TWO HUNDRED YEARS OF COVENANT

We are here to mark the passing of two hundred years in the life of

this church. Length of years indeed significant. These two eenturies have

been of great significance in all realms of human life and endeavor. To have

lived, grown and survived through all the experiences, personal and social, of the

passing generations is no mean accomplishment. Bl!t there is more to it than that.

I£ we can, we should find out what was the secret of the beginning, the continuance

and what seems t o promise a still longer life of }greater strength and usefulness.

It has been my pleasure and profit to know a bit of the South Britain

Church for the past thirty years; a genaration, if you will. Before that I knew

of one minister, Dr. Bennet Tyler who served the church for fourteen years in the

early nineteenth century. He was a distinguished theologian and the first

President of the Connecticut 'l'heological Institute, now known g.s the Hartford

Semim ry Foundation. My first contact with the church came with meeting Mr.

Robert Mitchell who was a member of the Corporation of the Missionary Society

of Co:nmcticut and se rved on its Finance Committee. And through the past years

it has re en a joy to know the ministers and many of the members of this church

which is growing from strength to strength in service. I think particularly

and wit h affection of Rev . John M. Deyo and rejoice that Mr. Lindsa,y is here with

us t oday.

Sometimes the question is asked; what makes a ch!lrch? Or to put it

another way; what i s a church?

According to Dr. George M. Boynton who published a little vol ume

in 1903 entitled The Congregational ~ a church is a church bec ause of i ts covenant.

To quote:- "That which constitutes a Congregational church is i t s covenant, i n which i ts members, on the basis of oommon convictions as t o truth and duty, and some unanimity of though and purpose as to the best way of express:lng that truth and discharging that duty, agree on certain modes of action. 11

-2-

This church has produced three covenants of its own and has adopted the so­

called/Kansas City Statement of Faith of the National Council of Congregational

Churches of 1913 &s its own, a guide and expression of its faith and purpose. The

first covenant is that of 1769 and here is the openi~ paragraph,-

"We promise that we will, through divine help, and at all times and in aJ..l things walk toward God with uprightness of heart in sincerity, and toward one another with watchfulness in love and unity, endeavoring the best good of each other, the restraint of sin, the .furtherance of the work and cause of Christ a.mong us, that we may be aJ..l saved in the day of the Lord. And further,

"And this Covenant we make or renew this day with willing minds, bowing our knees to Him who is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in Him the God of all mercy and consolation, that by His assistance we may not 9nly make, but keep 6ovenant, and be steadfast with Him therein to the end, to His a1ory and the eternal Good of us and ours after us. " ·

Then follows a ~aragraph testifying to the free aDd voluntary nature of their making this pledge and affixing their names to it.

Again in 1883 there was drawn up a full statement of their faith and in 1901 a reaffirmation of it ·-plus a moving statement of their purpose in it all.1--

11 We recognize the duty and privilege of uniting ourselves for the public worship of God, for the advancement of Christ 1 s Kingdom, and for mutual helpfulness in Christian living; and therefore in humble dependence on our Lord JeSlilS Christ we covenant with each other to maintain the institutions and ordinances of His Church, to promote the interests of His Kingdom among our fellowmen,and to walk together in charity, faithfulness and brotherly love."

These are reflected in the closing sentences of the statement adopted by the churches of our order at Kansas City. These are used in a number of our churches, even in th~ of which I am a member as an expressj_on of the covenant relationship for modern times.

11 -- We are united i n · striving to lmow the will of God as taught in the Holy Scriptures, and in our purpose to walk in the ways of the Lord, made known or to be made known to us. We hold it to be the mission of the Church of Christ to proclaim the gos~l to all mankind, exalting the worship of the one true God, and laboring for the progress of knowledge, the promotion of justice, the reign of peace and the realization of human brotherhood. Depending, as did our fathers, upon the continued guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us in all truth, we work and pray for the trans.fonnation of the world into the kingdom of God; and we look with faith for the triumph of righteousness and too life everlasting."

This idea was somethir:g new in ehurch life and practice in the 16th and 17th cen­

turies and men gave their very lives for it. There is a moving little volume by

Dr. Albert Peel, the British churchman entitled ~ Congregational MartY!S. which

tells something of this heroic stor.v. And so the idea was brought to these shores

-3-

and developed in freedom through succeeding generations. It became kno'W?l as

The New England and later the Congregational Way. It affirmed the truth that the

whole Church wa+ resent in every local, covenanted congregation. Free, autonomous, _

independent , if you wish, yet ". too, these churches were in a similar covenanted

relationship with their sister churches. There is a beautiful phrase, "The

Conmmnion of the Churches" which can be feud as .far back as the record of the

Cambridge Synod of 1648 and which appears in an address by Dr. Leonard Baeon

delivered one lnmdred years ago. So it has continued to this day and I believe

as I hope that it will be one of the great contributions to the new,wider fellowship

in the United Church which is and which is to be.

For here we have not only individual but also mutual concern arising out of

personal needs ana. reflected in a common social purpose and concern. It was not

s01oothing pressed upon a community from the outside, by political or ecclesiastical

authority, but rather came ou:b of the life of the spirit in the lives of the people.

Under the eovenant members are, as they have always been, taken into "watch

and car e" as t hey termed their mutual concern. These are not idle 't'Tords now, nor

have they ever been such. ''Watch and care" i s not alone the buisness of the parson.

Before God ana in the name of Christ the elder brother we have accepted responsibility

each time we have"owned the covenant". It has been as serious a matter for those

alr eady memters of a f?l. urch to receive a mw member into their fellowship as it

has been for an:-!' per son to join a church at the first. The walking in the ways of

the lord, lmown or to be made lmown, i s not t o be done alone, but with others . Fellow­

ship, part.nership, c ommunion ; call i t what you will, - - in the gospel, i s implicit

and explicit in eve-ry covenant. It is a serious matter of t lB very soul of a man

to be in a covenant relationship with God and his f ellow Christ ians.

I think that it was on t he basis that religion (Christianity) is primarily

a way of life and that theological opinion, fonns of worship etc. are important but

secondary that these covenants were produced. Our spiritual ancestors were Puritans

-4-in the best sense, and there is a good sense, of the tenn. They were ~nsoientious,

practiQal Christians. They worked hard at their religion as they apparently did

on everyone and 6~rything else. We are the richer, and I hope the better for this

fact.

In a mordern work, Treasure In Earthen Vessels, by Dr. James M. Gustafson,

we read these words,-"The Church is a e.o:mmunity of belief and action. Persons will

and decide to belong to it, or to remain in it. They are connnitted to its object of belief. They self-consciously oonfess and acknowledge their membership. They are :impelled to act in the light of their loyalty. It is a moral community. The Church is a covenanted ccmmunity, not merely a natural community. n

On this bagis there is involvement, costly involvement. One recalls the words of the late Sir Winston Churchill-- "Blood, sweat and tears. 11

How true this is of the Churchl How 0onstantly true from the first of this

church. It has called for sacrifice, real and repetitive. Think, for instance, of

the cost of the meeting houses. In the great, definitive work of J. Frederick Kelley,

Early Connecticut Meeting Houses the story is well told. In regard to this church

we read that taxes and assessments were the order again and again. In his record

the 'VO tes which loJSI'Ei voted by the people are reported. It tells that in 1767, four

pence on a pouna was the rate. In 1769 -the same was repeated. In 1771 it was two pence,

and in 1782 when money was exceedingly scarce, :£hree pence. In 1824 there was a drive

for $2,700 and in 1827 another $1,000 was subs~ribed. The purchase of horsesheds in

1834, extensive repairs and alterations in 1869 and again in 1874, to say nothing of

the cost for additional facilities in recent years,-- all, a s you well know have called

for real sacrifice. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read, Without the shedding of

blood there is no redemption. In our dar that means "sacrifice", literally trans-

lated "to make holy".

The inelagant word "swE7at 11 means plain hard work. Think of the hard work that

has gone into this enterprize! The care of property alone, to say nothing of that which

we term "running expenses" and running tasks count up to a mammoth total. Your

spiritual ancestors knew, and you know how true this is. But the labor like the money

-5-

has been both gladly and faithfully provided by dedicated people through

two hundred years.

Add to these the 11tears 11 whieh spell another good word, 11 Concern11 • Your song has

been nr love Thy Clmrch 0 God" and as you have sung it you have known its truth,

expressing your love in eonstant anxiety aild through dedicated concern.

Yes indeed,- Cash, Callouses and Concern have been the order of the day and

of the night for these many years. Your presence here in this l:e autiful meeti. ng house,

in a living, growing fellowship of those who give, work and care is a testimony, a and

vibrant living testimony to it all. You have earned the blessing .-/ praise of men and God,

for you have been faithful to a great trust. You have kept an e:xpensive covenant, the

costs being both material and spiritual. May God b;ess you for it all. I feel that

He does.

And it has mant as much to those who have gone before as it now ~ans much to you.

For you have kept the f 1ame alive; the torch which has been passea on through t he

generations is still burning, and I have a suspicion that it is brighter today than ever.

For in worship you have acknowledged the one true God. You have a sense of

9piritual v alues which you have r.bot h kept alive and have communicated to others along

the way . You have been loyal to the truth as you have discovered it and again through

a const ant program of Christian Education you have oonnnitted it to succeeding generations

of chi ldren, young people and adults. Again in the light of your loyalty you have

sought t o make t he gospel known and received as relevant to the common life of the

people of this «l'.G) mmunity and beyond. Across the centuries, the eontinents and the

oceans the word has lE en spoken, and what i s more impc;;,rtant, it has been l ived.

Think of what i t has meant t o t he people of the two centuries who have 0ome within

the range of the influence of your bel oved church! That y ou and t hose before you ana with

you who from time to time renewed their eovenants, there has been a difference in

,,

-6-

the lives of many people. A churcl1 like this is a cornerstone of freedom and

democracy. It recognizes the eternal value of inaividuals-- aI1d their responsibility:

it labors for a better social order. It is a living, serving, witnessing, teaehing,

redeem:ing force. You are keeping it so.

May God bless you as ycu enter your third century a.na. may the heritage from

the fathers grow in strength and increasing usefulness to God a:nd men.

We who are your friends wish you well. We think of you with joy and we

thank God :ror this your 0ovenanted and covenanting e.ornmunity in the name aild

spirit of Christ our U:>rd.

"I love Thy Church, 0 God, Her walls before Thee stand,

"For her my tears shall fall, For her my prayers ascend, To her my cares and toils be given Till toils and cares shall end."

" -- I chose you and appointed you tlaat you should go and bear fruit and that your f ruit should abide. 11 John 15: 16

James F. Engl ish

South Br itain, Connecticut June 5th 1966