USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Cambridge > History of the First Church in Cambridge, in connection with the Shepard Congregational Society : with its confession of faithand the names of members > Part 3
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1 Gen. iii. 19; Acts xiii. 36. 2 Gen. ii. 7; Matt. x. 28; Rev. xx. 4. 3 Luke xxiii. 43; Eccl. xii. 7. 4 Heb. xii. 23; Phil. i. 23; 1 John iii. 2; 2 Cor. v. 1-8. 5 Luke xvi. 23, 24; 2 Peter ii. 9.
OF THE RESURRECTION AND THE LAST JUDGMENT.
GOD hath appointed a day wherein he will raise the dead,1 and judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ, to whom all power and judgment belong; 2 when all, who have lived upon the earth, shall appear before his tribunal to give an account of the deeds done in the body, and to receive according to what they have done, whether it be good or evil;3 then the righteous, being made perfect in holiness, and united to bodies fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body,4 will enter into eternal life and blessedness; 5 and the wicked, receiving bodies raised to dishonor,6 will be punished with everlasting de- struction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.7
1 Acts xxiv. 15; John v. 14; Matt. xii. 36, 37; 28, 29 ; 1 Cor. xv. 12 -21. Rom. ii. 16; Rev. xx. 12.
2 Acts xvii. 31; John v. 4 Phil. iii. 21; 1 Cor. xv. 22, 27. 42-49.
3 2 Cor. v. 10 ; Eccl. xii. 5 Matt. xxv. 31-34; Rom.
ii. 7; Luke xx. 36; Rev. xx. 6. 6 Daniel xii. 2.
7 Rom. ii. 5, 6; 2 Thess. i. 7, 8; Matt. xxv. 41, 46; Rev. xx. 15.
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PRACTICAL RULES
FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE CONSCIENCE.
" That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
PRACTICAL RULES.
I. Maintain, according to your ability and opportunity, all the ordinances which Christ has instituted for his own glory, and the edification of the Church.
II. Regard the favor and everlasting enjoyment of God as the great end of life, and let all your plans and efforts in the world have primary reference to this end.
III. Contemplate the obedience, sacrifice, mediation, and intercession of Christ, as the procuring cause of all blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternal; and gratefully acknowledge him as the only source of your peace and joy.
IV. Earnestly strive to walk in Christ's steps, and to be holy as he is holy, that you may adorn the doctrine of God your Saviour in all things, and recommend the religion of the gospel to the consciences and hearts of your fellow-men.
V. Ever keep in mind that love to God and zeal for his glory are the highest duties of the Christian; and judge of your acceptable performance of them, not by occasional excitement, but by your habitual frame of mind; by the punctual and steady discharge of the obligations which rest upon you as Christians ; by your cheerful submission to the divine will; and by your constant and earnest efforts to promote the kingdom of Christ in the world.
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PRACTICAL RULES.
VI. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy accord- ing to the commandment; and endeavor to avoid all dis- turbance and wandering of mind in the services of the sanctuary ; to banish worldly cares from the heart, and exclude secular subjects from conversation on the Lord's day; and to make it a season of sacred rest and of holy enjoyment.
VII. Maintain the daily worship of God in the family and in the closet; and that you may avoid all coldness and formality in this service, prepare yourselves for it by devout reading and meditation.
VIII. Set apart convenient and sufficient seasons for a prayerful, systematic, and thorough study of the Bible, that you may grow in knowledge and in spiritual understanding of divine truth; that you may be able to serve and worship God according to his will; that you may not be tossed to and fro, and blown about by every wind of doctrine; and that you may be perfectly joined together in the same judgment respecting the essential doctrines and duties of religion.
IX. Guard against a selfish and exclusive devotion to your own interests, and endeavor in all suitable ways to promote the well-being of your fellow-men.
X. Cultivate a kind and benignant temper towards all, and strive to avoid everything that will tend unnecessarily to wound the character or feelings of others.
XI. Make it your great object to understand clearly, and to perform faithfully, all the duties resulting from your sev- eral relations as men and as Christians.
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PRACTICAL RULES.
XII. Frequently review the solemn Covenant which you have entered into with God and his people, and study to re- form whatever has been wrong in your temper or conduct, and to bring your whole inward and outward life into har- mony with what you have publicly engaged to do, relying upon the atoning merits of your crucified Redeemer for par- don and acceptance, and upon the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit for growth in grace, and complete victory over sin.
XIII. Finally, - Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
And the peace of God, which passeth knowledge, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
AND
STANDING RULES.
For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your ORDER, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ."
THE form of Government adopted by this Church is that set forth in the "Cambridge Platform," agreed upon by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches assembled in the Synod at Cambridge, 1648, from which the follow- ing Principles are in substance selected, for the benefit of those members who have not access to the original work.
ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
CHURCH GOVERNMENT.
ECCLESIASTICAL POLITY, or church government, is that form and order which Christ has required to be observed in his church upon earth, both as to its constitution and all the ordinances which are administered in it.
NATURE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
THE Christian church is a spiritual kingdom, of which Jesus Christ is the supreme head and lawgiver, embracing all who are described in the Scriptures as the covenant peo- ple of God, throughout the world.
A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
A CONGREGATIONAL church is a portion of the visible church, consisting of a convenient number of visible believ- ers, united in one body by a holy covenant, submitting to a Scriptural form of government, and meeting together in one place for the worship of God; for the regular adminis- tration of the sacraments of the gospel; for the exercise of discipline ; and for their mutual edification in the knowledge and fellowship of the gospel.
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
RIGHTS OF THE CHURCH.
EVERY particular church is a complete body in itself, and has authority to adopt that form of government which ap- pears most agreeable to the Word of God; to manage its internal affairs ; to choose those officers whom Christ has designated and ordained to teach and rule in the Church; to regulate the admission, discipline, and removal of its own members, according to the rule laid down in the Scriptures ; and is amenable to no ecclesiastical power upon earth, except by its own consent, or agreeably to the estab- lished usage of Congregational churches.
PERMANENT OFFICERS.
THE ordinary and permanent officers of the church are PASTORS and DEACONS; who are to be regularly chosen and called by the particular church in which they are to minister, and, after thorough examination in respect to their fitness for the work to which they are called, to be ordained according to the mode approved and in use in Congrega- tional churches.
DUTIES OF PASTORS.
IT belongs to the office of Pastor to take the oversight of the church in respect to spiritual things; to preach the Word; to administer the seals of the Covenant; to pro- nounce the sentence of the church upon offenders ; to call the church together upon necessary occasions ; to preside in all church meetings ; and, finally, to labor in all appointed ways "for the perfecting of the saints, and the edifying of the body of Christ, until they come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a per- fect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
DUTIES OF DEACONS.
THE duty of the Deacons is to receive and keep the funds of the church; to provide the necessary elements for the proper administration of the sacraments; to apply such portion of the funds in their hands as the church may direct to the relief of the poor; and in the absence of the Pastor, to preside in the meetings of the church in rotation.
DUTY OF THE CHURCH TOWARDS ITS OFFICERS.
ALTHOUGH churches cannot be compelled to receive any officer not freely chosen by themselves, yet when a fit per- son is regularly ordained over them by their own choice and consent, they are bound to submit to the authority with which he is invested by the Head of the Church, and to esteem him very highly in love for his work's sake.
MAINTENANCE OF PASTORS.
IT is the duty of the church to furnish a suitable and sufficient maintenance to those who are called to labor in word and doctrine, not as matter of alms, but of debt, that they may give themselves wholly to the work of the minis- try, without embarrassment in respect to their temporal sup- port.
IMPORTANCE OF A PUBLIC PROFESSION.
ALL believers ought to join themselves, if possible, to some particular church, that they may honor the Lord Jesus Christ by a public profession of their faith, and sub- jection to the order and ordinances of the gospel ; that they may have fellowship with the visible people of God in their work and privileges; that they and their children may re- d
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
ceive the promises made to the Church; and that they may be instrumental in promoting and perpetuating the visible kingdom of God upon earth.
ADMISSION OF MEMBERS.
WHEN a person wishes to join himself to the church, he should make known his desire to the pastor, or one of the deacons if the church is destitute of a pastor, and if there be no objection, he is at some convenient time to be exam- ined by the pastor and a committee of the church, as to his repentance towards God, his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, his acquaintance with the doctrines and usages of the church, and his preparation to perform the duties and enjoy the privileges of a church member; and then, if the examina- tion is satisfactory, he is to be propounded to the church a reasonable time before his admission, that the members may be prepared to receive him as becometh saints.
If any member of the church feels seriously dissatisfied with the character or conduct of a person propounded for admission, he should first endeavor to obtain satisfaction by a private interview with the candidate; or, failing in this, he should state the ground of his dissatisfaction to the pas- tor, or to one of the examining committee, and to no other person, that suitable measures may be taken to remove the difficulty, and preserve the peace and purity of the church.
REMOVAL OF MEMBERS.
No member may withdraw from the communion and fellowship of the church in the worship and ordinances of the gospel without just and weighty cause; nor can any one cease to be under the watch, care, and discipline of the church, except by excommunication for a violation of cove-
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
nant, or by dismission and recommendation to some other church.
If a member has occasion to remove for a season to an- other place where there is a sister church, letters of recom- mendation are requisite and sufficient for communion with that church in the ordinances of the gospel.
When a member wishes to remove permanently from one church to another, it is his duty to ask for a letter of dismis- sion and recommendation, stating the grounds of his request, which the church is bound to grant, unless the removal be manifestly unsafe or sinful; and any other mode of with- drawing from the church is disorderly and just ground of censure.
RIGHTS OF MEMBERS.
EVERY member of the church is entitled to all its priv- ileges, until they are forfeited by unchristian conduct ; and when thus forfeited, he can be deprived of them only by regular process of discipline.
CHURCH DISCIPLINE.
IT is the duty of the church to maintain that discipline which Christ has appointed ; for the removal of offences, for the vindication of the honor of religion, for the purification and edification of the church, for the restoration of offend- ing members, and for the purpose of averting the displeasure of God, which may justly be manifested towards a church that suffers the ordinances of religion to be profaned by obstinate offenders.
PRIVATE OFFENCES.
IN all cases of private and personal offences, the offender is to be dealt with in the mode pointed out by Christ, Matt.
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
xviii. 15, 16 ; and no complaint, or information, in respect to such offences, can be admitted by the church, until the means of reconciliation and of reclaiming the offender, there required, have been faithfully employed. If a person gives publicity to a private offence, except in pursuing the regular course of discipline, or in the discharge of some other indis- pensable duty, he sins against his brother, and is liable to the censure of the church.
PUBLIC OFFENCES.
WHEN an offence is at first public, and of a heinous and scandalous nature, the previous steps pointed out in case of private offences need not be taken ; but the church, upon a proper complaint, may take immediate cognizance of it. It is, however, in most cases admissible for some brother, or a committee of the church, first to converse privately with the accused.
PROCESS OF DISCIPLINE.
WHEN a member is complained of before the church, he is entitled to due notice of the precise sin or sins with which he is charged, to a reasonable time for preparing his defence, and to an open and impartial hearing; and no vote of censure can be lawfully passed by the church, except by the concurrence of a majority, at a regular meeting ex- pressly notified for that purpose.
CHURCH CENSURES.
IF a person, when proved guilty of an offence by compe- tent testimony, does not give satisfaction to the church by a penitent confession, he is to be admonished, publicly or privately, excluded from the enjoyment of church privileges, or cast out of the church by excommunication, according to
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ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPLES.
the nature and aggravation of his sin. If the sentence of the church is followed by the humble confession, repent- ance, and obvious amendment of the offender, he is to be forgiven, comforted, and restored to his former standing in the church.
FELLOWSHIP OF CHURCHES.
ALL those churches which have obtained "like precious faith through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," and hold the same Divine Head, though distinct, ought to maintain communion and fellowship, by extending to each other the privilege of communion at the Lord's Ta- ble; by the mutual transfer of members when circumstances render removal expedient ; by the occasional exchange of pastoral services; by giving and receiving advice and assist- ance through mutual councils, agreeably to the established usage of Congregational churches ; and by earnest efforts to promote each other's welfare.
To these Ecclesiastical Principles the following is added upon the
OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS.
EVERY member of a church is under obligation to be loyal to the church with which he is connected, and to prove his devotion by liberally supporting the church in its work, with money and effort, by diligent attendance upon its services, by promoting a spirit of fellowship among its members, by advancing its interests and influence in the community by all proper means, and by so increasing his own piety as to enlarge its efficiency and gain for it the approval of the Great Head of the Church.
STANDING RULES.
1. All meetings of the church shall be opened with prayer.
2. The annual meeting for the choice of officers, and the transaction of other business, shall be in January ; the time to be appointed by the pastor and deacons, and notice to be given from the pulpit on the Sabbath pre- ceding.
* 3. There shall be a committee of the church, consist- ing of the pastor, the deacons, the clerk of the church, the superintendent of the Sabbath-school, and two other brethren to be chosen by ballot at the annual meeting. This committee shall examine candidates for admission to the church, and propound such persons as they approve. This committee shall also act as a Board of Advice in matters relating to the church.
4. Candidates for admission, whether by letter or pro- fession, shall be propounded first to the church, and notice thereof be given to the congregation, at least two weeks previous to their admission.
5. At the close of every Preparatory Lecture there shall be a stated church meeting, at which the vote in re- lation to the admission of candidates shall be taken.
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STANDING RULES.
6. All persons admitted to the church shall be required to sign our Confession of Faith, Covenant, and Rules.
7. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is adminis- tered once in two months, upon the first Sabbaths in January, March, May, July, September, and November.
8. Those who join the church by profession shall be admitted in the presence of the congregation, after the sermon, on the day of the administration of the Lord's Supper.
9. Members of the church who are about to remove from town are expected to make known their intention to the pastor, and receive letters of recommendation to . the church, if there be one in fellowship with us, in the place to which they are going.
10. Members of other churches who are permanently settled in this place, and desire to walk in fellowship with this church, are expected to obtain a removal of their church relationship to us as soon as they conveniently can, unless they assign a satisfactory reason for delay to the pastor.
11. All applications for letters of dismission and recom- mendation shall be made in writing, stating the ground upon which they are desired.
12. The church shall meet on Friday evenings for de- votional exercises and religious conference.
13. Any alteration may be made in these Rules, at a regular church meeting called for the purpose, or at the annual meeting of the church.
CONFESSION AND COVENANT.
" That He would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."
FORM OF ADMISSION .
TO THE
COMMUNION OF THE CHURCH.
The Candidates shall present themselves before the Pulpit, where they shall be met by the Minister, who shall repeat one or more of the following sentences of the Holy Scriptures, or such other sentences as he may choose : -
Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
And the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. ' And who- soever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
The Minister shall then address the Candidates as follows, and shall recite the Creed of the church for their assent : -
Dearly Beloved, - You have presented yourselves in this holy place to make confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to enter into covenant with his Church. We trust that you know the solemnity and the blessedness of this time, and we are confident that He which hath be-, gun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
WE BELIEVE in one living and true GOD; Creator,
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FORM OF ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH.
Preserver, and Ruler of all things : glorious in holiness, plenteous in mercy and truth.
In the FATHER ALMIGHTY: Lord and giver of life; who is to be supremely loved and perfectly obeyed ; whose commandment is holy and just and good.
And in JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON, OUR LORD ; who was in the beginning with God and was God; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was made man. He was crucified, dead, and buried. He arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the FATHER. He shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; when every one shall receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Of His kingdom there shall be no end.
And we BELIEVE in the HOLY GHOST, the COM- FORTER; by whom the Scriptures were given : who renews and sanctifies the heart; by whose power we are kept unto immortal life. Who, with the FATHER and the SON, together ONE GOD, is to be worshipped and glorified, world without end.
Before ALMIGHTY GOD our HEAVENLY FATHER, we humbly acknowledge our guiltiness, casting our- selves upon His infinite goodness and mercy.
We BELIEVE in the forgiveness of sins through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whose name we con- fess, whose Word we receive, in whose mediation alone we steadfastly trust.
We BELIEVE in one Church, on earth and in heaven : in one Baptism : in one Communion in the body and blood of Christ; and we look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the Life of the world to come. Amen.
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FORM OF ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH.
You who have now made this Confession do acknowl- edge the Lord Jehovah - the FATHER, the SON, and the HOLY GHOST- to be your God ; to Him you devote your supreme affection ; to His service you consecrate your lives ; and naming yourself with the name of Christ, you avow your purpose to glorify Him in your body and in your spirit, which are His.
Baptism will here be administered to those who have not before been baptized, with these words, -
A. B., I baptize thee, in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. Amen.
To the other Candidates the Minister shall say, -
You who were baptized in childhood do now grate- fully accept that as your baptism, while you confirm the covenant which then was made for you.
The Members of the Church shall here rise and the Minister shall continue : ---
Because you make this Confession, We, the members of this Church, affectionately welcome you to fellowship with us in all duties and blessings, rejoicing with you in the joy of the Lord, and praying for you with assurance and longing, that when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye may receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Here the Church, with those who have just made confession, and those who have been received from other churches, shall repeat this covenant, saying : -
We who are now brought together and united into one Church, under the Lord Jesus Christ, our Head, in such sort as becometh all those whom He hath redeemed and sanctified to Himself, do here solemnly and religiously, as in His most holy presence, promise and bind ourselves to walk in all our ways according to the rule of the Gos- pel, and in all sincere conformity to His holy ordinances, and in mutual love and respect each to other, so near as God shall give us grace.
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FORM OF ADMISSION TO THE CHURCH.
Here the Minister shall take the new members by the hand in token of fellow- ship with Christ and the Church, repeating some appropriate sentence of Scripture. He shall then address them in these words : -
Now, therefore, Beloved in the Lord, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Corner -stone. For this cause -
[ Here all will take the customary attitude of prayer]
we bow our knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abun- dantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with- out end. Amen.
PRESENT OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH,
WITH THE
NAMES OF MEMBERS,
BEGINNING WITH ITS FORMATION.
PRESENT OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH. 1872.
PASTOR. REV. ALEXANDER MCKENZIE. DEACONS. STEPHEN T. FARWELL, CHARLES W. HOMER, GEORGE S. SAUNDERS.
CLERK. G. S. SAUNDERS.
STANDING COMMITTEE.
The Standing Committee of the Church consists of the Pastor, Deacons, the Clerk, Superintendent of the Sabbath School (FRANCIS FLINT), and the following Brethren .: -
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