USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Plymouth church records, 1620-1859 > Part 35
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1. That they would comply with the Desire of the Chh in Hallifax mentioned in their Letter to this Chh.
2. That our Brethren John Cotton Esq" & Co' George Watson attend with the Pastor, as Delegates from this Chh on ye Occasion aforementd.
April 29. The Pastor with the aforementioned Delegates at- tended the Ordination this Day, when, after M' Briggs had given answer to some Questions proposd & exhibited a full & satisfactory Confession of his Faith in writing The Council, consisting of seven Chhs proceeded to his Ordination - Revd Mes" Conant made the first Prayer, Porter preached, Angier gave the Charge, Green prayª after y" Charge & Shaw the Right Hand of Fellowship - the whole was conducted with Decency & Order.
May he long continue, with that Chh & People, a faithful & suc- cessful Minister!
Nov 8th Seth Barnes, a Member of this Chh, tho' now live in Nova Scotia made a public Confession of the Sin of Fornication, & the Chh voted to restore him to Charity & recieve him to their Com- munion, as Providence may give him Opportunity.
1768. Jan'y 31. Read to ye Chh & Congregation a Memorial from the Revd M. Silas Brett of Freetown setting forth his needy & dis- tressd State with Regard to Temporals, praying for Charity &c Whereupon Febr 7th viz ye next Lords Day was collected for him by free Contribution of y Chh & Congregat" y" Sum of £63.10. O Ten" which was sent him by ye hand of Mr Elkanah Watson, who bro't back a Receipt of M' Brett for the above Sum.
July 31. 1768. Read to y' Chh a Letter missive from yo 2ª. Chh in Rochester (of which y. Rev' M' Ivory Hovey is Pastor) desireing the Presence & Assistance of this Chh by y" Elder & Delegate or Delegates, at a mutual Council, to meet on Tuesday ye 23d of Aug"* next, to give Advice under their present broken, divided Circum- stances, by Reason of some Difficulties & Contentions that have un- happily subsisted for some time among them, & between the Pastor & a Number of y. Chh & Society - After which ye Chh Voted
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RESULT OF CHURCH COUNCIL AT ROCHESTER, 1768
1. That they are willing to comply with their Desire - &
Voted
2. That Deacon Thomas Foster & Deac" John Torrey be the Delegates to 1 attend the Pastor at ye sd Council, as Representatives of the Church. [42] 1768 Transactions of the Chh
Aug 23ª This Chh with 3 others viz. y. 3ª in Bridgwater - 1 ** in Middleboro & the Chh in Sandwich met in ye 2ª Parish in Roch- ester to hear, & consider & advise on ye aforementioned Difficulties between y Revd M' Hovey & his People - and after spending the Week upon it, came to a Result on ye 27th, in which y" Council ad- visa to mutual Forgiveness & Forbearance, & that ye Complaints ex- hibited against M' Hovey are not of so great weight in their Opinion as that y Pastoral Relation between him & his pp1 ought to be dis- solved, &c Read the Result to this Chh on ye Sabbath after viz Aug 28. - May the Lord be their Healer of Breaches, & restore Peace & Love to yt unhappy Chh & Pp1.
1769. Mar.12. Stayd y. Chh, being Lords Day, Evening, & ac- quainted them with ye renewed Request of our Sister Esther Jack- son to have the orphan Child under her Care admitted to Baptism on her Right, as mentd in Nov-1764. And after a little Conference upon it, the Chh unanimously Voted to grant her Request, - & the Voted. Child was accordingly baptize ye next Lords Day.
1769 Oct" 15th Stayd y. Brethren of ye Chh after ye Blessing was given, at ye Desire of our Sister Lydia Samson (once Barns) to lay her Case before them, being many Years ago suspended from Com- munion for y. Suppose Marrying Jonathan Samson, whose 2 first Wife was her Niece - Said a few Things on it, but referd ye full & further Consideration of it to Wednesday after next - viz ye 25th of this Month - And Accordingly notifyª y Chh to meet at this Place on sd Wednesday at 3 Clock P M.
October 25th This was ye Day appointed for ye Chh to meet & consider further the Case of our Sister Lydia Samson alias Barnes, but there were so few of the Brethren who met, that, partly on that Account, but principally because twas judged best for her sake that the Affair should be entirely drop'd, as ye Consequence might other- wise be greatly to her Prejudice & Hurt, it appearing also that the Members of y Chh were, the greater Part of them, by no means
1 Here "represent" is crossed out.
" This word has been altered.
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME II
satisfyd of ye Lawfulness of such a Marriage, but of the contrary Opinion, The Affair was accordingly dropd without so much as the Formallity of a Chh Meeting.
Nov" 26th Flora, a Member of this Chh, sometime since y Negro Servant of Mr John Bartlett, now living at Middlborough, having for many Years absented herself from the Communion, being notori- ously guilty of scandalous Drunkenness, Profaness, & Disobedience, made a public Confession of these Sins, & the Chh thereupon voted to restore her to their Christian Charity & Communion.
Nov" 30th Stayd ye Chh after Lecture, & proposª to them to choose one or more Persons (since our dear Brother John May is taken from us by death who was our former Chorister) to lead in singing in the [431] publick . Worship. & after some Conference upon it, the Chh chose four Persons, viz our Brethren William Crombie, Deacon Torrey, Amaziah Churchill & Robert Bartlett, to be mutually assisting in that Business as they shall choose & Occasion call for.
1770 Lords Day Janu" 28. Notifyd the Brethren of the Chh to meet on Thursday next, immediately after the Lecture, to con- sider & determine the Affair of changing the Version of ye Psalms sung in publik Worship, as we have had D' Watts's & Tate & Brady's upon Trial for 3 Years past, once a Day - & many were desirous of coming to a Determination, it being thôt the Church should take ye Lead in such an Affair.
Febry 1"+ After Lecture the Church accordingly stayª, but it being an extreme cold Day, it was moved that the Consideration of y" affair of ye Version of ye Psalms should be postponed to a more con- venient & comfortable Season. So y. Matter rested, without ad- journing to any particular Day.
Febr 11 th Being desired, I notifyd the Brethren of y Chh to meet on Tuesday next at ye Meeting house in order to conclude upon Something relative to ye Version of ye Psalms.
Feb' 13th The Brethren met, in Number 23. (it being a very rainy Day) and after some considerable Discourse upon the Affair - The Question was put seperately to Each Member, whither they were ? for exchanging the Old Version for any other - & it appeard
1 At the top of p. [43] is written "Transactions of y" Chh."
" Here the words "for introducing Tate & Brady's or y" Old Version" are crossed out.
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WATTS AND TATE AND BRADY VERSIONS OF PSALMS, 1770 333
that twelve of y. Brethren were for continuing ye Old Version & Eleven for Tate & Brady. The Pastor afterwards signify'd his Choice for Tate & Brady. So that there being a Tie, the Matter re- mained yet undetermin'd. It was manifest, in the Course of y" Conversation, that several of y. Brethren rather prefer' D' Watts's, but as this was more particularly obnoxious to some others of y Brethren, they were willing to condescend to vote for Tate & Brady, that is to be understood, with the Hymns annexed to it, as we have used it in Time past.
After this, it appearing that a respectable Number of y. Church were not easy with continuing y Old Version, It was moved, that altho' that Version be not laid aside, yet that a Vote be called whither Tate & Brady, with ye Hymns, should be sung in publick, wholly, (with ye Approbation of the Congregation) for Six Months to come, in order that we might be [441] be more thoroughly & universally acquainted with it, & the Vote being calld, it passed in the Affirma- tive unanimously
The Meeting was carryd on with a very agreable Unity & a Con- descending Spirit - & was both begun & concluded with Prayer - & then y" Blessing given.
April 8th Read a Letter missive from the 2ª Chh in this Town, desireing the presence and Assistance of this Chh by their Pastor & Delegates to convene with 6 other Chh's on the 18th of this Month, for the Instalment of y. Revd M" Ivory Hovey over the Chh & Con- gregation in ye 2ª Precinct in this Town. The Church voted a Com- pliance with the Request, & chose Deacon Bartlett & Doct" Le Baron to go as Delegates on the Occasion.
April 18. The Pastor, with ye Delegates chosen, attended with y' other several Chhs upon ye Instalment, & y. Revd M" Hovey was peaceably installa over y. 2ª Chh in this Town - whom we pray God would make a rich & Lasting Blessing to y™ & their Children.
Aug" 12th Lords Day - The Chh, at the Request of Mr Tren- holm (Wife of M' William Trenholm) a regular Member of the Church of England, who has lived in this Town near a twelvemonth & is a Person of sober Life & Conversation, Voted
That whereas M". Trenholm was admitted to occasional Com- Voted munion with this Chh ye last Lords Day at y. Sacrament of ye Lords
1 At the top of p. [44] is written "1770 Church Records."
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Supper, & now desires Baptism for her Infant Child, that her Request be granted, & that she may hereafter be admitted to occasional Communion with us in special Ordinances. - Voted Unanimously.
Memo
This Vote was passed professedly with a View that it may seen by after Generations, that this Chh do not renounce, but are very willing to hold Communion with regular Members of y Chh of England.
Lords Day Dec" 16. At Evening Notifyd y Brethren of the Church to meet in the meeting house next Wednesday little after 2 Clock P M, to consider some Matters of Importe then to be laid before them, relative, in general to Chh Discipline; I had been preach- ing a Number of Sermons on ye Subject before - from 2 Tim.2.19. "Let y" yt name ye name of Christ depart &c " - wherein I en- deavourd among sundry other Things more particularly to show that ye Practice of admitt" Persons to own y" baptismal Covenant & so enjoy" Baptism for y" Children, without coming into full Com- munion, which this Church have been [451] in for about 40 Years past, (introduced by M' Leonard) is not a Practice warranted by Scripture & therefore ought not, as I apprehend, to be persisted in.
Dec" 19th The Church met accordingly, but it not being a very full Meeting, & several of ye Brethren manifesting a Desire to have the several Articles read, which they were to consider .of, & then to have some time to think of 'em, before we come to a Determination on them, being Matters of great Importo, the Pastor readily con- sented to ye Motion - & accordingly read ye several Articles, & then adjournd ye Meet", to no particular Day, but ye Day to be mention hereafter in public by ye Pastor.
The Meeting was began & concluded with Pray" & a Bless".
The Articles proposd to ye Chh for their Consideration, were ye following
1. To consider ye Cases of two scandalous Members, viz Patience Burgiss & Lydia Phillips - guilty of Fornication, the first being a Widow & yet having a Child of late - the other having a Child also, her Husband being a long time absent, if not dead.
2. To consid' ye Cases of several other Members, walking disor- derly in absenting y"selves for a long time from Communion, & some of them reported to be otherways disorderly.
1 At the top of p. [45] is written "1770 Church Records."
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QUESTIONS OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE, 1770-1771
3. Also y. Case of Jane Tinkham (who is an occassional Commun- nicant, being a Member of Middleb. Chh - but lives in this Town), whither her Conduct be not such, from universal Report, as to de- serve, that she be suspended from occassional Communion.
4. Whither y. Chh will consider & determine any Thing relating to y. Children of y. Chh who have or may fall into Scandal.
5. Whither it be the Opinion of this Chh, that a Person who is the Head of a Family, living in ye Neglect of Family Prayer, be not guilty of a Censureable Evil.
6. Whither it be the Opinion of this Chh that the half way Prac- tice of owning or entering into Covenant, which has of late years, been adopted by this Chh, be a scriptural Method - or a practice warranted by sª Word of God, & so to be persisted in.
7. Whither it be not y. Opinion of this Chh, that Members of Chhs moving into this Town & becoming Inhabitants, & desireing & expect" Communion with us in special Ordinances, should, as soon as may be, remove their special Relation from ye Chh they came from, to this, & incorporate with us. & so of ye Members of this, re- moving to other Chhs &c
8. Whither the Chh will not come to a Resolution & solemnly agree & covenant with each other, to be hereafter more particularly careful in watching over one another according to ye Rules of ye Gospel & our own express Covenant Engagements - & this from a Sense of our Shameful & Sinful Neglect hereof in times past.
9. Settle the Version of ye Psalms to be usd in publick Worship, which has for sometime past been under Consideration. [46] 1771 Records of Chh Transactions.
Jan'y 6th Lords Day Evening - The Pastor notifyª ye Brethren to meet in ye Meetinghouse next Tuesday, to consider further & determine those Things that were laid before them ye last Chh Meeting, [see ye preced" Page.] 1 to meet at 2 Clock in ye Afternoon.
Tuesday Jany 8. The Church met accordingly - & after Prayer, the Pastor read over ye several Articles again, yt are proposd for their Consideration And they concluded to go upon ye 9th Article in ye foregoing Page first. And after some little Conversation, (as it is an Affair that has before sundry times been under our Consideration), came to ye following Votes.
1 The square brackets are in the original.
1
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME II
1. Voted that Tate & Brady's Version of ye Psalms, be hereafter sung in ye public Worship, in y. Room of y. Old New England 1 Version, provided ye Congregation consent to it.
2. Voted that the Hymns also that are annexed to this Version (whereof there are now a hundred & three) chiefly of D' Watt's Col- lection, be made use of likewise with the Psalms, promiscuously.
3. Voted, with Respect to ye 1" Article in ye preceeding Page, That ye Pastor be desired to discourse with or write to Patience Burgiss & Lydia Phillips & let them know that this Chh expect they forthwith make their Peace with God & the Chh by a humble, peni- tent Confession of their Sin, or that ye Chh will, otherwise, proceed to admonish them.
4. Voted that the 3 Deacons, Foster, Bartlett & Torrey, be de- sired to go & talk with those Members (referd to in ye 2ª Article) who have absented themselves from Communion for some time, or otherwise walked disorderly, & endeav" to bring them to a Sense both of their Sin & Duty.
5. Voted - respecting Article 34, that the Pastor be desired to discourse wth sd Jane Tinkham, & inform her that her Conduct has been such, on many accounts & her Behavior so contrary to y Gospel, that it has caused such Grief & Offence to several of this Chh, as that they cannot comfortably set down with her at ye holy Ordinance of y. Lords Supper, & therefore she is desired by ye Chh to withdraw from attend" yt Ordinance untill she gives Christian Sat- isfaction, or there appears an evident Reformation in her.
As to the 4th Article, concerning the Children of y' Church falling into Scandal, no Vote passed at this Time relative to ye Matter, tho' it seems to be ye Opinion of y. Chh that somthing ought to be done upon it. We all, at ye same time acknowledge that we have been very criminally negligent & slack in the Matter of Chh Discipline. And yet alas, how strangely backward, (as a Chh) to actual & immediate reformation! The Lord give us all a heart to repent & re- form in this Thing particularly, which I believe, is one awful provok- ing Cause of the mellancholly Withdraw of ye Spirit & comforting presence of Christ!
As to the 5th Article - no Vote passd - but it seemª clearly ye Opinion of ye Chh that a person, i.e. Head of a Family living in the
1 Here "Psalm" is crossed out.
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CONTROVERSY IN REGARD . TO BAPTISM, 1771
allowed Neglect of Family Prayer, is guilty of a Censureable Evil. [47] Records of Chh Transactions
As to the 7th Article - The Chh were not agreed as to the Ex- pediency & Duty of immediately insisting upon Members getting proper Dismissions & Recommendations, when they remove from other Churches to this, & from this Church to others. - Thô N.B. There is such a Vote upon Record, In M' Little's Day - or ye be- ginning of M' Leonards, which has never been repealed - & no Vote passed on ye Affair at this Time
As to y. 8th Article - Thô no Vote passed, Yet it seems to be generally agreed & consented to, that we will for ye future, be more watchful over one another, & endeavour to be more careful & faith- ful to God & one another, particularly relating to Chh Discipline - & act more agreable to our solemn Covenant & Engagements.
The 6º Article, being of great Importance, was left for Considera- tion at another Meeting - began & concluded with Prayer - Ad- journed to Tuesday next.
Tuesday, Jan'y 15th. The Chh met, and after Prayer to God, moved the Chh, by reason of y. Cold, to remove into y. School house - which being done, we entered upon ye Consideration of yo 6th Article in the 45th page,1 - A long Conference was had upon it - On y. one Side it was urged, that Children born of Visible Believers & baptize in Infancy were properly & truly Members of y· Visible Chh & therefore might claim the Priviledges of Chh members, when they arrive at adult Age, & so by owning the Cov' we are not to un- derstand their qualifying themselves hereby for ye Priviledges of ye Covenant - they had a right to these before - but that tis needful they should acknowledge w+ their Parents did for them - &c &c
On the other hand it was urgd, That Baptism & the Lords Supper are both Seals of One Covenant, viz, y' Covenant of Grace - And that consequently they that had a right to one Seal had a right also to ye other - & yt we had no right from ye Word of God to make a Distinction betw" y" 2 Seals, as if one was more holy than ye other - that it would be of dangerous Tendency to put asunder what God hath joinª together.
It was also observed, that no Person can with Safety or a good Conscience say what is said in ye form used by them yt own y' Cove-
1 P. [45] of the text, or p. 335 of this volume.
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME II
nant, while at the same Time he knows himself unconverted, or has at least reason to think that he does not in his Heart avouch & choose y. Lord for his God & Christ for his Savior - That therefore the Continuing of this Practice in ye Church, must have a manifest Tendency to encourage Persons in solemn Dissimulation with ye Almighty - which must be a very great Sin. - On ye other hand again it was urged that as by their Baptism they were initiated into y Chh & so became Members, No one had a Right to deny or refuse them y. Priviledges of Chh Members, & so Baptism for y" Children. [48] 1771 Records of Chh Transactions
To this it was answerª That Baptism in Infancy does not make Persons so Members as to entitle them to ye Special Ordinances &. Priv®
1. of y Covenant of Grace - because 1. Infants are baptize not on their own but their Parents Right - Therefore before they are admitted to special Priviledges for themselves, it is necessary & rea- sonable that something should appear to ye Chh in them, that should be ye Ground of their being judgd qualifyd for y. Sacraments. & this must be their open Profession of Faith & Repentance - For 2dly
2. In order to enjoy the Priviledges of the Covenant of Grace, there must be a Compliance with the Terms or Conditions of y. Covenant. but saving Faith alone is ye Condition of y" Covt of Grace - therefore there must be a Profession or Visibility of this Faith in persons in order to their being admitted to y' visible Seals & priviledges of the Covenant - For that which is the Condition of any Covenant, is the Condition of all the Priviledges of yt Covent.
Now if we allow Persons to own the Coven' & have Baptism for their Children who dont so much as look upon themselves regenerate or to have true Faith, we do then either give up y Covenant of Grace, as to its requiring saving Grace, & say yt a Person may com- ply with it, & yet remain in Unbelief - Or else, that Baptism is not a Seal of y. Covenant of Grace, Or else that 1 Persons may lawfully be admitted to ye special Priviledges of Gods Covenant while they re- main obstinate Enemies to God, to his Covenant, to Jesus Christ & Enemies to all Holiness, wch is ye true Charact" of all ye unregenerate. All which must be absurd, unscriptural & irrational, & even shock- ing to admit.
1 Here "a" is crossed out.
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CONTROVERSY IN REGARD TO BAPTISM, 1771
These, & many more Arguments were used on both Sides, for & against ye Practice;
On ye whole, the Pastor expressª his Mind freely that from the most deliberate & serious Consideration, Reading & Prayer, he was fully of y. Opinion, that the Method was no where warranted by Scripture - that not one Text in ye whole Bible could be produced to justify it, & therefore that he could not in Conscience persist in y. Practice of admitt" Persons to own 1 y" Covenant & come" to one Ordinance & not ye other. which, as it has been practicd here & in other Places of late years, he tho't did appear in many to be little else besides a Formality to get their Children baptizd -- without any proper Sense of ye awful Import of Covenanting with God.
And as it was asked why the Pastor had gone on till now contentedly in the Practice since his Settlement? He acknowledged yt it had been for some time a matter of Doubt with him - but yt of late he has endeavored [49*] more critically & carefully to examine y. Word of God & other Books on ye Subject, reading many Tracts wrote on both Sides, the Result of all which was a full Conviction in his own mind that the Customary practice aforesd is not grounded on Scrip- ture Warrant.
On the other hand, tho' there were a Number of y. Chh of ye same Opinion with y' Pastor, Yet the major Part continued to be of y. Opinion that y" Old Practice, as tis calld was right - (Which by yo Way was a Practice never known in this Chh till y' Days of my im- mediate Venerable Predcessor; & then not till after many Years Consideration & Trial.)
Thus upon the whole, the Chh came to no Vote upon the Affair - but dismissª the Matter for ye present, just in ye Circumstances above recited. Mention was made, indeed of resuming the Con- sideration of it again sometime hence - but no Time specified.
Oh that ye alwise & infinitely merciful Father of Lights, would lead & direct this Chh in ye Way that is pleasing to him, ye way of Truth, peace & holiness, for his dear Son's Sake!
Thus this Affair remains at this Time.
After this at ye same Meeting, the Chh - proceeded & Voted -
1 Altered from "owning."
' Altered from "comeing."
* At the top of p. [49] is written "1770 & 1771 Chh Records."
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME II
That our Brethren Nath' Morton & Silas Morton be cited to appear at our next Chh Meeting to answer to some things alledged ag" them.
The Meeting was concluded with Prayer & y Blessing.
See Page 71.1 for y. Reason of this Erasement .?
[60] 1771 & 1772. Chh Records
1772 Jany 5th Lords Day Evening Read to yo Church & Congrega- tion a Letter Missive from the 2ª Church of Christ in Rochester, to this Church, desireing their Presence & Assistance at ye proposed Ordination of M' Lemuel Le Baron to ye pastoral Office over them on y. 29th Instant - Whereupon the Church Voted 1
Vote 1. That they were willing to grant y Request in sd Letter Missive,
2. That our Brethren Doct' Lazarus L. Baron & Theophilus Cotton should be Delegates from this Chh to accompany the Pastor on that Occasion, God willing.
Jan 29th The pastor & aforementioned Delegates attended at the sd Ordination this Day, in Council with 10 other Chhs, with their pastors. The Solemnity was began with prayer by ye Revd Mr Roland Thacher, of Warham - Then the Pastor of this Chh preached from 2 Tim.2.4. "That he may please him who hath chosen him to be a Soldier"3 - The Rev" M' Hovey of this Town prayd before y" Charge - Rev" M' Bacon of ye 3ª Chh in this town gave y* Charge -- Rev" M' West of Rochester gave ye Right hand of fellowship, & Red M' Robbins of Norfolk in Connecticutt made ye concluding Prayer. The whole attended with great Decency & Solemnity. May God make y· ordained, a rich & lasting Bless" to them & theirs, & a pastor accords to his own heart!
Feb" 16th Lords Day Evening, Notifyª the Brethren of ye Chh, (at y* special Desire of the 2 Deacons F & T.) to meet in the Meeting- house on Tuesday next at 2 Clock in the Afternoon, in order to con- sider some Matters of Importance, more particularly relating to the
1 P. [71] of the text, or p. 365 of this volume
" This line was inserted at a later date. Following the line is a record of the transactions at a meeting held November 28, 1771, containing fourteen lines on
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