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Thirteen historical discourses, on the completion of two hundred years (1839)
Thirteen historical discourses on the completion of two hundred years - 1839 Author:Leonard Bacon Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DISCOURSE III. ECCLESIASTICAL FORMS AND USAGES OF THE FIRST AGE IN NEW ENGLAND. Joshua xxiv, 31.—And Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all... more » the days of the elders that overlived Joshua, and who had known all the works of the Lord, that he had done for Israel. In the present discourse, as preliminary to some sketches of remarkable individuals among the members of this Church in that generation which came out of England, I shall notice several particulars not yet touched upon, respecting the history of the Church as a community at that period. With what solemnities the formal constituting of the Church, by the seven men appointed for that purpose, was attended, is not upon those records which have come down to us. We know, however, what were the forms generally observed on similar occasions, at the same period; and, presuming that the same forms were observed here, we may easily imagine something of the transactions of that day. At an early hour, probably not far from 8 o'clock in the morning, the congregation assembled. Tradition says, that the assembly was under the same broad oak, under which they had kept their first Sabbath. After public exercises of preaching and prayer, "about the space of four or five hours," those who are first to unite in the church covenant, the seven pillars in the house of wisdom, stand forth before the congregation, and the elders and delegates from neighboring Churches,—for, probably, such were present from the Churches on the river. In the first place, that all present may be satisfied respecting the personal piety of the men who are to begin the Church, all the seven successively make a declaration of their religious experience,—what has been the history of their minds, andwhat have been the influences and effects of God'...« less