USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Canton > Canton Baptist memorial : being a historical discourse delivered before the Baptist Church in Canton, Mass., at the celebration of their fiftieth anniversary, Wednesday, June 22, 1864 > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 C16b 1774637
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01115 0205
THE
CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL,
BEING A HISTORICAL DISCOURSE
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
BAPTIST CHURCH IN CANTON, MASS.,
AT THE CELEBRATION OF THEIR
FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY,
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 1864,
BY THE PASTOR, REV. THERON BROWN.
GATHER UP THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN, THAT NOTHING BE LOST. - John vi. 12.
BOSTON: PRESS OF GEO. C. RAND & AVERY, No. 3, CORNHILL. 1 865.
INITIAL MOTKAO
1774637
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BAPTIST CHURCH, CHAPEL, AND PARSONAGE, CANTON.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/cantonbaptistmem00brow
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844155 BROWN, THERON, 1832-1914. .1 The Canton Baptist memorial, being a historical discourse delivered before the Baptist church in Canton, Mass., at the cele -- bration of their fiftieth anniversary, Wed- nesday, June 22, 1864. Boston, Press of
G.C. Rand & Avery, 1865. vi, 89,29p. illus., plates, ports. 24cm. Appendix: 29p. at end.
66-3.9.5.5 OC PC , Sh A Ash Gr GrSh
ICN 70
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INTRODUCTION.
THE year 1864 was pre-eminently a year of jubilees. The American Tract Society, the Northern Baptist Education So- ciety, and the American Baptist Missionary Union, completed their half-century then, and honored their birthdays with fit and imposing ceremonies; while Brown University among the colleges, and Fitchburg among the cities, called home glad assemblies of friends to the festivities of their first cen- tennial. Of humbler corporations, remarkable for completing that year the magic fifty, besides our own, were the Baptist churches in Sharon, Westboro', and Webster. The Baptist Church in Warren, R.I., reached the end of its hundredth .year on the 15th of November, 1864, and observed the day by a re-union and religious services.
It is perhaps unprecedented in the records of church anniversary solemnities that the occasion transpired without . the attendance of a single former pastor. In the case of this church, which could count between twenty and thirty living ministers who had at some time, for a longer or shorter term, cast in their lot with her, and retained yet a tender interest in her life and welfare, to find not one old pastor, and but two of her former preachers, among her guests on the morning of her semi-centennial jubilee, was a grievous and seemingly needless disappoint- ment. Even the first, or as good as the first, of the ministers of the church, the venerable patriarch of ninety, was alive that day in a distant State.
IV
There was, however, but little room for blame in any quar- ter. The haste of the preparations and the imperfect ac- quaintance with post-office addresses rendered the disap- pointment in question almost if not quite unavoidable, and it must be written among the lost opportunities with as much content as may be.
The Jubilee Grercises.
The fiftieth anniversary of the Canton Baptist Church fell on Wednesday, the very week-day on which it was consti- tuted. The weather was warm and bright; and the church, with many visiting friends, assembled in the Baptist meeting- house at ten o'clock, A.M., for religious services. The anthem, " Wake the Song of Jubilee," was sung by the choir, · after which the sixth chapter of Ezra was read by the pastor, and prayer was offered by Father David Curtis of East Stoughton. The hymn, "I love thy kingdom, Lord," was then sung, and immediately followed by the Memorial Sermon. After the sermon, the anthem, " Daughter of Zion, awake from · thy sadness," was sung; Rev. A. F. Mason of Meriden, Conn., offered prayer ; and, after the singing of another anthem, the congregation was dismissed, to meet again in the afternoon.
At half-past one, P.M., the church and visitors re-assembled around a bountiful feast in the dining-hall of the Massapoag House. A blessing was invoked by Father Curtis ; and, after a hearty discussion of the viands upon the table, letters were read from former pastors Moses Curtis, Henry Clark, T. C. Tingley, David B. Ford, and George W. Hervey, expressing their regrets that they were unable to be present. Short ad- dresses were then made by Father Curtis, Rev. Joseph W.
V
Eaton, Rev. A. F. Mason, and Deacon Luther Hewins, contain- ing interesting allusions to " the former days ; " and Messrs. Addison Boyden and Roland F. Alger, of South Dedham, did ample justice, in stirring and pithy speeches, to the progress and claims of the Baptist cause in New England. Remarks were made also by the pastor; and, after singing " Corona- tion " together, the jubilee assembly broke up. Rev. J. W. Olmsted, D.D., of the " Watchman and Reflector," arrived too late for the festivities, but made one of a party in an excursion to the old Blackman House to see the room where, fifty years before, the thirty-five constituent members of the church signed their names to the Covenant and Articles of Faith. In the evening, an interesting meeting was held in the chapel ; where former preachers took part in the services, and closed with worship a happy and memorable day.
In the following history, wherever I have occasion to refer the reader to the church-records, I have inserted in the text parentheses ( ) containing the figures of the page.
Proper names introduced in capitals are those of pastors or evangelists of the church.
Tables of statistics and other important particulars respect- ing the church, which would have embarrassed the pages of the Memorial, I have placed in the Appendix.
I have to express my obligations to members of the church, past and present, resident and non-resident ; to the former pas- tors and ministers ; to many intelligent friends in the town, not connected with us ; and to the Editors of the " Watchman and Reflector," and the " Christian Secretary," for their valua- ble aid in furthering my inquiries and collecting desired infor- mation. Special acknowledgments are due to Rev. Kendall Brooks, Rev. J. Ricker, Rev. William Hurlin, Rev. David
VI
Benedict, D.D. ; Rev. Baron Stow, D.D .; Rev. Cornelius A. Thomas, D.D. ; Professors Ripley, Hovey, and Train, of New- ton ; Mr. James M. Whitehead, Assistant Treas. Bap. Home Miss. Soc .; Mr. Albert Mason, Mr. Jonas Evans, Ellis Ames, Esq., Alfred E. Giles, Esq., Mrs. Hannah W. Ober, Mrs. Martha H. Moore, Mrs. Abigail Maynard, Mrs. Nabby Capen, Miss S. L. Kimball, and Bro. Alonzo Bunker, Assistant Libra- rian in Newton Theological Seminary, for their kind assist- ance in searching for and communicating facts, and for papers lent to me by them, which have enabled me to certify many doubtful points in the history.
I should say here, that, though the body of this history is styled a "Memorial Sermon," the sermon, as originally de- livered, forms but the nucleus of the book. Facts and cor- rections accumulated ; and, as what was worth doing at all was worth doing well, the sermon grew into a volume.
THERON BROWN. Canton, June, 1865.
THE CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
A Historical Discourse.
MEMORIAL SERMON.
" Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. And there was found at Achmetha, in the palace that is in the province of the Medes, a roll; and therein was a record thus written : In the first year of Cyrus the king, the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid ; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof three- score cubits, with three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber; and let the expenses be given out of the king's house."-EZRA vi. 1-4.
ON many accounts it is an excellent thing to look over the records of former years. Exhortations and precepts become forceless after a while if they are not alternated with ex- amples. Simon Peter knew this ; and his sermon in the second chapter of Acts would have shown, if he had never said it in so many words elsewhere, that he calculated on the best ef- fects when he stirred up the minds of his hearers " by way of remembrance." After setting a good example himself in many things, and pointing out the good examples of the prophets, and the perfect example of Jesus to his followers, it was right and thoughtful in him to put down some of that same kind of admonition on parchment, saying, as he did so, " I will en- deavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things . always in remembrance." So did Paul know it; and he never said a thing more certain to stimulate the drooping courage of his Hebrew brethren than when he bade them " call to remembrance the former days."
If it had not been for the example of Cyrus, recorded in that old roll, Darius would never have stirred himself to help the Jews, and they never would have built their temple, and the church would still have sat by the rivers of Babylon. But the old records were found, and carefully looked over .; and there God's people read what made their hearts gladder than they had been for years, -- a standing order for re-organiz- ing their ancient worship, with particulars of the work, and a statement of all the facilities ; and the effect was, that they
2
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CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
[1811-14.
Benefits of Historic Review.
The Country.
said one to another, immediately, "Come, let us go up ! Here is the royal sanction given to our fathers, and it is just as good for us. Let us stir ourselves and build and prosper !" Then down fell the timber in the king's forest, and forth rolled the great blocks and slabs out of the king's quarries, and up went the walls. Woe to the man that should hinder them !
We have thought it good, dear brethren, to look over the records of our past to-day, to find where our fathers started with the royal sanction; what trials they suffered, and how well they bore them ; how jealously they watched God's her- itage ; how well they wrought, and how warmly they prayed ; what enemies they had, and what sins ; their worship, their discipline, their charity, their hopes, and their fears. May the review stimulate us to new hope and heartiness in building up Zion ! May it exercise our sympathies healthfully, and divert us from our own little ills and discouragements by re- viving in us the sense of fellowship in nobler struggles, and the love of a common cause !
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Fifty years ago, the red scourge of war which we feel to- day afflicted the fathers who cultivated the fields around us. Then, as now, the sweat of the face, by which man eats his bread, was wrung out by burdensome taxes, which fastened upon his estate as well as upon the comforts and luxuries that stocked it; and the families of our ancestors were as familiar as we with the weekly news of desolation and blood. Then, as now, the whole face of society wore the frown of " hard times ; " and " the cry of the poverty that distressed alike the people and the priest resounded from every hill and every valley."* Both England and Algiers had drawn the sword against this country ; and during the year in which this
* Fast Day Sermon of Rev. William Ritchie.
In this place, it is interesting to note the curious proof of national progress during the last fifty years, furnished in the contrast of the old and new military equipments, quotas, and bounties. In April 4, 1812, the ammunition stock of the town was looked to by a special committee, which reported " six quarter-casks of powder (one hun- dred and fifty pounds), one hundred and twelve and one-half pounds of balls, four hundred flints, and six emmp kettles," all carefully held in charge by Elijah Dunbar, Esq. The quota of Massachusetts (then including the District of Maine) was a hun- dred thousand men; and Canton volunteers were offered fourteen dollars a month, and two dollars bounty. - Town Records, vol. i, pp. 245, 253.
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CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
1811-14.]
The Country.
State of Religious Feeling.
church commenced its existence, no immediate prospect ap- peared that the strife would cease. The people of that day were not a whit behind us in fellowship with toil and trouble. Neither in their civil nor religious privileges were they a whit better off than we. The hardship of war was aggravated to the New-England fathers of that generation by their honest belief that it was unnecessary and unwise. Nor was their President, in any quality that makes the honest, fearless statesman, at all to be compared to ours ; while, ecclesiastically, their good consciences suffered under the tyranny of the " half-way covenant," and the new theology which was its offspring, and which had gradually made its way, in spite of " the ponderous logic of Jonathan Edwards, the burning rhet- oric of Edward Griffin, and the withering sarcasm of Lyman Beecher," to a power and influence that well-nigh swallowed up Harvard College, and palsied half the heart of Calvinistic New England before it was aware.
In a struggle where all evangelical faith was interested for life or death, it was no time for the Baptists to be at ease in Zion. The voice of Stillman* had hardly ceased to echo from the old meeting-house by the " Mill-pond ; " and the trumpet tones of Baldwin were heard with no uncertain sound, rally- ing the followers of Jesus round the prayer-meeting and the baptismal covenant ; and, nearer home, the humbler but no less faithful witness of Elder Joel Briggs,| of Randolph, ad- monished the ungodly of "righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come." For more than sixty years, this neigh- borhood had known no revival of religion. The half-way cov- enant, in force since 1657, with its consequent curse of an un- converted church membership, and the long habit of depend- ing on compulsory taxation for the support of the ordinances of the gospel, contributed largely to produce a spiritual cold- ness that rendered the case of professed Christians apparently as desperate as that of the most notorious unbelievers.
*
The only church in Canton was the church of the standing order, now Unitarian, at the Corner, then under the pastoral
* Died March, 1807.
1 AA grand-daughter of this old-time preacher ( Mrs. J. Wiswall) is now a member of this church.
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4
CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
[1811-13.
State of Religion in Canton.
Early Baptist Movement.
care of Rev. William Ritchie. Founded in 1717, this church had learned to regard itself indisputably entitled to the eccle- siastical control of the whole " North Precinct; "# and as early as the days when Whitefield, in his first itinerations through New England, electrified the people of Dorchester, . it had set itself, pastor and people, resolutely against him, and closed the pulpit in " South Village " f so effectually to his offered entrance, that it is said he foretold in prophetic indignation the spiritual barrenness of their future years. Be that as it may, an influence more potent than any words of Whitefield, whether to curse or bless, now began to stir in the community, and awaken signs of religious life.
In the fall of 1811, Elder Briggs held by request a meet- ing in a school-house, about five miles from this spot, in the east part of the town, now known as York Street. The Spirit of God had prepared the way ; and one, already in the joy of a good hope through grace, was able at that meeting to testify for Christ. # Others, who had been secretly serious, went away deeply affected by the sermon ; and the impressions of the evening were such, that the good Elder felt justified in making another appointment. He con- tinued the meetings here with most cheering results. His preaching began to be thronged by curious and then by will- ing listeners. It was the voice of Ezekiel prophesying to . the dry bones. Opposition awoke with the revival of reli- gious feeling, and kept pace with the success of gospel truth. Part of it came from that denominational prejudice, which, from the beginning of a divided Christianity, has never been able to look comfortably on the severe simplicity of New Tes- tament Protestantism; and part of it came from the natural malice of wickedness, which habitually sets itself against pure religion. Mr. Ritchie saw no good in the new movement that was making such inroads on his parish. He commenced a . series of afternoon § lectures, in private dwellings, among his
* Embracing Canton, Stoughton, and Sharon.
t Canton was Dorchester South Village, prior to 1726; afterwards, Stoughton, North Precinct.
# Supposed to be Sister Caty Tucker.
§ The fact that the Baptists held their meetings in the evening was used against
1
1811-13.]
5
CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
Opposition to the Baptists.
Ridicule.
people, to counteract it. He sent for Mr. Whittaker of Sharon * to denounce it; and some of the invectives of that preacher against the Baptists are remembered to this day as specimens of that bitterness which was then everywhere felt towards the despised sect. The good Canton parson even made appointments himself at the York school-house, and strove, by partially modelling his own meetings after those of Elder Briggs, to satisfy, while he rebuked the spiritual agita- tion which was bearing so many away to the " fanaticism " of the Baptists. " They went out from us," he quoted in one of his sermons, " because they were not of us;" and he spoke the truth.
Boys and girls caught the tone of popular raillery, and re- peated at school, to the children of their newly awakened neighbors, the sarcasms of their parents on the "Dippers " and " New Lights." The ridiculed sect accepted the nick- names, and gloried in them. A quaint old hymn, much sung by them in their meetings during those unpopular days, shows in what estimation they held their opprobrious titles.
" Come, all who are new lights indeed, Who are from sin and bondage freed : From Egypt's land we took our flight ; For God has given us a new light.
Long time we with the wicked trod, And madly ran the sinful road; Against the gospel we did fight, Scared at the name of a New light.
At length the Lord in mercy called, And gave us strength to give up all : He gave us strength to choose aright A portion with despised New lights.
Despised by man, upheld by God, We're marching on the heavenly road : Loud hallelujahs we will sing To Jesus Christ, the New lights' King," &c.
This hymn the little company of Baptist worshippers had
them: Mr. Ritchie choosing for his text, on one occasion, " They love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil."
* Minister of Sharon from 1799 to 1816. - Hist. Coll. Mass.
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CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
[1811-13.
A Prominent Convert.
Early Preachers.
all by heart; and the low, sweet minor tune to which they sung it was well adapted to content the believers, and even impress and win opposers.
Meanwhile the ungodly community looked on and sneered, until, perchance, the secret influence would reach their own circle, and call one of their number away, when they would cling to him with the grasp of desperation, and exhaust all the resources of menace and ridicule to retain him in the service of Satan.
One man, who afterwards became a chief supporter in the despised denomination, and left his praise in the church and among his fellow-townsmen, was then a centre of attraction in this thoughtless company, and with his stories and his violin often gave life to the convivial group that gathered at his store. A lady about his own age, Mrs. Caty Tucker, who also became subsequently a member of this church, was instru- mental in turning his attention first to the things of religion.
He attended the York School-house Meetings, secretly at first ; but soon, constrained by the narrow watchfulness of his wild comrades, who missed him from his store, he put on more · boldness; and God gave him grace to withstand their artillery of scorn. To show the estimate which the men of the world put upon the religious movement of that day, he himself stated with tears, when he related his religious experience, that before his conversion he verily thought he should be do- ing God service, and conveying a public benefit, to complain to the selectmen of the town, and have these revival-meetings abated as a common nuisance.
The work still went on. After Elder Briggs came other- good ministers to the neighborhood, and preached through the ensuing spring. Week after week, in the school-houses and in the homes of the people, Allen of Mansfield, Nelson of Middleboro', Grafton of Newton, Gammell of Medfield, and Williams and Paul of Boston, and others besides them, less well remembered, stood up and proclaimed to the ungodly the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Elder Thomas Paul was a son of thunder. He was a colored man, pastor of the African Baptist (now Joy Street) Church,
a
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CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
1811-12.]
Elders Paul and Williams.
First Baptism.
Boston, and went by the name of " Black Paul." Wherever he preached, the place was too strait to hold the hearers; and his power over the feelings, solemnizing the most careless, and thrilling the most cold, is remembered by the few who live to regret that he could not have visited the place oftener than he did. " His understanding was vigorous, his imagination was vivid, his personal appearance was interesting, and his elocution was graceful." * The key and intonations of his voice in prayer are said to have strikingly resembled Dr. Baldwin's. He died April 14, 1831, with the very words of his great namesake upon his lips, " I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my de- parture is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have fin- ished my course. I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day."
Elder Paul had a son who graduated with honors at Dart- mouth College, a young man of fine talents, and much re- spected.
Williams was Elder ELISHA SCOTT WILLIAMS, formerly of Beverly. He belonged to the Baldwin-place Church, Boston, and intinerated among the feeble churches in surrounding towns. To him belongs the credit (as far as to any one man) of organizing this church.
On the 14th of April, 1812, occurred the first baptism in the town. It was Monday, and the four candidates, with their friends, stood by the Reservoir Pond in front of Mr. Ezra Til- den's, where the novelty of the occasion had drawn together a numerous throng, and one by one received immersion at the hands of Elder Joel Briggs. These four pioneers were Ezra Tilden, his wife Bethiah, his brother Abner Tilden, and Enos Upham. The impression produced by this baptismal scene, the first of its kind which most of the spectators had ever witnessed, was conciliatory and wholesome. The ancient rec- ord of the transaction quotes, in closing, the familiar line of Goldsmith, -
" Fools who came to scoff remained to pray."
Another transaction of a very different sort took place
* Baptist Magazine, vol. xv. p. 221.
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£
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CANTON BAPTIST MEMORIAL.
[1812.
Ministerial Tax.
Old " Baptist Society."
shortly after, a record of which in this place will be essential to the completeness of the history. One or two parishioners of Mr. Ritchie had taken offence at some remarks of his in the pulpit on Good Friday, concerning the state of the country, and induced others to join them in a compact to evade the ministerial tax. It was understood then, that, if any citizen should regularly join a religious society differing from the standing order, he should be exempted from contributing to the support of the town minister; and these disaffected indi- viduals, taking advantage of the late movement of the Bap- tists, determined to secure their co-operation, and form them- selves into a new organization under the name of the " Baptist Society." The matter passed under consultation a few weeks ; and at length, on the 27th of April, the following individuals subscribed their names, and reported themselves to the town as a separate society : -
SAMUEL BLACKMAN, ABNER TILDEN,
NATHANIEL BILLINGS, Jr.,
NATHAN TUCKER,
BENJAMIN LEWIS,
JESSE WENTWORTH,
SAMUEL TUCKER, Jr.,
JABEZ COBB,
JABEZ BILLINGS,
EZRA TILDEN, SAMUEL CANTERBURY,
THADDEUS CHURCHILL,
NATHAN KINNEY,
ELIJAH JORDAN,
SETH WENTWORTH,
BENJAMIN GILL, Jr., ELIJAH HAWES,
OLIVER WENTWORTH,
ENOS UPHAM,
SPENCER WENTWORTH, ISAAC MANN.
The last was a member of the First Baptist Church in Ran- dolph (now East Stoughton) .*
It will be observed that seven of the twenty-one were per- sons who afterwards entered the communion of this church by baptism or experience. The society, however, never had any thing to do with the measures and work of the church. Indeed the two had no vital connection ; and the formation of the " Baptist Society " claims a mention here only as an inter- esting antecedent event to the proper history of the Church.
Thus two influences, distant both in cause and design, - the Spirit of God and the spirit of democratic independency, - were simultaneously working to one good result. .
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