USA > Massachusetts > Berkshire County > Pittsfield > Pittsfield, Mass., church and other records from manuscripts copied by Rollin Hillyer Cooke, Vol. I > Part 3
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Voted, that this meeting be adjourned till Wednesday most at 2 o'clock P.M.
A true copy of do ings Attest Thomas Punderson, Pastor 1817
Jan.15 Wednesday Met according to adjournment , when it was Voted, that this church will meet for worship with the first church and parish in this town, as soon as the joint committee, which has been appointed for that purpose, shall have procured a person to preach to the United Society in the meeting house of the first parish, and that after that period we will consider the Rev. Mr. Punderson as released from . attending any further to his parochial duties as the Pastor of .Union Parish.
Voted that Deacon Chapman & Deacon Goodrich be a committee to be joined by a committee on the part of the parish to unite with the Rev . Mr . Punder son, in choosing & calling a council for the purpose of dismissing him from his connection with this church & Parish, as soon as the two societies are united into one, as is proposed they should be, by an act of the General Court, at their next May session. Voted that we submit the manner of uniting the two churches into one, to a council of three ministers & their delegates, to be mutually chose, and that Capt. Tremain & Col. Varriner be a committee on the part of this church to unite with a committee that may be chosen by the church in the first parish, to fix on & to call the said Council, as soon as the said two Parishes are united into one.
A true copy of do ings.
Attest Thomas Punderson, Pastor.
P.32-
26
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH, PITTSFIELD.
1817
Feb.23 Sabbath. The church was detained according to ap- pointment when the following preamble , confession of faith & covenant were adopted by a unanimous vote, viz;
Whereas the confessions of faith and covenants of the two congregational churches in this town have upon examination, been found to be in sub- stance the same, & expressed nearly in the same words, but whereas these confessions of faith are thought to be longer than is necessary, Therefore - Voted That the following which is considered as a faithful summary shall be adopted as the con- fession & covenant of the proposed united churches, viz;
Confession of Faith.
We believe, that there is one God , self existent, eternal infinitely perfect & glorious, unchangeable in his being & perfections, the creator and owner of all things & the sovereign of the Universe.
That this one God subsists in a manner at pre- sent myster ious to us, as Father, Son & Holy Ghost three in one and one in three.
That God has revealed his will to mankind in the Bible which was given by his inspiration, & which is the only sufficient & unerring rule of faith & practice.
That God created our first Parents in his own image perfectly holy & happy, but that in con- sequence of their sin, all their posterity were born with corrupted or depraved hearts so that they become sinful,& exposed to the wrath of God forever.
That God of his sovereign grace has devised a scheme of Redemption by which the exercise of mercy is made consistent with the maintenance of justice & with the honor of his Government . That the son of God, the eternal Word, was ma de flesh, or became man, & by his his death upon the cross is the propitiation for the sins of the world,& that he arose from the Dead, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father being invested with all power in heaven & on earth .
That every one who believes on the name of Jesus Christ or who receives him as he is of- fered in the Gospel, is pardoned & restored to the favour of God, however numerous & great may ha ve
P.33-
27
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH, PITTSFIELD.
P.34-
been his sins.
That all truly believe in Jesus Christ are en- titled to everlasting life, & will assuredly , accord- ing to the divine promise, be kept through faith & holiness unto salvation.
That man is so depraved that he will not repent & believe in Jesus Christ, unless by the spirit of God a new heart is given him, a heart to love the Lord his God supremely.
That no sinner by anything which he does lays God under any obligation to grant him his regenerating grace, but that God bestows this gift in a free & sovereign manner, having mercy on whom he will have mer cy.
That believers tho delivered from the curse, are bound to yield a perfect obedience to the divine law,& are therefore sinful in all the defects of their holy exercise & actions.
That Jesus Christ has a church in the world, and that among his institutions he has appointed Bap- tism & the Lord's Supper to be received by all who cordially believe in him & make profession of their faith, and that the infant children of such are prop- er subjects of Baptism.
That there is appointed a day of judgment at which period Jesus Christ will raise the dead & judge the world,& will doom the wicked to everlasting destruc - tion & receive the redeemed to the happiness & glory of his eternal kingdom.
The Covenant .
As we consider ourselves to be under great and indispensible obligations to confess Jesus Christ before me, & to unite with his visable church on earth, We do now enter into covenant with this Church we do renounce all the ways of sin & publicly and solemnly devote ourselves to the Lord our God, tak- ing his word to be our only rule of faith & prac- tice, receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our teacher & Saviour ,& relying for sanctification upon the in- fluences of the Holy Spirit . We promise to attend con- stantly upon the institutions of the Gospel, to main- tain family & secret Prayer, to present our children for Baptism & to bring them up in the nurture & ad- monition of the Lord, to commemorate as we have op- portunity, the death of our Saviour 'in the supper, to seemble for the worship of God on the Lord's day & to keep
P.35-
28
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH, PITTSFIELD.
the sabbath holy & to maintain & submit to the discipline of Christ's house according to the rules of his word.
And we finally promise diligently to promote the interests of the religion of Christ our Lord & particularly to recommend it to others by presenting in our own lives an example of jus- tice, temperance, beneficence & Godliness.
Relying on the aids of the Divine Spirit and do now make these solemn engagements in the presence of God, of Angels and of this congregation.
Declaration of Admission
We then, the Church of Christ, do receive you into full communion, promising to conduct towards you as becometh saints, & to watch over you with Christian affection praying God, that both you & we, may be at last presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Amen.
Attest Thomas Punder son, Pastor.
1817
P.36 - April 28 Letters missive were sent to the churches in Lee , Lenox & Dalton requesting them to meet in council by their Rev. Pastors & Deligates, at the house of the Rev. Thomas Punderson on the fifth of May for the purpose of dismissing him from his pastoral relation to this church & people according to their votes on this subject
Doings of the Council.
At an ecclesiastical council mutually chosen, convened by letters missive from the Rev. Thomas Punderson & the church & Society in Union Par- ish, Pittsfield, at the house of Rev. Thomas Pun- der son May 5th, 1817 were present the Rev. Alvan Hyde D. D. & Deacon Leir Nye Delegate. Rev. Sam- uel Shepard & Deacon Charles Matoon. Rev. Ebene- zer Jennings & Dea. Ashley Williams , Delegate. Rev. Dr. Hyde was chosen Moderator , Rev . Mr . Jennings Scribe. Council opened by prayer of the Modera- tor. After patiently hearing the statements on the part of minister church & parish from lengthy & very accurate documents exhibiting the progres- sive steps towards an union between both Con- gregational societies in Pittsfield & in full view of the consummation of the union so hap- pily begun; the council
29
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH , PITTSFIELD.
unanimously voted that the ministerial relation between the Rev. Thomas Punderson & the church & society of Union Parish be dissolves, and it is by this act dissolved in future when- ever the General Court shall incorporate the congregational P.37-Societies aforesaid into one Religions Society.
The Council rejoice in the present harmony of the Parishes and in the speedy prospect of the legal & Ecclesiastical Un- ion of the sd Parishes & churches and while they regret the removal of so worthy a minister from this place they unitedly recommend him to the churches of our Lord Jesus Christ,as a faithful, laborious & exemplary minister of the New Testament & we are happy to believe that his Religious & ministerial character instead of sinking under the steps to effect an un- ion, has risen in our estimation, indicating to us his prepared- ness to deny himself as a faithful servant of Christ.
Signed Alvan Hyde , Moderator
Attest Ebe Jennings, Scribe of Council. A true copy from the original
Attest Thomas Punder son, Pastor
1817 May 18 Matthew Allen was dism. from this church & recommend- ed to the Church of Christ in Williamsburgh
Attest Thomas Punderson, Pastor
P.38- to 100 inclusive are blank ) R.H.C. )
P.101
Church Members
1809 Vide pages 3 & 4
Male s 1809 Females
Aug. 22
Aug.22 Charles Goodrich
Hanorah Good rich
Nov . 16, 1815
Abagail Barnard
Nathaniel Fairfield
#Hepzibah Whitney Died
#Zebediah Stiles died June 15,1814
Nov.16,1815( ?)
Sally White
#Timothy Cadwell died
Mary Newel
Ap1.20,1815 Deliverance Blankenship Timothy Haskell Dismissrs P.25 ( 2nd ? ) Olive Tremain
Joseph Fairfield
Huldah Colt
Sarah Colt
Nathaniel Tremain //Woodbridge Little Daniel Chapman
30
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH, PITTSFIELD.
Males
Females
Jonathan Weston Richard Barnard
Charles Goodrich Junr.
Isaac Tremain
John C.Williams
Benjamin Newel
Elisha Ely , Dism. Page 24
1810 ( Fellow- Feb .4 Eli Maynard ( ship withdrawn)
Jeremy Warriner , Rec
Dec.2 Capt .Daniel 01ds Dism. Page 21 1811 April 7 Benjamin Brown Aug.4 Ely Trowbridge Dis .Page 24 Dec.1 Reuben Haskel
1812Feb.2 Ambrose Collins
Apr.5 Alanson Durwin
Aug.2 Josiah Bis sell Esq. Robert Spencer · 1814 Jan.5 Archippus Mor gan Dism. Page 29
1816 April 7 Amos Barnes rec
June 2 Solomon Warriner rec
Aug . 4 Matthew Allyn rec
Dec.1 John Colt rec
P.102-
married to Mr.Moseley
Mr.T.was dism.Aug.21, 1814 Page 24
Mrs.Campbell died New Lebanon July 21, 1814
Roxana Allis , Dism. Page 20 Lovina Case Dism. Page 30
& 31
Mary Strong Amelia Goodrich
Elinor Newel
Martha Gale
Hart Pomeroy
#Fanny Hinsdale
Mehitabel Kitteridge
Abagail Root
# Sarah Peck Died Mar.8,1813
Elizabeth Fairfield
# Mary Strong (widow ) Died Dec . 2.1818 Elizabeth Pepoon Dism.Page 24
Lucy James -Dism.
Sep 9 Thankful Fairfield
Rachel Wright
Hannah Clark
Mary Maynard Dism.Page 18
Hannah Ely Dism. Page 24
1810
Feb.4 Cl Goodman rec Jerusha Cadwell Rhod a Fowler
April 1 Mrs. Rhod a rowler Sally Fowler
Aug . 5 Elizabeth Fowl rec
Dec.2 Chloe West on rec
Sally West rec
1811
April Susan Brown
Aug.4 Louisa Trowbridge rec Dec.1 Lavina wife of Reuben Haskel
# wife, of Richard Camp- bell Lucretia Chapman rec
3
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH , PITTSFIELD.
31
Male s
1812
Dism. July 2816, Page 25 Mr. T.married L.P.Strong Aug.1,1813
Rec to ch in Lenox Jan .11,1815( ?) Married to Theodore Hinsdale Jr.
Died Oct.27,1816
Females Sylvia Collins Rachel Bissell rec Hebsibah Derwin rec Widow Lucinda Tuttle - Aug.2 Lydia Goodrich Dolly Shumenway Mehetibel Has- kel Dism.P.25 Julia Peck Sarah Bissell Dec.6 Mabel Wilson
1813 Feb.7 Mrs. Esther Be- ment
# April 4 Mrs.Elizabeth Cluff Oct. 3 Mrs.Mary Hub- bell rec
1814 May 15 Mrs. Bet sey Pun der son, rec
June
5
Mrs.Parmela
Morgan rec
1815 Feb . 5 Mrs. Anna Por- # ter rec Sanvin- a woman of colour.
1816 Jan . 14 Caroline Doan Sarah Gold
April Mrs. Mary Cen- ter Mrs.Lydia Barns
June 2 Mrs. Mary War - riner rec
Aug 4 Mrs . Elizabeth Ford rec
Dec. 1 Mrs.Elizabeth Colt rec Polly Saxton Mercy Par tridge Maria Partridge Pamela An Ward
P.104- to 120 inclusive are blank R.H.C. ) Baptisms
P.121 - 1809
Aug.22 Ben jamin Newel ) At the organization of the church. Roxana Allis 1 Sep. 9 Sylvester Gardner) Allen Ross 1
John Fairchild 1
children of Aaron Newel
1
Dism.Dec.8,1816 See page 29
Buried on the Sabbath Feb . 11, 1816
P.103-
32
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH, PITTSFIELD.
Baptisms 1809
Sep 9 William Swan ) children of Theodore Hinsdale Jr. The odore 1
See page 9 Olive Hart Lemuel
Elizabeth ) children of Lemuel Pomeroy . Parthenia Little ) Eunice -
Merab Clapp child of Eli Maynard
Lucy child of Benjamin Newel
Philip child of Daniel James
Nov.26 Emily
child of Richard Barnard
1810
Feb. 4 Rhoda Fowler
April 22 Alonzo -- children of Wells Fowler
Martha Mary
June 3 Ebenezer 1
David )children of Enoch & Sally White William Henry ) Alexander Lester child of Elisha Ely
Harriett child of Lemuel Pomeroy
Martha child of Daniel James
Aug 19 Marie ) children of Joseph Merrick
Adelia)
Dec. 2 Lucy Whitney) children of William & Huldah Colt Maria
1811
P.122- May 23 Paulina ) chi ld ren of Ben jamin Brown Isaac Ward 1
June 23 Francis, a child of T. & Fanny Hinsdale James Porter, a child of Enoch & Sally White 4 Henry Lines, a child of Ely & Laura Trowbridge
1 the wife of Reuben Haskel
Aug Dec 1812 Feb 2 Ambrose Collins Feb 16 Wood bridge Little , a child of Daniel & Lucy James Emily , a child of Lemuel & Hart Pomeroy Elisha Dickinson, a child of Elisha & Hannah Ely.
April
children of Aaron & Ellen Newe l
19 Geor ge Mosier - Charles Williams ) Lucy Pratt child of Charles Goodrich
1
33
RECORDS OF UNION FARISH, PITTSFIELD.
Baptisms 1812
April
26 Timothy 1 Betsey Catheam (?) ) children of Reuben Haskel Joseph Allen Thankful Swift
May 10 John Bliss ) children of Ambrose Collins
Frances Stebbins
May 24 Martin - a child of Benjamin & Susan Brown
June 18 William Gore -e child of Jonathan Weston
July 19 John Foot) jchildren of Richard & Campbell Richard
July 31# John a child of Theodore & Fanny Hinsdale
1813
Jan 17 Lucy, a child of Benjamin & Mary Newel
Feb 7 Mrs . Est her Beme nt
April 4 Mrs . Elizabeth Cluff
April
18 Elizabeth Popkin Christopher Columbus Pattin 1 1
James Lewand Sarah Johnson
children of Mrs. E.Cluff
P.123-
Aug 6
Sept 19 Sarah Ann, a child of Ira & Sally West Edwin Franklin, a child of Mr. & Mrs.Wilson
Nov 14 Theodore, a child of Lemuel & Hart Pomeroy Caroline White, a child of Ambrose & Sylvia Collins
1814
May 15 Thomas , a child of Thomas & Bet sey Punder son 22 Samuel Ward, a child of Charles & Amelia Goodrich # John Pettibone, a child of Butler & Esther Bement
Aug
Oct
7 Lucretia, a child of Daniel & Lucretia Chapman Anna , a child of Wells & Sally Fowler .
1815
Feb 5 Sanvin, a woman of colour Rosina, a child of Sonvin
Aug 27 Sarah Jane, a child of Enoch & Sally White
Oct 1 Geo ge , a child of Lemuel & Hart Pomeroy
15 John Sylvester , a child of & Mabel Wilson 1816
Feb 4 Edward, a child of Thomas & Betsey Punderson
June 27 Henry, a child of James & Sarah Colt Mehitabel , a child of Nathan & Hannah Clark John William Henry, a child of Enoch & Sally White Elizabeth Lester , a child of Butler & Esther Bement George, a child of Theodore & Fanny Hinsdale
34
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH, PITTSFIELD .
Baptisms
1816
Feb 4 Sarah Martha , a child of Butler & Esther Bement
June 2 Elizabeth, a child of Solomon & Mary Warriner
July
23 George , a child of Nathan & Hannah Clark
Aug 6 Lydia , a child of Benjamin & Susan Brown
25 Matthew Holmes, a child of Matthew Allen
Dec 1 Polly Saxton Mercy Partridge Maria Partridge Pamela An Ward
Aug 28, 1816
1817 . " Elizabeth Popkin, a child of Mrs.Cluff .
Feb 22 Daniel - Huldah
But ler
George Washington) children of Butler & Lydia Good- Abagail Port er rich.
Lydia Merick
May 17 Augustus Franklin, child of Amos & Lydia Barns to 131 inclusive are blank
R.H.C.
P.132-
Marriages.
1809
Nov 19 Elihu Clark to Electa Sacket
Dec 27 Lemuel Swift to Sally Mead
1810 June
18 William Janes to Lavinia Pepoon
Oct 29 Jared Burt to Eliza Mallison
1811
Timothy Cadwell to Olive Cadwell(This name should be Hurlbut Gen. p.130-B. )
Char les Murdock Esq. to Eliza S.Gold
April
16 Gideon Gunn to Ruth Haskell
May 7 Andrew Frazier to Catherine Grant
July 20 William C.Jervis Esq. to Harriet Marsh
Dec 31 Augustus Weller (?) to Rhoda Weller(?)
Oct 16 Herry Taylor to Lucretia Fowl
1813 June 7 Henry Draper to Harriet Stone
Aug 1 Thomas Strong Esq. to Lucinda Tut tle
Nov 2 Rev. Joseph W.Dow( ?) to Emily Patridge Dec Titus Goodman to Clarissa Weller
1814 -- Feb 21 Horace Bell to Charlotte Whitney
1813
Anni
Jannis aremany to Ta
1812 Jan 19 March 8 Sylvester French to Robbins
P.124-
35
RECORDS OF UNION PARISH , PITTSFIELD.
Marriages
1815
May 1 Edward Augustus Newton to Sarah T.Williams 3 Calvin Nelson to Lucretia Lanckton
Aug
25 William Williams to Clarissa Thompson
1816 Jan 23 Isaac Ward to Nancy Flanigan Feb 15 Daniel Sacket 2nd to Nancy Fulton
John Churchill Junr. to Huld ah Brown
March 20 July 2 Calvin Martin to Mary Campbell Sep 26 Daniel Cadwell to Laura Williams
1817 Jan 1 7 Asa Weston to Thankful Robbins
Rolli Rubble to Bet sey Green
The remaining 154 pages in the book are blank R.H.C)
The fore going records are contained in a leather covered book, 8 x 13 inches, in the custody of Henry A.Brewster, and have been copied by me, verbatim, with a good deal of care
Pittsfield , Mass. June 2,1902 Rollin H.Cooke
1885152
oh
278
RECORDS OF FIRST CHURCH, PITTSFIELD.
Fly Leaf 1772
The Number of Families & Persons in the Town, Nov . 16 , 1772 1 James East on 15 48 Seth Keiler 3
≥ Thomas Allen 8 49 Benj. Keiler 6
3 John Strong 7 50 Phineas Belding 9
4 Stephen Crowfoot 9 51 Dan Cadwell 9 2
5 Simeon Crowfoot 8 52 Stephen Phelps
6 Jacob Ensign 8
53 Goodrich 4
7 Aaron Miller
54 Jed-Good rich 2
8 Joseph Fairfield
55 David Bage 8
9 Woodbridge Little 4 56 Thomas Morgan 4
10 Israel Dickinson 8 57 Timothy Cadwe 11 7
11 Israel Stoddard 8 58 Martin Bagg
59 King Strong 4
12 Moses Grave s
13 Birchird
60 Aaron Noble Marvin
4
15 Charles Goodrich
16 William Williams 12
9
65
Branch
9
18 Gideon Gunn
19 Solomon Crosby 9
20 Solomon Demming 5
3
68
Oliver Burt
7
22 Arestas Sackett 8
69
Tal cut Talcut
23 Ebenezer White 6 70
3
6
72 Widdow Wright
26 Laribee 8
73 James Colt
27 Bena jamin Kil- bourn
28 Hobby 7 75 Joshua Warrimore 6
29 Lebbeus Beccus
6
76 John Warrimore
30 Nathaniel Fairfield 10
31 Eli Root 7
78 William Phelps
32 Nathaniel Phelps 6.
79 Lemuel Phelps
80 Hopkins 11
34 Ezekiel Root
11
81
Hollibut
35 Daniel Weller
9
82
Joseph More
5
37 Elisha Jones
84 Oswald Williams
38 Hale 4
85 James Noble
39 Aaron Stiles
7 86 Gid Goo drich
40 Jonathan Blaxley
4 87 John Baker
4] Hopkins
7 88 John Remington
2
42 Joseph Allen
7 89 John Remington, Jr.
3
90 Hopkins
8
45 Matthew Barber
7
92 Capt.North )
2
46 Keiler
5
93 Morey ) 7
47 Ezra Keiler
3 94 Thomas North)
7
5
14 Chamberlain
61
62 Joseph Clarkpicanto 3. 63 Aaron Baker 15
17 William Brattle 7
64 Volantine Rathbone 8
66
Branch 5
67
Branch 6
71 Joseph Wright
24 Hezekiah Jones
25 Hezekiah Jones, Jr
74 Jonathan Kingsley
5
77 Elnathan Phelps
7
33 David Bush 8
36 Uriah Judd 7
83 Jacob Ellithorp
43 Daniel Alexander
44 William Barber
3 91 Ezra Strong
3
21 Josiah Moseley
27 9
RECORDS OF FIRST CHURCH, PITTSFIELD.
95 Zebediah Stiles
11 118
Oliver Root 7
96 Caleb Goodrich
9
119
Amos Delano
3
97 Ephraim Stile s
5
120
William Wright
7
98 Charles Miller
9
121
Eben£ Wright
2
99 Stephen Fow ler
3
122
Solomon Lathrop
3
100 John Corban
5
123
David Ashley
101 William Ford
6
124
John Clark
102
Gleason
10
12 5
Grant
4
103 Amos Root
8
12 6
Davies
6
104 Josiah Wright
11
127
Zadock Hubbard
2
105 Joshua Robbins
10
128
John Demming
106 Daniel Hubbard Jr.
8
129
Cog sell
107 Eber Hutchinson
3
130
Jane s
108 Daniel Hubbard
9
131
Paul Guilford 7
109 James Hubbard
6
132
Hicock
2
lll Widdow Noble)
20
134
Squire
2
112
Johnson
1
135
Joseph Chamberlain Doan
5
114 William Francis
9
137
Uriah Judd
2
115
Parler
2
138
Aus tin
3
116
Loomis
6
117
Turner
P.1- 1764
Church Book of Pittsfield
Confession of Faith Page 3 .
Covenant
5
Call & Settlement of Rev Thos Allen
7
Church Members
8 & 89
Baptisms
15 & 57
Deaths 21 & 83
P.2- An Abstract of the Covenant & Confession of Faith. You or each of you do profess to believe That there is only one true & living God infinitely perfect & glo- rious who is the Father, Son & Holy Ghost, several dis- tinct Persons & but one God equal in all divine Perfec- tions & Glories.
That God has made a particular Revelation to Man- kind in his holy word, the Book we call the Bible , that this contains a perfect, sufficient & unerring Rule given by inspiration from God, & is the only Rule to be relied on in matters of Religion. That in the Beginning God made the Heaven & the Earth & made Man in his own Image & en- tered into a Covenant with him, promising Life, upon con- dition of perfect obedience. That our first Parents sinned by eating the forbidden Fruit & thereby exposed themselves & all their posterity to the Wrath of God & everlasting Death. That God in Mercy has sent his Son in our nature to redeem & save us , promising pardon & salvation to all that believe in him.
110 David Noble )
133
Plummer
113
136
2 80
.
RECORDS OF FIRST CHURCH, PITTSFIELD.
That all that believe in him are immediately Justified & sanctified & shall be kept by the power of God thru Faith un- to Salvation . That at the last Day Christ will return & raise. the Dead & Judge the World & doom the Wicked to everlasting De- struction ; & receive the Redeemed to the Happiness & Glory of his Eternal Kingdom.
An Abstract of the Covenant.
You do now renounce the ways of Sin & chearfully devote yourself to serve the Lord; you chuse Christ for your Teacher & rely on his Merit & Worthiness alone for pardon & acceptance with God; & receive the holy Spirit as your Sanctifier, heartily embracing the way of Salvation revealed in the Gospel; you take God 's holy Word to be your only Rule of Faith & practice & engage by the help of divine Grace sincerely to conform to it in all the ways of holy living; And you will endeavor to recommend our holy Religion to all by your constant Practice of Justice, Goodness, Temperance, Sobriety & Godliness.
And you promise to engage by the Assistance of divine Grace to maintain & constantly & faithfully attend upon all the Institu- tions & Ordinance of the Gospel, such as public worship family & secret Religion & the strict Observance of God's holy Sabbaths, the Lord's Supper, & baptism, & that you will train up all who may be under your care, in the Nurture & Admonition of the Lord & give up your children to him in B - And that you'll be sub- ject to the Government of Christ as it is exercised in this Church whilst you continue here. We then of the Church of Christ in this place do receive you into our full communion, promising to behave towards you with charity & as becometh Saints & to watch over you that you & we may be presented at last faultless before the Presence of his Glory with exceeding Joy.
P.3-
1764
Feb 7 At a Meeting of a Number of Members belonging to different churches at the House of Dea. Crowfoot Feb. 7, A. D.1764 being present the Rev. Samuel Hopkins, of Great Barrington, Stephen West, of Stockbridge & Ebenezer Martin, of No 4, after a Con- fession of Faith & Covenant was drawn up, a Number of said Members did then & there unite, so as to form a Church of Christ in this place & subscribed to the Articles of Faith contained in said Confession & the Obligations of said Covenant which are as follows
Confession of Faith.
We do believe that there is one God, who is the only living and true God who exists of himself ,without Beginning or End, infinitely perfect & glorious and unchangeable in his Being and Prefections. That he is independant and all sufficient: and that all all Things else depend wholly on him as their Creator , Preserver and the sovereign Disposer of them.
That this one God subsists in a mysterious and incomprehen- sible Manner in three Persons, distinguished in holy Scrip- ture by Father, Son and Holy Ghost, that these three Persons are one God and equal in all divine Perfectionand Glories. That God has made a particular Revelation to Mankind in the Book we call
281
RECORDS OF FIRST CHURCH , PITTSFIELD.
the Bible ,which is a perfect, sufficient and unerring Rule, given by Inspiration from God; and is the only Rule to be re- lied on in Matters of Religion.
That God exercises a moral Government over his rational crea- tures, in giving Laws to them, and in finally Judging them, and rewarding or punishing them, according to his holy Law.
That this Law is an eternal and most perfect and unalterable Rule of Righteousness, requiring perfect, persevering Obedience upon Pain of eternal Damnation.
That God made Man at first perfectly holy and happy, and appoint- ed Adam the first Parent of Mankind , to be the Head and Repre- sentative of all his Posterity; so that they should be happy in his Obedience, if he persevered in perfect Holiness; or fall with him into a State of Sin, Guilt and utter Ruin, if he should transgress God 's Law.
P.4- That our first Parents sinned; and in Consequence of this, by a holy and wise Constitution, all Mankind, their natural Posterity are born, in Sin and Guilt ,and are become Justly deserving of God's Wrath and Curse forever.
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