USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Bradford > Articles of faith and covenant; adopted by the First Church of Christ in Bradford Mass., with its standing rules and practical principles, a catalogue of its officers, from its first organization in 1682 up to 1832, and an appendix, containing some facts in its history > Part 2
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"By the power of his Holy Spirit in the ministry of his word, whereby we have been brought to see our misery by nature, our inability to help ourselves, and our need of a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom we desire now solemnly to give up ourselves as to the only Redeemer, to keep us by his power unto salvation, -and for the furtherance of that blessed work, we are now ready to enter into a solemn covenant with God and one with another; that is to say, We do give up ourselves unto that God, whose name alone is Jehovah, as the only true and living God; and unto the Lord Jesus Christ, his only Son, who is the Saviour, Prophet, Priest and King of his Church, and mediator of the covenant of his grace; and to his Holy Spirit, to lead us into all truth, and to bring us unto salvation at the last. We do also give up our offspring unto God, in Christ Jesus; avouching him to be our God and the God of our children; humbly desiring him to bestow upon us that grace whereby both we and they may walk before him as becomes his covenant people forever. We do also give up ourselves, one unto another, in the Lord, according to the will of God; engaging ourselves to walk together as a right ordered Church of Christ in all the ways of his worship, according to the rules of his most holy words; promising, in brotherly covenant, faithfully to watch over one another's souls, and to submit our- selves to the government of Christ in his Church;
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attending upon all his holy administrations, according to the order of the gospel, so far as God hath, or may, reveal to us by his word and spirit."
Such is the covenant or part of the covenant first adopted by the Church. It was entered on record and signed by the Pastor, Zechariah Symmes, and 17 Breth- ren, at a private fast of the Church, April 20th, 1683, at the same time with the instrument of pacification.
The present covenant is substantially the same with that adopted, December 5th, 1829; except that it is considerably compressed, and the paragraph relating to the duty of the believer as guardian, is now first intro- duced-though in accordance manifestly with the spirit of the first covenant. As a whole, it is designed to be unexceptionable, even to a Baptist, and yet to secure, if possible, a revived attention in the Church, to a very important duty, which is too much neglected, even by Paedobaptists.
As to the examination of candidates and the method adopted by the Church in receiving them to its com- munion, the practice of examining them publicly be- fore the whole Church, appears to have been the orig- inal one; and probably this continued till the latter half of the ministry of Mr. Parsons, when (July, 1749,) it was " left to every one's choice who stood propounded, to make a Relation or not." Probably after this, it came gradually to be left entirely with the Pastor. June, 1806, a committee of three was appointed to act with the Pastor, and make report of examinations to the Church, and for a time, the business was accordingly done by a committee. The present mode is that of ex- amination before the whole Church, either by a written relation of the candidate, read by the Pastor with sub- sequent interrogation in view of it, or by an oral rela- tion with interrogation.
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NO. 7.
Baptized Children.
On the subject of the duty of the Church towards its baptized children, the practice of the Church in the early periods of its existence, was highly commendable. How the records of individual churches generally might show a correspondence in practice, the editor of these notes has not the means of determining, though it is presumed this Church may have been in advance of some. In common with others, it was in the practice of the Half-way Covenant, as it was called, till 1806, and this was highly objectionable, wherever found; but it was the fault of the age, and not of any particular Church as such; and aside from this, the practice of this Church was highly commendable in relation to bap- tized children; so much so, that, were as much atten- tion paid to them now, in proportion to the greater light and knowledge, and the immensely greater facilities for impressing children with religious truth, now possessed, it is not too much to hope, that every child devoted to God, in baptism, in faith, and educated as it should be, would be brought into the kingdom of Christ, and made an heir of eternal life.
Among the things going to show the estimation in which infant baptism was held, and the obligation the Church felt towards baptized children, may be mention- ed the practice, which it seems prevailed, of recognising them along with their parents or guardians, in the dis- mission and reception of members from one Church to another. Thus, in the first reception of members from other Churches to this Church, November 7th, 1682, it was matter of distinct recognition and vote in the Church, whether the Church would receive with the parents the children also, i. e. with the acknowledged obligation of watching over them, and seeing that they were reli- giously educated; and they voted that they would re- ceive them. " This vote past," says the recorder, Mr. Symmes, the first, " with general, and, as I judge, uni- versal, concurrence."
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Again. There was a meeting in the Church, Decem- ber 4th, 1682, "to consider what God required of the Church, relating to the children of the Church." And it was voted, "that the children of the Church which had attained to 16 years of age should be called to an account privately, concerning their knowledge and good inclinations [towards religion,] and reminded of their duty; and that such as were 20 or upwards should be called upon to own the covenant in public; and if any such were found tardy or averse, that they should have a private admonition at least from the officer. [minister.]
Such are some of the votes of the Church, which serve to show its interest in its baptized children. . Others, also, might be added, but these are sufficient. And, from these, it may be seen that baptized children are regarded with no ordinary interest, and that the re- lation they sustain to the Church, if faithfully attended to, was considered an invaluable blessing.
' How many seasons of revival, properly so called, there have been in the Church, has not been ascertain- ed; but there have been several: that some which have been enjoyed, have been seasons in which, besides teachers in Seminaries and many in the humbler walks of life, there have been Pastors of Churches and devo- ted Missionaries of the cross, even a Harriet Newell, and a Nancy Judson converted to God, stamps them with an importance, and gives them a hallowed sacred- ness of recollection, which justly claims for them a passing notice.
During the ministry of the first Symmes, which was 24 years, there were 73 added to the Church; of the second Symmes, which was 17 years, 258; of Mr. Par- sons, which was 39 years, 281; of Mr. Williams, which was 14 years, 65; of Mr. Allen, which was 46 years, 85; of Mr. Ingraham, which was 5 years, 57. During the sixteen months of the present Pastor's ministry, there have been 51 added.
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The Names of the present Members of the Church, are the following.
Names. When admitted. !
Sarah Kimball, [Daniel] Dec. - [21st, 1755
Martha Tenney, [Shubael] [May 23d, 1773
Eunice Griffin,
Nov. 1774
Mary Chadwick, Oct. 1788
Mary Carlton,
Sept. 6, 1794
Susanna Webster [Moses] [July, 1798
Mehitable Carleton, [Daniel]
Abel Kimball,
[Nov. 1798
Oct. 1502
Abigail Kimball, S
Joanna Day,
June, 1806
Dea. John Hasseltine, ? Aug. 11
Rebecca Hasseltine, S 1806 Edward Kimball, Aug. 11, 1506 Sarah Kimball, [Asa] 66
Betsey Trask, 66
Betsey Kimball, [Nathan] "
Mary Hasseltine,
Sept. 1806
Nancy Hasseltine,
66
Moses Hall,
Elizabeth Hall, S
Sept. 1806
Abigail Carleton Hasseltine,
March 12, 1807 Sally Marble, Sept. 13, 1807
Hannah Gage, [Uriah] Sept. 13, 1807 Polly Gage, [Asa]
Rebecca Kimball, [Edmond]
[1811
Mary Tenny,
June, 1814
Dea. Jesse Kimball,
[Nov. 1815
George Kimball,
Betsey Hall,
June 13, 1819
Sarah Kimball,
Eliza Kimball,
Isaac Morse, }
March, 1825
Lydia Morse, S
Mary B. Harris,
Lucy Allen,
Aug.
Nancy Johnson, [Frederick ] Nov. 1825
Names. When admitted.
Sarah Tenny, April 1826
Elizabeth Hall, Jan. 1827
Harriet Kimball,
May, "
Leonard Johnson,
Myra Johnson,
David C. Kimball,
Louisa G. Kimball,
Eunice Chadwick,
Caroline Allen,
16
Laura A. H. Kelly,
Adeline Tenny,
Jane R. Hovey,
66
Sarah Carleton,
Louisa Carleton,
Elvira Day, [Joshua]
Einily K. Day, [John]
Sophia G. Parker, 66
Lucretia Greenleaf,
Rebecca Kimball, [Moses]
[July, 1827
Mary Ann Allen,
Horatio Harris,
66
Samuel Tenny,
Isaac Hovey,
Rufus Kimball,
John G. Russell, Sept.
Mary H. Richardson, "
Charlotte G. Ordway, "
Lydia Carleton, [Nathaniel]
[Sept. 1827
Mary Carleton, [Isaac] [Sept.
Eliphalet Kimball,
Ann Trask,
Mary Trask,
66
Deborah Hovey, 66
Mary P. Kimball, [John]
[Sept. 1827
Hannah Chadwick, [Samuel] [Sept. 1827
Sarah Carleton,
Sophia Day,
Martha Ordway,
Deborah R. D. Chadwick,
[Sept. 1827
June, "
July, "
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Names. When admitted.
Benjamin E. Hale, Sept. 1827
Dea. William Day,
Rhoda Day, [Dea. Wm.]
[Sept. 1827
Jacob Kimball,
Almira Carleton, [Perkins] [Sept. 1827
Benjamin Parker Chadwick,
[Sept. 1827
Betsey G. Kimball, [George]
[June, 1828
Abigail Kimball, [Dea. Jesse ]
[Aug. 1828
Susanna Simonds, Sept. "
Moses French, Jan. 1829
Emily Spofford, March, «
Benjamin Hale, July,
Ann Hale,
James French, Jan. 1830
Lydia S. Hoadly, Feb. 1831
John Kimball, March,
Sally Williams, June,
Lavinia K. Carleton, [Cary]
[June, 1831
Tryphena Pike, Sept.
Elizabeth Marble,
Esther Sinipson,
Huldah Kimball, [Jacob]
[Oct.
Nancy Day, [Wm. ] Nov.
Betsey Smith Spofford,
Nathaniel Carleton,
Olinda Hovey,
Hannah Dole, 6.6
Isaac Carleton,
Mary Jane Day, March,
Emeline Whittier,
Sarah W. Butrick,
Mary Jane Pike,
Abigail R.Cogswell 5
Namen.
When admitted.
Nath'l T. Kimball,
Harriet G.Kimball, Nov. 1831 Joshua Holt,
Rebecca Holt, S
Mary G. Hall, [Joseph]
[Nov. "
Benjamin Greenleaf, Jan. 1882
James Bartlett, 2 Jan.
Mehitable Bartlett, S 1832
John R. Buswell,
Harriet H. Buswell, S
Frederick Johnson,
Daniel Kimball,
Geo. H. Griffin, "
James Kimball, 6.6
Nathan Holt, ‹‹
James O. Buswell, "
Elizabeth B. Peabody, [John] Jan. 1832
Mary Peabody, [Nathaniel]
Jan.
1882
Charlotte Harris,
Priscilla H. Kimball, (Wm.) Jan. 1832
Caroline Kimball,
Charlotte C. Tenny,
Maria Whittier, 16.6 1
Harriet H. Webster,
Elizabeth Hale,
Priscilla Carleton,
Hannah L. Little,
Cary Carleton,
Lucy Kimball,
Caroline Carleton, [Joshua]
[Nov. 1831
Eliza Ann Hovey,
Doct. G. Cogswell, ? ..
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