File #11567: "F104_N93_H65_1885.pdf"

Historical

Discourse
DELIVERED

REV.

BY

E. S. HOLLOWAY,
PASTOR

OF

GREENEVILLE
BAPTIST
CHURCH,
,,,.
..
AT THE

Wednesday,

De.::. 30th,

NORWICH
F ~LA~K

U I'LEY,

IS!l.'i.

;
PRINTER,

1885.

"THEN SAMUEL TOOK A STONE AND SET IT BETWEEN
MIZPEII AXD SHEN AND CALLED THE NAME OF IT
EBENEZER, SAYING, HITHERTO HATH THE LORD
HELPEDus." I Samuel vu, 12th.
When the seas have been lashed into a fury, when the
storms have beat thereon and the clouds of darkness for
many days have encircled the ship, at the first appearance
of fair weather the tempest tossed mariner scans the heavens
in search of the North Star; and guided by its brilliant
light he changes the course of his vessel and safely arrives
in the desired haven.
So is it ever with man, when the storms of life come
o'er him and earth's dark clouds gather around him
whatsoever he may think of Christ or the leading power of
the Holy Spirit in those hours of woe invariably he looks
for guidance either to the infinite Father above or to his
ideal of a man here below and directed by his influence
passes through the mists on into the sunshine.

It had been a bitter experience for Israel since tho ark
of the Lord had been taken away and sad were the hearts
as they lifted their voice and cried: "The glory is departed
from Israel;" but too well di<\ they know that their own

4

sins had brought this calamity upon them and in their distress they turned to him whom they knew trod in paths of
righteousness and said to Samuel, "Cease not to cry unto
the Lord our G od for us" and thus brought humble and
lowly before God their petitions were acceptable to him, and
the ark, representing to them the presence of Jehovah, was
returned and their enemies put to flight.
Hardly had the din and uproal' caused by the fleeiug
Philistines subsided when Samuel knowing whence came
thanks to God for the victory.
their help was returning
although elated and joyful because of the great triumph.
he who could ask God for help does not forget to return Hirn
the glory.
And there before the doubting hearts of Israel
he erects their Ebenezer, where it may ever be seen by their
children's children speaking in silence more eloquent than
language, of another victory granted to this much blessed
people.
W l' meet to-day as a church to look over the history of
forty years.
Years of darkness and light; of clouds and
sunshine; of hopes and fears. vVe have scanned the heavens
and found at last the bright star of hope and arc walking
in its brilli ancy. ·we hav e cried to tho great Jehovah to deliver us anrl he has heard. our cry; we know from whence
cometh our help, and to-day after a year of great prosperity.
temporal as well as spiritual, we come to dedicate this chapel
to the service of the living God and we can truly call the
name of it Ebenezer, for "hit:1erto lrnth the Lord helped us."

From its earliest days the history of this church has
been a h~.::tory of strugg le s, now burdened with a debt and
now suffering from grievous wolves with the doors ready to

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5

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close upon its feeble members, it seems like Israel returning
from captivity as we come by the grace of God in answer
to the prayers of many which have come up before Himfor
forty years who loved Zion and whose hearts bled for her
when in so deep sorrow; and if those who have loved her in
adversity and have gone home in the triumphs of faith can
look clown upon us to-day they will sing still more sweetly
"Worthy the Lamb."
Sometime in December 18-H, A. A. Robinson, then a
Licentiate from the church in Lebanon, came among the
people of the Baptist faith in this community, many of
whom were members of the Central Baptist church, Korwich, who after prayerful consideration in April 1845,
presented to their church the following:
To

OrrcRcH NoRwrcH.
Dear Brethrnn:-Believing
that the time has fully
come in the providence of God when there should be constituted a new Baptist church in this place of "like faith
and order" as yourselves and being desirous of entering
into the contemplated organization, we the undersigned
member s of your body do respectfully ask to be dismissed
with a view of forming said union.
TIIE CENTRAL

BAPTIST

In making this request permit us to say that we think we
are not led to the move by any spirit of faction or disquietude, for we love the church with which our lot has
hitherto been cast and sacred to our memories will be many
a scene through which we have passed in connection with
those with whom we have so long endeavored to worship the
"God of our fathers."
But we remember that a part of our solemn covenant
vows are that we are to dowhatwecanfortheupbuilding
of

6

the Redeem er·s Kingdom on earth, and after careful ancl
we trus t prayerful con siderat ion of th e whole subject we
are led to tho conclus ion that the greatest good will be clone
to the greatest number by form ing the colony of Baptists in
thi s village into a reg ul ar Baptist church that there --may
be su sta in ed. more efficiently the worship and ordinances of
God' s ho use .
In repl y to this
receive d .

the following

communication

was

'l'he following

indi vidual s re sid ing in Greeneville havCentral Baptist church in
this city of which they are members in good and regula r
standing, asking to be dismissed from sai d church for the
purpo se of forming themselves into a church of the sam e
faith and order in said vill age;
ing pre sent ed a petition to the

The churc h unanimou sly voted to grant the abov e
requ est, fellowshipi ng them in the same and thus hoping
that the Redeeme r's Kingdom may be extended and when
officially notifi ed of such formation we shall consider them
regularl y di sm issed from us.
By orde r and in behalf of the churc h,
EnwARD

RAY, Clwrch Clerk.

(The sixty-four names we omit. )
And so with the unqualified approval of the mother
church and the grateful smi le of God on the 14th of May
1845 with REV. D. B. CHEKEY as pastor this church was
constituted with ninety- eight members.
With some slight alteration s the little band adopted the
articles of Faith adopted by the New Ilampshire
State

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Convention. They denounced Human Slavery and Intemp3ra:1:;::i
, the form:Jr serp 3nt whic ;1 the y h :we S33n crushed
by the seed of the woman; against the latter we are ever
array ed.
The following covenant they also adopted:
Ha Ying been as we trust brought by Divine grace to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and to g1ve ours elves wholly to
Him we do now solemnly and joyfully covenant with each
other to walk together in His glorJ and we do therefore
engage in His strength :
That we will exercise a mutual watch care over each
other as members, one of another, that we may promote the
growth of the whole body in Ohristi~n knowledge. holiness
and comfort, to the end that we may sta nd perfect in all
the will of God :
That to secure th is object we will up hold the public
worship of God, the ordinances of His house, and hold conBtant communion with each other therein; that we will
cheerfully contribute to our property for the support of the
poor, and the maintenance of a faithfully evangelical minis try among us:
That according to on r ability and o portunities we will
as the faithful servants of the Lord do good to all men;
esp 3Gially in helping to extend the go.;pel in its purity and
power over the whole human family :
That we will not omit closet and family religion nor
neglect the great duty of trainin1 our children and those
under our care wjth a view to the service of Christ and
enjoyment of heaven:

8

That we will walk circumspactly
in the world, and
thereby seek to win souls to our .Master, remembering that
God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, of love
and of a sound mind, that we may be the light of the world
and the salt of the earth:
That as occasion may require we will exhort and admonish one another according to the direction of Christ in
Matt. XVIII and in a spint of meekness, considering ourselves lest we also be tempted and that as we have been buried
with Christ by Baptism and raised again, so there is on us a
special obligation henceforth to walk in newness of life.
And may the God of peace who brought again from
the dead our Lord Jesus Christ tho Great Shepherrl of the
Sheep throngh the bloud of the everlasting covenant make
us perfect in every good work to do His will, working in us
that which is well pleasing in His sight,throughJesus
Christ,
to whom be glory forever and ever .-Amen and Amen.
And now full_v equipped for the work with an under
shephel'(l who loved to prcacb the "Glorious
Gospel of the
Son of G,)d," and with a flock re:u1y to work with him,
there were arlded to the church during his short pastor:-ite
a greater number than at any time in its history, Lut notwithstanding the great success that attended his efforts in
sought other fields of labor and
March, 1847, Bao. 0fIENEY
in the April following REV. LA·wsoN Muzzy became the pastor. No marked religious interest was prevalent and the
temporal interests of the church was in so discouraging
a condition that in September.
1851, at the close of his
pastorate it was feared that the church would be closed,
but in October, ltEv. WM. DENNISON was sent to the little

struggling band by the State Convention, and with an nnswervering faith in God went among the Baptists of our
State and was successful to such an extent that the hopes of
the church were revived and in April, 1852, BUTLERMoRLEY
began laboring among them, but not till the following
December had they a regular pastor when NILES WHITING
came to "feed the flock of God," and with their church
nearly freed from debt by the indefatigable efforts of B1w.
DENNISON, their hearts looked for great spiritual blessings; but in the midst of their hopes their sky was OYershadowed by a dark cloud which turned some hearts almost
to despair. On the church records may be found a statement which explains thus the cRuse of their sorrow:
"Feb. 27, 1854-. At one o'clock this morning our house
of worship was entirely destroyed by fire." And there in
the cold hours of a winter's night those children of Goel
who had labored and prayed for Zion, saw the red flames
leaping upon the walls of the object of their love and in a
few short hours reduced to ashes, and before the charred
remnants of your church had ceased smoking, then sat
clown amidst tho scene of desolation one l\Iother 111
Israel weeping as she would over a fallen son, cries of
anguish were heard, sobs and tears becanse their church
was no more. They needed not to sing for their lives sang
''For her my tears shall fall
For her my prayers ascend."

Well might any ordinary man have shrunk from the great
task which met him, lmtNILES ·WHITING never, and going
forth, not in his own strength, he gained the groat object
which he had in view and almost like the fabledPhenix

10
our own little church sprung from the ashes of the one for
which they mourned.
But amidst their n ,joi cings their hearts were again
made sad by the dispensation of our all wise Providence
and before the house was ready for dedication,
he, whom
these people loved and to whom great credit is due for the
building in which we worship, passed Oct. 3, 1854, from
the church militant to the church triumphant,
and this
church stands to-day as a monument
to the perseverance
n,nd christian courage of NILES 1VHITING.
In December, R:iw. D. D. LYON came to the sorrowmg
band and during his ministry, a blessed S('ason was enjoyed
in the salvation of many precious souls all(l it was the
privilege of this earnest servant of God to bury in baptism
those who believed in His name.
In April, REV. 0. W. GATES came to the pastorate
and carried on the work which had been prosecuted by so
many faithful men of God and nobly did he labor in the
same cause and his efforts were greatly blessed in the conversion to God of more than a score of souls.
He evidently believed in a living church inasmuch
twenty-four were excluded during his pastorate.

::is

In October 1860, REV. JAs. M. PHILLIPS came to the
field made vacant by the removal of BRO. GATES to another
pastorate.
During BRO. PHILLIPS' pastorate,
our county
was
pa,;sing through the stormy scenes of the civil war and the
litt.le flock were called to mourn for some of her loved

11

children who were sacrificed on our country's altar but they
revently bowed their heads in obedience to the divine
decree and wonlcl freely give still other sons to blot out
that curse which at their organization they had pronounced
their opposition.
IIavi11g a part m its battles we have also a part
to-day in its glorious, honorable peace and God given
prosperity.

In April 1866, Rev. W)r. ASHLEY became pastor but
rel urned to his former charge after a year's labor. No
especial spiritual manifestation i:-irecorded as having taken
place during the labors of these two brethren and in August 186U REY. LY)IAN B. 'l'EFFT became pastor, and the
power of God was manifested in the conversion of many,
the resn 1t of the faithful labors of former pastors and the
untiring zeal of Brother Tefft. He, however, was soon
led by sickness to leave the church to which be had endeared himself.
In J n ne 1869, REV. ALFREDFREE assumed the pastorate,
again the church rejo iced in prosperity and the conversion
of souls.
These convers10ns were especia lly enco uraging masmuch as they were among the young men and women upon
whom the burdens of the church must fall.

In April 1872, REV. J. N. SYKEScame to the pastorate
and remained for a period of three ) ear.s.
In i:ieptember 1875, REV. W. E. BATES greatly cheered
the hearts of the people by h is presentation of the truth as
it is in Jesus, but he too was soon led to labor in other fields.

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In April 1878, RKV. M. M. MILLS assumed the pastorate
and remainecl for one year.
REV. M. PROCTORFAVOR also remained one year wheu
m December 1880, REV. A. J. WILCOX become pastor,
the church was greatly enconraged and upbuilded by his
able and scholarly presentation of the word.

During the pastorate of Buo. WILCOX, the church did
more for missions, foreign and domestic than at any time
during its history.
REV. W. D. HEDDEN, D. D. supplied the church for
six months, and in April 1883, REV. JAs. B. CONNELL became pastoral supply and during the yearofhislabors
more
than a score were added to the church but in April 1884
at their earnest request BRO. CONNELL began laboring
with the church in Moodus of which he has since been
the beloved pastor.
In May 1884, the present pastor began his labors and
is greatly encouraged by the earnest support of a united
church.
For many years the church has felt the need of an additional room in connection with their house of worship
and efforts have been made in this direction but hitherto
the way has not been opened.
In the Spring of 1885, steps agam were taken in this
direction, after prayerful consideration it was decided to
make a desperate effort to accomplish it; the people of the
church were poorly able to embark in any such enterpri5e;
but were willing to do what they could.
God raised up
friends for us about the state and elsewhere and nearly the

13
whole amount expended

has been provided for and now
in His strength

folly equippocl for the work we go forth

to victory.
And we would not forget in this day of great blessings
those who haYe labored and prayed for Zion in tho years
that arc past and while we rejoice in present blessings and
bright prospects for the future, we give all glory to Him
who hath blessed ns bount.ifnlly, and raise this our
Ebenezer for "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
Owing to imperfections in the record it has been almost impossible thaL no mistakes occur in this statistical table.

-....
CHURCH

ORGANIZED,

:Ma,y
---

14,

1845_

-

------

Acldition8 hy
-------

PA.STOR8

Durntion of Pa~tornte.

·-=

u

D. B. Cheney,
Lawson Muzzy,
State Missionary, Wm. Dennison, Supply,
Butler Morley, Supply,
Niles Whiting,
D. D. Lyon,
0 . W. Gates,
James M. Phillips,
Wiliiam Ashlev,
Lyman B "fefft,
A lfred Free,
J. N Sykes,
W. E. Bates,
M. M. l'llills,
M. Procter Favor,
A. J. Wilcox,
W. D. Hedden, D D.,
James B. Connell, Supply,
E. S. Holloway,

-

-

May 14, 1845 to March. 1847.
April 1, 1847 to Sep. 1, 1851.
Oct. 1851 to April, 1852.
April 1852, to Sept . 1852.
Dec. 1852, to Oct . 1854.
Dec. 1854, to April 1857.
April 1857, to July 1860.
October 1860, to Jan. 1865.
April 1865, to April 1866.
August 1866, to May 1869
June 1869, to Oet. 1871.
April 1872, to April 1875.
Sept. 1875, to April 1878.
April 1878, to April 1879.
May 1879, to May H,80.
Dec.1, 18€0, to June 1882.
July 1882, to January 1883.
April 1883, t,o April 1884.
May 1884,

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