A record of the First Parish in Watertown, Massachusetts

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-TVATZRTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS^::'";; :^y

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ARTHUR B. FULLERi^^

MiXieTER OF THE FIRFT PABIPH.

WATERTOWN :
1861.

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MOCST AUBURN-:
PEISTED AT THE MEMORIAL OFFICE.

CONTENTS.

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5

I...H1STOBICAI. Sketch :

2.. .COTEXAST OF THB ChURCH,

3... Names op Chukch Mejibebs,

4...Str!!DAT School Organization,

5... Parish Officers. Chosen April I860, for the

12

Ensciso Year

6... Constitution and By-Latvs op the Social Bb,

12
HEVOLENT ASSOCIATION,

7... List of Officers op Association, 13

8... Female Society for Relief of the Sick 13

9.. .Brief Statement of the Unitarian Belief,... 14

\i:

OF THE

FIRST PARISH (IIJaTARIAN), IN WATERTOWN.

^^-!>

A COMPANY of early emigrants from England, whose prin-
cipal leaders were bir Richard Saltonstall, Rev. George
Phillips, and Elder Richard Browne, came to Watertown, as
settlers, in 1630. The towD was incorporated, after the manner
of that day, by a colonial enactment, Sept. 17, 1G30. The First
Pai-ish (now "the Unitarian Societj) was established the same
vear, and its affaire were then identified with those of the town.
Watertown was so called from its ab\indanee of water in the
river, and the spring.-:, and ponds in its then limits. It orig-
inally included in its boundaries what now are the towns of
Waltham, Weston, Belmont, and a portion of territoiy since form-
ing a part of Lincoln and Cambridge, besides what is to-da\ the
town of Watertown. There were ako the " Watertown taiius,"
or lands given by the colonial legislature to this town in Prince-
ton, near Wachusett mountain. It will be seen that our town
has been largely shorn of its original possessions, and much ci>
cumscribed in territory. Tlie Church in this Parish, which word
was then sj-non\-mou3 with that of township, was organized
July 28, 1630, and is the mo^t ancient in the colony of Massa-
chusetts Bay, except one — the First Church in Salem. It was
the only ChurcU in Watertown for si.\ty-sLx years. Rev. George
Phillips became its pastor on the day of its organization. He
had previously been settled in England. He was extremely
liberal and charitable in his theological opinions, and the earliest
advocate of strict Concresationali-^m and Independency in the
colony. Indeed, untU the arrival of Rev. John Cotton from
England, he stood, in this resi)ect, alone among the clergy in
New England. He also, in advising the town to resist a colo-
nial tax, was the earhest asserter, in colonial affairs, of the doc-
trine that " taxation without representation is tyranny," the
ground-principle, many years subsequently, of our American
Revolutionary struggle, ilr. Phillips died July 1, 1644.

The Church also fully sympathized with its pastor in hberal

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RECORD OF THE FIKST PARISH

views and love for strict independency. It was the first church
which adopted thorough Congregationalism ami entire indepen-
dency of other churches and human authority as its basis, and
for along time stood alone in their advocacy ; it was regarded
as somewhat heretical in ecclesiastical matters then, though it3
Congregational system is now prevalent tliroughout ><ew Eng-
land as the method of church government. Some of the eai-Uer
members of the church were distinguished for their liberality of
views, and tolerant spirit. Among these, Hon. Richard Salton-
stall, who, after his return to England, wrote a letter to the
magistrates of this colony in favor of toleration, and Elder Rich-
ard Browne, who averred that eveu the Romish churches, in
spite of many errors, were nevertheless churches of Christ, were
preeminent The pai-ish and its ministers were also uniformly
m favor of civil freedom, so that the town, then identical with
the Parish, was selected as a place of refuge for the Gener^
Court during the Revolutionary struggle.

Rev. Mr. Phillips was sole minister of the church and parish
till Dec. 19, 1639, -when Rev. John Knowles was ordained by
the Church as a colleague pastor with Rev. Mr. Phillips. Mr.
Knowles had never been settled elsewhere. It -was an early
custom to have two ministers of each church, one as pastor, the
other as teacher, but this distinction was never observed in this
Parish, iilr. Knowles was set apart to the work of the minis-
try by the action of his own chiu-ch and ])arish only ; no minis-
terial council was called, nor were the neighboringchurches and
ministers asked to assist, or even notified. This is in con-
formity to the principles of strict Conn;regationalism, though it
caused some complaint by other ministers at the time. The
r\"\it of each congregation to ordain or install its own ministers,
wholly by itself, is clear and unquestionable, the expediency is a
separate consideration.

ilr. Knowles continued colleague pastor till the death of Mr.
Phillips, and for some years subsequent, but in 1650 he re-
tiuTied to England, where he died, April 10, 1/85. He also
was a strict Congregationalist, and esteemed in his day, too liberal
in ecclesiastical matters.

Rev. John Sherman became colleague with llr. Knowles in
1647, and remained pastor after Mr. Knowles's return to Eng-
land, until his (Mr. Sherman's) decease, Aug. 8, 1685. He was a
good, and a just man, and of marked intellectual, ability, as had
been his predecessors. These three pastors were the sole minis-
ters of Watertown, for the first fifty-five years after its settle-
ment.

Rev: John Bailey was installed as Mr. Sherman's successor,
Oct. 6, 1686. This was the first inslallaiion in Massachusetts.
It differs- from ordination by the ombsion of the practice of

my>

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IX WATERTONVN.

" layin- on of hands." ^!r. Bailey took the ground a"^ strenu-
ous^ maint^ned it.hJs Church assenting, that ^-J-? J^^" «°^^
ordained, consecration anew to the work of the °> "f 'T ^^
^ne^sskrj-, and seemingly called in ouestion the validity of the
r^T^t.' Rev. Tl.omi^ Bailev lis brother, wa. a so em-
Xved as his coUea-ue, until his (Thomas') death, Jan, 21 ,1689-
frd^s nrappcar^from the records that he was ever ordained
or Tm ov^ the church, though he was one of lU regular

P^^eS tr/ohnBSy lea Wa,enown,.nd rettjrned^
B^ton and became there the assL^nt minister of the F^
rtareh. His chan-^e of residence and pastorship was doubtless
Sa^oned bv his depression of spirits, owing to the death of h.^
Gloved wife and of L brother, which led him to feel that change
Siene and labor was absolutely rec^uisile. No d>^a"^f^t'°"
^t^veen him and his people is anywhere mentioned, and we
have h"s private journil, as weU as official records He died

^ Rel^'Uenn- Gibbs was invited to bo assistant pastor with
Mr Biley "n 1C91. He accepted the call, and entered at onc^e
;fpon duties, but was not Uained or installed unt. Oct. 6,
1697 He continued pastor till his death, Oct. 21,1 . ii.
^v. Seth Storer wL ordained July 22, 1724. . He died Nov.
97 1774 aged seventv-two, after a usefol "^■"'^"T, ^^ °I"
IftV V^ After his death, Rev. Dr. C<x,per, of Brattle S&eet
ChU^oston, resided in this town for some time, Boston being
Tnth^ possession of the British. He supphed this P; P>t du"°|
hi t«m^rarv residence here, and it ^^%"°t"ntd April 29
1778 that any successor to Mr. Storer was found. On that day
i^e Rev D^iel Adams was ordained. His ministry was of
Sort duration, for he was stricken down by the fatal hand of
death the same year, and died Sept 16, 1778, after a mimstry

°'£;%icWr£wel. Eliot was ordained pastor.of tins
chim:h, June 21. 1780. He died Oct 21, 1818, aged sixty-six,
after a ministry of thirtv-eight years.

H a" hes^Christian mraisters have now gone to their Ion-
home,Tt is proper to add that all were of irreproachable rnor^
a^d^ligious character, and most of them were men of distin-
truished mental ability and pastoral gifts. . „f *!,«

^Rev. Convers/ Francis, D.D., was ordamed pi^ or of^e
First Church and parish in VS atertown f °%23, 1819. AJ^er
twenty-three years pastorate, he resigned Juue 21, 1842, m order
racclptThe imJrtant professorslSp of Pulpit Eloquence and
T^^J Care. iJ the Divinity School of Harvard \jniven.ty.
His fareweU discourse was preached Au|^ 21 ,\»*^-

Rev. John Weiss, Jr., was ordained Oct 2o, 18^3. tie re

i

RECOUD OF TUE FIRST PARISH

1-^

sijjned Oct. 3, 1S45, but resiimsJ hi,s pastorate, oji invitation of
the parish, in 1S16, and continued in the work of the miuistry
here, until his resignation in Xov. 1S47.

Kev. Hasbrouck Davis was ordained iSIarch 28, 1S49. He re-
signed May 11, 1853.

Rev. George Bradford was ordained ISov. 6, 1 8-56. He died
Feb. 17, 185y, after a brief but useful ministry.

Rev. Arthur B. Fuller, f irnierly pastor of the IN'ew North
Church, Boston, became pastor of the First Parish, "Watertowu,
March 1, ISliO. Following the precedents of lormer pa.stors in
the parish, and by his own e.xp.ess desire, there was no-formal
installation-service by a council fi-om abi-oacl, but he preached
discourses, defining the mutual duties of pa.-tor and people, oa
the first Sundav in March, at which time his letter of acceptance
of then- call, was read to the parish and congregation.

There have, of course, been several houses of worship for the
First Parish in this town. The first meetiug-hrjuse of the parish
■was probably built soon after the settlement of the town, as in
the earliest town records, in 1G35, a vote of £S0 is ordered for
the charge of the new meeting-house, pliiinlv implying that there
had been another, and older one, previous to that date. It was
probably a very humble aliair, and fit only for a few years oc-
cupation in the infant state of the settlement. We are satisfied
that the first two meeting-houses were built upon a rising knoll
ofground belonging to the old Coolidge estate, on the main
road, near Mr. tieorge Frazar's house. The oldest pai-soaage
house is now the resilience of Joshua Coo'idge. Jr.

The principal part of the earlier sottlere of AVatertown, lived
in the part of the town near Jit. Auburn, early called Sweet Au-
burn, nearly all of which wa-s originally comprised in the territory
of Watertown. The second meeting-house, probably the first of
any pretension, was erected at a very early date, and was doubt-
less quite humble in its ardiitectural character. As early as
1654, a new meeting-house was ordered by the town, but owing
to a fierce contention about its site, it was not built and occupied
until Nov. 1 G56. It stood near, or upon the old site, in the vicinity
of the ancient burial ground. After an exciting controversy about
location, another meeting-house was built for the parish, and subse-
quently accepted February 4, 1«96. It had probably _ been
occupied before that time, as a town-meeting was held " in the^
■ new meeting-house," Dec. 20, 1095. It stood at the crossing of
Lexington and Belmont streets, at a place called fi-equently the
" Four Corners." The building of this church led to a parish
division and the formation of a society, over which Mr. Angier
was pastor, and which subsequently became the first society in
Waltham. But it is not to our present purpose to follow the
historj- of any other parish than our own. The parish records

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nf WATERTOV'X.

remainiuir wkli our church and society, and the minister employed
bv the town (Mr. Gibbs), as colleague with Rev. ^Ir Bailey,
coQtiuuins to minister to thi~ parbh, and bemg ordained over it,
are facts (feclslve as to tlie que.<tioQ whether this, or the Waltham
parish, is the ori<riual sotietv in Waterlown.

Jan. 14, 1723° it was voted to build a church on Meeting-
House hill, then called S.hool-House hill, and a church was ac-
cordioMy erected there- In Koi, after renewed controversies,
a chuivh was erected, on land siven for the purpose, on Mt.
Auburn St., near the new burjing ground m this towii, Dut
before its entire completion, May, 1754, it was burned to -the
ground by some incendiary. Another church was built on tne
same spot, and completed Feb., 1155.

SepT-, 183fl. 1 church, on the snot where our present
one stands, was completed and dedicated. On the day ot dedi-
cation, the bell for the church, was broken m the raising.
The edifice itself was destroved by fire, July 21, 1841. lue
fire broke out, not in the church, but in a bam in the rear
of the Spriu" Hotel, and in less than an hour the church was in
ashes, making the second church belonging to this parish thus
lo^t; one eutirelv new, and the second only a few years old.
The Orthodox church, during the present year (1861), makes
the third thus destroyed in town. Our present church was UeU-
icated Au2. 3, 1842.' , , r, r>

In the foregoing historical sketch. I have consulted K«v. Ur.
Francis' ffistorica! Sketch, published 1830, Bond's Historj' of
Watertown, Mr. De F. SaiTord's lecture, and the pansh rec-
ords. Manv points are involved in obscuritv-, and the authori-
ties do not' always coincide respecting dates, in which ca.ses 1
have sought to decidfi according to the weight of evidence and
'latest research.

CHUKCH COVENANT,

FOKM OF ADMISSION TO THE CHUKCH.

ADOPTED Dec. 28^ 1856.

I>- the presence of God and thia church, you confess your be-
lief in the only living aud true God, and your desire to live ac-
cording to his will.

You believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa-
ments contain the records of God"s revelations to mankind, and
alFord the only perfect rule of faith and practice.

You affirm your faith in oiu- Lord Jesus Chiist as the prom-
ised Messiah, "and the Saviour of the world, and you desiieto
manifest your love and gratitude toward him, by becoming his
faithfid disciple.

You profess a true and earnest repentance of your sins, and
you promise that you will endeavor henceforth to observe all
God's holy ordinances, and to yield obedience to every trath of
His, which has been, or shall be made known to you as your
duty, the Lord assisting you by his spirit and rrrace._

We, then, the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, in this place,
receive you into fellowship with us, to watch over you in the
Lord, as becometh our sacred relation to you, and this we do
with our prayers to the God of all grace, that you, and that we,
may be faithfid to our religious engagements. Amen.

LIST OF CHUECH MEMBERS,

(auh-vbeticallt akeasced.)

Ivers J. Austin.
Arad Bailey,
Charles J. Barry.
Charles Bemla.
Tyler Bijelow.
Morton \V. Brown.
George Fraz;ur.
Hiram Hosmer.

MALES.

Daniel Tjeamed.
Daniel F. Learned.
EUsha Livermore.
Siimiiel Richardson,
Thomas Livermore.
Sumner Sargent.
Asa Stone.
Nathaniel R. Whitney.

i

i

RSCMRO OF FinST PARISH ES WATZRTOWN. 11

FEMALES.

Mrs. Eliiabeth T. Auftin.

Miss Hannah Ljvennore.

" Harriet E. AttwiU.

" Eliza Livennora.

" Joan Bailey.

Jlrs. Sarah Livertnore.

" Frances Barnard.

" Hannah Livennore.

Miss Sarah A. Barnard.

Miss Maria Livennore.

Mrs. Sarah Barrett.

Mrs. Sarah May.

Miss Sarah W. Barrett.

" Mary Jane Meacham.

Jlrs. Anne V. Bemis.

" Jane Anne Meacham.

" Mary Bird.

" Mary Richardson.

" Mary Brigham.

" Roxey Robinson.

Miss Scsan Briehara.
Mrs. Susannah Bright.

" Sarah Robbing.

Miss Lois Robbins.

" Mary Brood.

Mrs. Lucy Rogers.

" Ann Bromi.

Miss Caroline A. Rogers.
Mis. Roxanna Russell.

". Rachel Carlron.

Miss Sarah G. Qarke.

Miss Elizabeth Sanger.

Jlrs. L. F. Chenerr.

" Martha Sanger.

" Sally Chenerv.
JGss Sarah Cook. '

Jfo. Marj- A. Sargent.

Miss Lvdia Sprague.

Mrs. Ruth Dana.

Mrs. Jfary A. Sherman.

" Lydia B. Farmer.

Miss Sarah Steams.

" ■ Caroline C. Harrington.

Mrs. Abigail S. Stone.

" Lydia Harrington.

" Mary Stone.

" .Jane Holden.

Miss Nancy Swift.

" Emily Horn.

Mrs. Lucy'Thaxter.

" . Margaret V. Kendall.

" Lucy Titcorab.

" Eleanor Learned.

Miss Abby B. Vose.

" Lncy Learned.

Jlrs. Rebecca Whiting.

Miss Lucy A. Learned.

Miss Addie Whiting.

" Helen A. Learned.

iMrs. Sally Whitney.

• " Marv Elizabeth Learned.

" Ruth Whitn^.

" JUrtha G. ^hitney. .

Mrs. Sarali S. Lincoln.

■ SUNDAY-SCHOOL ORGANIZATION

FOR 18G1. A'

SUPERINTENDENT.

W. H. IX GRAHAM.

LIBRARIANS.

D. F. LEARNED, | THOJLAS CAMPBELL.

TEACHERS.

MALES.

IVERS J. ArSTEN".

AMOS HOLBROOK, Jr.

GEORGE FRAZAR.

W. n. INGRAHAM.

J. B. GOODRICH.

A. LLNXOLN.

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4

I

RECORD OF FIRST PARISH

FEMALES.
Mis* M. E

Mr3. 1. J. AUSTEf.
Miis LUCY D. BAILEY.
Mrs. GEORGE BRADFORD
Mis8 >[. BRIGHT.

" S. BROWN.
Mrs. B. DANA. I

" A. B. FULLER. i

No. of Scholars,
" " Teachers,
" " Vols, in Library,

LEARNED.
MARIA LIVERMORE.
" C. S.,VNGER.
Mrs. M. A. SARGENT.
>[iss LYDIA SPRAGUE.
" M. WHITNEY.

108.

20.

860.

PARISH ORGANIZATION

FOR I860, TILL ANNUAL MEETING IN 1861.
PARISH COMMITTEE.

ARAD BAILEY, H. P. PAGE,

■ WM. H. INGRAHAiL

CLERK AND TREASURER.
ISAAC ROBBINS.

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

WATERTOWN SOCIAL BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION,

AS ADOPTED OCT. 9lh, 1S60.

Akt. 1. Name. The name of this Society shall be "The
WATERTOwy Social A>'D Bexevolest A5soci.\TioN." •

Art. 2. Objects. Our objects shall be the relief of the des-
titute, the support of religious institutions, and mutual acquaint-
ance and friendship.

Art. 3. Officers. The board of officers shall consist of
twenty directors (ten ladies, and ten gentlemen), one of whom
shall act as secretary, and one as treasurer ; and they shall be
chosen at the annual meeting of the association.

Art. 4. Duties. It shall be the duty of the officers to pre-
side at the meetings of the association, in rotation, and also to
arranfe work, devise plans, and, in general, to act for the wel-
fare of the Society. Upon them also, shall devolve the duty of

Tytf?-.-."^

IX WATERTOWN.

.13

visiting any families connected with the WatertowTi Unitarian
society, not members of the association, and inviting them to
become members.

The secreUr)- and treasurer shall present, at each meeting,
ar«portof the proceedin;;, and receipts at the previous meetmg.

Art. 5. Order. "While one of our objects is social inter-
course, yet as nothing can be accomplished without order, it
shall be the duty of both officers and members to nreserve quiet
and attention during the transaction of business, -which shall uni-
formly be conducted in an orderly and regular manner.

Abt. 6. Meinbership. This association shall consist of both
gentlemen and ladies, who shall become members by the pay-
ment, each of the sum of tnenty-five cents annually.

Art. 7. Meelings. The annual meeting of this association
shall be held on the third Wednesdar in November, and other
meetings on the third Wednesday of each month, at such place
as the association may determine, and a meeting may be called
at any time by a notice given from the pulpit.

Art. 8. Amei^dmenL^. This constitution may be amended
by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at any meetmg,
provided notice of the intended amendment has been given at
the previous meeting.

BY-LAWS.

Art. 2. This association shall meet the third Wednesday of
each month, at the vestry, or at private bouses, as shall be most
a<nveable to the partv entertaining the association.

Art. 2. Each member shall pay a monthly tax of five cents,
(or, if preferable, mav pay the entire simi for the )-ear m ad-
vance,) said tax to be collected by the treasurer.

Art. 3. The supper shall not exceed tea, bread and butter,
good cake and cheese. ^ '

Art. 4. Tlie association shall convene atthi-ee o clock p. m.,
and be dosed at ten, with singing or prayer. Tea at half-past
ax.

OFFICERS.

Treasurer, lliss ^L^.EI.l. Livermoee.
Secretary. Miss Etta Lincoln.

FEMALE SOCIETY FOR RELIEF OF THE SICK.

In 181G, the ladies of Watertown, witnessing around them
much distress arising from povertj-, aggravated by sickness, pro-

»

14

RECORD OF FIRST PARISH

p<»ed to unite under tte name of the Watertowa Female Sot
ciety for the relief of the indigent sick. Subscnbera having
been obtained, they met for the first time, at the hou^e of Mr.
E. W. Dana, Dec 17,1816, for the choice of otEcers.

In 1817, it bein^ the wish of the ladies that the object of this
society be extended, it waa voted to expunge the word ">°di-
<rent," and that the society be known by the name of " The
^Vatertown Female societj'for the relief of the sick." A desire
was alio expressed that any Imlividvial in town, who bad occa-
sion for any articles belonging to the society, should call up.m
the treasurer, with au order from the president, without heii-

Thb usefiil society, under the judicious direction of a lady
•who was one of the original members, continues at the present
time, its benevolent labors.

kM

A BRIEF STATEMENT. ■

OP THE

UNITARIAN BELIEF.

Unitarians have often been accused of having no creed, and the
accusation as often denied. Our denomination are satistied with
nothino- less than the BiUe, which is always our ultimate appeal, in
matter? of relif ions faith and practice. We do object to imposing
any man-devised formularies of faith, any bodies of divmity (often
bodies without a soul), anv abstrur/s of doctrine, upon a church, and
makin<» these abstracts a test of fellowship and Christian ch.uracter.
In respect to human creeils. Unitarians have always contended that
if they contained more than the Scriptures, they contamed too much ;
if less, they were insufficient ; and if precisely as much, that they were

But while we have thus rejected the imposition of any arbitrary
test framed by men, be they never so pious and learned, we have at
aU suitable times been -svillins to utter most freely our sentiments,
and to oive a reason for the hope which is in us, making, however,
no snclT declaration binding upon the conscience of others.

The following brief statement of the Unitarian belief, -nntten by
an esteemed clergyman of our denomination, has already been -ividely
circulated among us. I have myself distributed many copies of it,
both in the Wesrem frontier settlements, and in New En^and. At
once definite and truthful, it has put to rest many a calumny agamst
our views —calumnies often ignorautly uttcretl,— and has been re-
ceived with acceptance by pious men of every denomination. I have
often thought that some such statement was needed, and have seen no

Ef WATERTOWN.

15

Other which eo fully met the existing want Bs this. Its brevity se-
cures Rtlention, while its cleamosi and force cany with it conviction.
We as k of any, into wIkisb hands it may come, carefully to peruse it,
compare it with the sacred volume, and to receive its statements only
if found in conformity with Scripture ; bnt to read it withont preju-
dice, and with a feeling that truth, come from whom it may, is equaUf
valnable to each intelligent and immortal being.

ARTHDB B. FULLER.

?53L>

DECLABA1TON OF FAITH.

" TJjriTiBIASS BELIEVE THE BiBLE, I. E., THE SCBIPTCKES Or

THE Old A.KD New Tesi.iments, to be a becoed of the Beve-
LATioxg, Dispensations, Purposes and Will op God to Has.
Thet receive this pueciocs tolcjie as their onlt guide IK

FAITH and practice.

" Unitarians 'believe in the Father, and in the Son, and in the
Holy Ghost.'

" They believe in God, the eternal and uncreated One, the Crea-
tor nud upholder of all thincs — the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and
of Jacob— Israel's God — Jehovah, revealed by Jesus of Nazareth as
not only such, bat alfo as the God and Father of the »hole human
fimily — that in and of himself, he possesses all those attributes and
perfections •which render him worthy of the homage, love and
obedience, which he requires of his children ; — they lelieve in his
power, wisdom, and goodness, in his providence, bounty and grace, —
that He only is entitled to supreme worship and veneration, the
hour having come, when all true worshippers are required to ' wor-
ship the Father in spirit and in truth.*

" They believe that Jesus of Naz.ireth is the Messiah promised of
Jehovah to the Jews — the Christ, ' the Son of the Living God ' —
sanctified and sent into the world by his Father, because ' God so
loved tlie world, that he guve his only begotten Son, that whoso-
ever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life ' —
tlmt he is the only Saviour of smners, the' only Mediator between
God asid man 'the way, the truth, and the life,' worthy to be loved,
honored, trusted and obeyed. — They believe that all their prayers
ti>oa\d be offered to the Father, in'the name of Christ — that thev
should possess his mind aud spirit, imitate his example, and throogn
him, look to God for pardon and eternal life.

"They believe in the Holt Ghost, that power of God, that di-
■^Ine influence by which Christianity was established through mirac-
nloas aid, that spirit which was given to Christ without measure,
and which is stiU shed abroad and imparted to all who sincerely re-
pent of their sins, torn onto God, devote themselves to his service,
ai>d seek him in the way of Iiis appointment.

"Unitarians believe in human depraviry, not in innate and total
depravity and the imputation of Adam's fiii — bnt m the ver>- great
de|iravity of mankind, the deceitfulness and wickedness of the human
hsaut, tiie alienation of man from God through ignorance and sin.

i^.

16

RECORD OP FIRST PARISH IX WATERTOWX.

"Unitarians believe in the Atonement or Reconciliation not

that Christ died to appease the wrutli, or satisfv the jnsiire of Gixl
to reconcile God to muTi, hut to reconcile in:in to God, to brin"- bncic
the ivandcrmg and sinful children of men to pr.tlis of obeilience «7id
holiness, to a oneness of feeling, aftbction and purpose irith their
Father m Heaven, ft-om whom their sins liail separated tliem. Tliej
believe that the plan of redemption bv Cln-ist, ori-inated ia the love
. of the Father, ' that God so Io^ od the world, that he <,-ave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever belicveth in him should not perish but
have everlasting life ; ' that the niissioQ of Christ was intended to
produce a change in man, b v an assarance of God's love and willin'»-
ness to forgive the returning penitent; 'that God was in Christ re-
conciling the worid uato himself,' that throngh-the blood of Christ,
all who are led by its influence npoij tlieir hearts to sincere repent-
ance and the renunciation of sin, have forgiveness from the Heav-
enly Father. Unitarians look for accei)tance, not for imv merit in
themselves, but from the free, unpurcliasei! grace or mercy of God
made known in the gospel, and sealed by tlie blood of Christ. Bnt
thev consider a life of uprightness, integrity, charity, devotion and
holiness, as the only satisfactory proof of a heart reconciled to God
— the only evidence that the atonement has been received.

" UxiTAKi.i.NS believe in regeneration, conversion, chano-e of
heart ; they believe that we are saved by grace, throitgh faith" and
that i5 is the gift of Gofl — that faith must be an active operatin"
principle — that all must repent of their sins — that tnie repentance
consists, not only in remorse of conscience and sorrow of heart bnt
also in amendment of life — in ceasing to do evil, and leamicf to do
• well. °

"Unit-vbiaxs believe in experimental religion — not a mcraentarv
excitement — nor the experience of an hour or a dav — they rcmril
Jesus of Nazareth as its most perfect pattern — they see him iii'the
world, but not of it, humbly walking in the path of dutv — doing the
work given hira to do by his Father, tenijited, sconn^ and biritetetl by
the world — they see hun moving onward, trusting in his Father's
care, and only anxious to do his will — lalKuing for the salvation of
man — snflering for his sake, even to the cruel death of the cross, and
at that honr firaying to his Father to forgive his n^urderers.

" UxiTAHi.\>-s believe in the resurrection of the d^rad — a jcdgnjent
to come, ajid a life beyond the grave — ' that without holiness, no
man c;m see the Low! ' — that for the good, tliero is happiness withont
end ; for the evil, the impenitent, there is misery and woe bevond
the grave.

" UNITARIAN'S believe in the supreme and all-absorbiag impor-
tance of religion — that the sord's concern is the great concern — that
compared with this, all other things aie as nalliing — that the inter-
ests of vital, practical religion are the great interests of their h*inf

that the Almighty has made all nccessaiy provision for their ever-
lasting happiness, and that no anxiety is too deep, no care too heed-
ful, no effort too earliest, and no prayer too iniporfinate to obt:un its
blessing."

M.

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