New Haven · Membership and death references
South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 27
Uncorrected OCR. Name spellings, dates, symbols and column order may be wrong. Verify against the original scan. Includes an alphabetical past-member list, death dates and explanations of death and dismissal symbols. Also contains sermons and church history. A dismissal to another church is not a death.
Searchable source text
CHAPTEK II. MINISTRY OF DR. STILES. At the time our apj)lication was made to Rev. Dr. Stiles, he was engaged in the service of the Ameri- can Bible Society, as Secretary for the South ; spend- ing most of his time in the Southern States, in furtherance of the objects of that institution. Our application took him by surprise, and was successful only because, when we had ascertained his j)urpose never again to accept a permanent pastorship, we modified our overture accordingly. In a letter dated Savannah, April 1, 1852, he wrote as follows : — "While I am comforted that good brethren should invite me to any field in my Master's vineyard, and especially so important a one, I must respond, — if the intent of your communication is to call me to officiate as the permanent minister of the church, I must, as at present advised, answer respectfully, but decidedly in the negative. From consti- tutional structure rather than holy principle, I habitually over-work. Youthful vigor and inordinate effort may agree for a time, but years and over-work have no congeniality. This has long been my experience. * * * I think I may say that no agency in the Kingdom could content me for a moment, if it denied me the opportunity of so preaching the Gospel as to promise, under God, the conversion of sin- ners. For this reason, why should I wish to exchange my present occupation for a regular jiastorship \ I think I have seen many, many conversions this winter; thirty or forty in one place, and occasional instances all along down to my
Cite this page
Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0027. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 27. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n29/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.
Historic U.S. publication before 1931; public-domain assessment based on publication date. Internet Archive does not necessarily provide an explicit license. Preserve publication and digitizing credits.