USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Plymouth church records, 1620-1859 > Part 20
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 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44
This being read the Pastor called upon all the Adult children of the chh to manifest their consent thereunto, which they readily did all of them 1 both males & females by standing up.
These things are here recorded to be a standing witnesse that wee & our children have chosen the Lord to be our God.
This was the transaction of this chh & all the ches in this colony of New Plymouth did in solemne2 manner about this time renew their covenant with God on a day of Humiliation, & it is never to be for- gotten, how ready God was to heare the cry of his poore people in the day of trouble & save them, for immediately upon this motion from authority & the ches hearkning thereunto, God turned his hand against our Heathen-enemies & subdued them wonderfully, & within a moneth after our solemne day, the great Head of all the mischeife, Philip, was slaine, & the Governour & magistrates the week before his death sent an order to all our ches to keep August, 12: as a day of publick Thanksgiving' for the beginning of revenge upon the
1 Here a word is crossed out.
' Apparently altered from "solomne."
' The words "August 12: as a day of publick Thanksgiving" are underscored in red ink, an asterisk is inserted after "August," and in the margin is written in red ink: ""Qu. as to the correctness of this date. Saturday, August 12" was the day on which Philip was slain; and we learn from the co-temporary historians, I. Mather & Hubbard, that the Thanksgiving was on Thursday the 17th of that month. J. D." This marginal entry is presumably in the hand of John Davis (1761-1847; H. C. 1781).
153
TOO MUCH DISORDERLY WALKING AND DRINKING, 1676
enemy, & on that very day, soone after the publick worship was ended, his Head was brought into Plymouth in great triumph, he being slaine 2 or 3 dayes before, soe that in the day of our praises our eyes saw the salvation of God, a strong engagement to us to be carefull to pay our vowes made to the most High in the days of distre[ss.] [9]
The chh set apart September, 14: for Humiliation on account of the great sicknesse & mortality in this towne & many other places & to intreat Gods perfecting the mercy in deliverance from the heathen.
A child of the chh having fallen into sin & not manifesting Repent- ance but the contrary was cut off from his relation, which God blessed for good to his soule & he was afterward admitted into full communion with the chh:
The chh appointed & kept January, 31: in Fasting & Prayer on 1 the account of sicknesses & for other weighty causes.
January, 28: the Sabbath before this Fast, the Elders desired the chh to stay after the publick worship was ended & told them, there were rumors as if some of the bretheren walked disorderly, in sitting too long together in publick houses & with vaine company & drinking, it was therefore propounded in order to the healing of that evill & unanimously consented to by the whole chh, that they would all take themselves bound in case they saw or heard of any such carriage in any of the chh for the future, to demand a reason of the party why he soe did, & that wee would satisfy the demands of each other in such a case, & if any did not give satisfying answers to such sober, christian demands, it should be accounted Just matter of offence; The elders also then propounded that due care might be taken of the children of the chh, that they may not transgresse in this kinde.
Seven chh-members dyed this yeare, all sisters, one of them was aged Katherine Fallowell, the Relict of Gabriel, a very pretious ; saint, fourescore yeares old, a widow indeed .?
In 1677: the Lords supper was 11 times, three members were 1677: admitted, 14 children were baptized.
The chh set apart April, 26: to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving for peace, health, supplyes of corne & provision by contribution from Connecticott & from Dublin in Ireland.
1 Apparently altered from "for."
* This sentence is written in the margin.
154
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
A Brother was laid under the highest censure, & upon his repent- ance was againe reconciled to the chh the yeare afte[r.]
August, 8: the chh condescended soe far as to take in private the relation of Samuel Cutbert, & the Elder the ne[xt] Sabbath declaring some part of it in the publick congregation, he was admitted to full communion.
At the same chh-meeting, it was agreed to renew the monethly chh-conference meetings, which by reason of the late wars had bin laid aside, that exercise began Aug. 30:
In 1678: Lords supper was 9 times, one member was admitted, 11 children baptized:
A Brother dealt with for inordinate walking, did humble himselfe, & was rebuked & soe it was passed over.
The chh set apart March, 27: as a day of Fasting & prayer for continuance of peace healing the small pox, & for sundry of our ministers that were languishing & for other mercies.
September, 11: was kept on the same account, & also for saints under persecution, especially then in Scotland, & that God would poure out a spirit of converting grace upon the rising generation.[10]
The chh kept November, 6: a day of publick Thanksgiving, for continuance of our Gospel & civill liberties, for preserving this place from the small pox, for a good harvest & peace as to the heathen:
A chh-child was at a private chh-meeting admonished for sin.
Catechizing was againe begun, December 4: in the Assemblies Catechisme.
Dec: 19: our brother M. Samuel Fuller being called to preach at Midlebury did aske counsell of the chh, which motion they tooke into serious consideration till the next chh-meeting, which was on Jan: 16:1 & then the chh did unanimously advise & encourage him to attend preaching to them as oft as he could, but not yet to remove his family, but waite a while to see what further encouragement God might give for his more setled attendance upon that service there.
A chh-child for evill words & carriages was then Admonished, who had formerly bin reprooved by the Elders more privately.
January, 12: the Pastor desired all the chh-seed who were heads of families to come to his house on Jan: 19: which they generally did & He then gave them sundry questions for them each man severally
1 Perhaps "18."
1678:
1
155
SAMUEL ANGIER AND ICHABOD WISWALL ORDAINED
to returne answers unto out of the scriptures; Hereby might be dis- cerned what knowledge they had of Gods word; This Exercise was to be attended once in two moneths, & soe it was for divers yeares, not without a blessing & some good successe, for men of 30, 40, 50 yeares of age did attend & give their answers to those Divinity Questions in writing, then the Pastor having read all their answers, gave his owne to each Ques: & preached thereupon, the Elder always present & making the concluding prayer, & ordinarily many if not most of the chh were then present also.
In 1679: the Lords supper was 9 times, five members were admitted, 1679 19 children Baptized.
April, 16: was appointed by the chh for Fasting & Prayer for the rising generation & other mercies.
A sister publickly rebuked, humbling herselfe was pardoned, with solemn warning.
The chh of Rehoboth sent to us for messengers to attend their ordination of m" Samuel Angier to be their Pastor, october, 15: the Pastor, Elder, m' Fuller & Bro: Thomas Cushman were chosen & did attend that service.
The chh set apart February, 25: to be kept as a day of Thanks- giving publickly for all the mercies of the yeare, spirituall & temporall.
In 1680: Lords supper was 9 times, two members were admitted, 1080: 5 children baptized:
At a private chh-meeting, April 5: the chh voted that all the contribution of strangers should by the Deacons be given to the Pastor, & as a Testimony of their Love to him gave him six pounds & six shillings out of the Treasury of the chh: The chh gave twenty shillings out of Capt Willets legacy to the chh, to Elder Cushman.
Two of our members who lived at Swanzey sent to us to desire their dismissions to the chh there, the chh met Nov: 18: & agreed the Elders should in their name returne answer in the Negative, be- cause the bretheren of Swanzey renounced communion with us or soe much as to be present when wee administred Infant-Baptisme & did rebaptize our chh-seed.
The chh of Duxbury sent to us to be present by our messengers at their ordination of m' Ichabod Wiswall to be their Pastor, on November, 24: the Pastor, Ruling Elder, Deacon Finney & Deac: Morton were chosen & then present.
.
156
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
A chh-meeting was called by the Elders to be on February, 10: It was then moved to the chh by the Elder, that wee should doe well to set apart a day yea dayes for Humiliation for sundry weighty causes then named, the chh manifested their readynesse to comply therewith.
At this meeting the Elders told the chh, a Brother earnestly desired the Psalmes might be read in publick worship, because else he was incapable of practising that ordinance; The matter was much agitated, the Elder propounded to the chh to speake man by man, whether they Judged reading the Psalmes in order to singing was lawfull & that they could rest in the practice of it? The issue of the meeting was, the chh desired the Pastor that he would in his publick Preaching hold [11] forth from scripture the lawfullnesse & necessity of reading the Psalmes, which he exprest his willingnesse & purpose to doe, & till then the practise of reading might be 1 deferred.
In 1681: the Lords supper was 9 times, one member admitted, 20 children baptized.
By reason of the death of the Honourable Governour, m' Josiah Winslow on December, 18: preceeding, the Deputy Gov & magis- trates being met at court appointed a Fast to be kept while they were sitting, March, 4: in our meeting house, they being present it was attended & carryed on by M. Shove praying & preaching in the forenoone, m' Arnold, m" Wiswall & the Pastor praying afternoone.
A sister having sundry ill reports concerning her & also giving Just matter of offence to another sister of the chh, the Elders desired the chh after Lecture July, 13: to repaire to the Pastors house, where matters were discoursed upon, & not being issued the chh was de- sired that day fortnight at the conference meeting to attend that matter, the sabbath before which meeting the Pastor propounded to the chh in publick, that seeing the matter to be discoursed on the wednesday following was weighty & some danger lest the peace of the chh might be interrupted in our agitations, that therefore as many of the chh as could, would come together on the meeting-day morn- ing & spend some houres in prayer for divine guidance & helpe, that the peace & holinesse of the chh might be preserved.
July, 27: many of the chh came together at the Pastors house in the morning, The Pastor & 4 bretheren prayed, then the conference-
1 Here a word, perhaps "respited," is crossed out.
1681:
...
1
Josiah Wirflow Engrand for The Colonial Society of Massachusetts from the painting attributed to Robert Walker
157
EXCOMMUNICATIONS FOR INTEMPERANCE AND SCANDAL, 1681
worke as at other times was attended, then the matters of offence were 1 declared by the Person offended, & duly prooved, there was in this meeting a very gratious appearance of God in answer to our prayers, not one harsh word in any of the chh one to another but a sweet & pleasant agreement from first to last: The Issue was, the offending sister manifesting (then & doing more the sabbath after) sorrow for what was amisse, the whole matter was satisfyingly issued.
·
September, 18: the Pastor from col: 3: 16: in preaching showed the lawfullnesse & necessity of reading the Psalmes in the congregation in order to singing;
october, 2: the Elders stayed the chh & desired to know their mindes, some of the bretheren rather desired the old custome of not reading might be continued, but the body of the chh declared for the lawfullnesse of reading & all would rest in the practice of it, Accordingly october, 9: the Elder began to read the Psalmes, & the Elder desiring the Pastor to expound the Psalme before singing, the Pastor did from that time constantly attend Exposition throughout the whole booke of Psalmes.
December 1: the chh kept publickly as a day of Thanksgiving for all the mercies of the yeare.
A brother formerly failing by intemperance was againe overtaken in the same kinde, he not attending the chh that Sabbath the Elders ordered him, he was appointed to come to a private chh-meeting, his expressions & behaviours were offensive to the chh then, soe they were the Sabbath after; He was then bidden to come the next Sabbath but he absented; The chh met in private & he not humbling himselfe, yet exercised patience towards him for 2 Sabbaths more, at the Sabbath when he was expected He came not to meeting & though sent for came not, for all which He was by the Elder in the name of the chh excommunicated, & within 2 years after upon his manifestation of repentance was reconciled to the chh:
A chh-child was admonished for selling liquors to the Indians.
The chh kept a publick Fast on Dec. 28: for persecuted saints in France.
A brother & sister were excommunicated for morall scandall & about a yeare after reconciled:
The chh kept a Fast at the Pastors house to humble ourselves for
1 Written above a word crossed out.
158
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
outbreaking of sins among us, the Pastor prayed & preached, then M. Fuller prayed in the forenoon; the Elder prayed & preached in the afternoone, then Secretary Morton prayed, & the Pastor concluded with prayer. [12]
while the chh was together in this day of Prayer, it was propounded to the chh, that wee should put up a Petition to the next court of Assistants to suppresse soe much selling of strong drinke & lessen the number of ordinaryes etc 1 the whole chh readily voted that the Petition prepared by the Elders & then read to them should be sub- scribed by the Elders in their Name & presented to the court, as the request of the chh for suppression of sensuality, which they did.
In 1682: the Lords supper was ten times, nine members were ad- mitted, 24 children baptized.
A sister recommended to us from another chh, yet was not ac- cepted to our communion, till some offence was removed betwixt her & a brother, which upon hearing by some Godly wise was com- fortably issued, & she was accepted by the chh.
In 1683: the Lords supper was 9 times, six 2 members were ad- mitted, sixteen children were baptized.
Two chh-children were publickly admonished for sin. Also a child of the chh now living in another towne fallen into sinne the church agreed to send an Admonition to her which the Elders did in the name of the chh:
July, 15: the Elders propounded to the chh for a day of Fasting & prayer with reference to the drought, but before the day was fixed God sent a plentifull raine, & the chh kept July, 26: as a day of publick Thanksgiving for soe seasonable a mercy.
The chh of Barnstable sent to us for messengers to be present at the ordination of Mr Jonathan Russell to be their Pastor, on September, 19: because the Elder could not goe, the Pastor only & Capt Joseph Howland were sent & attended that service; the Pastor gave an account to the chh in publick of the carrying on of that affaire, & it was the constant practice in this chh, that their messengers to any other chh when returned gave an account of matters, though it is not often exprest in this Narrative.
'The chh kept october, 18: a Fast, on account of the troubles of
1 Perhaps "&."
" Here "times" is crossed out.
1683:
1688:
159
BLESSING DISPENSED AFTER THE SACRAMENT
Gods people in England, & blastings with meldews here & in severall places great drought & floods that destroyed much of the harvest.
In 1684: the Lords supper was six times, two members were ad- 1084:' mitted, sixteen children baptized:
Satan is always busy to make divisions in the ches, some differ- ences fell out, about this time in the chh, after some discourses wee agreed to call in helpe by way of councill from the ches of Taunton, Marshfeild, Duxbury, Bridgewater & Barnstable; the week before they came to us a day of Fasting & Prayer was kept at the Pastors house by the members of the chh. (though all could not then attend it) The councill met, March, 18: & saw with their eyes Gods bless- ing accompanying their endeavours to a gratious healing of his people & ending all matters of difference,
The chh set apart May, 2: to humble ourselves for any error in the late day of temptation, the Pastor in the forenoone prayed & preached then m" Fuller prayed, in the afternoone the Elder prayed, Secretary Morton, Deacon Finney & Thomas Faunce: then letters were read from a chh-child to whom the chh had the yeare before sent an Admonition, manifesting her repentance, which the chh well accepted: Deacon Morton spake against the intemperance & long sitting at ordinaryes of some belonging to us, the Elders & bretheren gave their full Testimony against such irregularities with serious [13] warnings & desires that God would helpe us all to more care & watch- fullnesse in our whole conversation: The 122 Psalme was then sung, the Pastor concluded all with Prayer, this was a very comfortable day of peace & love with unity among us.
June, 25: the Elder propounded to the chh, whether they would deale with offending chh-seed in private only? the answer of the bretheren generally was, that if the sin were publick they would continue their former practice in publick dealing for it.
This chh never allowed the Blessing to be dispensed at the con- clusion of the publick worship on a sacrament morning till after the Lords supper was administred, some without were dissatisfyed at it, the Elder therefore at this meeting desired the chh to expresse their mindes about it there appeared noe forwardnesse to alter the custom, & some bretheren scrupled the lawfullnesse of it, soe there was then noe further discourse of that matter; but some time after it was consented to & practised.
-
160
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
A chh-child was publickly admonished for sin he then manifesting noe sense of it but too much of the contrary; but afterward God melted his heart & he became a profitable member of the chh:
Letters from the chh at the North river in Scittuate were sent to us for 1 messengers to be at the ordination of M' Thomas Mighil whom they had chosen to be their Pastour; Elder Cushman & m" Joseph Bradford were sent with the Pastour & were present at that solemnity, october, 15:
1685:
In 1685: the Lords supper was ten times, 13 children were baptized. May, 17: the Elders stayed the chh after the publick worship was ended & moved to sing Psal: 130: in another Translation, be- cause in My Ainsworths Translation which wee sang, the tune was soe difficult few could follow it, the chh readily consented thereunto.
1
June, 28: dyed our Brother, M' Nathaniel Morton in the 73ª year of his age, he was a sincere christian, very religiously tender & care- full in his observation of the sabbath day & of speaking truth, he had divers times spoken in publick to ædification in the absence of the minister & vacancy of the ministry; he took much paines to record the Dispensations of God as appeares in the former part of this book
A chh-child was admonished for scandalous words.
The chh kept November, 11, a publick Thanksgiving for this yeares mercies.
1686:
In 1686: the Lords supper was 8 times, 14 members were admit- ted, 22 children baptized:
A sister of the chh upon her confession of some failings the chh was satisfyed with her; A child of the chh related to her, to whom the Elder spake some serious words brake forth into Passion & spake evill words reflecting upon the chh, at which the chh was offended with him, but for some weighty cause suspended any prosecution of him for the present for that offence.
Deacon Morton, November, 28: propounded to the chh the need of another Deacon, because old age with its sicknesses & infirmities had disenabled Deacon Finney from coming abroad or any further attendance upon that office, the Elders accepted the motion & de- sired the chh to ripen their thoughts for the next Sabbath; on Decem- ber, 5: the church was stayed after publick worship; the Pastor
1 Here "their" is crossed out.
- - .
CHARGE AT ORDINATION OF DEACON THOMAS FAUNCE, 1686 161
prayed, then the Elders & bretheren man by man generally nominated for choice, the major part of the then voters were for Thomas Faunce [14] but divers of the bretheren being then absent the compleating of the Election was deferred till ther mindes also should be knowne.
Dec: 19: the chh was detained, & those bretheren before absent or who had not voted were called upon to nominate their choice for a Deacon, which they did & the major part was for Tho: Faunce, It was then declared, that if any Brother had ought to object why he should not be established in the office of a Deacon, they had their liberty to speake, not one objecting, it appeared, the chh was very unanimous in this motion, the Pastor then signifyed, they would proceed to his ordination the next comfortable Sabbath.
on December, 26: Bro: Thomas Faunce was ordained a Deacon of this church, the Pastor & Elder laid on hands, the Pastor then prayed & gave the charge & then the Elder prayed: His charge was given in these following words, which are inserted, because it may be of some use in like case in after times.
Since the Lord & this his chh have chosen you our Brother T: F: to the office of a Deacon in his house, wee doe therefore in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the chh, whom God the Father hath established to be his King in Zion, ordaine & set you apart to that spetiall office & imployment of a Deacon in this chh of God, !& as from the Lord wee charge you to use the office of a Deacon well, & that you give diligent heed to all those rules in the Holy Word of God which set before you the nature & bounds of this your office & worke; And in particular, the Lord requireth of you, that you receive the offer- ings of the chh & congregation, & that you therewith conscionably serve all the Tables of the chh, distributing the offerings made to the Lord with Gospel-simplicity, not only to the ministry of this chh, but also with cheerfullnesse showing mercy to 1 the Lords poore among us as they may have need thereoff, according to what you are betrusted with- all for such ends & purposes; Wee charge you in the Name of the Lord to be Faithfull herein, that you may stand in the great day of the appear- ing of the Lord Jesus, who will then before Angels and men call you to give an account of this your stewardship; And wee doe further from the Lord charge you, that you labour for the growth & exercise of all those graces that are requisite to furnish you with ability for a regular discharge of this weighty worke, which God now calles you unto, namely, wise-
1 Here three or four words are crossed out.
162
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART II
dome, gravity, sincerity, freedome from guile, sobriety, spirituall & heavenly-mindednesse, not inordinately reaching after the things of the world, & that in your whole conversation you endeavour to be found blamelesse, exersising yourselfe alwayes to have a conscience void of offence towards God & 1 man, providing for honest things not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men & that you rule your owne family well in the feare of God, & that you hold the mystery of the faith of the Gospel in a pure conscience; All which, if in the upright- ness of your heart you labour in & for, you will then purchase unto your selfe [15] a good degree, & great boldnesse in the faith which is in Christ Jesus, which the Lord grant unto you for his mercies sake in Christ, who is our Lord & life, And for which great & gratious blessings let us further call upon the Holy Name of God.
1687:
Much of this charge was given in the ordination of the 2 former Deacons, Bro: Finney & Bro: Ephraim Morton, August, 1: 1669: but here are severall additions upon second thoughts.
In 1687: the Lords supper was 9 times, five members were ad- mitted, 23 children were baptized
March, 30: the chh set apart for fasting & prayer, on account of last yeares drought, uncomfortable winter, Epidemicall coughs & colds, the small pox in some places, & for all the mercies of the yeare etc.
The chh of Taunton sent letters to desire us to come to the ordina- tion of m' Samuel Danforth to be their Pastor; the Elder could not goe, the church chose & sent Bro: George Bonum & Bro: Nathaniel Wood to attend the Pastor to that solemnity, who did soe, Septem- ber, 21:
The chh set apart october, 26: for a day of Thanksgiving for the mercies of the yeare, & for liberty to Gods people in O: E: by the Kings Proclamation. Deacon Finney dyed January, 7: being eighty yeares of age, a good old man.
In 1688: the Lords supper was ten times, eleven members were admitted, 21 children were baptized.
The chh set apart, March, 7: a day of Fasting & prayer, on account of the measles in the winter & for the mercies of the yeare, & for continuance of & Gods blessing upon the meanes of grace.
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.