Scandalous divisions, both in Civils and Ecleseaiticks, which have Too long Subsisted among us, are a stain to our holy profession; that they have a Natural tendency, to provoke God; to procure Judgments and to render us a hissing a reproach and a byword to our Neighbours and that these are aggravated from our circumstances, we being Strangers, which ought to excite us to a stricter amity and unity among our Selves. but then Seing it is not Complaints & lamentations only, but proper remidys also, that are Necessary to effect an accomodation among us; we therefore out of a Sincere and Disintrested view To peace, do Chearfuly & unanimously make ye following proposals. Proposal 1 whereas it has been (as we are Inform'd) Suggested or Insinuated, that The design of us who belong to the New Congregation, is To draw away the Strength of ye old Parish, and Consequently To build upon its Ruins; we propose that we who are already Incorporated in the new parish, with Those who are at present willing to joyn us, who in all are not one half of ye town, will oblige our Selves to maintain the Gospel in Our own Congregation, without demanding any help from our Neighbours in the Other parish; or if this will not Satisfie, we propose that the Salary's of both Ministers be asess'd in common, and equaly levyd from ye whole town in general. As to the Ecclesiastick part of our divisions, we wou'd be heartily glad that this also were Accomodated: that which renders a reconciliation in this particular more difficult, is the want of a Synod, To whose Judgment all partys Consonant To presbyterian principles behoof'd to be Subjict: but Since we have not this Superior Judicature To have Recource To, in this part of the world: Since appeals to a foreign Church, in Our present Scituation and Circumstances is Impracticable even in the Opinion of Several of ye ministers of yr own party, whose disent against Such Apeals, is extant in ye minutes of the presbytery; and Since there is a Schism among the Members of presbytery. So that they being partys cannot be admitted as proper Judges, what must be ye Consequence, as Things are thus Ĉircumstanced, but that Except Some other methode be found out, Our uncumfortable Debates be protracted time without End: for Remidy wherof we propose. Proposal 2a that a number of ministers, of ye Congregational perswasion, Such as you and we can mutualy agree upon; Shall be Invited To meet on this affair; and that haveing heard the whole of what is To be Said Pro and Con by the Respective partys, they Shall then draw up in writing their Result: whether Sa Result Shall be finaly deciseive or Not, we leave to be Considered. Note, ye Sa Ministers Shall be Obliged to judge the affair agreeable to presbyterian Rules. We for see no objection of any Seeming weight that can be made against this last proposal but Such as follows; to which by way of anticipation we Return Some Answer. Objection 1st the persons whom you propose as Judges are of a diffarent perswasion; we Answer by Concession we grant they are So, but the Difference is not So wide, but that Some of ye greatest Divines of ye presbyterian perswasion, and even of those who have wrote against them, particulerly the judicious Mr Rutheroord, has Adress'd them with the friendly Epithet of Dr Brethren; for our part we firmly believe, that NotwithStanding the Difference in principle, there are To be found among them, Many men, of Learning, Goodness, Candor, Impartiality, and Every qualification, which may Render them very fit Judges in this affair. Object" 2d this proposal if Complyed with, wou'd cast a Reflection on the Presbyterian Goverment, as if it were not Sufficient to answer all the Ends of Goverm', without being beholden To another perswasion: we Answer ye objection has no weight in it; for 1st let it be Concidered that presbyterian Goverm Consists in a Subordination of Judicatures, The Inferior To the Superior; Now if we had a Synod To apply too and yet this Remidy were Necessary, it wou'd then Argue a Defect in the Constetution; but otherwise the Objection is of No weight. 2dly let it be Concidered, that the judges we propose, tho of another perswasion, are bound to judge by Presbyterian Rules: the Salutary Medicin is Still the Same, though the Application be made by Other hands. we are far from being So premptory or wedded to Our own proposols, as to Say that these and these only are the terms on which we will be at peace; but these Are what we look on as Resonable and Christian; and if you think them Not Such, we wou'd be glad to hear Some from you that are more So. In the Conclusion we beseech you Brethren, Seriously To Consider that 'tis your as well as Our Duty if it be possible, as much as lies in you, To live peacably with all men. to Seek peace, and pursue it. to lay Down your Gift at the Alter, and go be Reconcil'd with your Brother: and that Ecept we Do so Our Religion is Vain, that tho we had all faith to ye Removing of mountains and have Not Charity, we are as A Sounding Brass and tinkling Cymbal. and that he who Says he loves God and hates his Brother is a lyar: let the Serious Concideration of these Awful and weighty truths, leave Such a deep Impression on us, that we may be willing for peace, on the most Reasonable terms; and let us look on All Such as wou'd diswade us from hearkning to Reasonable proposals of accomodation, to be publick Nusances, the Bane of Civil Society, ye obstructers of Brotherly love, and the Active Instruments of Satan, and as Such let us Avoid them with detestation. we are your friends and Brethren in Christ. James Adams John Jamison James Anderson Thomas gregg William Adams Daniel mackeeney Samuel mckeen Hugh Graham William Maclintock Andrew Cochran Archbell mccormick Robert morison Hugh mountgorey Robart kendey James Rodgers thomas tyson [6-103] [Return of laying out a Highway, 1738.] Provence of Newhampshire Londonderry May: 15: 1738 then laid out a highway in said town begining at that Cross highway that goeth along by Patrick Duglas and William Adamss and so Runing Down the line betwixt sd Duglas and adams as far as his land goeth and so along betwixt sd Duglas and James Callwell upon the line betwixt them to Chaster line and so Runing aCross the End of sa Duglas land upon Chaster line to Chaster Laid out highway note that said highway is to be two Rhods Wide one Rhode off s Duglas land and the other off the sa Adams land and sa Callwells land laid out by the select men of Londonderry Recorded the 28th of May 1738 atru Copeay per Moses Barnett town Clark We of the Inhabitence of Londondary and hath Ben Survers of the Within Said Road Dothe asertifey that it is not good Land for A Contra Road-Neither Cane it bee Made a good high way for the year 39 Willm Murdoc [6-105] [Petition from Persons formerly belonging to Dracut for a Parish, 1741.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Chief In and over His Majestys Province of New Hampshire in New England, and Vice Admeral of ye Same, To the Honerable His Majestys Council, for said Province The Petition of the Subscribers being Inhabitants and Proprietors of a Tract of Land formerly belonging to ye Town of Dracutt in ye County of middlesex and Province of ye Massachusitts Bay but Now of ye Province of New Hampshire afore Said Most Humbly Sheweth That whereas your Petitioners Inhabitants of ye Place afore mentioned being Latly Sepperated from ye Province of ye Massachusitts Bay, by the Settlement of ye Boundary Line, are Labouring under many Great and Greavous difficulties, and disadvantiges at present, and divers of us having suffered many wronges and Injuries by y Inhabitants of Dracutt who still pretend to have Jurisdiction over us, and are Dayly Expecting many other Difficulties to arise, And being distetute of a House Convenient for ye Publick worship of God, and being divested of ye previledge of acting as a Town, and as we being Entirely willing and Content to yeld all due obedience and submission to ye Government of New Hampshire, so we desire in all humble wise to be protected thereby Therefore Your Petitioners Most Humbly pray that your Excellency and Honers will take our Case into your wise Consideration so far as to Erect us into a Destinct and Sepperate Township vested with all such powers and previledges as other Towns in this Province enjoy encluding all those Lands on yo North of y province Boundary Line which was formerly granted by ye province of ye Massachusitts Bay to ye Town of Dracutt according to ye Boundarys thereof, (which your petitioners humbly Conceive may prove an Effectuall Remedy for many of our Greavences) as Your Petitioners by Duty bound Shall Ever Pray zechariah coburn Josiah Gage Moses Gage Daniel Gage Amos Gage Simon Beard Joseph Wyman Thomas Gilmor thomas Sherla Isaac littelhall Ebenezer Richardson Henry Richardson Joseph Wood John forgison Alexander Forguson [The foregoing was accompanied by "An abstract taken from a Plat of Dracutt Township as it was laid out by Cap" Jona Danforth yo 26: 3a 1702" Said plan is No. 106, in manuscript volume.-ED.] [Londonderry Bounds.] The Bounds of Londonderry being ten miles Square or so much as amounts to ten miles Square and no more begining on the north east angle at a Beech tree marked which is the southeast angle of Chester and running from thence due south on Kingston line four miles and an half and from thence on a west line one mile and three quarters & from thence south six Miles and a half & from thence west northwest, nine miles and an half and from thence north eleven miles and an half & from thence north north east three miles from thence South South west to the south west angle of Chester and from thence on an east south east line bounding on Chester ten miles unto the Beech tree first Mentioned [6-107 is a plan of the town, endorsed "Greggs Plat of Land."-ED.] |