THE SOUTH CIIDRCII. 14Y 



SUNDAY EVENING SERVICE. 



The service opened with an impressive rendering of the Mag- 

 nificat : 



"My soul doth magnify the Lord, 

 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." 



The sentences were read and prayer was offered by the 

 pastor, and the responses were by the pastor and choir. 



The Historical addresses were given by members of the church 

 and were as follows: — 



ORGANIZATION, LIFE, AND GROWTH. 

 Deacon David N. Camp. 



It may be thought strange that while the civilized world is preparing 

 to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of Amer- 

 ica, we should turn aside from our accustomed exercises to commemo- 

 rate the semi-centennial of a single church. But events, scarcely 

 noticed by the busy world, may become important links in the chain 

 of God's providences. 



We were this morning directed to the thought that, " thou 

 bearest not the root, but the root thee." If we are to look for the root 

 from whence this church sprung we must turn to the First Church in 

 Hartford, which was organized at (Cambridge) Newtown, Mass., 

 about 1632, or 140 years after Columbus discovered America. 



In 1633, Rev. Thomas Hooker became its pastor; and in June, 1636, 

 the church, pastor, and people came across the wilderness with their 

 little ones, their flocks and herds and household goods to Hartford. In 

 less than three years, a part of this church had asked for an " enlarge- 

 ment of accommodation at Tunxis." This was granted by the General 

 Court and a settlement was made. In 1645 the town was incorporated 

 and named Farmington, and in 1652 the church was organized with 

 seven pillars, a part of whom were ancestors of members of this 

 church. 



The church and town of Farmington, and at that time church and 

 town were nearly synonymous, were remarkable in their constitution 

 and history. Among the owners of house lots were Governors 

 Haynes, Hopkins, Welles, Webster, four of the first five Governors of 

 the colony; and Samuel Wyllys, son of the fifth; John Steele, the 

 secretary, and John Talcott, treasurer of the colony, and a number of 



