USA > Massachusetts > Anglican beginnings in Massachusetts (history of Episcopal Church) > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
On the 15th of June, 1686, the Church of England was organized in Boston. It was voted to defray the expenses by weekly collections at the evening services. The services were allowed in the east end of the town-house, where the deputies used to meet. Doctor Benjamin Bullivant and Mr. Richard Banks were the first church-wardens. It was voted to address the King, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishop of London, "to implore their favour to the church, and that all other true sons of the Church of England might join in the same." It was agreed that Mr. Smith the joiner make twelve forms for the service of the Church, and be paid twenty shillings quarterly for placing and removing the pulpit, forms, table, and so forth. It was a humble beginning. Radcliffe was to receive a salary of fifty pounds.
On July 4th, the vestry agreed that the Council be requested to give permission to solicit donations for building a Church in Boston for the Anglican services. The first observance of the Lord's Supper took place at the town-house, August 8th. The churchmen promptly undertook securing gifts for the Church; they even solicited help from those unfriendly to the venture, though not always with success. Much apprehension was felt by the Puritans.
Randolph found that Dudley did not support the establishment as he expected. Although Dudley had been a non-conformist minis- ter, Randolph supposed that a contract was implied that the Church of England would be installed. The following letter was written by Randolph, August 2nd :-
"Some time after ye settlement of ye govnt, I moved for a place for the Church of England men to assemble in; after many delays, at last were gott a small room in ye town house, but our Company increasing beyond the expectation of the govt, we now use ye Exchange, and have ye Common-prayer and 2 sermons every Sunday, and at 7 a-clock in ye morning on Wednesdays and Frydays the whole service of ye Church; and some Sundays 7 or 8 persons are in one day baptis'd, and more would daily be of our communion had we but the coun- tenance and company of the President and Council, but instead 67 Sewall's Diary, I., pp. 142-143.
[39]
thereof wee are neglected and can obtain no maintainance from them to support our minister. Butt had we a gene govr we should haue a large congregation and also one of the churches in Boston, as your Grace was pleased to propose when these matters were debated at ye Council Table. I humbly remind your Grace of the money granted formerly for evangelizing the Indians in our neighborhood. It's a great pitty that there should be a considerable stock in this country (but how im- ployed I know not) and wee want 7 or 800 £ to build us a church. Their ministry exclaim against ye common prayer, calling it man's invention, and that there is more hopes the whoremongers and adulterers will go to heaven than those of ye C. of Eng. ... Your Grace can hardly imagine the small artifices they have used to prevent our meetings on Sundays, and at all other tymes to serve God. They have libelled my wife and our Minister, and this is done (as credibly believed) by ye minister of the frigott; yett it's countenanced by the faction, who haue endeauored to make a breach in my family, betwixt me and my wife, and have accomplished another de- sign in setting up and supporting Capt. Georg, Commander of the 'Rose' frigott, against me. . . . It is necessary that ye gour license all their ministers, and that none be called to be a pastor of a congregation without his approbation. By this method alone the whole Country will easily be regulated, and then they will build us a church and be willing to allow our ministers an honorable maintenance.
"Wee have a sober, prudent gentleman to be our minister, and well approved; but in case of sickness or other casualtyes, if he have not one soul from Engª to helpe him, our church is lost. 'Tis therefore necessary that another sober man come ouer to assist, for some tymes 'tis requisite that one of them visit the other colonyes to baptise and administer the Sacra- ment ; and in regard we cannot make 401b a yeare start by contributions for support of him and his assistant, it would be very grateful to our Church affaires if his Matie would please to grant us his Royall letters, that the 3 meeting-houses in Boston, which seuerally collect 7 or £8 on a Sunday, do pay to our Church Warden 20s. a weeke for each meeting-house, which will be some encouragement to our ministers, and then they can but raile against ye Service of ye Church. They haue great Stocks, and were they directed to contribute to build us a Church, or part from one of their meeting-houses, Such as wee should approue; they would purchase their exemption at a great rate, and then they could but call vs papists and our Minister Baals Priests."
In a letter to Archbishop Sancroft, July 7th, Randolph spoke of the affronts that were levelled at Mr. Ratcliffe-"some calling our minister Baal's priest, and some of their ministers from the pulpit
68 Perry: Historical Collections, Massachusetts, p. 653.
[ 40 ]
calling our praiers leeks, garlick, and trash. They refuse maintenance for our minister-say 'those that hire him must mainetaine him, as they mainetaine their owne ministers, by contribution'." Randolph de- clared that he personally had brought on himself "so many enemise, and to all my crimes added this one as the greatest in bringing the letherdge and cerimonise of the Church of England."
On October 27th, Randolph could report that there were four hundred daily frequenters of the Church; "and as many more would come over to us, but some being tradesmen, others of mechanick pro- fessions, are threatened by the congregationall men to be arrested by their creditors, or to be turned out of their work, if they offer to come to our church."
William Harrison was buried, August 5th, 1686. This was the first known use of the Episcopal burial service in Boston. Sewall re- corded the fact in his diary.69
Sir Edmund Andros, formerly Governor of New York, was ap- pointed captain-general and governor-in-chief over New England. He arrived at his new post of duty, December 19th, 1686. He had been a page in the royal household, and had shared the exile and falling for- tunes of the House of Stuart. In the service of Prince Henry of Nas- sau, and afterward as gentleman in ordinary to the Queen of Bohemia, he acquired courtly manners. He was a valued and devoted servant of the reigning house. He succeeded Dudley ; and became the first royal governor of the province. On the day he landed, he tried to arrange for the partial use of one of the Congregational meeting-houses for Anglican worship. His commission from King James the Second con- tained the following direction :-
"And for the greater ease and satisfaction of our loving subjects in matters of religion, we do hereby will and command that liberty of conscience be allowed to all persons, and that such especially as shall be conformable to the rites of the Church of England be particularly countenanced and encouraged."
On the 21st of December, the Independent ministers and four representatives from each congregation held a meeting, and agreed that they could not consent with a good conscience for their meeting-houses to be used for the "Common-Prayer worship." The next day the Reverend Cotton Mather and the Reverend Samuel Willard told the Governor so.70 Andros renewed his efforts; on March 22nd, 1687, he made an inspection of the three Boston meeting-houses. The following
69 Sewall's Diary, I., p. 146.
70Ibid., p. 162. Samuel Willard was pastor of the South meeting-house.
[ 41 ]
day, he sent Mr. Randolph for the keys of the meeting-houses, in order, as he said, that he may say his prayers there. Sewall entered this note in his diary after that occasion :-
"Mr. Eliot . . . and myself wait on his Excellency, show that ye Land and House is ours, and that we can't consent to part with it to such use; exhibit an extract of Mr. Norton's Deed and how 'twas built by particular persons as Hull, Oliver, 100£ apiece, etc."71
That Governor Andros carried out his design, however, is seen from Sewall's note of March 25th :-
"The Govr has service in ye South Meetinghouse ; Goodm. Needham (the Sexton), tho' had resolv'd to ye Contrary, was prevail'd upon to Ring ye Bell and open ye door at ye Gover- nour's Command, one Smith and Hill, Joiner and Shoemaker, being very busy about it."72
This was on Good Friday. During the rest of Andros' adminis- tration-a little over two years-the Episcopalians had joint occupancy of South Church with its proper owners. There was much incon- venience. Sewall complained of the long services on Easter and other festivals, when the congregations were kept waiting to use the meeting- house. It was not wise to keep the owners in a state of irritation ; and the arrangement at best could be but temporary. We may quote Sewall's description of Easter day, March 27th :-
"Govr and his retinue met in our Meetingh- at eleven ; broke off past two, bec. of ye Sacrament and Mr. Clark's long sermon ; now we were appointed to come half hour past one, so 'twas a sad sight to see how full the street was with people gazing and moving to and fro, bec. had not entrance into ye house."73
The Reverend Mr. Clark, whose long sermon on Easter annoyed the Congregationalists, remained in Massachusetts only a few months. On November 5th, 1686, Sewall noted the fact that "One Mr. Clark (of the English Church) preaches at the Town-House. Speaks much against the Presbyterians in England and here." On the 7th of April, 1687, he said that he was sailing.74
71Sewell's Diary, I., p. 171. 72Ibid., p. 171. 73Ibid., p. 172. 74Ibid., pp. 156, 172.
[ 42 ]
The friction that resulted from the efforts of two religious bodies to use the same house of worship is seen in the following entries in Sewall's valuable journal. On May 10th, 1687, he told of the efforts to prevent a repetition of the Easter delay.
"Mr. Bullivant having been acquainted that May 15th was our Sacrament-day, he writt to Mr. Willard, that he had acquainted those principally concern'd, and 'twas judg'd very improper and inconvenient for the Governour and his to be at any other House, it being Whit-Sunday and they must have the Communion, and that 'twas expected should leave off by 12, and not return again till they rung the Bell, that might have time to dispose of the Elements. So remembring how long they were at Easter, we were afraid 'twould breed much confusion in the Afternoon, and so on, on Wed, concluded not to have our Sacrament for 'twas in vain to urge their promise. And on the 8th of May were bid past One a pretty deal."
On May 15th, after these precautions, the Church of England worshippers left at half past one; so Sewall and his fellow-religionists "have our Afternoon Exercise in due season. But see they have the advantage to lengthen or shorten their Exercises so as may make for their purpose."75
On the 1st of June, a fast was kept at the South Church, "because of the putting by the Sacrament the last Turn," as Sewall expressed it, "and the difficult circumstances our Church (is) in above others, regarding the Church of England's meeting in it." On the 12th of the same month, said Sewall, the Congregationalists had the "Lord's Supper at the South-Church. But Church of England men go not to any other House; yet little hindrance to us save as to ringing the first Bell and straitning the Deacons in removal of the Table."76
Governor Andros carried the Reverend Mr. Ratcliffe with him to the commencement of Harvard College, on the 6th of July. The minis- ter was seated by his orders in the pulpit with the president of the school; but the latter went his way, disregarding him.
On the 10th of February, 1688, Lady Andros, the Governor's wife, was buried. The corpse was drawn by six horses, with a guard of soldiers, from the governor's house down to the South meeting-house; the body was carried into the western door. Mr. Ratcliffe preached on the text, "All flesh is grass."77
Sewall was evidently present.
75 Sewell's Diary, I., pp. 176-177.
76Ibid., pp. 179-180.
77Ibid., pp. 202-203.
[ 43
VII. THE FIRST ANGLICAN CHURCH-1688
In the meantime, the members of the Church of England had gained sufficient strength to proceed to the erection of their own church; the strained relations would be relieved. In 1688, a brief was authorized by Council for asking and receiving the free and voluntary contributions of any of the inhabitants of the town of Boston towards the building and erecting of a house of worship for the Anglican services; when the members felt ready to purchase a site, they applied to Mr. Sewall. In his diary, March 28th, we read :---
"(Mr. Ratcliff) spake to me for Land at Cottonhill for a Church wch were going to build. I told him I could not, first because I would not set up that wch ye People of N. E. came over to avoid; 2ly ye land was entail'd. In after discourse I mentioned chiefly the Cross in Baptism, and Holy Dayes."78
Easter, 1688, was thus noted in Sewall's diary :-
"Mr. West comes to Mr. Willard from ye Govr to speak to him to begin at 8 in ye morn, and says this shall be ye last time; they will build a house. We begin in ab. 1/2 hour past 8, yet ye people come pretty roundly together. 'Twas Easter- day and ye Lord's Supper with us too."79
Forty days later (May 24th), he writes :---
"Bell is rung for a Meeting of ye Chch of Engld Men, being in their language Ascension day."80
In June, there was a dispute between Governor Andros and the Puritan owners of South Church. The Governor complained of the Puritans' using the meeting-house so long and keeping the Anglicans waiting. Sewall describes the scene (June 23rd, 1688) :-
"Capt. Frary and I goe to his Excellency at the Secre- taries Office, and there desired that He would not alter his time of Meeting, and that Mr. Willard consented to no such thing, neither did he count that 'twas in his power so to doe. Mr. West said he went not to ask Mr. Willard leave. His Ex- cellency asked who the House belong'd to; we told him the Title to the House was on Record. His Excellency turned to .Mr. Graham and said, Mr. Attorney, we will have that look'd into. Governor said if Mr. Willard not the Parson, so great an Assembly must be considered. We said He was Master 78Sewell's Diary, I., p. 207. 79Ibid., p. 210. 80Ibid., p. 214.
[ 44 ]
of the Assembly, but had no power to dispose of the House, neither had others, for the Deed expressed the Use 'twas to be put to. Governour complain'd of our long staying Sabbath- day senight; said 'twas the Lord's Supper, and had promised to go to some other House on such dayes; Mr. Randolph said he knew of no such promise, and the Governour seemed angry, and said He would not so break his word for all the Massa- chusetts Colony, and therefore to avoid mistakes, must give in writing what he had to say; we answered, Mr. Randolph brought not any writing to those he spake to. Governour said we rent off from the old Church against the Govt, and the Land the House stood on was bought clandestinely, and that one should say he would defend the work with his Company of Soldiers-Mention'd folks backwardness to give, and the un- reasonableness ; because if any stinking filthy thing were in the House we would give something to have it carried out, but would not give to build them an house: Said came from England to avoid such and such things, therefore could not give to set them up here; and the Bishops would have thought strange to have been ask'd to contribute towards setting up the New-England Churches. Governour said God willing they would begin at Eight in the Morning, and have done by Nine ; we said 'twould hardly be so in the Winter. Mr. Graham said if they had their Service by Candle-Light what was that to any; And that the Service appointed by the Church for morn- ing could not be held after Noon."81
In all these discussions, we find the same arguments repeated ; the Independents contend that their ancestors left England to get away from the Established Church; the Anglicans claim that they have the same right to free religious expression that the Congregationalists have. On both sides, there is a display of ugly, unhealthy sentiments. The wrangling just described had its effect in the particular case, however, for on June 24th (the day after) Sewall wrote :---
"They"-the Church of England members-"have done before nine in the morning, and about a quarter after one in the afternoon; so we have very convenient time."82
The same year there was a conflict over the grave of Edward Lilley, one of the subscribers to the new church-building, between Mr. Ratcliffe and a Puritan deacon, Frary, who forbade the reading of the Prayer Book at the grave.83 There were doubtless many outbursts of ill will, which have not come down to us.
After fruitless efforts to purchase a site on Cotton Hill, the Gover
81Sewell's Diary, I., pp. 217-218.
82Ibid., pp. 218-219.
83 Perry: American Episcopal Church, I., p. 185.
[ 45]
nor and Council conveyed a part of the corner from the old burying ground for the new structure. On the 16th of October, 1688, "the Ground sills of ye Chch are Laid, ye stone-foundation being finished." On the 17th, "a great part of ye Church is raised."84 The build- ing cost £284/16s. Ninety-six residents of the colony con- tributed £259/9s. of that sum; Governor Andros, Colonel Francis Nicholson, and other officers gave the rest. The Church was without pews, but had a "pulpit cushion with fringe, tassel, and silk;" in 1694, pews were paid for by a subscription of £53.85
Soon the Boston Church was to lose its patron. On the 4th of April, 1689, the news arrived that the Prince of Orange had landed in England, and King James the Second had abdicated. There was quiet among the people for a few days; but on the morning of April 18th, the drums beat to arms, the signal-fire was lighted on Beacon Hill, a meeting was held at the town house, and militia began to pour in from the country. Governor Andros was called on to surrender; it is said that he besought the Reverend Mr. Willard to intercede for him, but that minister refused. Next day the castle was surrendered, and the royal frigate was dismantled in the harbour. Andros was im- prisoned ; and held in confinement until February, 1690, when he was sent back to England by order of the government. The leaders of the rebellion set up a temporary government, which was continued until a new charter arrived from William and Mary, dated October 7th, 1691.
The tyranny of Andros has long been a tradition of New England. Anything identified with the unfortunate Governor suffered in esteem. With his name is associated the humiliation of the colonies; he is said to have trampled ruthlessly upon every political and religious right. Yet John Fiske characterises him as "the dull and dogged English officer such as one often meets, honest enough and faithful to his mas- ter, neither cruel nor rapacious, but coarse in fibre and wanting in tact." It should be remembered that he made a very acceptable gover- nor to Virginia and Maryland for six years. In both those provinces the English Church was established; the reason for his unpopularity in New England suggests itself. Indeed the editor of Sewall's diary, for the Massachusetts Historical Society, said (1878) :-
"A careful examination of the life of Andros will probably convince the student that he was a brave and loyal servant of the crown, a devout but not bigoted churchman, and very far from being the tyrant the New England traditions have por- trayed."86
84Sewall's Diary, I., pp. 231-232.
85 Perry: American Episcopal Church, I., p. 186.
86 Massachusetts Historical Collections, 5th series, V .. ₺. 175
[ 46 ]
During this revolt, the English Church was in constant danger from mob violence. It was "daily threatened to be pulled downe and destroyed."87 The windows were broken to pieces; "and the Doors and Walls daubed and defiled with Dung and other filth in the basest manner imaginable, and the Minister for his safety was forced to leave the country and his congregation, and go to England."88 Andros was so closely watched that his gaoler would not let the chaplain visit him. 89 The Reverend Mr. Ratcliffe, while escaping imprisonment, was hindered and obstructed in the discharge of his duty. The Inde- pendent ministers "by all ways and means possible, as well in their Pulpits as private Discourses, endeavour's to asperse, calumniate, and defame" the members ; "and so far did their malice and bigotry prevail, that some of them openly and publickly hindered and obstructed the Minister in the performance of the funeral Rites, to such as had lived and dyed in the Communion of the Church of England."90 Such an interference occurred at the burial of Major Howard in the church- yard, where the grave had been prepared according to his will; the Reverend Joshua Moody, of the First Church, "publickly affronted" Mr. Ratcliffe, "and hindered (him) from doing of his Duty." "Scanda- lous Pamphlets" were "printed to villifie the Liturgy." Churchmen were "daily called Papist Doggs and Rogues to their Faces." The "plucking down the Church" was "threatened." The windows were broken; and the Puritans tried to minimize the offence by saying that "all the mischief done is the breaking of a few Quarels of glass by idle Boys, who if discover'd had been chastiz'd by their own Parents ;" still the records of the Church show (November 2nd, 1689) a payment of £-5/10s. "for mending Church Windows"-the size of the cost disproving this reasoning. "Whoso will but take the Pains to survey the Glass Windows will easily discover the Marks of a Malice not Common."91
On the 28th of May, 1689, Edward Randolph wrote the Arch- bishop of Canterbury, regarding the situation in New England. "They have imprisoned ye Govr in the fort under a strict Gard they kept me in the Common Goal. Giving out he is a Papist & that I have committed treason . (They) wished to return to their former government ; used this as means." The Reverend Doctor Increase Mather has published a book on the "Idolatry of ye Common prayer
87 Address of rector and wardens to the King, quoted in Foote: Annals of King's Chapel, I., p. 101.
88 New England's Faction Discovered, by C. D. (Andros Tracts, II., p. 212). 89 Perry: Historical Collections, Massachusetts, p. 60.
90 Andros Tracts, II., p. 211.
91 Andros Tracts, II., p. 110; Palmer's Impartial Account (Andros Tracts, I., p. 53); Foote: Annals of King's Chapel, I., pp. 106-110.
[ 47 ]
worship which renders all of vs of that church obnoxious to the Com- mon people who account vs Papists & treat us accordingly." Ran- dolph recommended the Reverend Mr. Ratcliffe to his Grace's favour, as a sober gentleman, who must now go to England "to solicite for the enlargement of many of his constant hearers imprisoned for no other reason but because they were of the church of Engd."92
Ratcliffe does not appear to have sailed until July-not until after his successor, the Reverend Samuel Myles, arrived. Doctor Foote, the historian of King's Chapel, admits that Ratcliffe strove to maintain kindly relations with the Puritans; and Sewall noted in his diary that he met Mr. Ratcliffe before he left, and that "he pray'd God Almighty to bless me."93 We feel sure that he was a sincere, good man.
On June 30th, 1689, worship was first held in the little Anglican Church in Boston. After numerous struggles and reverses, the Church of England secured a foothold; and the old Independent despotism was powerless to prevent its progress.
92MSS. Tanner (Bodleian Library), 27, fo. 29.
93 Sewall's Diary, I., p. 233.
FT
12/7/2012 2791745 26
00
HF GROUP - IN
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.