USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Hyde Park > Confession of faith and form of covenant, adopted by the Hyde Park Congregational Church : together with the names of the members > Part 1
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GENEALOGY 974.402 B65HYB
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOBY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01100 0640
GENEALOGY 974.402 B65HYB
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/confessionoffait00unse 3
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CONFESSION OF FAITH AND
FORM OF COVENANT.
ADOPTED BY THE
nde Dach Congregational Church,
TOGETHER WITH THE
NAMES OF THE MEMBERS.
BOSTON : RHODES & MARKHAM, PRINTERS. 1866.
.
1851516
Dobe Back Congregational Church.
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
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A BRIEF HISTORY
OF THE
Hyde Park Congregational Church. .
Congregational Worship in Hyde Park was commenced at Lyman Hall, in December, 1860. At that time, and for several months after, the Rev. L. R. Eastman, Sr., officiated. Divine Services and a Sabbath School were sustained, with only occasional clerical aid, until the 30th of November, 1862, when the Rev. Hiram Carleton commenced his ministerial labors, which were continued until October, 1864. The pulpit was supplied by several clergymen, until December 1, 1864, when the ministry of the Rev. R. Manning Chipman, the present incumbent, began.
On the 7th of May, 1863, in response to Letters Missive, an Ecclesiastical Council assembled at Union Hall, in which the follow- ing Churches were represented : Old South, Park Street, and Berkley Street, Boston ;
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Mather, Jamaica Plain : Broadway, Chelsea ; First, Dedham ; Second. Dorchester.
The Public Service held was as follows: Introductory devotional exercises, by the Rev. Hiram Carleton ; Sermon, by the Rev. James H. Means, of Dorchester ; Recognition of the Church and Constituting Prayer, by the Rev. G. W. Blagden, D. D., of Boston.
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CONFESSION OF FAITH.
We believe in one God, who is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ; the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of the Universe ; a Being of perfect and adorable attributes.
That the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and contain the only perfect rule of faith and practice.
That man was created holy, but has, of his own free will, violated God's perfect law, and is now alienated from God, and dead in tres- passes and sins.
That Jesus Christ has, by his sufferings and death. made atonement for sin : and that all who are saved, are justified wholly by grace, and through the redemption there is in Him.
That salvation is freely offered to all men ; that they are under obligations immediately to repent and believe the Gospel, but that such is the depravity of the human heart, that no man will come to Christ, unless God, by the Holy Spirit, draws him.
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That all who embrace the Gospel were from the beginning chosen unto salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth ; and that they will be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto eternal life.
That there will be a resurrection of the dead and a final judgment ; and that the happiness of the righteous and the misery of the wicked will be alike eternal.
That good works are united with genuine faith ; and the constant practice of honesty, truth, charity and righteousness is the indis- pensable duty and privilege of every christian.
That the Lord Jesus Christ has a visible Church, to which the terms of admission are, a credible evidence of regeneration, baptism, and a public profession of faith in Christ, and that the ordinances of Baptism and The Lord's Supper are to be observed to the end of the world ; and, in the opinion of this Church, believers and their households are the proper subjects of baptism.
COVENANT.
Confessing that you were dead in trespasses and sins, but now believing that God has bestowed upon you his regenerating grace, you do now, in the presence of God and these witnesses, solemnly dedicate yourselves to God the Father as your chief good, to the Son of God as your Mediator and Head, humbly relying on him, as your Prophet, Priest and King ; and to the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier, Comforter and Guide ; to the one God. Father, Son and Holy Ghost, you do hereby give up yourselves, in an everlasting covenant, to love and obey him forever.
Having subscribed to the Confession of Faith and the Covenant adopted by this Church, you promise to walk in conformity to them, and in submission to all the ordinances of the Gospel, and, that by the aid of the Divine Spirit, you will adorn your profession by a holy and blameless life.
Do you thus profess and engage ?
( The Church will here rise.)
We then, in the presence of God and these witnesses, receive you as a member of this
branch of His visible Church ; and we cove- nant and engage to treat you as such-to watch over you in love, and should you, at any time, be overtaken in fault, to restore you in a spirit of meekness, considering ourselves, lest we also be tempted ; and may the grace of God make you and us faithful unto death, and give us an abundant entrance into His ever- lasting kingdom. Amen.
PRINCIPLES OF FAITHI.
1. This Church is independent so far as relates to its internal organization, and the regulation of its affairs. It is amenable to no other ecclesiastical body, except by its own consent, or according to regular and estab- lished Congregational principles. With these exceptions it controls the admission, disci- pline and removal of its members, according to its own understanding of the Word of God, and will regard the decision of Mutual Councils.
2. This Church will extend to other evan- gelical Churches of the Congregational order, and will receive-from them that fellowship,
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advice and assistance which the law of Christ requires. It will extend the usual rights of communion, and practice the usual transfer of members according to its own conviction of duty, in accordance with the most liberal and truthful directions of Christ and the Apostles. It holds itself bound for the interest of Christ's Kingdom, to seek the promotion of peace and christian union with all the Churches of our Lord of whatever name or denomination.
3. This Church regards christian discipline as described in the Gospel, as binding upon itself, and essential to its purity and honor, and to the prosperity of true religion.
4. It requires of candidates for admission from the world, or other Churches, assent and subscription to our Confession of Faith and Covenant, and will grant letters of dismission and recommendation when desired. Members who remove from us, shall transfer their relations to some other Church within one year, if practi- cable, or give reasons to the Clerk of the Church for not having done so, with some account of themselves as christians, and their privileges and life. Letters of dismission shall be valid for only six months from their date ; nor shall any member be regarded as dismissed until the Clerk is informed of his or her recep-
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tion to some other Church. It grants letters of dismission and recommendation to evangel- ical Churches of other denominations, when requested in a proper manner and spirit, and regards all other modes of withdrawing from it for such union as irregular and censurable.
5. All matters of discipline or grievance shall be dealt with in the spirit and principles of the New Testament, agreeably to the direc- tions in Matthew, 18th chapter, 16th verse. Every member of the Church has a right to all its privileges, unless forfeited by misconduct : and when thus forfeited he can be deprived of them only by regular process. When accused. each charge shall be presented in writing, and shall have an open and candid hearing. No vote of censure shall be passed upon any member, except by the concurrence of two- thirds of the members present at a regular meeting.
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STANDING RULES.
1. All meetings for business shall be opened with prayer.
2. The annual meeting, for the election of officers, and for reports, shall be held on the third Wednesday of January.
3. A regular quarterly meeting for business shall be held on the third Wednesday of April, July, and October.
4. Weekly prayer and conference meetings shall be held every Friday evening.
5. The officers of this Church shall be Pastor, Deacons, Clerk, Treasurer, and Ex- amining Committee, who shall be elected annually, with the exception of Pastor and Deacons. All the officers of the Church shall comprise a Standing Committee, competent . to call special meetings of the Church, accord- ing to their own judgment, or at the request of any of the members.
6. It shall be the duty of the Clerk, Treas- urer and Examining Committee, to make annual reports to the Church.
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7. The officers and committee of the Church shall be chosen by ballot.
8. The officers of the Sabbath School shall be a Superintendent, a Secretary and Treasurer. and a Librarian, chosen annually by the teach- ers and adult members of the school, subject to the approval of the Church.
9. The teachers of the Sabbath School shall be appointed by the Superintendent.
10. The Lord's Supper shall be celebrated on the first Sabbath in January, March. May. July, September, and November.
11. Persons proposing to unite with the church by the profession of their faith, shall be examined and approved by the Examining Committee, with the Pastor. or in his absence the Deacons, before being accepted as candi- dates for admission, and if no objection is offered after they have been publicly pro- pounded as such, at least two weeks, they will then be received by publicly assenting to and signing the Confession of Faith and Covenant.
Letters commending for admission into this Church, members of other Churches, may be read at any regular meeting of the Church ; but no action shall be taken as to receiving persons thus commended until a subsequent regular meeting, when, if no objection be
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made, persons presenting such letters shall be regularly propounded for admission at least two weeks; if no objection be then made, such candidates shall be admitted by signing the Confession of Faith and Covenant.
12. Seven acting members shall constitute a quorum, at all business meetings of the Church.
13. The Confession of Faith, Covenant, Principles of Faith and Standing Rules may be revoked or amended at any regular meeting of the Church, by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided notice of such chauge was given at the preceding regular meeting, held not within one week of the time of voting on such revocation or amendment.
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OFFICERS.
PASTORS.
REV. HIRAM CARLETON. 1863-64.
R. MANNING CHIPMAN. 1864-
DEACONS. SYLVESTER PHELPS. Appointed 1863. THOMAS HAMMOND. 66 1863.
ORIGINAL MEMBERS.
Sylvester Phelps, . . Old South, Boston. . E St. Church, South Boston. 66
Thomas Hammond, . Harriet W. Hammond, Hiram Carleton,
Mary Jane Carleton, Henry S. Adams, . Hannah M. Adams, John Lawson, .
Enoch E. Blake,
Albert Knights,
.
. Cong. Church, Barre, Vt. . do. W. Barnstable, Mass. . Broadway Church, Chelsea. 66 66 66
. 2d Cong. Church, Milton. . Park St. Church, Boston. . Berkley St. Ch., Boston.
ADMISSIONS. July, 1863.
Elizabeth M. Knight,
. by profession.
Martha A. Hammond. .
66
Jane S. Hammond, .
.
66
November, 1863.
Harriet S. Merriam, . . Ist Church, Taunton.
.
March, 1865.
Mark Brook,
. 1st Church, Dedham.
Jane Brook,
66
July, 1865.
Henry W. Hammond, . by profession.
September, 1865.
Horatio Leseur,
.
. 2d Con. Church, Sharon.
Hannah C. Leseur,
66
66
II. Elizabeth Leseur,
66
66
Mary E. Leseur, .
66
L. Angeline Leseur,
66
66
66
January, 1866.
Thomas W. Barrell, . . Union Ch., E. Bridgewater. Ann E. Barrell, 66 6.
George F. Bemis, . Mount Vernon Ch., Boston. R. Manning Chipman, . Cong. Ch., Wolcottville, Conn. Mary H. Chipman, . 66 66
Elizabeth A. H. Ernst, . Pres. Ch., Buhler's Plains, La.
March, 1866.
Timothy Foster, .
. Shawmut Church, Boston.
May, 1866.
Francis H. Caffin .. . . 2d. Cong. Church, Dorchester. Elizabeth B. Caffin, 6. 66
Harriet B. Caffin, . Warren St. M. E. Ch. Rorb'y. September, 1866.
Mary Gomersall, . . Independent Ch., Bailey, Eng. Margaret Leyden, . Pres. Church, Wilton, Scotland. Margaret Grant, Ist Eran. Cong. Ch .. Cambridgeport. Hannah JJ. Goss, . . by profession. Emma E. Blake
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NAMES OF MEMBERS.
MALES.
Henry S. Adams.
Enoch E. Blake.
Thomas W. Barrell.
Mark Brook.
George F. Bemis. Francis H. Caffin.
* Hiram Carleton. R. Manning Chipman. Timothy Foster.
Henry W. Hammond. Thomas Hammond. Albert Knights. John Lawson.
Horatio Leseur.
Sylvester Phelps.
FEMALES. Hannah M. Adams. Ann E. Barrell. Emma E. Blake. Jane Brook. Elizabeth B. Caffin. Harriet B. Caffin. *Mary J. Carleton. Mary H. Chipman. Elizabeth A. H. Ernst.
Mary Gomersall. Hannah J. Goss. Margaret Grant. Harriet W. Hammond.
Jane S. Hammond.
Martha A. Hammond.
Elizabeth M. Knights. Hannah C. Leseur.
H. Elizabeth Leseur.
L. Angeline Leseur. Mary E. Leseur. Margaret Leyden.
Harriet S. Merriam.
* Dismissed, August, 1865.
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MAY 75
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