USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > Collection of facts and documents relating to ecclesiastical affairs in Groton, Mass > Part 5
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' 1. That the church was legally warned by her pastor to a meet- ing for the consideration of the question of calling the Rev. Charles Robinson to become their pastor or religious teacher on the 31st of August, 1826, at the meetinghouse in Groton ; that the meetinghouse being closed against them by the selectmen, or at least by their direc- tion and knowledge, the pastor called the church to order on the front steps of said meetinghouse, and after prayer, the church pro- ceeded to vote on the question, " Will this church invite the Rev. Charles Robinson to become their religious teacher ?" The votes being brought in and counted, it appeared that twenty votes were cast, and all in the negative. All the members present voted.
' 2. That a minority of this church have claimed to be the church, and have held a meeting by themselves, and voted a call to Mr Robinson to become their religious teacher ; which vote has been communicated to the town, and, we believe, is recorded on the town records. Now the church remonstrate against this as being the vote of the church of Christ in Groton, and for the following reasons.
'a. The church has never withdrawn her connexion from the town or parish, but is as liable to be taxed as ever, and in fact is so taxed. She bears all-the burdens arising from the legal compact.
' b. The church, as such, had no notice of the meeting of those members, who invited Mr Robinson to become their religious teacher ; nor did our pastor-know any thing of it till all was over.
' c. The number of those who voted to give Mr Robinson the call, was less than one third of this church.
'd. Some of those persons who voted this call, had ceased to be members of any visible church before they thus voted, having been cut off in a regular course of christian discipline, for disorderly and unchristian walk.
'3. This Council was called by a vote of those, who, while in regular standing, amounted to less than one third of the church; and who, at the time they invited this Council, had ceased to be members of any church, having been cut off for unchristian walk.
' Here it may be said they have had additions to their number since ; but this Council need not be informed, that if you begin with cyphers, multiplying does not increase the amount.
'We think the Council are now prepared to admit, that they have not been called by, and Mr Robinson will not be settled over, the church of Christ in Groton. And we think they would not pro- ceed to act under these circumstances, unless they are induced to believe that the church has withdrawn her alliance from the town or parish. This probably will be attempted to be proved. We feel this is not the proper place to discuss this point. We fear no in- vestigations on this head; on the contrary, at a proper time and place, we expect to covet such investigations. The arguments made use of to prove this church to have withdrawn her alliance from the parish will probably be the following :
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' 1. The members have withdrawn from worshipping with the parish. The answer is, the church worshipped with the parish till she saw a guard drawn around the pulpit by a parish committee on the sabbath in order to prevent our aged pastor* from enjoying his legal and cus- tomary rights ; till she saw a man placed in the pulpit, by a parish committee, against the express remonstrance of our pastor. If the church has thus withdrawn from public worship, it was because the parish violated and trampled upon her rights. This she is prepared to maintain ; and that the parish thus violated the mutual alliance, she is prepared to prove.
'2. The church neglected to hold her communions and ordinances at the meetinghouse.
' The answer is, she has held them no where else, nor did she neg- lect them, till after her pastor and her rights had been treated as above. Has not a church a right to suspend her communion in times of difficulty by a regular vote ? And can a parish compel a church to hold communion when they say, or else declare her to be no church ? Are the times of administering the ordinances specified by Jesus Christ, or by the laws of the compact between the church and parish ? Besides, this church could not have the sacraments administered, except by the man whom the parish committee pointed out,t or else another guard would be ready to stand at the foot of the pulpit.
'3. The church have held no meetings at the house of her pastor, except for business or for prayer. And this seems to have been the custom of this church from time immemorial. Were these meetings illegal ? No; for the minority attended them and acted in them till lately, and in fact many of the minority became members of this church at meetings held at the pastor's house. Besides, what could the church do? Go to the meetinghouse? Truly, the scenes of August 31st would make a fine painting to hang up before this Coun- cil. It was a hot afternoon ; the sun beat down scorchingly. The aged pastor went to the meetinghouse to hold a meeting with his church. The house was fastened. The old man did not murmur. He laid his hat and cane on the steps and called his church around him. He stood on the steps, his silver locks uncovered to the burn- ing sun. He prayed and addressed his church, and they stood un- covered around him, while the chairman of the selectmen of the town, who had refused to permit the church to enter the house, stood as a spectator. Do this Council believe this church has yet voluntarily relinquished her alliance with the parish? The records of the church will show that she has been disorderly in no public acts, and if she has left the floor of the old meetinghouse, it was be- cause the parish was infringing upon her rights and immunities.
' 4. The church refuses to join with the parish in calling Mr Rob- inson, and has therefore withdrawn. This is begging the question.
* This is utterly false, as any one may convince himself by referring to the statements and documents relating to this point, which are given above.
t This, also, is false. See page 19, where Dr Chaplin has twice the offer to name a clergyman.
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She has refused to concur with the parish in this; but has she there- by alienated her compact with the parish ? She gave a call to a man a year since, and the parish refused to concur. But did the parish thereby forfeit its rights ? By no means. If the parish can compel the church to concur in their minister, or else withdraw, then has the church no rights in Groton. But this is the very point at issue, and with the act of incorporation before them respecting this alliance, we cannot believe this Council will say that the voice of the church in this place is not to be heard, and with the above facts before them, we cannot believe this Council will say the voice of the church has yet been heard.
' We are aware that the doctrine has become somewhat popular at this day, that all are Christians and are the church, who are born in christian communities and of consequence a majority of a town is the majority of the church. We know great efforts have been made to make this the sentiment of the community, by obtaining for it the sanction of the Supreme Court of the State. We know, too, that public opinion is not ripe for this sentiment, and we have not a few suspicions that it would be difficult to push it through the Supreme Court very many times. But however this opinion may take in ordi- nary cases, it will not do to rely upon it in the case of the alliance between this church and parish. For, however the rights of churches in ordinary cases may be wrested from them, the special act relating to this church, places her on an unusual footing. It will not do to say the church is dead, and the laws have executed her in this case ; for her act of incorporation was drawn up by a strong hand, and will bear scrutiny. If only the rights of the property of this church were now at stake, a regard to our peace and personal ease might induce this church to waive her rights and in meekness to suffer wrong. But considering that a right of the church is involved, essential to her very existence, which she cannot surrender without violating her covenant with God, we mean the right of electing her own pastor, a right, too, which she holds in common with all the Congregational churches in this State, including also a vital principle in the religious institutions of New England from the beginning, a principle which has been a great source of unparalleled prosperity, we are determined to stand fast in the liberty wherewith God and man hath made us free, and to contend meckly, but earnestly and perseveringly for all our invaluable civil and religions rights.
' If this Council proceed to install Mr Robinson, over whom is he to be installed ? Over the church of Christ in Groton ? No; for those who gave him this call, are not members of any church. The Council will not and cannot think they are the church in Groton. Where are their church records for the last two hundred years ? Where is their covenant? How old is their confession of faith? Will the Council take it upon them to say, that the church in Groton has seceded, and therefore the minority are the church ? This is to be proved and tried before the Supreme Court.
' Will the Council say Mr Robinson is to be installed over the par- ish ? Besides the common sense propriety in settling a minister
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over a society, this cannot be done without infringing on our rights. For Mr Robinson was called, and notice was given in parish meeting, that if settled, he would be paid from the proceeds of the Ministerial Fund. And this we have shown, as we believe, to be impossible, unless the Council set aside our rights as a church, and say that we have no voice in this case, unless our voice coincides with that of the parish.
' We might have procured a list of those who would remonstrate with us, that would appear more formidable than this Council may now suppose. But as this is a question of justice, which comes in so tangible a shape that it may be decided by the laws of our land, this church prefers to make her appeal at that tribunal, if this Coun- cil concurs in the doings of this parish in thus attempting to wrest our rights from us.
' We do assure this Council that we are desirous of peace, provi- ded it can be procured at a sacrifice not against our consciences. That this church and her pastor have been treated in a manner but ill becoming that spirit of Christ which this Council ought to sanction, will be sufficiently evident, should the history of this case ever be- come public, and especially will it be made evident at the great day of judgment, when we must all be judged for our actions and the mo- tives of those actions. From the tenor of this remonstrance, the Council will gather that if they proceed to install Mr Robinson, they sanction proceedings which must be examined at a civil tribunal, and that they will be the means of involving this church and town in a lawsuit, which will not only banish peace from this place, but which, if we mistake not, will agitate the whole community.
' If the wisdom of this Council can devise any plan to avoid the difficulties which threaten us if they proceed, we shall not be among the last to rejoice; and for this we sincerely pray.
' In behalf of the church of Christ in Groton.
' TIMOTHY STONE, Committee of the ' SAMUEL ROCKWOOD, Church of Christ
' THOS. T. FARNSWORTH, in Groton.'
It will be readily perceived, that this remonstrance contains, in a chaotic state, most of the materials which compose Doctor Beecher's Result, &c. In common with that extraordinary pro- duction, it maintains that the churches of Massachusetts are cor- porations, or bodies corporate .* A ramification of that mon- strous absurdity is extended, in this medley of inconsistencies, to the particular church of the first parish in Groton. We are told in the remonstrance of a ' mutual alliance,' of a ' social compact, sanctioned by law,' between the parish and church ; that they ' are united in a legal compact,' and that they may be called a 'joint
* This doctrine has been refuted in the review of Dr Beecher's Result, in the Christian Examiner, for March and April, 1822. Two separate editions of that review have been published, under the title of 'The Rights of the Congregational Parishes of Massachusetts,'
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corporation.' The church in Groton is represented as ' liable to be taxed,' and as ' in fact taxed.' 'She bears,' it is said, 'all the burdens arising from the legal compact.' 'Her act of incor- poration was drawn up by a strong hand,' &c. Now if all this be true, it is very singular, that the good people of Groton were never before apprised of it. They never, till the appearance of this document, heard of a 'compact' between the church and parish, of their being a 'joint corporation,' or of the church ' be- ing taxed,' and 'bearing the burdens of a legal compact.'
' The Trustees of Groton Ministerial Fund,' is the corporate name of a distinct body, incorporated for a special purpose. But because the junior deacon is, ex oficio, one of this body, or be- cause the Trustees are to pay the proceeds of the Fund, ' to such teacher or teachers of religion, as shall be regularly ordained and settled, in said parish, by the joint concurrence of the inhab- itants and church thereof,' is there a 'legal compact' between the church and parish ? or is the church therefore incorporated ?
Grant, too, that a minister, settled by the first parish in Gro- ton, without the concurrence of the church thereof, could not legally receive the proceeds of the Ministerial Fund ; it is no proof that a minister cannot be so settled. The Council to which this remonstrance was addressed, was not the proper tri- bunal to try the question, whether the pastor elect, about to be installed, should receive the proceeds of Groton Ministerial Fund. The Trustees of the Fund are obliged, under severe penalties, to appropriate them according to law. If they misapply then, they are amenable to the parish, not to the church.
The constructions put upon our Constitution and laws by the remonstrants, were they not so indisputably erroneous, coming as they do from men unversed in legal disquisitions, might be par- donable ; but instances of palpable misstatements in matters com- prehensible by the meanest capacities, and obviously within the knowledge of those who drew up the remonstrance, addressed, by those professing themselves to be a committee of a church, to a most respectable Council convened on an important occa- sion, purporting also to be for the information of that Council on the subject before them, require explanation, with an exer- cise of such charity as every one does not possess. An example of this violation of truth is contained in the passage marked d, on p. 38, where it is said that some of the persons who elect- ed Mr Robinson for their pastor, 'had ceased to be members of any visible church before they so voted.' Now admitting the pretended censures and excommunications, which took place in August 1826, to have all the force and validity intended, they were not inflicted, as observed above, till after the election of Mr
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Robinson, as will be seen by comparing dates. Ignorance can be no plea in this case. For why did they assert, if they did not know ? If men will deliberately, in definite and plain terms, say what it is impossible not to believe they knew to be untrue, how shall we credit other assertions of theirs, couched in less definite language? such as, 'saw a guard drawn around the pulpit, &c.'
A complete answer, or review of this whole remonstrance is not here intended. In truth, the irregular method, or rather the want of any method at all, exhibited in mixing history and argu- ment, propositions and interrogatories, sophisms and obloquy, cautions and threatenings, bids defiance to all analysis or crit- icism. The contemptuous manner in which the Supreme Court is spoken of, and the base insinuations made against its integrity, the threat of casting upon the Council for installing Mr Robinson, the odium of destroying the peace of Groton by a lawsuit, "which will agitate the whole community,' should the Council proceed in the work for which they were called together ; in fine, the spirit breathed throughout the whole instrument, will be readily dis- cerned, and duly appreciated by an intelligent community.
November 21st, an Ecclesiastical Council, assembled, it is un- derstood, by virtue of letters missive from the church of which Dr Chaplin claims to be pastor, met at Dr Chaplin's house, and proceeded to organize a new church in Groton, by the name and title of the 'Union Church in Groton.' This new church invited Mr Todd to settle as their pastor, and he was ordained, January 3d, 1827. The Union meetinghouse was dedicated the same day.
The seceders have never organized themselves into a society, incorporate or unincorporate ; so that this town now presents the novel spectacle of but one parish, two meetinghouses, and three churches ; viz. Dr Chaplin, and the members of the old church who seceded with him, claiming to be the first church ; the mem- bers of the old church who have continued to worship in the old meetinghouse, claiming also to be the first church, and the Union church, whose members worship with other seceders in the meetinghouse.
It may be remarked, that the Ministerial Fund, mentioned in the Result of Council,* originated principally from the donation
* See the Introduction above, p. 4 .- It is said in that Introduction, that this Collection of Facts and Documents is published just as it was received by the editor of the Christian Examiner. This is literally true with respect to the docu- ments ; but some slight alterations, and considerable additions have been found necessary in the other parts of the pamphlet. They have all been made, however, under the eye of the parish committee of Groton.
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of J. Sawtell Esq. to the first parish in Groton; so that the church, as such, cannot complain of being robbed of its property.
In laying the foregoing documents and observations before the public at this time, the committee of Groton offer, as an apology, the necessity of the measure in order to remove the unfavorable impressions, relating to the religious controversy in that place, which have been received, not from common report only, but particularly from the Result of Council, which was some time since issued from the press. The committee are aware, that the false representations of their own conduct and of the proceedings of the town and church, have been made in so bold and positive a manner, and by men, too, of such standing in this christian community, that they could not well be received otherwise than as just and true, without positive evidence of their incorrectness. Such evidence is now offered, not in technical and legal form and manner, but in such shape, as, it is believed, will convince every candid reader, who will take the trouble to examine and compare, that the conduct of the majority in Gro- ton has not been so unreasonable, illegal, and oppressive, as it has been represented. To infallibility they lay no claim. A plain narrative of facts is now before the public.
This publication, it is believed, can have no tendency to widen the breach or keep alive animosities, between the parties in Gro- ton ; for almost every individual there has chosen his side, and taken his stand ; and each party is contented and happy in the religious instruction it enjoys, going on, if not in the same path, yet, it is hoped, towards the same point.
The only remaining obstacle to each party's pursuing its own course, and enjoying its own privileges, unmolested, seems to be that the minority still retain the legal right, which they have hith- erto seen fit to exercise, and which cannot be reciprocal, to act and vote with the majority, in parochial concerns. From this circumstance, however, no great inconvenience is apprehended ; and it certainly is attended with some advantages.
HECKMAN BINDERY INC.
DEC 96
Bound - To - Please N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962
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