USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Yarmouth > The celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of old Yarmouth, Mass., including the present towns of Yarmouth and Dennis. September 1 and 3, 1889 > Part 4
USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Dennis > The celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the founding of old Yarmouth, Mass., including the present towns of Yarmouth and Dennis. September 1 and 3, 1889 > Part 4
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There is a pretty little romance handed down by tradi- tion, relating to his early ministry. It seems that he formed an attachment for one Miss Thankful Howes, a daughter of Lieut. Jonathan Howes, one of the leading men of the East Precinct. An engagement was made, and the young lady went to Boston to attend school and become fitted for the pastor's wife. Unfortunately she fell sick and died and was buried in Boston. How Mr. Dennis received the news we are not told, but years afterwards when the brother of his fiance, Mr. David Howes, had a daughter born, Mr. Dennis called to see the babe, with a string of gold beads to put around the child's neck. The gift of the beads was attended by the request, that the child should be named " Thankful, " after his deceased love, and the beads be handed down to successive generations of Thankful. The beads are still the property of a descendant of Thankful Howes. Mr. Dennis became the husband of two wives subsequently, but always retained a tenderness for his early love. He once told a broth-
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er of this young woman that he never went to Boston without visiting her grave. Such was his constancy. Many anecdotes are related of his mirthful disposition. His fond- ness for having his joke he shared with many of the early ministers ; one or two have rather an irreverent sound. On one occasion he exchanged with the minister at Eastham ; it happened to be at the season when the seamen were about sailing on their whaling voyages. On entering the pulpit he found quite a collection of notes from persons " desiring pray- ers," being bound to sea; the names seemed to run mostly as "Cooks " and "Cobbs." Mr. Dennis looked them over and gathered them in his hand, as he arose to commence ser- vice, and held them out, saying as he did so : - " Here are a parcel of Cooks and Cobbs, who desire the prayers of this church and congregation, being bound to sea." One can im- agine the smile that spread over the faces of his congregation at this announcement. Mr. Dennis was the beloved minister of the East Parish for thirty-seven years, and died in all the odor of sanctity, lamented as one who had guided his people with integrity of heart, and uprightness of character.
To him succeeded the Rev. Nathan Stone. He was son of Rev. Nathan Stone of Southborough and grandson of the Rev. Nathaniel Stone of Harwich, now Brewster. He was ordained in 1764, his venerable father, of Southborough, preaching the ordination sermon. Mr. Stone was a worthy suc- cessor to Mr. Dennis. He belonged to a ministerial line and illustrated the virtues of his lineage. His pastorate of the East Parish extended from 1764 to 1804, a period of forty years. It included the Revolutionary era, the division of Yarmouth and the formation of the Federal Government. It witnessed the departure of many families from his parish to regions farther West, and a consequent weakening of his pastoral charge.
Mr. Stone was the preacher to the generation to which my father belonged, and many are the conversations I have listened to, where Mr. Stone was the topic. I judge the preachers of his day were somewhat formal in their pulpit exercises. The sermons were intellectual propositions to be argued and proved; the prayers were a set of phrases re- peated every Sabbath, so that a person coming in during prayer time could tell how far along the prayer had progress- ed. But still I have no doubt many souls were strengthened by the preaching of Mr. Stone and his word was as a live coal to their hearts. He died 1804 esteemed and mourned
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by the people of his charge and the church of which he was a distinguished ornament.
The Rev. Caleb Holmes was our next minister. He was ordained in 1805. I remember reading an account of the ordination exercises many years ago. The charge was given by the Rev. Oakes Shaw of Barnstable, father of the late Judge Shaw. The right hand of fellowship was pre- sented by Rev. Jotham Waterman of Barnstable. The Rev. Mr. Shaw urged the young preacher "to preach Christ, and much of Christ, and him crucified." Mr. Waterman said " When James, Peter and John perceived that Paul and Bar- nabas had received the faith, they gave unto them the right hand of fellowship, in remembrance of which, my dear broth- er, I now present you this right hand, and welcome you into the gospel vineyard, and a rich harvest of souls unto Christ." Mr. Holmes's short ministry was acceptable to his people and he retained a loving place in their memories ; he died 1813 and lies buried with his predecessors, Mr. Stone and Mr. Den- nis, in our cemetery.
The Rev. Joseph Haven was ordained in 1814 as suc- cessor to Mr. Holmes. In due time he married his prede- cessor's widow. Mr. Haven I remember well ; a tall, grave, dignified man, devout, sincere and conscientious in all his dealings ; he commended himself to the community as one who adorned the Christian ministry. During his ministry the great revival of 1821-22 occurred, the result of which was much division of sentiment on doctrinal questions, the advent of Methodism for one thing, and subsequently the division of the society. It was a time of high religious excitement, and exaltation of spiritual feeling. My father was converted in 1822, and was soon after chosen one of the Deacons of the church and held the office until his death in 1832.
Being trained up to attend church every Sunday, and frequent exchanging of pulpits being the custom, it so hap- pens that I can remember nearly all the clergymen who were settled in Barnstable County during Mr. Haven's ministry, and that of Rev. Daniel M. Stearns, his successor. The aged Mr. Timothy Alden I can reccollect of seeing at our church in Dennis about 1824. It was at a meeeing of an Association of ministers, I think. He wore his white wig on that occasion and was the object of veneration and affectionate regard of the assembly. I remember his funeral and my father going to Yarmouth to be present at the exercises. His son, Rev. Martin Alden, often supplied the pulpit in Dennis.
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The minister at Provincetown for many years was Rev. Nathaniel Stone, a son of Rev. Nathan Stone of our parish. He was frequently in our pulpit, as he had two brothers and a sister living in Dennis.
At Truro, preached Rev. Jude Damon, who occasionally filled our pulpit. He preached in Truro forty-two years, re- spected and beloved.
At Eastham was settled the Rev. Philander Shaw, who often exchanged with our minister, and no preacher attracted my attention like Mr. Shaw. He was a favorite speaker with our people ; his prayers usually flowed on in the same rhet- orical phrases and wound up with the same supplication : - " And now, O Lord, what wait we for? Our hope is in thee. May all parts of divine service be performed to our edifica- tion and thy divine acceptance. May we sing another of the songs of Zion with raised affections and elevated devo- tions. Hear our prayers, accept our praises and forgive us our sins." These sentences were always repeated. His fav- orite hymn was Cowper's, beginning "God moves in a myste- rious way, His wonders to perform." He prayed with his eyes open, gazing around over the congregation. The last sermon he preached in Dennis, his text was : - " And Terah died in Haran." Altogether Mr. Shaw was a unique figure in the pulpit ; his ministry lasted forty-one years.
The minister at Orleans over the Orthodox church for twenty years was the Rev. Daniel Johnson ; he was a tall, dark, saturnine man; the doctrines he preached were very satisfactory to my father, who was strongly Calvinistic in his theology. " Mr. Johnson, " I once heard him remark, " is a spiritual preacher." In 1828 Mr. Johnson removed from Orleans.
At Brewster was settled Rev. John Simpkins. He was frequently in our church, where " With meek and unaffected grace, his looks adorned the venerable place." He was a person of most saintly mien ; hissermons were much admired by those who were inclined to Unitarian views. He usually read for his morning hymn the one beginning, "Another six days' work is done, another Sabbath has begun." He re- signed his pastorate in 1831, after forty years of ministerial labors.
Rev. John Sanford was the first preacher at the church at South Dennis. He was a person of much dignity of manner, and a fine pulpit orator, with a rich, so- norous voice and good delivery. He was ordained in 1837.
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Mr. Sanford was one of the first to engage in the crusade against intemperance ; I remember his lecturing in our meet- ing-house on the subject soon after the reform had com- menced, and reading with fine effect the hymn commencing : " Behold the wretch whose lust and wine, Have wasted his estate." He was succeeded in the South Dennis church by Rev. Thacher Thayer, one of the ablest divines who ever fill- ed a pulpit in Barnstable County.
Time would fail me were I to attempt to speak of other worthy and pious ministers whom I remember at different times officiating in our old meeting-house : Rev. Nathan Underwood, of Harwich, a veteran of the Revolutionary war, Rev. Nathaniel Cogswell of Yarmouth, Rev. Henry Hersey of Barnstable, Rev. Enoch Pratt of West Barnstable ; all of them, with one exception, have long since finished their la- bors and entered into their rest, but their glorified spirits may yet hover over the scene of their earthly toils.
One of the earliest of my recollections is that of the ec- centric Lorenzo Dow coming to our place and preaching from the text : "Those that have turned the world upside down, are come hither also." I was too young to go to meeting, but heard it talked about. This advent of Lorenzo Dow, marks to my mind the beginning of an era of change in relig- ious thought upon the Cape ; but though doctrines may change, principles remain. " One generation passeth away and another cometh, but the earth abideth forever." To my understanding the Apostle Paul struck the key note of true religion when he said to his Philippian bretheren : - "What- soever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatso- ever 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."
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Rev. George W. Osgood, pastor of the West Yarmouth church, was next called upon.
ADDRESS OF REV. GEORGE W. OSGOOD.
RESPECTED PASTOR OF OUR MOTHER CHURCH, DEAR BRETHREN AND SISTERS :
In the name of your youngest daughter I salute you. Having been here only long enough to learn how to talk, I
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am unable to entertain you with quaint reminiscences of our fathers and mothers. But as a number who have preceded me have dwelt so pleasantly on the past, its memories and its associations, it may be well for me to think of the present and the future. And to this end, let me say to our Ecclesias- tical Mother, that your youngest daughter appreciates to some extent the God-given doctrines and the character-developing polity that we have inherited from our ecclesiastical ancestry. We are trying to be true to our inheritance, that the families with whom we live may be effectually persuaded to come with us, and that all together may become like God as the days go by, and thus become more and more fitted for our glorious eternity, as day by day we are drawing nearer to it.
We realize to some extent the difficulty of the problem, since men persist in beginning with facts and reasoning God-ward until in their bewilderment they unite with the poet in exclaiming, "the godless look of earth !" It is for us to take a higher position than this, and under God to try to bring them up to our level. We realize that we shall often find ourselves like a bundle of burning tapers in which the lowest attack those higher up, and all together conspire to consume the tallest. But we propose, in our measure, tolive over the life of Him who was, and is, the Light of the world ; who always began with God and reasoned out unto fact ; who never complained ; who never doubted God's wisdom and goodness : who never despaired of the future ; who let the origin of sin alone and the issues of sin alone; but who sim- ply contented himself with bringing every ounce of his spirit- ual might practically to bear upon sin itself, that he might put an end to it. How it bore upon his great and sympa- thetic heart to see his dear fellow-man bending down under the weight of sin and guilt and becoming more and more crush- ed thereby; and what a zest of spirit did he bring to bear upon the heart of man that greatest force in the uni- verse, the almighty dynamics of the redemptive love of God !
It is our aim, as a church of the Divine Son of God, to illustrate the power of his gospel, to learn to think of God as immanent and to imitate our master in reasoning from God out unto life until our very existence, beheld from this stand- point, shall be transfigured into a constant inspiration unto that highest ideal : to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. If great material possessions will help us in this line we de- sire them ; but if God sees that they would stand in our way, then we want to be poor. If social development and intel-
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lectual power will help us, we would like them; but if God sees that they would hinder us, then we humbly ask to be left in obscurity and to have simply good, common sense. We want to come so thoroughly under the power of Christ that we shall attain to the consciousness of our entire nature. Then we shall desire the highest good, and shall go through our days with God, even as the ship goes with the wind, with the full assurance of faith in him who wants us to go on and up. To this end we rejoice in living in this beautiful world of test, even though God does not intend any of his children to be continuously comfortable. Even though the ladder is steep that he expects us to climb, we rejoice in the climbing ; for we look back enough to see that it is darker further down, and we look ahead enough to see that it is lighter further up ; and thus we want to go on, aspiring ever, despairing never, knowing that God has focused all the rays upon the top- most round.
To keep our spirit calm, we are learning to look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : "for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
In proportion as we realize this, our ideal, we shall feel and you will feel, that your youngest daughter is proving herself worthy of her ecclesiastical mother.
Rev. L. P. Atwood was introduced as the representative of the first granddaughter church, the church of South Den- nis being a colony of the church in Dennis.
ADDRESS OF REV. L. P. ATWOOD.
RESPECTED GRANDMOTHER :
We, of South Dennis Congregational Church gladly come to memorialize the beginning of a life which made our existence possible.
We do not have the choice of our parents, nor the elec- tion of the place of our birth ; yet frequently, from the hon- orable record of ancestry, we can look back with gratitude and satisfaction, not to say pride, and say, if we had been consulted in the case, we should have chosen precisely the parents which we had, and the place where we began to be. So this day, a grandchild of the venerable Yarmouth Congrega- tional Church comes to worship at your sacred altars and ex- press satisfaction and joy that such a devout spirit has ani- mated our religious life, coming from you.
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We realize, to-day, it is impossible to do honor to your name, faith and memory if we have not respected and cherish- ed the important scriptural truths for which you lived and contended when here you cast your lot, resolved to worship and honor God. Therefore, we assure you we have faithful- ly relied upon, and taught, at the nuptial shrine, the sacred altar, and the "house appointed for all living, " the same great comforting truths which you have ever taught, and the same eternal visions of hope and faith beside the honored mound, cherishing the ashes of our departed ones. We re- member, too, that the history of our life and faith cannot be made worthy by mere flattery, much less by fulsome formal words, however chosen and refined. Nor ought you to rec- ognize any caresses, if we have not honored your faith by the spirit in which we have fraternized among ourselves. We are not content to be kindly and respectfully recognized by you, welcomed here to-day to participate in these appropriate services, but we are here with free and hearty will to become " laborers together " in promoting the truth which is most vi- tal to your highest success and spiritual thrift, and which you cherish as the necessary quality of resemblance. Every true utterance of yours we will echo ; the essential doctrine you urge shall find its response in us ; all your holy outreachings, to rescue the children of men, and present them to Christ, we will imitate ; all you excel in doing we endeavor to do as well, since the same spirit animates our hearts and nerves our arm. That for which you are ambitious shall kindle our ardor. When you come up here to worship, remember we are visiting our altars in humble devotion, at the same " com- mon mercy-seat." When you pray for the peace and pros- perity of those who love God in sincerity and truth, know our prayers are ascending for you, invoking grace to ripen in you every Christian virtue. We do not ask flattery, nor ex- cuse of our faults, but advice and counsel. Yet, it is of some worth to have lived through these last fifty years. If you grappled with the great essential doctrines of Chris- tianity, we have found it difficult to apply them, coming, however, through the ordeal with credit, and challenging the admiration of those who once only envied. That we
would provide for perpetuating the faith once delivered to the saints, see here our youthful vitality, in the representa- tives of the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, the active laborers in our field earnestly engaged to spread vital piety throughout our parish. They constitute an ele-
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ment not at all recognized when this mother of the sur- rounding churches was valiant to do her best work for the master. They come putting themselves into sympathy with this day's memories, to catch whatever of inspiration there can be in the touch of these associations, and to become con- secrated anew to serve God more effectively hereafter.
It may truthfully be inferred we have been meeting the moral demands of our locality since God's providence has committed to us the care of spiritual things in our neighbor- hood. But we would not be lulled to sleep, presuming we are essentially correct in faith and practice, because we are left undisturbed. Instead, we desire to be so active and efficient in our work, that all good enterprises may look to us for co-operation and encouragement.
We wish we were more in number here today; but we felicitate ourselves in that we have sent out many of our sons and daughters to do honorable service in many of our cities, and that some are at their homes praying for us to-day, while others are absent upon the mighty deep honoring your mem- ory and their connection with us. Whatever the future years may be, we here and now promise you shall not need to be ashamed of us. "The children of the elect sister greet thee !"
Rev. G. I. Ward, of the New Jerusalem church of Yar- mouthport, responded briefly and cordially in behalf of that society, but as his remarks were extemporaneous he has not been able to recall them. The closing address was by Rev. C. A. Bradley of the Universalist church.
ADDRESS OF REV. C. A. BRADLEY.
MY CHRISTIAN FRIENDS : -
My word must be brief. In behalf of the Universalist Church of Yarmouth, I express thanks for the kind invita- tion to participate in the exercises of this interesting anni- versary, and for the cordial greeting which has been ex- tended to us. Those who have preceded me have saluted this venerable church as the mother and grandmother of their respective churches. I do not know that she regards the Universalist church as her offspring. If she does recognize the relationship, I apprehend that she may sometimes have regarded her child as wayward and undutiful. Be that as it may, we come to-day with our Christian salutation, make
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your rejoicing our own, and with you, out of the past gather encouragement for a future of grander achievement.
The founders of the church which I have the honor to represent, were reared at your altar. Hither they came to worship, bringing their offerings of praise and thangsgiving. To it they were very warmly attached ; around it clustered many blessed memories, many hallowed associations; here devout parents have brought them to be consecrated to God. They have often told me of the spiritual conflicts they ex- perienced when they took themselves away from this, that they might establish an altar of their own. They left their old religious home and their associations with no unkindness in their hearts; it was not because a cloud had passed over their vision of faith, -they were not infidels ; it was not be- cause they disbelieved the Bible which they had been taught to reverence, they clung to it more closely as a lamp to their feet and a guide to their path ; it was not because they had ceased to look to Jesus as the author and finisher of their faith, - the name of Jesus had become more precious to them, but they left their early religious home because necessity was laid upon them, because they were true to their convic- tions. They did not question the honesty of those from whom they separated themselves, but they did assert their own. They left to their children a rich legacy of Christian hope and assurance.
And at the present time, whatever our differences, I take pleasure in testifying to the most cordial relations existing be- tween this ancient church and my own. We meet together, not as foes nor as heretics, but in mutual respect, as Chris- tians. And I do most heartily reciprocate the fraternal feeling my brother, your pastor, has expressed toward my- self and my people. During the many years we have been co- laborers in this field, nothing has occurred to disturb the friendly relations which should ever exist between those who are striving to build God's Kingdom in the hearts of men.
It is frequently said that the several Christian denomin- ations are rapidly approaching each other, and that the time is at hand when, as of old, there will be but one creed and one church. I do not entertain the hope. The fundamental principle of Protestanism asserts the right of private judgement in the interpretation of the Scriptures. This necessarily leads to a diversity of opinion, but it does not necessarily lead to spiritual antagonism and hatred. I do not see that we are moving toward each other, but I think I do see, and I trust
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I am not mistaken, Jesus is becoming more and more the cen- ter of the thoughts and affections of all; that, as never before, we are all beholding his glory as of the only begotten from the Father; that we of all sects, are marching in ever con- verging lines directly toward Him who is our Head, and in whom our union will be complete.
May God richly bless this ancient church and, with it, all our churches.
The following letters were then read from the only two surviving pastors, Rev. Abel K. Packard, of Greeley, Colora- do, and Rev. J. B. Clark, D. D., Secretary of the American Home Missionary Society :
Greeley, Colo., August 26, 1889.
REV. J. W. DODGE, Yarmouth, Mass.
My Dear Brother :
When I received your letter I had a faint hope, and much desire, that I might be able to be at. Yarmouth at your cele- bration. I had mislaid your letter and was not thinking the time was so near, till my daughter brought me Saturday, your letter to her.
" Quarter Millennial !" I would indeed like to have a part in such a celebration, even if I had not the interest in Yarmouth I have. Twenty years makes a town or church old here. This town was only four years old when I came to it. I preached here about as long as at Yarmouth, eight years, and seven years have passed since. There are trees here planted since the settlement, more than twice as large in circumference and height as those I planted in Yarmouth were when I saw them last; as perfect lawns as I can imagine. We have three-story brick blocks, street railway, Holly water works, steam fire engine, elegant and costly dwellings, churches and other buildings lighted, as well as the streets and parks, with electricity. We have four newspapers, pub- lic library, schools with nearly a score of teachers and eight self-supporting churches, and this in the heart of what was designated on the maps when I lived in Yarmouth," The Great American Desert."
The years, and the centuries, are both longer and shorter than they were in the old times. The last hundred years have been more crowded with events, with wants and supplies, than the years that went before. They have wit-
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