USA > Vermont > Windham County > Rockingham > The old Rockingham meeting house, erected 1787 and the first church in Rockingham, Vermont, 1773-1840 > Part 7
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Voted I. That the Chh cannot Consider it to be a pro- fession of Faith in Christ & Obedience to him. while a Reserve is made as to Coming up to the Sacrament of the Supper, & while there is no profession of Obedience to this Dying Command of the Saviour. 2 That the Chh would Charitably Suppose that such
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Extracts from the Records
Adult persons as had been Baptiz'd & thereby bro't into the Chh in their Infancy & of good Moral Behaviour, did not mean to renounce their Baptism, reject the Authority watch & Discipline of the Chh or Disclaim all Priveledges from it; by their neglect in not answering the Design of their early Baptism, even to profess faith in Christ & Obedience to Him & thereby make it Their own Act & Deed in a professed & publick manner
3 That the Chh are willing that Baptism be adminis- tered to the Children of all Such of whom they can have this Charitable Thot as mention'd in the preceding Vote & would desire their Pastor thus to practice.
4 Voted that such as have been guilty of Moral Scandal do make Christian Satisfaction therefor in order to their receiving any Priveledges in the Way above mentioned.
5 That the Applying for any Priveledge in the Chh shall be understood as an acknowledgement of the Authority of the Chh over such as Apply & that it be Consider'd as an actual putting themselves under the Watch & Care of the Chh & that they receive Priveledges no longer than they submit to the Authority & Discipline of the Chh.
6 That such as do receive Baptism for their Children or any Priveledges in the Way above mentioned do make a Publick Profession of their beleif of the Christian Religion do acknowledge the Validity of their own Baptism in Infancy, & their Beleif of the Spiritual Right of Administer- ing Baptism to the Infants of such as are members of the Visible Chh, & the propriety of the Mode as practic'd in our Chh's, that they promise to bring up their Children in the Nurture & Admonition of the Lord & will submit to the Discipline of the Chh exercis'd in à Reasonable & Gospel method.
7. That the Pastor propound such as apply for receiving Priveledges at least one Week before they are received to Priveledges & he is desir'd & directed to enquire of all apply- ing whether they have for some Reasonable term of time Statedly read Gods Word & pray'd in their Families Care- fully attended on the Worship of God with their Families on the Lords Day & unless they can Answer in the Affirmative in these Points, not to propound them to Priveledges as without the Practice of these things the Chh cannot Con- sider that there is any kind of Security for the good Educa- tion of the Baptiz'd Children or any reasonable Expectation of it .- Records of First Church.
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The Old Rockingham Meeting House
J. Confession of Faith, Covenant and rules of the Church after its Reorganization in 1818.
You and each of you believe that there is only one living and true GOD. that there is One Mediator between God and man, even Jesus Christ, and that there is no salvation in any other: that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son and is the Renewer, Sanctifier, Comforter and perfecter of his Saints; and that these three, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, are the one GOD.
You and each of you believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of GOD, and the only sure guide to direct the tempers, desires and dependance of the soul and the actions of life: that sin is a most deadly evil and unrepented of, will issue in endless death, its just wages: while true holiness is exceeding lovely in itself and will pro- duce unspeakable happiness to its possessors, and end in eternal life and blessedness in the kingdom of glory.
You and each of you do now endeavor, in the sincerity of your hearts, to take the Lord Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, whose being and perfections you have professed to believe, to be your GOD, and engage to be his willing subjects forever. You take the holy scriptures for the only rule of your life and accordingly covenant to live agreeably to them, a life of repentance, faith, and new obedience; and to renounce every evil & false way. You give up yourselves to Christ in this his church and engage to attend on all the ordinances of GOD's house and the Gospel discipline here administered, so long as it shall please God to continue you here among us.
Thus you and each of you promise and engage, depending on divine grace to enable you rightly to perform these your Covenant Vows .- Records of First Church.
November 11, 1819, the church passed the following rules among others, for its guidance :
Fourthly. That all private labor, for private offences shall be according to the eighteenth chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel.
Sixthly. That no candidate shall be admitted into the church without giving satisfactory evidence of a change of heart. This evidence to be given to the Pastor, who, for the present, is appointed by the church as their committee for such examination.
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Extracts from the Records
Eightly. That no candidate shall be required to make any public confession for any former sins, crimes or mis- demeanors, when his or her repentance and reformation shall evidence a new heart and life: and such, as in the charity of the church, God accepts.
Ninth. That all after offences shall be confessed, if brought before the church or becomes a matter of public _: notoriety, before the whole congregation.
Tenth. The ordinance of baptism shall be administered to the children of none, but such as are in full communion in this or some Sister church.
Twelfth. That no member of any Sister Congregational church, residing in this town, shall have any Church privileg- withes, after one year's residence, except such members unite this Church in covenant relation .- Records of First Church.
K. The Meeting House completed.
Rockingham August 23rd 1799 We the Subscribers request the Honorable Selectmen of Rockingham to call a meeting of the inhabitants of said Town for the purpose of consulting and agreeing upon some mode of finishing the Meeting House in said Town.
Samuel Emery Samuel Cutler Jehiel Webb David Pulsipher Ely Evens John Lovel
The meeting was called and held on Sept. 3, 1799. A large majority were in favor of finishing the Meeting House, and a committee composed of William Page, Samuel Cutler and John Lovel, Esq., was appointed to investigate the proceedings of a former committee who built the Meeting House, to propose some method of finishing it, and to report at an adjourned meeting.
The adjourned meeting was held on Sept. 24th, 1799, and the following report of this special committee was "excepted"-
Your committee appointed to examin into the Several accounts for building the Meeting house and what method the Town had Best to adopt to finish the same report-viz- That the amt due on Sundry obligations for pews sold is £106:10:7; that there are 5 pews on the lower floor not sold Estimated at £40:0:0 that there are 9 do on the 2nd floor not sold Estimated at £36:0:0 That there is due from Isaiah
11.20.11110
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The Old Rockingham Meeting House
Smith £3:0:0 That there is due from Benjamin Williams in finishing the outside of the Meeting House £3:10:0. Sum total, £189:0:7 that there is in the hands of the Committee who built the said house a contract from John Savage & James Walker to compleat out side of said meeting house- and that they are of the opinion that a Committee be ap- pointed to open a Subscription to obtain a Sum in addition to the sum above Stated (or what can be collected) which may be sufficient in their opinion to finish or compleat Said Meeting house-and then call a meeting of the Subscribers who when meet may enter into some arrangement as they Shall think proper to finish the same as soon as may be. William Page, Samll Cutter, John Lovell .- Town Records, Vol. 2.
John Lovell, Samuel Cutler, Daniel Weaver, James Walker, & Philip D Davis were chosen as this committe. The subscribers met March 7, 1800 and passed the following votes :-
firstly Made choice of William Page Esq Moderator for sd Meeting.
2ly voted that the finishing of the Meeting house above mentioned shall be set up at public vendue and that the lowest bidder shall have the jobb.
3ly voted that the Meeting house be compleated by the first Day of August which will be in the year 1801.
4ly voted that said house be painted & glazed by the first of August Next.
5ly voted that a Committe of three be chosen to superintend the finishing of said Meeting House.
6ly voted that Samuel Cutler John Lovell & Jonathan Barron shall be the Committe last mentioned .- Town Records, Vol. 2.
At the regular March Meeting in 1804, Elijah Knight, James Walker, and Levi Sabin were appointed a committee to examine "and settle account of committee last appointed to finish meeting house in said Town and to number the pews in said house as the Original Plan in which the bidders names are insirt & request the Committee who sold said pews to certify to Accuracy of the same and to transmit the said plan to the Town Clerk for record" .- Town Records, Vol. 2.
It is greatly to be regretted that this original plan is not to be found among the records of the Town Clerk's office.
APPENDIX IV
BIBLIOGRAPHY REGARDING THE MEETING HOUSE AND CHURCH
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF ROCKINGHAM, VER- MONT, Lyman S. Hayes, 1907. Pp. 123 to 150. With illustrations.
RECORDS OF THE FIRST CHURCH OF ROCKING- HAM, VERMONT. Copied by Thomas Bellows Peck, with an Historical Introduction. 1902.
VITAL RECORDS OF ROCKINGHAM, VERMONT, from the Beginning of the Records to January I, 1845. Compiled from the Town Records by Thomas Bellows Peck, 1908.
SOME OLD TIME MEETING HOUSES OF THE CON- NECTICUT VALLEY, by Charles Albert Wight, B. A., 19II. Pp. 141-144, with illustrations.
RESTORATION OF AN HISTORIC MEETING HOUSE, by C. W. Osgood, in The Vermonter for August, 1907. Illustrated.
A FORGOTTEN COLONIAL CHURCH, by H. W. Des- mond, in Architectural Record for August, 1903. Illu s- trated.
BELLOWS FALLS AND VICINITY, ILLUSTRATED. P. H. Gobie and L. S. Hayes, 1908. With illustrations.
APPENDIX V
CONSTITUTION OF THE OLD ROCKINGHAM MEETING HOUSE ASSOCIATION
(Organized May 1, 19II.)
I. The membership of the Society shall comprise those, or the descendants of those, who have resided for a period of one year or more in any one of the following towns :- Rocking- ham, Walpole, Westminster, Grafton, Chester, Springfield, Charlestown and Alstead; who are duly elected members of the Society and who pay into the treasury a sum of not less than $1.00.
II. The Officers of the Society shall consist of a Presi- dent, two or more Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Secretary and a Librarian, who shall be elected at the annual meeting of the Society in April and shall hold office for one year, or until their successors are elected.
III. The general administration of the affairs of the Society in carrying out its purposes shall be entrusted to an Executive Committee, to consist of the officers of the Society and two members from each of the several towns represented in the Society. Five shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee, and ten a quorum of the Society.
IV. The annual meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held on the last Monday in January, and the annual meeting of the Society shall be on the last Monday in April, in Bellows Falls, and special meetings of the Society shall be held upon the call of the President, or at the request of ten or more members.
V. Provision shall be made for an annual pilgrimage to the old Rockingham Meeting House in the latter part of July or the early part of August in each year.
VI. The library of the Society shall be deposited in a fireproof building, or in fireproof vaults in Bellows Falls, and shall contain publications, records, relics and documents of historic interest, and shall be for consultation by members of the Society and others, under the direction of the librarian.
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Constitution
VII. The Society shall accumulate from year to year a permanent fund through gifts, devices and bequests, the interest of which shall be used in carrying out the purposes of the Society. The expenses of the annual pilgrimage to the old Rockingham Meeting House shall be met by sub- scriptions received from among the members and friends of the Society. If any contributor to the Pilgrimage Fund desires to qualify as a Member under Article I, $1.00 from his contribution shall be paid into the treasury of the Society for the Permanent Fund.
VIII. This form of organization may be amended by a two-thirds vote of any regular meeting of the Society, pro- vided that notice of the amendment is mailed to each mem- ber of the Society at least one week in advance of the date of meeting, at which action on the amendment is proposed.
INDEX
(Does not include lists of members of the First Church in Appendix I, nor those filing Certificates of Dissension in Appendix II.)
ALLBEE, Ebenezer, 20. E. W., 20. Rev. Horace, 20, 21. Associations of Ministers in Wind- ham County, 49. Association of Ministers of the Gospel in the County of Cumber- land, 46.
BABBITT, F. H., 64. Bailey, Crissana, 48. Ballou, Rev. Henry L., 58, 64. Baptism, 40, 41, 89, 90, 91, 93. Baptists, 21, 36. Barber, Rev. Nelson, 42, 87. Barron, Jonathan, 81, 94.
Bath, N. H., 45. Beardslee, Rev. R. A., 49.
Belknap, W. C., 54, 57, 58. Bellows, Col. Benjamin, 45. Mrs. Josiah G., 58. Bellows Falls, 18, 52. Ministers' Association, 51.
Bennett, Nathaniel, 39. Bennington, church in, 29.
Bibliography regarding Meeting House, 95. Billings, Samuel L., 53. Susannah, 53. Black River Association, 4I. Bradford, Rev. Moses B., 87, 89. Brattleboro, church in, 29, 77. Brown, Deacon Joel, 28, 38. .38. Burnap, Rev. U. C., 87. Burr, Jonathan, 39. Burt, Lieut. Jonathan, 17, 81. Burying Ground, 22, 24. Byington, Abraham, 24.
CAMBRIDGE, church in, 48. Cambridge platform, 90.
Cambridgeport, 16. Campbell, Alexander, 83. Dr. E. R., 54.
Candle in the Choir, (poem), II. Certificates of disagreement, 31, 73. Charlestown, 44. church in, 40, 77. meeting house in, 19.
Chester, church in, 29, 42, 78, 79, 87. Church, see First Church in Rock- ingham.
Church, Caleb, 90.
Church of England, 16.
Clark, Nathaniel, 86.
Clarke, Rev. L. Mason, 63.
Communion service, 42, 55.
Congregational Church of Christ in Rockinghan, 36, 85.
Congregationalists, 21, 28.
Consociation in Windham County, 37, 38, 43, 47, 49. Constitution of the Old Rockingham Meeting House Association, 96.
Cornish, church in, 41, 77.
Councils of other churches, 41.
Covenants, 40, 41, 89, 92. Crothers, Rev. Samuel M., 61.
Cutler, Samuel, 93, 94.
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DARTT, Justus, 58. Davis, Hiram, 87. Nathaniel, 18, 27, 30, 39, 55. Philip D., 94.
Day, H. E., 24. Deacons, 30.
Dillingham, Sen. W. P., 63.
Disputes settled by church, 39.
Dissenters, 31, 73, 80.
Divoll, J. B., 43. Mary O., 56, 57. Natt. L., 54, 58. Dover, church in, 49.
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Index
EARL, Royal, 42. Ellis, John, 85. Emory, Samuel, 81, 93.
Evans, Asher, 30, 39. Eli, 81, 93. Mercy, 30. Peter, 30, 39. Lieut. Peter, 17. Peter Jr., 17, 30, 90.
FELT, Eliphalet, 81. Female Society, 42. Fessenden, Thomas, 77,-78.
Field, Rev. Timothy, 86, 87.
First Church in Rockingham,- First votes regarding, 26.
Organized, 27, 77. Services suspended, 36, 85. Re-organized, 36, 85. Abandoned, 38. Summary history of, 79.
Foreword, 9. Fort Dummer, 44. Fuller, Ebenezer, 30. Gen. John, 21. Mercy, 30.
GARDNER, Rev. Andrew, 26, 27, 44. General Convention of Congrega- tional Churches in Vermont, 45, 47. Gilmore, John, 81. Goodale, Rev .- , 86.
Gould, Capt. Thomas, 42.
Grafton, church in, 41, 85, 86, 87.
Granfield, Mortimer J., 47.
Guilford, church in, 29, 48.
HALF-WAY Covenant, 30, 40, 41, 89, 90. Hall, John, 24. William, 83, 85. Rev .- , 41. Harding, Rev. Elisha, 26, 27, 44, 45. Hardy, Rev. Edwin N., 61. Haskins, Kittredge, 54. Hayes, L. S., 57, 58, 63. Hazzleton, David, 20. Richard, 20. Hedge, (Hodges?)-, 78. Herod, John, 90. Hinsdale, church in, 77. Hodges, Rev. Silas H., 42, 78, 89. Hoit, Levi, hall, 24.
Holmes, Rev. H. B., 87. Holton, Dr. H. D., 57, 58. Hooper, Prof. Franklin W., 3, 57, 58, 59, 62, 63, 64. Hooper, Warren L., 58.
IMMANUEL Church, 36. Inscription, 3.
JACKSON, Elizabeth Billings, 53. Jones, Dr. Reuben, 56, 62, 89.
KEEFE, J. E., 55. Key, Keepers of, 23. Knight, Elijah, 83, 94. Judge, 86.
LARRABEE, Anne, 30. Samuel, 30.
Law regulating support of gospel, 31,37. Lawrence, -, 78. Merrill, L., 58.
Lebanon, church in, 77. Lock, Asa, 87. Locke, Foster B., 54. Phoebe, 48. Lovell, Hope, 55. John, 17, 93, 94. Oliver, 17, 27. Lyman, Rev. A. J., 62.
MACKAYE, Percy, 11, 62. Marlboro, church in, 29. Marsh, James, 24. Mason, Rev. Samuel, 37, 44, 49, 87, 88. McAfee, James, 81. McQuaide, T. R., 55. Mead, Edwin A., 61. Gov. John A., 62.
Meeting House,- First votes regarding, 16. Temporary building erected, 17. Site presented to town, 18. Present building erected, 20. First used by town, 21.
Completed, 22, 93. Description of, 22. Regular services abandoned, 51. Now used irregularly for ser- vices, 51. Town meetings moved to Bel- lows Falls, 52. Votes to restore, 52.
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Index
Meeting House Restored, 53. Re-dedicated, 53. Members of First Church, 30, 33, 37, 66, 79.
Methodists, 36.
Minister Tax, 31, 33.
Ministerial Association, 39. Ministers, associations of, 39, 46, 49, 5I. Ministers' Association, Bellows Falls, 51.
Minister's House, 45, 47.
Minister's Right, 16, 47, 78.
Mitchell, Herbert W., 57, 58.
Moxom, Rev. Philip S., 63.
NEWBURY, church in, 29.
Newfane, church in, 29, 41. North Meeting House, 24. Norwich, church in, 29.
OBER, Samuel, 86. Olcott, Elias, 30, 39. Sibbel, 30. , 77. Old Rockingham Meeting House Association, 28, 43, 55, 57, 96. Osgood, C. W., 54, 57, 58.
PAGE, William, 93, 94.
Pain, Eunice, 25.
Peas, Deacon, 90.
Pease, Jacob, 30.
Peck, Thomas Bellows, 28, 55, 58, 60.
Perry, Horace A., 58.
Philips, Jonas, 24.
Pilgrimages, Annual, to Old Meeting House, 54, 61.
Potter, Rev. Rockwell H., 63.
Pratt, Rev. A. P., 57, 58, 63.
Prentiss, John W., 58.
Proctor, Mrs. Frank, 48.
Proprietors of Rockingham, 15.
Protestant Episcopal Church, 16, 36.
Pulsifer, (Pulsipher), Elvira, 7.
Pulsipher, David, 17, 18, 24, 28, 30, 43, 59, 87,93. Elizabeth, 30. Samuel W., 24. William W., 55. , 39. Putnam, Mrs. W. H. H., 28, 43. Putney, church in, 29, 41, 49.
RAY, Myron H., 53. Reading, church in, 41. Records of the First Rockingham, 27. Reed, Frederick, 24.
Church in
Reeves, Rev .- , 77.
Rice, Elizabeth, 86. Hezekiah, 86. Richards, Charles, 18, 90. Eunice, 42. Rockingham town of,- Charter issued, 15. Proprietors or Grantees, 15.
First permanent settlement, 16. Town government organized, 16. Town meetings moved to Bel- lows Falls, 52. Rockingham, village of, 6, 18, 22, 26. Roundy, Rev. Rodney W., 54.
SABIN, Levi, 94. Sage, Sylvester, 86. Salary of ministers, 32, 33. Sargeants, Rev .- , 41.
Saxtons River,- Meeting House erected, 24. First Baptist Church, 36. Church in, 42, 87. Attempts to get town meetings, 52. Shaw, Rev. H. H., 54.
Sherburne, Rev. L. O., 54.
Shuttlesworth, Rev .- , 42.
Simonds, William, 18, 30.
, 30. Slicer, Dr. Thomas R., 61.
Smiley, Rev .- , 86.
Springfield, church in, 85, 86, 87.
Stearns, Lydia, 86. William, 86. Stoel, Deacon John, 86, 87.
, 27.
Swain, A. N., 19. Swanzy, church in, 77.
TAX, Minister, 31, 33. Taylor, Samuel, 17, 24, 27, 81.
Thetford, church in, 29.
Thomas, John M., 62.
Thomlinson (Grafton), church in, 41.
Thompson, Mrs. Horace W., 52, 54, 55. Tuttle, A. E., 64.
UNIVERSALISTS, 21, 36.
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Index
VERMONT Domestic Missionary Society, 87.
Vermont Missionary Society, 46.
Vilas, Charles N., 58.
WADHAMS, Mrs. Frederick E., 56, 62. Walker, James, 94. Walpole, 45. Church in, 40, 77, 85.
Wardsborough, church in, 42.
Warwick, church in, 77.
Weaver, Daniel, 94.
Webb, Calvin, 81.
Webb, Jehiel, 48, 81, 85, 90, 93. Joshua, 55.
Wentworth, Gov. Benning, 15.
Westminster, church in, 29, 40, 41. East Parish, church in, 86, 87. West Parish, church in, 49, 86, 87. Westmoreland, church in, 77.
Weston, Mrs. Ezekiel, 20. Mrs. Henry N., 48. West Rutland, church in, 29.
Wheelock, Abner, 24.
White, Rev. Broughton, 38, 44, 49. Josiah, 25, 55.
Whiting, Crissana B., 48. John G., 48. Joseph, 48. Rev. Samuel, 17, 30, 44. Ordained, 28, 77.
Whiting, Rev. Samuel,
Salary of, 32, 78, 83.
Suspends preaching, 33, 79.
Charges against, 34, 80. Dismissed from ministry, 35, 82. History of, 45. Genealogy of, 47.
Whitten, Frank S., 55.
Wiley, John 2nd, 55.
Willard, Joseph, 21 (footnote).
Williams, Benjamin, 81. Nathan G., 57, 58.
Winchester, church in, 77.
Windham Association of Ministers, 46 (footnote), 47, 49. Windham County Bible Society, 49. Windham-Union Ministers' Meet- ing, 49, 50.
Windsor, church in, 29, 42.
Winn, Caleb, 24.
Wolfe, Caspar Shana, 55.
Wollage, Rev. Elijah, 33, 36, 37, 44, 48, 86. Wood, Joseph, 89.
Woodstock, church in, 42.
Woodward, Calvin M., 61.
Wrentham, church in, 77.
Wright, Capt. Azariah, 56 (foot- note).
Moses, 27.
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