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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH WAKEFIELD MASS.
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01762 7487
GENEALOGY 974.402 W13EV
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyoffirstba00ever
BAPTIST CHURCH, WAKEFIELD. N &DEARBORN
HISTORY
OF THE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
IN
WAKEFIELD, MASS.,
1800-1900.
-
Compiled by REV. N. R. EVERTS.
MALDEN : PRINTED BY GEO. E. DUNBAR, 382 MAIN STREET. 1901.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
Wakefield Baptist Church, erected in 1871, FRONTISPIECE Old Church, erected in 1836, opp. page 40 Deacon Edward Mansfield, opp. page 56 Present Deacons of the Church, opp. page 81 Rev. N. R. Everts, - . opp. page 120
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. 1639-1794.
Settlement of South Reading, now Wakefield - State of religion - Early prayer meetings- Dr. Baldwin -Baptisms-Baptist society, branch of Woburn church. Page 9
CHAPTER II. 1799-1826.
The first meeting house - Rev. Ebenezer Nelson - Revival of 1803- Rev. Thomas Paul - Organi- zation of the church in 1804- Warren Associa- tion - Resignation of Mr. Nelson - Description and characteristics- Rev. Gustavus F. Davis- Organization of the Sunday School-Revival of 1820-Removal of the meeting house to Main street-Lilley Eaton. Page 15
CHAPTER III. 1828-1834.
South Reading Academy-First Principals-Resig- nation of Mr. Davis. Sketch of his life and characteristics - Rev. Joseph A. Warne -First missionary - Resignation of Mr. Warne- Sketch of his life- A deep awakening- Call, ordination and resignation of Rev. James Huckens -A period of trial-Free Masonry and Intemperance-" Showers of Blessing." Page 23
CHAPTER IV. 1835-1851.
Rev. Isaac Sawyer-Attitude of the church towards Slavery-Destruction of the meeting house by fire - Rebuilding-The new church edifice- Resignation of Mr Sawyer-Rev. Charles Miller - Rev. Larkin B. Cole - Rev. Charles Evans- Baptist Anti-slavery Convention-Edward Mansfield - Millerism-Resignation of Mr. Evans-Rev. Paul Adams-Revival of 1847- Poor fund - Edward Mansfield elected clerk- Resignation of Mr. Adams-Call of Rev. Daniel W. Phillips - Installation - Anniversary of a prayer meeting in 1801. Page 3I
1
iv
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER V. 1853-1860.
Enlargement of the church edifice- Entertain the Salem Association - Visitation of the town- Rendition of Anthony Burns-Death of Dea. David Smith - Character sketch-Manning W. Sullivan elected deacon- Revival of 1858- Albert G. Sweetser - Death of Noah Smith and Dea. Jacob Eaton. Descriptions of these men- Death of Zenas Eaton-A timely gift from Mrs. Edmund E. Wiley. Page 40
CHAPTER VI. 1861-1866.
The Rebellion -Loyalty of this church - Francis Sweetser - First union Thanksgiving service- Albert G. Sweetser and Edward Mansfield elected deacons-Resignation of Mr. Phillips- His ministry here-Sketch of his life-Death of Dea. Sullivan - Settlement of Rev. George Bullen-Death of Dea. Stowell-His character- istics-Death of Eunice Eaton-Her conversion and noble life-Resignation of Mr. Bullen-His "Pastoral Reminiscences"-Sketch of his ministry. Page 49
CHAPTER VII. 1867-1871.
Rev. James W. Willmarth - Entertain the Salem Association - The church elects officers of the Sunday school-Semi-centennial of the Sunday school-Resignation of Mr. Willmarth-Remi- niscences of his Pastorate at Wakefield- Reunion of the Sunday school - Presentation.
Page 61
CHAPTER VIII. 1871-1880.
Church edifice burned - Worship in Town Hall- Rev. Richard M. Nott called-Enter the new church edifice-Dedication - Entertain Sunday School Convention-A wise measure-Resigna- tion of Mr. Nott-Separate Thanksgiving Day Service-Religious interest-Rev. Charles Key- ser D.D. - Powerful revival -Death of Dr. Keyser-Sketch of his ministry-Death of Jonas R. Evans, the church historian-Rev. R. Rid-
V
CONTENTS.
dell-Entertain the Salem Association-Articles of Faith-Albert H. Sweetser - Ordination of Frank L. Sullivan - Death of Rev. Mr. Nott- Sketch of his life. Page 69
CHAPTER IX. 1881-1887.
Church indebtedness-Raising the debt-Assistance rendered by Congregational church-Eloquent figures-Resignation of Mr. Riddell-Stephen A. Lufkin and Robert N. Howard elected deacons-Rev. Roland D. Grant- Bequest of Cornelius Sweetser-Rev. D. N. Beach-Bequest of Mrs. Eunice Hill- Samuel L. White elected deacon-Communion wine-Entertain the Sun- day School Convention-Change order of church services temporarily - Mr. William Cossum- Sketch of life and labors of Rev. Willis F. Thomas and wife-Three deacons' sons in the ministry. Page 81
CHAPTER X. 1888-1890.
Dissolution of the Baptist Society - Evangelistic meetings conducted by Rev. S. Hartwell Pratt- Results - Donation of Mrs. Harriet N. Flint- Centennial of birth of Adoniram Judson-Resig- nation of Mr. Grant-Sketch of his ministry- Rev. N. R. Everts-" Rules of Order" - Cele- bration of the one hundredth anniversary of the first Sunday evening prayer meeting in the town - Portrait of Dea. David Smith - Decide to withdraw from the Salem Association - Por- trait of Dea. Martin Stowell-Farewell services in the old Congregational church - Congrega- tionalists occupy the Baptist church. Page 90
CHAPTER XI. 1890-1892.
Ordination of Fritz C. Gleichman-Leaves for Africa -Death-Memorial service-Sketch of his life- Mission museum-Union Thanksgiving service -New order of Sunday services-Enter the Bos- ton North Association-Organization of Baptist Young Peoples' Union-Congregational church completed-Parting service in Baptist church- Resignation of Dea. White.
Page 98
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vi
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XII. 1893-1897.
Boston East Association-Harvey B. Evans elected deacon - Entertain Bible School Convention- Ordination and installation of Rev. Albert P. Davis as pastor of the Congregational church - Woodville Chapel-Bequest of Mrs. Eleanor B. Toothaker-Miss Georgie L. Heath-Messenger Corps-Bequest of Miss Charlotte N. Evans- Bequest of Mrs. Harriet N. Flint-Evangelistic meetings conducted by Rev. C. L. Jackson- -Results-Samuel L. White and Robert N. Howard elected deacons. Page 107
CHAPTER XIII. 1898-1900.
Adoption of individual communion cups-Entertain Boston East Association - Bequest of Franklin Poole-Death of Dea. Mansfield-Memorial ser- vices-Dea. White elected church clerk-Easter Sunday-October Week of Prayer - Baptist church offered the Universalists for worship- Religious canvass of the town-Church visitor appointed. Page 116
CHAPTER XIV. 1900.
Resignation of Mr. Everts- November Week of Prayer-Closing service in the Congregational church - Portrait of Dea. Mansfield - A noble group-Close of Mr. Everts' pastorate-Presen- tation-Farewell service-Rev. C. L. Jackson, supply-Watch meeting-Close of the century -Review. Page 122
APPENDIX.
List of pastors - List of deacons - List of clerks- List of superintendents-Constituent members of the church. Page 128
vii
WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
INTRODUCTION.
In the year 1800 a Baptist society in Wakefield, a branch of the Baptist church in Woburn, erected a meeting house, maintained stated preaching on the Lord's day, observed the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the following year settled a pastor. Although not recog- nized as an independent church until 1804, the First Bap- tist Church in Wakefield may properly be said to have had its beginning with the century ; and at its close it seemed eminently fitting that the story of the one hund- red years of its existence should be told.
In the year 1900 Rev. N. R. Everts, Dea. Samuel L. White, and Freeman Emmons, Esq., were appointed to prepare a history of the church for publication. After a careful review of the church records the other members of the committee requested Mr. Everts to compile the work and prepare it for the press. In its preparation the com- piler has sought to make the history, not only an accurate record of events, but a useful manual of reference. He has also sought, by diligent research, to rescue from ob- livion facts and incidents that seemed worthy of preser- vation.
The task has been to him a pleasant and profitable one, and if the result may prove correspondingly pleasant and profitable, in some degree, to the dear flock with whom he was permitted to spend twelve happy years of his min- istry, it will be to him an unspeakable satisfaction. He embraces this opportunity to gratefully acknowledge his large indebtedness to all those who have kindly contrib- uted material, and otherwise assisted in the preparation of the work.
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WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
* CHAPTER I.
That part of the town of Reading now known as Wakefield began to be settled in 1639, and was incorporated as Reading, May 29, 1644. A Con- gregational church was organized the same year (1644). As other parts of the town became settled, two other churches of the same order were estab- lished in other villages, but no Church other than Congregational existed here for about 160 years. At the close of the Revolutionary war, religion, in the sense we understand it, had well nigh disap- peared from what is now Wakefield. The Puritanic faith had given place to liberalism. There may have been some secret disciples, but there were not many, if any, who were known as experimental Christians. Vet the consciousness of immortality and accountability to God was not wholly lost. About the year 1787 a religious meeting was estab- lished Sabbath evenings, in the Centre school- house. After a few weeks, however, it was discontinued, because some felt that prayer was an essential part of religious worship, and there was no one either willing or prepared to perform such a service. There were some persons who
* This chapter is from the pen of Dea. Edward Mansfield, a por- tion of a "Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church in Wake- field," prepared for the Boston East Association, and printed in the Minutes of that association for 1893-1894.
IO
HISTORY OF THE
were desirous of hearing occasionally different kinds of preaching, and procured an article to be inserted in the warrant for the parish meeting, to see if they could be allowed the use of the parish meeting house when not otherwise engaged. The application was refused. But after this, occasional sermons were preached at private houses by minis- ters holding Calvinistic views. One of these preachers was Rev. Thomas Green, a Baptist min- ister of West Cambridge (now Arlington). He was invited, not because he was a Baptist, but because he was a Calvinist. It is probable that his preaching had some connection with the conversion of a young man by the name of Ebenezer Smith, who was baptized in West Cambridge in 1788. His younger brother Benjamin, led by his own curiosity and love of sport, accompanied him to West Cambridge on the day he was to unite with the Church. The Lord in His mercy met the youth, convicted him of sin, and made him feel the need of salvation. In the following year he united with the same Church. Iu the spring of 1789, two young men, Lilley Eaton and David Smith, were led by ill health to think seriously of death and the judgment. This state of mind had not been induced by any external circumstances. The preaching in the place was not calculated to alarm sinners, and there were no private Christians who felt it their duty to speak to others about the way of salvation. These two young men deeply sympathized with
II
WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
each other, but they were very ignorant of the doctrines of grace. Through the summer they drooped, and all the prescriptions of friends and physicians were unavailing. A daughter of the red men of the forest was the first to discover the true nature of the malady, and to tell the white men where a cure might be found.
In the latter part of the same year (1789) there was a revival of religion in what is now Reading. Meetings were frequent and deeply interesting. A few people in this village often attended those meet- ings, and became so much interested in them, that after due thought and conversation, they solemnly resolved to establish a religious meeting on Sab- bath evenings at home, and invite other serious minded young people to unite with them. Accord- ingly about twenty young persons, male and female, solemnly covenanted with God and each other to meet on the Lord's day evenings to worship God. This is believed to be the first instance of such a use of the Lord's day evening in this place. To human appearance the materials for such a meeting were not to be found in the village. To the sober inhabitants the idea appeared chimerical and ridic- ulous, and they predicted an early failure. But the meeting then established has been contin- ued till the present time. These meetings were greatly blessed to the conversion of sinners and their advancement in knowledge and piety. In September, 1793, a society was formed of those
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HISTORY OF THE
who cherished a personal hope of salvation by grace. They bound themselves to give and receive counsel, admonition and reproof with meekness, and to say nothing to wound each other's feelings. This constitution was signed by nineteen persons, all males.
Neither of these societies avowedly held Baptist sentiments. Not all of the members of the one instituted in 1789 were ever converted. Not all of the members of the one established in 1793 connected themselves with the Baptists. The larger part, if not all, of this latter society would have united with the Parish Church if the preach- ing there had met their felt wants. As the case was, they were thrown on their own responsibility, to examine the Bible for themselves. Some of them had often attended on the preaching of Mr. S. pastor of the Congregational church, in what is now Reading and agreed with the fundamental senti- ments set forth in his discourses, but there was one subject of which they could not make the scripture account look like the practice of Mr. S. Still they tried to bring their minds to the practice of Pedo-Baptists,"being sincerely desirous of unit- ing with them, having friends among them whom they much respected, and hoping they might find a way to avoid the reproach of joining a sect who were so contemptuously spoken of as were the Baptists. In this state of mind they went to Mr. S. to see if he could remove the difficulties in their
I3
WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
minds as to his mode of baptism; but his argu- ments were unsatisfactory, and they were led, though reluctantly, to walk in the way they had so earnestly desired to avoid. Having arrived at this point, in the spring of 1794, three of them set out for Boston to introduce themselves to Dr. Bald- win, and to relate to him what, as they trusted, the Lord had done for them, with the design of unit- ing with the church under his care. As Dr. Bald- win was unacquainted with them, he proposed to come out to Wakefield to make the necessary inquiries concerning them, and also to preach. On the 21st of April, Dr. Baldwin came into town for the first time. Encouraged by him the three young men, Lilley Eaton, Jacob Eaton and David Smith, offered themselves to the Baldwin Place Baptist
Church and were received. The fourth of May was appointed for their baptism. At the hour when it was known the tide would be favorable, they went forth to the usual place, immediately in the rear of the meeting house, for the purpose of attending to the ordinance; but, to their amaze- ment, it was found that there was no water in the pond. An evil-minded man had drawn it away ; but God intended it for good. As there was a pond in South Reading whose waters could not be drained, Dr. Baldwin engaged to come out on Monday, the 12th of May, and baptize them there.
As baptism was then a new thing in town, and very few in the place had ever seen the ordinance
14
HISTORY OF THE
administered-even the candidates had never wit- nessed it-there was a great crowd at the water side. Many had intended to make sport, and some had even threatened to commit violence. But Dr. Baldwin, by his dignified presence and gentlemanly bearing, commanded the respect of all. He dis- coursed on the occasion from the words, " We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." The preaching and the administration of the ordinance were attended by remarkable power. Many were constrained by their deep convictions to follow Dr. Baldwin into the house. While he was eating his supper in one room, another room was full of anxious inquirers. During the following summer twelve from the town were baptized, some in Boston, some in Woburn, and some in South Reading. Subsequently most of the baptized persons became connected with the Baptist church in Woburn, and were constituted into a branch of that church in August, 1794.
15
WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
CHAPTER II.
The first meeting house of the new organization was erected in 1800. The old church record of this period says: "In the spring of this year (1800) we petitioned the people in this place for liberty to meet in their school house, near the meeting house where we should have preaching, and the house not in use by them, but our request was rejected, which made it appear necessary that we should build a house for public worship. Accord- ingly, in December, nineteen persons agreed with brother Jeremiah Green to build. We purposed to set the house on common land, where we supposed it would not be any damage to the town, but we have been forbid by promises and threats, although they plead no use for the spot of land. In order to prevent difficulty we purchased a spot."
The site for the building, undesignated in the record, was near the residence of the late Sylvanus Clark, No. 37 Salem street. The record further says, in summing up the events of the year : "Our number is now twenty-two, twelve brothers and ten sisters, all residing in the south part of the town," embracing that portion known later as South Read- ing, and now Wakefield.
The faith and courage of this little band of
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HISTORY OF THE
disciples should not be forgotten. Nineteen persons uniting to build a meeting house, and that without the sympathy of their townsmen, or fellow christ- ians, outside of their communion.
The 14th of May, 1800, after prayer by Elder Smith, the frame of the meeting house was erected. It was a small edifice, thirty-eight by thirty-four feet, with galleries. The devoted little band met in their new meeting house the first time, Sunday, July 27th. Three months later the house was com- pleted, and Wednesday, October 22d, it was pub- licly dedicated to divine worship in the presence of a congregation numbering about four hundred. The dedication sermon was preached by Dr. Bald- win from 2 Chron. 6:41. "Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength : let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness." Another service was held in the evening, when Rev. Mr. Bradley preached from the word "Live." Ez. 16: 1. "November 16th," continues the record, "we had the unspeakable privilege of commemorating the love and sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in the ordi- nance of the Supper, for the first time at Reading, and in our meeting house."
One cannot read these faded records of the gene- sis of this church without catching the glow of these ancient disciples and being deeply impressed with the fact that its foundations were laid in a
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WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
spirit of holy consecration and self sacrifice. We are not surprised to learn that during the following year they were greatly blessed. In the fall of the year 1801 Rev. Ebenezer Nelson became their pastor.
The year 1803 will ever be memorable in the history of the church for a revival of remarkable power. Rev. Thomas Paul, an eloquent colored preacher, then in the fulness of his powers, assisted Mr. Nelson. The whole town was moved; the hardest characters were awed and constrained to acknowledge that God was in the work. This was a part of the great revival of religion that swept the whole country at the close of the last century and the opening of the present, and which inaugurated a deeper spirituality in the American churches. Said Rev. Dr. Tyler in his work entitled "New England Revivals: " "Within the period of five or six years, commencing with 1797, it has been stated that not less than one hundred and fifty churches in New England were visited 'with times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.' "'
Hitherto the Baptists in this town had not formed themselves into a regular church, but were consid- ered a branch of the Woburn Baptist church where many of them joined when they were baptized. The revival of 1803 had strengthened their num- bers to such an extent as to warrant their organi- zation as an independent church. This was effected January 31, 1804, by a council convened
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HISTORY OF THE
on that date, composed of the pastors and delegates from "the church in Boston, in Beverly, in Malden and Woburn," which gave them public recognition as an organized church of our Lord Jesus Christ. The same day Rev. Ebenezer Nelson, who had been nominally their pastor since 1801, was for- mally invited to become their pastor and accepted the invitation. The same year the church united with the Warren Association of Baptist churches. From "Backus History of the Baptists in New England " we learn that this Association at that time extended "over all the old colonies of Ply- mouth and the Massachusetts, excepting what is west of Connecticut River, and into three adjoin- ing states," and the Minutes of the Association in 1805 report fifty-one churches, nine of which were received at that session, with a total membership of 4453.
Mr. Nelson remained with this church till March, 1815, when the church reluctantly accepted his resignation, giving him a letter of recommenda- tion in which they say " We do now recommend him to the churches, and all to whom this may come, as an able minister of the New Testament ; one who hath been enabled to be in good measure faithful, a blessing to this church and place, for whom we desire forever to bless the great Shep- herd and Bishop of souls." Leaving here he became pastor of the Baptist church in Malden where he died in May, 1825, in the seventy-second
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WAKEFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH.
year of his age, and the fortieth of his ministry. While residing in Malden he was a member of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention of 1820.
Rev. Mr. Nelson has the honor of being the first pastor of this church, and of safely leading it through the first years of its church life, a period usually fraught with perils. He must have been a wise and judicious man, for during his ministry with this people, covering more than thirteen years, a spirit of harmony seems to have prevailed in the church, and they were blessed with a healthy growth.
In the History of the Town of Reading we find these additional facts "concerning him. " Rev. Ebenezer Nelson lived on the place long owned and occupied by Hon. Thomas Emerson (the Prentiss house on Common street). Mr. Nelson came to this town from Middleboro, where he was born in 1753, and was settled as the pastor of the Baptist church in South Reading in 1804. He was then about fifty years old, and, as we remem- ber him, was rather below the middle stature, wore a wig and cue, dressed in small clothes, with knee buckles and shoe buckles. He was not classically educated, but was well informed and well read, and a fair, offhand, plain, extemporane- ous speaker ; was a warm Republican and patriot, and a zealous advocate of religious freedom ; he was of a very social and genial disposition; fond of humour and could himself tell a pleasant story."
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HISTORY OF THE
During the next three years the church was without a pastor, but enjoyed constant preaching on the Sabbath and the hearts of many were turned unto righteousness. Twenty-two were baptized.
In the spring of 1818 Rev. Gustavus F. Davis, having accepted a unanimous call from the church, was formally recognized April 23, and entered upon an eminently successful pastorate of over eleven years. The same year a Bible, or Sunday school, was organized "the first institution of the kind in the town." The incipient action of the church in the matter is well worthy of preserva- tion. The old church record is as follows : " An- nual meeting April 14, 1818. After conversing on the subject of requesting Elder Davis to introduce catechetical instruction among the children of the members of this church and those of the Society whose parents are disposed to send them. Voted that we approve of the object and request Elder Davis to attend to catechise; to hear Scripture recitations and to offer instructions to our children, at such times and places as shall be most conven- ient and suitable."
In 1820 the town enjoyed a precious revival. "The prayers and exhortations of one of the school instructors, Mr. Rankin, seemed much blessed to the religious awakening of his pupils. From the neighborhood of this school the good work spread over the town." When the revival was at its height here, Malden was visited in like
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