USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Brentwood > Annuals of the Brentwood, N.H. Congregational church and parish > Part 2
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At this Keeneborough Council ordaining Mr. Trask (Wednesday, Dec. 13, new style), there were delegates from the following churches, with their pastors, as named : Bedford, Mass., Rev. Nicholas Bowes; Newmarket, Rev. John Moody; Hampton Ist, Rev. W. Cotton ; Hampton 3d (Kensington), Rev. Jeremiah Fogg; Hampton 4th (North Hampton), Rev. Nathaniel Gookin ; Amesbury Ist, Rev. Elisha Odlin ; Kingston 2d (E. Kingston), Rev. Peter Coffin ; and delegates from the church at Lexington, Mass .; Mr. Moody chosen moderator, and Mr. Coffin, clerk. "Moved in bar to the proceeding
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that the council acting in the ordination would be looked upon as justifying the civil constitution of Keeneborough, which by some was looked upon to be unprecedented and infringing upon the rights and privileges of the people, there being but two of the three branches of the Legislature [viz. : the Gov- ernor and Council] that acted in it. It was propounded whether this council, proceeding to ordain a pastor over the church and people, implies any dec- laration of our judgment respecting their civil constitution ; and it passed in the negative." Fifteen of the Keeneborough inhabitants brought objections to the council's ordaining; to which a council committee gave written answer as follows : " Objection I. That they are not a society formed according to the constitution of the government in this Province. Answer : To which we an- swer, that we do not apprehend that we are called to judge of this article ; neither do we think that our ordaining a pastor over them implies any decla- ration of our judgment respecting their civil constitution. This we leave to the common law to be decided. Objection 2. That the ecclesiastical state of Keeneborough is entirely new. Answer: To which we answer, that the church there is formed according to the custom usual in these churches. Objection 3. That the people are not able to support a pastor. Answer : The pastor and people are the best judges of this, and have settled the matter. Objection 4. That the meetings in order to their settlement were irregular. Answer : The calling of them is attested by two Justices of the Peace; and the transac- tions by the clerk of the society to be regular, and but fifteen dissenters: wherefore we think our way open for the ordination of a pastor over this people." Voted, that Rev. Mr. Coffin should begin with prayer; Rev. Modera- tor give the Charge ; Rev. Mr. Odlin, of Almsbury, should give the Right Hand.
1748, Jan. 6. In Brentwood Parish meeting, an effort to have preaching was voted down. March 21. Voted, "that the Meeting House be near Joel Judkins [three-fourths mile south of the decreed site], or the first convenient place between there and the Brook." March 21. About the same site was fixed upon. May 23. Voted "four months' preaching within the parish as soon as possible," in the same vicinity; and chose committee to petition General Court for liberty to change site of Meeting House ; £250 voted by parish, and seats made for the parish in Jonathan Smith's house. All this looks like an effort to accommodate the Kingston church members that lived in Brentwood. 1748. Paid Rev. Mr. Richardson for preaching £24, and Rev. Daniel Little, £95.
The same year, in the case of the man imprisoned by Keeneborough for "Rates;" the Superior Court decided in favor of Brentwood. and against Keeneborough. Sept. 20. The Selectmen of Keeneborough, finding the courts do not sustain them in collecting ministerial taxes, appeal to the Gov- ernor and Council, saying : " We have proceeded to settle a Gospel Minister amongst us, the Rev. Mr. Nathanael Trask. * * We are in a deplor- able condition, having a minister settled, and money to pay both for his settlement and support, and no power to raise any money in a legal way, or to gather in any tax already raised; and having been at great expense in vin-
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dicating the Charter, we humbly crave pity of your Excellency and the Council, and that you would be pleased to find out some way for our relief." The rest of the appeal is piteous, and meant to be touching. It is in the handwriting of Pastor Trask, and is obviously his own composition. Oct. 3. Petition deferred by the Governor and Council.
1749. Paid Mr. Trask for preaching £48, and £3 for the use of the Meeting House [at K]. March 20. Voted to lay out in preaching the unex- pended money raised by " Rates ; " committee chosen to agree with a minis- ter. March 22, Mr. Trask receipts Keeneborough Parish Constable for £147, "in part of an order for my first year's salary; " his salary is a year behind. April 17. Brentwood votes £200 for preaching, to be held about one mile south of the site for the new church, and within reach of the Brent- wood members of the Kingston church. June 15. Rev. N. Trask married to Miss Parnel Thing, daughter of Benjamin Thing, of Exeter. 1749. Paid Rev. Daniel Little for preaching £125. Mr. L. preached in Brentwood Parish about seventeen months. June 28. Voted to call him for settlement ; committee chosen to agree with him; Dec. 15, he gave this answer: "I have taken the advice of ministers and particular friends who know your case, and have weighed the affair, I hope, without partiality; and upon the clearest view, the difficulties you meet with at present, and the prospect of greater hereafter by reason of your perplext and uncertain circumstances as a Parish, oblige me to manifest my answer to your call in the negative. You have my prayers that your difficulties may be removed, and that the God of love and peace may be with you and bless you.". Jan. 1, 1750. Voted three months' more preaching "where it was last year " [toward Kingston]. Committee chosen to agree with a minister. March 12. Meeting in response to Act of General Court. " Voted that Rev. Mr. Trask should be the Minister for the whole Parish, upon conditions the people that first settled him shall pay all the charges that have arisen amongst themselves, and apply themselves to the Governor and Council and get their Charter erased." A strong commit- tee - Joseph Wadleigh, Jeremiah Bean, Biley Lyford, Ensign John Dudley, Antipas Gilman, "Deacon " Timothy Leavitt, and James Robinson - was chosen to treat and agree with Mr. Trask as to settlement and salary, in case the conditions named be performed. 1750. Paid Rev. Mr. Vinister for preaching £15, and Rev. Mr. Moody, £80, and Mr. Trask, £80. June 4. Meeting warned by virtue of Act of General Court. Committee chosen to . provide timber, boards, and shingles and workmen, and to enclose and under- pin, the Meeting House, and lay the underfloors and put up the window- frames : voted to raise £600. July 30. First parish meeting at the new Meeting House ; voted three months' preaching in the parish, and committee chosen to agree with a minister. Dec. 17. Voted that Mr. Trask be the minister for the parish. Committee appointed to treat and agree with him both as to settlement and salary. Voted that Keeneborough should not re- tain their proportion of the " Rates," or the money that is in their hands. This seems to have closed the way against further legal official action on the part of the Keeneborough parish officers.
SẢN ÀILD HIZ
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1751, Jan. 15. A Monthly Meeting at Hampton authorizes the Friends at Brentwood to establish a meeting .- "Brentwood, Jan. 4. To the first Church of Christ in Kingston ; Reverend, Honored, and Beloved : Whereas we have long been incorporated as a Parish and are now inclined to incorporate as a Church of Christ and enjoy special Ordinances among ourselves, in order thereto we desire a dismission from special relation to you, and your Prayers for us and the Continuance of acts of Christian Charity; as we trust thro' Grace ours shall be continued for and towards you. We are your Brethren in Christ." Signed by sixteen males and fifteen females, all living in Brent- wood. In church roll, page 29, they are designated by the letter K .- Jan. 6, they were present with the Church at Kingston ; and after being counselled and exhorted by Pastor Seccombe, they were voted a dismission. This pas- tor nowhere appears hostile to the Whitefield movement, although the Kings- ton Church had in use the half-way covenant. Within two years from June, 1740, his Church received by profession 163 members; and among these were 26 of the 31 who were dismissed to Brentwood. Often, from 1745, the Brent- wood preaching had been, as we have seen, in or near the homes of these Kingston members,-that is, a mile or more south of the Meeting House which, by tax, they were helping to build ; thus these 31 were being drawn north- wards. And now they are ready in heart to join with 22 other Brentwood believers, living further north, in calling a council of six churches to organ- ize them into a Church, to worship in the new sanctuary. Lord's Day, Jan. 20, 1751, says Rev. Ward Cotton in Hampton Church records: "The Church voted Deacons Moulton and Philbrick to attend me to the gathering of a Church at Brentwood. N. B .- A Church was not gathered, but a joint council advised to." We learn from language used in the "Result" of the joint council, that six churches were invited to this former council ; and the major part of them "came together" at the appointed time, which seems likely to have been Wednesday, Jan. 23. However, before Feb. 4, "Mr. Trask and his Church, with a number of members belonging to other churches who were his adherents" chose six more churches, and agreed on the joint council of "Feb. 19." The Keeneborough Church bound itself (by votes) to stand by result of the council. Feb. 11, 1751. Parish voted " to refer all matters of the controversy relating to Rev. Mr. Trask to the joint council to sit Tuesday, Feb. 19, to see whether he shall be the Minister of said Parish, yea or nay." Voted to provide for the council and defray the whole charge. Both the Brentwood Parish Records of this year and the joint council assume that there was at Keeneborough an organized Church. The Hampton pastor, Cotton, says in his Church Records that this council met on Feb. 19, Tuesday. Brentwood Parish Records, page 40, say : "Said council for Feb. 19 did set Feb. 22" [i. e. New style, Mar. 5 ; deferred, perhaps, because of a storm or bad roads]. Mr. Cotton adds, " I was moderator, and Mr. Coffin [East Kings- ton, Pastor,] Clerk. The council consisted of twelve churches and advised the people to hear Mr. Trask four months, and if then two-thirds chose him. to receive him, and otherwise that he should be dismissed." From the min-
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utes of this "Joint Council," we learn that for substance it advised, I, that Rev. Mr. Trask be not at once fixed over the whole Parish of Brentwood ; 2, nor that he should at once ask dismission from his Keeneborough Church ; but, 3, that he "preach in the Parish of Brentwood through four months" from then; 4, meanwhile be supported by all the parish; and, 5, then the .whole parish decide ; and he stay if two-thirds desire, if not, "that he ask a dismission from his pastoral relation to his Church at Keeneborough so called." Among other advice was this appeal of the council : " Brethren, we heartily lament your divisions and difficulties, and pray you in the bowels of Jesus that you consider the bitter and fatal consequences of them; consider we pray you that to live in love and peace is the way to have the God of love and peace to dwell with you ; and that where there is contention there is confu- sion and every evil work. Therefore, laying aside all wrath and malice, and evil speaking and surmising, that ye put on charity, fervent charity, and dili- gently follow the things that make for peace and edification, that it may be well with you and your children forever."
March 19. Paid Rev. Mr. White for preaching £98; Mr. Trask, £56. March 14. Paid an undesignated preacher £30. May 16. Voted that £400 be raised for preaching for the ensuing year. The Parish paid the Council charges,- about £150, besides £17 to Ephraim Robinson for rum. Paid for Meeting House stoop £55.
· June 24. The four months having expired, it was put to vote whether the parish would have Mr. Trask for its minister, "according to the Result of the Council." Negatived. Rev. W. Cotton writes in Hampton Church records, " July 7, 1751 [Lord's Day], read a letter from Brentwood to the Church. Voted to send Deacons Moulton and Philbrick. N. B .- Mr. Trask and his people fell from the result entirely." "July 11. [Thursday]. Six churches being met there, they chose me their Moderator, Mr. Coffin, Clerk, and voted to gather a church on Friday [12th] in the Meeting House. The Rev. Mr. Seccombe [of Kingston] prayed. Mr. Bacheller [of Haverhill, West.] preached, Ps. 85 : 9. I gathered the Church, consisting of about 40 persons, and prayed." This was July 23, 1751, new style. The Confession of Faith and Covenant adopted is nearly identical with the Kingston Confession (1725), and is moderately Calvinistic. We have found the original document ; it is written in the hand of Mr. Seccombe, the Kingston pastor. On it we find the names of 53 original members, written in the hand of Benj. Veasey, Esq. (born at Stratham), who seems to have been, from the outset, deacon of this church, and who was a practical, prudent, and influential man. Parish meet- ing, Aug. 19. The call, Aug. 8, for this meeting said : "It appears that Mr. Trask is not the minister of Brentwood Parish, according to the result of a Great Council late in Brentwood." The proposal was to apply to the Rev. President of the college and others, according to the advice of said Council, and have some other suitable candidate for the ministry. Voted that no action be taken. Sept. 9. The new proposal in parish warrant of Aug. 22, to hear some suitable candidate for the ministry six sabbaths, was negatived.
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Oct. 7. In the call for this meeting, Sept. 26, it is said that " Mr. Trask and his adherents have not complied with the advice of the Council (as they agreed), but still keep preaching in Keeneborough so called, separate from the people in Brentwood," that "Mr. Trask was settled by only a small number of - the people in Brentwood Parish;" and that, "besides Mr. Trask's Church, there is a Church embodied in Brentwood Parish, which is the Church of Brent- wood." Proposed " that Keeneborough should become a parish and have its line made by order of the Governor, and have its proportion of Rates, and ask the General Court to confirm their votes. Negatived." 1751. For the 4 months' preaching, paid Mr. Trask £232, paid Rev. Mr. White £33. 1752, March 16. Paid Mr. Trask {228. As to the Friends' yearly petition that they be cleared from annual ministerial Rates, March 16, 1752, it was granted ; and May 28, 1753, and March 18 and Sept 2, 1754, and March 17, 1755, it was denied. The proposal, March 16, 1752, to maintain two ministers in the parish by one rate, was negatived. April 15. Voted that the part of the £400 for preaching, "which hath been expended for other [secular] uses, be allowed."[!]
1752, May 14. Parish voted that Rev. N. Trask be its minister ; and May 15 its committee agreed with him on £500 yearly salary in bills, 20 cords good firewood and {600 for settlement. The equivalent of f12 then would be $1 now. "Second Tuesday of Sept.," 1752 [i. e., because of change to new style, not the 8th, but Sept. 19]. Voted to sell the privilege of the pews, so as to have means to finish the Meeting House. Dec. 27. Paid Mr. Trask £406; 1753, paid him £147; March 5, voted to make a parsonage pew, and to raise the gallery girths 16 inches. May 28, 1754. Paid Pastor Trask some £500 for salary, and £300 for settlement. May 20. Voted that there be no money raised for Mr. Trask this year [!]. Perhaps it was this vote that led him to teach, that year, one of the Public Schools. 1755. Paid Mr. Trask £254. July 25, nine Friends cleared from Minister's " Rates ; " Dec. 18, eight more cleared.
1756, Jan. 13. Deac. Timothy Leavitt wills to the Church of Christ in Brentwood £20. About Jan. 15, 1756, the two churches of Brentwood sent out letters to several churches, "signifying that they had mutually made choice of the Rev. Mr. Trask for their pastor, and desiring pastor and dele- gates to meet in council at Brentwood in order to his instalment." [Hamp- ton, Lord's Day], Jan 18, 1756. "This Church was sent for to install the Rev. Mr. Trask at Brentwood. They chose Deacons Tuck and Lane, who went : and the affair was completed [Jan. 21] with love and peace, decency and good order. Mr. Odlin and Flagg [of Chester] prayed. I preached, Col. 4 : 17. Mr. Whipple gave the Charge. Attest : W. Cotton, Pastor." Into this Union Church there seem to have come from the Keeneborough Church some 2/5 or 30 members ; and Joseph Wadleigh appears to have been elected at once as deacon. Cautious and conservative, he had not joined either the "Borough " or the "Gully " Church ; but, with some others, had held back till harmony prevailed and the two became one. Thus happily ended the fourteen years of differences. Probably the Union Church was formed with
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as many as 120 members, for after 10 years it had 153; and during that 10 years, while there had been accessions, some had died, and some had re- moved. At this time Brentwood Parish had 300 freeholders and probably 1,000 people. March 20. "Voted by the Church, concerning the Lord's Supper, that no member, for light excuses, absent himself by tarrying at home, or going to neighboring churches on such days as shall be appointed for its celebration." 1756-1757. Mr. Trask administered the seals to the pastorless Epping Church on sundry occasions. Spring of 1756, the pews below were sold : one brought £39, to be paid in money or work on the Meeting House, within 6 months. 1757, a Minister's " Rate " was made and gathered ; Meeting House fenced in ; privileges of seats in the rear of the front galleries were sold ; and March I, request of a number of people at the westerly end of the parish to be " set off " was refused. This Meeting House had its side towards the road, and a door therein with a porch ; it had north and south gal- leries, square pews, high pulpit, and a sounding board. It was without bell and belfry, and unpainted.
1759, Nov. 8 .. The Major bids Capt. John Dudley's command to meet in Brentwood Parish and attend Divine Service on Saturday morning, the Ioth. 1760-1. Parish nursed those sick with small-pox, at cost of more than £700. 1762, May 14. Privilege for gallery pew 4 brings £50, to be used before Aug. 15 in plastering the Meeting House.
1763, June 29. Deacon Benj. Veasey in his will gives to the church a new pewter platter, and to Brentwood the burying-place (half acre), "they keeping the same in fence." Dec. 25. Mr. Trask gave to Mr. Page, at his ordination at Hawke (Danville), the Right Hand of Fellowship.
1764, March 7. Seventeen freeholders, representing about 20 members of the Church, petition the parish either (1) to support a minister in the west part, while they themselves, at "private expense, build a Meeting House and settle a minister ; " or (2) to " move the old Meeting House, or build a new one in the centre, somewhere near Crawley's." March 29 and May 15, both prop- ositions negatived. March 29. A request of a number of families to be set off to the Parish of Epping denied. May 15. Voted to set off the west half of Brentwood Parish. June 12. Forty-four families now petition the General Court to be set off as a parish from Brentwood, to be constituted from its western half. June 15. Voted that a bill be brought in for the petitioners. June 22. The west part of Brentwood Parish incorporated into a separate parish, and called Poplin; July 3, 1854, name changed to Fremont.
1765, Sept. 25. Parish voted to finish plastering of Meeting House. Oct. 2. Seven churches (including this and its pastor) invited to council as to differences between Hampton Church and its pastor. 1766. Plastering of the Meeting House not completed till this year. March 20. " A committee ap- pointed to inquire into the reasons of the withdrawals of some of the members of the Church, and make return to the Church at the next lecture." This last record, together with that of March 20, 1756, and a vote concerning a Church Record Book, July 22, 1802, are the only preserved minutes of any Brentwood
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Congregational Church Meeting before Sept. 23, 1816. Whatever accessions there were to the Church, and baptisms, between 1766 and 1801, none are recorded by this Church. July, 1766. This Church (with 20 others) invited to share in ordaining Rev. E. Thayer at Hampton.
1769. Proposal to increase the pastor's salary, because of the great rise in the cost of living, was negatived. Timothy Upham (H. U. 1768) began studying theology with Mr. Trask in 1768, finishing in 1772, teaching, mean- while, each year, Brentwood Schools. He was pastor at Deerfield 39 years. April 23, 1770. Voted that singers' seats may be prepared at the rear pews down-stairs.
1771, May 2. The Brentwood Baptist Church organized 33 miles north- . westerly, with fourteen members, of whom five - Stephen Butler, John Fol- sham, Levi Morrill, Molly Morrill, and Martha Marston - came from the Congregational Church, followed at later dates by nine others.
1775, June 5. Parish raised money for the poor and homeless in Boston, then held by the British army. At this time there were 35 men from Brent- wood in the army, and a few months later 57; during the 7 years' war the town furnished at least 74 soldiers. Of the 160 signers of the covenant (of 1775) to resist British aggressions, 25 were members of the Church; and about Io members went into the army.
1778-9. There were two parish votes declining to make up for the Con- tinental depreciation of Mr. Trask's salary ; but Dec. 6, 1779, relief was voted 19 to 13.
1785, June 20. Voted that the chorister may sing according to his own judgment [i. e., not bound to congregational singing]. Robert Rowe was to read the psalm for the congregation to sing "when requested by the choir." Sept. 10. Mr. Trask, being old, applied to the parish to hire preaching. Sept. 16. Voted three days' preaching, Joseph Sanborn, committee.
1787. Meeting House shingled ; Aug. 20, parish and Mr. Trask agreed to a council for Aug. 25 of three churches (Kingston, Deerfield, and Epping, or, if need be, Hampton or Stratham) for his dismission, on condition that the parish pay him $50 a year for life, and exempt him from what would be nearly one-half of his taxes. Aug. 23. A committee for three months' preach- ing. Dec. 17. Voted six Sabbaths' preaching.
1788, March 24. Voted to clapboard the south side and west end of the Meeting House and raise for preaching $100. June 30. Voted £30 for preaching. This year Rev. Jedediah Tucker preached several months ; also Revs. Isaac Mansfield of Exeter, David Porter, and A. Washburn preached.
1789. This year Revs. Wm. Woodbridge, Jesse Remington, Peter San- born, Dorrance, and Underwood preached here. Dec. 12. Rev. N. Trask, about 40 years pastor here, died, his wife and four children surviving him. His Will was made May 6, 1785. His property was inventoried £571 : his books £73. On his grave-stone is this epitaph : " Was possessed of respec- table talents ; was highly esteemed amongst his brethren in the ministry." " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."
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Not a fragment of his religious writings has been found. Pastor Bout- well, in his 1851 Centennial Discourse to this church, says: "Mr. Trask's views and Preaching are said to have been strongly of an Arminian charac- ter." This could hardly be said of the sermons of his theological pupil, Rev. Timothy Upham, of Deerfield.
1790, March 15. Selectmen gave the last orders "in full for Mr. Trask's Salary, " £6 sh. 2, including 28 shillings for "Rum [about 3} gallons] and sugar for his funeral expenses." March 8. Voted £70 for preaching. Preach- ers this year, Revs. John Taylor, Michael Abbott, Abishai Colton, N. Waldo, and Camp. May 24. Voted Abishai Colton a call ; salary £70 ; 20 cords of good hard wood, and £150 to buy a parsonage for the Society. 1791 Rev. John Taylor called, 40 to 15 ; no action as to support. Other preachers this year, Revs. Stephen Fenn, Perley Howe, Cushman, Brown, and Atkinson. £45 voted for preaching. In 1792 the main preacher was Mr. Fenn: £30 voted for preaching, the smallest sum that the town voted for the gospel, and this year the town first licensed the dram-shop. 1793. Revs. E. Parish, John Tappan, and Ephraim Briggs preached. February 4. Rev. Nathan Bradstreet called unanimously "to settle as Pastor of the Church and Con- gregation of this Society." Call continued May 13 : salary, £90; settle- ment, $150. Oct. 7. Voted £30 "for supplying the Desk."
1794, May 12. Voted for preaching £60. Revs. Pinneo, Wm. Jackson, and Thomas Crafts preached this year. Oct. 20. Mr. Crafts was voted a call ; £90 salary and £150 settlement. - Preachers in 1795, Jacob Flint, Nathanael Hall, and Simon F. Williams. Voted for preaching in 1795, '96, '98, 1800, each, $200; in '97, $100 ; in '99, $150. Preachers in 1796, Nathan Bradstreet, James Hobart, or Hubbard, Babcock, Timothy Clark, and John D. Perkins. Preachers in 1797, Jacob Abbott, Hilliard, Silas Warren, and Luther Wright. Preachers in 1798, James Kendall and Thomas Noyes. Oct. 29. Mr. Noyes unanimously called : $300 salary; $400 settle- ment. 1799, April 8. Voted that the preaching shall " be no more than $5 each Sabbath." May 30. Second Confession of Faith, strongly Calvin- istic, adopted by the Church. July I. Rev. Thomas Crafts again called : $300 salary and $400 settlement. Dec. 23. An effort to build a parsonage or buy one, ardent at first, finally failed. Preachers for 1800 : Samuel Brown, David Smith, Stephen Thatcher, Nymphas Hatch, and Ebenezer Flint.
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