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M.L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01104 4762
A SKETCH 1
OF THE
HISTORY
OF THE
oston Society of the Meto Jerusalem,
WITH
A LIST OF ITS MEMBERS.
PRINTED FOR THE USE OF THE SOCIETY.
BOSTON : PRINTED BY JOHN C. REGAN, 19 SPRING LANE. 1873.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/sketchofhistoryo00bost
1818111
1:
28441 .: 151
D POSTON SOCIETY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. A sketch of the history of the Poston Society of the New Jerusalem, with a list of its members. Boston, J. C.Recan, 1873. 116p. 20cm.
49-1464
SHELF CARD
ICN 49-4787
A SKETCH
OF THE
HISTORY OF THE BOSTON SOCIETY OF THE NEW JERUSALEM.
MR. JAMES GLEN is supposed to have been the first avowed advocate of the Heavenly Doctrines in this country. He delivered some lectures in Philadelphia in the year 1784 ; and travelled in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky, for the purpose of making the doctrines known. He also gave lectures on these doctrines at the "Green-Dragon Tavern," Boston, - probably not long after this period ; for shortly after his lectures in Philadelphia, travels in Pennsylvania, etc., he took a voyage to Europe, and thence went to Dem- arara, where he resided till his death. A very few of the earliest receivers of the doctrines, in this city, are believed to have obtained some of the writings of Swedenborg, directly or indirectly, through him.
Rev. William Hill, from England, visited this country in 1794, and again in 1796; after which he remained in the country till his death in 1804. He resided in Dedham, and also in Brighton; in the latter town, occupying the house which was since the abode of the late Noah Worcester, D.D. While there he is said to have been engaged in translating the " Apocalyse Explained." He visisted Wrentham and other neighboring places. IIis business was to preach, and to distribute New-Church books as he had opportunity. He presented the " Arcana Colestia " and a number of the smaller works of Swedenborg, in Latin, to the College
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Library at Cambridge. Besides making a favorable impres- sion on the public mind in regard to himself personally, a small number were led by his labors to become receivers of the Heavenly Doctrines.
In the winter of 1814-15, Mr. Samuel Worcester, an elder brother of Mr. Thomas Worcester, met with some of the writings of Swedenborg in Dedham; and, having become convinced of their truth, he was very active in seeking out and collecting together those in Boston and vicinity who were acquainted with them. The first meeting was held in 1817, at the residence of Mrs. Margaret H. Prescott, on Washing- ton Street. Mr. Joseph Roby made a prayer and took the lead on the occasion. They met generally once a fortnight, and spent the time in conversation and in reading the writings of Swedenborg, Mr. Clowes's sermons, or other publications on the doctrines. The day was usually, if not always, Sat- urday.
It is on record that " this Society was collected and formed in April, 1817." " Mr. Samuel Worcester was chosen Corre- sponding Secretary, and instructed to address letters to the societies in England and at Philadelphia." This, however, was only an informal collection of any who were interested in the writings. There is no record of the meetings from this time till the second of August, 1817; at which date we find a list of the names of twenty-one individuals who had attended the meetings. It is added :
" This list comprises all the members who have ever met at Mrs. Prescott's. Many of those have attended but once or twice. This day, a considerable number of the members as- sembled at the usual hour -eleven o'clock, A.M. The meet- ing was opened, and Dr. Mann was chosen Moderator ; after which, according to our custom, the Lord's Prayer was re- peated. The explanation of the parable of the unjust judge was then read." "Mr. Hancock remarked to the meeting, that he had received a number of books, for the use of the Society, from Mr. Schlatter of Philadelphia.
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"Resolved unanimously, That these books be considered and established as the basis of a library for the use of the Society, and of such persons as the Society thinks proper to lend them to.
"Resolved unanimously, That Mr. Hancock be permitted to present the following of the above books to his friends, viz., 'Doctrine of Life,' and 'Doctrine of the Sacred Scrip- ture.'
"Resolved unanimously, That Mrs. Prescott be appointed to take charge of the remainder of the books as Librarian."
This meeting was adjourned to the house of Dr. Mann, where they were frequently held afterwards.
At the meeting on the twenty-seventh of the following month, " it was proposed to adopt a different order of exer- cises ; and it was at length agreed that, in future, the reli- gious exercises should succeed each other in regular order, without intermission. The following order was then read and recommended : viz., 1st, Ps. Lxvi. ; 2d, Lord's Prayer ; 3d, Writings of Swedenborg ; 4th, Isa. xii. ; 5th, Prayer from St. Chrysostom ; 6th, Intelligence, discussions, and such business as requires the attention of the whole meeting.
"Resolved unanimously, That this order of exercises be adopted by this meeting.
"Resolved, That, during the exercises, there shall be no conversation between individuals."
Again, it is recorded that, on Christmas of the same year, " but a small number attended the meeting, the weather being unfavorable. Unexpectedly, and to our great aston- ishment, Miss Hannah Adams came to attend the meeting. It was thought best by the Committee to reduce the exercises to the lessons from Scripture ; which was done. We felt un- pleasantly from having company, and the time was passed less happily than on many former occasions."
Nov. 1, 1817. - A donation was presented, through Mrs. Prescott, from an unknown lady. It was voted to choose a treasurer, and to deposit this money (two dollars), as the
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commencement of a fund for the use of the Society. Volun- tary contribution was recommended by vote as the best means of increasing this fund.
Mr. Thomas Worcester, then an undergraduate in Harvard University, had commenced reading the works of Swedenborg in the summer of 1816. He was led to seek for the books in the College Library ; and they were discovered, not in the great library, but in a room well known at that time as the College Museum, in the company of stuffed monsters, and other natural curiosities ; and had probably been regarded with similar feelings.
In the summer of 1818, "public meetings were contem- plated, and it was determined that the society should be or- ganized." A report of the Standing Committee is found on file, in which it is recommended that no person should be ex- cluded from the meetings, but that the Society should keep open doors. Said Committee also recommended an order for public worship, and that a " leader " be appointed to per- form, and that Mr. Thomas Worcester, soon to graduate from . the University of Cambridge, should be that leader; also, that all the members prepare compositions, to be read at the meetings as a part of the religious instruction. All these resolutions were adopted.
" In the early part of the summer, much was said about coming out openly before the world, and having meetings in some public hall. The Society did not all agree in this ; but it was finally determined, some time in the month of July, to send Mr. Thomas Worcester to Philadelphia, to visit the So- ciety there, and be licensed to preach. Mr. Worcester was on the point of embarking, when a gentleman from Philadel- phia arrived in Boston, and informed that the Rev. Mr. Carll, pastor of the society in Philadelphia, was then on a mission to New York and other places. It was immediately resolved to send a letter to Mr. Carll at New York, and to request him to make Boston on his way, and to organize this Society into a Church ; which was done August 15, 1818."
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It may be good for those of the present day to remember the doubts and the darkness of that hour, when a handful of men and women, some of whom had at first read the writings of Swedenborg only in privacy and by stealth, were debating the question, whether in the face of this community and of the world they should declare their firm conviction of the truths of the New Jerusalem. It was an occasion, without doubt, which awakened the deadliest hostility of the evil spirits who had access to their minds. The finger of scorn and derision was held up before them. The prospect of an easier, smoother path was presented. Suggestions were not wanting, that the cause of truth might be jeopardized by one rash, false step. But, with the help of God, their strength was equal to the emergency. The resolution was taken, and taken aright ; and the divine blessing, which was then vouch- safed, has reached us-even us - through the long succes- sion of events which have followed. The steady increase and growing prosperity of the Church leave us room to hope, humbly, that the work was rightly begun.
The number who were first organized into a Church was twelve, whose names are the first twelve on the annexed list. Others were soon added ; and the number has continued to increase, with little or no intermission, to the present time. The following is from the records : "The resolutions passed by the Society for the purpose of sending for Mr. Carll are kept on file, containing the names of the persons who signed them ; being fourteen in number. Two of these happened not to be present when Mr. Carll organized the Society into a Church. It should also be understood, that the measure was not united in by all who had previously attended the meet- ings and declared their firm belief in the doctrines. Hlad all united, the number would probably have exceeded twenty. The idea of coming out openly and boldly before the world, and declaring a belief in doctrines so novel, and, in the opinion of the world, absurd, and also of having them pub- licly preached, was, by some, thought to be of too great mag-
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nitude and importance to be undertaken by such small num- bers ; and though there existed in the minds of individuals no doubt as to the propriety of declaring their belief publicly to the world, and having the doctrines taught, yet doubts did exist as to the proper time of doing it. Mr. Carll preached the next day (being Sunday), after organization, at Boylston Hall, and also administered the Sacrament of the Supper. The hall was crowded with attentive hearers, and the hearts of the members beat high with gladness. This was a day long to be remembered." *
The Boston Society was the first society of the New-Church that was organized in New England ; and the Rev. Mr. Wor- cester, Pastor of this Society and President of the Massachu- setts Association of the New-Church, has officiated at the organization of the others, with few exceptions.
After a few weeks, the Society removed to a small hall in Pond Street, now Bedford Street, and worshipped there for more than a year ; they then returned to Boylston Hall, and continued to meet there till November, 1821.
Oct. 21, 1820. - It was resolved that not less than two nor more than four lay-readers be appointed to perform the public services of the Church on the Sabbath, and that it be the duty of the member first appointed to officiate regularly and con- stantly on the Sabbath, unless necessarily prevented, and in that case the duty shall devolve on the second, and so in suc- cession. Choice was then' made of the following members : Mr. Samuel Worcester, Mr. Sampson Reed, Rev. Holland Weeks, and Mr. T. B. Hayward.
In 1820, it appears that a Committee was appointed to draft laws for the " external order and discipline of the Church "; and that, in 1820 and 1821, the Society was much occupied in considering them, and that they were finally adopted. They were printed at the time. They are, however, not found on
* The preceding pages are mostly taken from an Address by Mr. S. Reed. - New Jerusalem Magazine, Vol. XI., pp. 118-123.
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the records ; and were afterwards annulled, with the exception of the rules laid down in the eighteenth chapter of Matthew. The Society has since had no other laws for its government or constitution, beyond the Articles of Faith signed by all the members on joining it, and a few standing rules adopted from ' time to time as occasion or necessity required.
About this time, and previous to it, the subject of re-bap- tism was much discussed, and conclusions arrived at, intellec- tually, unfavorable to its use or necessity. These conclusions have since been overruled or reversed by the life of the So- ciety. With very few exceptions, those who adopted them felt the importance subsequently of receiving this sacrament. In several cases, parents were baptized at the time their first- born child was offered for baptism. Although there were never any established rules on the subject, after much discus- sion, votes were passed recommending that all should receive New-Church baptism before joining the Society ; and now for many years, all who have desired to join the Society, and who had not been previously baptized in the New-Church, have, of their own free choice, received this ordinance.
At a meeting held March 10, 1821, it was unanimously
"Resolved, That Mr. Thomas Worcester be invited to be- come the Pastor of this Church."
This invitation was accepted on the twenty-first of the month following.
For about six months previous to this, Mr. Samuel Wor- cester had preached for the Society ; but Mr. Thomas Wor- cester now entered upon the duties of his office, the Sabbath after May 8, 1821.
"For a time, Mr. Worcester was the entire head of the So- ciety ; but it did not seem orderly that he should preside at the meetings for discussing the mode of raising money for his support, and for transacting other pecuniary business ; and on the eighteenth of July, 1821, the Society organized itself, dis- tinctly from the Pastor, for the transaction of such business.
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This was done from a feeling that rulers as well as priests were necessary in societies."
Mr. Worcester was a graduate of Harvard University, in the class of 1818. Mr. J. H. Wilkins, Mr. Warren Goddard, Mr. William Parsons, and Mr. Sampson Reed were in the same class. Mr. Theophilus Parsons, Mr. Caleb Reed, Mr. T. B. Hayward and Mr. John Angier were in college in different classes at the same time : Mr. Parsons being of the class of 1815 ; Mr. Reed of the class of 1817; Mr. Hayward of the class of 1820 ; and Mr. Angier of the class of 1821. Mr. Nathaniel Hobart entered college in the class of 1817, but was obliged to leave on account of defective eyesight, and Mr. T. G. Worcester was a graduate of the class of 1823. All the persons named, eleven in number, became members of this Society, six of whom are still living. Immediately after taking his degree, Mr. Worcester joined the Theological School in Cambridge. Mr. S. Reed joined it at the same time, and Mr. Wilkins the year following. In the year 1819, Mrs. Minot, afterwards Mrs. Wilkins, leased a large house on Brattle Street, in Cambridge, a little beyond where the new Episcopal Church now stands, on the other side of the street, and several of the New-Church students and some of the college professors boarded with her. The house was the property of Mr. An- drew Cragie, who owned and occupied the house quite near, now the residence of Prof. Longfellow, and at one time the headquarters of General Washington. Mr. Cragie was, him- self, very friendly to the New-Church, having been acquainted with Mr. Hill when in this country, and was well pleased to have his house under the charge of a New-Church lady. When Mr. Worcester had accepted the pastorate of the Society, and was about to remove to Boston, Mrs. Minot relinquished the house in Cambridge, and took a house in Boston, previously occupied by the elder Dr. Hayward, with a large garden at- tached, where Hayward Place now is, for the purpose of ac- . commodating Mr. and Mrs. Worcester and other New-Church boarders. Mrs. Minot's boarding-house was at this time the
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residence of no inconsiderable part of this Society. The res- idence of Dr. Mann, where the Society often met, was on or near the spot where the Globe Theatre now stands.
In November, 1821, the Society removed from Boylston Hall to the Pantheon Hall.
June 27, 1820. - " It was decided that none should be ad- mitted into the Church before the age of twenty "; but Nov. 16, 1822, we find the following record : " At a meeting this day, considerable conversation was had on the age of admis- sion into the Society. It was found that Swedenborg relates 'that marriages take place in heaven, the man eighteen and the woman fifteen (C. L. 444) ; making a distinction of three years between the two sexes in the time of marriage ; there- fore in the age of maturity. Other arguments were also ad- duced tending to corroborate this opinion. He also states the maturity for men to be twenty, which he shows from the Word, where twenty is the age for going forth to war; this would make the age for females seventeen. But it was the opinion of the Society, that the minds of persons, after the commencement of this state, were for a time unsettled ; and further, it was their opinion, that the age of freedom in civil society being twenty-one for the males, and eighteen for females, exerted very considerable influence; and it was therefore agreed, that the civil age should be the age of ad- mission into this Society."
The fact that our climate was colder than that of Palestine, and that people, on this account, were supposed to come to maturity later in life, was a consideration which weighed in taking the age of twenty-one for males instead of twenty. These ages have been ever since regarded as suitable periods for becoming members of the Church ; and it is a very com- mon thing for young men and women who have grown up amongst us to join the Society when they attain the age of twenty-one and eighteen.
The practice of having but one public service and sermon on the Sabbath was adopted July, 1821. The subject was a
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matter of much consideration at the time; and the change was made from a conviction in the minds of the members that it was "a thing of order," and that true worship, and the spiritual good of the Society, would be promoted thereby. At first, the forenoon of the Sabbath was devoted " to meet- ings of the Society for spiritual improvement"; and the afternoon, to public worship. But, not long afterwards, the forenoon was devoted to public worship ; and such has been the practice to the present time.
In the early days of the Society, when the number was small, great efforts were made to come to a unanimous con- clusion on subjects deemed important, where there existed difference of opinion ; and great and lasting good seems to have resulted from these efforts. Meeting after meeting was held for the consideration of a subject after the minority was reduced to a single individual, whose dissent was evidently sincere and conscientious ; and, when he finally yielded his full assent, great joy and satisfaction were experienced both by him and by all the rest. In some cases, the dissent- ing party, of his own free accord, earnestly requested his brethren to delay action no longer on his account ; and unan- imity was attained in this way. The Church had frequent meetings, consisting of its own members exclusively. After the practice of having only one public service on Sunday was adopted, the meetings on the other part of the day were for some years limited to members of the Society. They were afterwards opened to all who had been baptized in the Church, and subsequently to all who desired to attend. When meet- ing by themselves, the members of the Society were in greater freedom than when strangers were present. In this way they seem to have been drawn near to each other, and the Church laid on a better foundation than it could have been otherwise.
Sept. 3, 1822. - " In the course of this season, much con- versation occurred respecting PECULIAR USES, and respecting the formation of societies among the members according to
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their USES. This first showed itself in the form of organiza- tion and distribution of uses, and affected principally the Society for transacting pecuniary business ; in which Society an effort was made, and the main design seemed to be, to dis- tribute the duties to individuals according to their adaptation to such functions.
" This direction to uses and organization showed itself in various forms. On the seventeenth of August, 1822, a Society was formed, consisting of six individuals, called 'The Boston Society for communicating Truth.' This Society elected its officers with the views mentioned above. The object was to disseminate truth to the world, by any means, and through any channels that might seem to be afforded by Divine Prov- idence.
" On the twenty-fifth of September, a Society was formed, called ' The Society of Merchants and Traders of the Boston Society of the New Jerusalem.' This Society had for its end to unite the uses of society, and thereby to assist each other in the work of regeneration, and thus to enable cach the bet- ter to perform his own use, and to become more distinctly a man and himself.
" The united sphere of the Society, at many of their meet- ings, on the subject of organization, had carried them beyond their most sanguine expectations ; and, at some of these meet- ings, goods and truths seemed to descend, and to be born into the Society, and cherished by it."
In February, 1823, the Society was incorporated by the Legislature of Massachusetts, by the name of " The Boston Society of the New Jerusalem." A remonstrance against the act of incorporation was presented to the Legislature by per- sons unfriendly to the Society. One of the remonstrants ap- peared before the Committee to whom the subject was referred, and urged his objections with much vehemence and persist- ence ; to which the Pastor of the Society replied. The re- monstrants failed to satisfy the Committee of the validity of
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their objections ; and a report was made in favor of the peti- tion, and was granted without further opposition .*
Feb. 22, 1828. - The Society removed to the Athenaeum Lecture Room, then located in Pearl Street.
" Lord's Day, Aug. 17, 1828. - Rev. Mr. Carll ordained Mr. Thomas Worcester as Pastor of the Boston Society, and into the class of Ordaining Ministers." This ordination was performed in the Athenaeum Lecture Room, in presence of the Society and congregation, on the day following a session of the General Convention, which had been held in that place.
It will be observed that Mr. Worcester had been unani- mously invited to become the Pastor of the Society, March 10, 1821; and his ordination did not take place till more than seven years afterwards. Applications for his ordination had been made previously by the Society to the Convention ; but, as they met with objections in that body, the Pastor elect and the Society waited patiently till these objections were removed. In the meantime, he was not authorized to administer the Holy Supper.
The sacrament of the Holy Supper has since been adminis- tered in this church quarterly, with one or two exceptions, on the first Sunday in January, April, July, and October. The attendance on these occasions has regularly increased with the growth of the Society. The number at each meeting is at present (1873) about three hundred. Many of the members, as will be seen by the annexed catalogue, live at remote dis- tances, and rarely can be present even at these meetings.
In June 27, 1820, an Acting Committee was appointed, whose duty it was to examine those who presented themselves for admission to the Church. This Committee was abolished in December, 1822. At this time, the question of a " repre- sentative of the Society, and several enlargements of its duty," was considered. The Pastor frequently needed such a body to consult with. It was finally agreed " that the presidents
* From 1823 to 1828 the records seem to be very imperfect.
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of the Societies of Uses should constitute said represen- tative of the Society ; and that those presidents ought to be elected in those societies with a single eye to their adaptation to their own peculiar use, which alone could qualify them for either office."
It does not appear on the records of the Society how long this representative of the Society continued in office ; neither do we find any history of its doings. There appears, however, to have been no other permanent body or committee to confer with the Pastor in relation to Society matters, till March 8, 1830 ; when it was-
"Resolved, That a Committee of three be appointed, to con- tinue in office one year, with whom the Pastor may advise upon such Church-matters as he may see fit to present to them."
We find no record of the reappointment of this Committee. But, May 6, 1832, " it was proposed that the Society do elect a Committee to advise with the Pastor on Church-matters." And at the adjourned meeting, May 13, of the same year, " it was voted that there be an annual meeting of the Church on the first Sunday in May, at which officers shall be chosen, who shall remain in office for the ensuing year, and until other officers are elected in their place."
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