USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Princeton > History of Princeton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, civil and ecclesiastical, from its first settlement in 1739, to april 1852 > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15
The Congregational Church, having been informed of the doings of the Evangelical Congregational Society, at their meeting on the 23d of March, met subsequent thereto, on the 27th day of April, when the following vote was passed :-
" Voted unanimously, to carry into effect the result of coun- cil; and Dea. Charles Russell and Caleb Dana and Br. Charles B. Temple, were appointed a committee to call a meeting of the church, when they may deem it expedient, and to invite the committee, consisting of the Rev. Messrs. Bates of Templeton, Mann of Westminster, and Paine of Holden, to be present at
153
DOINGS OF COMMITTEE.
the said meeting of the church, to discharge the important du- ties assigned them in the Result of said council."
In accordance with the above vote, this committee ap- pointed the 16th of May following, for the clergymen mentioned in the Result of the Council, to meet for the transaction of its business or duties assigned them. The annexed document will show the result :-
" May 16, 1835. The brethren and sisters of the church under the late pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Cowles, met this day at the Town House, at half past ten of the clock, A. M., agreeably to notice given by the committee of the church ap- pointed for said purpose, to carry into effect the result of coun- cil, said result having been adopted by the church under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Phillips.
" The committee appointed by the council, consisting of the Rev. Messrs. Bates of Templeton, Mann of Westminster, and Paine of Holden, were there present agreeably to the invitation of the church, given by the committee appointed for the pur- pose, to attend to the important duties assigned to them in the result of said council.
"The Rev. Mr. Mann addressed the Throne of Grace for light and assistance on the solemn and interesting occasion .- Important remarks were then offered by the Rev. gentlemen composing the committee. The articles of faith and covenant of the church under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Phillips, were then read by the Rev. Mr. Mann, and assented to by all the brethren and sisters of the church present.
" The Brethren of the church adjourned to the Meeting- house ; and after having had an interview with the committee of the council, Voted to adjourn, to meet at half past five of the clock, P. M., at the Town House.
"Adjourned meeting. The brethren met at the town house agreeably to adjournment. The meeting was opened with pray- er by Br. Charles B. Temple. The committee of the church, consisting of brothers Russell, Dana and Temple, informed the brethren, by their chairman, that the committee of the council, having attended to the duties assigned them, had put into their hands the following communication as the result of their do- ings, viz :-
"'To the church of Christ in Princeton, under the pastoral charge of Rev. Mr. Phillips.
"' Rev. and Beloved,-The committee appointed by a council mutually chosen by you and the church under the late care of
14
154
ACTION OF SOCIETIES.
Rev. Mr. Cowles to unite said churches, having satisfied them- selves of the personal piety of the following individuals, mem- bers of the last named church, recommend them to your fellow- ship; and they are hereby embodied in one church in accord- ance with your vote in accepting the result of said council.
[Here follow the names of forty-six individuals.]
" ' Wishing you grace, mercy and peace, we are yours, dear brethren, with christian affection.
LEMUEL P. BATES, CYRUS MANN, Committee.'
May 16, 1835.
WILLIAM P. PAINE,
" Voted, to accept and sanction the doings of the committee of council.
"The deacons of the church, viz. David Brooks, Joshua Ev- eleth, Charles Russell, and Caleb Dana, having severally ten- dered their resignations of said office, in consequence of the union about to be consummated with the church under the pas- toral care of the Rev. Mr. Phillips,-Therefore, Voted, to accept their resignation, and that they are, at their own request, here- by discharged from the duties appertaining to said office.
" Whereas several of our brethren and sisters have not seen fit to comply with the advice contained in the result of council, and to appear with the church this day before the committee appointed for the purpose mentioned in said result-Therefore, Voted, that the clerk of the church be authorized, when re- quested, to give certificates to such persons as did not conform to the result of said council ; certifying that they were mem- bers in regular standing previous to the union, said certificate to bear date of this day, May 16, 1835.
"Voted, That brothers Charles Russell and Caleb Dana be directed to present to the Rev. Mr. Phillips' church, the letter of recommendation, that the union of the churches may be con- summated, agreeably to the result of the Ecclesiastical council convened in this place December last, at the request of said churches, and in accordance with the subsequent votes and transactions of said churches, in adopting the result of said council.
" Voted to dissolve the meeting.
" Copy and record of the proceedings.
CALEB DANA,
Late Clerk of the Church under the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Cowles."
On the 18th of the same month, the two societies- the First Parish and the Evangelical Congregational So-
155
NEW OBSTACLE TO UNION.
€
ciety-held each of them a meeting. The meeting of the latter was to ascertain whether its members were willing, according to the recommendation of the result, to dissolve their own Society and join the First Parish. The members of this Society, or a large portion of them at least, were members of the church, and they felt un- willing to have a union effected under such circumstances. Consequently, after a " most vigorous" effort by those favorable to the measure, only twelve of the entire socie- ty were induced to vote in favor of joining said parish. The remainder, with the exception of nine who voted in the negative, did not see fit to act at all.
The informal manner in which the Council's Commit- tee " satisfied themselves of the personal piety" of the for- ty-six individuals which they recommended to the fellow- ship of the Phillips' church, had now become an obstacle to the proposed union. "The committee came on the last day of the week -- on Saturday ; and in the short space of three hours, read" the articles of faith and covenant of the Evangelical Congregational Church, " and took an assent to them, and satisfied themselves ' of the per- sonal piety' of forty-six individuals. Now how, accord- ing to the obvious meaning of the language of the result, were the committee, being strangers, to satisfy them- selves of the personal piety of the persons who should offer themselves ? Can any sensible and candid man give any other answer to this question than ' by personal examination'; examination in the sense in which the term is generally understood in orthodox churches ? Such was the understanding of the original* church. Had they not supposed there would have been an exam- ination in the usual sense of the term, not more than
* The Evangelical Congregational Church.
156
NEW OBSTACLE TO UNION.
three in the entire church would ever have voted to ac- cept the result. But was there an examination in the sense in which the term is generally understood by ortho- dox people ? Forty-six individuals in three hours ! You have perhaps, reader, been present at the examina- tion of persons in relation to their religious experience and doctrinal views and the evidence of their having passed from death unto life. How much time do churches, or the committees, as the case may be, occupy in the examination of each individual, when there are several to be examined ? Ten minutes in all cases, undoubted- ly ; probably in most cases more. But take the least, ten minutes. Six persons then, may be examined in an hour, and eighteen in three hours. But in the instance before us, we have forty-six in three hours. In the sense then in which the term is generally understood, could there have been an examination. The majority of the original church have felt, that there could not have been, and that there was not such an examination. Some per- sons present, too, have made statements which show, what the want of time evinces, that the forty-six persons who presented themselves, were not in the usual Ortho- dox sense of the term examined. It is a very delicate and disagreeable thing to add, but justice demands it, that the standing, as to a good name, of some of the per- sons recommended, and the character of several as to piety, is such as evinces that the committee, being sensi- ble men, could not have examined them. They never would have been satisfied of their piety, had they done so. Here then, reader, we have the reason, though not the only, yet the main and great reason, why the majori- ty of the original church could not feel willing that the union should go into effect. Ought they to have felt
157
UNION OF SOCIETIES.
willing, that it should ? What if most of those who vo- ted at all-nearly half of the church-had once voted to accept the result ?* They voted thus, most of them cer- tainly, on the supposition, that the persons to be recom- mended to them and embodied in the church would first be examined. Under these circumstances, were the church bound by the above vote ? Every candid and pi- ous mind, it is believed, must answer this question in the negative. In deep anxiety and distress, in many tears and prayers, a majority of them came to the conclusion, that they were not, and could not be bound by it."+
The twelve persons in the society who were in favor of the union, being a majority of those who voted, pro- ceeded still further, however, and carried a motion to dissolve their society, and to join the First Parish. Ac- cordingly they " went over forthwith to the meeting of the First Parish," and presented their names and also the names of all the other members of the Evangelical Congregational society, for the reception of said parish.}
The First Parish, in their meeting, accepted said list of names, voting them in individually. At the same time, also, a committee | was chosen to request the Rev. Alonzo Phillips to supply their pulpit for " the present."
Mr. Phillips, as desired, agreed to supply their pulpit for " the present," and for the present only ; which supply, for five sabbaths, he accordingly rendered ;- when a majority of the Evangelical Congregational Church, after having pondered and prayed over the sub-
* The Result of the Ecclesiastical Council.
t Phillips' "Appeal," pp. 6, 7, 8.
# Several protested at the time, we have been informed, against their names being presented for admission into the First Parish.
|| The committee were Messrs. Caleb Dana, Jonas Brooks, Jr., Charles B. Temple, Joseph Mason, and Charles Russell.
14*
153
ME. PHILLIPS' SUPPLY.
ject apart and together, and conferred upon it, came to the deliberate and solemn conclusion that they could not conscientiously go forward in a union, under circum- stances which seemed to them adapted to the corruption of vital piety. In accordance with this conclusion, they addressed the following note to their pastor :---
" Whereas it has become quite manifest to us, the subscribers, that the way is not yet prepared to carry the union, respecting which so much has been said and done, into practical effect ; and whereas, neither we ourselves, nor our families, seem in a situation to derive much benefit from our minister's labours under present circumstances, we regard it as our right and our duty to request, and we do hereby request him to return to his former place of labour."
Mr. Phillips read this communication to the congre- gation of the First Parish, and stated that, as he was the Pastor of those who were the authors of the communi- cation, and was in the place he then occupied only for a temporary supply, it was obviously his duty to comply with their request. IIe therefore gave notice that he should discontinue supplying for " the present" the pul- pit of the First Parish, and return to his former place of labor. From this event, two separate congregations of public worship were again sustained.
A difference of opinion having arisen in the church under Mr. Phillips, as we have seen, as to the propriety of the proposed union going into effect, (many main- taining that it was inexpedient, on account of the " un- satisfactory standing of several of the persons the coun- cil's committee" had seen fit to recommend, while others were unwilling that a division in public worship should
159
CHURCHI MEETINGS.
take place,) a portion of the church returned to their usual place of worship with their pastor, and the others remained at the house of the First Parish. Forthwith thereafter, the other party held a meeting and resolved to continue their worship at the old Congregational house.
On the same day, a meeting of the united church was also held, and a committee appointed to wait on Mr. Phillips and request him to call a meeting of the church, to ascertain " why they were not willing, that the union should go into effect." This resulted in a meeting of said church in July following; " at which, but for the opposition of those who were determined the union should go as matters then stood, the persons recommend- ed* would have been informed where the difficulty was, and a course adopted, there is good reason to believe, which would have saved the church from much of the evil they have since experienced. Near the close of this meeting, when half the members had gone and the rest were on their feet, beginning to go, a resolutiont was offered by one of the union-men-as-matters-were, the purport of which was that the church, in order to a har- monious union, wished for some opportunity to obtain a knowledge of the doctrinal views and religious experi- ence of the persons recommended. This resolution was retained by the mover, but the substance of it was event- ually forwarded by the committee appointed for the pur- pose to the persons whom it concerned."}
* The persons recommended by the Council's Committee.
t A copy of this resolution will appear in the succeeding chapter. # Phillips' Appeal, p. 11.
160
RECONCILIATION ATTEMPTED.
CHAPTER XI.
Attempts to effect a reconciliation-Further examination proffered, with a plan therefor-Amendment Proposed-Objections to Amendment-Call of Exparte Council-Mr. Phillips' letter to the Council-Result of Council- Mr. Phillips' Dismission-Biographical Notice-Meetings suspended at the Meeting House of First Parish-Mr. Demond's settlement over First Par- ish-Disaffected ask for a Dismission-Call of Council-Result-Mr. Har- ding's Settlement and Dismission-Mr. Goldsmith's Settlement and Dis- mission-Call of Mr. Hitchcock.
After the meeting of the church in July, 1835, to which reference has been made in the preceeding chap- ter, no farther attempts of the parties to effect a recon- ciliation were made until October following, when a committee was appointed by the members of the church worshipping at the old Congregational meeting house, " to wait on the Rev. Mr. Phillips and consult with him in relation to existing difficulties, and also request him to call a meeting of the church, to see if some measures cannot be adopted that will effect a reconciliation, and restore peace and harmony." To this proposal Mr. Phillips returned the following reply :-
" To the persons recommended by the committee designa- ted by the Council, and others worshipping with them :
"In reply to the proposal for a meeting of ' the whole of the members of the church, at the Evangelical Society's House, concluded that as they had seen no cause to change their views since their meeting in July, to direct the committee then ap- pointed for the purpose, to transmit to you the resolution then passed, and which was not communicated at the time, for the reason I recently stated to Capt. Dana and others at my house. The committee above named have requested me to make out and send you a copy of the resolution in their behalf. As I have not the resolution in my possession, and as it is several weeks since it was passed, I shall not be able to give you its exact lan- guage ; in substance, however, it was as follows :-
" Resolved, That in order to a more harmonious and satis- factory union, this church wish for some suitable opportunity
161
FURTHER EXAMINATION.
to obtain a knowledge of the religious experience and doctrinal views of the persons who wish to become united with them.
"This resolution was moved by Mr. Ephraim Beaman, and seconded by Mr. Thompson.
Yours, &c.,
Princeton, Oct. 12, 1835.
A. PHILLIPS."
The original resolution, the substance of which is in- tended to be embodied in the above, is found to be as follows :- " Resolved, that the members of this church present wish for a knowledge of your views and feelings, of the reason of your hope, and of your doctrinal belief, that this church may have Christian fellowship with you, in any way which you shall choose to make it known to us."
At a meeting of the members of the church that wor- shipped at the old house, held Oct. 15, 1835, it was voted to comply with the " wish expressed in" the above reso- lution. A committee was also appointed to " converse with the absent members," and ascertain their views, and transmit the result to the members worshipping at Mr. Phillips' meeting-house. The committee, having atten- ded to their duty, reported that the " persons recom- mended by the council's committee" were willing to give a reason of " their hope" ; and at the same time propos- ed to the members at Mr. Phillips' meeting-house that a committee be appointed to meet a committee from their number to agree on " the way and manner." This re- quest was complied with and a committee was according- ly appointed. This committee met the other, and in due time made the following report :-
" That the deacons of the church call a meeting of the whole church, including the members who were recommended and embodied with the church, by the committee appointed by the mutual council ; that a pastor, from some of the neighboring churches, be agreed upon by the brethren, and be invited to
162
AMENDMENT PROPOSED.
be present, to preside at said meeting ; and that the said pas- tor, together with the deacons of the church, have the liberty to ask such questions, relative to our doctrinal views and Chris- tian experience, as they in their wisdom deem expedient. We further propose, if after Christian measures shall have been taken, there should be any of the members who do not give satisfactory evidence of their piety, that their cases be proposed to the church, by the deacons, for the action of the church there- on, and if the church consider such member or members as unsuitable to commune with the church, that such be notified thereof, and be requested to wait until satisfactory evidence can be obtained by the church."
To this proposition, the members to whom it was made had several objections, which, in their view, were weighty. In the first place, the persons that had been recommended must all be considered as members of the church already. Hence they did not see the propriety of their giving the deacons a reason of their hope any more than other members of the church. Another ob- jection alleged, was, that no member of the church, or even of their standing committee, was to take a part in the examination, except the deacons. This seemed to them invidious. "And besides, one of the deacons had prejudged in the case-had shown by his course and said that he was willing to come into fellowship and communion with them, asking no questions, having no further action"; so that, furthermore, it was wrong to " throw the whole responsibility upon two members," es- pecially when the other deacon was unwilling to " take this responsibility." In view of these objections, it was voted unanimously, that they could not agree to it, and the following amendment to the plan was proposed :-
"That the persons recommended by the council's committee give the reason of their hope, in the hearing of as many mem- bers of the church as may wish to be present, to all the mem. bers of our standing committee (except Mr. Phillips, who feels unwilling to be present)-each member of the committee hav-
163
EXPARTE COUNCIL.
ing liberty to ask such questions as he may deem proper and im- portant, and of one minister (either Mr. Miller or Mr. Nelson, as you may choose,) and that the minister and committee decide whether there are any, and if any, whose evidence is not satis- factory, and that the person or persons whose evidence is not satisfactory, according to your committee's proposal stand apart from the church."
This proposed amendment was at once rejected, and the following reasons assigned :-
" First, because the plan you propose requires a portion of the church, (those embodied therein by the council's committee,) to present themselves for examination before a committee, a major- ity of whom have repeatedly refused to acknowledge them as members of said church, or as entitled to any of the rights and privileges of membership, and this too, as we think, in violation of high moral obligations, too sacred to be disregarded ; and be- cause that the said committee have already pre-judged in the case, by thus denying to said members the rights and privileges to which they are entitled by the result of an enlightened mu- tual council, sanctioned by virtue of the church.
" Secondly, because you propose to place in this same com- mittee an uncalled for and unwarrantable assumption of power, not delegated to them by the church-the power of determining the membership of all those recently embodied therein, thereby depriving the said church of any power of action in their case. "
A meeting was held by the persons worshipping at the old house, on the 4th of December, and a vote passed to call a " council to dissolve, if expedient, the pastoral relations of the Rev. Mr. Phillips with the church, and also to consider and advise the church in relation to the unhappy difficulties existing therein." The members worshipping at Mr. Phillips' meeting-house were invited to attend the above meeting, but declined, alleging as their principal reason,-"that the result of the council they have had already, had been the occasion of immense evil," and therefore they could see no reason " to hope for good from another." Previous to the assembling of the proposed council, however, the members of the
164
MR. PIIILLIPS' LETTER.
church worshipping at the Rev. Mr. Phillips' meeting- house, "willing to do any thing to effect a reconciliation that seemed to them at all consistent and right," propos- ed that the persons recommended by the council's com- mittee, " designate themselves, six, to be added to the ex- amining committee." This was declined, by replying that " it would not be any more satisfactory."
They consequently proceeded to carry into execution their vote of Dec. 4, 1835, and an exparte council was convened on the 20th of January, 1836, consisting of the church of Christ in New Braintree, under the charge of Rev. John Fiske ; the church in North Brook- field, under Rev. Dr. Snell ; the church in Hubbardston, under Rev. Samuel Gay; the church in Leicester, un- der Rev. John Nelson; the church in Rutland, under Rev. Josiah Clark ; the church in Templeton, under Rev. Lemuel P. Bates; the church in West Boylston, under Rev. Elijah Paine, and the church in Holden, under Rev. Wm. P. Paine,-each pastor being accom- panied with a delegate. Mr. Phillips, together with the members who had worshipped with him, were apprised of the meeting of said council and invited to be present .- They complied with said invitation. He also communi- cated the following letter :-
" To the Council," &.c.
" Dear Brethren :- I was informed last week, by a note from a man who is one of the committee for convoking another coun- cil, that the first business of the council would be, to consider my relation to the church, and if thought expedient, dissolve it. Though I have had no voice in calling the council, you may, perhaps, wish, or at any rate, be willing to hear something from me before you proceed to a business so important and se- rious. The facts then, in the case, are these. Some four or five weeks after the last council's committee had been called here to attend to the duties assigned them, a majority of the original church addressed a communication to me, in which they avow-
165
RESULT OF COUNCIL.
ed, with sufficient clearness their unwillingness to have the proposed union go into effect under present circumstances, and requested me, as their pastor, to resume my labors in their former place of worship. This communication I read to the congregation at the old meeting-house, and then returned to my church. On my doing this, a portion of the original church merged themselves among the people at the old house, and be- gan to sustain a separate public worship, first by reading and subsequently preaching. Thus commenced the present practi- cal division in the original church. I resumed and continued my labours as requested, until utterly disabled in health, when I gave notice that I could do no more at present. When, after several weeks relaxation and journeying, I had recovered suffi- cient health to be able to preach, I found circumstances to be such as rendered it, in my judgment, inexpedient to resume my labors. In this the church, with great apparent reluctance and grief, acquiesced. I do not then, you now perceive, doubt- less, regard myself as the pastor of the people who propose that you should dismiss me. I am not their pastor.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.