USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Westfield > Sermon commemorative of the two-hundredth anniversary of the First Congregational church of Westfield, Mass. > Part 1
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BI CENTENNIAL SERMON OF THE
FIRST CHURCH
OF WESTFIELD
M. L
Gc 974.402 W53720 1415155
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01103 5539
A SERMONC
COMMEMORATIVE OF THE
Two = Hundredth Anniversary
OF THE
First Congregational Church
OF
WESTFIELD, MASS.,
DELIVERED BY THE PASTOR,
Rev. JOHN H. LOCKWOOD,
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1879,
To which an Appendix is added.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
WESTFIELD, MASS .: CLARK & STORY, PRINTERS. 1879.
1415155
Dass caria $ 4,50 8-1-6.1
Copy of Correspondence.
WESTFIELD, October 6, 1879.
REV. J. H. LOCKWOOD,-Dear Sir :- We, on behalf of the Society of the First Congregational Church of Westfield, respectfully request of you a copy of your Bi-Centennial His- torical Sermon for publication.
HENRY W. BATES, r Prudential Committee.
JUNIUS A. TALMADGE,
LYMAN M. SMITH,
WESTFIELD, October 6, 1879.
MESSRS. HENRY W. BATES, JUNIUS A. TALMADGE, and LYMAN M. SMITH,-Gentlemen :- Since the Bi-Centennial Historical Sermon, delivered yesterday in the First Church, is, in your esti- mation, worthy of publication in a permanent form, I cheerfully place it at your disposal, with such additions as seem worthy of preservation with it ; but which, incorporated into it, would have made it too long for delivery at a single Sabbath service.
Respectfully Yours, JOHN H. LOCKWOOD.
.
PREFATORY NOTE.
MANY difficulties beset the preparation of such a sketch as is here attempted. The task has been not simply to collect annals of the old church, and not simply to prepare an address upon it; but it ineludes both, and more besides. As it would probably become a document of some historieal value to future generations, it was important to include in it many interesting reminiscences with exact dates, and as it was to be delivered on the occasion of a regular church service, it needed to be restricted in extent and partake somewhat of the character of a sermon. Many items of interest to antiquarians, or to those whose families have lived here for many generations, and many others that are simply amusing and curious, were therefore excluded as outside the scope of the task. Some of them are accorded a place in the Appendix, which I would be glad to enlarge indefinitely were it not for the fear that it might thereby make too voluminous what is intended to be merely a brief sketeh, and not an exhaustive treatise. It is also to be remembered that the discourse was prepared with the Town Bi-Centennial volume before me, in which are many deeply interesting facts relating to the early days of the town and the church, not only in the address, but also in the letters from former residents and reminiseences in the appendix, some of which would be ineluded here were they not preserved there in permanent form. A few copies of that inval-
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PREFATORY NOTE.
uable volume remain unsold, and may be secured at the news- room of Mr. W. P. Meacham.
The many persons who have kindly proffered assistance, with- ont which this task would have been utterly hopeless to one who has been a resident of the town only six months, will please ac- cept thanks therefor. Among them special mention should be made of Mr. Henry Holland, who having made a special study of local antiquities, has been of great service in determining sites of historic interest, and in giving other valuable information ; and Mr. David M. Chace, the Town Clerk, who has afforded the fullest facilities for examining the town records.
JOHN H. LOCKWOOD.
SERMON.
I. Kings, viii., 57 .- The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers.
THIS year marks a noteworthy epoch in the history of our church. Time has rolled on with steady flow till two hundred years have passed since it was organized by a handful of faithful disciples. The future for which they provided, so much of which is now past with its checkered record of human experience, was hidden from sight, but they laid foundations in faith and others have builded thereupon. Taking twenty years as the measure of a generation, this church has been the earthly home of ten gen- erations of believers, where they have heard the everlasting gos- pel ; where they have raised to the throne of grace praises and supplications ; where they have brought sacrifices of themselves and their possessions. In this new world, whose remotest history is so recent, the chinrches that have passed through the vicissi- tudes of two centuries are comparatively few.
Among those of our own order, which are naturally the oldest in New England, there are forty-seven that exceed this church in age, of which one is in York, Me., organized in 1672, seven- teen are in Connecticut, and twenty-nine are in Massachusetts. Several of them are but a few years older, and there are several also but a few years younger. No snrer criterion of the rapidity with which the fathers entered into possession of this land of Canaan can be found than that suggested by the dates of the organization of the first churches of New England. In recogni- tion of their Christian heroisin, as well as God's long-continued blessing upon their labors, we should commemorate this remark- able anniversary. The formal exercises of organization occurred
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
August 27th, 1679 ; and, though the corresponding date of this year is passed, yet for the sake of convenience a formal observ- ance of the occasion has been delayed till now.
The task of preparing a brief and interesting sketch of the church's history is beset by some difficulties besides those com- mon to all historians. The available materials are very limited ; many of them have been carefully investigated and ably displayed by different persons within a few years, and are therefore some- what familiar to most of those who are interested in the church ; and in a stable and conservative community like this, local tra- ditions are carefully perpetuated. Families that have lived here for many generations naturally gather up facts relating to their ancestors for their own gratification, and to impart in turn to their children. Many family trees planted here in the early days of the settlement still flourish like monarchs of the forest. But though I may not discover in the records of the past many facts unfamiliar to those who were privileged to hear the carefully- prepared sketch of the town's history incorporated into the ad- dress of a member of this congregation, Hon. William G. Bates, delivered ten years ago when its bi-centennial was celebrated ; or to those who listened before that time to the various historical sermons of my predecessor, Rev. Dr. Emerson Davis, whose memory is still so sweetly fragrant wherever he was known ; yet it may be pleasant even to them to be stirred up by way of re- membrance. Many strangers have also come among us within the last decade, and many children have matured from infancy to capacity to understand and enjoy stories of the past. While studying all original sources of information available, I shall use, freely and gratefully, the results of those who have preceded me in the field to be traversed at this time, hoping, not to excel them, but only to follow closely in their footsteps, and perhaps to beat two paths into one that may be more easily traversed by others who shall follow. In order that no available material might be lost I have carefully searched anew the town and church records from the beginning, and shall quote from them freely, believing that their quaint language and plain statements are more interesting than they would be if clothed in modern dress, and that they may never again be annotated. It has been so in- teresting to me to study the course of events making up our church history, as recorded in original documents, yellow with
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
age and often in almost illegible chirography, though involving weeks of patient study, that I desire to share the pleasure, as far as possible, by giving you a literal transcript of what may never fall under your eyes in original form. The task in hand differs in scope from that of Mr. Bates ; in extent from that of Dr. Davis already referred to ;- the former having prepared a sketch of the town, and the latter in various published documents, of which 1 have copies, delineating briefer periods ; but now my effort is to trace the history and affairs of this church for two centuries. This attempt includes within its scope matters relating to the origin, growth and changes of the church, and facts of importance in the lives of its officers and members. Until a comparatively recent period the church has been so fully identified with the town that the records of the latter contain much relating to the former,-all the secular affairs of the church having been at- tended to at town meetings, as part of their prescribed business, where it was decided even to call every minister who preceded the Rev. Dr. Davis, settled in 1836.
The first reference in the town records to ecclesiastical affairs bears date of March 19, 1666, when a lot of twelve acres was set apart for the minister, "if he should like it ; " intimating that the act was done in anticipation of his arrival. According to the detailed account of Mr. Taylor of the origin of this church, no one came to occupy the land till a little later. He says :
" Westfield, then Warronnokee, coming to be an English plan- tation, had at first Mr. John Holyoake, son to that Godly Capt. Elizur Holyoake of Springfield, to dispense ye word of life amongst them, Anº Dmi, 1667, about half a year ; but in ye beginning of winter following, he as finding ye ministry of the word too heavie for him desisted ; from which time till ye beginning of winter 1668 they had no minister."
In August, 1668, the town acted as follows, after deciding to allow a minister the sum of £40 a year, to be derived by taxes on the lands :
" It is voted that we look at ourselves as free & at liberty to seek out according as God shall guide us for a minister to carry on the work of Christ here."
Their first laborer in the spiritual vineyard must have given satisfaction, for they voted "that George Phelps & James Cornish shall go to Springfield to trade with Mr. Hollyoke & 2
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
receive his answer." The spirit of thrift and prudence seems by the term thus used to have pervaded thus early even church business. Mr. Holyoke not consenting, it was voted soon after- ward " that Capt. Cook shall go into the Bay to procure a min- ister, such a one as he shall be advised to by the elders in or about the bay if the Committee at Springfield do approve of our acts herein." He was ordered to take his journey " so soon as to be in the bay the first Sabbath in October," about a week later. James Cornish was to go the next day to Springfield to consult the committee under whose auspices the town was settled, " & to speak to Capt. Pynchon & desire him to promote the design in the bay." Proof of the interest taken by these neigh- bors in the efforts of the infant colony to procure a minister is shown by the fact that during the next month, October, 1668, a farther grant of land to Westfield was made on condition that a minister should be procured within two years. There is no ac- count of the result of the errand to the Bay, but the Rev. Moses Fisk, son of a minister of the church at Chelmsford, was gotten there, probably by Capt. Cook, who served the people three years, and then left them. They then tried to get the Rev. Mr. Adams of Dedham, and " finding ye said Mr. Adams not as yet movable from ye collidge," Mr. Taylor says :
" Their messenger was advised to myself (ye meanest of those that labour in Christ's vineyard) who upon advice did adventure to go with him home, and upon ye Lord's day following, being ye 3d of ye 10m Anº Dmi 1672, preached my first sermon amongst them from Matt. 3 : 2,-' Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" 1
He did not determine for some time to stay ; but, there being a prospect of organizing a church, he began to incline to settle with the people, and after serving them two years, he says : " We set up conference meetings at weh I went over all the Heads of Divinity unto ye means of ye application of Redemption before we did enter the church state." Their plans were delayed by the desolations and distractions of King Philip's war, which nearly destroyed the settlements at this end of the province. Two houses and barns were burned here, and several men were killed. The terror of the inhabitants was so great that several moved away, among them four of the nine church members of the place ; and the record says pathetically : " A sore tempta-
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
tion was thrust in upon us by the Adversary that seemed to threaten the overthrow of all proceedings unto a chh state by those by whom that interest was before most apparently de- volved." But in the spring of 1679 they decided to call a coun- cil, to convene in August .* Five years before this, in 1674, Mr. Taylor married Elizabeth Fitch, daughter of the first clergyman of Norwich, Ct., a " highly educated & accomplished lady." One of his letters preliminary to that event, copied from the original among the archives of the Connecticut Historical Soci- ety, may be found in the appendix of the Town Bi-Centennial volume .¡ The provision for his support, even before his formal settlement, seems to have been generous. He received from £60 to £80 in those early years, besides large tracts of land. In ad- dition to which the town voted in 1678 :
" That Lieut. Mosely & Isaac Phelps they are to take care about Mr. Taylor's hay & corn in hay time and harvest for the gathering of it in and the town are to spin Mrs. Taylor a day's work apiece in haytime & harvest & they are to have a day or two to said warning."
The account of the Council. is so quaintly and strikingly told that I shall quote Mr. Taylor's language quite extensively. Five churches were invited by letters missive. He proceeds : " These then being sent our work came on apace, for temptations having attended our work one time after time before, I for my part was unhearted until now to prepare, and therefore now I had both hands full & must go down into the bay before the time. Wherefore having often in private sought God together in order unto this matter now upon the 20th day of August, that day fo'night unto the day of assemblage we set apart for a fast to be kept by our whole town in order to ye great work of ye day of imbodying. on which day I preached from that 1 Kin. 8: 57- ' ye Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers ; ""-words I have myself chosen as not inappropriate for our consideration to-day. He showed from it that parents, when about to erect God's ordinances, ought to pray hard to God to be with them, and adds : " And as for the duty of prayer two of the brethren did help carry it on." In those early times it seems to have
*See Appendix A.
¡See Appendix C.
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
been admissible for laymen to take part in the public service, at least on a Fast Day.
Of the five churches invited to the Council, four were repre- sented. The church at Norwich did not respond ; that at Wind- sor sent delegates, its pastor being detained at home by a do- mestic emergency. The three ministers who came were Rev. Peletiah Glover of Springfield, or "Cousin Glover," as Mr. Taylor calls him; with whom came also " ye worshipful Maj: John Pynchon," Rev. John Russel of Hadley, and the Rev. Solo- mon Stoddard of Northampton, who afterward became a leader among the advocates of the " half-way covenant." The members of the Council arrived on the evening preceding the day ap- pointed, and began at once to examine into the affairs engaging them, and were greatly disturbed by discovering two serious ob- stacles in the way of accomplishing what the brethren desired. One was that Mr. Taylor, upon whom, as the candidate, de- volved the delivery of the ordination sermon, proposed to preach in the afternoon, instead of beginning the work of the day with it. The other and more serious one was, that the statement of doc- trine on which the church was to be recognized consisted only of the Confession of Faith of the Westminster Assembly and the Cambridge Platform, which the Council deemed insufficient ; this, however, was also in some way removed. We can but note a contrast between the prudence of that time and the laxity of the present, when churches are admitted to Congregational fel- lowship simply offering the Bible to be interpreted by a majority vote of its members at any time. In his statement before the Council, Mr. Taylor reviewed the history of the enterprise, pre- sented letters of dismissal of those who were to be organized from their respective churches, and a formal commission to the christian people of Westfield in general, and seven men named in particular, to enter into a church state, signed by John Leverett, Governor, and six assistants .*
I cannot forbear quoting at some length Mr. Taylor's account of the concluding transactions of that ancient Council :
" After the confession of our faith was made we were called out to give some account of the workings of the Spirit upon our hearts that might be as a foundation for the charity of God's
*See Appendix B.
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
people to act upon in order to ye approval of us in their souls as suitable matter for such a structure in hand. An account of which, so far as time would admit, was then personally given in these relations (here abbreviated) following, ye which had at least some been read (and doubtless it would have been to more edification) had not ye elder's and messengers of Northampton and Hadley drove on to ye contrary."
Then follow his and the Relations of the other six, written out at great length, being extravagant delineations of their conver- sion and subsequent experience. The sermon he delivered is copied out in full, making twelve pages folio of microscopic writing, which must have required at least three hours to preach it. This was before the days of sermonettes fifteen minutes long, which make some men popular. The sermon being ended, " ye Moderator stood up & gave a brief account of what was done and propounded ye brethren to ye Elders and Messengers for their approbation unto their proceeding if they desired further satisfaction in ye matter or judged anything yet further to be attended to in this case before the covenant was entered into, they were desired to manifest the same; if otherwise let their silence manifest it. Whereupon nothing appearing ye Moderator called us forth to enter covenant, which being done in ye words of ye covenant by and by recited he pronounced us a church of Christ orderly gathered according to ye rules of Christ in ye gos- pell." Mr. Stoddard gave the right hand of fellowship to the church. " This being done the Moderator demanded of ye church whom they chose their officer and into what office. Whereupon ye brethren of the church laid my unworthy self under a call unto ye office of Pastor unto them." Rev. Messrs. Russel, Glover and Stoddard, with Samuel Loomis, one of the brethren of the church, laid on hands. "Mr. Russel prayed before ordination, Mr. Glover ordained, and Mr. Stoddard ended the work with prayer."
The church covenant into which the original seven members en- tered, is long, explicit, and solemn, and in the old church record book is signed in large letters by Edward Taylor, John Maudesly, Samuel Loomis, Josiah Dewy, John Root, Isaac Phelps, and John Ingerson (now Ingersoll). The common number of seven foundation-men was soon increased by one, as we learn from the following explanation :
" Brother Th Gun being nominated for a foundation man de-
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
sired to be omitted and was admitted ye 21 ye 7 m without Rela- tion, in that he was so much decayed by age that it would be a hard thing to gather it, and he was a man of approved piety and was recommended to us by Windsor church."
The method of receiving subsequent members was to consider them in conference meeting, then propound them "in ye Assem- bly that if any can give in any just ground against their Behaviour they have liberty." They were then voted on at a meeting prepar- atory to the Lord's Supper. After giving " an account of some of those experiences of God's work upon their hearts, ye wh if they thro fearfulness and bashfulness do desire ye same may be read, ye chh complying to their desires therein the same as also it is on ye admitting of Women." After an affirmative vote the following covenant was read :
" We here in obedience unto Almighty God, in Christ receiving members into full communion in this chh of Christ amongst us and admitting you unto all Gospell privileges therein, according unto yr several capacities thereunto, Do promise solemnly in ye presence of God to perform unto you as unto ourselves all those mutuall Duties of helpfulness unto weh we have mutually obliged ourselves, and do pronounce you Members of this chh of Christ orderly admitted."
The infant church thus constituted had no other officer than the pastor for many years. The account says: "No ruling elder nor Deacon was elected, only Brother Loomis was de- sired to look after the preparing wine and bread and to furnish ye Lord's table." He was afterward elected Deacon, but hesitat- ing about accepting the office and waiting for the election of a colleague, he died without being ordained. It was not until 1692 that Josiah Dewey and Nathanael Weller were ordained the first of a long line of holy men who have served in that capacity ; so that the church was for thirteen years in that anomalous condi- tion, having no officer but the pastor.
Where the people met for service during the early years is mat- ter of conjecture, as no record that I can find refers to it. The exact time of the erection of the first meeting-house is also un- certain, the votes respecting it not being dated in the town records ; but it was probably about the time of organization. The first vote is as follows :
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
" That the town will go on with building a meeting house with all convenient speed as may be, the dimentions are as follows : About 36 feet square and for form like Hatfield meeting house, as the comitey chosen shall advise and agree."
The next, and only other recorded vote respecting it, is strange- ly muddled, but indicates that there had been some difficulty re- garding the site, and that " after debating in the town, came to vote of the town to lott that the friend one of God should deter- mine it, and after solemn looking of God the lots were drawn the lot came forth for the place before goodman Phelps or Good- man Gunns if Mr. Taylor se cause." The town voted to build " gallereys on each side of ye meeting house" May 10th, 1703, indi- cating that the congregation was too large for the building. In those primitive times strict order was enforced by duly consti- tuted authority, as is indicated by a town vote in 1689 :
" Walter Lee, Samuel Fowler and the Sergeant of the guard are appointed to take care of children on the Sabbath to see that they atend and keep their places both before and in the time of exercise."
As the town increased in population the church building, even with the " gallereys," became too small to accommodate the wor- shipers, and in 1717 the first recorded action was taken respect- ing a new house of- worship. Twice during the next year the subject came up again before the town for consideration, and No- vember 17, 1719, " the town took into consideration the neces- sity that we are in to put ourselves into some way to find out a place to set and to build a new meeting house." In order to se- cure a peaceable settlement of difficulties about the site, they de- cided to leave the matter to arbitration, and a committee from Springfield was invited to decide it, consisting of Dea. John Munn, Lieut. John Merick and Benjamin Lennard, who soon afterward presented a characteristic report : " Gentlemen- seeing God in his providence hath called us according to your desire " (an instance of vox populi, vox dei,) " to consider your surcomstances and where may be ye convenientest place for you to set your meeting house our result is on the northwest corner of Cap'n Maudesleys lot by the meadow gate." There being dis- satisfaction, however, with this decision, it was voted to leave the matter with Cap'n Samuel Partridge, and abide by the result
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BI-CENTENNIAL SERMON.
he should reach. His report must have been formal and explicit enough to satisfy the most exacting :
" Whereas the town of Westfield at a legal town meeting on ye 21 day of this instant December 1719 past an act in said meeting they being at a difficulty in concluding the place to set their new meeting house at and voated to leave the full desition of that matter unto me undersigned upon which I together with Cap'n John Ashley and Lieutenant Abijah Dewey went up to ye place of the cyder press their standing which I judged too fur toward the West end of ye town for conveniency of the peoples meeting at ye present allso I vewed ye norwest corner of Deacon Root deseased his lot I judged that place too near ye dwelling houses against and as to Mr Gunns paster and ye lot where old John Sacket lived too much to the South end of the town and ye old meeting house much more I allso vewed Cap'n Maudesleys paster on ye south side of the way and that I judge will be too near Cap'n Roots barn therefore having maturely vewed the knowl on Cap'n Mandesleys lot on the north side of ye way behind his housing I hereby determine to bee the place for erect- ing and setting up the new meeting house this I deliver as my positive opinion upon the premises. SAMUELL PARTRIDGE."
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