BY THE REV. JONATHAN FRENCH OF NORTH HAMPTON.

(Continued from page 157.)

Towns.Ministers.Native Place.Born. Graduated. Settled.Dismissed
or died.
ExeterDaniel RogersIpswich, Ms.1707Harv., 1725Aug.31, 1748d. Dec. 9, 1785
A New Church was formed in 1744.Joseph BrownChester, EnglandFeb. 8, 17621792dism.1797
A New Church was formed in 1813.Isaac HurdCharlestown, Ms.Dec.7, 1785Harv., 1806Sept.11, 1817
GosportJoseph Hull, s.s.England
John Brock, s.s.Shadbrook, Eng.1620Harv., 1646d. June18, 1668
Samuel Belcher, s.s.Ipswich, Ms.Harv., 1659
John TuckeHamptonAug.23, 1702Harv., 1723July26, 1732Aug.12, 1773
Josiah Stevens, s.s.Killingworth, Ct.1740July2, 1804
Samuel Sewall, s.s.Bath, Me.March16, 1826
Origen Smith, s.s.
A. Plumer, s.s.
GreenlandWilliam AllenBoston, Ms.1676Harv., 1703July15, 1707Sept.8, 1760
Samuel Macclintock, D.D.Medford, Ms.May1, 1732Coll.N.J., 1751Nov.3, 1756April27, 1804
James A. NealLondonderry, N. H.1774—— ——May22, 1807July18, 1808
Ephraim AbbotNew Castle, Me.1779Harv., 1806Oct.27, 1813Oct.28, 1828
Samuel W. ClarkHancock, N. H.Dec.15, 1795Dart., 1823Aug.5, 1829

NOTES.

Exeter. "Exeter New Church," afterwards called "The Second Church of Christ in Exeter."[19] A considerable number of the members of the First Church seceded, and "embodied into a New Church, on a day of Fasting and Prayer, June 7, 1744." There is an error in several publications, giving 1748 as the date of the formation of that church. This error is found on the monumental stone of Rev. Daniel Rogers, in the graveyard, in Exeter. It is not strange that, in so long an inscription, there should have been, through inadvertency, an omission, by the engraver, or in his copy, of the word installed, immediately after the name. The words, Pastor of a church gathered in Exeter, should have been marked by a parenthesis. The inscription on the gravestone was copied by Alden, into his Collections, and thus currency has been, unintentionally, given to the error. Original documents show the facts in the case.

The causes of the secession, which issued in the establishment of a New Church in Exeter, were of a religious nature, but the presentation of them does not come within the scope of this work, and besides, we have not space for their discussion.

The Rev. Daniel Rogers was born in Ipswich, Ms., in 1707, and graduated H. C. 1725. He received ordination, without a pastoral charge, by a council, which met at York, July 13, 1742. The ministers of the council were Rev. Messrs. Jeremiah Wise of Berwick, Me.; Nicholas Gilman of Durham, N. H.; John Rogers of Kittery, (now Eliot,) Me.; and Samuel Moody of York, Me. Rev. Daniel Rogers "had been many years a tutor in Harvard College, was a pious faithful minister of Jesus Christ, and a worthy son of Rev. John Rogers, pastor of the first church in Ipswich, who died, Dec. 28, 1745, in his 80th year. He was a son of John Rogers of the same place, a physician, and preacher of God's word, and President of Harvard College, who died, July 2, 1684, aged 54 years. He was eldest son of the Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, who came from England, in 1636, settled at Ipswich, colleague pastor with the Rev. Nathaniel Ward, and died, July 2, 1655, aged 57 years. He was son of the Rev. John Rogers, a famous minister of God's word at Dedham, in England, who died Oct. 18, 1639, aged 67 years. He was grandson of John Rogers of London, Prebendary of St Paul's, Vicar of St. Sepulchre's, and Reader of Divinity, who was burnt at Smithfield, Feb. 14, 1555, first martyr in Queen Mary's reign." [Monumental Stone; Alden's Epitaphs.] Rev. Daniel Rogers died, Dec. 9, 1785, aged 79. When the Covenant of the 2nd church was adopted, it was signed by 30 males and 11 females. During Mr. Rogers' ministry, 22 males and 39 females were added. It is well known, that Mr. Whitefield preached a few times at Exeter. During the last week in September, 1770, he preached four times in Portsmouth. On Saturday morning he rode to Exeter, and preached to a large concourse of people, assembled in the open air. It was his last sermon. In the afternoon, he rode to Newburyport, where he died the next morning, on the 30th of September. He was interred on the 2nd of October. Of his pall bearers were Rev. Dr. Haven of Portsmouth, and Rev. Daniel Rogers of Exeter. "When the corpse was placed at the foot of the pulpit close to the vault, the Rev. Daniel Rogers made a very affecting prayer, and openly confessed that under God, he owed his conversion to that man of God whose precious remains now lay before them. Then he cried out, O my father, my father! Then stopped and wept, as though his heart would break; and the people weeping all through the place. Then he recovered, and finished his prayer and sat down and wept." [Dr. Gillie's Memoirs of Whitefield.]

The Rev. Joseph Brown was educated at Lady Huntingdon's Seminary, and was settled in the ministry at Epping, Essex, England, until he came to this country. When dismissed at Exeter, he removed to Deer Isle, Me., where he was installed, 1804, and where he died, Sept. 13, 1819, aged 57. From the death of Mr. Rogers to the close of Mr. Brown's ministry, in the 2nd church in Exeter, there were added fourteen males, and twenty-four females. During Mr. Brown's residence at Deer Isle, he was engaged in soliciting aid for some charitable enterprise. For that purpose he called on some of the people of Portsmouth. They received him kindly, and only objected that they had just been doing for this,—that,—and the other objects of benevolence. His reply is worthy of notice for the sentiment it contains: "I love to come among these have been doing folks." On the church book are the baptisms of his son Americus, in 1793; his son Charles Moulson, in 1794; and his son Daniel Rogers, in 1797. Rev. Charles M. Brown has been a zealous and useful Seamen's Chaplain. From the close of Mr. Brown's ministry, in the 2nd church in Exeter, to 1802, there were admitted three males, and nine females. There is then a chasm in the records, till Sept. 18, 1823, when a majority of the members remaining in Exeter, and they females, met at the house of Mrs. Martha Poor. Their proceedings are regularly entered in the church book, the last date being May 22, 1824.

They had no pastor after Mr. Brown. For a few years they had occasional preaching. They never formally disbanded; but most of them united, or mingled in the observance of religious ordinances, with other churches. Their meeting-house stood where Maj. Waddy V. Cobb's house now stands, on Front street.