The First Church in Plymouth

“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 1606Plymouth 1620
Were Founded the
First Church in Duxbury1632
 „  „  „ Marshfield1632
 „  „  „ Eastham1646
 „  „  „ Plympton1698
 „  „  „ Kingston1717
Second Church in Plymouth1738
Third Church in Plymouth1801
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!”