Norwich bulletin., 1910-05-16

f 2oOth anniversary Many familiar | faces of foSnner residents, also de- scehdants Of well known families and
 strangers were seen among the large 1 nul1fber present Sunday. Palms and { Norfolk pines were either side of the l pulpit in front marguerites. sweet 1 etysium and salvia. with ferns were 1 massed with pleasing color effect. The Organ prelude in c Minor, by I Bach; the hymn, and responsive read | ing of Psalm 145 preceded the anthem | l Am Alpha and Omega, by Stainer. which was sung by a choir of eight and the tenor solo by Frank E. Sterry were rendered expressively. Prayer was offered by Rev. Henry Strong l Huntington of Milton, Mass. In the | Louise H. Pratt was again heard. The | hymn, Let Children Hear the Mighty Deeds, was sung by the choir
 Historical Sermon.
 The historical sermon was preached | by the pastor, Rev. George H.. Ewing, who, taking his text from DeuterOn- omy 32:7, Remember the days of old, consider the years of many genera tions said:
 True to the admonition of this an- cient poet-preacher we are to go far back into the strange world of our an cestors and seek to make these men of old live again as they tell us the story of 250 years. After all, they are not Q0dQ, TOT SOlnSIn1DS OI IIlG lIlIlOE soul of every good man and true is enshrined in his deeds. Two hundred and fifty years is a long time-a very long time, when measured by the span of human lives. Over and over again
 this church has com npIetely changed it's constituency. And yet it remains the same church through every change.
 Men may come and men may go, but cations or divisions affect the identity of their ancient yet modern, old yet ever young church of the living God.
 Men of High Ideals and Strong Con-
 Victions.
 And now we shall slip back through a round quarter of a millenium to the natal day of this church. The United States had not even an existence. America was a waste and bowling wilderness and the Rocky Mountains entirely unknown. Men were still in the prime of life who had been living before Jamestown was founded. John and Priscilla Alden. patrIarchS of the Mayfiower, were still alive and may not impossibly have offered in person their congratulations to MT. James Fitch and his thirty four comrades up on their successful enterprise in Nor wich.
 The first settlers of Norwich were a select company = not a miscellaneous aggregation. They were men of high ideals and strong convictions, and they were Congregationalists of the most pronounced and absolute type. The same men constituted both church and state. The chief function of the state was to guard the church; and the main duty of the church was to make up- right citizens. Jealousy of ecclesias- tical rights was the outstanding char 1 acteristic of these church communi- ties, and emphaticaIly was this true of the church founded in Norwich in 1860.
 The First Pastor.
 First of the men whom today we de- light to honor is MT James Fitch, first 1 pastor of this church. He is no novice in the pastoral office, for he has eff 1 ciently served the church in Saybrook 1 for fourteen years. He is leader. 1 This "parSOn" is the commanding per son. second to none save Major John | Mason. For sixty years so closely | were town and church knit together i that the affairs of both were recorded 1 in one book. MT. Fitch was a mission | ary to the Indians century and half l before foreign missions came into | vogue. No words better sum up ths | man than those inscribed in Latin on ] his tombstone in Lebanon, where he | died in 1702: He was a man, for pen- etration of mind, solidity of judgment, de votion to the sacred duties of his | office, and entire holiness of life, as also for skill and energy in preaching, inferior to none"
 Independence Of the Church. 1
  and other churches of the day was a | reaction from long time impositions of | the established church of England. It ! was inevitable that independent churches would develop considerable | variations. These differences created | 3 demand for common platform, and In 1648 the so-called Cambridge plat | worm was officially adopted by the 1 n1a jority of churches. Everybody it | should be understood, was obliged to i go to church, yet only those who could make public confession of sin were ad- nitted to the rights and privileges of membership. This was too much like .axa tion without representation. The concessions of the Cam bridge plat form relieved the situation. The con- ,ession was insufficient and a second met immediate require nents by devising the famous Half l way covenant of 1857. It provided for double membership in every church. 1 From the begfnnig the church of Nor vich was an ardent supporter of the Cambridge platform and Halfway crate of MT. Fitch there were two sets f church members. First, there were hose who were in full communion; md second, those who had themselves publicly professed their conversion. but were ready to town the covenant" aS- enting to the main truths of the gos- lel and promising obedience to the hCrch They might not share in the
  hildren of such halfway members night be brought for baptism.
 Norwich Covenant.
 In these provisions there were turk ng seeds of discord. The church grew aore worldly, to the great distress and erplexity of the godly-lninded. In a mall volume of sermons by MT. Fitch, 1 till extant, there is inserted a very interesting document dating from 1875 nd bearing the title of Norwich Gov nant." A series of devastating Provi- l ences in connection with King Philips Tar led the church to make this sol mn vow. First All the males who re eight or nine years of age shall be resented before the Lord every Lords ay to be cateCfised until thirteen ears in age Second, Those who are bove thirteen years in age both males nd females, shall frequent the meet lg appointed in private for their in , truction so long as they abide under ; amf1y government" Clearly here was ; Sunday school long before the day of | f unday schoofsi The third provision | { ontains 2 dreadful threat of essconn- { lu1rfcation against the negligent and bstinate. The final clause contains a 1 i lrther vow We do agree and deter rff7e that this writing or contents of ,
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