An Historical Sketch, Congregational, of the Church in Stockbridge, Mass (Classic Reprint)

Download or read book An Historical Sketch, Congregational, of the Church in Stockbridge, Mass (Classic Reprint) written by David D. Field and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2016-10-08 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from An Historical Sketch, Congregational, of the Church in Stockbridge, Mass While these proceedings were taking place, the Lord was preparing a man to preach the gospel to these heathen. Mr. John Sergeant, a native of Newark, N. J., a graduate of Yale College, and a tutor in that institution, a candidate for the ministry, had freely said, before any application was made to him, that he had rather be employed as a missionary to the Natives than to accept a call any English parish might give him. A committee, appointed by the Commissioners to engage a minister, informed of this declaration, and well assured of his, fitness for the work, applied to Mr. Sergeant. He had already been a tutor nearly three years, and wished to aid his pupils through their remaining year; and if we consider that his class consisted of twenty-four young men, and that among them there were such persons as James Lockwood, who afterwards became the pastor of the church in Wethersfield, and was Offered the presidency of Yale College; as Aaron Burr, who became the President of Princeton College; and as Joseph Bellamy, the distinguished minister of Bethlehem, Conn., we need not wonder that his heart, as much as it felt for the mission, felt also strongly for these youth. He agreed, however, to undertake the mission, provided the Rector and Trustees of the College would approve of his Spending about half the year with the Indians, and living the other half at College. To this the Rector and Trustees acceded; and during this year, in three visits at different periods which Mr. Sergeant made them, he did much to secure their affections, and there was evidence that on some minds saving in uences were bestowed. But it was apparent at the outset that the Indians' living in two places, eight or ten miles apart, would be a serious inconvenience about their attendance upon public worship on the Sabbath, particularly in the Winter season, and against the regular attendance of the children at school. AS a partial remedy for these inconveniences, they agreed to dwell in the winter season in temporary buildings, erected between the two settlements, and to attend worship there also in a temporary building. But as Mr. Sergeant was to be at College half of this year, Mr. Timothy Woodbridge, son of Rev. John Woodbridge, of West Springfield, deceased, was engaged to come for the winter, and instruct the Indians in a catechetical way, and also to teach school. His services were needed afterwards; and being a superior young man, he was long employed as a school teacher, and became a permanent settler, and a very in uential and prominent inhabitant of the town. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."