USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Dublin > The history of Dublin, N.H., Volume 1852 > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
"I do therefore prove, approve, and allow of the said instru- ment as the last will and testament of said deceased, do hereby decree the administration thereof in all matters, the same concern- ing, and of his estate whereof he died seized and possessed in said State unto him the said executor, well and faithfully to exe- cute the will and testament, and to administer the estate of said deceased according to the same, who accepted of his said trust, and gave bond to pay the debts and legacies due from the estate of said deceased, and likewise to return a true and perfect inventory of all the estate which belonged to said deceased into the probate office for said county, within three months; and that he shall render an account (upon oath) of his proceedings therein, when lawfully thereto required.
"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and the seal of the Court of Probate for said county. Dated at Jeffrey aforesaid, the third day of February, anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
" ABEL PARKER, Judge of Probate."
The following are the inscriptions on the monuments of the Rev. Edward Sprague and Mrs. Hannah Sprague : -
175
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
"MEMENTO MORI.
In Memorg OF THE REV. EDWARD SPRAGUE, A.M.
The Second Pastor of the Church in Dublin, who, for more than forty years, preached the word of God and broke the bread of life to this Christian Society. He entered on the stage of public action at the commencement of the late glorious Revolution, of which he was a zealous advocate, fully imbibing its spirit, and remaining through life the friend of liberty, civil and religious. He feared God above many from his youth, sincerely devoted himself to his service in the gospel of his Son, and united orthodoxy with charity. Possessing a large estate, his regard for the town in which he lived prompted him, after making a few legacies to particular friends, to bequeath them the remain- der of his property for the pious and laudable purposes of supporting the gospel and schools. Having been in private life cheerful and courteous, 'a lover of good men and given to hospitality ;' having, in the discharge of ministerial duty, been assiduous, solemn, faithful; at length, laden with accumulated infirmities and hastened by a fatal occurrence, he languished a few days, and then calmly fell asleep in a firm belief of that gospel he preached to others.
' Let fainting nature sink to rest Within its clay-cold bed, Till, with refulgent glory drest, It wakens from the dead; What though the body in the dust be laid, Breathless and mouldering in the awful shade! Faith views a bright reversion in the skies, When all the saints, reanimated, rise.'
NATUS BOSTONIÆE MAII 20, 1750, LAUREA BACCALAURIALI CANTABRIGIÆ DONATUS 1770, MAGISTRALI 1773, PASTORALI OFFICIO INDUCTUS OCT. 12, 1777, DECESSIT DEC. 16, 1717, ANNOQUE ATATIS SUÆE 68.
' Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.' "
"BENEATH THIS STONE LIES THE MORTAL PART OF MRS. HANNAH SPRAGUE, 1
CONSORT OF THE REV. EDWARD SPRAGUE, Who died July 10, 1818, aged eighty years.
In the several spheres of a wife, a neighbor, a Christian, and partner in the ministerial relations, she moved with dignity, usefulness, and secured esteem. The religion of Jesus was the choice and ornament of her youth, the guide and support of
176
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
her riper years, and the refuge and solace of her declining age. While her hopes of salvation rested entirely on the unmerited grace of God in Christ, she had no confidence in any faith but that which works by love. Her benevolence, ever active, met the needy at the door; and the poor she never sent empty away. She was the faithful almoner of the goods entrusted her by Providence; and it could be truly said of her, that 'she fed the hungry, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and entertained the stranger.' The cause of Zion lay near her heart in life, and was not forgotten at her death. That her property might aid this cause, when she sleeps in dust, she bequeathed the principal part of her estate to the New Hamp- shire Missionary Society. Reader, if thou hast wealth, influence, piety, learn the art of employing thy talents in doing good ; and thou shalt never want a surviving friend to write over thy grave, 'The memory of the just is blessed ;' nor a smiling Saviour, in the great day, to hail thee with, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter into the joy of thy Lord.'"
As the church was without a pastor, and as no covenant could be found among the papers left by Mr. Sprague, Rev. Mr. Dunbar was requested to meet the members. He ac- ceded to the request, and the following is the record of the meeting in the handwriting of Andrew Allison, who had been chosen clerk: -
" At a meeting of the church in Dublin, 2d November, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, the Rev. Elijah Dunbar, moderator : -
" Voted to adopt the copy of the old original covenant that the Rev. Edward Sprague formed his church by, when he first settled in this town.
" Voted to subscribe our names to it for the future government of the church in Dublin."
The following is the covenant referred to in the above votes, with the names annexed of the persons who sub- scribed it. The original copy is still preserved, as transcribed by Mr. Dunbar from a copy which he found many years before in the possession of Mr. Sprague, and which he be- lieved to be the same that was used by the Rev. Dr. Apple- ton, of Cambridge, Mass. : -
" We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, apprehending our- selves called of God into a sacred fellowship with one another in the profession and practice of the holy Christian religion, as a particular church of the Lord Jesus, do solemnly covenant with God and with one another, as follows : --
177
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
" In the first place, we avouch the Lord this day to be our God, yielding ourselves to him to be his servants, and choosing him to be our portion for ever ; we give up ourselves unto the God whose name alone is Jehovah, to be his people, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice, declaring our firm assent unto the truths, and hearty consent unto the terms, of the gospel. We accept of Jesus Christ in all his glorious offices, prophetical, priestly, and kingly ; and depend on him, in the way which he hath prescribed, for instruction, pardon, and eternal life. We profess our serious resolution to deny, as the grace of God teaches us, all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; to endeavor that our conversation may be such as becomes and adorns the gospel. We promise, by the help of God's grace, to walk together in all ways of holy communion as brethren in the family of Christ and children of our Father who is in heaven; to keep the faith and observe the order of the gospel; carefully to support and conscientiously to attend the public worship of God in all the instituted duties thereof, and to submit to the discipline of his kingdom; to watch over one another with Christian circumspection, and endeavor our mutual edification in holiness and comfort.
" Furthermore, we dedicate our offspring with ourselves unto the Lord, engaging to bring them up in his nurture and admonition, and, as far as in us lies, to transmit the ordinances of God pure and entire unto them.
" All this we do in the presence and fear of God, with a deep sense of our unworthiness to be admitted into covenant with him and to enjoy the privileges of the church evangelical, and our own insufficiency to perform the duties without his gracious assist- ance; and we do therefore rely on and pray to the God of grace and peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, that through the blood of the everlasting covenant he would make us perfect in every good work, to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
" SAMUEL TWITCHELL. JAMES CHAMBERLAIN. EBENEZER TWITCHELL. THADDEUS MASON. EBENEZER HILL. MOSES GREENWOOD.
ABEL TWITCHELL. RICHARD GILCHREST. ANDREW ALLISON. JONATIIAN PERRY. FRANCIS APPLETON. ASA FISK."
After the death of Mr. Sprague, the pulpit was supplied for a time by the clergymen of the vicinity, who, according to customary usage, gave each one day's preaching. But,
23
178
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
as the benefit of such labors would not fall upon the widow, her husband having no salary, the question arose whether these clergymen should be paid for their services. Accord- ingly, an article was inserted in the warrant for a town- meeting, February 20, 1818, "to see if the town will make any compensation to those clergymen who have preached here since Mr. Sprague's decease." The said article was dismissed. At the same meeting, "Voted that the selectmen be directed to return the thanks of the town to the Rev. Mr. Dunbar for his discourse delivered at the funeral of the Rev. Edward Sprague, and request a copy of him for the press." Two hundred and fifty copies were ordered to be procured. "Voted to raise two hundred dol- lars to procure preaching this year ensuing. Chose Deacon Francis Appleton, Abel Twitchell, and Cyrus Chamberlain, to provide preaching."
The preacher procured was Mr. Edmund Quincy Sewall, son of Judge Samuel Sewall, of Massachusetts, a graduate of Harvard College, 1815, and of the Cambridge Theologi- cal School.
At a town-meeting, July 6, 1818, " Voted to give Mr. Edmund Q. Sewall a call to settle in this town as a gospel- minister, seventy-six in favor, and forty-four against it." A committee was then chosen to propose a salary, and said committee " proposed that the town give Mr. Sewall five hundred dollars, a yearly salary, so long as he shall supply the desk or be their gospel-minister ; which report was accepted."
Mr. Sewall returned a negative answer to the call he had received; but, as many persons were much interested in him, an article was inserted in the warrant for a town-meeting, November 11, 1818, "to see if the town will recall Mr. Edmund Q. Sewall as a minister of the gospel in this place, or act any thing respecting the same." On this article, " Voted that the yeas and nays be taken; .... and there were ninety-six in favor, and seventy in the negative. It was then " voted to choose a committee of three to nomi- nate a committee of three to propose a sum to offer Mr. Sewall as a salary." But, instead of proceeding to choose said committee, it was " voted to act no further on the arti- cle at the present time." This vote was, in effect, laying the whole subject on the table. It was called up at a meeting held December 1, 1818. One article in the warrant was
179
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
" to see what compensation the town will give Mr. Edmund Q. Sewall to settle as a minister of the gospel in this place, or act any thing respecting the same." This article was dis- missed, and a committee was chosen, consisting of the select- men, to hire preaching ; one hundred and fifty dollars having been voted for that purpose. Mr. Sewall was settled in 1819 in Barnstable, Mass .; then in Amherst, N. H .; and again in Scituate, Mass.
The candidates employed under the foregoing and subse- quent votes of the town, so far as we have ascertained, were Thomas Tracy, afterwards settled at Saco, Me. ; Rev. Ste- phen Farley, dismissed from Claremont, N.H. ; David Reed, publisher and proprietor of the "Christian Register " at Boston ; Elisha Fuller, son of Rev. Timothy Fuller, of Mer- rimack, N.H., now an attorney in Worcester, Mass. ; Ste- vens Everett, afterwards settled at Augusta, Me .; and Silas Allen.
The law of the State, called "the Toleration Law," was passed at the June session of the Legislature in the year 1819; and the First Congregational Society was organized, in accordance with the requisitions of that act, in the winter of 1819-20. A part of the preamble to the constitution and by-laws of said society is as follows : -
" In conformity to an act of the Legislature of this State, passed June, A.D. 1819, by which it is rendered illegal for towns, as cor- porate bodies, to raise money for the support of the gospel, - which act authorizes any number of persons to associate themselves together into a society for moral and religious purposes, - there- fore, we, the undersigned inhabitants of the town of Dublin, deeming religion, piety, and morality important to the present and future interests of mankind, have associated ourselves into a society for the above purposes, to be known and designated by the name of the First Congregational Society in Dublin."
Mr. Leonard began to preach as a candidate for the above society, the first Sunday in April, 1820 ; and, after supplying the desk six sabbaths and on the annual fast, he received an invitation from the church and society to settle as their minister, with the offer of an annual salary of six hundred dollars.
The following are copies of the records of the church and society in reference to the call and settlement of Mr. Leonard : -
180
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
" Dublin, May 20, 1820. - Voted to give Levi W. Leonard a call to settle with us, as our gospel-minister.
" ANDREW ALLISON, Clerk for the Church."
" DUBLIN, May 20, 1820.
"The First Congregational Society met at the Old Centre Meeting-house in Dublin, agreeably to notice; chose Capt. Moses Marshall moderator.
" Voted to give the Rev. Levi W. Leonard a call to settle in the ministry over the society in Dublin.
" Voted that the society give the Rev. Levi W. Leonard a salary of six hundred dollars annually, including the legacy, so long as he continues minister over the society.
" Voted that the standing committee of the society inform Rev. Mr. Leonard of the result of this meeting, and request him to return to Dublin as soon as convenient.
"'T'o which the Rev. L. W. Leonard returned the following reply :-
" To the Congregational Church and Society in Dublin.
" Christian Brethren and Friends, - Having received an invita- tion by your committee to take upon me the sacred and important office of a Christian minister and religious instructor among you, and having solemnly and prayerfully deliberated on the subject, I have determined to accept the invitation.
"The arduous nature of the work which I am about to under- take, the high responsibility of the ministerial office, and the fearful consequences of unskilfulness or unfaithfulness in the performance of its duties, are considerations which fill my mind with much solicitude. But the motives and views which have led me to devote myself to the work of the ministry, the degree of unanimity with which you have invited me, the sense of duty which has disposed me to accept your invitation, and a firm reliance on divine aid to support me in time of trouble and difficulty, encourage the pleasing hope that my labors will be attended with the blessing of Heaven. In this interesting and solemn undertaking I shall need your kind assistance; and I humbly ask your united prayers, that, if it should please the holy Author of our religion to consecrate me to his service among you as a minister of Jesus Christ, he would, in the rich abundance of his goodness, endow his servant with all those gifts and graces requisite to adorn the profession ; that this people may be of the same mind one towards another, united in the bonds of charity, supported by the blessed consolations of the gospel, and built up in faith and holiness unto eternal life.
"The attentions which you have shown me, and the favorable opinion which you have expressed by calling me to discharge the duties of so important a station, deserve and obtain my warmest gratitude. That your just demands and expectations may be
ENGRAVED BY T.E. WELCH (PHILA^ FROM A DAGUERRECTYPE BY JOUN & WHIPPLE.
REV. LEVI W. LEONARD E
Levi re Leonard
181
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
fulfilled is my most earnest prayer. - With sentiments of high respect, your friend and servant, LEVI W. LEONARD. " A true copy.
" Witness : JOSEPH APPLETON, Clerk of the Society."
At a meeting of the church, Aug. 4, 1820, the call, given in May, was renewed, and it was " voted to choose a commit- tee of three from the church, to assist in choosing a council with Mr. Leonard in respect to his settlement with us as our gospel-minister. Voted that the committee be John Snow, Abel Twitchell and Andrew Allison. - FRANCIS APPLETON, Moderator."
The above-named committee with three others, chosen by the society, met Aug. 4, and prepared the following letter missive, which was sent to the churches in Harvard Univer- sity ; Concord, Mass .; Wilton, N.H .; Peterborough, N.H .; Dover, Mass. ; Keene, N. H. ; Swanzey, N. H. ; Sterling, Mass. ; Dedham, Mass. ; Lexington, Mass. ; and Littleton, Mass. : -
" To the Church of Christ in - -.
" Christian Brethren, - The Congregational Church and Society in Dublin, N. H., having, with great unanimity, invited Mr. Levi W. Leonard to settle with them as their Christian minister, and he having accepted the invitation, request you, by your pastor and delegates, to assist at his ordination on Wednesday, the sixth day of September next.
" Yours, with sentiments of respect and Christian charity."
The following is the result of the council that convened on the occasion of Mr. Leonard's ordination : -
" DUBLIN, Sept. 6, 1820.
" By virtue of letters missive from the Congregational Church and Society in said town, the following are the churches present by their pastors and delegates, for the purpose of ordaining Mr. Levi W. Leonard as their pastor, viz .:-
Pastors.
Delegates.
Church in Harvard University . Rev. Dr. WARE
Mr. INGERSOLL.
Church in Littleton
Rev. Mr. FOSTER
un
Mr. KIMBALL.
Church in Dover
Rev. Mr. SANGER
.
Mr. BATTLE.
Church in Sterling
S Mr. THAYER. Mr. PALMER.
Deacon SMITH.
Church in Peterborough Rev. Mr. DUNBAR
Deacon HOLMES.
Church in Kcene
Rev. Mr. BARSTOW
un Capt. BLAKE.
Church in Swanzey
Rev. Mr. CHANDLER
Capt. J. DICKENSON.
Church in Wilton
Rev. Mr. BEEDE
Mr. LIVERMORE.
Mr. ELLIS.
S Deacon HARTWELL.
182
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
" The council, being formed by choosing Rev. Mr. Foster mode- rator, by whom the throne of grace was first addressed for guidance and direction, then proceeded to the business for which they had assembled. The Rev. Mr. Chandler was chosen scribe.
"The inquiries relative to the proceedings of the church and society being made, and the council being satisfied therewith, then proceeded to the examination of the candidate; being satis- fied also with his views of the Christian system, and with his moral and literary qualifications, they voted to proceed to his ordination.
"The assignment of the parts was as follows, viz .:-
Introductory prayer and sermon, by Rev. Dr. WARE.
Consecrating prayer
Rev. Mr. BEEDE.
Charge .
Rev. Mr. PORTER.
Right hand of fellowship
Rev. Mr. SANGER.
Charge to the people
Rev. Mr. DUNBAR.
Concluding prayer
Rev. Mr. CHANDLER.
"It was now voted to adjourn for half an hour, then to be in readiness to repair to the meeting-house in order to attend to the public religious services of the occasion.
" A true copy.
" Attest : JOSHUA CHANDLER, Scribe."
The whole number of members added to the First Con- gregational Church, since the ordination of Mr. Leonard, is one hundred and eleven by direct application, and seven from other churches. The whole number of baptisms has been one hundred and seventy-nine, and of marriages by the pastor of this church, two hundred and twenty-six, a few of them in the adjacent towns.
In the year 1821, Mr. Benjamin Perry presented to the church a baptismal basin; and, in 1822, Mr. Joseph Apple- ton gave a chair for use at the communion-table; for each of which gifts the church voted thanks to the donors.
SECOND CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY.
From the commencement of Mr. Leonard's ministry, a few members of his church had not been satisfied with some of his doctrinal opinions. In the year 1827, measures began to be taken by them for the formation of another church and society. In June of that year, Deacon Woods resigned his office by sending to the pastor the following letter : -
183
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
" DUBLIN, June 23, 1827.
" Rev. Levi W. Leonard, - Deeming it my duty, under present circumstances and particular reasons, to resign my office in the church, I therefore give up the same. - Yours with respect, " STEPHEN J. WOODS."
The resignation was accepted ; and, in September of the same year, the following request was made : -
" To the Congregational Church in Dublin.
" Reverend and beloved, - We, the undersigned, members of your body, respectfully request of you a dismission, and a recom- mendation of our moral and Christian character. As the reason why we present this request, we beg leave to state that we differ so widely from you in our views of certain doctrines of the gospel which we consider fundamental, that we are unable to walk with you in Christian fellowship, and believe that our better edification and the cause of truth would be promoted by our being discon- nected from you, and formed into a separate church.
" STEPHEN J. WOODS. - MARTHA WOODS.
ABIJAH RICHARDSON. ELIZABETH RICHARDSON.
LUCY HARDY. REBECKAH HAY."
At a meeting of the First Congregational Church, Septem- ber 30, 1827, " Voted that the request signed by the above- mentioned members of this church be granted."
The result of the movement was the organization of a new society, which at first was designated as "the Second Congregational Society ;" but the name was changed, after two years, to that of " the First Trinitarian Congregational Society," by which it is still known.
The following is an extract from the records of the Trini- tarian Congregational Church : -
" Agreeably to letters missive from several Christian brethren lately members of the church under the pastoral care of the Rev. L. W. Leonard, an ecclesiastical council was convened at the house of Joseph Appleton, Esq., in Dublin, at ten o'clock, A.M., Nov. 21, 1827, for the purpose of forming them into a Trinitarian Congregational Church. There were present the following pastors and delegates, viz. : -
" Rev. Moses Bradford, without a pastoral charge; Rev. Gad Newell and Br. Josiah Richardson, from the church in Nelson ; Rev. Peter Holt and Deacon John Field, from Presbyterian Church, Peterborough; Rev. Z. S. Barstow and Deacon C. H. Jaquith, from church in Keene.
184
HISTORY OF DUBLIN.
"The council was organized by choosing Rev. M. Bradford moderator, and Rev. Z. S. Barstow scribe; and it was opened with prayer by the moderator.
" The council proceeded to inquire of the brethren that convened them what communication they had to make concerning the busi- ness which they wish to have accomplished. Accordingly, the brethren presented a document from the church connected with the First Congregational Society in Dublin, certifying their regular standing in the church, and dismissing them from that church whenever they shall have formed themselves into another body.
"The council inquired what was intended in the letter missive by their differing essentially from the church from which they separate ; and, in answer to the question, it was made evident that these brethren hold to the great doctrines of the gospel in accord- ance with the principles of the fathers of New England.
" Wherefore, Voted that Stephen J. Woods, Abijah Richardson, Thomas Hay, Luke Richardson, Martha Woods, Lucy Hardy, Rebeckah Hay, and Elizabeth Richardson, be constituted a Trini- tarian Congregational Church.
" Voted that the public exercises be performed in the following manner : that the Rev. Gad Newell make the first prayer, Rev. Mr. Barstow preach the sermon, Rev. Mr. Bradford attend to the business of constituting the church, and the Rev. Mr. Holt make the concluding prayer.
" Proceeded to the meeting-house, performed the parts assigned, and constituted a Trinitarian Congregational Church.
" Accepted the above as the minutes of the council.
"Attest : MOSES BRADFORD, Moderator. Z. S. BARSTOW, Scribe.
"Nov. 21, 1827. - The church being formed, the members pro- ceeded to choose the Rev. Gad Newell moderator; chose Luke Richardson clerk ; chose Stephen J. Woods deacon."
The confession of faith and covenant adopted on the occa- sion was the same as that usually received by the churches of the Monadnock Association, which has been printed, and copies of which may be readily obtained.
At a meeting of the First Congregational Society, March 20, 1827, the following vote was passed : -
" Voted that, in case the Second Congregational Society make arrangements to have preaching the ensuing year, the standing committee of the First Congregational Society be requested to invite said Second Congregational Society to occupy the new meeting-house at such time or times as it may be the pleasure of said society to provide preaching, to the full extent according to
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.