton, N. H.
Eliza Page, Andover. Ebenezer Hayward, Park St. Sarah Hayward,
+ Arabella Mitchell,
/ Mary Gale.
July 6th, 1828.
t Richard Dewerson.
September 3d. 1828.
* Jacob Pike, Foster Waterman,
t Eunice M. Penniman, William Park, Union Church.
November 2d. 1828.
Elizabeth Covil,
William Hayward,
Martha Hayward,
Elizabeth Covil 2d.
Mary Covil,
Eliza T. Blood,
Elizabeth A. Colburn.
January 4th, 1829.
* Elizabeth Eayrs, Old South. + Marcus Whiting, Pine St.
Eunice N. Whiting
ABenjamin Parker, Reading. Susan Parker, Andrew Mein, Margaret Mem, Mary Malone, +Hermon Aikin, Ebenezer Tilton.
May 3d, 1829. Mary B. Fairchild, East Hartford.
William Aikin, Newport, N. H. t Margaret Ingalls Dunbarton, N. H.
t Putnam Ingalls, Clarissa Carpenter, Mary Park, 2d.
+ Elizabeth Gage.
July 3d, 1829.
Seth Harlow, Plymouth, Mass. Mary A Hale, Park St. David Winn, Barker B. Kent,
f Rebecca P. Goodale.
September 6th, 1829.
-+ Mary Nickerson, Park St. David B. Elins, Eliza Carson, + Thankful Dalton.
November 1st. 1829.
, David Diman Jr. Plymouth. Betsy Peterson, "na Hardy
*Priscilla N. Peterson, Arvilla P. Blood, Exeter, N. H.
May 2d, 1830.
+- Mary Park, Windham, N. H. Betsy Sumner, Antrim, N. H. Melinda Stickney, * Rebecca Tisdale, Maryann Milligan,
+ Abigail P'ratt, Hannah Dewire, 2d. Sarah Fruean, Fanny R. Sinith, Sarah H. Kent, # Jane Fairbanks, + Joseph Park, t John G. Greenough, Robert Park.
23
July 4th, 1830.
John Pattee, Thornton, N. H. * Eliza Freeman, Cumbridgeport. William Stetson,
Rebecca F. Stetson, Elizabeth B. Knox,
# Elmira Totman, Eveline Bradford,
Eunice Johnson,
} George Morrill.
November 7th, 1830.
John Blood.
May Ist, 1531.
t Abram Cole,
Hannah Gurney,
Betsy B. Aikin, Mary Deluce,
Hannah Talbot,
Elbridge G. Wooster,
t Lydia Fairbanks,
t Joseph H. Towne, Lynn.
July 3d, 1831.
Ruthy Clarke, Park St.
Samuel Stickney,
Sarah Hunting.
January Ist, 1932.
Lydia G. Prescott, Salem,
Washington F. Fisher, Dedham.
Maryann Fisher,
Mary G. N. Prescott,
George W. Prescott, Maria Chatuberlin,
+ Caroline Eaton, Harriet Eaton, Charlotte B. Plummer, Sally B. Harrington.
24
March 4th, 1832.
+ James Morrill Jr.
+ Permelia F'. Morrill.
May 6th, 1832.
John T. Tarlton, Hamspread, N. H.
Lucy W. Simonds, Bowdoin St.
Luther Whitcher,
Charlotte Wey,
Jerusha Sherman.
Sept 2d, 1832. Heman Holines, Salem St.
Mary B. Holmes, 66
Sarah A. Park, Union Church,
Nancy I .. Whicher " .6 Hannah Reynolds, Portsmouth,
Josiah Curtis, Dedham. November 4th, 1832.
+ Ashur Adams, Park St.
-+ Emily Adams, Tohmnan G. Smith, Mariners Church, Abigail Smith, Portland.
Hamnen Kotham miss Machitables Griffin. Josiah 26. Crashing mostunice, S. Bradley An Abnelivs Gutterser Many Vincolia - Margaret Marchant. Elijadetto Laing)
Jaban A. Tyler Many ingles Maria K. Whit ... .
1822 078 "
11 Elizabeth Elino Elizabeth. S. Joslin 11 Elijah Packard Susan S. Pochard; Granster il Gome Sarah M. Howel Noah .B. Ment 11 Fanny Derving) Rozana "). Manilar Clarissa, A. Amalta Elizals it. Sulmer Thomas A Dunham N. & Oti, Howard Peter Elementen Eling. Sahner Pathe A. Vose Mary J. Vose Jucy Donnell 11
hill
Vousa. S. Babbitt Sarah J. Chipman 11:0 1
Mary K. Adams /11101
Sarah 3 Withington, Harriet WEGammel Asa I Halden.
" Eunice (Truke) Jasmine (D. Greene) Varnier
11 Vicino bescensel Hamet Rogers
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miss Mary E Classe Med ..... J. Greddy
Mir Linda ill. Grady " The you Should Sylvia di allana.
"
Martha Thayer
.. .. ". internet. M. Vente ..
In Kuinda Smith
. .. Kamil Kennel opinioncar ellenice Jak., Grades Mary A. Grans, 1
Mischade Brahe Nancy X 'Brahe 11 Mercy Chico 11 Maria Vanton Also Be. Burgery io
Gathering Robertson
Inef, Confort all Matting
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chicturis (. Varband ·In Charlotte White Haret L'itunes 11 Hannah ! Chamberlain. Zig, Rebecca Chamberlain
" échecca ). Freeman Briefs Mary fatherchant "1 Aller A Knight
Stormen butridge
D 28441.065
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