USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Cambridge > History of the First Church in Cambridge, in connection with the Shepard Congregational Society : with its confession of faithand the names of members > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 C14fi 1656658
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01105 9281 ITH
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historyoffirstch00unse
29.4
MANUAL
OF THE
First Church in Cambridge.
-
1872.
1
HISTORY
OF THE
FIRST CHURCH
IN CAMBRIDGE,
IN CONNECTION WITH THE
SHEPARD CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY;
WITH ITS
CONFESSION OF FAITH, PRACTICAL RULES, ECCLE- SIASTICAL PRINCIPLES STANDING RULES, FORM OF ADMISSION, AND THE NAMES OF MEMBERS.
" That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the Truth."
CAMBRIDGE : PRINTED FOR THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY. 1872.
RIVERSIDE, CAMBRIDGE : PRINTED BY H. O. HOUGHTON AND COMPANY.
1656658
PREFACE.
THE following Confession of Faith, Form of Admis- sion, Ecclesiastical Principles, and Rules, were prepared in accordance with a vote of the Church; and after ma- ture, thorough, and prayerful examination were unani- mously adopted, and, together with some historical notices, ordered to be printed for the use of the members. The work is now presented to the Church with the earnest prayer, that, through the influence of Divine grace, it may be instrumental in bringing us all in "the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive: but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ : from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint sup- plieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edi- fying of itself in love."
CAMBRIDGE, 1872.
PASSAGES
IN THE
HISTORY OF' THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
" I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first.".
EXTRACT
FROM THE PREFACE TO THE CONFESSION OF FAITH ADOPTED BY THE CHURCHES OF MASSACHUSETTS IN 1680.
WHAT HOURS OF TEMPTATION MAY OVERTAKE THESE CHURCHES, IS NOT FOR US TO SAY. ONLY THE LORD DOTH MANY TIMES SO ORDER THINGS, THAT WHEN HIS PEOPLE . HAVE MADE A GOOD CONFESSION, THEY SHALL BE PUT UPON THE TRIAL ONE WAY OR OTHER, TO SEE WHETHER THEY HAVE (OR WHO AMONG THEM HATH NOT BEEN SINCERE IN WHAT THEY HAVE DONE. THE LORD GRANT THAT THE LOINS OF OUR MINDS MAY BE SO GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH, THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND.
1
PASSAGES
IN THE
HISTORY OF THE FIRST CHURCH
IN CAMBRIDGE.
THE settlement of Cambridge, originally called Newtown, was commenced in the spring of the year 1631. The town was considerably enlarged by the arrival of a number of emi- grants, called the "Braintree Company," in August, 1632. As the quiet enjoyment of religious privileges was the great object of their removal to this place, their first work was to erect a house for public worship, and adopt measures for the establishment of the ministry and the ordinances of the gos- pel among them. It was a common remark of the early set- tlers of New England, that a country destitute of the gospel ministry resembled paradise without the tree of life.
Many of the emigrants had, while in England, belonged to the congregation of the Rev. Thomas Hooker, a preacher of great celebrity, who, to escape fines and imprisonment for non-conformity, had fled into Holland. Being greatly at- tached to him, and wishing to enjoy again the benefits of his able ministry, they invited him to come and take the pastoral charge of them. In compliance with their earnest entreaty, Mr, Hooker left Holland, and having persuaded Mr. Samuel Stone, a man of like spirit, to accompany him as an assistant in the ministry, took passage for New Eng-
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
land, and arrived at Boston September 4, 1633. Mr. Hooker was immediately chosen Pastor, and Mr. Stone Teacher, of the people of Newtown; and on the 11th of October, after solemn fasting and prayer, they were ordained to their re- spective offices. Early in the summer of 1636, the whole church and congregation, consisting of about a hundred per- sons, removed to Connecticut, and commenced the settlement of Hartford.
In October, 1635, the Rev. Thomas Shepard arrived at Boston, from England, with the people who were to consti- tute his society. Having purchased the houses and lands which Mr. Hooker's congregation were about to leave, they made arrangements for establishing themselves at Newtown, until they should find a more suitable place. "But after having been here some time," says Mr. Shepard, in his autobiography, "divers of our brethren did desire to sit still and not to remove farther ; partly because of the fellow- ship of the churches, partly because they thought their lives were short and removals to near plantations full of troubles, partly because they found sufficient for themselves and their company. Hereupon there was a purpose to enter into church fellowship"; and on the first day of February, 1636, a pub- lic assembly was convened, and a church, the first perma- nent one in Cambridge, and the eleventh in the Colony of Massachusetts, was solemnly organized. The following ac- count of this transaction is taken from " Winthrop's Jour- nal " :-
"Mr. Shepard a godly minister, come lately out of England, and divers other good christians, intending to raise a church body, came and acquainted the magistrates therewith, who gave their approbation. They also sent to all the neighbouring churches for their elders to give their assistance at a certain day at Newtown, when they should constitute their body. Accordingly at this day there met a great assembly, where the proceeding was as follow- eth.
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
" Mr. Shepard and two others who were after to be chosen to office, sat together in the elders' seat ; then the elder of them began with prayer, after this Mr. Shepard prayed with deep confession of sin, &c. and exercised out of Eph. v. that he might make it to himself a holy, &c. and also opened the cause of their meeting. Then the elder desired to know of the churches assembled what number were needful to make a church, and how they ought to proceed in this ac- tion. Whereupon some of the ancient ministers conferring shortly together gave answer, - That the scripture did not set down any certain rule for the number, three (they thought) were too few, be- cause by Matt. xviii. an appeal was allowed from three, but that seven might be a fit number; and for their proceeding they advised, that such as were to join should make confession of their faith, and declare what work of grace the Lord had wrought in them, which accordingly they did, Mr. Shepard first, then four others, then the elder and one who was to be deacon (who had also prayed) and another member; then the covenant was read, and they all gave a solemn assent to it. Then the elder desired of the churches, that if they did approve them to be a church, they would give them the right hand of fellowship. Whereupon Mr. Cotton (upon short speech with some other near him) in the name of the churches, gave his hand to the elder, with a short speech of their assent, and desired the peace of the Lord's presence to be with them. Then Mr. Shepard made an exhortation to the rest of his body about the nature of their covenant, and to stand firm to it, and com- mended them to the Lord in a most heavenly prayer. Then the elder told the assembly that they were intended to choose Mr. Shep- ard for their pastor (by the name of the brother who had exer- cised) and desired the churches that if they had anything to except against him, they would impart it to them before the day of ordi- nation. Then he gave the churches thanks for their assistance, and so left them to the Lord."
Mr. Shepard's ordination took place soon after, though the precise date of it is not known. "It was deferred," says Mather, " until another day, wherein there was more time to go through the other solemnities proper to such an occa- sion."
10
THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
Mr. Shepard died of a quinsy August 25, 1649, in the forty-fourth year of his age, after a most able and successful ministry of thirteen years. He was one of the most eminent of the early divines of New England. His preaching was in demonstration of the spirit and with power. It is said that he seldom delivered a discourse that did not produce a decided and saving impression upon his people. His prac- tical writings are still of great value. He was as much dis- tinguished for his piety, industry, and vigilance as a pastor, as for his talents and learning. Such was the public opinion of him, and of his ministry, that "when the foundation of a college was to be laid in this State, Cambridge, rather than any other place, was chosen to be the seat of that happy semi- nary; out of which there proceeded many notable preachers, who were made such, very much by their sitting under Mr. Shepard's enlightening and powerful ministry."1
The doctrinal basis of the church at its organization has never been changed, and is set forth in the " Confession of Faith " which follows this sketch of its history.
The following is a list of the ministers of the First Church in Cambridge from its organization, in 1636, until the settle- ment of Dr. Holmes, in 1792 : -
THOMAS SHEPARD, ordained February 1636 ; died Au- gust 25, 1649, aged 44.
JONATHAN MITCHEL, ordained August 21, 1650; died July 9, 1668, aged 43.
URIAN OAKES, ordained November 8, 1671; died July 25, 1681, aged 50.
NATHANIEL GOOKIN, ordained November 15, 1682; died August 7, 1692, aged 34.
1 Mather's Magnalia, Book III. Chapter 5. Those who wish to ob- tain more knowledge of the first Pastor of this Church, are referred to .to the Biography of Thomas Shepard, by Rev. J. A. ALBRO, D. D.
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
WILLIAM BRATTLE, ordained November 25, 1696; died February 15, 1717, aged 55.
NATHANIEL APPLETON, ordained October 9, 1717 ; died February 9, 1784, aged 91.
TIMOTHY HILLIARD, installed October 27, 1783; died May 9, 1790, aged 44.1
On the 19th of October, 1791, the church elected the Rev. ABIEL HOLMES their pastor, as the successor of Mr. Hilliard ; and the parish, upon receiving official notice of his election, voted concurrence. A council was accordingly convened, and Dr. Holmes was solemnly installed Pastor of the First Church and Society in Cambridge, on the 25th of January, 1792.
During a period of thirty-five years Dr. Holmes enjoyed the confidence and affection of the people of his pastoral charge, and his labors among them were not without good fruit. Entire harmony also existed between the church and * society. In 1827 difficulties arose ; which, after a protracted and painful controversy, terminated in the separation of the church from the parish, and the organization of a new eccle- siastical society, with which the church is still in connection. The following account of those proceedings is transcribed from the records of the church.
" The first notice of dissatisfaction with the ministry, or of disaffection to the person of the pastor, was expressed in a memorial signed by a number of the parishioners, dated July 9, 1827, and presented to the pastor on the 20th of the same month. The ground of the memorial was the discon- tinuance of pastoral exchanges with ministers with whom
1 For biographical notices of these learned, able, and pious ministers, see Rev. Dr. HOLMES'S History of Cambridge, and Rev. Dr. SPRAGUE's Annals of the American Pulpit, also the Lectures upon the History of the First Church in Cambridge, by the present pastor.
12
THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
he had formerly exchanged services. A discontinuance of pulpit exchanges between ministers of different religious principles had begun long before, by mutual and tacit con- sent. The more open avowal of Unitarianism at this, than at any former period, very sensibly affected ministerial inter- course, and many ministers, who had formerly exchanged services, now discontinued them without controversy and without blame.
" To the memorial of the parishioners the pastor gave a written answer, in which he asked their indulgence in can- didly presenting to them the difficulties and dangers that might be apprehended from so diversified and indefinite a course of public service as their memorial appeared to have for its object; and expressed his persuasion, that they would consider his reply with the same candor with which he en- deavored to consider their memorial, and that they would allow their minister the same liberty of conscience which he allowed to them."
A correspondence between a committee of the memorial- ists and the pastor succeeded. Parish meetings were at length held, against whose measures remonstrances and me- morials were presented by a number of the parishioners and by the church ; and in December, 1828, the parish, deem- ing it unnecessary to take any further order in relation to the memorials and papers, proposed the calling of a mutual ecclesiastical council.
The church, by a committee chosen to express to the pastor their views and feelings in relation to the recent measures adopted by the parish, presented to him an ad- dress on the 9th of January, 1829. After a review of the proceedings of the parish, the church say : " These facts, with many other considerations that might be urged, serve to show, that a radical change in your ministrations, if not
13
THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
in your opinions, was what could alone satisfy the memorial- ists. Under these circumstances, the church has manifested a willingness, and has voted to cooperate with the parish in calling a mutual council. This offer was rejected, under cir- cumstances not altogether favorable to a reconciliation of existing difficulties, and, as we believe, without a due regard to the rights of the church, as a party deeply concerned in the result."
The address was closed with these words : " From a care- ful and impartial view, therefore, of the whole subject, the undersigned, in behalf of the church, feel constrained to believe, that a sense of duty, a regard to the honor, the interest, and the permanent good of the people under your pastoral care, have been the governing motives which have influenced you in the decisions made upon the several propo- sitions submitted by the parish."
The pastor made a communication to the committee of the parish on the 29th of January, on the subject of a mutual council ; in which he declared his ready consent to their proposal, if the council were regularly called, accord- ing to the usage of our churches, and to the express de- sire of this church, and other respectable parishioners. But neither the parish, nor its committee, would allow the church any participation in the affair, nor admit its claims to a concurrent voice with the pastor.
An ex parte council, called by the committee authorized by a former vote of the parish, convened on the 19th of May, 1829, and recommended to the parish to terminate the con- tract subsisting between them and their minister. On the 8th of June, the parish voted to accept the result of that council, and declared the pastor's connection with the parish to be dissolved. The pastor, on receiving a copy of these transactions from the parish clerk, replied by referring to his protest against the jurisdiction of the ex parte council, and
14
THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
added, that he still considered himself as the lawful minister of the parish, and held himself ready to perform any and all of the duties, in or out of the pulpit, which belonged to his office as pastor of the First Church and Society in Cam- bridge.
The church, with other parishioners who had protested against the proceedings of the parish, and against the juris- diction of the ex parte council, together with other aggrieved members of the society, considering Dr. Holmes as still their pastor, and knowing that he was ready to perform any du- ties pertaining to his pastoral office, were disposed to meet together with one accord, in one place, for an appropriate observance of the Lord's day. Their disposition and desire being made known to their pastor, with information that they would assemble at the Old Court House on the ensuing Sab- bath, at the usual hour of divine service, their pastor met them there, and performed the service to a full, attentive, and solemn assembly.
An advisory council, being called by letters missive from the pastor and the church, convened at Cambridge on the 17th of June. The result shows, that this council are "unan- imously of the opinion that Dr. Holmes has not, in any way, forfeited his office as Pastor of the First Church and Parish in Cambridge; and that he is still, according to ecclesiastical usage, the pastor and minister of said church and parish "; and that they " approve the course pursued by him in con- tinuing to perform parochial duties wherever and to whom- soever he may have opportunity ; and advise him and the church, and other friends of truth, not to forsake the assem- bling of themselves together, but to maintain divine worship and the celebration of divine ordinances."
The church, at a notified meeting held June 25th, voted unanimously : " That the result of the council, called by the church and its pastor on the 17th instant, meets its appro-
15
THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
bation ; and that the counsel and advice therein contained will be, by divine aid, religiously followed." Divine service was accordingly held, statedly, by the pastor and church, with a respectable number of the society, at the Court House, until a house of worship was erected for their use. The whole number of members belonging to the church at that time was about ninety, full two thirds of whom fol- lowed the pastor and attended on his ministry. The number of male members was twenty-one, fifteen of whom were the uniform friends and supporters of the pastor, and two, only, took an active part in the measures of the parish.
A society, composed of persons who adhered to the church and its pastor, had been recently organized for the purpose of supporting the gospel here as it had been held and taught since the formation of the church, by the name of " THE SHEPARD CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY." With this society the church, as a body, was, on the 12th of November, respectfully invited to unite and cooperate, according to the rights and usages of Congregational churches.
The pastor, not being legally dismissed from office in the First Parish, could not consistently attach himself to the new society, and become, in form, its minister. In consideration of these circumstances, the church, having consulted with their pastor, " whose relation to us," they said, " we wish to hold sacred and inviolable," and "finding that, in present circumstances, the choice of a colleague-pastor meets with his entire approbation," voted : "That until such time as our rights, with those of our pastor, shall be respected, and the privileges of the gospel ministry be enjoyed, as heretofore, in connection with the First Parish in Cambridge, we will, as a church, accede to the invitation of the said Shepard Congregational Society, and cooperate with it in maintain- ing the worship and ordinances of the gospel, according
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
to the established principles and usages of Congregational churches in this Commonwealth."
In pursuance of the object, and subject to the conditions of the preceding vote, the church proceeded to invite and call Mr. NEHEMIAH ADAMS, Jr., to the office of colleague-pastor in this church, in connection with the Rev. Dr. Holmes as senior pastor.
A committee was then chosen, to communicate a copy of the preamble and votes to the Shepard Society, and request their concurrence; and in case of their concurrence, to com- municate to Mr. Adams the doings of the church, and in case of his acceptance of the call, to take all due and usual meas- ures in relation to his ordination. Mr. Adams accepted the call, and was accordingly ordained as colleague-pastor of the First Church in Cambridge, on the 17th day of December, 1829.
A lot of land having been given by Miss Sarah Ann Dana, and funds sufficient to defray the expense of erecting a suitable house for public worship having been obtained, the ground was broken for that purpose on the 5th day of August, 1830. At six o'clock in the morning of that day, the members of the church, with their pastors, repaired to the spot, where a prayer was offered by the junior pastor, and a hymn was sung; after which the senior pastor briefly stated the causes which had brought them to that place, offered a prayer, and, after the singing of another hymn, pro- nounced a benediction.
The corner-stone of the house of worship for the First Church, in connection with the Shepard Congregational Society in Cambridge, was laid, with appropriate ceremo- nies, September 21, 1830. The solemnity was introduced with an address by the senior pastor; an ode, adapted to the occasion, was then sung ; then a prayer was offered by the senior pastor ; a pastoral letter was read from the junior
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
pastor, absent on account of sickness, was read; an address and prayer by the Rev. Samuel Green, of Boston, followed ; and the exercises were concluded by a benediction.
On this occasion, a silver plate, inclosed in a leaden box presented by a Christian friend, was placed under the cor- ner-stone, with this inscription : -
TO JESUS CHRIST
AND
THE CHURCH,
THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH.
FIRST CHURCH AND SHEPARD SOCIETY, IN CAMBRIDGE :
ABIEL HOLMES, Pastors; NEHEMIAH ADAMS,
WILLIAM [HILLIARD, } Deacons; JAMES MUNROE,
XXI SEPTEMBER, MDCCCXXX.
The Corner-stone was laid after the introductory address by the senior pastor ; and, while laying the stone, he pro- nounced the following words : -
The Church is built upon the Apostles and Prophets, JESUS CHRIST himself being the chief Corner-stone. Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. May the stone which we now lay be a true emblem of the great Corner-stone upon which the First Church in Cambridge was originally built, and a pledge of its per- manent continuance upon the same everlasting foundation, JESUS CHRIST, the same yesterday, to-day, and forever. b
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
The house of worship, the corner-stone of which had been thus laid, was dedicated to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, on the 23d of February, 1831. The exercises at the Dedication were: An Introductory Anthem ; Reading of the Scriptures ; Consecration Anthem; Prayer; Hymn; Sermon by the Senior pastor, from Jeremiah vi. 18; Prayer ; Orig- inal Hymn by the Junior pastor ; Benediction.
In the month of August, 1831, the Deacon of the Church of the First Parish in Cambridge, commenced a suit at law against William Hilliard and James Munroe, in their capac- ity as Deacons of the First Church in Cambridge, to recover certain articles of church property, as set forth in the writ, and held them to answer to a plea of the case, in the penal sum of five thousand dollars. As it had been ascertained that, in a case believed to be similar to this, the Supreme Judicial Court of this Commonwealth had decided that church property, so-called, belongs to the parish, or to such members of the church as shall adhere to the parish in case of a separation, the church, at a regular meeting, appointed a committee, who were " authorized and empowered, with legal advice thereto, further to defend according to the cir- cumstances that might be found to exist, or to deliver up to the demandant all such property of the church, as should be specified in the schedule annexed to the writ, in the suit of said demandant, and to take his legal discharge therefor."
The committee appointed under this vote, having obtained legal advice upon the subject referred to them, delivered up the church property to the plaintiff, and on the 28th day of December the following instrument was executed by him : -
" Know all men by these presents, that I, Abel Whitney, Deacon of the First Church in Cambridge, in behalf of said church, have this day received of Deacon William Hilliard and Deacon James Munroe, the property constituting the
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THE FIRST CHURCH IN CAMBRIDGE.
church fund and poor's fund, belonging to said church, amounting, in money and securities for money, to the sum of four thousand one hundred and fifty-four dollars and three cents; also, the communion-service of said church, consisting of four silver tankards, seven silver cups, one silver spoon, six britannia dishes, two napkins, one table cloth and basin, four books of church records, and sundry files of papers, and a trunk and box containing the same ; also, the library of books, with the shelves for the same, and nine dollars and ninety-nine cents for the same."
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