CHAPTER XIII

THE EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

The Evangelical Congregational Church, of Northborough, was organized April 12, 1832, with the following membership. Eleven of these members had never been affiliated with any church before. All the others had been; and the church to which they had formerly belonged is indicated:

Nathan Ball, Unitarian Church in Northborough.
Susannah Ball, Unitarian Church in Northborough.

Elizabeth P. Ball, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin.

Jemima Ball, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin. Hannah (Day) Ball, on profession.

Sophia Ball, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin. Sophia (Flagg) Ball, on probation.

Holloway Brigham, Congregational Church, Westborough. Frances Brigham, Congregational Church in Westborough. Isaac Davis, Park Street Church in Boston.

Polly Davis, Park Street Church in Boston.

Adeline P. Davis, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin.

Henry G. Davis, on profession.

Susan B. Davis, on profession.

Nahum Fay, Unitarian Church in Northborough.

Lucy Fay, Unitarian Church in Northborough.

Lewis Fay, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin.

Anna Fay, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin.

Grace Fay, Unitarian Church in Northborough.

Grace H. (Sanger) Fay, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin.

Martha L. (Long) Howe, on profession.

Julia A. Howe, on profession.

Maria (Seaver) Mandell, on profession.

Edward Phelps, on profession.

Asaph Rice, Congregational Church, Westborough.

Hannah Rice, Congregational Church in Westborough.

Benjamin Rice, Evangelical Congregational Church, in Berlin.

Susannah Rice, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin. Alice Rice, Unitarian Church in Northborough.

Lucy B. Rice, on profession.

Charlotte (Whipple) Stone, on profession.

William L. Throop, Evangelical Congregational Church in Berlin.

Lucretia D. Throop, First Church, Norwich, Conn.
Theresa (Maynard) Whitney, on profession.

John Whipple, on profession.

The Rev. W. A. Houghton, of Berlin (formerly of Northborough), in his "Semi-Centennial" address delivered in 1882,

says:

"Of incidental influences which conspired to induce the organization of the Congregational Church, was the death of a young man extensively known and much beloved in the town, Isaac B. Davis, son of Isaac Davis, Esq. His religious sentiment was much quickened in his sickness, and his faith in Christ was firm. He left as his parting word to the young men who knew him, this message: 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.''

Young Davis died January 7, 1832, and was buried from the Unitarian Church, which was kindly offered for the occasion. The funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Abraham C. Baldwin, pastor of the Evangelical Congregational Church, of Berlin, who chose for his text the farewell message of Davis to his young friends: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."

How much influence the death of Davis had upon the organization of the new church does not appear. His death occurred in January, 1832, three months before the church was born, and services had been held in private houses for some time. Mr. Houghton was doubtless right in calling this an "incidental" influence. But it is interesting in any case; for little things are frequently the forerunners of great events.

The compelling reason for the formation of the new church was unquestionably a theological one. Dr. Channing had preached his famous Baltimore sermon at the ordination of Jared Sparks in 1819, and from that time the Congregational churches of New England began to divide into "Orthodox" and "Liberal." Many of the old First parishes joined the Liberal movement, and in course of time came to be known as "Unitarian." But there were many members of those First parishes who could not conscientiously follow the Liberal movement. They therefore withdrew from their several churches and formed new ones. Many Orthodox Congregational churches date from about that time, notably the Park Street Church in Boston, which

was organized with the avowed purpose of combatting the Liberal movement of the time.

This schism in the Congregational body raged long and bitterly; and things were said and done by both sides that would scarcely be called "Christian" today. There is nothing people hold to so tenaciously as to their theological beliefs; and in holding to their theology they often forget to be Christian. This long controversy has happily run its course. True, heartburnings here and there, now and then disclose themselves; but the controversy is over and never again will be revived. This tercentenary year of the Landing of the Pilgrims should brush away the last vestige of grievance and suspicion and ill-will from the two branches of the great and powerful Congregational church.

Although the Society was formally organized on April 3, and the Church on April 12, preaching had been carried on throughout the previous winter, and several preliminary meetings were held. Thus, in January a meeting was held at the home of William L. Throop* when measures were taken to provide for regular preaching. On February 12, another meeting was held when it was agreed to form a society to be called the Evangelical Congregational Society, and a committee was appointed to draw up a constitution for its governance. The idea of a house of worship took shape at this meeting too, and another committee was raised to formulate plans for raising the necessary funds for building the same.

Five days later (February 17) the committee reported a constitution of which the following is the preamble:

"Having associated ourselves together for the purpose of providing and maintaining the preaching of evangelical truth as taught by the Lord Jesus Christ and his inspired apostles, in the Bible, as we understand them, which are in addition to the social and moral virtues, the essential divinity, the distinct personality, equality and unity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the entire depravity of human nature prior to regeneration, the necessity of a radical change produced by the Word and Spirit of God, and the retributions of Eternity as embracing the Eternal blessedness of the righteous, and the everlasting punishment of the wicked, together with those other kindred doctrines usually considered as harmonizing with these, we agree to govern ourselves by the following constitution."

On February 23, the Meeting-house committee reported that

*Mr. Throop was a young man of twenty-eight at the time, and had not been in town very long. He lived in the house occupied until recently by Dr. Ira Guptil.