On the 13th of October, 1790, the church was first organized. Rev. Dr. Burton, Rev. Dr. Burroughs, and Rev. Mr. Ward, of Plymouth, officiated. Twenty-two members constituted the church at its organization. Rev. Ethan Smith was their first pastor. He was ordained. January 25, 1792, and continued their pastor a little more than seven years; dismissed, June 23, 1799. The Rev. John Smith succeeded Mr. Ethan Smith, and was ordained, December 23, 1802, and continued their pastor a little more than four years; dismissed, January 14, 1807. From this time to January 4, 1815, the church and ecclesiastical society had no pastor, nor had they uninterrupted preaching, but had many candidates and occasional preaching. And here we have a melancholy exhibition of the mutable state of every church on earth. The church that was so flourishing in 1792, was reduced in July, 1814, at the time when I commenced my labors among them, to twelve members in the south parish, — three males, and nine females, — and a covering of sackcloth was spread upon the tent of Zion. But eight persons within the limits of the parish had made a public profession of religion for the last twenty-two years. Two were received under the Rev. Ethan Smith, from 1792 to 1799; two under the Rev. John Smith, from 1802 to 1807 ; and four under the Rev. David Sutherland, of Bath, their moderator, from 1807 to 1814. In the same time there were one hundred and eight baptisms, four of whom were adults.