USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Groton > Groton historical series. A collection of papers relating to the history of the town of Groton, Massachusetts, Vol IV > Part 3
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Note, yt it may be appropriated to ye use & benefit of ve poor of ye chh according to ye intention & direction of ye Donor of ye legacy.
October 2. 1783. Being Lecture Day, the brethren yt were then present tarried after divine service, & agreed to proceed ye next Lord's day after divine service at night, to ye choice of two deacons, deacon James Stone & deacon Joseph Farwell being deceased.
Lord's day. Oct. 5. Being communion day, after ye communion ye brethren were notified to be prepared to chuse two deacons im- mediately after ye public worship at night ; & accordingly tarried after ye congregation were dismissed in the afternoon, & made choice of brother Thomas Farwell & brother Samuel Lawrance for deacons.
The following record is the copy of a paper sent to the chh in Groton by a Presbytery.
" Whereas Col: Josiah Surtell & M: Oliver Fletcher, commission- ers from a society in Groton, Presented a petition from said society, Praying to be received under our care - The Presbytery finding that ye sd society by ye confession of ye commissioners are under censure by ye chh of Groton: But that sd chh refuse them a copy of their censure & they think they are unjustly tirannically used, as they can find no means of redress : - And this Presbytery De- sirous to give relief to those who are oppressed, & to maintain a Christian Correspondance & Communion with ye chh in Groton & not do anything which may justly offend our Christian Brethren of ye Congregational chhs; Therefore we do admit ye Petition of sd society & receive them under our Patronage & Care, And order sd society to serve ye chh of Groton with a copy of this minute & desire sd chh to give all ye light they can in ye affair to this Pres- bytery at their next meeting & yt sd society submit to ye judgment which this Presbytery shall then make as to their case & continuance in this relation.
[ Narn' WHITAKER Presbytery Moderator JN" STRICKLAND Clerk
A true Copy Extracted from ye minutes Attest Salem Sept. 11. 1783.
This Presbytery appointed to meet at Groton y' second Wednes- day of June next at to o'Clock in y" morning at y' Presbytery meet- ing House. A true copy attest Josiah Sartell Clerk of y' Presbytery chh & congregation in Groton.
GROTON, May 10. 1874."
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The following record is a copy of y" chh's answer to ye foregoing
"To the Presbytery of which Doctor Nathaniel Whitaker of Stem is Moderator.
Gentlemen, We have received a vote of your's dated at Salem Sept. 11. 1783. a copy of which is inclosed, announcing that you had taken ye separate society in this town under your " patronage & care," & desiring us to give you light in y" case of these our brethren who have unconstitutionally & unwarrantably left us & joined themselves to your communion, having made no previous application for a reconciliation to us, who were offended with them. All ye notice which, in our opinion, your proposition of our submit- ting this affair to your examination, justly merits, you have in what follows ; which you will consider as ye only answer we are deter- mined to make.
It appears that you viewed our brethren as not justly censurable, by your proceeding immediately to take them under your care, by your preaching among them, directing them to ye choice of chh- officers, & administering ye ordinances of baptism & ye Lord's sup- per to them, as tho' they had been a society in regular standing, & formed according to ye order of y" gospel. - Having thus prejudged y" case, you cannot be admitted as competent judges between us & them. Influenced by a party-spirit, which, it is certain, is oppo- site to ye meek, ye humble & peaceable spirit of christianity, you have in this instance, with temerity, taken a measure, adapted indeed to build up a party, but not ye common cause of ye Great Redeemer, & forever to disconnect our brethren from us. We are sorry they have been so unhappily injudicious in their choice of advisers, by whom they have been directed into a way y' cannot fail to prove injurious to their most important interests. We do not object against you because you are Presbyterians, for we are ready to declare ourselves in full charity with ye chhs of your denomination who discover ys christian temper by walking, in all essential points, according to ye order which Christ bath established in his chb; but we object to you because we consider you in ye light of separates, whose sentiments & practice, how much zeal soever there may be mixed therewith, in our opinion, tend to ye subversion of chhs of other denominations, to ye introduction of contention, confusion & every evil work into society ; & indeed, 10 y" tuin of ye general cause of christianity in ye world. We cannot
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desire any ecclesiastical intercourse & fellowship wt you so long as you appear, as at present, to be governed by views & sentiments, uncandid, schismatical & even hostile to all peace & good order in ye chhs. Look inwards, Gentlemen, carefully read ye faithful records of your own consciences, & see if you cannot find it there written, that you have not done to others, as you would have others do to you. Look upwards also, & consider seriously whether your conduct will be sure to meet ye approbation of him, who is much greater than your hearts, & who is not ye author of confusion, but of peace in all ye chhs. We wish you no greater present mortifica- tion than would be y" necessary consequence of seeing your con- duct in a just & impartial light. And we can desire you no greater present & future happiness, than to be freed from error & false apprehension, to know & sincerely acknowledge y unth, & be saved.
In ye name & by ye vote of ye chh in Groton.
DANI- CHAPLIN Pastor
The chh also voted that Deacon Samuel Lawrance be directed to deliver this letter with y' above copy, to the Rev' John Strickland Clerk of y" Presbytery.
Daled at GRofON, Lord's day June 6. 1784."
Resolved as the opinion of this chh that notwithstanding the Salem Presbytery (so called) have lately determined & declared the separate society in this town to be a regular & constitutional pres- byterian society, & confirmed them as a part of their body ; they are not a regular & constitutional society of that, or any other denomination of christians; & therefore it would be irregular & have a tendency to encourage & promote disorder, for this chh in general or for any individual members of it, to hold occasional communion & fellowship with them in the ordinances of y" gospel, so long as they continue in their present disorderly state.
The chh voted also, that if any members of this chh have, since the first existence of ye above-mentioned separate society in this town to the present day, partook with them in the ordinances of the gospel, & shall make application to the pastor of this chh & give him satisfaction, by informing him, they inadvertently supposed it not to be irregular for them to partake there, they are desirous to continue in the communion of this chh, & they will not in time to come, now knowing it to be contray to the minds of the chh, hold occasional communion with that society ; this shall be deemed
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satisfactory to ye chh ; provided the pastor mention to y" chh ye names of the persons who have made such satisfaction to him, im- mediately before ye communion, after ye congregation is retired.
DANL CHAPLIN Pastor.
GROTON Lord's day July 11. 1784.
N. B. The foregoing resolution & vote were read to ye congre- gation, ye following Lord's day, according to y" direction of the chh, that all concerned might be made acquainted with them.
At a chh meeting held Sept. 24. 1784. by adjournment from last Lord's day after divine service, y" chh voted themselves satisfied with y" acknowledgment of Abigail wife of Asa Lawrance for ye offence of having partook of y" Lord's supper with ye separate soci- ety in this town, being previously informed by ye pastor that she had made application to him & declared " that at y" time she did it, she did not know & consider it to be contrary to y" order of y" gos- pel & justly offensive to this chh."
Asa Lawrance husband of ye said Abigail made a similar ac- knowledgeut of ye same offence, & was forgiven & restored to ye charity of ye chh, a short time before, upon y' Sabbath after divine service.
They both of them asked a dismission from this chh, to join a regular presbyterian chh, & were accordingly dismissed, he ye last Lord's day & she at this meeting, & recommended, with ye following certificate, from ye chh.
" Whereas our brother & sister, Asa Lawrance & Abigail his wife, members in full communion with this chh, & in good standing, have requested a dismission from their particular relation to us, that they may join with ye presbyterian chh in Londonderry [New Hampshire] under ye pastoral care of y" Rev! M: Morrison, & profess themselves to be seriously & conscientiously of y" presbyterian persuasion ; this is to certify y' we have complied with their request, & dismissed them from our particular care, watch & discipline, in order y' they may be regularly admitted as members by y' above-named chh. Furthermore we recommend them as persons of a sober life & christian conversation ; & we hope & sincerely pray y' they may adorn the christian religion which they profess, & be edified yet more & more in faith, holiness & comfort. And we commend them unto God & the word of his grace.
DAN' CHAPLIN Pastor, in ye name of y' chh in Groton.
Gkoron Sept. 24 1781 ' -1
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Dec: 31. 1784. The chh met at Deacon Bancroft's for religious exercises by reason of y" severity of y season, tho' ye meeting was appointed to be at y" meeting house. After those exercises ye brethren of ye chh tarried, having been notified y Sabbath before, to make distribution of y interest of y legacies in ye hands of D" Bancroft, who had been appointed by y" chh to collect y same, which amounted to 55 : 2 : 6. there having been no interest paid before this, since y" commencement of y late war. Voted to give it as follows. To Jno Nutting 14? to Jon: Boyden 16; to the Widow Bradstreet 12 to y' wife of Isaac Lawrance 3' to Betty Green 20/ to y" wife of Eph" Parker 8 6 to y' wife of Ezekiel Nutting 4' to ye wife of Ebenezer Kemp 6 to ye widow Ilartwell To/ to ye wife of Eben Parker 3 to Jno Simonds & wife 3' to ye Widow Molly Boyden 3/ The chh then voted that y" Deacons together with brother Israel Hobart & brother William Nutting be directed to see to y" disposal of y" money for their greatest benefit, to whom it is given.
Lord's day Decem! 18. 1785. The brethren of y" chh tarried after divine service at night, when the pastor informed them that M: Samuel Dana, formerly pastor of this chh, desired a dismission & recommendation from this chh, to the first chh in Amherst [New Hampshire], & likewise communicated a letter from ye presbytery composed of y" presbyterian chh in Boston, ye presbyterian chh in Peterborough, & others, dated at Boston, Sept. 1. 1735. informing this chh y' they had taken the separate society in this town, which they call a presbyterian chh & congregation, under their care, &c.
Upon a motion made, the chh voted & chose D' Prescott, D" Farnsworth, Col: Prescott, ME William Nutting & M' Jacob Patch, a committee, in conjunction with the pastor, to consider whether y chh ought to dismiss & recommend M: Dana, whether y chh ought to make an answer to y fore-mentioned letter, & if they judge it necessary to give an answer, to prepare one, & to take into consideration what measures y: cbh should take with its delinquent members ; & report as soon a convenience will admit of.
Lord's day January 8. 1786. The brethren of ye chh tarried after divine service to hear ye report of ye committee above named, who reported as follows,
" To ye thh in Groton. Your committee appointed to consider whether ye chl ought to dismiss & recommend M' Dana, &c. beg
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leave to report in their opinion, That ye chh notify ME Dana, y' they are disposed to forget every thing in his political character formerly when he was in ye ministry among them, y' was disagreeable & grievous to them, & should be happy in complying with his request, could they, in their apprehension, do it consistently with that chris- tian fidelity which it is their duty to exercise to him as their brother with whom they are under sacred bonds. But considering his con- duct since he left ye ministry, in giving countenance & support to ye separation in this chh. & town, by preaching to the mal contents, administering the ordinance of baptism among them, & admitting members to full communion, to the great disadvantage of peace & harmony, & of religion, which they verily think to be altogether contrary to the rules of ye gospel & highly criminal, they are con- strained not to grant his request. But sincerely desirous to have ye ground of their dissatisfaction with him removed, & willing to give him an opportunity freely to express his sentiments to them respecting the above-conduct, they have appointed a committee to confer with him upon the subject whenever he shall notify them yt he will attend in this town for that purpose."
The chh voted to accept this part of the report & accordingly chose a committee of nine to confer with ME Dana, viz. DE Pres- cott, D" Farnsworth, Col: Prescott, Esq. Hobart, M: William Nut- ting, D" Lawrance, M: Jacob Patch, Lieut. Jonathan Keep & Capt. Amos Farnsworth ; & desired the pastor to give notice to ME Dana of their proceeding in regard to bis request for a dismission, &c.
"It is your committee's opinion also y ye chh ought to proceed with deliberation, christian prudence & tenderness, to call all ye members of ye chh y' walk disorderly, to account, & use their best endeavours with them & bring them to repentance & reformation."
The chh also accepted this part of ye report, & chose D: Morse, D" Bancroft & Esq. Hobart a committee to inquire what members of this chh do walk disorderly & not according to the rules of the gospel, & to deal with them as the gospel directs, to reclaim them ; & report to the chh.
" And the committee think it highly incumbent upon the chh to answer the letter of the presbytery in the manner following." See Nº 10. on file.
Lord's day Jan? 29. 1786. The brethren of ye chh tarried after divine service at night, when the pastor comumicated a letter from the chh in Westford, lamenting the interruption of communion
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between us & them for several years past, & desiring this chh to give them opportunity, by conference, to remove ye ground of dis- satisfaction & non-communion.
The chh voted to confer with them, & in conjunction with the pastor, chose Deacon Farnsworth, Col. Prescott, Doctor Prescott, Esq. Hobart, M: William Nutting, Lieut. Jonathan Keep & Deacon Lawrance, a committee to confer with a committee from the chh in Westford, consisting of the pastor & such brethren as they shall see fit to send ; in this town, & at such time as the committee from the chh of Westford shall appoint, giving seasonable notice to the pas- tor of this chh of such appointment. And this chh expects ye com- mittee from Westford to bring ye sentiments of the Rev! M: Scribner & ye chh, plainly & particularly drawn up in writing, being pre- viously laid before ye brethren of ye chh of Westford, & voted by them to contain their true sentiments relative to the two following points, viz. "Whether it be ye duty of sinners, while unregenerate, to attend upon any means of grace & religion." And " Whether sin be the object of God's choice & agreable to his will " ? a differ- ence in sentiment respecting these points having been ye ground of non-communion between ye chhs in ye vicinity & the chh & pastor in Westford.
Lords Day April 16. 1786. The brethren of the chh tarried after ye blessing at night & voted to have ye next communion the first Sabbath in May insuing & from thence to have it ye first Sabbath in every other month ; & also voted ye Deacons a committee to set- tle some acc': between brother Convers Richardson & ye chh, & to receive a ballance of money belonging to ye chh which has rested in his hands from the time he acted as treasurer of ye chh.
1787. Nov. 25th The brethren tarried after divine service at noon, & voted their acceptance of the result of the conference that met at Westford the 14"! instant, by which a free intercourse & com- munion between the neighbouring chhs, & the chh & pastor in Westford. And said result was read to the congregation after divine service at night.
1788. Nov. 231 Church voted & chose Deacon Farnsworth, Deacon Bancroft, Deacon Lawrance, ME Jacob Patch & Major Joseph Moors, a committee to make out a list of ye poor of the chh y' may be tho't the proper objects of charity, & divide the interest of the legacies belonging to ye chh, which is now due, among them as they shall judge to be right, & report the same to the chh for then acceptance at a future meeting
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7"! Decem! The comtee above-mentioned reported to the chh a division of the interest among the poor of the chh, which, with some alterations made by the chh, was accepted, and is as follows.
To the Wid? Mary Shed 6/ Wid" Lucy Tarbell 6/ Betty Green 10/ Azubah wife of Ephraim Parker 4/ Anna wife of Ezekiel Nutting 4 5' The wife of Ebenezer Kemp 5/ Wid: Mary Hartwell 10/ Wide Mary McNeil 8/ Wid" Betty Hazen 11/ And the Wide Mary Nutting 9/
And in addition to the deacons the chh chose M: Joseph Allen & Israel Hobart Esq! a comtes to make an actual distribution of said interest among them accordingly, the whole sum being £3-13-5.
Feb" 19th 1791. Church tarried after divine service at night, & voted it agreable to their minds that the Deacons exchange the state note which is the legacy left by Capt. Ephraim Sawtell to the church in Groton for the use of it's poor, into hard money, as soon as may be conveniently done.
April 104 1791. Church voted & chose Deacon Isaac Farns- worth, M: Jacob Patch, Major Amos Farnsworth, M: William Nutting & Major Joseph Moors a committee, to make out a list of such poor of the church as may appear to be the most proper objects of char- ity, & divide the interest of M: Samuel Barron's legacy, now on hand, amongst them, as they shall judge to be right, & report the same to the church, for the consideration & acceptance of the brethren of the church at a future meeting.
1791. April 17th The committee appointed the last sabbath, made the following report, which the church accepted without altera- tion, & directed Deacon Bancroft in whose bands the money is lodged, to pay it out according to the report, viz.
To the Widow Betty Hazen 6/ 6/
Wife of Ephr" Russel
Wife of Peter Stevens 6/
Wife of Ezek' Nutting 3/ Wife of Eben! Kemp 6/
Widow Mary Hartwel 6/
61-13
Feby 54 1792. The Church voted, that the Deacons of the Church receive the legacy given to this Clunch by Mis. Mary Sartell late of Groton deceased, in her will & testament, & give a discharge for the same to Jno. Shopley executor of said will & testament.
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March 29. 1792. Public Fast. The brethren of ye church tar- ried after divine service, & voted that Deacon Benjamin Bancroft should give to Mr. Jacob Patch, for the use of the Widow Betty Hazen, & to be laid out for her by him, 18 interest of a legacy be- queathed to the church for the benefit of it's poor.
1794 May 25th. The three deacons of the chh chosen, after divine service, a committee to make out a list of the poor of the chh the most fit objects of charity, to receive the interest of a dona- tion bequeathed for their benefit ; & to report as soon as they con- veniently can. The money now to be distributed is the interest of Samuel Barron's donation.
June 22d. The deacons of the church Farnsworth, Bancroft & Lawrance reported as follows, viz. That to
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the Widow Hartwell be given 12/
The Wife of Ebenezer Kemp 6!
Wife of Benja. Tarbell 6/ Widow Ilazen 5/ Wife of Ezekiel Nutting 5/
Sept. 24. 1797. The deacons of the church having been directed by a vote of the church a short time since to make out a dividend of the interest money arising from the Barron donation, among the most needy members of the church, this day after divine service at night reported the following proposed distribution, which the church accepted, & directed deacon Bancroft in whose hands the money is to pay it out accordingly, to the persons mentioned, & take their receipts.
Viz. To the Widow Mary Hartwell 9/
Wido. Mary Kemp
Azubah Wife of Benjamin Tarbell 6/5
Anna Wife of Ezekiel Nutting 6 5 Wido. Mary Cockle 6 5
The remainder to Timothy Priest 6 9
Total 02-4-0
This entry ends the church records in Volume I., and the second volume begins with page 3, showing that a leaf is gone. During this period Samuel Rockwood was chosen a Deacon.
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[11. 3-39] Widow Mary Cockle & Hannah Lakin, eight shillings cach. The sum to be distributed is so inconsiderable, & such is the office of deacon, according to seripture, that it is judged proper & expedient to make the distribution without troubling the church at large to attend to it. Deacon Farnsworth sen. undertook to convey the eight shillings to Hannah Lakin, & deacon Lawrance the same sum to the Widow Cockle.
April 28. 1799. The brethren of the church tarried after divine service P. M. & being informed by the Pastor that Deacon Amos l'arnsworth had received 26' interest of the legacy for the benefit of the poor members of the church, voted that the Deacons, together with the Pastor, be directed to make distribution of it to the poor, according to their discretion ; which they afterwards did in the following manner, viz.
To the Wid: Mary Kemp ,0 Azubah wife of Benje Tarbell 6
Wid: Anna Nutting 8% Lydia wife of Reuben Fisk 6!
Deacon Amos Farnsworth was directed to pay the money to them.
Lords-day Sep. 12. 1802. The brethren of the church being requested by the Pastor, tarried in the meeting house after the rest of the congregation had retired. The Pastor informed them that the Parish being desirous the practice of reading a portion of the holy scriptures in the forenoon and another in the afternoon in the public worship on the sabbath might be introduced here, had caused a suitable bible to be procured for the purpose. The Pastor called upon the brethren freely to make their observations either lor, or against the introduction of said practice of reading the scrip- tures in public, as they thought proper. Several of the brethren rose & spoke in favor of it, & no one against it. When the breth- ren had signified that they were ready for a vote, the question was put, Whether they were willing that the practice of reading the holy scriptures in the public worship on the sabbath should be introduced as soon as might be convenient, & passed in the affirm- ative without dissent.
Also voted that the foregoing vote be recorded in the church book.
DAN' CHAPLIN Pastor
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EARLY CHURCH RECORDS.
Decem. 5. 1802. Mem. The brethren of the church tarrying after divine service, at the desire of the Pastor, signified yt they were willing it should become the practice, for the officiating min- ister, on communion days, after the congregation is dismissed, or the blessing given, to make proclamation in the presence of the assembly, to this effect, viz. "If there be any regular member of sister churches present who desire communion in the ordinance of the supper, they are invited to join with us on this occasion."
DANI CHAPLIN Pastor
Jan. 7. 1803. At a church meeting held at the centre school house, warned the sabbath before, & by the request of twenty one of the brethren, in writing, desiring the following propositions to be submitted, viz.
1. To see if the church will reconsider and annul the rule estab- lished by former votes and usuage of the church, requiring an acknowledgment before the congregation, of those persons who have had a child within less time than about seven yearly months after marriage, as a term of their having the privilege of baptism for their children.
2. To see whether it appear to the church to be agreable to the spirit of the christian religion, and the practice of the apostles, to require no further explicit declaration of the real reformation & religion of any persons as a term of communion, or of admission to special ordinances in this church, than an assent to the church covenant, with a sufficient degree of knowledge, and a reasonable ground of christian charity in their lives & conversation at present, to prove yt they are sincere in their profession ; & whether this shall be rule of admission to said special ordinances in time to come.
3. To see whether the church will vote yt all public acknowledg- ments or confessions of the professors of religion for immoralities, whether said professors be in full communion, or have owned the covenant, which the church may apprehend the honor and interest of religion to require, shall not be made before the congregation at large, but before the church only.
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