USA > Rhode Island > Kent County > East Greenwich > History of the town of East Greenwich and adjacent territory, from 1677 to 1877 > Part 11
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" That God hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the world by Jesus Christ; and that he will reward every one according to his works, when the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eter- nal.
And then the following Covenant was adopted by them : " You ( and each of you respectively ) do in everlasting Covenant give up yourselves to God in Jesus Christ.
"You do humbly ask of God forgiveness, through the blood of Jesus Christ for all your sins of heart and life.
" You do likewise (each of you) solemnly promise before God, his holy Angels, and in the presence of this assembly, that by the help of the Holy Spirit you will forsake the vani- ties of this world, and will approve yourselves the true dis- ciples of Jesus Christ, promising to submit to the discipline
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of Jesus Christ, in his Church, and in this Church in partic- ular, (Matthew 18 and 15); and by his grace to live devoted to him all your days, in a faithful obedience to all of his Commandments."
There is nothing on the church records to indicate how long the Rev. Daniel Waldo continued as Pastor over the church, but in the year 1829 appears the following entry on the record :
" August 29th, 1829. Church Meeting called and met at my house for the purpose of giving a call to Mr. Michael Burdett to settle over us as our Pastor; adjourned to meet the first Saturday of next September."
" At a Church Meeting held at my house (agreeable to ad- journment) the meeting opened by Prayer by the Rev. Daniel Waldo."
" Voted, That we give Michael Burdett a call to settle with us as our Pastor.
" Witness, JOHN BROWN."
" The Society having held a meeting, unanimously con- curred in the call of Mr. Burdett,-of which Mr. Burdett being informed, accepted of the call. Wednesday the twenty third of September was appointed for the ordina- tion.
" Pursuant to letters missive, an Ecclesiastical Council was held in this place on the 23d of September, 1829. Present from the Church at Little Rest, South Kingstown, Rev. Oliver Brown, Pastor; Deligate Brother Thomas Wales. From the Church in Bristol, Rev. Mr. Lewis, Pastor ; Deligate Henry Wright, D. D. From the Church in Rehoboth, Rev. Thomas Vernon, Pastor; Deligate Brother James Bliss. From the Church in Barrington, Rev. Joseph Patrick, Minister of the Place; Deligate Dea. Joshua Bicknell. From the Church in West Taunton, Rev. Alvan Cobb, Pastor ; Brother Lorenzo Lincoln, Deligate. From the Church in Pawtucket, Rev. Asa Hopkins, Pastor ; Deligate Dea. Remember Carpenter.
" After an examination of Mr. Burdett by the council they proceeded to his ordination. The Introductory prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. Patrick; Sermon by the Rev. Mr. Cobb; Ordaining prayer by the Rev. Mr. Brown; Charge to the Pastor by the Rev. Mr. Lewis; Right hand of fel- lowship by the Rev. Mr. Vernon; Concluding prayer by
8
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the Rev. Mr. Hopkins. The services were very impressive and interesting."
Mr. Burdett remained as pastor until July 10th, 1833.
The next entry is the following :
" The Monthly Church meeting on the Saturday before the first Monday in August, A. D. 1833, was held at my house. Present Sisters Mary Coggeshall, Mary Mowry, Mary Thurston and Mary Brown. This being the first Church Meeting since the Rev. Mr. Burdett left, it was thought best to continue the Church Meetings as an earnest cultivation of Personal Piety, Christian Love, and Har- mony with each other."
Witness,
JOHN BROWN, Deacon."
" On the 6th of October, 1836. An unanimous Call was Given to the Rev. William G. Johnson, of Washington Village Church which was accepted; from that time he regularly dispensed the Communion in this Church, and re- moved here on the 24th March, 1837.
" A Sunday School was commenced by the Pastor on the 7th of May, 1837. A Sunday School Society was also formed and a Library commenced."
This was the first Sunday School in East Greenwich.
"May 14th, 1837. Moses and Harriet Pierce were re- ceived members into this Church by letter from Fall River Church, it being understood that they had difficulties on Infant baptism, and Slavery but waited for more light upon these subjects, therefore the Church agreed to admit them upon these terms, provided they did not agitate these sub- jects in the Church."
WM. G. JOHNSON, Minister.
It appears that Mr. Johnson changed the name from the Congregational Church of Christ to that of the Catholic Congregational Church, of East Greenwich, as the new name now appears for the first time :
" At a meeting of the Catholic Congregational Church, of East Greenwich, held at the house of the Rev. Mr. Johnston, June 7th, 1837, the committee appointed to draw up arti- cles of discipline, not being prepared to report, it was
" Voted, That in all our Church meetings four Members shall make a quorum for business.
" Voted, That John Brown be a Delegate to attend the Consociation to be holden at Bristol.
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" Voted, That we intend to purchase a lot and build a House for Worship, as soon as funds can be acquired by our own exertions and the assistance of Friends.
" Voted, That our delegate lay the above vote before the Consociation, requesting their advice and assistance.
" Voted, That our delegate enquire of the Ladies Benev- olent Society, in Bristol, whether, they ever voted, or re- mitted assistance in money to the C. C. Church in East Greenwich ; and how much, by whom sent, and to whom paid.
" Voted, That whereas our present Minister came to his labours with us, without any prospect or expectation of sufficient maintainance from us, our Delegate will lay this case before the Missionary Society, soliciting their advice, assistance, and prayers.
" Voted, That the Treasurer call on all the members of of the Church, and as many of the Society as he shall think Judicious to solicite Subscriptions, for the Support of Our Minister."
" At a Church meeting on January 22d, 1838, it was agreed that if funds could be secured we would build a Church, and that a circular letter should be sent to all the Churches in our State, of our Denomination requesting their aid; and to try every means in our power to raise the money."
" February 1st, 1838. At a Church meeting it was re- solved to forward the Circular letter. Mr. Whiting, Esq. was chosen Treasurer to receive any money that might be paid for building, and also to prepare us a Charter when required, and to do such other business for us as was necessary."
About this time it appears that the old meeting-house was demolished in order to erect a new structure on its site, but the Society, when they discovered that they were un- able to build, for lack of funds, concluded to sell the lot and materials of the old house to the Episcopalians :
"February 12th, 1838. At a meeting of the members of the C. C. Church, proposals were made by them to the Corporation of St. Luke's Church to give them a good deed of the place for $300, or for an equivalent in land equal to said sum. General Nathaniel Greene and Mr. Thomas Rhodes, acted as delegates for the Church to pre- sent our proposals to St. Luke's Corporation which they
.
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did on February 15th and were to receive an answer at the annual meeting in March next."
" March 15th, 1838. The Catholic Congregational Church sold their Lot of land, to St. Luke's Corporation, for $250, and the agent was empowered by the C. C. Church to de- bate that sum to $244.46. This day the Deed was signed by the Church."
"March 16th, 1838. At a Church meeting held at the Court House a vote of thanks was passed by the majority of the Church, to be given to General Nathaniel Greene and Nathan Whiting, Esq., for their kind services in assist- ing this Church in recovering her rights."
"March 20th, 1838. A Note for $244.46 was delivered to Nathan Whiting, Esq., Treasurer, to the C. C. Church in East Greenwich to assist the Church in purchasing a lot of land, or for building."
Here commenced the difficulties and misunderstandings which finally ended in the dissolution of the Society. The trouble began at the adoption of the new government, articles of faith and covenant.
" June 2d, 1838. A Church meeting was held at Capt. Andros's where ten were present. The new articles for re- organizing were read and approved of along with the cove- nant. The Articles and the Covenant were agreed to by all present as true and good, and some of the Articles of the old constitution were considered erroneous; but it was agreed that we would appoint another meeting, and exam- ine the articles one by one, which meeting was held and the articles and covenant were approved of, but some ob- jections were made to the Church rule 4th, therefore they were not unanimously approved of."
"June 27th, 1838. A meeting of the Church was held at Capt. Jonathan Andros's at 3 P. M. when the Catholic Con- gregational Church was reorganized by the Rev. Wm. G. Johnson, Missionary of the Rhode Island Home Mission- ary Society and Member of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland."
FORM OF REORGANIZATION, JUNE 27th, 1838.
" We, the Catholic Congregational Church of East Green- wich and members of said Church organized by the Rev. Daniel Waldo, in October 15th, 1815, Missionary from the Massachusetts Society for promoting Christian Knowl-
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edge-Do now voluntarily recognize ourselves as the same Catholic Congregational Church, under the Pastoral care of the Rev. Wm. G. Johnson Missionary of the Home Missionary Society of R. Island, and member of the Estab- lished Church of Scotland with all our temporal immuni- ties, property possessions, rights and privileges of every kind, temporal and spiritual which belong to us as said Cath- olic Congregational Society of East Greenwich, and for the better promoting the spiritual interests of the Church, we now renew and amend, our confession of faith, covenant and government and discipline, and reorganize said Church and are members of said C. C. Church by giving our assent to its Confession of Faith, Covenant, Discipline and Gov- ernment as thus amended and reorganized."
" Being fully understood that this is the same Catholic Congregational Church, on Congregational principles alone, with its spiritual Constitution altered and amended, and should any of its members not unite with us, then we may become an Independent Church."
" Reasons for Re-organizing the Church.
"1. Our Confession of Faith and Covenant have always been defective and erroneous, and at present our articles are so deficient, that an Antinomian can fully assent to them, and also an Armenian become one of our members.
" 2. This Church has no discipline, and no government, we cannot call one member to account, however flagrant any of his crimes may be, and we have no government to regulate any of our proceedings, which makes our Church in a state of anarchy, and confusion, and should one have reason to complain of another, we have no remedy in our present state to offer.
"3. Many of our members are dead, others removed, and no proper account has been kept of the proceedings of the Church from the beginning.
"4. In view of building a meeting-house, it is necessary to have our Confession of Faith, Discipline and Govern- ment ready before we incorporate as a Church, or appoint Trustees over our property, to hand down to posterity the truth, and to fix the possession of the property of this Church, to them alone that believe the same truths and fol- low the same discipline and government which we main- tain-and by doing our duty now, we may insure the preaching of a pure gospel to future generations."
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" Confession of Faith.
" The following is our Confession of Faith and Covenant, to which we have given our assent, and require the assent of all who may become in future, members of this Church. " Beloved Friends-You have presented yourselves before God, and his people, and the world, to make solemn pro- fession of your religious faith, and publicly, to take upon you the bonds of the Everlasting Covenant. We trust you have well considered the nature of this transaction, the most solemn and momentous, in which you can ever engage, and that you are prepared by divine grace, to give your- selves away, as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ.
" Having examined and assented to the articles of faith and covenant, adopted by this Church, you will now pro- fess the same before these Witnesses.
" Article 1st. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, are the word of God, and the only perfect rule of Christian faith.
" 2d. We believe that there is only one living and true God, who is a Spirit uncreated and unchangeable, that He is essential love, everywhere present, and possessed of in- finite knowledge, power, wisdom, righteousness, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.
"3d. We believe in the unity of the Godhead, there is a Trinity of persons, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, that these persons are one in essence, and that the Son and the Holy Ghost, are equal and coeternal, with the Father.
"4th. We believe that God made all things for himself, and that he governs all his works, that he will overrule all things, so, as to display his own glorious nature, and pro- duce the greatest good, and this will be effected in a way, perfectly consistent with the moral agency and liberty of his creatures.
"5th. We believe that Adam was created holy, and happy, that he was constituted the moral root of his posterity, that he apostatized from God, in consequence of which, all of his posterity come into the world with natures wholy depraved and alienated from God.
" 6th. We believe that God in his sovereign mercy and rich grace, has provided a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who being in his original nature one with the Father, did take the human nature, into personal union with the divine,
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and humbled himself to death, even the death of the cross, and thereby made a full atonement for sin, that whosoever believeth in him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
"7th. We believe that all who receive Christ, were from the beginning chosen to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, (2 Thessalonians, 2, 13), and will be kept by the power of God, through faith and salvation.
"8th. We believe that a cordial acceptance of Christ, in his true character, and in all his offices, as our Prophet, Priest and King, by a faith characterized by repentance of sin and a holy life, constitute a true Christian.
"9th. We believe that we are saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, and that a true change of heart is effected by the Holy Spirit of God.
"10th. We believe that Christ has a Church in the world, and that none in the sight of God, but real believers, and none in the sight of man, but visible believers, have a right to be admitted into it.
" 11th. We believe that Christ has instituted baptism, and the Lord's Supper, as ordinances to be observed in the Church to the end of the world; that baptism, is to be ad- ministered to believers, and their children, and the Lord's Supper to such visible saints, as are able to examine for themselves, and discern the Lord's body.
" 12th. We believe that Christ has instituted a discipline to be observed in the true Church, which is to be strictly maintained, according to his directions, in Matthew 18 : 15, 16, 17.
"13th. We believe that at the end of the world, Christ will appear in his glory, as the universal Judge, that the bodies of the dead will then be raised, and those then liv- ing, will be changed into an immortal state that brought to the judgment seat of Christ, all will be judged and sen- tenced, according to their works and that the reward be- stowed upon the righteous, and the punishment inflicted upon the wicked, will be alike eternal.
" Covenant.
" Humbly hoping that you have been savingly united to Christ by faith, and esteeming it a delightful privilege to serve the Lord, and regarding your obligations to Him as perfect freedom, you do now in the presence of God, his
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.
holy Angels, and this assembly with sincerity of soul avouch the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost to be your God, the object of your supreme affections, and your por- tion forever; you cordially acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ in all his mediatorial offices, Prophet, Priest, and King, as your only Saviour, and the Holy Spirit as your sanctifier, comforter and Judge.
" You humbly and cheerfully devote yourselves to God, in the everlasting covenant of his grace, you consecrate all your powers and faculties to his service and glory, and you promise through the assistance of his Spirit, you will cleave to him as your chief good, that you will give diligent at- tendance to his word, and ordinances, that you will seek the honor and interest of his kingdom, and henceforth denying all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, you will live soberly, righteously and godly in the world.
" You who are parents do not only give up yourselves unto the Lord but also devote the children under your care to his fear and service promising by divine assistance to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord- to instruct and counsel them, to set a good and holy exam- ple before them, and all your household, and to maintain religious worship in your families.
" You likewise acknowledge this to be a true Church of . Christ, and do now cordially join yourselves to it as such, promising to submit to the rules of government and disci- pline which it has adopted, and to strive earnestly for its peace, edification and purity, and to walk with its members in love, faithfulness, circumspection, meekness and sobriety, as long as you live, unless your relation to it be regularly dissolved.
" Thus you solemnly covenant and promise. (The ordin- ance of baptism will now be administered).
" We therefore the members of this Church, (here the members of the Church rise), affectionately receive you, to our communion, and in the name of Christ, declare you entitled, to all the privileges, and immunities of this Church, and promise to watch over you, with christian affection and faithfulness according to our covenant and rules of discipline. And now Beloved in the Lord, let it be im- pressed on your mind, that you have voluntarily and unal- terably committed yourselves to God, and that henceforth you will be regarded as his servants,-hereafter the eyes of the world will be upon you, and as you demean yourselves,
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so religion will be honored or dishonored :- if you walk worthy of your profession, you will be a credit, and a com- fort to us, but if it be otherwise, it will be an occasion of reproach. But beloved we are persuaded better things of you, and things which accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
" May the Lord guide and preserve you until death, and at last receive you, and us, to that blessed world, where our love and joy shall be forever perfect and where every tear shall be wiped from our eyes."
" October 12th, 1838. This day a Mortgage was laid upon the Episcopal Church and lot by the Treasurer on behalf of this Church for $253.46 as Trustee and Treasurer of said Church."
" December 10th, 1838. We unanimously protest against the advice of the Ecclesiastical Council of the 13th of November of which the following is a Copy :
"The mutual Ecclesiastical Council, that met at East Greenwich on the 13th of Nov. 1838, to deliberate and ad- vise upon the grievances, trials and Church affairs of the C. C. Church,-resolved that we should go as far back as the 10th of May 1837, and that all the proceedings of the Church, should be null and void from that date.
" We the C. C. Church of East Greenwich, do protest against the division, and dissent from the advice of said Council for the following important reasons :
"1. The Council did not inform themselves properly of our Church affairs, and therefore were totally unqualified to give a proper decision.
" 2. The Church records would require to be mutilated or destroyed from May 10th 1837, until Nov. 13th 1838, which would deprive posterity of all confidence in our records, and besides we have no power or right to alter, mutilate or destroy the public records of this Church, nor yet expunge them contrary to the mind of the Church.
"3. This decision deprives Mr. Whiting of being the Treasurer of this Church for building.
"4. If we should consent to the decision of this Council then we must adopt articles, that are confessed to be erro- neous by every member of this Church.
"5. As we have reorganized and adopted sound articles of faith and entered into covenant with God, we would be forced to renounce the truth and break covenant with God, if we adopted the old articles and covenant.
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"6. We as a Church have sold our Church property to the Corporation of St. Luke's Church on March 15th, 1838, and if we assent to the decision of the Council, then we nullify the deed which we gave the Corporation of St. Luke's Church-and also nullify the Mortgage which we have upon said Church, neither of which we can do. Though the Council through ignorance of our affairs, and want of due inquiry and deliberation-have virtually recommended us to sacrifice truth, embrace error-sin against conscience- break covenant with God-and break our legal voluntary deed with St. Luke's Church and deprive them of that prop- erty which we sold them by the unanimous consent and in- dividual signature of each member of this Church."
This church was a very large and convenient structure, two stories in height, with two rows of windows one above another, like a dwelling-house, the side of the building fronting on . Pearce street, a square tower projecting from the north end of the building, with a door opening on a small court, (there was no street there then). The tower contained a winding stair-case leading to a gallery, which occupied three sides of the second story, with its rows of seats rising one above another like those of an amphithea- tre. This part of the church might be termed the Court of the Gentiles, as it would seem to be intended for the use and convenience of those who did not choose to remain through the long and tedious sermons of those days. Such persons could pass in and out without disturbing the con- gregation below. The builders of churches in those days were certainly more accommodating to the public than at. the present time.
The lower part of the church was furnished with slips in the centre of the floors with square pews at the sides ; there were seats around the inside of these pews, so that a portion of the occupants sat with their backs to the pulpit which was also of curious construction. It was a circular structure, elevated high in the air with a long, winding flight of stairs leading up to it. There were two beautiful silver candle-sticks at the sides of the pulpit, which once adorned a dwelling-house in Portugal.
The church was never painted inside, and the awkward tower at the end of the building was left unfinished until about the year 1820, when a small, odd-looking spire, shaped like an old-fashioned extinguisher, was placed on its summit, while four strange looking objects called urns were fastened to the corners of the tower.
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Up to this time no bell had ever rung out its solemn peal from this old tower. The only bell in the village at that time hung in the belfry of the old Kent Academy, which then stood very near the old church. The congregation, like the man who borrowed his neighbor's knocker, had long depended upon the ringing of the academy bell to call them to meeting; but on the completion of this steeple, the citizens of the village raised by subscription a sum to purchase a small bell, which is now in the possession of the Episcopal Church.
The old meeting-house, as it was then called, continued to be used by all denominations who wished to occupy it, until the year 1836, when the building, and the lot on which it stood were purchased by the Episcopalians, who, after pulling down the old structure, built on its site the first St. Luke's.
For a long time after the old meeting-house was built no clergyman preached regularly there, but old printed ser- mons were read there by different persons from the village. The good people of those days evidently supposed that since they possessed a church, they ought to use it, and that sermons read by the laity were better than no preach- ing. Among those who often filled the pulpit was an old revolutionary officer, Captain Thomas Arnold, who was not particularly pious, and was very much addicted to using strong language. One very warm day, after reading a ser- mon, he remarked on coming out of the church, while wip- ing his forehead, that it was " - hard work to preach."
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