Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

192 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BAKNSTABLE FAMILIES.
Nov. 6, Dec. 25, and Jan. 8, 1634, O. S., were set apart as
"days of humiliation." No meetinghouse had been built, and the
meetings were held at Mr. Cud worth's house. To organize a church
was the object of those meetings. Jan. 8, as the preceding fast
days had been, was spent in humbling themselves before God in
prayer, and at night thirteen who "had in covenaunt before, joyned
in covenaunt together."
Monday, Jan. 19, 1634, O. S., January 29, 163.5, N. S. , was
also set apart as a day of humiliation at Mr. Lotbrop's house.
Seventeen had then joined in church covenant— eleven male and six
female members. Eight of the eleven were householders when Mr.
Lothrop came to Scituate, and the other three were himself, Samuel
House, who probably came over with him. and Richard Foxwell,
whocame to Massachusetts in 1630. At this meeting John Lothrop
"was chosen pastor by the votes of the brethren, and by them in-
vested into office." The mode in which he was inducted is not par-
ticularly stated ;
hut it is evident that the same forms were adopted
as at the installation of Mr. Jacob in London. The neighboring
churches were not invited to be present and assist. They held that
the neighboring churches were true churches of Christ, and thej' had
a high respect for the talents and piety of the ministers ; but they
wished by their example to vindic?te the great principle of Independency,
that all power in the churches originates on the consent
of the individual members. The day was spent in fasting, in
humiliation, and in prayer. Mr. Lothrop was elected pastor by
the brethren of the church, and he was invested in office, with
prayer, and by the imposition of the hands of those who had elected
him. This is pure Independency. It is now merged into Congregationalism,
a system of church government essentially the same,
and differing originally only in one, perhaps non-essential particu-
lar : Congregationalists then held that churches had the right to
give, and the right to extend to, or to withhold from neighboring
churches the right hand of fellowship, and consequently to withdraw
it from one that did not walk orderly.
Of the thirty followers who came over with Mr. Lothrop it
does not appear that many were heads of families. Samuel House,
or Howes, was a ship carpenter. Thomas Prior, who came over,
says Deane, in the same ship with Mr. Lothrop, brought a part of
his family with him, the remainder came in the Hopewell in 1 636.
He died in June, 1 639, and does not appear to have been a member
of the church. Henry Bourne probably came with Mr. Lothrop,
but having no list it is unprofitable to conjecture. During the win-
ter of 1634-.5, few additions were made to the population. In the
summer of 1635 several families from Tenterden and other places in
Kent came over in the Hercules from Sandwich and settled in Scituate,
and a number came in from neighboring towns ; but the population
did not increase that year sufficiently to warrant the building