USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Book of the First Church of Christ, 1854 > Part 1
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1800
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navier- for N. Eddy 95
Scht. cilt 18 52.
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BOOK
OF THE
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST,
IN MIDDLEBOROUGH,
PLYMOUTH COUNTY, MASS.
WITH NOTICES OF OTHER CHURCHES IN THAT TOWN.
BOSTON: Y
C. C. P. MOODY, PRINTER, 52 WASHINGTON STREET. 1852.
1
PREFACE.
-
The Church took some action in the year 1838, on the subject of a reprint of the catalogue of its members from the beginning, in connection with such historical matter as might be deemed useful and of general interest. A committee of three was then chosen for this business, and was increased in 1841 by the addition of three other brethren. Little was done, however, for several years.
In 1845 the pastor favored his people with two discourses on "The Faithfulness of God to this Church," during the one hundred and fifty years of its existence, which period closed with the Sabbath on which the discourses were preached.
The interest on this subject was revived, and the church soon after voted that these Century and Half Discourses should be printed with the contemplated catalogue and history.
One of the original members having died, the vacancy was filled in 1846, and still another brother added in 1847. But time passed on without the matter being taken up in earnest till 1851, when only three of the eight, who had been chosen for this work, remained here to accomplish it.
The historical part was put to press early in 1852, and the discourses soon followed ;- but on account of the incompleteness of records, and the labor of getting the necessary information from other sources, the Descriptive Catalogue could not be prepared at that time.
Much effort has since been made to gather faets, to procure as full an account of each member as is attainable at this distance of time. This delay, however, has brought to light new facts, making necessary the addition of Notes and a more extended Errata.
The committee in concluding a work, which, on account of the peculiar difficulties attending it, has been long protracted, cherish the hope that what they have imperfectly done may lead the living members of the church to ponder well on the various relations they sustain to those who have died in the Lord, to one another, and to all who, by their prayers and efforts, may yet be brought into spiritual communion with them- selves on earth and in heaven.
To the favor of God we now commend the result of our labors, pray- ing that His blessing may make it useful to the present and future generations of this church and this people.
MIDDLEBOROUGH. July. 1854.
recat. WEWTF44 20192191837
CONTENTS.
Abbreviations, table of, . Admissions under each pastor 27, in old age 62, table of annual and by pastorates, Disc .* 55, candidates for, . 30
Anecdotes of Mr. Palmer 8, 28 ; Dea. Thomas, 61
Articles of Faith, original 15, revised 49, remarks on, 47
Backus, Rev. Isaac 65, 70, and notes at end. Baptist Societies 70, others, · 71 Catalogues, of this church 81-115,ex- planation of, 79, of C. C. Church, 68, addenda, . 118
Cemetaries, Hill, 33, Green, . 45
Charities,
.
30
Chronological Notices, Disc.
54
Confession, mutual,
24
Covenant, original, 18, renewal of, 19, present, or revised, 48, half way, 79, and members of, . 118
Church, first organizations, 13, 14, Halifax, 64, West Precinct, 63, Titicut, 65, North Rochester, 66, Four Corners, 68; notice of some members 55, additions by revivals 26, 10, it is a legal body, 11, order of and rights, 28, 51, during divine service, .121
Deacons, table of, 117, 52, induction of, 31, 117
Deaths, additional, of members, 121, by small pox, 37
Events, list of, Disc.
54
Epitaphs, 33, 35, 37-8, 72,
124
Fund, Parish,
71
Green, upper, 44, lower;
· 46
Indian missions, &c., 3, 4,
. 123
Law-snits, Palmer vs. Parish, 7, Par-
ish vs. Parish, 9, Weld vs. Parish, 40
80 Letters by Mr. Thacher, 23, 121, Mr. Bosworth, . . 13 Meeting Houses, 5, 41, 44 ; sales of, 5, 41, present 72, Disc. 34 . Member's church, males in 1744, 39; total in 1744, 123; under each pastor 27, and Disc. 55 ; on remov- ing to take letters 31, who became pastors, 54; notice of some, 55. Luke Short, 59, voters who, 12, resident brethren in 1854, 116; non-residents, . 116
Ministers, members who became, 54, others who became, 124, who preached as candidates, 8, 41, 42
Monody, by Rev. S. Conant, . 38
Parishes, West, 63, North, 65, Halifax 64, North Rochester, 66, Four Corners, 68, Baptists, 70, Metho- 71 dists, , Pastors, notices of, Fuller, 32; 4, 5, 6 : Palmer, 34 ; 6, 7, 8: Thacher, 35, 7, 8, 123 : Conant, 36 ; 5, 8, 9, 10, 123 : Weld, 39, 5, 9, 124 : Barker, 41 : Paine,43 : Eaton, 44 : Putnam, 44 : table of, 117, imposition of lands, 31, also members, 32
Proprietors, twenty-six men, 4, origi- nal, 123; Hill Cemetary, 33; Green Cemetary, 45; Meeting honse lot, . 44
Records, Lost, .
. 124
Revivals, 26, 10, Disc. 29, 37, 40,
. 41
Sacrament of the Supper, 30, table
furniture,
72
Singing,
.
27
Towns incorporated, Middleboro', 63,
Halifax, 64, Carver,
.
88
* NOTE .- Disc. refers to the Discourses which are paged independently. An account of the first organization, the successive pastors, revivals, &c., will also be found in them.
HISTORICAL NOTICE.
" Considerable exertions were made by some of the early settlers to Christianize the natives. In Middlebor- ough and many other places, these efforts were atten- ded with a good degree of success. At the commence- ment of the Indian war, in 1675, there were three churches in this town, one at Namasket, one at Titicut, and one at 'Sowampset, the last of which, contained 35. members ; all of them, 90 members." (S. Eddy's Com. Pl. Book of Hist. Reading.)
" In the year 1685, Governor Hinkley, of Plymouth, sent to the corporation in England, an account of the praying Indians of that colony ; they amounted to 1439, besides boys and girls, which were supposed to be three times that number; at Namasket and Titicut 70, at Namatakeeset 40." (Hutch. His. Mass., vol. 1, p. 313.)
Namasket was a mile from the present meeting-house of the first precinct, south-easterly, an Indian village of that name on a river of the same name; Titicut was an Indian village six miles westerly, on the Cohannet, or Taunton river, and Namatakeeset is supposed to be the same as 'Sowampset, a village upon the Great Pond in the south part of the town, and probably this was the name of the "Long Pond," although the Indian name of that pond is not certainly known. There is no subse- quent account of these churches. No doubt, the "Nam-
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aschucks," worshipped with the first settlers, and before the organization of our church in 1694, had become extinct or had migrated.
That part of Middleborough, which is now the firs precinct, was purchased of the Indian sachem, Wampa tuck, in March 1662, by "twenty-six men," and con- firmed by the government of the Plymouth colony, January, 1663, with some other purchases made of the " Black Sachem," Tispaquin, sachem of Namasket. The town was incorporated by its present boundaries, July 1st, 1669, and afterwards fully confirmed by the court at Plymouth. From 1669 to 1675 the town sent depu- ties to the court. But in 1675 the Indian war broke up the settlement, and the purchasers returned to Plym- outh. In 1679 they returned to Middleborough with their minister, Rev. Samuel Fuller, and made a perma- nent settlement. In their re-organization they mention the loss of their records, when their houses were burnt ] by the Indians.
The following are the names of the " twenty-six pur_ chasers" who were here when the war broke out, and who probably returned after the war. Their minister was with them in 1675; and as he was one of the origi- nal purchasers, he was probably with them in their first settlement in 1669, as otherwise they would not proba- bly have been allowed to remove from Plymouth. The town is about 14 miles on its South line, about the same distance from that line to its north,-contains more than 100 square miles, and is, in extent of territory, the largest town in the Commonwealth.
JOHN THOMPSON, ISAAC HOWLAND, FRANCIS COOMBS, SAMUEL FULLER, JOHN MORTON,
MOSES SIMMONS, SAMUEL BARROWS, SAMUEL EATON, FRANCIS BILLINGTON.
- GEORGE SOULE,
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NATHANIEL SOUTIIWORTH, EPHRAIM TINKHAM, HENRY WOOD, WILLIAM NELSON, DAVID THOMAS, JOHN COBB, JABEZ WARREN, EDWARD BUMP,
SAMUEL EDDY,
SAMUEL PRATT, GEORGE VAUGHAN, JOHN SHAW,
JACOB THOMPSON.
FRANCIS MILLER,
JOHN HOWLAD, JOHN ALDEN.
In 1680, the town provided a house lot, and twelve acres of land for Mr. Fuller, and it seems he then lived in a house upon it, which they call his. His salary was " £20, to be paid one quarter in silver and the rest in produce, corn at two shillings, and wheat at four per bushel." The tradition is, that he lived in a house a little east of Dr. Sturtevant's. The town agreed " to turn out and fence his field, and every one that did not, was to pay a bushel of corn." The first meeting-house was between his house and "the Green," and in August, 1701, was sold at auction for £5 2s., the town having, the year before, built a meeting-house on the "Lower Green," nearly opposite the present school-house, " thirty- six feet by thirty, and sixteen stud," as by vote of November, 1690. It had two ridge poles and four gable ends. In 1745 the roof was taken off, and a " pitched roof" put on. The meeting-house on the "Upper Green," was built the same year; the parish having separated into two meetings ; one held by the " old lights," or " standing party," and the other by the " new lights," or "revival men." Of the "old lights," Rev. Thomas Weld, was pastor ; of the "new lights," Rev. Sylvanus Conant. The "old lights" broke up in the year 1754 or 1755, and soon after the old house was sold, and of the materials a dwelling-house was built where the pas- torage house now stands. The parish were again united and Mr. Conant was the acknowledged pastor of both
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" old lights" and " new lights." The site of the old house is now plainly to be seen just below the school-house. The house on the Upper Green was built by proprietors, and was sold in 1828, and the materials removed, but not until the dedication of the present meeting-house, January 1st, 1829.
The church was organized, and Mr. Fuller ordained pastor, Dec. 26th, 1694. On Mr. Fuller's death, August 17, 1695, Mr. Cushman, afterwards minister of Plympton, Mr. Clap and Mr. Cutting were successivly invited to supply the pulpit. In August, 1696, Mr. Thomas Palmer was applied to, and engaged to preach a quarter of a year, for which he was paid £13. In October, the town voted him £35 for a salary." In November, 1698, the town voted " that his goods shall be brought from Plym- outh at the town's charge," and he was probably ordained, May 2nd, 1702, (though possibly a year or two sooner,) not without strenuous opposition on the part of a num- ber of the members of the church. Committees were soon chosen by the town and by the church " to devise means of a regular, comfortable, and peaceable settle- ment." He was charged with misbehavior in the church and with intemperance. The first council was convened by the church exparte, and it condemned him; the sec- ond, called by the town and the church, advised that, " as the town earnestly desired, both old and young to enjoy his ministry, he should continue his ministry until the council should meet more fully ;" and finally, twelve churches were convened, and advised the church to depose him. In 1705, his salary was £40. In 1706, the same, " provided he continue in the work of the minis- try the whole year ; if removed, to pay him proportion- ally." In November 1706, they voted "to seek out a
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man for the supply of the ministry." The records of the church are not extant, but the town voted, June 3d, 1707, to provide for the ministers and messengers that are to sit in council." December 12th, 1707, the select- men were authorized to agree with Mr. Peter Thacher for the work of the ministry for a quarter of a year. It would seem that Mr. Palmer had then stopped preach- ing, and that the council then advised his deposition. But the records of the church give the proceedings of the council precisely one year later. Mr. Thacher was ordained, November 2d, 1709, and his ministry contin- ued from this time until his death, in 1744. Mr. Palmer lived on the "Mory Place," which he owned, and prac- ticed physic, in town, until his death in 1743.
It appears from the records, that although he did not preach through the year 1706, yet that he sued the parish for his salary, and recovered judgment for it up to the time when the council advised his dismission, to the amount of £52, but on settlement with the parish, con- sented to release ££15 of the judgment. "Mr. Palmer preached a considerable time (after being rejected by the church,) in his own house, where he had a few hear- ers." [Mr. Baker's century sermon.]
Extracts from the Church Records, June 2d, 1707 (1708?)
" Voted, by the church of Middleborough, that, in pursuance of the advice of twelve churches, in council here convened, which have de- clared that Mr. Thomas Palmer, the former minister and pastor, ought to be removed from the work of the Gospel ministry, and suspended from communion at the Lord's table for his scandalous immoralities,- therefore, in conformity to said advice of said council, as also upon the advice of a convention of reverend ministers at Boston, the church doth now declare that they now look on Mr. Thomas Palmer as no longer their pastor, but as deposed from the work of the ministry, and also suspended from the table of the Lord ; and we withdraw from the said
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Mr. Palmer, and unite in our endeavors to settle the ordinances of the Gospel among us."
" November 13th, 1737. This day Mr. Thomas Palmer, the former pastor of this church, had the censure of the church taken off, and was restored to communion by unanimous vote of the church, after hearing his confession."*
After the decease of Rev Mr. Thacher, the church again had " troublous times." The great revival had brought large numbers into the church. The resident male members were considerably above one hundred, and they desired to settle a minister who favored the revival. A respectable portion of the people, and deacon Barrows, with sixteen or seventeen male members of the church, wished to settle a different man. The church at first called the old pastor's son, Peter Thacher, but for reas- ons unknown, (said to be in order not to break with the minority,) they withdrew the call, and sent for Mr. Conant. He came in September, 1744, but the parish also sent for a candidate, and one preached in the fore- noon and the other in the afternoon; after which the parish refused to permit Mr. Conant to preach in the meeting-house, and he preached in the Mansion house, by invitation of Madame Thacher, for several months. Although he was called in October, he was not ordained until March, and this took place in the yard or court in front of Madame Thacher's house. His friends then
* An aged lady gives the following anecdote as illustrative of the character of the deposed pastor :- " Mr. Palmer, after his deposition, practiced physie, but kept no horse. His distant patients had to furnish him ; and when, one day, he returned from the west precinct, on his patient's horse, (that he might not be impounded on his way back) he tied up the bridle with these lines attached to it :-
Don't take me up, but let me pass For I'm my master's faithful ass ; He Doctor Palmer lent me, Who rode me to his house, And gave me a pottle of oats, And home again he sent me."
9
went resolutely at work in building a meeting-house on the "Upper Green." It was raised July 17th, 1745, and was soon put into a condition to accommodate the meet- ings. In the meantime the parish had called a Mr. Weld to be their minister, and he was ordained in the old meeting-house, October 2d, of the same year. The church by their committee, Ezra Clap, Edmund Weston, and Samuel Eddy, sent into the council a strenuous pro- test against the proceeding. The parish and church had now a " hard business." A new meeting-house to build, the old meeting house to repair, and two ministers and two churches to sustain, and more than all, " crimina- tions and recriminations," and alienations among breth- ren -" old lights, and new lights"-"the church and the standing party." We have two printed pamphlets in which hard names and words are dealt freely against each other. A tax made by the parish against the new society, as well as the old, well nigh brought on open war, and add to these, a lawsuit about the records and the furniture of the Lord's table. This was finally adjusted, and the church chose Ebenezer Clap, Seth Tinkham, and Samuel Eddy to present a petition to the General Court for relief. This was April 22d, 1746. It seems they succeeded in getting a law passed, by which those who chose to worship in the new meeting house might file their names with the clerk of the old society, and so become members of the new; and more than two hundred names were filed in 1748. In 1754, another law was passed, by which both societies were again united under their former name, and that union has continued to the present time.
The reputation of Mr. Conant, the pastor, has been very good. He was distinguished for his urbanity and
2
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concilatory manners, and succeeded in a few years, in uniting the people in his favor. He was a lively, anima- ted preacher, and seems to have done all that any man could do in such times - times of war, French and revo- lutionary, stamp act, tea tax, Boston massacre, - every- thing to agitate the public mind. He was requested to accept the chaplaincy of a regiment, and the patriotism, not the will of his people, consented. He three times married, but left no children. It may well be asked what would have been the condition of our churches after the war, if they had not been prepared, by the great reformation, to meet the shock ? The " sacra- mental host" were not all wasted by these wars and trials. Their venerable countenances and gray hairs are still remembered by some of us now living.
Our church has since seen days of affliction ; but we cannot say with the patriarch, " few and evil have been our days." It is almost two centuries since the "seed of the kingdom" began to be sown here, and more than a century and a half since the visible kingdom was first established here -" a church built on a rock," as we trust. The "glorious things spoken" of this kingdom, have been many times seen here. The records of 1728 and 1741-42, in what may be called ancient times, and those of 1808 and 1823, in our own time, are not soon to be forgotton ; nor are we to forget the other showers of divine grace in 1818, and in our present pastor's time. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." "The days of darkness are many," and in them we are to be humble and prayerful ; the days of light to the church are not a few, and we may well " rejoice and be glad in them," and remember them with cheerful- ness. If we are wise, we shall rise by repentance from
11
our haltings and backslidings, and get improvment and strength to "run the race set before us," with a more perfect heart, setting up our memorials as we advance, and girding up the loins of our minds to run with pa- tience the race which is yet before us. This church was very dear to the hearts of our brethren who have left us, and may it still be dear to us in all its interests ; may the worship and the ordinances here be maintained " as long as as the sun and the moon shall endure." " Forgetting the things which are behind," may we " press forward to those things which are before" us, till we shall "attain to the measure of the stature of perfect men in Christ Jesus."
-
THE CHURCH IS A LEGAL BODY.
This church considers that it is under the protection of the law, in its proper action and its religous worship ; and not only so, but that it has legal rights, and that it is de- sirable that the members should know what its legal rights are.
I. "The people of God have a legal right to gather themselves into church state." Ancient Charters 100.
II. They have free election of all their officers. Id. 101. "The churches shall be allowed to exercise and enjoy all their accustomed privileges, and those respect- ing church order, divine worship and discipline, and are to be encouraged therein. Id. 245. Const. 20. Rev. Statutes 201.
III. " Those who disturb them in their worship are guilty of a misdemeanor, and punishable by fine and im- prisonment." Anc. Ch. 104. Rev. Statutes. 741. So also disturbances in their church action-their elections. Anc. Charters 104.
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IV. "Every church has free liberty of administration, recommendation, dismission, expulsion, and disposal of their officers and members, with free exercise of the dis- cipline and censurers of Christ, according to the rules of His word. Anc. Charters, 101.
V. "By the church, is meant those who are in full communion." Id. 114.
Under this law, every member of a church, in full communion, old or young, male or female, has the right of voting in the church. But John Robinson, our eccle- siastical father, says the churches do not admit the sisters to take a part in the business matters of the church, as it is against the spirit of the directions of St. Paul in re- spect to them. But undoubtedly if a male of any age be admitted to full communion, he should be allowed to vote. Rev. Mr. Camp was a candidate here, after the decease of Mr. Conant, and a majority of the church voted for him. He insisted upon the sisters being called out and voting, and many of them did so, much to the offence of some of the brethren. He did not accept the call. They have been called once only since, but more than half refused, and no good came of the measure. It is to be hoped that we shall not again act against the advice of " the author of Congregationalism."
The church, by their deacons, are a body politic, and may even bring actions. See Revised Statutes 202. " The deacons of the churches are a body corporate, authorized to hold the property of the church, to re- ceive all donations of land and personal estate, and to sue and defend in every case relating to such property." Anc. Charters 206. " The deacons are corporate bodies, for the purpose of taking and holding in succession, all grants and donations, whether of real or personal estate
13
made to them and successors, or to the poor of the churches." Id. 205.
" The churches may call the deacons to account, and sue them." Id. 206.
ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH, 1694, [O.S.]
The church records from the organization to the coming of the Rev. Peter Thacher, in 1708, are not known to be in existence, and are supposed to have been early lost to the church. Mr. Noah Bosworth, of Halifax, Mass., a descendent of the first pastor, in the sixth generation, providentially reading our present Articles of Faith and list of members printed in 1826, inferred that this church had no record of its first organi- zation. With a commendable thought and generosity he presented to this church an ancient copy made from the lost records. His letter * enclosing it, shows that great reliance may be placed upon it, as a true copy by Ebenezer Fuller, who commenced it with the following date and remark :
" Middleborough, March 8, 1734. - A copy of the record of the First Church of Christ in Middleborough, which was written by Mr. Samuel Fuller, first pastor of that church."
* "Looking over the records of the First Church in Middleborough, made out and printed for the information of its members into the history of said church, I noticed that there was no account of the formation of said church, or of the names of the first members of it; and, having among the writings of my great grandfather, Ebenezer Fuller, a copy of the record of the first formation of said church and the Covenant they entered into, and the Articles of Faith, &c. ; and thinking, if that record was lost it would be gratifying to the present pastor and church to have so ancient a copy of said record, transcribed March 8, 1734, by one, with his own hand, who was a member of said church. 1 with pleasure forward the said copy to the said First Church in Middle- boro', with confidence that it is an authentic copy of the original record ; as my great grandfather, Ebenezer Fuller, who copied and preserved it, doubtless for his own use, was the grandson of Rev. Samuel Fuller, the first pastor of said church.
" Halifax, Sept. 5, 1826.
"NOAH BOSWORTH."
NOTE. - Mr. Bosworth died March 7, 1837, in advanced age. It is by his just view of the appropriate disposition of such papers, that this church and community are in possession of an account of this transaction, and a knowledge of the original members of this church.
1694
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THE COPY OF EBENEZER FULLER, IN 1734.
"I. Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years. - DEUT. 8 :2.
" December 26, 1794, [O. S.] - A church of Christ was gathered at Middleborough, formerly called by the heathen Namassacut, a fishing place, as some say.
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