USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Lancaster > History of Lancaster, New Hampshire > Part 49
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D. C. Babcock began a three years' term in April, 1890. Dur- ing that year the debt on the church property was all paid. At the close of his term of service the High street parsonage was sold, and a new one has been erected east of the church. Another house
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that stood on the site of the new parsonage has been moved to the southeast part of the lot and rebuilt for the use of the church sexton. The Methodist Episcopal society now has a fine set of buildings, and is well equipped for good work. During his third year Mr. Babcock organized a distinct branch of the Methodist Episcopal church at Grange village, where a good Sunday-school has been gathered, and afternoon preaching is well sustained. The Rev. R. T. Wolcott, began his work in April, 1893, and entered the new parsonage in October. Under the care of Mr. Wolcott the church prospered. The branch of the church at the Grange village erected, under the charge of Rev. R. T. Wolcott, a very neat chapel during the summer of 1895.
At the annual conference of 1896, Mr. Wolcott was assigned to the Woodsville church, and Rev. R. C. Danforth located in Lan- caster. Mr. Danforth has started on what seems a promising pas- torate.
THE FIRST UNITARIAN SOCIETY OF LANCASTER. BY REV. A. N. SOMERS.
In Lancaster, as all over New England, Unitarianism grew up within the pale of the Orthodox Congregational church. In Lan- caster, as elsewhere, it first took form as a protest against Calvinism ; and its advocates, in adopting biblical phraseology to express their Arminianism, came to accept the Arian interpretation of some fun- . damental theological doctrines, which in time, led them into the " Trinitarian Controversy," which prepared the way for the forma- tion of the Unitarian church.
The history of the old " First church " of Lancaster reveals the fact that Arminian views were held by a considerable number of its earliest communicants. It is certain that the first minister of the church, the Rev. Joseph Willard, shared with them in holding those views, though he never preached much upon theological topics and so avoided conflict with the Calvinistic members of his church.
The creed of the church was not distinctly Trinitarian. The doc- trine was not named in it. Any Unitarian could conscientiously subscribe to it at that period in the development of Unitarian thought. The creed upon this question reads :
" We believe in God the Father,-Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth, and his son Jesus Christ, as the sole Saviour of the world, and in the Holy Ghost as the comforter and sanctifier of the people and church of God."
In spite of the vagueness of the creed and the silence of the min- ister upon the doctrines of Calvinism and Arminianism, there grew up within the church two parties that in time were destined to di- vide it. The one was Orthodox, the other Liberal.
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The Rev. Mr. Willard resigned the pastorate of the church in 1822, and was succeeded by the Rev. J. R. Wheelock. A majority of the church (the Liberals) refused to accept his services and sup- port him upon the discovery that he was extremely Calvinistic in his theology. That protest against his Calvinism led to his being dis- missed; and the Rev. Joseph Willard was again settled over the church until his death, which occurred in 1826.
From the death of " Parson " Willard, as he was lovingly called by all, down to the time when the Orthodox (Calvinistic Trinita- rian) portion of the "First Congregational Church" seceded in 1836, the majority of the congregation were Arminians (Unitar- ian).
During the pastorate of the Rev. Andrew Govan, who preached much upon theological questions from 1832 to 1835, the Liberal portion of the congregation came to openly avow their Unitarian doctrines. The position taken by the Liberals of Lancaster was es- sentially that of Unitarians in other parts of New England-anti- Trinitarian and anti-Calvinistic. The Rev. Mr. Govan sought to remedy matters by inserting in the creed these words from Titus iii : 5 : "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
The Unitarians being the majority (and in fact the church was to all intents and purposes a Unitarian church), prevented the revision of the creed which, as adopted at the formation of the church, was neither Calvinistic nor Trinitarian. It had been framed for the ac- commodation of Arminian views, and now that those holding those views had come, by a natural process of theological growth, to be Unitarians they were not disposed to see the church handed over to Trinitarian Calvinism by any revision of its fundamental basis of organization.
The Unitarians had been from the first strong enough in numbers and influence to control the preaching in the "Congregational church " down to the spring of 1854. In 1836 the Orthodox mem- bers of the church, seeing themselves in a hopeless minority, seceded from it and organized the "Orthodox Congregational Church in Lancaster, N. H." By that move they left the Unitarians in the peaceable possession of the church property and records as " The Con- gregational Church " of Lancaster. The Orthodox seceders recog- nized the church as a Unitarian church in a " statement of reasons for the formation of the Orthodox Congregational church " prepared by Deacon Farrar in which he says: "Some in the church are assist- ing to raise a standard which we believed to be another gospel;" and "systematic and persevering efforts to introduce into the church a system of faith which rejects these doctrines (new creed of the
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Orthodox church)"; and again " The church could not be extri- cated from such a state of things."
During the next seven years there was very little activity dis- played on the part of either of the rival churches. In the early part of 1843, the Orthodox church called the Rev. David Perry, who set- tled as pastor over it. He was not disposed to let things rest as he found them, and set about to reunite the two Congregational churches. A meeting of the two churches was held on Nov. 20, 1843, at which a plan of union was adopted, and ratified by both. A new creed was drawn up and subscribed to by all of the Con- gregational church (Unitarian), and by all but seven of the Or- thodox Congregational church.
The Unitarians sacrificed the first creed in which the ground of contention -Trinitarianism and Unitarianism- was covered by vagueness, and the Orthodox threw to the winds their undisguised Trinitarian creed; and the two united upon one that is avowedly "agnostic " on that point, as is seen in Article 3, of the new com- promise creed, which is still the creed of the Orthodox Congrega- tional church. It reads as follows :
" We believe that in these Scriptures there is revealed a distinction in the God- head of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that this distinction, though incompre- hensible to us, is yet perfectly consistent with the Unity of the Divine Being."
The reunited church continued its work until 1854. The Rev. Mr. Perry was dismissed Jan. 20, 1847, and Rev. Stephen A. Barnard, who had been ordained as a Unitarian minister, was settled on May 9, 1847, after having preached some two months on trial. Although once a Unitarian he had declared himself Orthodox in faith. His preaching was entirely satisfactory to the Unitarians, and while the church grew considerably under his ministrations, the new growth only tended to strengthen the Unitarian numbers and confirm their faith. The Unitarian portion of the congregation were entirely satis; fied with the Rev. Mr. Barnard and his ministry, and on account of an attempt to incorporate the society so as to better perform its obligations to him, and enable it to lawfully hold its property, the Orthodox portion of the congregation became alarmed lest the Unitarians might get legal hold and control of the church property, and accordingly they made a hasty move and organized "The Ortho- dox Congregational Church Society," and assumed the proprietor- ship of the church property, which that body still holds. The Rev. Stephen Barnard's pastorate closed May 29, 1853. During the next few months several distinguished Unitarian ministers, visiting in the mountains, occupied the pulpit of the church at the solicita- tion of the Unitarians. During the winter months following there were no regular services sustained; and as the Orthodox society
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showed no disposition to renew services the Unitarians secured the services of the Rev. George M. Rice to begin on Jan. 1, 1854, and to continue for an indefinite length of time.
After he had preached for six weeks the Orthodox portion of the church began to grow anxious over the probable results of so much Unitarian preaching, and a settled minister of that faith. They secured the services of the Rev. Isaac Weston of Maine, and on Feb. 12, announced that he would preach Feb. 19, from the pul- pit then occupied by Rev. G. M. Rice. When the day came the two ministers met at the pulpit with their respective followers in the
pews anxiously awaiting the results of what proved to be the crisis in their conflicts over the use of the church property. Influences that had been antagonizing each other for more than half a century , were pitted against each other for a final settlement. There was but one course open to the two ministers, which was to allow the Rev. Mr. Rice to preach at the morning service and the Rev. Mr. Weston in the afternoon. That was the plan agreed upon by the ministers. The Rev. G. M. Rice was the duly authorized minister of the church, as he had been legally called by the majority of its constituency. The minority of the church though acting as the legally incorporated society had served no notice on the Unitar- ian majority to vacate the pulpit for their use on that occasion. Be- ing in the lawful possession of the church as the majority of the members of the one church worshiping there under the same name -Orthodox Congregational church-Mr. Rice would have been un- true to the terms of his contract to preach for them an "indefinite length of time " had he relinquished the pulpit to another without the consent of his employers. The Rev. Mr. Weston was an old man, and possibly not fully aware of the true situation of the affairs confronting him on that Sunday morning. An undue amount of credit has been given him by his Orthodox friends for his display of " courtesy " toward Mr. Rice in yielding the pulpit over which he had no lawful claim though in the service of the legal owners of the building. The credit was equally due both ministers that they set- tled so difficult a question in a way that could reflect no disgrace upon the cause they were serving.
The Unitarians, seeing that by shrewd practices and defiant methods they were liable to be crowded out of the church with no regard for their rights, now called a meeting of the " First Congre- gational Society of Lancaster," at the Coos Hotel, on Feb. 13, 1854. At that meeting a committee was appointed to confer with the Orthodox Congregational society, in regard to their rights in the meeting-house. At a subsequent meeting that committee re- ported that the Orthodox society " refused to hold any communi- cation on the subject of the meeting-house."
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HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
At the meeting on Feb. 13, 1854, the society was duly reorgan- ized, and officers elected. It retained the old name of the First church, viz., "The First Congregational Society of Lancaster."
To its constitution we find subscribed the following names: Wil- liam D. Spaulding, James W. Weeks, B. F. Whidden, John H. White, James B. Weeks, John W. Barney, John Lindsey, William A. White, C. B. Allen, E. C. Garland, J. W. Merriam, A. L. Robin- son, Edward Spaulding, Wm. Burns, R. Sawyer, James B. Spauld- ing, Charles D. Stebbins, James S. Brackett, Hiram A. Fletcher, Hosea Gray, Edward C. Spaulding, Nelson Kent, Edwin F. East- man, Benj. Hunking, S. F. Spaulding, J. H. Spaulding.
The following names were added to the list within the next few years: William D. Weeks, John M. Whipple, E. L. Colby, Kimball B. Fletcher, Samuel S. Mudgett, Jared W. Williams, Jos. M. Thompson, Wm. H. Clark, S. J. Greene, Ira S. M. Gove, D. C. Pinkham, Frank Smith, Lafayette Moore, Ossian Ray, and A. T. Johnson.
The first officers of the society were the following: Hon. John H. White, president; B. F. Whidden, secretary; James W. Weeks, Wm. Burns, and William D. Spaulding, executive committee ; C. B. Allen, treasurer and collector.
Having ascertained through the investigations of a committee consisting of B. F. Whidden and William Burns that their legal rights in the meeting-house were complicated, and could only be secured through disagreeable litigation, the First Congregational- society began holding its services in the court-house on Feb. 26, 1854, and continued to meet there until their present meeting- house was erected and dedicated, Oct. 24, 1856.
On Feb. 20, 1854, the society was incorporated as "a body politic " according to the requirements of the laws of the state, notice of which was published for three succeeding weeks in the Coos County Democrat, beginning Feb. 22, 1854.
As soon as the society was duly organized and holding regular · services as a Unitarian society, steps were taken to form a church in connection with the parish society, and on the afternoon of Sunday, March 12, 1854, a church was organized by the adoption and acceptance of the following "Church Covenant," which is with but slight changes the form of covenant used by the Second church of Boston, Mass., under the distinguished Puritan ministers, John Cotton and John Wilson.
CHURCH COVENANT.
. " We whose names are hereunder written, declare our faith in the One Living and True God; in the Lord Jesus Christ, that he was sanctified of the Father, and sent into the world, that the world through Him might be saved; and that
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Gospel which was confirmed by the death and resurrection of its Author, and which is binding upon us as the rule of our faith and practice.
" Being united into one congregation or church under the Lord Jesus Christ, we do hereby solemnly and religiously promise to walk in all our ways according to the rule of the Gospel, and in all sincere conformity to his holy ordinances, and in mutual love and respect to each other, so near as God shall give us grace."
This covenant was accepted by the following persons on the date named, and from time to time by others until its roll of members included many of the best people in the town: George M. Rice, William A. White, Ellen C. White, William D. Spaulding, Sarah A. Spaulding, James W. Weeks, M. Eliza Weeks, Persis F. Weeks, Nancy D. M. Sawyer, Ellen A. White, Susan D. F. Cargill, Eliza D. Whidden, Debby A. Kent, Harriet E. Stalbird.
Some of these had left the Orthodox Congregational church on letters of dismissal in order to unite with the Unitarian church, while some who had formerly acted with the Unitarians joined the Orthodox church.
At a public meeting of the parish Sept. 27, 1855, steps were taken to build a house of worship. James W. Weeks, Dr. John W. Barney, William D. Spaulding, and William A. White were appointed a committee to procure plans, and an estimate of costs, for a suitable building. Plans for the building now used by the society were drawn and presented to it by Mr. W. B. O. Peabody, an architect of Boston, Mass. The building was completed and ready for occupation within the year following, chiefly through the earnest efforts of the Rev. Mr. Rice and William D. Spaulding, chairman of the building committee. The little society found sym- pathetic friends among other Unitarian churches that knew them to be worthy and needy of assistance in getting established. Among its friends who helped it financially and otherwise were the Rev. Thomas Starr King, the famed pulpit orator of the Hollis Street church, Boston, Mass., Rev. A. P. Peabody of Portsmouth, N. H., who was then editor of the North American Review, Rev. Samuel Longfellow, brother of the poet H. W. Longfellow, and Rev. Charles T. Brooks of Newport, R. I.
The Rev. G. M. Rice was the first avowed Unitarian minister to preach as a settled minister in Lancaster. At the time he came here he was of mature years, a man of marked ability, fearless, frank, and faithful in the discharge of his professional duties. He was thoroughly conscientious in all he said or did. In addition to the full discharge of his obligations to his church he made ex- tensive journeys to collect funds to build the meeting-house, pro- curing some seven or eight hundred dollars for that purpose out- side of Lancaster.
By the time the church had become thoroughly organized and
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its house of worship completed, the minister gave much of his time and attention to the slavery question, which was then the most prominent political and moral question of the country. The Rev. G. M. Rice was a thorough-going abolitionist, as were nearly all Unitarian ministers of that time, and no doubt often discussed the slavery question in his sermons.
On account of his abolitionist utterances, rather than his theologi- cal attitude, a considerable number of his congregation deserted him and went over to the other churches.
His theology recognized all men, regardless of race, creed, or other accidents, as constituting a single brotherhood, and all men as truly the sons of God; so he accepted it not only as a political, but religious, duty to proclaim against slavery as an abomination and crime. It cannot be learned that he was ever partisan in his advo- cacy of the anti-slavery doctrine, or that he labored for any political party. Had he been less conscientious than he was, he might have, through silence on a vexed question, held all his followers, and have drawn others to them. Some of the best friends of the new society were among the pro-slavery opponents of Mr. Rice, but they re- mained with the church because truly and intelligently Unitarians.
The period in the history of the church covered by the Rev. Mr. Rice's ministry, 1854-1857, was the most critical one through which it has passed ; and if the church had not had for its friends and sup- porters many of the most intelligent and influential families in the town it would have perished in its birth. The breaking of its alli- ance with the Orthodox church after more than half a century of cooperation severely handicapped it. Then came this anti-slavery agitation, in which the minister took what his congregation, very generally, thought a too active part. While there was much fault found with the preaching of the minister, his motives and charac- ter were never condemned. No clergyman ever left a church with a cleaner record than did he. His church thought politics and re- ligion should not be mixed ; but he thought that in a question that involved three millions of his fellow creatures, children of the living God, they should be mixed; and with a conscience he mixed them. Those were trying times for a minister who felt that slavery was the greatest evil of our country, and the situation was doubly try- ing for Mr. Rice. He felt constrained to resign his charge and let the church he had helped to found, and which he loved, try its fortune with some other pastor. He accordingly handed in his res- ignation on the 27th of September, 1857. At a meeting of the society on the day following, it was voted not to accept his res- ignation. But as Mr. Rice demanded entire freedom of speech in the pulpit as the only condition of remaining longer, the society at a subsequent meeting reconsidered its action and accepted his res-
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ignation, but not without expressing, by vote, their full confidence in his Christian character and ability.
The next settled minister of the society was the Rev. George G. Channing, a brother of the distinguished William Ellery Channing, the foremost leader in the Unitarian movement in this country. The Rev. Mr. Channing was settled May 23, 1858, and remained until May 8, 1860, leaving on account of serious illness. He was a faith- ful minister, of kindly and sympathetic disposition, and the society prospered during his ministry. He came at a time when they were burdened with debts; but he had the satisfaction of seeing that bur- den removed, chiefly through the generosity of William D. Spauld- ing, who assumed all the society's debts, about $800, taking in consideration therefor some pews that remained unsold at the time. He left with the church a farewell letter that is full of the prophetic spirit. He is remembered with much love by many of the older members.
For a number of years next following, the terms of ministerial ser- vice were short. A Rev. Mr. Edes preached about a year, and was succeeded by Rev. George Osgood, who remained a year. Then for several years the church was only open during the summer months, with Revs. Thomas Howard, W. W. Newell, and George L. Chaney as ministers. Rev. J. L. M. Babcock served the society as pastor for three years.
At the annual meeting of the society on April 1, 1862, its name was changed from "The First Congregational Society " to "The First Unitarian Society," as at present. This step was taken under the conviction that its distinctive theology and religious aims would be less liable to be misunderstood and misconstrued, as they were while trying to work in competition with the Orthodox church under the single name Congregational. Despite its change of name it is, and always has been, the only church in Lancaster strictly con- gregational in its government. Rev. Lyman Clark, a young man just graduated from the theological school at Meadville, Pa., was invited to supply the pulpit in the winter of 1870. After preaching several months and giving satisfaction, he was called as its minister ; and on July 20, 1871, was duly installed the first minister ever so set over the church and parish. Under his ministry the society prospered, clearing itself of debt, and even contributing to various charitable enterprises away from home. He reorganized the society April 4, 1871, and increased its membership to about one hundred persons during the time he served it. He resigned July 5, 1874, and now resides at Andover, N. H.
For nearly a year the church was either closed or hearing candi- dates for its pulpit. On May 1, 1875, Rev. R. P. E. Thatcher began a year's engagement, during which time there was a loss in both
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numbers and finances from which all became so much discouraged that for four years there was no settled minister. There was preach- ing during the summer months by several ministers, who spent their vacations in the vicinity of Lancaster. Among them was Rev. W. H. Fish of South Scituate, Mass. Through his efforts, aided by S. J. Beane, the New England missionary of the American Unitarian Association, the society was induced to settle a minister again. In June, 1880, Rev. J. B. Morrison was settled as pastor. During his period of service the society prospered, regaining much, in numbers and financial ability, that it had lost during the five preceding years. The meeting-house was twice extensively repaired during the nearly ten years he was the minister. He resigned in May, 1890, and was succeeded by Rev. C. A. Young, who was ordained and installed September 25, 1890. He remained until September, 1893. After that date the church heard several candidates, but closed during several months of the winter following. On April 1, 1894, Rev. A. N. Somers preached, and was invited to supply the pulpit for a year, at the end of which time he was invited to remain for another year.
There have been connected with the society, from its earliest years to the present, various important auxiliaries and clubs. A "Ladies' Benevolent Society" was organized March 8, 1854, which has continued actively engaged in works of charity, and in aiding the church financially, as well as in promoting the social interests ofthe church and community. This society changed its name to that of " The Women's Alliance," Jan. 1, 1895, that it might be one in name and method of work with the "National Alliance of Unitarian and other Liberal Christian Women."
There has always been a Sunday-school in the society, and while it has never been large and has suffered many reverses, yet it has sowed the seeds of a rational, ethical, and inspiring spiritual life among the young people of the parish.
Various literary clubs have existed at times as the needs of the people called for them. The society has exercised a wholesome influence upon social amusements in the community. Instead of condemning them all, it has discriminated between the pure and the immoral, and sought to purify and make useful such as have an æsthetical and moral value to the young.
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