USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Troy > Historical sketch of the town of Troy, New Hampshire, and her inhabitants from the first settlement of the territory now within the limits of the town in 1764-1897 > Part 10
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"Now ye God of Peace, that Brought again from ye Dead, ve Lord Jesus Christ, ye great Shepherd of ye Sheep, through ye Blood of ye ever- lasting Covenant, make us all perfect in every good work to Do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, thro' Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.
"BENJAMIN BRIGHAM, Pastor elect. " BENJAMIN BIGELOW. "JOHN FASSETT. " NATHANIEL WILDER. "CALEB WINCH. "JAMES REED.
"N. B. As to Discipline, this Chh. is founded upon ye Cambridge Platform, as it is commonly Received and Practised upon in ye New England Churches."
This covenant was signed by five men in addition to the pastor elect, and of the church thus constituted but one member, Caleb Winch, was a resident of what is now Troy.
Ten churches, with their pastors, were invited to com- pose the council, but of these only Marlborough, West- borough, Royalston, and Winchendon, Mass., and Keene and Swanzey appear to have been represented.
The answer of Mr. Brigham to the eall he received, was probably characteristic of the man and was consid- ered of sufficient importance to be placed in full upon the proprietors' records, and was as follows:
Monadnock No. 4, January 29, 1771.
To the Proprietors and Congregating Society of Monadnock No. 4, in the Province of New Hampshire.
Grace, Merey and Peace be multiplied from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Brethren and Friends.
The great God who is Sovereign of universal nature and orders all things according to the Counsels of his own will, for his own honor and glory and the best interests of all who love and fear and obey him, has,
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in his all wise providence, brought me among you to preach the Gospel of his Son Christ Jesus, and also inclined you to make choice of me who am very unworthy of the honor, to settle among you in the work of the Gospel Ministry. You have laid before me your proposals, bearing date Nov. the 7th 1770 and January the 29th 1771, which offers I view as generous considering the infaney of the town and circumstances of this people; and cannot forbear returning you my sincere and hearty thanks for the great respect you have shown me thereby. I have taken your invitation into serious and prayerful consideration, and when 1 reflect how great and ardnons the work of a Gospel Minister is, how much grace and wisdom is necessary and how very unequal 1 am to such an under taking, it makes me to tremble and to say with the blessed Apostle, "Who is sufficient for these things!"
Nevertheless when I consider the sufficiency of God's grace he affords to all them that sincerely ask it of him and the promise of Christ that he will be with his Ministers always to the end of this world, and the uncommon unanimity of the people in the choice of me for your Pastor it supports me and I take courage.
1 do therefore, viewing it my duty, and having taken the advice of my fathers and brethren in the Ministry, with dependence, upon grace and strength derived from Christ, the Head of all influences, accept of your invitations and offers, with this reserve that I have two Sabbaths annually allowed me during the time of my ministry, that I may have opportunity to visit my parents and friends.
I further entreat that you would remember me daily in your prayers to God, though an unworthy, yet that I may be a faithful Servant and watchman upon this part of Jerusalem's walls, instrumental of advanc- ing the Redeemer's Kingdom in the world and of promoting religion, piety, and true Godliness among you, that finally I, who sow and you who reap, may rejoice together in the kingdom of glory forever and ever.
BENJAMIN BRIGHAM.
Mr. Brigham continued pastor for nearly twenty-nine years, or until his death, which occurred June 13, 1799. His salary was paid according to contract for twenty- seven years, when by mutual agreement, it was assumed by the town.
During the ministry of Mr. Brigham there were ad- mitted to the church two hundred and eighty-five members,
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one hundred and thirty-one males and one hundred and fifty-four females. No doubt many of these were resi- dents of what is now Troy.
The following tribute to him is from the records of the church: "He was a good Divine, an able and faithful Pastor, the friend of peace, truth and righteousness. While he lived he was greatly esteemed and beloved by his people and all his acquaintances, and at his death he was greatly lamented."
After the death of Mr. Brigham there was no pastor of the church until 1802, services being held by candidates or supplies. In June of this year, the church extended a call to Mr. Stephen Williams of Woodstock, Conn., to be- come their pastor, and requested the concurrence of the town in this action. The town voted to comply with this request, and offered Mr. Williams a settlement of three hundred and thirty-four dollars, and an annual salary of three hundred dollars, without the use of the ministerial lot. But unfavorable reports respecting the character and habits of the candidate were put in circulation about that time, and the town took the precaution to vote that if he should become their pastor upon the proposed terms, and within six years should be dismissed because of charges affecting his morals, he should bind himself to restore to the town three-fourths of the amount of his settlement, and a less proportion, or one-half of the same, if, for the same reason, his ministry should elose in twelve years, and one-fourth of the same, if within eighteen years. These conditions proved unsatisfactory to Mr. Williams, and a compromise was effected, the settlement of three hundred and thirty-four dollars to be relinquished, and the town adding one hundred dollars to the amount of his stipulated salary, making the amount four hundred dol- lars annually.
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He was ordained Nov. 4th, 1800, the council reporting that after a careful examination, in which particular atten- tion was paid not only to the religious qualifications, but also the moral character of the candidate, and were happy to find that he possessed an unusually amiable moral character, which had continued from his early youth, and which they did not consider in the least blemished by some injurious reports which Mr. Williams himself candidly came before the council and informed them of; but which upon a full investigation of the evidence appeared to have been originated and industriously propagated with a wicked and malicious design to injure him and to disturb the happy unanimity of the people.
The churches represented in the ordination were those in Royalston, Longmeadow and Athol, Mass., of Wood- stock, Conn., and of Rindge, Keene, Jaffrey and Marl- borough, N. H.
Mr. Williams is represented to have been a man of edu- cation, a fluent, pleasing speaker, and of sound doctrinal belief, according to the standard of the times; but, unhap- pily, he was very penurious, and became so fond of intoxi- cating drinks that he would drink to excess when others stood ready to pay the bill. His bibulous habits soon caused disaffection, and in less than two years the church, the town, and Mr. Williams himself, united in calling a council for his dismission, and proposing to ask for this without setting forth the reasons. This council met Sept. 28, 1802, and declined to comply with the wishes of the parties concerned unless the reasons for the dismission were given, and advised the calling of another council, to which the whole matter should be submitted, which was agreed to. The council met Nov. 19, 1802, and Mr. Wil- liams was dismissed, thus terminating a serious difficulty ; but some of the people, who were the especial friends of
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Mr. Williams, were aggrieved, and did not give a ready welcome to his successor.
August 20, 1804, a call was extended to Mr. John Sabin of Pomfret, Conn., and offering as a settlement one hundred and fifty dollars, and an annual salary of three hundred and fifty dollars, which was accepted. A council was called for his ordination in January, 1805, but before it assembled, a protest against his acceptance of the call and ordination as pastor was presented to Mr. Sabin, signed by twenty-one male members of the church, who were chiefly warm personal friends of the late pastor, Mr. Williams.
The council assembled and patiently attended and examined all the evidence that was offered, with the result that it was decided that the interests of religion, the peace of the town, and the usefulness of Mr. Sabin would not be promoted by his settlement. The ground taken was the want of harmony in the church and town respecting him, and because the candidate had, it was thought, as charged by those opposed to him, given occasion for dis- satisfaction by being somewhat non-committal in his probationary preaching touching some of the generally received doctrines of religion.
Several days later, thirty male members of the church signed a request for a church meeting to consider and act upon this result, which was held February 14th, 1805, when it was declared that the call given Mr. Sabin remained good, and making provision for another couneil, adopting a long and particular answer to the action of the former council; but it did little or nothing toward sileneing the opposition.
The town joined in the request for the second council, which was held March 5th, at which eight churches were represented, all but one being in Massachusetts. All the
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proceedings of the former council were carefully considered, as well as the new and carefully prepared protest of the twenty-one members of the church and some others, when a committee of the council was raised to confer with both parties and bring about a reconciliation, if possible. The interview proved successful, as the final vote of the council was unanimous, and Mr. Sabin was ordained as a minister and installed as pastor in Fitzwilliam the following day.
The circumstances of his settlement quite naturally affected unpleasantly his relations to the neighboring pastors for a time, but after awhile they exchanged pulpits freely with him, and deemed him a faithful and conscientious minister. Rev. Mr. Sabin was born in Pom- fret, Conn., April 17, 1770, and graduated from Brown University in 1797, at the age of twenty-seven years, and was nearly thirty-five years old at the time of his ordina- tion. He continued pastor of the church for nearly forty- one years, or until his death, which occurred October 14, 1845.
The pastorate of Mr. Sabin covered a very important and at times exciting period of the history of the town.
The meeting house was not large enough for the com- fort and convenience of the congregation, and before the ordination of Mr. Sabin, the matter of erecting a new edi- fice was brought before the town, but it was voted down, and although it was brought up again and again in suc- ceeding years it was always voted down. The location of the new house seemed to be the difficult point to settle, as there were several localities proposed, which caused many warm and protracted disputes, and which was finally settled by the compromise effected between those who lived in this part of the town, who desired the organiza- tion of a new town, and those who were in favor of locating the house where the present Fitzwilliam town
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hall now stands, whose united forces carried both meas- ures at the polls by a large majority.
One condition of the charter granted by the Masonian proprietors to the proprietors of Monadnock No. 5, now Marlborough, required the grantees to build a convenient meeting house in the township within ten years from its date, provided they were not prevented by Indian wars.
A proprietors' meeting was held January, 1770, when it was voted to build a meeting house, and a building committee of six persons chosen, and a subscription paper circulated for the purpose of raising funds to aid in build- ing the house. There was no difficulty in selecting a loca- tion, which was on a spot nearest the center of the town. The frame of the meeting house was put up by Stephen Church, some time previous to Nov. 21, 1770, at which time a meeting was held at the house of Benjamin Tucker, when it was voted to accept of certain accounts for ser- vices done about the meeting house, among them being one of Benjamin Tucker for eight gallons of rum, at three shillings, two pence, and two farthings per gallon, for the raising of the meeting house.
In those days it was customary on all occasions like these to have at least one barrel of rum, which undoubt- edly was provided on this occasion; but the demand for this indispensable article was so great that this quantity was not sufficient, and Benjamin Tucker, being chairman of the building committee, procured the additional eight gallons, for which he brought in a separate account. The house was not finished completely for nearly fifteen years, although services were held during the following year when the roof only was covered in.
At this time it was voted "to Lay a tax of one farthing on an acre for to hire preaching with." In 1774, provision was made to board the outside, by a tax of one
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and one-half pence per acre. At a meeting in January, 1779, it was "Voted to finish Cleapboording the meeting house and colour it, to hang the Doors to Lay the Lower floor and build the body seats and Git one Box of Glass to Glaize it in part." To meet this expense, a tax of eight pence per acre was assessed. In 1785, the proprietors gave up all claim to the meeting house and it passed into the hands of the town, and in order to get money to finish the building, pew grounds were sold at auction at different times.
In 1774, the desire to settle a minister seems to have increased, for it was voted to "Chuse a Committee to provide a minister on Probation, in order for a Settlement."
It appears that the several committees chosen were not successful in hiring preaching, and for several years services were irregular. But about 1777, the people became more earnest about this matter and several meetings were held. About this time the Rev. Joseph Cummings, a native of Topsfield, Mass., came among them and preached several Sabbaths as a candidate, when a town meeting was called August 6, 1778, at which it was voted "to come into some method of Settling a minister in said Town."
It was voted to give Mr. Cummings a call to settle with them as a preacher, and a committee was chosen, consisting of Lieut. Benjamin Tucker, Capt. James Lewis, Lieut. Eliphalet Stone, Lieut. James Brewer, and Mr. Samuel Soper, who were to propose a method of settle- ment, and whose proposals were accepted, which were as follows :
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
CHESHIRE SS August ye 6, 1778, att a Legal meeting of the Town of marlborough the sixth Day of August inst, made Choise of Mr. Richard Atwell moderator for sd meeting, Voted to give the Rev. mr, Joseph
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Cummings of Sea Brook a call to settle in sd marlborough as a gospel minister, Voted by said Town to make the Rev. mr Cummings the fol- lowing proposals for a settlement, to take one share of Land in said marlborough Containing By Estimation one hundred and fifty acres, one hundred aere Lots the Lot on which the meeting house stands on Which we Desire to reserve four acres Round the meeting house For publick use, Voted to Clear Eighteen acres on said Lot Leaving ten trees on each acre in addition to what is already Cleared on said Lot in two years, From ordination one half yearly, Voted that the Revd mr Cummings Shall have Liberty to go onto the ministry Land in said town Cut any quantity of timber of any sort that shall Be Necessary for his own Buildings. For his salery to have For the first year Forty pounds, for the Second year Forty-five pounds, for the third year fifty pounds and to Continue Fifty pounds yearly, until there becomes one hundred and ten families in said Town then to have Sixty-Six pounds thirteen shillings and fore pence yearly so Long as he shall Remain our gospel minister all the above sums to be made equevelent to Ry at three Shillings and fore pence pr Bushel.
LIEUT. BENJA TUCKER LIEUT. JOSEPH COLLINS MR. DANIEL GOODENOW MR. WILLIAM BARKER
Committee in behalf of Marlborough.
LIEUT. JAMES BREWER
DAVID WHEELER, Town Clerk.
Mr. Cummings returned the following answer under the date of October 12, 1778:
To the Inhabitants of the Town of Marlborough. Friends and Fel- low Christians,- Whereas, it has pleased the great head of the Church to ineline your hearts to settle the gospel ministry among you and disposed you to give me (unworthy as I am) an invitation to the im- portant work; after mature deliberation and many anxious thoughts upon a matter of so great moment; having been importunate with God for direction and asked advice of men-
I conclude to accept your invitation (provided you will allow me two or three Sabbaths yearly during my ministry to visit my friends as they live at a distance.) Humbly confiding in Divine goodness for assistance faithfully to discharge the duty of a gospel minister, and begging your earnest prayers that a blessing may attend my ministerial labors.
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Heartily wishing that grace, mercy and peace may be the stability of our times-I subscribe your affectionate Friend and Servant.
JOSEPH CUMMINGS.
Mr. Cummings was ordained Nov. 11, 1778, at which time a Congregational church was formed, consisting of eight members.
The salary of Mr. Cummings was $133.33, which was soon rendered wholly inadequate by the depreciation of the paper money, which began in 1777 and went on so rapidly that in about four years it became nearly worth- less. In 1780, it was voted that his salary be increased forty times, and a few months later it was voted to make it seventy-two for one. Soon after this, difficulties arose between the church and Mr. Cummings, the people charg- ing him with unfaithfulness and the pastor denouncing the people for not fulfilling their contract in clearing land, and also charging them with unkindness. A council was con- vened Dec. 26, 1780, to take the matter into considera- tion, and as a result of their deliberations, it was voted that the pastoral relations between Mr. Cummings and the church be dissolved, which was accepted by the town and all the parties concerned.
The difficulties growing out of his dismission did not end at that time, but continued for a long time, and for nearly thirteen years there was no settled pastor, and preaching only a part of the time.
Mr. Halloway Fish was ordained pastor of the church, Sept. 25, 1793, with a settlement of one hundred and seventy pounds, and an annual salary of seventy pounds. Mr. Fish was a native of Upton, Mass., and a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1790. He was pastor of the church nearly thirty-one years, and during his ministry the church increased greatly in membership. Mr. Fish died Sept. 1, 1824, at the age of sixty-two years and one month.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 129
During the pastorates of the Rev. Messrs. Sabin of Fitzwilliam and Fish of Marlborough, the town of Troy was incorporated. Sept. 14, 1815, at the request of sev- eral residents of the new town, an Ecclesiastical Council was convened, consisting of Rev. Halloway Fish of Marl- borough, Rev. John Sabin of Fitzwilliam, and Rev. Ezekiel Rich, an evangelist, to assist in organizing a Congrega- tional church. The following agreement of fellowship was subscribed to by ten men and their wives.
We do now, before God and these witnesses, severally and mutually covenant and engage to receive and trust each other as Christian breth- ren and sisters; to watch over each other with Christian tenderness and fidelity; to use our best endeavors to reclaim any of our number who may wander from the path of truth and duty; and that we will use the best means in our power to have the ordinances of the Gospel, and the faithful preaching of the Lord, regularly administered among us, and in testimony of our cordial assent to the above, we hereby subscribe our names.
Caleb Winch and Esther Winch. Silas Fife and Abigail Fife. David Saunders and Molly Saunders. Cyrus Fairbanks and Mercy Fairbanks. Joshua Harrington and Elizabeth Harrington. Jacob Osborn and Sibel Osborn. Joseph Butler and Pervey Butler. William Barnard and Bathsheba Barnard. Caleb Winch and Lucy Winch. Joseph Tilden and Saloma Tilden.
Articles of faith and a covenant were also adopted and assented to. A meeting of the church was held Sept. 15, 1815, when it was voted to extend an invitation to Rev. Ezekiel Rich to become their pastor, and appointed a com- mittee, consisting of Silas Fife, Jacob Osborn, and Joshua Harrington, to notify the town of the doings of the church and ask the town's concurrence and assistance in his set- tlement, and also to notify Mr. Rich of their choice. The
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town coneurred, and Mr. Rich accepted the call, and prep- arations were made for calling a council for his ordina- tion. Letters missive were sent to eleven churches, viz: Fitzwilliam, Rindge, Jaffrey, Marlborough, Swanzey, Keene, Sullivan and New Ipswich in New Hampshire, and North- bridge, Athol and Harvard in Massachusetts. The coun- eil met December 19, at the house of Capt. D. W. Farrar, and formed by choosing Rev. Seth Payson, D. D., of Rindge, moderator, and Rev. John Sabin of Fitzwilliam, scribe. After a due examination of Mr. Rich, the council voted unanimously to proceed to his installation as pastor over the church the next day, at ten o'clock in the forenoon.
The introductory prayer was made by Rev. William Muzzy of Sullivan, and Rev. John Crane, D. D., of North- bridge, Mass., preached the sermon; the installing prayer was offered by Rev. Laban Ainsworth of Jaffrey, Rev. Seth Payson of Rindge gave the charge, and Rev. Warren Joy of Harvard, Mass., the right hand of fellowship, and the concluding prayer was made by Rev. Richard Hall of New Ipswich. The town voted to pay him eight dollars for each Sabbath he supplied the pulpit from the time of his installation until the first Tuesday of the next February, which should be paid monthly, and four hundred dollars as an annual salary after that time, so long as the pas- toral relation existed between him and the town, with an additional sum of one hundred and fifty dollars to be paid February, 1816, and one hundred and fifty dollars more in one year. Should he become unable to supply the pul- pit, one-half the salary, or two hundred dollars was to be paid him annually.
After a time a number of the residents of the town who contributed to the support of the minister became dissatisfied with Mr. Rich and asked to be exempted from paying a minister tax, and that the connection between
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him and the town be dissolved, giving as the reason for such action, that he was devoting most of his time to his own private enterprises for the accumulation of property, and for preaching doctrines which he had previously denied. This the town voted to do, and Mr. Rich united with the church in asking that a council be called for his dismission. This was composed of the churches in Fitz- william, Marlborough, and Rindge, who assembled at the house of Joshua Harrington, and after careful deliberation found it expedient that his pastoral duties should termi- nate July 18, 1818. No evidence appeared that he had forfeited his Christian or ministerial character, and in their opinion he had been a faithful minister and had discharged the duties that might reasonably have been expected of him at his settlement. Mr. Rich continued his residence in town, on the farm now owned by E. P. Kimball, until about 1845. He occasionally supplied the pulpit after his dismission, and also performed some missionary labor in this and other states. He died at Deep River, Conn.
November, 1819, a religions society was formed by the name of the First Congregational Society of Troy, which was a party with the church in supplying the pulpit till 1824, when a new constitution was adopted-the society taking the name of the Congregational Society of Troy. The last meeting of the society was recorded in 1846.
There was no regular preaching from this time until 1820, when Rev. Seth E. Winslow was employed as a stated supply for three years. Rev. Otis C. Whiton sup- plied the pulpit from September, 1824, until December, 1827. He was invited to become pastor, but for some reason declined. After he closed his labors in Troy, he preached in different places till April 18, 1841, when he began to preach at Harrisville, and was installed Aug. 11, 1842, and remained pastor till his decease, Oct. 17, 1845,
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at the age of fifty-one years. After Mr. Whiton, Rev. Messrs. Peabody, Pitman, and Erwin, were employed for short periods to supply the pulpit.
Rev. Stephen Morse, a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1821, was installed as second pastor of the church, Aug. 26, 1829. The following churches were represented in the council, either by pastor or delegate, or both, viz: Jaffrey, Fitzwilliam, Keene first church, Swanzey, and Marlborough. The Rev. Mr. Burnham made the intro- ductory prayer and Rev. Mr. Barstow of Keene preached the sermon; the installing prayer was made by Rev. Laban Ainsworth of Jaffrey, Rev. John Sabin of Fitzwilliam gave the charge, Rev. Salmon Bennett of Marlborough pre- sented the right hand of fellowship, Rev. Ebenezer Coleman of Swanzey addressed the people and Rev. Mr. Sabin offered the concluding prayer. Mr. Morse was pastor until Jan. 31, 1833, and although his ministry was short, it was successful, there being some thirty additions to the church during that time, nineteen joining by profession on one occasion. For some reason there was some falling off in the support of Mr. Morse, and it became necessary for his dismission.
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