USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Book of the First Church of Christ, 1854 > Part 2
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" The persons and their names that entered into church fellow- ship, some of them members of Plymouth church before, being dis- missed from Plymouth for that intent ; some of them members of other churches dwelling here then, and some that were never in church fellowship before that time, whose names are as followeth :
" SAMUEL FULLER and his wife, JOHN BENNET and his wife,
"JONATHAN MORSE and his wife, ABIEL WOOD and his wife,
" SAMUEL WOOD, ISAAC BILLINGTON,
" SAMUEL EATON, SAMUEL CUTBURT,
"JACOB TOMSON and his wife, JOHN COB, Jun.,
" HESTER TINKAM, The Widow DEBORAH BARDEN,
" WEIBRAH BUMPAS, EBENEZER TINKHAM,-HIS WIFE,
" Not being present by reason of sickness in their family, yet after owning the covenant of the rest, being in the estcem of the rest, it is as well as if she were there present at that assembly .*
" Ebenezer Tinkham, Isaac Billington, Jacob Tomson ; these then baptized.
" Soon after were baptized the children of John Cob in their infancy ; John, Martha, Patience. Also, Lidia Bumpas, the daughter of Weibra Bumpas.
"II. In order to the gathering of a church, it pleased God, who hath the hearts of all men in his hands, to move upon the hearts of sundry of those to desire a church may be gathered in this place, - to desire and seek it of God ; and Divine Providence made way for it.
" Letters were sent for ministers and brethren to assist in the work, namely : to Plymouth, Sandwich and Barnstable : and the Elders sent Mr. John Cotton, Mr. Rouland Cotton, Mr. Jonathan Russell, and brethren to assist them. Mr. Samuel Fuller, then
* For names and other particulars of the original members see Descriptive Catalogue.
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ordained to be a Teacher to that church ; who had lived there and preached the word amongst them, whose preaching God had made beneficial to divers of them, and made choice of by mutual consent. God can, and oft doth, out of the mouth of babes and sucklings ordain praise.
" John Bennet, Sen., our brother, ordained Deacon, - Deacon in the church of Middleborough, March 10, being the second Sab- bath in that month, and chosen by a full consent to that office some considerable time before ; who formerly dwelt at Beverly; whom God in the way of his providence sent to dwell in Middleborough to be serviceable there in church and town."
" ARTICLES OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH,*
"Then also read, owned and acknowledged by us at the church gathering.
" We do believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths :
" I. That the Holy Scriptures, contained in the Old and New Testaments, are the word of God, and are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
" II. That there is but one only living and true God, and that in the unity of the Godhead there be three persons of one substance, power and eternity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
" III. That this one God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, made the whole world and all things therein, in the space of six days, very good.
" IV. That God made man after his own image in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness.
"V. That our first parents being seduced by the subtilty of Satan, eating the forbidden fruit, sinned against God, and fell from the estate wherein they were created; and that all mankind de- scending from them by ordinary generation, sinned in and fell with them in their first transgression, and so were brought into a state of sin and misery, losing communion with God, and falling under his wrath and curse.
* These Articles were printed in 1722, and reprinted in 1771; and are also in the Fuller copy of 1734, but are not on the existing Church Records.
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" VI. That God, in his eternal purpose, chose and ordained the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the one and only mediator between God and man, the Prophet, Priest and King, the head and Savior of his church.
" VII. That Jesus Christ, the second person in the Trinity, is the very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father ; and that when the fulness of time was come, the Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, took upon him man's nature, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance, so that the Godhead and man- hood were joined together in one person, which is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
"VIII. The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself upon the cross, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father, and purchased, not only a reconciliation with God, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given to him.
" IX. That the elect of God are made partakers of the redemp- tion purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to their souls by his word and Spirit.
" X. That justification is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight, not for any thing wrought in them or done by them ; but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfac- tion of Christ imputed to them by God, and received by faith alone.
" XI. That sanctification is a work of God's grace, whereby the elect are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.
" XII. That whomsoever God hath accepted in Jesus Christ, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly per. severe to the end, and be eternally saved.
" XIII. That the grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ. in their hearts, and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.
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" XIV. That the visible church under the Gospel is not confined to one nation, as it was under the law, but consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion according to the Gospel order, and their children ; and is the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God ; and that unto this church Christ hath given the ministry, grace and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of saints to the end of the world ; and doth by his own presence and Spirit, according to his promise, make them effectual thereunto.
" XV. That prayer, singing of psalms and reading of the Scrip- tures, the sound preaching and conscionable hearing of the word, as also the due administration and worthy receiving of the sacra- ments instituted by Christ, namely Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and all parts of the ordinary religious worship of God, besides solemn fastings and thanksgiving, upon special occasions, which are in their several times and seasons, to be used in a holy and religious manner.
"XVI. That the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the alone head of his church, hath appointed officers in his house for the regular carrying on of the affairs of his kingdom ; and that each particular church hath power from Christ regularly to administer censures to offending members, and to carry on the affairs of his visible kingdom accord- ing to his word.
" XVII. That the bodies of men, after death, turn to dust and see corruption, but their souls, which neither die nor sleep, having an immortal substance, immediately return to God who gave them ; the souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness, are received into heaven, and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell.
" XVIII. That the bodies of the just and unjust shall be raised at the last day.
" XIX. That God has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ ; in which day, all persons that have lived upon earth shall appear before the judgment scat of Christ, to give account of their thoughts, words and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether it be good or evil."
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" THE CHURCH COVENANT,
That was read and consented to at the church gather- ing : -
" Forasmuch as it hath pleased God, who hath commanded us to pray daily, that his kingdom may come and be advanced, and hath given direction, in his holy word, and manifold encouragements to his poor servants to seek and set forward his worship and the con- cernments of his glory ; we do, therefore, personally present our- selves this day in the holy presence of God, to transact with Him this great affair of His kingdom and glory, and of our own salva- tion ; and humbling ourselves before the Lord for all our sins, and the sins of ours, earnestly praying for pardoning mercy and recon- ciliation with God through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for the gracious presence and assistance of his Holy Spirit, under a deep sense of our own weakness and unworthiness, and with an humble confidence of his favorable acceptation ; each of us for our- selves, and all of us jointly together, enter into a holy covenant with God and one with another, that is to say,-We do, according to the terms and tenor of the everlasting covenant, first, give up ourselves and our offspring unto the Lord God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as the one only true and living God, All-sufficient, and our God, in covenant ; and unto our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, our Prophet, Priest, and King; the only mediator of the covenant of grace ; promising and covenanting, through the help of His grace, to cleave to God and to our Lord Jesus by faith, in a way of Gospel obedience, with full purpose of heart, as his covenant people, forever : And we do also, by this act of confederation, give up ourselves, one unto another in the Lord, according to the will of God, promising and engaging to cleave and walk together in holy union and communion as members of the same mystical body, and as an instituted church of Christ, rightly instituted and established in the true faith and order of the Gospel; further, obliging our- selves, by this our holy covenant, to keep and maintain the holy word and worship of God committed to us, and endeavor faithfully to transmit it to our posterity, to cleave unto and uphold the true Gospel ministry as it is established by Jesus Christ in his church, to have it in due honor and esteem for the work's sake ; to subject
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ourselves fully and sincerely unto the ministerial exercise of the power of Christ in the dispensation of the word, the administration of the sacraments,-the Lord's Supper to members in full communion and without offence, and Baptism to visible church members and their infant seed,-as also for the due application of the holy discipline, with love, care and faithfulness ; watching one over another, and over the children of the covenant growing up with us ; and all in obedience to the blessed rule and government of our Lord Jesus Christ, the alone head of his church: and withal we further engage ourselves to walk orderly in a way of fellowship and communion with all neighbor churches, according to the rules of the Gospel, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be one throughout all the churches, to the glory of God the Father. This, our holy church covenant, we do, in most solemn manner, take upon our souls, in all the parts of it, with full purpose of heart, as the Lord shall help us, and according to the measure of grace received, we will walk before and with God fully, steadfastly and constantly in the discharge of all covenant duties, each to other ; and the Lord keep this forever in the thoughts and imagination of the hearts of us, his poor servants, to establish our hearts unto Him ; and the good Lord pardon every one of us that prepareth his heart to seek the Lord God of his fathers. Amen."
RENEWAL OF COVENANT, 1713.
At a church meeting early in January, 1713, (N. S.,) the members expressed a mutual forgiveness toward one another, and friendship for their pastor; and, having decided on a solemn Renewal of Covenant, agreed to observe a day of fasting and prayer. At another meet- ing in the same month at Mr. Thacher's dwelling, his record says : " On the forenoon I preached from Jer. 50 : 5. The afternoon began with prayer, and then I read the Covenant and expounded it to them in particular." " The children of the church were called on to come and own and to improve their privilege in God's covenant." " April 3, 1713, (he records,) was the day appointed for
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public fasting and Renewal of Covenant by entering into new engagements to the Lord and one another. My father Thacher, [Rev. Peter Thacher, of Milton Mass.,] was present and began with prayer. I preached from Rev. 2:10. In the afternoon, after prayer, the church gave their renewed assent to the following holy covenant."
The Covenant here referred to, was the original one of 1694; and the following Acknowledgments, called an " explication of the Covenant," and doubtless prepared for the occasion, were adopted at this time and entered on the church records in connection with the Covenant.
" April 3, 1713. - We, that through God's goodness have been gathered, and are still continued a church of His, having here- tofore consented to the covenant of grace, according to the gracious terms thereof; having made choice of the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as our God, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the glorious mediator, upon whose fulness of merit and power we rely, as well to be strengthened to the duties, as to enjoy the bless- ings of that well ordered covenant ; having according to his will, incorporated ourselves into that evangelical church-state, wherein our desires after the mercies of that covenant are to be expressed and answered ; being sensible that our justification by faith in the righteousness of Christ, as of our only surety, doth oblige us to keep all God's commands, as holy, just and good ; being also awakened by the heavy judgments impending over our nation and country ; would search our hearts after what might be in us provoking to God; acknowledging it to be our duty, not only to walk circum- spectly, respecting gross sins and miscarriages, but would also guard against prevailing corruptions that often prevail among the people of God ; especially, to renew our engagements which are laid on us by the covenant of God, which hath been not only accepted, but renewed, and is hereby renewed and expressed.
" WE THEN ACKNOWLEDGE,
" I. That it would be a great evil in us, If our love to the world should make us abate of our love to communion with God, or abate
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of that zeal and watchfulness which we should always keep alive in our souls, or hinder us from the most affectionate reading of his word, and seeking his face every day in our houses, or from daily use of closet supplication and meditation.
" II. It would be a great evil in us, If we should [not], on the one hand, protest against any thing in the worship and service of God for which we have not a divine institution, and against the use of all pagan, papal superstitions : if we should not on the other side, to the best of our capacities, attend and support the institutions of God in the midst of us, with endeavors that there be nothing want- ing thereto.
" III. It would be a great evil in us, If when we draw near to God in his ordinances, we should allow ourselves to be formal, carnal or sleepy in what we do ; or if we should come to the Lord's table without due examinations and humiliations and supplications preparatory thereto ; or, if in managing church discipline, we should vent our own passions or serve our own humors.
" IV. It would be a great evil in us, If we should abuse the good creatures of God by sensualities, in eating or drinking, or recreations, or by extravagancy in apparel, or in the irreverend usc of God's names, titles, attributes, word or ordinances.
" V. It would be a great evil in us, If we should not keep a strict guard over our thoughts, as well as words and works on the Sabbath ; and also, on all under our influence, to restrain them from violations of that sacred rest.
" VI. It would be a great evil in us, If we should not study to have our families well instructed and governed, and in such a con- dition as is agreeable to the fear of God.
" VII. It would be a great evil in us, If by the prevalency of a private spirit we should be backward to any public service where- by God might call us with our persons or estates to serve our gen- erations, or if we should by unjust neglect or censure, ill requite such as have been serviceable to us, which are the ministers of God to us for good.
" VIII. It would be a great evil in us, If we should fail of a pa- tient, peaceable, forgiving temper, towards our neighbors, or if we should not with meekness of wisdom smother all causes of contention.
" IX. It would be a great evil in us, If we should spend our days
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in idleness, and not be diligent in such employments as may adorn the doctrine of God, by rendering us useful to our neighbors.
" X. It would be a great evil in us, If our carriage or discourse should any ways savour of a lascivious disposition in our souls.
" XI. It would be a great evil in us, If we should use dishonesty in our dealings, by fraud, force, or unreasonable exactions.
"XII. It would be a great evil in us, If we should]go maliciously to make, or injuriously to spread any false reports, or too easily re- ceive slanders against the innocent, or countenance the broachers of them.
" XIII. It would be a great evil in us, If we should not consci- entiously observe and fulfil what promises we lawfully give one another.
" XIV. It would be a great evil in us, If we should be discon- tented with others' prosperity, or our own adversity, wherein we are confined.
" XV. It would be a great evil in us, If we should not be ready charitably and liberally to relieve the necessities of the poor that call for our bounties."
" XVI. It would be a great evil in us, If we should not with a brotherly affection, either give or take reproofs where there is cause for them, or if we should withhold our testimony against whatever might fall out among ourselves displeasing to God.
" Wherefore, we do, by solemn vote, declare against all these evils as abominable things, utterly dispairing of any strength in our- selves to keep clear thereof ; we do most humbly ask the all-suffi- cient grace of God in Christ, that neither these, nor any other in- iquities may have any dominion over us, but that we watch against them all, both in ourselves and in one another."
" March 12, 1713. - The above written explication of our holy church Covenant was read privately in the church, and assented to by vote. April 3, 1713, it was also read in public, and assented to expressedly. "PETER THACHER, Pastor."
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PASTORAL FIDELITY.
The following original letter of Mr. Thacher, to a church member who had abruptly turned away from the Lord's table, is characteristic equally of the writer and of the times :-
" MIDDLEBORO', FEB. 4, 1740-41.
" BROTHER SMITH :
"Such hath been my infirmitys, and such the season, as hath diverted my loving purposes and sincere desires to visit you, and if possible be so happy as to recover you to a sense of your sin, in turning away from Wisdom's furnished Table and bidden Guests. Alas my brother, why have you done this ? This action is highly and greatly aggravated. I know of no Gospel rule that gives any countenance to such a breach of order, and breach of covenant with God, and with the church. Is it not practically to say that there was nothing in that holy Institution worth staying for ? That you were at your liberty to come to it, or stay from, as you pleased ? " How could you pour more open and high contempt upon one of Christ's most solemn and soul-endearing, and strengthening institu- tions ? Had you then, or now, assurance of having [even] one more such an heart-melting and quickening opportunity ? Have they been such empty and fruitless opportunities to your soul, as induced you to turn away so lightly ? I hope not. What could be the rea- son ? Was it offence with myself or any other communicant ? Matt. 18th, directly your duty in that case. But surely, every one's most important concern is with his own heart. If it was your offence with the church in general, or any act of theirs, will you withdraw communion from them, censure yourself, and break covenant with them, before you in writing remonstrated to them their error and your own doubt ? Ought you not to have done this before you had, in such a manner, disquieted every one that stayed ? Is this to eat the Lord's Supper, to pay suitable and thankful reverence to that which was purchased with Christ's blood, yea, and shows forth his death too ? Dear brother, you must have wrong notions of the terms of communion, if you are not heartily and deeply humbled for this inadvertent act of yours, that so deeply wounds your own soul,
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your pastor's, and the whole church, and greatly dishonours God and tends to bring the church of Christ and that ordinance of Christ into the greatest contempt in the eyes of them without. Dear brother, do I thus speak because I love you not ? God knoweth,- but that I may be found faithful to Christ, my office, and your dear precious soul. I beseech you by the kindness and gentleness of Christ, that you would be moved, be persuaded, be overcome by one who you know loves you, and hath your salvation at heart, to be sensible of your fault, to acknowledge it to God, and to condemn it before your brethren. Why will you be instrumental to bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, and hasten a period to that ministry you have been many years delighted in ?
"I am yet your loving, though grieved pastor,
"PETER THACHER."
MUTUAL CONFESSION.
The following document is found in the hand writing of Rev. Mr. Thacher, and signed by the members of the church : -
" We, the subscribers, members of the First Church of Christ in Middleborough, at a meeting, this 10th day of April, 1738, to enquire and resolve to our Rev. Pastor, and one another, whether we are in suitable frames to communicate at the Lord's table together, and whether we advise it proper for our Rev. Pastor to administer to us under the general and visible decay of brotherly love among us ; do freely and humbly acknowledge, and have reason to do it with trembling, grief, and fear, that there is too evident tokens of our want of love, and want of peace, not only in this precinct, but also, even among the members of this church. We desire to mourn for these our sensible divisions. We acknowledge our want of zeal for the interests of Christ, and the discipline of Christ among us; that we have been no more united
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to discountenance vice in ourselves and others, as by covenant we have expressly obliged ourselves to do; and also, that we have been too much estranged our- selves, one from another ; our want of zeal for the honor of God's house and worship; do, by these presents, severally, each one for himself, judge and condemn our- selves herein, and sincerely ask the forgiveness of God and our brethren, and declare by our hands hereto affixed, our sincere forgiveness of each other, and our hearty reconciliation and re-union in all the affairs of Christ's interest, worship, discipline and glory, earnestly begging grace from God to walk together from this time more as becomes the disciples and followers of the God of love than ever before we have done, desiring to be mutual helpers of each other, and especially comforts to our pastor ; and that, for time to come, we will pray and labor for such a unity, as may render us terrible as an army with banners, united to pull down, and in all suitable ways to bear testimony against all sin and wickedness, and to watch against all occasions and temptations to contention, and to mark them who would estrange us one from another, and to have no fellowship with them.
Under a sense of these obligations we desire to come to the table of our Lord, and into his presence at his table, and there to seal before his immediate presence what we hereunto set our hands, humbly imploring the grace of Christ to be there abundantly shed forth on ourselves and each other, and desire that our pastor would lead us thither.
HENRY THOMAS, LEMUEL DUNHAM, SAMUEL BARROWS, OBADIAH SAMPSON, SETH TINKHAM, 4
NATHAN CLARK, BENJAMIN TUCKER, FRANCIS EATON,
JAMES RAYMOND, SAM'L BARROWS, JR., EDMUND WESTON,
HEZK'A PURRINGTON, BARN'BAS CROSSMAN COOMBS BARROWS, SAMUEL EDDY,
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EBENEZER REDDING, BENJAMIN WHITE, EPHRAIM WOOD, ICHABOD PADDOCK, SAMUEL WARREN, NEHEMIAH BENNET, EZRA CLAP, DAVID ALDEN, THOMAS TUPPER,
SAMUEL EDDY, JR., SAMUEL WOOD,
EBENEZER FINNEY,
JONATHAN SMITH, JOHN CAVENDER, JAMES SMITH,
JOSEPH BATES, < NOAH THOMAS,
THOMAS WOOD, SAMUEL SAMPSON, JOHN RAYMOND, DAVID DELANO, JOHN VAUGHAN, ICHABOD TUPPER, NATHAN BASSETT, MOSES STURTEVANT.
ADDITIONS TO THE CHURCH.
There have been, during our history, several consider- able revivals in our church and parish, and the records show corresponding additions to the church. In 1729, June 13, Mr. Thacher notes on the records " one hun- dred and seven or eight communicated at the sacrament this day," the additions having been chiefly the preceed- ing year. In 1740-42, being the time of the "great awakening" throughout New England, after a revival here, very deep and powerful, an account of which has been given and distributed among our people, one hundred and fifty or more were added to the church. Also, in 1807, 1808, the preaching of the Rev. James Davis, in the absence of Mr. Barker at Washington, appeared to be blessed. A great religious attention was realized, and about one hundred hopeful converts were admitted into the church. In 1818 and 1823 also, the records then show additions to the church, after special seasons of revival in those years. There was also a con- siderable revival revival in 1830, and also in 1840, some of the fruits of which appear in the list of members for these and subsequent years.
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