Norwich bulletin., 1910-05-16
Quarter Millennium of First Church.
Three Days Celebration Opened Sunday - Historical Sermon by Rev. George H Ewing at Morning Service Covered the Lpng Life of the Organ zaton-- rolf. Walker Tells of Connecticut 250 Years Aqo, at the 0vening Union Service

John Woodward proved not to be the
 peacemaker desired. Spiritual life was
 at a low ebb. The rigors of church
 discipline engendered i'll feeling and
 many long standing feud was created
 by the more than doubtful custom of
 seating families in church by social
 rank. Unseen rocks were ahead. We | have seen hcw firmly this church was
 established upon the Cambridge plat form of Independence. This was quite
 in accord with Massachusetts Congre | gationaESm; but alas, the trend Of Connections Congrega egationalism was in another directioni A kind of Presby- | terian polity or government by elders | was being evolved and the Sentiment
 crystalized in the Saylbrook platform | of 170S. Now MT. Woodward was a
 delegate to the Saybrook synod and was heartily in sympathy with its po-
 sition. When he returned to Norwich | he undertook to whip his people into line with the new movement, but un- l successfully. The church was about l to split in two when MT. Woodward i was induced in 1716 to resign, and the l day was saved.
 Dr. Lords Pastorate of 67 Years. l We are now to be introduced to the | third pastor of this church, Rev. Ben
 jarnin Lord, who came in the glow of 1 youth fresh from the new Yale college 1 then located at Saybrook and began l his remarkable and altogether excep | tional pastorate Of sixty-seven years. ! He found the church divided into two 1 hostile parties, and by his wisdom i and tact he welded them together l again. More than 8 quarter of a cen | tury- later in a review of his ministry ] he said: Tt was indeed 8 difficult and 1 arduous task to act as a repairer of | breaches and restorer of paths to dwell i in. But within a year or two after 1 my settlement it pleased God, I trust, | in some remarkable measure to own and bless his word preached, one effect
 
 the people, and the conversation still more turned off from the old contro- versy unto religion"
 When pr. Lord began his ministry in 1717 he found thirty-One male mem bers of the church. The season of re- freshing that soon came was the more remarkable because the era of revivals had not yet dawned- For years. how ever, the whole of New England was sunk in deep spiritual depression. The deistic philosophy prevalent in Eng 1 land in the eighteenth century may very largely explain it. Among local conditions making for low state of spiritual life the chief was the iniquit- ous working of the half-way covenant Now God always has his agent, and Jonathan Edwards was the man of the hour. The religious upheaval which his theology and preaching produced is called The Great Awakeninl-" With this revival movement Dr. Lord found himself in hearty accord. In 174o the flame burst forth in Norwich. The work began early and soon became deep. strong and enthusiastic in it's exhibitions. As a fruit of this revival eightysf were added to the church. But a secondary result was less happy. Violent outbursts of fanaticism led to a. division of opinion in which pr. Lord sided with the conservative party in his church, and eventually the re- vival party. known as the new lights, seeded from the main body and con stituted the ia ction of the separates. A chief rock Th6 half way covenant and the matter of quail f1cation for church membership. Though the church never receded from it's original position, the separates after to the church by those same gifts of wisdom and tact that made Dr. Lord a peacemaher at the beginning of his pastorate.
 Now and again the ancient records reveal the nervousness of this church lest it should unwittingiy sacrifice any of it's liberty or appear to com One such is worthy of mention. For long period of years the polite pas tor had unselfshly refrained from meeting with the Ministerial associa- tion. now harmless body, but then a friend of the Saybrook platform. At length he made overtures to join that body of ministers on condition that himself or his church. This step was finally taken with the express con sent of the church. Now, on the goth day of February 1745, the very day l sion of Separates, the church rescind- | ed it's permission in most emphatic | terms saving: we can by no means 1 consent to it in the future as judging l it inconsistent with the principles and | agreements of the church.
 Dr. Lord had some peculiarities l which were quite as much perhaps, l the peculiarities of the time in which l 11n IixynA hi f0 hearse in his Sunday morning prayer | the current events of large and small | moment in nation and in town. His | long prayer" was vers long. It con- l tinued through the full run of the | hour-glass. On one occasion during 1 the Revolutionary war. he gave in his | prayer somewhat detailed account 1 of an important battle, which in the | afternoon on the receipt of more re- | cent news, he was compelled to con- | tradict.
 pr. Strong Prayed with Lafayette's |
 Army.
 have now to present to you the | successor and sometime colleague | of Dr. Lords. the Rev. Joseph Strong, DID,, for fifty seven years beloved and useful pastor of this church. He was a true gentleman of the old school l and genuine man of God. Soon aft CT his installation. Lafayette passing through town with detachment of two thousand men, encamped on the plain and in the morning MT. Strong an invitation to pray with 1 them. I have been impressed with the humility of this servant of God. When he had been fifty years pastor of this church he preached an anni- versary sermon. from which I quote a l few extracts illustrating this godly | rait of character and throwing a bright light upon the progress of the church. T cannot but acknowledge" he says the great unhappiness feel in having so long labored among you with no greate success. Too much | reason have I to adopt the prophets complaint and say. have labored in vain and spent my strength for | nought, for Israel is not gathered But 1 [ have studied" he adds, ito feed you | with the pure milk of the Word-to direct you to Jesus, the only physician of souls I do not recollect a single | year of my. ministry without some hopeful instances of awakening and Each of three seasons proved the occasion of very consider able increase to the church.. Now 1t