USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Plymouth > Historical sketch, articles of faith and covenant, principles and rules, and catalogue of members, past and present : of the Congregational Church, Plymouth, N.H > Part 1
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GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01816 9398
GENEALOGY 974.202 P74HI
Digitized by the Internet Archive · in 2015
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MANUAL
OF THE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
PLYMOUTH, N. II.
HISTORICAL SKETCH,
ARTICLES OF FAITH AND COVENANT,
PRINCIPLES AND RULES,
AND
CATALOGUE OF MEMBERS,
PAST AND PRESENT,
OF THE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH,
PLYMOUTH, N. H.
CONGRESS PRESS : J. E. FARWELL & COMPANY, PRINTERS, NO. 37 CONGRESS STREET, BOSTON. 1867.
CONTENTS.
HISTORICAL SKETCH, . 5
FORM OF ADMISSION,
10
ADDRESS,
.
10
CONFESSION OF FAITH,
10
COVENANT, .
11
PRINCIPLES AND RULES, 13
BENEVOLENT COLLECTIONS, 15
CATALOGUES OF MEMBERS,
16
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST,
16
ALPHABETICAL
OF PAST MEMBERS,
37
" " PRESENT MEMBERS,
43
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
The Congregational Church in Plymouth is as old as the town. The first settlers were mostly from Hollis, and the church was organized in that town, before they came to Plymouth. Whether this took place, as seems probable, in 1764, the year in which the first families came, or not until 1765, and through the agency of a second company of settlers, has not been ascertained. If the earlier be the true date, this was the first church organized in New Hampshire, north and west of Boscawen, and only Bennington, in Vermont, is older. The church in Newbury and Haverhill was gathered in the autumn of 1764. But it was afterwards limited to Newbury, leaving the church in Plymouth, the oldest in Grafton County. It built the first meeting-house, gare the first call to a pastor, and enjoyed the first revival in the County.
Plymouth was first visited with a view to settlement, by a party from Hollis, in Nov. 1762. ,The next spring, men came on, and worked through the summer, clearing and building cabins, and some of them spent the winter. In the spring of 1764, the first families arrived, the wife of Col. David 'Webster having probably been the first woman in town. She came on horseback, bringing her infant David, afterward so widely known, in her arms. Among the first settlers, we find the names of James Blodgett, Lieut. Josiah Brown, Capt. Jotham Cum- mings, Samuel Dearborn, Capt. James and David Hobart, Lieut. Zacha- riah Parker, Col. David, Amos and Stephen Webster, Ephraim Wes- ton, John Willoughby, and Francis Worcester.
Rev. Nathan Ward came by invitation to Plymouth early in the same year. He was born in Newton, Mass., April 11, 1721, son of Joseph Ward. He did not receive a liberal education ; but, being converted under Whitefield's preaching, and possessing superior natural endow-
6
ments, he was led in middle life to enter the ministry. His first settle- ment was in Watertown, Mass. In 1760, he was preaching in New- castle, Me., and in Jan. 1761, received a call to settle there, which he accepted. But some difficulty arose, and the relation never was con- summated, the invitation being withdrawn at his request in Oct. 1763.
He preached his first sermon in Plymouth, at Col. Webster's cabin, on the present grounds of the Pemigewasset House, from the text, Isa. 1 : 19, 20. After spending four Sabbaths, he received a formal call to become pastor, July 9, 1764. His acceptance, however, was delayed, and in February further overtures were made by the proprietors. These were successful, and he was installed at Newburyport, July 10, 1765.
A meeting-house was erected in 1767. It was of logs, 40 feet by 50, and stood facing south, a few rods south of the present road, at the foot of Meeting-house Hill, having the stocks and whipping-post in the rear.
This house was burnt by an incendiary, in Nov. 1787, for the pur- · pose, no doubt, of hastening the work on the new house, the frame of which had just been raised. In this second house, on the top of the hill, the fathers worshipped God for 50 years, and very hallowed asso- ciations cluster around it. It continued to be used as a town house till 1865, when it was sold at auction. It is still standing
The present house of worship was dedicated Dec. 1836, and first occupied on the Sabbath, Jan. 1, 1837.
Mr. Ward's pastorate continued until Jan. 4, 1798, and he resided in town until his death, June 15, 1804. After Mr. Ward's dismission, Mr. Daniel Hardy, a graduate and recent tutor in Dartmouth College, preached " off and on " for six months, and was invited to become pas- tor. But he declined the call, and spent most of his life in teaching.
The next year, Mr. Drury Fairbank accepted the call of the church, and was ordained Jan. 8, 1800. He was a native of Holliston, Mass., born Oct. 13, 1772; graduated at Brown University, 1797, and studied theology with Dr. Emmons. His pastorate continued until March 18, 1818. He removed the next year to Littleton, where, after a pastorate of sixteen years, he continued to reside, and died Jan. 11, 1853.
Rev. Jonathan Ward succeeded Mr. Fairbank, and, without installa- tion, served the church as acting pastor, eleven years. He was a son
7
of the first pastor, born Aug. 24, 1767 ; graduated at Dartmouth Col- lege, in 1792, and also studied theology with Dr. Emmons.
His previous and only pastorate was in Alna, Me., of twenty years. After leaving Plymouth, he preached in Brentwood, three and one-half years, and in various places for shorter periods. He died in Brent- wood, Feb. 24, 1860.
Rev. James Hobart, another son of this church, and the first male child born in town, labored here for six months after Mr. Ward left. He had just been dismissed from a successful ministry of thirty years in Berlin, Vt., which continued to be his home, during many subsequent years of labor among the churches of Vermont and New Hampshire. He died July 16, 1862, aged 96 years.
Mr. George Punchard was born in Salem, Mass., June 7, 1806. He was graduated from Dartmouth College in 1826, and studied theology at Andover. He was ordained pastor of this church, March 11, 1830, and dismissed March 6, 1844. In the spring of 1842, his health and voice failed, and he was absent six months. Returning, he was still unable to perform pastoral service, and in March 1843, the church, de- clining to accept his resignation, gave him leave of absence again for a year, and contributed to his expenses for a voyage to Europe, He has never been able to resume ministerial service, but has found useful em- ployment in editing the Boston Traveller, serving the American Tract Society as its Boston Secretary, and in elaborating the History of Con- gregationalism, the first edition of which, as well as his standard View of Congregationalism, was written in Plymouth.
During Mr. Punchard's disability and after his dismission, Rev. Enoch Corsen supplied the pulpit a year or more, and Rev. J. U. Parsons, for some months.
Rev. William Reed Jewett, was installed June 25, 1845. He was born in Rockport, Massachusetts; graduated at Amherst, in 1831, and Andover, 1834, and had been pastor in Griswold, Conn., six years. His ministry continued until July 11, 1862. He was installed again at Fisherville, Sept. 16, 1863.
Rev. Henry Allen Hazen was born in Hartford, Vt., Dec. 27, 1832; graduated at Dartmouth, in 1854, and Andover, 1857 ; ordained for Home Missionary service in Vermont, at St. Johnsbury, Feb. 17, 1858, and installed pastor at Plymouth, Jan. 21, 1863.
8
The following persons have been deacons, the year of appoinment, as far as preserved, being given : -
FRANCIS WORCESTER,
BENJAMIN GOULD,
JOSHUA FLETCHER,
JOTHAM CUMMINGS,
ASA ROBBINS, 1805,
JAMES MORRISON, 1831,
DAVID C. WEBSTER, 1856,
JOHN WILLOUGHBY,
ELISHA BEAN,
EBENEZER BARTLETT, JR., 1805,
ALVAH MCQUESTEN, 1834,
WASHINGTON GEORGE, 1863.
The first three were also elders.
The church has enjoyed extensive and powerful revivals. The first, in 1767, added twenty to the church, out of a population of 227. The next recorded was in 1790. The years 1800, 1815, 1820, 1828 and 1829, were distinguished by the presence of the Spirit, and the early years of Mr. Punchard's ministry were a rich spiritual harvest-time. A pro- tracted meeting, held in the spring of 1830, was the first of a series of similar meetings among the churches, and was specially memorable. Many ministers were present, including Rev. Messrs. Sutherland, of Bath, Blake, of Piermont, Goddard, of Norwich, Vt., and Dr. Lord, of Dart- mouth College. The power of God was present, and the results lasting and gratifying. One hundred persons were received to the church in 1830 and 1831. Since 1836, there has been no general revival of sim- ilar extent and power. But some years have been marked by unusual interest and growth, as 1848, 1857, and 1867.
Sabbath Schools were established in different neighborhoods, during the ministry of Rev. J. Ward. Such a school was taught by a good "lady still earlier, but did not become permanent. The present arrange- ment, one central School between the Sabbath services, was not adopted until' 1837. The Superintendents have been Wm. Green, Wm. W. : Russell, and Deacons Alvah McQuesten and Washington George.
The temperance reform enlisted the early interest, and has had the hearty support, of this church. So extensive and valuable were its fruits in the years preceding the great revival in 1830, that it was spoken of, in relation to the revival, as John the Baptist preparing the way for Messiah's advent. The members of the church agreed " to abstain entirely from the use of ardent spirits except as a medicine ";
9
and in Feb., 1832, it was " voted unanimously that no member of this church be allowed to sell ardent spirits except for medicinal purposes."
Reviewing a century of our history, this church has reason to thank God and take courage. It has been blessed in the permanence and the character of its ministry. In one hundred years, there were but five completed pastorates (counting Rev. J. Ward's such -as it was in all but the name), averaging eighteen and three-fifths years each. The church had a pastor almost ninety-six of the one hundred years, and was destitute of a stated supply less than two years.
The records prior to 1800 are lost. Since that time they give the following results, as to members : ---
Members in 1800, . 36
Received during Mr. Fairbank's ministry, and at other times, manner not specified, 91
By Profession of Faith since 1819, .
284
" Letter
102
Total,
513
Of whom there were males, .
. 163
Females, .
350
Removed by Death,
175
" Letter,
·
172
" Excommunication,
19
" Manner unknown,
20
Members at present time,
127
Of whom there are non-resident,
34
PROF. LETTER. TOTAL.
Received during Mr. Fairbank's ministry,
eighteen years,
85
During Mr. Ward's, eleven years, 53
14
67
Mr. Punchard's, fourteen yrs., 149
46
195
Mr. Jewett's, seventeen yrs.,
53
34
87
66
Mr. Hazen's, five yrs.,
29
7 36
Of the two hundred and eighty-four received on profession since 1819, one-half had been baptised in infancy. Since 1810, there have been ecorded three hun ed a d thirty-three infant baptisms.
10
FORM OF ADMISSION.
ADDRESS.
Beloved Friends : You present yourselves here, before God and this assembly, to make solemn confession of your Christian faith, and to take upon you everlasting obligations. We trust that you have considered well the nature of this transaction, and that you perform it with a deep sense of your own weakness and unworthiness to utter these vows unto the living God. They will be recorded in heaven and exhibited on your rial at the Judgment Day.
Yet be not overwhelmed. You stand here at the bidding of Christ, and in His name you do this thing. If you sincerely desire and strive to be His ; to believe His declarations and obey His commandments, he will compassionate your weakness, will make you wise in His wisdom and strong in His strength, and will conduct you safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Attend then to the
CONFESSION OF FAITH.
1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God and are the only infallible rule of faith and practice.
2. We believe that there is one only living and true God, mysteriously subsisting in three Persons-Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
3. We believe that God is perfect in all His attributes, unchangeable in His purposes, and universal in His providence, maintaining a righteous government over the universe and working all things after the counsel of His own will.
4. We believe that man has fallen from the state of perfection in which he was originally created, and that now all men are by nature desti- tute of holiness and prone to sin."
5. We believe that regeneration is effected by the agency of the Holy Spirit, and that except a man be born again, he can not see the king- dom of God.
6. We believe that the Son of God became incarnate, and by His sufferings, and death on the cross, the just for the unjust, has made a
11
full atonement for sin, so that God can now be just and justify him that believeth ; and that pardon and eternal life are now fully, freely and sincerely offered to all men on the condition of repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
7. We believe that all who truly embrace the Gospel, were, from the beginning, chosen into salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth ; and that such will be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
8. We believe that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust, and a Day of Judgment ; and that the wicked will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
9. We believe that God has appointed one day in seven, to be kept holy unto Him, and that from the resurrection of Christ, the first day of the week, is to be, to the end of the world, the Christian Sabbath.
10. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has established a visible church in the world ; and that the conditions of its membership are credible evidence of regeneration, baptism and a public profession of faith in Him.
11. We believe that Christ has appointed the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper ; that members of the visible church are entitled to partake of the Supper ; and that believers and their offspring only should receive the ordinance of Baptism.
All these things you truly profess and cordially believe.
[If the candidate have not been baptised, the ordinance of Baptism will be here administered].
You will now enter into covenant with God and with this Church.
COVENANT.
In the presence of Almighty God, His holy angels and this assembly, you do now solemnly avouch the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, to be your God, the supreme object of your affection and your portion forever. You cordially acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as your Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit as your Sanctifier, Comforter and Guide.
You cheerfully devote yourself to God in the everlasting covenant of His grace, consecrating all your powers and possessions to His service and glory, and you promise that through the assistance of His Spirit
12
you will cleave to Him, as your chief good ; that you will give diligent attention to His word and ordinances; that you will seek the honor and interest of His kingdom, and that henceforth, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, you will live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. You promise to engage habitually in all the duties of religion, such as secret prayer, reading the word of God, public and social worship, and, if heads of families, to guide your household in daily devotion, and to instruct them in the nature and duties of the Christian religion.
You do also cordially join yourself to this church, having subscribed its articles of Faith and Government. You engage to assist and sub- mit to its discipline ; to strive earnestly for its purity, peace and edifi- cation, and to walk with its members in charity, faithfulness, circum- spection, meekness and sobriety.
This you profess and engage.
[Here the members of the church will rise.]
In consequence of these professions and promises, we affectionately receive you to our communion, and, in the name of Christ, declare you entitled to all its visible privileges. We welcome you to this fellow- ship with us in the blessings of the Gospel, and, on our part, engage to watch over you and seek your edification. Should you have occasion to change your residence, it will ordinarily be your duty to seek and ours to grant a recommendation to another church; for hereafter you can never withdraw from the watch and communion of saints without a breach of covenant. Let it never be forgotten, beloved in the Lord, that you have now entered into solemn obligations from which there is no escape. Wherever you go, these vows will be over you. They will follow you to the bar of God, and abide upon you forever.
May God, of His infinite mercy, give us grace to be faithful to Him, and faithful to each other while we live; that we may be admitted at last, through the atonement of Christ, to the everlasting fellowship of saints and angels, in the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
.
13 ·
PRINCIPLES AND RULES.
1. A Christian church is an association of professed followers of Christ, united in a voluntary covenant, for the purposes of mutual watchfulness, the observance of the Christian sacraments, the mainten- ance of Christian worship and instruction, and the extension of the kingdom of Christ in the world. Such a body, under Christ, is fully competent to choose its officers, admit its members, administer dis- cipline, and do all other acts, necessary to the attainment of these purposes, independently of the control of any person or persons whatsover.
2. While thus independent of external authority, a church is bound in relations of mutual care and communion with other churches ; and this church will, in all ordinary cases, conform to the usages of fellowship, as established among the Congregational Churches.
3. The permanent officers of a church are a Pastor or Pastors, and Deacons. This church also appoints a Committee to examine candi- dates for membership and to secure a faithful attention to discipline.
4. The Church Committee consists of the Pastor, Deacons, and three other brethren. The latter are chosen for three years, one vacancy occurring each year. The same person is not ordinarily to be chosen two immediately successive terms.
5. The Committee shall satisfy themselves of the qualifications of all candidates, coming either with or without letters.
6. Persons approved by the Committee are to be announced to the Church, at the meeting two weeks before the Preparatory Lecture, at which time all letters are read. Those who are to be received on pro- fession of faith are expected, at the discretion of the Committee, to prepare a written statement of their religious experience, to be read before the church, or to pass a public examination, and they are pro- pounded before the congregation the Sabbath following.
7. Action is taken on applications for membership on the day of the Preparatory Lecture. All who are approved by the church become members by signing the articles of the church ; and, if professors, the public announcement of their names ; if non-professors, by publicly consenting to the confession of Faith and Covenant.
14
8. All members of this church removing to other places where churches of like faith exist, are expected to ask for a recommendation and dismission to such a church within one year after their removal, unless excused by the church committee. Letters of dismission are valid for one year only from their date.
9. Members of other churches of our order wishing to commune with this church, for more than one year, are desired to bring letters of "dismission and recommendation to this church, unless there be special reasons for delay. Such letters shall not be received, without satisfac- tory explanation, after a year from their date.
10. The occasions of discipline are of two kinds : private, as wrong done to an individual; and public, as wrong done to the church by immoral conduct or cherished disbelief of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible.
11. The rules of Christ, given in Matt. xviii, 15, 17, are to be literally followed by members of the church in all cases of private offence ; and the spirit of these rules is to govern all disciplinary processes.
12. The censures of the church are admonition and excommunica- tion. Admonition may be administered privately or publicly, accord- ing to the circumstances of the case. Excommunication is simply the withdrawal of fellowship, and should be as severe as the particular instance may demand.
13. The weekly Prayer Meeting of the church is on Thursday P. M., and is a regular church meeting for the transaction of ordinary business.
14. The annual church meeting is on the Thursday succeeding the second Sabbath in January.
15. The Lord's Supper is administered, in the afternoon of the first Sabbaths in January, March, May, July, September and Novem- ber. The Preparatory Lecture is on the Thursday P. M. preceding each communion Sabbath.
16. The church has authority at any time to vacate any office, for sufficient cause, and to fill any vacancy. Officers shall hold their po- sition until their successors are chosen.
15
BENEVOLENT COLLECTIONS.
The schedule of contributions established by the church includes, besides the Monthly Concert collection for Foreign Missions and the Female Cent collection for Home Missions, a communion collection for the church, and monthly Sabbath morning collections, distributed to different objects as follows :
January - Foreign Missions.
February - American Missionary Association.
March - American Education Society. April - May - Home Missions.
June - Tract Cause.
July - Foreign Missions.
August - Bible Society.
September -
October - Home Missions.
November - American and Foreign Christian Union. December --- American Congregational Union.
The Pastor and Deacons have authority to vary from this order and to designate the unassigned months to the Colonization, Seamens', Temperance, or any other worthy cause, at their discretion.
CATALOGUE OF ' MEMBERS. CHRONOLOGICAL LIST,
BEGINNING WITH THE MEMBERS IN 1800.
In the following Table, husbands' names are in parenthesis (). A female's maiden name in parenthesis, () indicates that she united with the Church before marriage; in brackets, [] after marriage.
Reg.
Name.
Date of Removal.
Manner of Removal.
1
Nathan Ward (Rev. 1765)
June 15, 1804
By death, aged 81 years.
2
Lydia Clough Ward (Rev. Nathan)
April 16, 1823
By death, aged 84 years.
3
Drury Fairbank (Rev. 1800)
April 18, 1820
Dis. to church in Littleton.
4 John Aiken
Dec. 8, 1825
By death, aged 68 years.
5 Anna Weeks Aiken (John)
Oct. 3, 1830
Dis. to church in Wentworth.
6 Stephen Bartlett
7
Mary Lovejoy Bartlett (Stephen)
8
Ebenezer Blodgett
9 Hannah Blodgett
10 11
Jeremiah - Brainard (Cheliab)
Aug., 1816
12
Sarah Clark
13
Hannah Parker Worcester (Francis) Cook (Moody) Jotham Cummings, (Dea.)
Jan., 1815 April 14, 1808 Nov. 8, 1827
By death, aged 56 years. By death, aged 68 years. By death, aged 83 years. Unknown.
15
Anna Brown Cummings (Jotham)
16
James Cummings
17 Samuel Dearborn
18 Nathaniel Emerson
Sept. 30, 1807 Aug. 17, 1808
By exc. By death, aged 46 years. Dis. to Pres. ch. in Constable, N.Y.
19 Joseph Estabrooks
20 Hannah Wheat Estabrooks (Joseph)
1
16
Sept. 30, 1807 May, 1824
By exc. Dis. to ch. in Campton. Unknown. 66 By death, aged 70 years. Unknown.
Rachel Brown
14
Joshua Fletcher (Dea.) Sarah Brown Fletcher (Joshua) Asa Fuller
21 22 23 24 Elizabeth Fuller Fuller (Asa) Benjamin Goold (Dea.)
25 26 27 28 29 30 Jacob Merrill
George Hull Onesiphorus Marsh Sarah Marsh Samuel Marsh
Oct., 1812 1813
Daniel Morse
1826
31 32 Miriam Morse
33 Sarah Lovejoy Emerson (Nathaniel) Ramsey (Matthew)
April, 1819 1819
James Ryan
Feb 19, 1833
36
John Willoughby (Dea. 1766)
Oct. 14, 1818 Dec. 29, 1820 66
Dis. to ch. in Bridgewater. Dis. to Bap. ch. in Rumney.
Unknown.
By death, aged 63 years. By death. By death. Unknown. By death, aged 54 years. By death. Dis. to ch. in Lyndon, Vt. By death. 17
34 35 Abraham Sanborn
June 22, 1834
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST - Continued.
Reg.
Name.
Date of Reception
Manner of Reception.
Date of Removal.
Manner of Removal.
37 Ebenezer Bartlett 38 Ebenezer Bartlett, jr. (Dea. 1805) 39 Moody Cook 40 Lucretia [Rockwood ] Fairbank ( Rev. Drury)
41 Martha [Robbins] Bartlett (Ebenezer, jr.) 42 Sarah [Elliott] Cook (Moody) 43 Jotham Cummings, jr., (Dea. 1801) 44 Elizabeth [Senter] Cummings (Jotham, jr.) 45 Polly [Reed] Melvin (Enoch) 46 Betsey Merrill 47 Sarah [Cushing] Porter (John) 48 Joannah (Buzzell) Bartlett (Joseph) 49 Jonathan Robbins 50 Sally (Tarbell) Warner (Joseph) .
51 Susannah [Brown] Hix (Joseph) 52 Abigail (Homans) Sargent (Peter) 53 Susannah [Eastman] Hazeltine (James) 54 Mary [Fletcher] Robbins (Jonathan) 55 Sarah [Townsend] Thurlo (Moses) 56 Sally Merrill
July 20, 1800 66
Sept. 7, 1800
66
66
June 11, 1820
66
June 13, 1857
66
Oct. 19, 1800
66
66 Nov. 30, 1800
66
March 1, 1801
Apr. 26, 1801 66
Unspecified
May, 1824 Feb. 1, 1832 May, 1824
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