USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Jamaica Plain > Brief history of the Jamaica-Plain Baptist Church, of West Roxbury : with the declaration of faith, the church covenant, and a list of the members, 1871 > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 J22jab 1851509
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01068 0855
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/briefhistoryofja00jama
A
BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE
Jamaica - Plain Baptist Church,
OF WEST ROXBURY ;
WITH
THE DECLARATION OF FAITH,
The Church Covenant,
AND
A LIST OF THE MEMBERS.
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
BOSTON : PRINTED BY RAND, AVERY, & FRYE. IS71.
1851509
-
OF THE
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'est Roxbury,
1371.
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JAMAICA - PLAIN BAPTIST CHURCH.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
IN the autumn of 1840, several members of neighbor- ing Baptist churches residing at Jamaica Plain united in an effort to sustain among them the preaching of the gospel. Many of these had, in private. long prayed for this object ; and, for months previous, meetings for prayer and for occasional preaching had been held in private houses. On the second Sunday in December, 1840, the Village Hall was opened for religious worship ; its use having been granted for the purpose. Rev. William H. Shailer preached on the occasion.
After some months of occasional supplies, Rev. Na- thaniel Hervey was invited to preach for a time. His labors commenced in September, 1841. Early in the following January, a revival of religion commenced, which continued through several succeeding months. In the months of April and May succeeding, twenty- eight persons were accepted for baptism by the Baptist Church in Roxbury. These candidates were baptized
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Jamaica-Plain Baptist Church.
by the Rev. Mr. Hervey, and received the right hand of fellowship from the pastor of the Roxbury church, Rev. T. F. Caldicott. The services of Rev. Mr. Hervey closed in July of the same year.
In June, 1842, the incipient steps towards the organi- zation of a distinct church were taken. After some delay, the wish of the brethren and sisters was approved by a council of churches and ministers. On Monday, the 29th of August, 1842, the public services of their recognition were held at the Unitarian meeting-house, in which the Rev. Dr. Gray then ministered. Ichabod Macomber was chosen a deacon ; and Daniel Sanderson and John B. Witherbee accepted, temporarily, of the same office.
The church was for about one year destitute of a pas- tor, when, in July, 1843, Rev. John O. Choules, D.D., was invited to take the pastoral charge. On the 4th of October, 1843, the public services of his installation were held. On the same day, the house of worship, which for some months had been in process of comple- tion, was dedicated to the service of God. Dr. Choules remained pastor about four years, during which time the church was strengthened in numbers and efficiency, and the congregation was increased. Five members were added by baptism, and thirty-five by letter. In July, 1847, having received an invitation to become pastor of the Second Baptist Church at Newport, R.I., Dr. Choules, at his own request, was dismissed.
In February and March, 1846, James W. Converse and Nathaniel Weld were chosen deacons ; the office of Deacon Macomber being vacated by his protracted sick- ness, and by his death on the Ist of October, 1848.
5
Historical Sketch.
The church, after being some months destitue of a pastor, in May, 1848, invited the Rev. William Hague, D.D., of Boston, to settle among them. This invitation was soon afterwards accepted ; and, on the first Lord's Day in September following, Dr. Hague commenced his labors. He remained for about two years, during which time the congregation still augmented; and, near the close of his labors, the seed sown showed its rich fruit in the conversion of several youth, who were baptized, and united to the church. In March, 1850, Dr. Hague tendered his resignation, having been invited to the pas- toral charge of the Second Baptist Church in Newark. N.J. His labors closed in the following May. During his ministry, fourteen members were added to the church by baptism, and twelve by letter.
In July, 1849, Bradford H. Lincoln received the ap- proval of the church as one called of God to preach the gospel.
In August, 1850, Rev. G. W. Samson of Washington, D.C., received and accepted an invitation to the pas- torate of the church ; and the public services of his recognition were held on Wednesday, Oct. 23. His ministry was followed by the divine blessing : the con- gregation gained new strength and efficiency ; and. though no powerful revival was enjoyed, he had the privilege of welcoming twenty new members to the church by baptism, and twenty-one by letter. In October, 1852, he tendered his resignation to the church, having received an urgent invitation to resume the pastoral charge of the church in Washington with which he had been previously connected ; and his labors closed on the first sabbath of December.
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Jamaica-Plain Baptist Church.
In March, 1853, the church extended a call to Rev. Heman Lincoln of Philadelphia. The invitation was accepted, and he entered upon his labors in June fol- lowing. During the ensuing two years, a burdensome debt, which had been resting upon our society since the erection of our church-edifice, was paid.
With this encumbrance removed, with a faithful pastor, and a united church, our prospects for the future ap- peared unusually promising. But at three o'clock on the morning of Friday, Sept. 26, 1856, the citizens of this place were suddenly aroused by an alarm of fire ; and it was soon ascertained that our Sabbath home was in flames. In a short time, the building, and all its furniture and books, including the library and records of the sabbath school, were entirely consumed.
We were now, in one respect, left homeless : but the fraternal kindness of neighboring religious societies was so promptly manifested. that our regular meetings were continued without interruption ; and our sabbath school was discontinued only for a single sabbath. While the fire was yet burning, the Third Congregational (Unita- rian) Society extended to us an earnest invitation to occupy their house of worship ; and this was immediately followed by an equally kind invitation from the Mather (now Central) Congregational Society. As an evidence of the kind spirit exhibited toward us at this time, we desire to place on record the following extracts from the official invitations extended to us by these two societies : -
Our Unitarian friends say, "The Third Society view this loss with sorrow and regret ; and they do now cheer- fully offer the Baptist Society the use of their church for
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Historical Sketch.
one-half day each sabbath during the time that they may be engaged in rebuilding their own church."
Among other resolutions of sympathy adopted by the Mather Congregational Society was the following : " Resolved, That we tender to the Baptist Society the use of our house of worship and the vestry ; requesting that its members may occupy it for such length of time as may be convenient and pleasant to themselves."
Upon consideration, it was deemed advisable to accept the offer of the Unitarian church for sabbath afternoons, to use their vestry for our sabbath school and sabbath- evening prayer-meetings, and to unite with the Mather Church in our Friday-evening prayer-meetings and sab- bath-school concerts ; and these arrangements were most pleasantly continued for more than twenty months, - from Sept. 28, 1856, to June 20, 1858.
A committee was immediately appointed by our society to take preparatory measures for erecting a new church- edifice. It was deemed advisable to sell the lot of land on which the burned building had stood, and purchase a more spacious and eligible one at the corner of Centre and Myrtle Streets. After considerable delay in procuring plans and estimates for a new structure, the corner- stone of our present building was laid, with appropriate religious services, Oct. 21. 1857.
The vestry was completed so that it was occupied by our sabbath school on sabbath morning, June 20, 1858 ; followed by our regular services, day and evening.
On the 21st of December, 1858, our pastor, Rev. Heman Lincoln, tendered his resignation. A committee was appointed by the church to wait upon him, with the hope that he might be induced to change his purpose
8
Jamaica-Plain Baptist Church.
and remain with us : but their efforts were unavailing; and therefore his resignation was accepted at a special church-meeting held Jan. 25, 1859.
Mr. Lincoln served us as pastor five years and seven months ; and notwithstanding we were without a house of worship of our own for twenty-one months of this time, and with only preaching service once upon the sabbath, yet the church had never enjoyed greater prosperity than under his pastorate. The increase of membership during this time was forty six by baptism and forty-two by letter, with one by restoration ; making a total of eighty-nine.
On the 25th of August, 1859, our new house of wor- ship was dedicated. Services were held in the afternoon and evening. In the afternoon, the dedicatory sermon was preached by the Rev. George W. Samson, D.D .; and in the evening the sermon was preached by Rev. Heman Lincoln.
The church continued without a pastor until May I, IS60 ; when the Rev. Charles De Witt Bridgman accepted and entered upon the duties of that office, having re- ceived a call from the church and society on the preceding March.
Mr. Bridgman's pastorate was of short duration. He first tendered his resignation Nov. 19, 1861 ; but, being then persuaded to withdraw it for a time, he again ten- dered it Oct. 30, 1862. After much earnest effort on the part of the church to induce Mr. Bridgman to remain with us, he still regarding it his duty to accept an invita- tion from the Pearl-street Church, Albany, N. Y., his resignation was reluctantly accepted. During Mr. Bridgman's services with us, our membership was in-
9
Historical Sketch.
creased by the addition of thirteen by baptism, and twenty-three by letter ; total, thirty-six.
On the second sabbath in January, 1863, our pulpit was supplied by Adoniram Judson Gordon, then a student in the Theological Seminary at Newton. His services on this occasion were so acceptable, that he was again invited to preach for us; and these labors resulted in his receiving a call to become our pastor, at the regular church-meeting held Feb. 17, 1863.
This invitation was accepted March 20, with the pro- vision that Mr. Gordon should not enter upon his duties until the close of his studies at Newton, in June. He united with our church May 26, 1863 ; and a council was called for his examination for ordination on the 11th of June. The council was unanimous in recommending his ordination and installation ; and these services took place on the evening of June 25, - the sermon being preached on the occasion by Rev. E. Dodge, D.D., presi- dent of Madison University, New York. On the first sabbath in July, 1863, Mr. Gordon commenced his labors as pastor.
Our society had now a very heavy debt resting upon it, occasioned by the building of our new church-edifice, amounting, at this time, to about seventeen thousand dollars. This encumbrance had greatly retarded our prosperity, and had been a source of anxiety and embar- rassment to our two former pastors. In 1864, it was determined to commence an effort for the payment of this entire amount ; and subscriptions were solicited for that purpose. The responses to the appeal made were so prompt and liberal, that, in October, it was announced that subscriptions had been received sufficient to cover
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Famaica-Plain Baptist Church.
very nearly the whole amount needed. The greater part of the debt was at once discharged ; but the entire amount was not fully paid until April, 1868: During this time, extensive repairs had been made on the exte- rior of the building : so that the extra amount raised in four years, aside from our ordinary current expenses and benevolent contributions, was about twenty-five thousand dollars. At the annual meeting in April, 1868, we were enabled to announce our society as entirely free from debt.
Being perfectly united in our pastor, it was now hoped, by the blessing of God, to enjoy an enlarged prosperity ; and these hopes have been, to some extent, realized. But our unpleasant experiences of the past were to be repeated. In August, 1869, our pastor tendered his resignation, having received an urgent invitation to become pastor of the Clarendon-street Church, Boston. This church had extended and persistently pressed a similar call in February, 1867 ; but it was declined. This time, an acceptance was urged by various consider- ations in regard to the importance of the field and the prostrate condition of the church ; and, after two months of anxious and prayerful deliberation, an affirmative answer was given. Mr. Gordon's resignation took effect on the first sabbath in November, 1869.
Besides the payment of the thousands of dollars of indebtedness that has been named, during the pastorate of Mr. Gordon, the church was increased in numbers, and, we trust, in spiritual graces and efficiency. In the six years and seven months of his service, there were received into the church by experience one, by letter fifty, and by baptism seventy-two ; being a total of one
II
Historical Sketch.
hundred and twenty-three members, or more than one- fourth of all admissions to membership, including the fifty-nine original members, since the church was con- stituted.
On the ISth of January, 1870, the church and society extended a unanimous call to the Rev. Galusha Ander- son, D.D., professor in Newton Theological Institution, to become their pastor ; but, in view of the important relations he sustained to that institution, he felt obliged to decline the invitation.
. Our pulpit continued to be supplied by different persons until Sept. 12, 1870, when an invitation was extended to the Rev. James Paterson from Scotland (who had preached for us six sabbaths), to serve us as preacher and pastor for one year. Mr. Paterson accepted the invitation, and entered upon his duties the last sab- bath in September, 1870.
Our history of nearly twenty-nine years is now com- pleted ; and in view of the large measure of peace and quietness that has prevailed in our membership, the abundant mercies that have been bestowed upon us, the kindly feelings that have existed between ourselves and other religious denominations, the faithful pastors with whose services we have been blessed, we feel con- strained to " thank God, and take courage," and to offer up unitedly the earnest prayer of faith that we "all may be one " in Christ, and " be sanctified through the truth."
JAMAICA PLAIN, MAY 1, 1871.
DECLARATION OF FAITH AND PRACTICE.
As with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, so with the mouth confession is made unto salvation, we deem it suitable to make the following declaration of our views of divine truth : -
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect rule of faith and practice.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteous- ness ; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly . furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17). For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man ; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Pet. i. 21).
See also 1 Pet. i. 10, 11 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 2; Acts i. 16, iii. 21, xxviii. 25 ; Heb. iii. 7, ix. 19, x. 15.
We believe that the Bible teaches, among others, the following all-important truths : -
I. The existence of one only living and true God, infi- nite in every natural and moral perfection ; and that he
Declaration of Faith and Practice. I3
has made himself known to his people under the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : the same in essence, and equal in every divine per- fection.
The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel ! the Lord our God is one Lord (Mark xii. 29. 32). For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. ii. 5). Remember the former things of old ; for I am God, and there is none else : I am God, and there is none like me (Isa. xlvi. 9). For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given ; and the govern- ment shall be upon his shoulder ; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, the Prince of peace (Isa. ix. 6). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John i. I). All men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him (John v. 23). I and my Father are one (John x. 30). Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ( Matt. xxviii. 19). For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost ; and these three are one (I John v. 7).
See also Exod. xx. 1-3; Ps. xcv. 3 ; I Cor. viii. 4 ; 2 Cor. xiii. 14 ; I John i. 3.
2. That man was created holy ; but, by violating the law of his Maker, he fell from that state, and from all communion with God : and as, by divine appointment, Adam was the representative of all his posterity, we in him became dead in sins ; so that, by nature, we were indisposed to all good, and inclined to all evil, and are children of wrath, and subjects of death, and of all other miseries, temporal and eternal.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our like- ness. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
2
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Famaica-Plain Baptist Church.
created he him, male and female created he them (Gen. i. 26, 27). God hath made man upright ; but they have sought out many inventions ( Eccl. vii. 29). And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat ; and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked ; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons (Gen. iii. 6, 7). The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it ; but wounds and bruises and putrefy- ing sores : they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment (Isa. i. 5, 6). They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable : there is none that doeth good ; no, not one. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ( Rom. iii. 12, 23). And as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind ; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wicked- ness, covetousness, maliciousness ; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity ; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful ; proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affec- tion, implacable, unmerciful ; who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (Rom. i. 28-32). For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. vi. 23). For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornica- tions, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man (Matt. xv. IS-20).
See also Gen. vi. 5, and viii. 21 ; Ps. xiv. 1-3; Rom. xi. 32 ; Gal. iii. 22; James i. 15 ; Rev. xxi. S.
3. That the only way of salvation from this state of guilt and condemnation is through the righteousness and atonement of Jesus Christ, who, as the Good Shepherd, laid down his life for his sheep ; and that those only
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Declaration of Faith and Practice.
who receive the gift of repentance and faith in him will be finally saved by his atonement.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions ; he was bruised for our iniqui- ties ; the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; and with his stripes we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray ; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many ; for he shall bear their iniquities. He hath poured out his soul unto death ; and he was numbered with the transgressors ; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the trans- gressors (Isa. liii. 4-12). Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people, and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy. And after three- score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself (Dan. ix. 24, 26). I am the door : by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy : I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd : the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father ; and I lay down my life for the sheep (John x. 9-11, 15) .. Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under heaven given among-men whereby we must be saved (Acts iv. 11, 12). For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then. being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord ( Rom. v. 6-21). For the wages of sin is
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Jamaica-Plain Baptist Church.
death ; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. vi. 23). But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets ; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins ; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus (Rom. iii. 21-26). He that believeth on Him is not condemned ; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life ; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John iii. 18, 36). Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (Luke xiii. 3).
See also Acts v. 31 ; John v. 24, vi. 40, xx. 31 ; I Pet. i. S, 9.
4. That all who ever have been or will be brought to repentance and faith in the gospel were chosen in Christ to salvation before the foundation of the world ; and that, in consequence of the eternal love of God to them through the atonement, the Holy Ghost is sent to effect the work of regeneration in their hearts, without which regenerating influence none would ever repent or believe.
The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love ; therefore with loving-kind- ness have I drawn thee (Jer. xxxi. 3). Ye have not chosen me ; but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain (John xv. 16). I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world : thine they were, and thou gavest them me ; and they have kept thy word (John xvii. 6). According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto
Declaration of Faith and Practice. 17
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. In whom, also, we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will (Eph. i. 4, 5, 11). Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience ( 1 Pet. i. 2). For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth, it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger ( Rom. ix. 11, 12, 23). For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called ; and whom he called, them he also justified ; and whom he justified, them he also glorified (Rom. viii. 29, 30). And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever ; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but ye know him ; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John xiv. 16-IS, 26). But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceed- eth from the Father, he shall testify of me (John xv. 26). Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom. of God (John iii. 3). For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. iv. 6). And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins ; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience : among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when
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