Park Street Church

This is an older post from this past summer that is on Facebook, but I wanted to put it here also. So great. :)

As I was on vacation in Boston, and on the Freedom Walk, I came across Park Street Church. It looked interesting so I went on inside to find a full blown up display of the church's original statement of faith. It was so great that I took some shots of the blown up doc and typed it out.

Read on for a treat. :)

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Articles of Christian Faith and of Church Government adopted by the members of Park Street Church.

We the subscribers having agreed to unite in the establishment of a new Congregational Church in Boston, by the name of Park Street Church, think it proper to make a declaration of that faith, which is the bond of our ecclesiastical union, and which we shall expect to find in all those, who shall hereafter participate in our religious privileges and communion.

First - We believe that the scriptures of the old and new testament are the word of God and the only perfect rule of Christian faith and practice.

Second - We profess our decided attachment to that system of the Christian religion, which is distinguishingly denominated Evangelical; more particularly to those doctrines, which, in a proper sense, are [titled?] the doctrines of grace. Viz. That there is one, and but one living and true God, subsisting in three persons, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost; and that these three are the one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; that God from all eternity, according to the council of his own will, and for his own glory, foreordained whatsoever comes to pass; that God in his most holy, wise and powerful providence preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions; that by the fall, all mankind lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of Hell forever; that God out of his here good pleasure from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, enters into a covenant of grace, to deliver them from a state of sin and misery, and introduce them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer; that this Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who became man, and continues to be, God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever; that the effectual calling of Sinners is the work of God’s spirit, that their justification is only for the sake of Christ’s righteousness by faith. And though we deem no man, or body of men infallible, yet we believe that those divines, that were eminently distinguished in the time of the reformation, professed the spirit, and maintained in great purity the peculiar doctrines of our holy religion, and that these doctrines are, in general, clearly and happily expressed in the Westminster Assembly’s Shorter Catechism, and in the confession of faith owned and consented unto by the elders and messingers [sic] of the Churches assembled at Boston/N.C./May 12th AD 1680.

Third - In regard to our ecclesiastical government and discipline, with our Sister Churches in this Commonwealth, we adopt the Congregational form, as contained in the platform of Church discipline gathered out of the word of God, and agreed upon by the elders and messingers [sic] of the Church assembled in the Synod at Cambridge(N.C.) AD 1648.

Fourth - In order to admission to membership in this Church, it is understood that every candidate shall be previously examined, and give creditable evidence of a ground of the comfortable hope of a personal condition of grace, through the renovation of the soul, by the special influences of the holy spirit, implying repentance for sin and faith in Jesus Christ, the redeemer.

Finally, we hereby covenant and engage, as fellow christians of one faith, and partakers of the same hope and joy, to give ourselves unto the Lord, for the observing the ordinances of Christ together in the same society, and to unite together into one body, for the public worship of God, and the mutual edification one of another, in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus; exhorting, reproving, comforting and watching over each other, for the mutual edification, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Boston - February 27th - Anno Domini - 1809

Males - William Thurston, Jnoe[?] Tyler, Caleb Bingham, Josiah Bumstead, William Ladd, Daniel Baxter, Joseph W. Jenkins, Andrew Colhoun, John Holbrook, Henry Holmes, Aaron Hardy, Slew Parker, Asa Ward, George L. Homer

Females - Elizabeth Thurston, Hannah B. Tyler, Hannah Bingham, Mary G. Bumstead, Mary Ladd, Sarah Baxter, Abigail Jenkins, Martha Colhoun, Hannah Haskins, Elizabeth Haskins, Fanny Haskins, Mary Truman

26.Total.

Members who united, and were admitted into the Church at its formation, by the Council.

Guess what tomorrow is...?!?!?!

THE Cincy Girl Day Trip! The most fabulous Saturday yet of 2010! The IT event of the year! Ok, well, it's just going to be super fun. :)
At 8AM, we will depart Bayly Ave. with some of the coolest girls in town in tow, pick up some hot java and mornin' vittles on 71, then onto Ikea (Mainly to dream, not shop...we are poor college students ya know...), some downtown Cincy action, and (Da da-da DA!!!!) Trader Joes. The day will end at our beloved Chipotle (that sadly doesn't exist in Louavull.).
Pictures soon to come.
A day a grand as this must be remembered for quite some time. ;)