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THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN NEWBURYPORT MASSACHUSETTS
GC 974.402 N435aa
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 01094 6223 E
GO 974. 402 N435aa Atkinson, Minnie. A history of the First Religious Society ...
An Old Landmark of New England
UNITARIAN CHURCH IN NEWBURYPORT
A HISTORY OF THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS BY MINNIE ATKINSON
THE UNITARIAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S "PRIZE" PARISH HISTORY 1933
FOREWORD
This history, by Miss Atkinson, of the parish church of Newburyport, Massachusetts, was awarded the prize offered by the Unitarian Historical Society in 1932 for the best parish history submitted to its judges before May 1, 1933. The announcement of the award was made in the King's Chapel, Boston, on May 25, 1933.
1722332
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
-Its Background
Page 7
Conditions in Newbury-Establishment of Second Parish- Act of incorporation-Incidents.
CHAPTER II
-Ordination of First Minister and Early Matters in the Parish Page 13 Gathering of the church-The covenant-Ordination ser- mon-Minister's salary-Parsonage-First auxiliary society -Schools-Burying ground-Conditions in the "new town."
CHAPTER III
-Troubles
Page 21
"The Great Awakening"'-Visit of Whitefield-The Fourth Church in Newbury-Public reading of the scriptures- Capture of Louisburg-Second expedition to Louisburg- Shattering of the meeting house spire by lightning- Franklin's visit.
CHAPTER IV
-The Rev. John Lowell Page 27
Growth of the town-Newburyport separated from New- bury-Character and work of Mr. Lowell-His motto.
CHAPTER V
-Mr. Cary and Mr. Andrews Page 31 Amiable division of the society-Ordination of the Rev. Thomas Cary-Liberal tendencies-Revolutionary war- John Quincy Adams visits the churches-Paralysis of Mr. Cary-Engagement and ordination of John Andrews as colleague of Mr. Cary-Installation of an organ.
CHAPTER VI
-The New Meeting House;
Tearing Down the Old One Page 41 Decision to build a new house-Committees appointed to carry forward the project-Value of and selling pews- Final service in old building-Tearing down old house- Dedication of new house.
CHAPTER VII
-In the New Meeting House Page 51 Loss of members-Death of Mr. Cary-His obituary- Dissatisfaction of some members-Society is known as Unitarian-Church escaped disastrous fire-Resignation of Dr. Andrews-His character and death.
CHAPTER VIII -The Rev. Thomas Fox Page 61
His ordination-The refusal of orthodox churches to take part in it-Large congregations-Introduction of flowers in church-Picnics-Popularity of Mr. Fox-Alteration of the pulpit-New organ-Mr. Fox's interest in schools- His resignation.
CHAPTER IX
-Thomas Wentworth Higginson Page 67
His ordination-His sermons-Anti-slavery views-Mrs. Higginson-His work in the parish-His interest in the education of girls-His resignation-His opinion of the parish.
CHAPTER
- Succeeding Ministers Page 73
Social conditions-Ordination of the Rev. Charles J. Bowen -New trends in thought-Resignation of Mr. Bowen-The Rev. Artemas Muzzey installed-His conservatism-The civil war-Mr. Muzzey's resignation-Burning of the North church-The Rev. Samuel Calthrop supplies the pulpit-The Rev. Joseph May installed-Well filled church -Mr. May's resignation-The pulpit supplied by visiting ministers-Ordination of the Rev. George L. Stowell-The "Hammond Revival"-Parish hall is built-Festivities- Resignation of Mr. Stowell-Repairing and painting the meeting house-The Rev. Daniel Morehouse-The meeting house is threatened by fire-Universalist society suspended -Incumbency of the Rev. Samuel Beane, D. D .- Ordination of the Rev. Laurence Hayward-Events of his incumbency.
CHAPTER XI
-Three Notable Anniversaries Page 83
150th anniversary of the founding of the parish-Centenary celebration of Pleasant street church-200th anniversary of the founding of the parish.
CHAPTER XII -The Church School Page 91
Early community school-This society establishes a Sunday school-Studies-Number of pupils and teachers-Relations of Mr. Fox with the school-"Little sermons"-Mr. Hig- ginson's relation with the school-Vestry dedicated-Gift of Mr. William Swasey-Mr. May in the school-Later years.
CHAPTER XIII -Auxiliary Societies Page 97 Early sewing circle-Parlor finished and furnished-Gas put in meeting house-Alliance-Laymen's League- Young People's Religious Union.
CHAPTER XIV -Conclusion Page 101
Parish good fortune-Communion silver-Charities.
Ministers of the Parish Page 104
Printed by THE NEWS PUBLISHING CO., Inc. Newburyport, Mass. 1933
FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY IN NEWBURYPORT (THIRD PARISH OF NEWBURY)
CHAPTER I ITS BACKGROUND
The pioneers of Newbury landed on the north bank of the Quascacunquen river ninety years before the Third Parish of New- bury, now the First Religious Society in Newburyport, was estab- lished. The first foot to touch the land, on that Spring day of 1635, was that of Nicholas Noyes, young brother of the junior pastor of the band, and ancestor of a distinguished family that, many genera- tions later, belonged to the First Religious Society in Newburyport.
The new township stretched from the Quascacunquen river westward, along the south bank of the Merrimack river, for thirteen miles, and was, approximately, six miles wide. All of this territory was included in the First Parish of Newbury. The river with the Indian name was soon renamed for the beloved senior pastor, the Rev. Thomas Parker.
The first necessity of the settlers was shelter; next came the building of a meeting house. At first all of the crude little homes were built within a half mile of it, on the river bank, for the better protection of the people from whatever dangers might lurk in the unknown wilderness.
With so large and fair a tract open to them, soon it was found impossible to keep all of the settlers in the restricted area. Several families were granted land in the western part of the township. Here, by unremitting drudgery, they laid the foundations for enduring family fortunes.
In the meantime, in the first settlement, an historic struggle was taking place against the local manifestation of the ecclesiastic rule that was strangling liberty in the colony. The two ministers of the infant parish, Thomas Parker and James Noyes, tried to act upon the claim that "the elders are the rulers of the church, and obedience and subjection to them is the duty of the brethren." The "brethren" refused to accept this dictum. The wrangle that followed lasted from 1647 to 1672, and is a background for the first three parishes of Newbury. This quarrel brought to town "many learned and
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HISTORY OF THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
reverend elders" who tried in vain to make peace. The parish dutifully paid the salary of the ministers, listened respectfully to sermons, but stubbornly maintained its right to govern itself. The quarrel became the talk of the colony and was one of the causes that broke theocratic rule in Massachusetts. The matter was settled only when the county court gave a decision for the people and against the clergy.
The settlers in the western part of Newbury declared it impracti- cal to travel to the meeting house by the river Parker for religious services, or for settling parish affairs. They demanded the right to establish a parish of their own. The First Parish denied it. After much discussion and opposition it removed the meeting house to a site almost opposite to the one now occupied by the Newbury church. This was more than two miles nearer the western group than the original site, but the new settlement was still clamorous for inde- pendence; and the distance was declared still impractical and irk- some. The matter was not settled until 1694, when the First Parish reluctantly consented to the formation of a Second Parish within its bounds. This became known as the west precinct and eventually became the separate town of West Newbury.
By the beginning of the 18th century a third group of the population of Newbury had come into prominence. This group had chosen a location on the south bank of the Merrimack river. To distinguish this settlement from the original one on the river Parker, that now straggled westward for about three miles, it was called the Newtown, or the Riverside Village, or the Port. The first settle- ment now became the Oldtown, a name it still bears.
In the Newtown the building of small vessels and some coastal trade was vying in economic importance with the earlier business of farming and fishing. The needs of the two villages became differ- entiated, and to the First Parish soon came the unwelcome demand for the establishment of a Third Parish. There were excellent geographic reasons for the formation of the Second Parish, but the new demand came because the Oldtown was essentially rural while in the Newtown the seeds of a mercantile and ship-building aristocracy were beginning to sprout. *"The First Parish tried to
*History of Newburyport, by Mrs. E. Vale Smith.
8
PARISH BACKGROUND
exercise a control over the new settlement that failed to consider their different requirements."
*"Parishes in 1725 were territorial corporations, which possessed municipal franchises in many respects. They chose assessors and levied taxes like towns of the present day. They could hire money and enforce by levies through their collectors on estates of every person in their limits except they belonged to the Episcopal church Parishes raised money to support public worship, and to build meeting houses, and also to maintain schools and build school houses. In this respect they were co-ordinate with towns."
The reluctant consent of the First Parish to the formation of a Third Parish was obtained in 1722. The vote is dated September 19th, of that year, when it was recorded "that all the Inhabitants that Desire it, on the Northerly side of the Lane called Chandler's Lane on a Strait Line to ye Northerly side of Capt. John Marchs farm and thence on a strait line to John Browns house untill it comes to the Line of ye Second Parish for said Town, Shall have Liberty to Build a meeting house for themselves-In ye most Reason- able Place for the convenience of said Inhabitants and when they are Duly Qualified for it In ye Judgment of said Parish, are to be sett off and freed from the Ministry for this Part of said Parish."
Three years later the meeting house was built. William Moody, of Byfield, in a letter to his brother-in-law, Judge Samuel Sewall of Boston, who was always interested in Newbury affairs, wrote; "Our people at towne are going to build another meeting house, but intend to set it so nigh to §Mr. Toppan's that I fear that it will make a great contention. Newbury are great sufferers this day by what has happened by contending about the place of a meeting house."
t"The meeting house was at first 45 by 60 feet in length and breadth. . It stood in what is now the market place in New- buryport, the steeple fronting the river. The pulpit, which was on the westerly side, standing near where the town pump now stands." This pump has long since disappeared; but it once stood approxi-
*From the Oration of Amos Noyes, descendant of Nicholas Noyes, upon the 150th anniversary celebration of the founding of the parish.
§The Rev. Christopher Toppan, pastor of the First Parish from 1696 to 1747. tSketch of the History of Newbury, Newburyport and West Newbury, by Joshua Coffin.
9
HISTORY OF THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
mately in the center of the triangular piece of land that the citizens of Newburyport have named Market Square. The meeting house faced Fish street, which was the lower part of the present State street. The name is suggestive of an early and important industry. One of the chief landing places for fish was near the meeting house.
The act of incorporation describes the southern boundary of the parish only, and assigns eight families who lived on the First Parish side of it to the new parish, according to their wishes. It concludes thus: "In counsel read and ordered that this report be accepted and that the Land within the Bounds of the said Report described thereof be vested with the powers and privileges that the Inhabitants of the other Precincts are Vested with :
In the House of Representatives Read and Concured, Consented to, (signed) William Dummer."
A browned, crumbling copy of this act of incorporation is treasured among the church papers.
The population of the Newtown numbered at this time about 1400. The loss, therefore, in taxable estates to the First Parish must have been considerable.
*"In such a community luxury, or even comfort in the modern sense were entirely unknown. Probably during §Mr. Lowell's ministry there was not a carpet or stuffed chair in the whole River- side Village, or a mirror larger than a pane of glass. Wood and peat were the only fuel, coal being unused until after tMr. Cary died. There were no stoves except foot stoves either in houses or in churches. The communion wine was drunk out of pewter mugs, and what was left was given to the pastor. There was no fire in the meeting house, even in the coldest weather. The minister took a large part of his pay in spareribs and vegetables and other things useful for housekeeping. Help was exchanged, that is, neighbors worked alternately for each other. There were for a long time no pews, except for the minister, but a few stylish young ladies obtained them after a while, and so probably by the beginning of Mr. Cary's ministry the benches without backs upon which nearly all had sat
*Oration of Amos Noyes, 150th anniversary of the founding of the Parish. §First minister of the Parish.
¿Second minister of the Parish.
10
PARISH BACKGROUND
had been supplanted by more commodious seats. There was so much crowding after seats that it was found necessary to appoint a committee 'to seat the meeting house,' a work of great solicitude and extremely dangerous to the peace of mind and popularity of those who had it to do.
"There was strict surveillance over manners. Tithingmen were appointed, one for every ten families. Their special duties were to see that the Lord's day was observed. They had a long pole with which to rap boys who were unruly in service.
"The whole aspect of society was semi-rural. There were men engaged in fishing and in voyages to the West Indies, and these men were prominent and leading as were the military . . . . . . . In saying the community was semi-rural, we include the conditions which usually attend a rural community, viz., comparative isolation from the rest of the continent, a tendency to great localization of interest, no common country, very infrequent intercommunication with other colonies. There was a conscious feeling of caste, a great respect for vested interests, an overweening regard for property holders, a veneration for men in office."
When the Third Parish in Newbury was established, there was still danger of Indian attacks. The terrible massacres of Queen Anne's war were still fresh in memory. The eastern Indians were feared, and in 1724 an attack upon them at Norridgewock, in which men of the parish took part, resulted in the death of the French Jesuit, Sebastian Ralle, by Richard Jaques of Newbury. Those who feared papacy as the most terrible evil that could befall them were somewhat relieved, but Canada and Nova Scotia were not far away; and they were in the hands of the French. The fear of French encroachments and an alien religion were never wholly out of the minds of the people of Newbury at this time.
The witchcraft delusion was officially over; but there was a lingering belief in witches. Other terrors were earthquakes, which were of frequent occurrence in the early years of New- bury; northern lights, observed locally for the first time in 1719, might presage harm; Quakers were still persecuted and feared, and epidemics caused many deaths. An unusually severe one swept away a great number of persons in 1725.
Still, life held amenities. The gatherings in the meeting house,
11
HISTORY OF THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
whether secular or for religious services, were of high importance. Tea was introduced in 1720, and tea drinking parties were popular. Parties, even of both sexes, were sometimes held; interesting trav- elers occasionally visited the town and returning ship captains and sailors brought news of other ports. The population was increasing.
The great marvel of the time, devoutly believed in, was a double headed snake. It was duly reported and described to the credulous Cotton Mather. Whittier tells the story of how
"Cotton Mather came galloping down All the way to Newbury town,
With his eyes agog and his ears set wide, And his marvelous inkhorn by his side,"
to take note of the monster and read the portend.
This was in 1724, but no distractions turned the attention of the parish from the completion of its meeting house. On January 15th, 1726, some months after its dedication and a few days before the ordination of its first minister, Judge Samuel Sewall wrote to a relative in the Newtown saying :
" "Tis a great thing to be a foundation stone in such a Spiritual Building as is now to be erected at Newbury. Am glad your proceedings are so far prospered as that you have prospect of having your Pastor ordained next Wednesday. My love to you, your wife and children, and to cousin Abraham Toppan and his family. Pray for me that God would not forsake me now that I am old and gray headed.
Your Loving Unkle,
Samuel Sewall."
12
CHAPTER II ORDINATION OF FIRST MINISTER AND
EARLY MATTERS IN THE PARISH
The new meeting house was dedicated on Friday, June 25th, 1725. The Rev. John Tuffs of Newbury's Second Parish preached the sermon. On the following Sunday a young man from Boston, John Lowell, occupied the pulpit. His discourse, falling from this high perch upon the ears of the congregation, assembled on the new, backless benches, was pleasing. He was invited to preach again, and at length received and accepted an invitation to become the settled minister of the Third Parish of Newbury.
John Lowell was the son of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Shaler) Lowell, and a descendant of the Lowell, or Lowle, family that settled in Newbury in 1639. He was born in Boston, where his father was a shop-keeper, was graduated from Harvard College at the age of seventeen, and was in his twenty-second year when he was settled at Newbury.
On January 2nd, 1726, twenty-two of the male members of the First Parish were dismissed and "gathered" on January 12th by the Rev. Caleb Cushing of Salisbury to form the Third Parish of Newbury. This was a "solemn day of fasting and prayer." Mr. Cushing wrote the covenant : "Whereas it has pleased Almighty God, of his free grace to call and accept us sinful creatures into covenant with His Majesty in Christ, we do therefore, in a deep sense of our unworthiness, and with an humble dependence on Divine grace for assistance, solemnly professing our firm belief in the Christian faith according to the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, avouch the God whose name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, to be our God, and the God of our seed; and so make a firm covenant with His Majesty in Christ, and one with another, promising, through His grace to give ourselves to God in Christ,-acknowledg- ing him to be our Prophet, Priest and King,-to submit to his government, to all his holy laws and ordinances, to shun all errors with all ungodliness and unrighteousness, and to walk together, as a church, in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, in mutual love and watchfulness, for the carrying of the worship of God, and promoting
13
HISTORY OF THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
our mutual edification in faith and holiness."
This document, signed by men only, *"is silent as to hell or a personal devil, topics so interesting that the omission must have been made in order to be non-committal, in order that all might come together, however variant their belief in reference to these myths."
On the nineteenth of January of the same year the ordination of the new pastor took place. The sermon, by the Rev. Thomas Foxcroft of Boston was §"some sixty pages of three hundred words each. . .. According to the fashion of the times the discourse was divided and sub-divided into heads or topics. If the other services were of similar length, four hours would not have sufficed to get through with them. The doctrine of the sermon was enforced by numerous and copious extracts from the scriptures and rested upon authority rather than upon argument."
The Text, of suitable length for this heroic discourse, was from second Corinthians, 12, 13, 14, 15. The 14th verse: "Behold the third time I am ready to come to you," must have seemed especially appropriate, Mr. Noyes observes.
t"In those days good men, to relieve the fatigue of long sitting, and to guard against falling asleep, would often rise and stand for a time during the sermon." Since the day was in January, the benches backless and the house unheated, many aching muscles, stiff with cold, must have been relieved in this way. Whether such a privilege was accorded to women is not known. They had at least the comfort of foot stoves.
With a new meeting house dedicated, and a new minister chosen and ordained, the new parish was ready to take up other matters in a business like and generous spirit. It voted, for Mr. Lowell's encouragement, "to undertake and engage" in the ministry, to "pay him one hundred and thirty pounds a year in bills of credit or such other current passable money as shall be equivalent to one hundred and thirty pounds of silver at sixteen shillings per ounce, in case he shall settle with us in the ministry and that we will add twenty pounds to his salary two years from the date hereof, of like money, to be paid annually so long as the said Mr. Lowell shall continue in the work of the ministry among us."
*§Oration of Amos Noyes, 150th Anniversary Celebration.
tContributions to the Ecclesiastical History of Essex County.
14
ORDINATION OF THE FIRST MINISTER
The value of this salary, "reckoned in terms of present day money," estimated Mr. Noyes in 1875, "would be over $3,000." So, if this salary were paid him, the young minister must have been rather more prosperous than most of his first parishioners.
The parish voted "that we will provide a parsonage house, or give him two hundred pounds in bills of credit, to enable him to provide a house for himself, on condition of his settling and con- tinuance with us as above said, to be at his charge."
Evidently all reasonable doubts of his intention to remain with them were removed, and the money promptly paid, for Mr. Lowell bought a house which stood on the then Fish street on the lot now occupied by the public library. To this house he brought a young bride, Miss Sarah Champney of Cambridge; and here, very soon, the religious, intellectual and much of the decorous social life of the community centered.
Mrs. E. Vale Smith says of the new parish : * "Its history is one of peculiar interest, presenting in its early records the simple idea of a primitive church, intent only on fulfilling their appointed work of making themselves and the world better." This was not an inconsiderable undertaking; but the parish seems to have been hopeful and resourceful in carrying forward its plans. In May, 1727, it voted to purchase a bell "weighing four hundred pounds" and appointed a "comity" to attend to this matter and to see that it was placed in the belfry when procured. It was ordered further that the bell be rung at nine o'clock each evening that the people might be in their homes at a seemly hour and safe from the tempta- tions and dangers of darkness.
§"The decaying and languishing state of religion was of deep concern. An association of twenty-four persons was formed who met once a month 'none to absent themselves unless on some extraordinary occasion; the first to redress in themselves and fami- lies any irregularities, and next to admonish their neighbors of the same'."
This association undertook to see that the "Sabbath" was observed with proper solemnity. It met, once in three months, deputations from other churches, to consult upon matters of religion
*History of Newburyport.
§ History of Newburyport, by Mrs. E. Vale Smith.
15
HISTORY OF THE FIRST RELIGIOUS SOCIETY
and morality and, pursuant of its self-imposed duties, requested the "honorable justice to see that ye ferrymen in and about Newbury, carry no one over ye ferries on ye Lord's day." The association visited the young communicants of the church and endeavored "to counsel and advise them to continue in the sincere practice of those duties that are incumbent upon them by their public confession of Christ." A committee was appointed "to converse with ye wife of" one of the parishioners, "concerning the disturbances she gives him, when he is going to perform family prayers."
Still another committee from the association visited "ye taverns by ye water side" and reminded the landlords of "ye order required to be kept in their houses" and ordered the constable to walk "ye streets after the evening exercise is over on the Lord's day, that the Sabbath may not be profaned."
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