USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Contributions to the ecclesiastical history of Essex County, Mass., 1865 > Part 38
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At the settlement of Mr. Marsh, the first pastor, the number of men- bers in the church was fifty-five, -twenty-one males and thirty-four females. For various reasons, the membership did not increase very rapidly during the first years of its existence. At the close of Dr. Spring's ministry it was but ninety. But, though small in numbers, the church was spiritually strong; for it " had been instructed in discrimina- tion, and was a church ready, in an eminent degree, to the great works of love that constitute the Christian life."
During the forty years in which Dr. Dimmick was its pastor, the increase in numbers was more considerable. Only five out of the forty years passed without more or less additions. In 1831, a year of special blessing, the additions amounted to seventy-one; in 1832, to forty-five ; in 1834, to sixty-five ; and during the several years, from 1834 to 1857, the year of the great revival, the additions varied from one to twenty- one. In 1858, they numbered forty-six. The whole number added to the church, during Dr. Dimmick's ministry, was 670. The additions, since his death to the present time, have been about twenty-five.
WHITFIELD CHURCH, NEWBURYPORT.
BY REV. S. J. SPALDING.
Organized Jan. 1, 1850. Pastors : Rev. John E. Emerson, ordained Jan. 1, 1850; died March 24, 1851. Rev. Samuel J. Spalding, install- ed June 30, 1851. Still pastor.
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CONFESSION OF FAITH.
About to be admitted to the Christian church, you do adopt the fol- lowing, as your Profession of Faith.
ARTICLE 1. You believe in the existence of one infinitely perfect God, who is revealed in the Scriptures, as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
ART. 2. You believe in the divine. inspiration and authority of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, and that they are the only perfect rule of Faith. and Practice.
ART. 3. You believe, that, in common with all the children of Adam, you are by nature exposed, on account of sin, to the everlasting wrath and curse of God.
ART. 4. You believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became incarnate, and by his obedience, sufferings, and death, has made ample atonement for sin, and that all who exercise faith in him, as the Saviour, repenting of their sins, may obtain forgiveness, favor, and everlasting life.
ART. 5. You believe in the necessity of regeneration by the truth and Spirit of God in order to eternal life.
ART. 6. You believe that Christ has a visible church in the world, into which none have right to be admitted, except those who profess repentance of their sins towards God. and the exercise of faith in the Lord Jesus.
ART. 7. You believe that the sacraments of the New Testament are but two, viz. - Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
ART. 8. You believe that only those, in regular standing with the church, can worthily partake of the Sacrament of the Supper, and that only believers, with their households, can consistently be admitted to the ordinance of baptism.
ART. 9. You believe in a general resurrection of the just and the unjust ; in a general judgment ; in the eternal happiness of the righteous ; in the everlasting punishment of the wicked.
COVENANT.
Thus professing your belief and dependence, you do now cordially enter into covenant with this church. You promise, by the help of divine grace, to submit to its discipline, so far as it is conformable to the rules of the gospel ; to attend faithfully upon its ordinances, to seek its peace, edifieation, and purity, and to walk in Christian love with all its mem- bers. You promise to give up yourself, and all that you have and are, to be wholly the Lord's ; to seek to have your conduct and conversa-
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tion always in accordance with the spirit of the vows which you now take upon you, and to strive to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
Thus you solemnly profess, and promise.
THE CHURCH'S ENGAGEMENT.
And now, we, the members of this church, having witnessed of you a good confession, heartily receive you into our Christian confidence, fel- lowship, and communion. We promise to render you assistance, counsel, and admonition ; we engage to walk in love with you, " as Christ also has loved us and has given himself for us."
May the great Head of the church cause us ever to remember that his vows are upon us, and enable us faithfully to keep the engagements into which we have this day entered.
May he at last present us, in company with all his saints, "faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy," and to the only wise God be the praise now and forever. Amen. 1
During the summer of 1849, a number of persons in Newburyport, hoping to reach a class who had hitherto stood aloof from gospel ordi- nances, made arrangements for religious services at Market Hall, Sept. 23, 1849, as an experiment. Mr. John E. Emerson was invited to preach ; and, at the opening services. about ninety individuals were present.
After a few Sabbaths, it was thought advisable to proceed directly to a permanent organization, and to retain Mr. Emerson's services. On the 23d of November, 1849, a society was formed, and took the name of the Whitfield Congregational Society.
On Tuesday, the Ist day of January, 1850, a council convened in the church of the First Presbyterian Parish, which had been kindly offered for their use, and organized twenty persons, under the name of the Whitfield Congregational Church. On this council, the Rev. O. A. Taylor was appointed Moderator, and Rev. R. W. Clark, Scribe. The letters of the persons designing to organize themselves into a church, and their Confession of Faith being submitted to the council, it was
Voted, That said persons are entitled to be organized into a church.
A revival soon followed the organization of the church, which added about forty members by profession.
The health of Mr. Emerson, which was always delicate, soon grew more feeble; and, after the first of June, his public services were par- tially suspended. During the spring, after his ordination, a deep relig- ious interest began in the congregation, from the fruits of which about
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thirty persons were gathered into the church. After a brief pastorate, of less than fifteen months, the Rev. Mr. Emerson was removed from his charge by death on the 24th of March, 1851. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, and over his grave a simple, but appropriate monu- ment, was placed by an affectionate and grateful people.
On the 30th of June, 1851. Rev. Samuel .J. Spalding of Salmon Falls, N. H., was installed over the church and society.
Efforts were immediately directed towards the erection of a church edifice. Having secured a central situation, on the corner of State and Prospect Streets, preparations for building were commenced on the 25th of August, 1851. On the 29th of September, the corner-stone was laid with appropriate services. After the Reading of Scripture, the history of the church was read by the Clerk. Dr. H. C. Perkins. Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Dimmick. Address by the pastor, Rev. S. J. Spalding.
The vestry was finished and first occupied, Feb. 12, 1852. On the 2d of March, the house was completed and dedicated to the worship of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Lyman Beecher, D. D. In the evening, there were public services in the church, and a sermon was preached by the pastor.
The dimensions of the building are sixty feet by one hundred. The audience-room is fifty-eight feet by seventy-six, having one hundred and twenty-four pews, which furnish sittings for six hundred and fifty per- sons. In the rear of the church, and on the same floor, is a vestry, twenty-one feet by forty-nine, which will seat two hundred persons. This opens into the church on either side of the pulpit, but the main entrance is from Prospect Street. In the spring of 1858, two social rooms were finished above the vestry. These open into each other by folding-doors, and make an apartment twenty-one feet by forty-nine. They were dedicated by an address and other appropriate exercises on the evening of June 1, 1858.
The building has been enclosed by an iron fence, and lighted with gas, by the liberality of the ladies of the congregation. They also fur- nished the means to re-fresco and paint the interior of the church in 1857. and defrayed a large proportion of the expense of the social rooms.
Early in 1858, this church shared largely, with other churches of the city, in the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit. The work was char- acterized by great quiet and thoroughness. As the result, about sixty persons were added to the church.
The Sabbath school was organized in Market Hall the first Sabbath of October, 1849. The whole number of scholars then was forty-seven ; teachers, nine.
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CHURCH IN ROWLEY.
BY REV. JOHN PIKE.
Organized Dec. 14, 1639. Has had ten settled ministers :
Rev. Ezekiel Rogers, ordained Dec. 14, 1639 ; died Jan. 23, 1661.
Rev. Samuel Phillips, ordained June -, 1651 ; died April 22, 1696. Rev. Samuel Shepard. ordained Nov. 15, 1665 ; died April 7, 1668. Rev. Edward Payson, ordained Oct. 25, 1682 ; died Aug. 22, 1732. Rev. Jedediah Jewett, ordained Nov. 19, 1729 ; died May 8, 1775.
Rev. Ebenezer Bradford, ordained Aug. 4, 1782 ; died Jan. 3, 1801. Rev. David Tuller, ordained Dec. 7, 1803 ; dismissed Oet. 17, 1810.
Rev. James W. Tucker, ordained June 24, 1812; dismissed June 24, 1817.
Rev. Willard Holbrook, ordained July 22, 1818 : dismissed May 12. 1840.
Rev. John Pike, ordained Nov. 18, 1840.
The following is the oldest extant Covenant of this church, and was probably adopted at the time of its organization :
" You do solemnly covenant and promise before the Lord and this people, that by his help, forsaking all ungodliness and former lusts in your ignorance, you do avouch the Lord Jehovah - Elohim, one God in three persons, to be your God and portion. You do also own the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Supreme Head and Saviour of this church, to be your King, Priest. and Prophet. And you do further covenant, to walk in a professed subjection unto all the holy ordinances and orders that Christ has appointed in his house, and to walk as becomes God's covenanting servant, with the members of this church, unto mutual edi- fication and helpfulness, according to the rules of the gospel, so long as God shall continue you a member of this church of Christ.
" We do also acknowledge ourselves engaged by the same solemn Covenant to watch over you, and to afford all Christian helpfulness to your edification, as God has required, and by his assistance."
This church owed its existence, under God, to the care and self-denial of Rev. Ezekiel Rogers, its first pastor, and previously a pastor of Row- ley, Yorkshire, England. The first elder was, probably, Humphrey Rayman ; the first deacons, Thomas Mighill and Maximilian Jewett. The early worship consisted of a prayer about twenty minutes in length, an exposition of a chapter of the Bible by the teacher ; the singing of a hymn, lined by the ruling elder, a sermon of more than an hour by the
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pastor, a closing prayer and blessing by the teacher ; the whole occupy- ing five or six hours of the Sabbath. Rogers was said, by Cotton Mather, to have become famous through the whole country, by an Elec- tion Sermon preached in 1643 ; but the traditions of Rowley say, he was made more famons by a " Wednesday lecture " preached every fortnight, which the citizens of the surrounding towns, even as far removed as Andover, used to come to hear. The latter years of his life are said, by the historian, to have been " winter, - more night than day." The fruits of his benevolent heart are still fresh, in a large estate partly given to Harvard College, and partly to the church in Rowley, which has been generously shared with the churches in Byfield and Georgetown. He had great confidence in the intelligence and piety of his own village ; saying, that he felt it necessary to lay the doings of the General Court before his church, before it could be fully decided whether they were wisely arranged and worthy to be obeyed. He lived to the age of seventy.
In the twelfth year of Mr. Rogers' ministry, in the month of June, 1661, Samuel Phillips was ordained as teacher of the church. During his ministry, Samuel Brockelbank, William Tenney, John Pearson, Ezekiel Jewett, and John Trumble were appointed deacons. In 1662, Samuel Shepard came to preach, was ordained as pastor Nov. 15, 1665, Mr. Phillips still confinuing teacher. His pastorate continued but three years. The historians of the time talk of him as a most able and devout man, and say that the people of this place would have been glad to have plucked out their own eyes, to have saved his life. He died at the age of twenty-seven. Jeremiah Shepard, the younger brother of Samuel, came to Rowley February 10, 1673, and continued his labors for three years. He was a preacher, but strange to say, not a professor of religion. More than a year after Mr. Shepard came, Mr. Phillips says he conversed with him in relation to God's work on his soul, and concluded to recommend him to the church for full communion and fel- lowship. The church, however, were not sufficiently satisfied to admit him to the communion ; and continued to hear him preach two years, after they decided he had not piety enough to be admitted to partake of the Lord's Supper. The diffienlty, in regard to him, was not settled until the council convened, that was ordered by the General Court on the 25th day of May, 1680, which resulted in a discontinuance of his labors. Edward Payson was ordained as teacher, October 25, 1682, Mr. Phillips taking the office of pastor, in which he continued fourteen years. Tradition speaks of Mr. Phillips as an accomplished scholar and an eminent preacher. He was known publicly, by a sermon before the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, in 1679 ; before the Gen-
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eral Court of the Commonwealth in 1678, and by services performed at several public anniversaries. The only publication now to be found of his, is one on the sin of wearing long hair; whether of the beard, or head, I know not ; a grievous sin in his day, and which if it has lost its sin in the present, has not lost its inconvenience. Mr. Phillips died at the age of seventy-one.
The first account of children being baptized upon the principles of the " half-way covenant." is found in 1690. The covenant is a singular thing to be called "half-way." Its faith seems very wide, its practice remarkably Christian. It was taken by many, who had no title to the ordinanee of the Supper, and read thus: " I take God. the Father, to be my chiefest good and highest end. I take God, the Son, to be my only Lord and Saviour. I take God, the Holy Spirit, to be my Sanetifier, Teacher, Guide, and Lawgiver. I take the people of God to be my people, in all conditions. I likewise devote and dedicate unto the Lord my whole self. all I am, all I have, and all I can do. And all this I do deliberately, freely, sincerely, and forever." This " half-way covenant " seems whole enough to indicate whole-souled Christians, devout and apostolic enough to entitle a man, if he sincerely takes it, to receive the communion on earth, and to stand with boldness at the day of judgment.
The office 'of teacher seems to have ceased after Mr. Phillips' death. The funds that were left, upon condition of a teacher being employed, were secured by Harvard College ; and the church has ever since lost the benefit of the office, and the advantage of the money which supported it.
Tradition says, that Mr. Payson was very marked for his piety. The prayer of the apostolic Elliot, that " God would make him a bless- ing here," was answered. He committed to the press his sermon upon the great earthquake in 1727, at the time of which he is said to have risen from his bed, and called upon his wife to put on her Sabbath array, and go forth with him to meet the Bridegroom. During the thirty-six years in which he served the church as sole minister. there were two hundred and thirty-one added to its membership. At the time of the great earthquake, when he and his people seemed most woll- derfully and permanently wrought upon, sixty professed their faith. During his ministry, Samuel Palmer, Timothy Harris, Humphrey Hob- son, Joseph Boynton were appointed deacons. That his labors might be relieved, the church settled Jedediah Jewett as associate pastor with him, November 19, 1729. Mr. Payson died August 22, 1732, at the age of seventy-six.
In 1733, the parish held its first meeting distinct from the town, and in 1749 completed the meeting-house, which continued to be the place of worship until the present one was erected. The ministry of Mr.
47
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Jewett seems to have been happy to himself and the people. He was said to be an interesting preacher of the doctrines of grace, and a worthy example to those who wished to walk with God. Two hundred were added to the church during his ministry. Several of his sermons were published. The last he preached was at the ordination of Rev. David Tappan of Newbury, April 18, 1774. Mr. Jewett died on the 8th of May, 1775, at the age of sixty-nine, leaving it in charge that the female slaves left him by his father should be manumitted, and a suit- able provision made for their maintenance. During his ministry Ed- ward Payson, Francis Pickard, David Bailey, Moses Clark, Thomas Mighill, and Jeremiah Jewett were appointed deacons. After the de- cease of Mr. Jewett the people, never before left destitute of a pastor, became as earnest to be without a minister, as they were before to have one. They went into the pernicious system of candidating, with all the zeał of more modern times. They heard fifty different persons ; enough to distract any people, and make them doubtful who is who, and what is what. It is a wonder, after this devisive system was pursued for more than eight years, they were not completely divided from Christ, as those are apt to be, who ery, some for Paul and some for Apollos, and some for forty-eight others. The life of religion almost ceased. It was not till August 4, 1782, when Ebenezer Bradford was settled, that harmony was restored ; and the church recovered its old readiness to work for its Master. The settlement of Mr. Bradford was peculiar. It was after the old Congregational form, in which the church and the minister per- formed the whole service. On the 4th of August, 1782, prayer was offered, and the following question asked, "Do you accept and take up with the call which the church gave you last October, to settle in the work of the gospel ministry with us?" The answer from Mr. Bradford was, that "he accepted that call." The church then voted to accept Rev. Ebenezer Bradford as their minister, and engaged, by the grace of God, to treat him in all respects as the word of God required. This was quite a brief way of installing a minister. It resulted, however, in a permanent union. The brief service of installation, and the long period of settlement which follows, is better than the long service of the present day, and the too often speedy breaking up of the connection it has solemnly instituted. Mr. Bradford's ministry has always been re- garded with great interest in Rowley. Some of the people now living, speak of the impressions his preaching made as very strong. The preacher of his funeral sermon remarks, that "He was a workman who needed not to be ashamed, fruitful, plain, and profitable, awakening to sinners, animating to saints, -- one who shunned not to declare the whole counsel of God." His tones were those of thunder. Eighty-four were added to the church, during his ministry.
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Here ends the permanent ministry of Rowley, that is to say, if the future is to be like the last half century. Mr. Bradford is the last pastor the people have buried. Some they did not wish to keep until death broke the connection. Others left before the people's warm affection for them began to grow cool. The new type of things is owing to the mutual action of pastor and people. Pastors, since the commencement of the present century have been, themselves, more uneasy than before, and the people have been more uneasy, regulating their zeal for the truth, by their interest in the man who proclaimed it.
David Tuller was installed Dec. 7, 1803. Probably it would have been better if he had deelined his eall, as he had to begin with oppo- sition. Parish opposition to begin with, may be a slow, but is a toler- ably sure, voleanie rising. Mr. Tuller was able to keep it down six years, then it showed itself more vigorously for being long fettered. A mutual council was finally agreed to, which convened June 13, 1810, and advised to the sundering of the pastoral relation when the parish had paid Mr. Tuller five hundred dollars, as a sort of balance to the disappointment which the terminating of his connection occasioned. The money was paid and the dismission accomplished October 17, 1810. He died at Sheffield on the 23d of August, 1839, at ninety years of age. Only twenty persons were added to the church during his ministry. But during that ministry the church received one most valuable addi- tion, that of Joshua Jewett, to its deaconship, whose name will always be fondly associated with whatever is intelligent and pure in our church and village.
James Tucker was settled over the church June 24, 1812. He ap- pears to have been one of the most respected and beloved of its minis- ters. He is considered by those who used to hear him as of a clear and discriminating mind, a correct taste and well-regulated imagination, and deliberate in thought, deeply imbued with the spirit of the Seriptures, - dignified and impressive in his pulpit manners, - explicit and direct in his pulpit instructions to an unusual degree. His loss to the society was regarded as severe. His idea was, that the salary was not sufficient to meet his necessities. It was this that led him to leave, June 24, 1817, just five years after his settlement. He had added twenty-two members to the church, and survived the dissolution of his connection but little more than a year. Mr. Tucker died at Springfield, N. J., February 11, 1819, aged thirty-two years.
Willard Holbrook was installed on the 22d of July, 1818. During his ministry one hundred and six were added to the church, and Na- thaniel Mighill was chosen deacon ; an office which he honorably filled till his death. In the year 1818, the Sabbath school was organized here,
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which the church voted to patronize, instructing the pastor and deacons to appoint its superintendent and teachers. Mr. Holbrook was devoted to the interests of the church and people, constant in his pastoral labors, and an ardent friend of whatever seemed to promote the progress of the canse of the Redeemer. He was dismissed, at his own request, May 12, 1840.
On the 18th of November, 1840, John Pike was settled as pastor. His ministry still continues. Thus far the union has been happy between himself and his people, and in some degree accomplished the design for which it was formed. It is too early now to say of what worth, and how permanent this connection may be. October 1, 1845, James T. Plumer was elected deacon. In 1842, a new and beautiful village church edifice succeeded the one which had fallen into decay, from nearly a century's service. It has been made still more attractive by changes made in 1859. June 27, 1862, Nathaniel Bradstreet was elected deacon. During the twenty-three years of the present ministry, one hundred and seventy-seven persons have been added to the church.
This is bnt a brief account of the more than two hundred years of the existence of the Rowley church, in which so many of the faithful have lived, labored, and died. Its harmony has, in general, been faith- fully preserved. Its ministry has been marked for intelligence and adherence to gospel truth. In the great defections of New England, this church and its pastors were always truc to the faith of the Pilgrims. It has been the mother church of the church in Georgetown, and the associated mother, with Ipswich and Newbury, of that in Byfield and Linebrook. IIer connection was close with the Bradford and Box- ford churches, located in places originally belonging to Rowley. Many from the town of Rowley have entered the ministry, and proved them- selves useful in the Redeemer's service. Fifteen connected with the church have become ministers. Thomas Mighill. Samuel Payson, Jede- diah Jewett, David Jewett, Daniel Marsh, Nathaniel Howe, Moses Bradford, Levi Pilsbury. Nathan Bradstreet, Nathaniel Lambert, Jona- than Cogswell, Paul Jewett, Henry C. Jewett, George W. Cressey, Charles N. Todd. Nathaniel Mighill. From the organization of the church to the present time, it appears there have been over thirteen hundred who have accepted its confession. The larger revivals of the church were in 1.669, 1684, 1695, 1699, 1727, 1728, 1800, 1801, 1830, 1832. 1847, 1850, 1857, 1858. In addition to these, there have been lesser works of grace, with which the church has been often blessed. With these greater and lesser works may the church continue to be blessed, till its last member has joined the church triumphant.
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