The First Church in Plymouth
Reading edition
“The story of heroic adventure, fortitude, and endurance, of which this church is the permanent memorial, does not belong to one age or one country. It has become the treasured heritage of all congregations founded upon freedom and self-government.”
—Rev. John Cuckson
History of the First Church in Plymouth.
From This Church
Scrooby 1606 Plymouth 1620
Were Founded the
First Church in Duxbury 1632
„ „ „ Marshfield 1632
„ „ „ Eastham 1646
„ „ „ Plympton 1698
„ „ „ Kingston 1717
Second Church in Plymouth 1738
Third Church in Plymouth 1801
Now Church of the Pilgrimage
COVENANT OF THE FIRST CHURCH OF PLYMOUTH
“In ye name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in obedience to his holy will and devine ordinances, wee being by ye most wise and good providence of God brought together in this place, and desirous to unite ourselves with this congregation or church under the Lord Jesus Christ our head, that it may be in such sort as becometh all those whom he hath redeemed and sanctified to himself, wee doe hereby solemnly and religiously as in His most holy presence, avouch the Lord Jehovah ye only true God, to be our God and ye God of ours, and do promise and bind ourselves to walk in all our ways according to ye rules of ye gospel and in all sincere conformity to his holy ordinances, and in mutual love to and watchfulnesse over one another.”
ELDERS OF THE FIRST CHURCH
William Brewster 1620–1644
Thomas Cushman 1649–1691
Thomas Faunce 1699–1746
THE CONGREGATION
The Pilgrim Fathers Were Separatists From the English Church They held that any convenient Number of believers Might form themselves Into a church And choose their own officers They entered into a Covenant of the Lord By which they joined themselves While in England Into a church society In the fellowship Of the Gospel To walk in all His ways Made known or To be made known unto them According to Their best endeavors Whatsoever it should cost them.
Standish Monument Duxbury, Massachusetts 1918 (Dr. Charles W. Eliot)
THE SUCCESSIVE MEETING HOUSES IN PLYMOUTH 1623–1899
The fort meeting-house 1623
The lower room of the fort, which the Pilgrims toiled to build “in their time of wants and great weakness,” served as their place of worship, “and was fitted to that use.”
First meeting-house 1648
In 1648 the first church was built, on land back of the garden of Gov. Bradford, fronting that part of the first street which is now the Town Square.
Second meeting-house 1683
“In 1683, it was decided to build a new structure, larger and handsomer than the last” at the head of the Town Square. The records state that “it had an unceiled Gothic roof, diamond windows, and a bell.”
Third meeting-house 1744
After more than 60 years, the society again erected a new building in the same spot. After its use for 87 years, the last services were held there on April 10, 1831.
Fourth meeting-house 1831
In December, the new building was dedicated “to the worship and service of God.” To the great sorrow of the community, this was burned to the ground, November 22, 1892.
Fifth meeting-house 1896, 1899
On the 19th of June, 1893, plans were considered for a new church. The corner-stone was laid June 29, 1896, and the building dedicated December 21, 1899.
The architecture of the present church is of English Norman type, and bears some resemblance to the ancient church at Scrooby. The tower contains the town bell cast by Paul Revere in 1801, which hung in the old church, and sounded the alarm of fire before it fell among the blazing ruins.
Gifts came from all parts of the country to help build or beautify the new church.
Three fine windows of painted glass at the back of the pulpit were given by the Society of Mayflower Descendants of New York; the central window represents the signing of the Compact in the cabin of the Mayflower; on either side are seated figures of Civil and Religious Liberty. The window opposite the pulpit shows John Robinson delivering his farewell address to the departing Pilgrims. This window was the gift of Mr. Edward G. Walker.
Near it is set as a memento, a piece of the doorstep from the ancient church in Delft-haven.
In the vestibule are windows showing Pilgrim history, and tablets giving the Elders, the Ministers, and the Covenant of the First church. The building is a tribute from the spiritual heirs of this Covenant, to the Pilgrim Congregation of 1620.
One of the hymns sung at the dedication of the new church, was written by Rev. John Pierpont for the dedication of the previous meeting-house, December 14, 1831. It contains these lines:
“What have we Lord to bind us To this, the Pilgrim shore!— Their hill of graves behind us, Their watery way before, The wintry surge that dashes Against the rock they trod, Their memory and their ashes,— Be Thou their guard, O God!”
