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Gc 974.402 F555h 1415160
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01095 5257
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyofcalvini00hitc_0
REV. SAMUEL WORCESTER, D. D.
A HISTORY OF THE
CALVINISTIC CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND SOCIETY
FITCHBURG, MASSACHUSETTS
By George A. Hitchcock
With an Introduction on the Separation of Church and State Also a Historical Sketch of the C. C. Sunday School By Ebenezer Bailey
FITCHBURG AUTHORIZED BY VOTE OF THE SOCIETY AT ITS ANNUAL MEETING 1902
NOTE.
Acknowledgments are due to Mr. H. G. Townend, Mr. J. C. Moulton, Miss Caroline E. Putnam and Mr. A. F. Francis for pho- tographs, drawings, etc., all representing highly creditable home
G. A. H. talent.
SENTINEL. PRINTING COMPANY.
1415160
CONTENTS.
Introductory 1
Influence of Rev. Samuel Worcester in Founding Church
7
Separation of First and Second Parishes 11
Act of Incorporation 13
List of Members of Parish in 1805
14
Laying Foundations .
16
Rev. Alfred Emerson on Date of Organization
17
First Meeting-house .
20
Return to First Parish
23
Sketch of Rev. Asa Thurston
25
Second Organization in 1823
28
Settlement of Rev. R. A. Putnam
30
Controversy Concerning Records, etc.
33
First Mission Organization
36
Home Charities
38
Church Improvements
39
Pastorates of Rev. Messrs. Albro and Emery .
42
Pastorate of Rev. E. W. Bullard-Slavery Question
47
Formation of Trinitarian Church
50
Anti-Slavery Resolutions
51
Second Meeting-house
52
Pastorate of Rev. G. B. Wilcox
55
Pastorate of Rev. A. Emerson
58
C. C. Church in the Civil War
59
Changes in Church
65
Great Revival
67
Pastorate of Rev. H. M. Tyler
68
New Chapel and Church Improvements New Era in C. C. Church
71
Sketch of Musical Department
73
Pastorate of Rev. S. J. Stewart . 76
Pastorate of Rev. S. L. Blake, D. D.
78
Pastorate of Rev. C. R. Gale
80
Pastorate of Rev. G. R. Hewitt
82
Third Meeting-house
85
Settlement of Rev. A. F. Dunnels
89
Creeds of the Church
91
Charities of the Church
95
iii.
66
Formation of the Rollstone Church
73
Contents.
History of the Sunday School
99
List of Superintendents
114
Sunday School Statistics 115
Sketch of Fitchburg Maternal Association
116
Relation of Church and Parish
121
Officers and Members of Parish
122
Pastors and Officers of Church
. 124
Roll of Church Members
126
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Portrait of Rev. Samuel Worcester, D. D.
Frontispiece
Ecclesiastical Tree
7
First Meeting-house .
25
Portrait of Rev. Rufus A. Putnam 33
Plan of Pews in First Meeting-house in 1828 .
41
Second Meeting-house
53
Plan of Pews in Second Meeting-house in 1845
57
Rollstone Street Front Previous to 1873
71
Front and Rear Views of Interior
73
Front and Rear Views of Interior
89
Relative Position of Pews in Third Meeting-house
97
Third Meeting-house 85
Chapel Interior . 113
iv.
A History of the Calvinistic Congregational Church and Society.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.
When our Puritan forefathers set up a government for themselves in the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, their church and their political government were iden- tical, and it was so intended. Moreover, there was no intention to inaugurate any system of religious tolera- tion, for the religion of the Puritans-the religion of the English Separatists-was, they believed, the re- ligion taught by the Bible, and they desired to encour- age no other. They came to America that they might worship according to the dictates of their consciences, and they wished, and moreover they were determined, not to be molested or interfered with by other sects or systems of religious faith. Consequently they decreed that a man to be a freeman and a voter must also be a member of the church. Church and State were one and ordered all things temporal and spiritual.
In course of time, however, the rule was relaxed, and in order that some might take part in public af- fairs who would not subscribe to all the tenets of their theology, persons of good moral character, who had been baptized in infancy, were considered members of the church, although they were not allowed to partici- pate in the Lord's Supper. There was great opposi- tion to this change, as it was clearly seen that while this strengthened the government it weakened the
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
churches. If the intention was to continue for all time the law that none should vote who were not at least nominal church members, it failed; for on the accession of William III. to the English throne a new charter was given to the colony which abolished church mem- bership as a requisite for voting and substituted a property qualification. The condition now was that the town voters owned and controlled the church prop- erty, fixed the minister's salary, and paid the bills. The churches had the right to choose the minister, but the voters of the town must concur. The members of the churches were probably in all cases a large major- ity of the voters in the towns, but one could not fail to realize that when these majorities should become minorities, then there would be trouble for the churches.
The zeal for religion and religious observances which characterized the early years of Puritan times began to wane, and spiritual deadness was rife in the earlier part of the eighteenth century. This was deplored by the ministers and the zealous church members, who prayed earnestly for a revival of religion. Their prayers were answered when, about the year 1735, a great revival, largely due to the preaching and influence of Jonathan Edwards, spread throughout the state, and many new members were added to the churches and their whole spiritual life quickened. This great religious awakening, however, while it stirred up and strengthened the or- thodox churches, had a tendency to draw a stricter line and to make more evident the schism between the two antagonistic theological parties-the Calvinists and the Arminians. Harvard college soon became the cen- ter of Arminian or Unitarian views, while Yale college was the stronghold of Calvinism. In the Boston churches there was a strong current of sympathy with liberal religious views, and the Calvinist church mem- bers throughout the state found themselves year by year less able to control the voters of the towns.
But, while throughout the closing years of the eigh- teenth century most of the ministers and church mem-
2
Introductory.
bers continued to hold to the theology of Jonathan Edwards and Samuel Hopkins, Unitarianism gained ground among the people. Moreover for many years there had been societies of Baptists, and these with the Methodists and Universalists were becoming stronger and more numerous. When the constitution of Massa- chusetts was adopted in 1780, it provided that "towns should make suitable provision at their own expense for the publie worship of God and the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety, re- ligion and morality in all cases where sueh provision shall not be made voluntarily." But the constitution also provided that if any person paid his money to the support of publie worship he might have his money applied "to the support of the publie teacher or teaeh- ers of his own religion, sect or denomination." There- fore it was the custom for these sects to give notice to the town authorities that they were regular attendants at one of such churches or soeieties, and that they de- sired their ministerial tax set off to that society, and such requests grew more and more frequent every year.
The foundations of the town parishes were erum- bling, for not only were they being weakened by the inroads of these other religious societies or seets, which would once have been summarily suppressed, but there was a general tendeney to dissolution. There were three general divisions among the town voters, or the parish: First, the Calvinists, who were called Hopkin- sians; second, the Arminians, or Unitarians, who held different doctrines as to regeneration and the Trinity ; third, those who cared nothing for theology and little for religion, but who were obliged to pay a ministerial tax and had a right to vote in parish matters. Such was the state of affairs at the beginning of the nine- teenth century with reference to Massachusetts town parishes. The ministers were generally striving to strengthen the church creeds and covenants, and were preaching good sound Calvinistic doetrine. Under the circumstances it is not strange that in so many of the
3
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
towns a majority of the voters did not like the preach- ing of such strong religious doctrine, or, if the preach- ing was not of a sound orthodox nature, a majority of the church members were dissatisfied. So it came to pass that one after another churches and parishes divided. Usually a majority of the church went off and formed a new society. This was going on through the first quarter of the century. The election of Rev. Henry Ware as Hollis Professor of Divinity at Harvard col- lege, in 1805, which was regarded as a victory for the Unitarians, precipitated the secession movement.
Legal questions arose where these divisions occurred as to the ownership of property which had been given to the church, and also as to the custody of the church records. The legal decision turned upon the question as to whether the remaining or the seceding body was the original church in cases where the seceding members were in a majority. In the year 1820 a decision was given by the supreme court in a case in which Daniel Webster appeared for the seceding church, to the effect that however small the number of church members who remained with the parish they would constitute the church, and so retain the title to all the church property and the custody of the records. In those cases, therefore, where even a large majority of the church members left the parish they were obliged to leave their church records and other church property behind. However, the first division of the original church in Fitchburg occurred previous to this decision, and a special act of the legislature was obtained which recognized the seceding body as the same church which had before existed.
The first preaching in Fitchburg was in the year 1765, and the first minister, Rev. John Payson, was ordained to the gospel ministry on Wednesday, the 27th day of January, 1768, in the newly finished meet- ing house on Crescent street hill. The church which settled him was embodied January 7th of the same year. It had no articles of faith, and for full church
Introductory.
membership, all that was necessary was a general acceptance of the Cambridge Platform, which was adopted by all the churches in 1651, while, under the Half-way covenant, practical membership was obtaina- ble by almost any one of good character, and of these, those who expressed the wish were allowed to take part in all church ordinances. Mr. Payson was a man of good natural ability, was peaceful in his disposition, and devotedly pious. He continued in his pastorate till May, 1794, when he retired, broken in health and spirits, and died by his own hand, in May, 1804. * His gravestone may be seen in the old cemetery on South street. Notwithstanding Mr. Payson's piety and his devotion to the spiritual welfare of his flock, the unity and spirituality of his church seem to have been at a very low ebb at the close of his pastorate. The long and bitter controversy over the location of a new meeting house, which was going on during the last half dozen years of his life, together with his own physical condition, acting with general influences which
*SUB hoc Tumulo Reliquia REV. JOHANNIS PAYSON, A.M. Jacent. Olim Ecclesiæ Fitchburgensis Pastor, Qui die Maii XXIII, Anno Domini MDCCCIV mortuus est, Anno Ætatis LIX, Annoque sui Sacerdotii XXXVI. Præstantissimo Vir ingenio, benevolentissimoque animo, scientia præditus, mandatoque divino fidelis studio exercitioque Theologiæ,
amico monito factisque charitatis datus potius quam contentioni inani persecutionibusque avaritiæ sordidis.
A son erects this monument to the memory of an effectionate and beloved Father.
5
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
operated all over the state, were the causes which brought this about.
After the retirement of Rev. Mr. Payson, the church was without an ordained pastor for over three years. During this time the Rev. John Kimball preached for about one year, and he was given a call, but declined, as did also Rev. John Miles, a little later. Rev. Thos. Noyes, who was next considered, was satisfactory to the church but not to the town. The Rev. Samuel Worcester, however, was given a call in 1797, and on September 27 of that year he was ordained as pastor.
6
Finnish 1902
German Ev. 1889
Swedish 1892
Episcopal 1863
Trinitarian 1843
Calvinistic Congregationalist.
Methodist 1834
Highland 1891
1831
Baptist
Beth Eden 1893
1813
to
1823
1802.
First Church of Christ
1768
Town Appropriations.
ECCLESIASTICAL TREE.
NOTE .- While the various churches were not offshoots of the C. C. Church in the same sense that the Trinitarian and Rollstone Churches were, yet they were composed chiefly of members who withdrew from the C. C. Church to found them.
Rollstone Congl 1868
Oak Hill 1900
W.F. Methodist 18 81
Universalist 1844
Unitarian Congregational
CHAPTER II.
REV. SAMUEL WORCESTER AND HIS INFLUENCE IN FOUNDING THE C. C. CHURCH.
The advantage of a backward look across the cen- tury is not readily appreciated, when the prejudices and animosities seemed to play so large a part in the evo- lution of the great unsettled problems of those days. But to us is given the opportunity of a perspective, so reasonable as to seem almost divine; while to those who were called upon to take part in the settlement of ecclesiastical questions, a spirit quite the opposite seemed to prevail.
It is not generally realized by the present members of the C. C. church and society what deep and funda- mental problems were solved for the benefit of New England Congregationalism by the action of the Fitch- burg church during the four or five years preceding the first secession of the C. C. church in 1802. In the con- troversy between the church and town-which was the birth-throes of the C. C. church-it is written that "Dr. Worcester did far more than lay the foundation of all that pre-eminence to which he afterwards attained on the subject of ecclesiastical government and the order of the churches. His reputation for theological learn- ing, sound discretion, controversial power and Christian heroism went forth as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds."
A few facts concerning the man who did so much in moulding and forming this church seem appropriate here. Born in Hollis, N. H., November 1, 1770, of an ancestry of clergymen dating back to Salisbury, Eng- land, as early as 1638; educated in New Ipswich academy and Dartmouth college, with a theological
7
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
training under Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D., of Worcester; he became preceptor of New Ipswich academy in 1796. He remained there only one year, when he was called to Fitchburg and was ordained September 27, 1797. He built and resided in the house on Prospect street now known as the Caldwell house. "In form he was somewhat slender, but firm, erect and athletic; six feet in height, finely turned head, broad chest, stately move- ment, fair complexion, benignant smile and thoughtful, earnest brow. At the time of his settlement in Fitch- burg, he wore a tri-cornered hat, with his hair in a lengthened cue, small-clothes, and shoes with buckles. His style in the pulpit was neat and elegant, chiefly marked by perspicuity, precision and strength." His theology was of the moderate Calvinistic type and claimed by some to be Hopkinsian,* though he did not fully accept the distinctive tenets of that divine.
It was an epoch of great political and religious com- motion throughout Christendom. In America "federal- ism" and "democracy" were in determined conflict. In Europe, the sanguinary French Revolution with its ap- palling atheism stirred the clergy to ringing notes in defense of Divine sovereignty. In Fitchburg the fallacy of domination of church by town voters irrespective of moral character had become notorious. The spirit of animosity engendered by the struggle of the previous decade was the condition which Rev. Mr. Worcester had to meet as the spiritual head in town affairs.
Two principles were established or attempted on his accession to the Fitchburg pulpit: First, a new creed, replacing the effete "Half-way covenant;" second, the assertion of the church's right to precedence in matters of spiritual leadership. It must not be assumed that
*The Hopkinsian theology, so styled, was founded by Rev. Sam- uel Hopkins, D. D., who studied theology with Jonathan Edwards and was settled in Newport, R. I. Its fundamental doctrine was that all virtue and true holiness consist in disinterested benevolence, and that all sin is selfishness-the self-love which leads a man to give his first regard even to his own eternal interests being condemned as sinful.
8
Rev. Samuel Worcester.
Rev. Mr. Worcester by his superior attainments or assumption of authority attempted to accomplish these results; but the conviction of the reasonableness of these by a large and influential following, which loyal- ty supported him in the contest, convinced him that it was a duty of Divine ordering.
Early in 1800 a determined effort was made to dis- solve the contract between pastor and town and a majority vote was secured by aid of persons profess- edly of other denominations who were permitted to vote. His answer was the submission of the following proposals, which clearly set forth the great point at issue between "church and state:"
"First. A council consisting of five churches and mutually chosen, in the regular ecclesiastical manner, shall be called to assist by their advice and co-operate if they shall judge it suitable in my regular dismission. "Second. If the town have any allegations to lay before the council against me they shall fairly state them to me in writing at least ten days prior to the sitting of the council and if no allegations be thus stated it shall be understood that the town have noth- ing particularly injurious to my ministerial or Christian character to allege against me.
"Third. The civil contract between the town and me as their minister shall remain in force until the pas- toral relation be regularly dissolved."
To these the town acceded and he was triumphant.
The following year witnessed a succession of coun- cils, mutual and ex parte, in which the principles he so vigorously contended for were successful and the watchword, "No union with error," was caught up and echoed from pulpit to pulpit through New Eng- land. It is written that "this was the great crisis in the history of Congregational churches beyond any- thing, since they were planted on our shores." At his earnest request he was finally dismissed, preaching his "Farewell" August 29, 1802, to a very large congre- gation.
9
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
His subsequent career furnishes us with a clear con- ception of the character of the man who did so much in moulding the Calvinistic Congregational church. He was immediately called to the Tabernacle church of Salem, at that time one of the most influential in New England, and he made its fame secure, as the "Antioch of Foreign Missions." Soon after settling there he de- clined a most persistent call to become Divinity pro- fessor of Dartmouth college, and while there he became famous in successfully controverting the views of Dr. Channing, the great Unitarian divine.
While Samuel J. Mills was the originator of the movement which led to the formation of the American Board of Foreign Missions, Dr. Samuel Worcester was the founder of the Board itself. It was on the old road from Andover to Bradford that he first suggested the plan to Dr. Spring of Newburyport, and these two adopted the idea and rested not until it was carried out. From the first, Dr. Worcester was the intrepid enthusiast who kept the project in motion and incited the interest of others. Into it he threw his time, his strength, his soul, with lavish devotion until he saw his cherished purpose victorious and embodied in a strongly constructed organization, of which he became the first secretary. The memory of this great service of Dr. Worcester to the church and to missions should be kept green.
No finer tribute has been paid to him than this, from a leader of that denomination whose tenets he so strenuously withstood-Dr. A. P. Peabody :* " Dr. Samuel Worcester, a pioneer in the cause, whose prescient mind saw in its very inception its destined triumph, and whose plastic and organizing ability was second to no agency in its early success and rapid growth. Though a keen controversialist, he was pre-eminently a man of beatitudes; uniting with the hardiest features of character-a strenuous purpose and an indomitable
"North American Review, Vol. 94, p. 469.
10
Separation of Parishes.
will-all the amenities of a Christian gentleman." His death occurred in 1821 at Brainerd, East Tennessee, one of the mission stations of the American Board, and his remains now rest in Harmony Grove cemetery, Salem, Mass.
SEPARATION OF FIRST AND SECOND PARISHES.
The immediate result of the controversy attending the dismissal of Mr. Worcester was the dissolution of the parochial powers of the town and the withdrawal of a large portion of the membership of the church, which began holding Sabbath day services in the Far- well house on West Main street. This "church," on the 26th of October, 1802, proceeded to give Rev. Mr. Worcester a formal call at the same salary of $333.33 which the town had given, with the addition of twenty- five cords of wood annually. As a new and untried experiment of an independent church, this was an ex- ceedingly generous proposition, but after due considera- tion this call was declined, and a year passed without success in settling a pastor. In November, 1803, a committee was chosen, which selected Rev. Titus T. Barton as pastor, who was settled in 1804.
This action was not consummated without much opposition; for a town meeting was held March 14, 1804, at which a committee reported a protest, in which it claimed that it was "in direct violation of that fundamental rule in all our institutions that the majority conforming to the Original prinsaples of the compact, shall govern, and it is a measure flagrantly irregular, and compleatly disorganising. Every citizen of the Commonwealth is a member of a religious So- ciety, constituted such by Law. The Constitution considers every man in his two-fold character of a dis- ciple of Christ and a subject of civil Government," etc.
This protest was presented to the ecclesiastical coun- cil convened for the settlement of Rev. Mr. Barton.
11
Calvinistic Congregational Church.
The C. C. church did not consider that every voter was rightfully a disciple of Christ and therefore the petition was ignored.
The year 1805 was a busy one in the history of the C. C. church and society. The church taking precedence held its first meeting of which we have any record. The parish then held its first business meeting July 10, 1805, of which *Jonathan Lowe, Jr., was moderator, and the following officers were chosen : Assessors, John Thurston, Jr., Seth Phillips, Joseph Simonds; Treasurer, ¡Ebenezer Thurston; Clerk, John Thurston, Jr.
The town finally gave up opposition, expressing it- self in the following vote: "Voted that the Town of Fitchburg do freely and fully consent-That those per- sons in said Town who Stile themselves, the strict Cal- vinistic Society in said Town be Incorporated into a Body Politic agreable to the Report of the Committee of both houses of the Legislature of which The Honor- able William Brown was Chairman, on the Petition of Daniel Putnam & others, expressed in the following words." Then follows a somewhat lengthy statement in the legal phraseology of the day.
In the act of incorporation following may be noted, first, the recognition of the legal standing of the C. C. church in these words: "Whereas the Congregational Church in Fitchburg lately under the pastoral care of Rev. Samuel Worcester, now under that of Rev. Titus T. Barton." Second, the limit of time whereby persons could join or leave, as expressed in Sections 2 and 3, being considered arbitrary, the town petitioned the
*Jonathan Lowe, Jr., whose name appears often in the town records between 1795 and 1807, was continuously ehosen moderator of parish meetings, and followed Ebenezer Thurston as treasurer. He lived in the Mt. Elam distriet for many years, not far from the pres- ent summer home of H. F. Coggshall.
tEbenezer Thurston was son of John Thurston, whose names appear first on Fitchburg's tax lists. Ebenezer was eldest brother of John, Jr. (who was father of Dea. Abel Thurston), and Thomas (father of Asa, the missionary, of "Unele Cyrus" and of Ebenezer, father of the late Charles Thurston).
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