USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Middleborough > Book of the First Church of Christ, 1854 > Part 4
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 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14
His second wife, (who survived him,) was Anna Huntington, the widow of a clergyman in Connecticut.
REV. EMERSON PAINE.
He was a graduate of Brown university, 1813; was ordained February 14th, 1816, not without much oppo- sition ; and after a laborious ministry, (the opposition con- tinuing,) he was dismissed on his own request, by advice of an ecclesiastial council, July 4, 1822. He was after- wards for a number of years, pastor of the church in Little Compton, R. I., and afterwards preached in Halifax where he died, April 26, 1851, aged 65- and where his widow and several children now reside.
44
REV. WILLIAM EATON.
He was installed March 10, 1824, having been previ- ously, for ten years, pastor of the church in Fitchburgh ; was a graduate of Williams College in 1810, and at Ando- ver Theological Seminary in 1813. He was dismissed by his own request March 3, 1834 by a council, and was settled in Charlotte, Vermont, and afterwards in Hard- wicke, in this State. He died in West Brookfield, April 12, 1840. His wife also has recently deceased.
REV. ISRAEL WARBURTON PUTNAM.
Mr. Putnam is a native of Danvers in this State, a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1809, and at Andover in 1814. He was pastor of the North Church, in Ports- mouth, New Hampshire, from March 15, 1815, to March 15, 1835; was installed pastor over this church, October 28, 1835, and still continues in that office.
THE UPPER GREEN - PROPRIETOR'S MEETING-HOUSE.
February 17, 1745. - About forty men of the church and parish agreed with each other to build a new meet- ing-house, and on the ninth day of June, that year, purchased of Col. Ebenezer Sproat two acres of land for that purpose, by deed of that date, and describe it as bounded, beginning at Mr. Lazell's corner, by the road, (corner of James Sparrow's garden,) and thence by the
45
road south, 40 degrees, west, 30 rods, thence north, 38 degrees, west, 14 rods, thence north, 48} degrees, east, 282 rods, thence in Lazell's line to the road. Deed recorded, book 29, folio 12-13. Sproat reserves one share and conveys the residue to thirty-nine others: Jabez Vaughan, Jonathan Smith, James Smith, Gersham Cobb, Seth Tinkham, Ebenezer Finney, Noah Thomas, William Cushman, Benjamin Tucker, Edward Thomas, Samuel Eddy, Jr., Zachariah Eddy, John Cox, John Cobb, Ezra Clapp, William Thomas, Jas. Tinkham, John Smith, Edmund Weston, John Soule, Henry Thomas, Jeremiah Tinkham, Oxenbridge Thacher, Joseph Bates, Jr., Thomas Darling, Jonathan Smith, Jr., Joseph Thomas, Samuel Thomas, Samuel Smith, Benjamin Thomas, William Short, Hezekiah Purrington, John Thompson, Samuel Wood, Eph'm. Wood, Enen'r. Wood, and Caleb Thompson. The house to be 55 by 45 in the walls. This was done, and we have the records of the proprietary to recent times. Mr. Conant and his people worshiped in this house, and after the union of the two societies in the year 1767, the house was made about twenty feet longer, by inserting that width in the middle of it. The proprietary continues. It once voted to give it to the parish for a burial ground, but the parish refused to take it on that condition. If they are now otherwise minded, no doubt they can have it.
THE PARISH BURYING GROUND.
This contains about two acres, and was purchased by about fifty persons of James Soule, in 1717, March 30;
46
acknowledged before Josiah Edon, Esq., March 7, 1717, and witnessed by Obadiah Eddy and his daughter Ben- nett. Recorded book 23, folio 203, 204. Here are the names of the proprietors: Peter Thacher, Jacob Thomson, Isaac Howland, John Morton, John Thomson, Thomas Thomson, Jeremiah Thomas, William Thomas, Jonathan Cobb, Sen'r., Jonathan Cobb, Jr., John Cobb, Sen'r., John Cobb, Jr., Rodulphus Elms, Ichabod King, Shubael Thomson, William Nelson, Daniel Vaughan, Ephraim Wood, John Soul, Aaron Simmins, John Fuller, Edward Thomas, Elisha Vaughan, Jabez Vaughan, George Vaughan, John Vaughan, John Hascol, William Hascol, Henry Wood, Samuel Barrows, Benjamin Eddy, Samuel Eddy, Jonathan Morse, Jr., Isaac Fuller, Ebenezer Redding, Jonathan Smith, Joseph Barden, John Miller, Jr., Jonathan Fuller, Samuel Tinkham, Seth Howland, Joseph Bennet, Samuel Cobb, Peter Bennet, Joel Ellis, Samuel Sampson, Benjamin Stuart, Thomas Bicknell, Josiah Conant, John Tinkham, Isaac Tinkham, Joseph Cobb, Ebenezer Fuller, John Bennett, Samuel Bennett, John Raymond, Jr., Samuel Bennet, Jr., Samuel Parlour, and Nemiah Holmes, said Soul reserving one share.
The first person buried in the burying ground was Lidea Thomas, July, 1717.
" THE LOWER GREEN."
It does not appear of whom the ground was purchased on which the old meeting-house stood, near the school- house ; but the "Green" round about it extending north
47
to the burial ground was given by deed acknowledged and recorded, book 12, folio 196, by James Soule, who sold the burying ground as above, " to the proper use, benefit and behoof of the military company of Middle- borough forever successively." The deed conveys two acres, and is dated the June 20, 1717. Mr. Jacob Soule held the originial deed, but left it with the parish.
REVISED COVENANT AND ARTICLES OF FAITH.
The Covenant and Articles adopted when the church was gathered were printed in 1722, and again in 1771, for the use of the church, and for the information of those who proposed to become members. When the Rev. Mr. Barker became pastor, the Covenant was revised and modernized, preserving the substance. It was intended to express the implied Covenant, which, by fair implication, those who professed to be believers in the Apostolic age, entered into, and which, not being written, was probably explained to the new converts. A written Covenant was adopted by the New England churches from the first, in John Cotton's time. Hooker says, " The Covenant is that which makes a church what it is, and gives the special nature thereto. It is called a 'house,' the body of Christ. It is in the house of God as in other houses ; we must become covenanting servants, if we have any interest there." The substance of the Covenant is in 11 Cor. : 18,-" They first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." The usual form is given in Punchard, 313. The substance, as declared by the New England ministers, is " giving ourselves up to the Lord to be guided by
.
48
him, and to the church according to God to be directed by it." Our revised Covenant fully accords with these views.
Our Articles of Faith are intended to embody the substance of the Savoy Confession, agreed upon by the Congregationalists in Synod in 1658, not materially different from the Presbyterian confession by the Westminster Assembly in the catechism. Our brethren in England have no other. A particular confession, how- ever, may be useful to those who propose to join a church, and to the church also, in order that none may join but such as are agreed in the fundamental doctrines. It is usual in some churches for the candidate to sign the articles. But during the ministry of Mr. Barker and Mr. Paine, no more was required but to assent to them before the pastor or committee. The articles were revised in the early part of the ministry of Mr. Eaton, and it has been usual to read them to the candidates for admission in presence of all the church. This is done in some other churches, but the practice is not general. The Savoy Confession was adopted by the Synod which framed the platform, and is published with it.
THE COVENANT.
You do now, in the most solemn manner, in the presence of the heart searching God, of angels and men, avouch the Lord Jehovah to be your God.
You give up yourself, your time, talents, and all you have to the Lord. You resolve, by the help of Divine grace, to cleave to God and the Lord Jesus Christ in a
49
way of Gospel obedience. You propose to make the Holy Scriptures, at all times, the rule of your faith and practice, so far as, by the grace of God, you shall be enabled to understand them.
You do also, by a solemn Covenant, give up yourself to this church according to the will of God, promis- ing to walk with us in the holy communion, and ordi- nances of the Gospel, willingly subjecting yourself to the watch and discipline of this church, and engaging to watch over your fellow members with love, care, and faithfulness, for our mutual edification. To this do you consent ?
We do then, cheerfully receive you into full com- munion with us, and promise, by the grace of God, to treat you as a member of Christ's body, faithfully and affectionately to watch over you, and always to be ready, by our council and prayers, to promote your spiritual interest.
And we depend on your prayers for us, that we may have grace to perform with fidelity this engagement, and that all of us may be found faithful even unto death, and then join the church triumphant in glory, and be in the immediate presence of our Lord forever and ever. Amen.
ARTICLES OF FAITH.
I. We believe there is only one living and true God, the creator of all things, and that in the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and that these three are one true, eternal God, the same in 7
50
substance, equal in power and glory, although dis- tinguished by their personal properties.
II. We believe the Holy Scriptures contained in the Old and New Testaments, were given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and practice.
III. We believe God made all things for himself; that known unto him are all his works from the begin- ing ; that he worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, and that his laws and the principles and administration of his government are perfectly holy, just and good.
IV. We believe God created man in his own image, holy and without sin, and that he fell from that happy state by transgressing the divine command, and in con- sequence of the first apostacy, all men, previous to regeneration, are destitute of holiness, unreconciled to God, and under condemnation.
V. We believe the Son of God has, by his obedience, sufferings and death, made an adequate atonement for sin, and that all who are saved will be wholly indebted to the sovereign grace of God through his atonement.
VI. We believe that such provision is made in the Gospel, that whoever will may take of the water of life freely ; yet, that sinners will not come to Jesus Christ except they are made willing by the special regenerating influences of the Spirit of God. 1
VII. We believe that for those who are ordained to eternal life, who alone will believe in Jesus Christ, there is no condemnation ; but they will be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.
VIII. We believe the qualification for admission into
51
the church of Christ is, in the sight of God, real piety, and in the sight of man apparent piety, and that all who are in regular standing in the church have a right to all the ordinances of his house, and baptism for their children.
IX. We believe that every church has authority from the Great Head of the church to administer censures upon members who walk disorderly, and that it is not required to refer their decisions to any other earthly tribunal.
X. We believe secret and family prayer, reading of the Scriptures, a religious observance of the Sabbath, a punctual attendance on the public worship of God, and such appointments of the church for prayer and confer- ence meetings, as are in accordance with the Scriptures, are important privileges and duties of professed Christians, and that a holy life is the best evidence we can give of piety.
XI. We believe that, at the second coming of Christ, there will be a resurrection of the bodies, both of the just and unjust ; when all mankind will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, to receive a just and final retribution, according to the deeds done in the body ; and that the wicked will then go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
ORDER OF THE MEETINGS OF THE CHURCH.
Meetings are called at the pleasure of the pastor or of the committee, or on the request of any three of the
52
brethren, and are to be notified from the pulpit, the special business of the meetings to be made known at the same time if desired.
The pastor is the moderator and the clerk, but the church may, at any time, choose any of the brethren to these offices, or a minister of a neighboring church for their moderator. Everything is to be done in the church in an orderly manner, according to the establish- ed rules of civil and ecclesiastical bodies.
The brethren are to speak their sentiments freely, but in order, one speaking at a time, and the majority of votes is to decide all matters acted on by the church.
Every member rises and addresses the moderator, and, on making a motion, has it reduced to writing, if desired by the moderator or brethren, and when seconded, it is read by the moderator, and submitted to the considera- tion of the church.
The moderator decides all questions of order, but there may be an appeal from his decision to the church.
When a report of a committee is presented, a vote to accept and adopt it is an expression of concurrence with the views of the committee.
The church consider it to be the duty of the members to attend the meetings, and their attendance is expected when not prevented by necessity or great inconvenience.
-
DEACONS.
JOHN BENNETT, chosen deacon at the organization of the church; having served for sometime, was or- dained under the election of the church, March 8, 1695.
53
EBENEZER FINNEY : the records do not show when he was chosen. These first deacons and their wives died in March, 1738, and were buried in one grave.
SAMUEL BARROWS, }. Ordained deacons July 25, 1725. EPHRAIM WOOD : No church record of their deaths.
SAMUED WOOD,
Chosen January 30, 1735, ordained March 5, 1737. Deacon Finney died in March, 1745.
BENJAMIN TUCKER, GERSHOM COBB:
EBENEZER FINNEY : - Chosen in Nov., 1745. Dea. Tucker died July 9, 1781, aged 76 ; Dea. Cobb removed to Harwick.
BENJAMIN THOMAS, chosen May 23, 1776, died July 9, 1800, aged 78.
ICHABOD MORTON, chosen January 3, 1782, died May 10, 1809.
ABNER BOURNE, chosen June 8, 1796, died May 25, 1806. JOSHUA EDDY, chosen Oct. 10, 1805, died May 1, 1833. PEREZ THOMAS, chosen May 4, 1803, died May 21, 1828. CALVIN TILLSON, chosen August 13, 1819.
SAMUEL SAMPSON, chosen June 30, 1826, died July 30, 1850.
JAMES SPROAT, chosen October 26, 1834, died April 15, 1837, aged 63.
JOIIN FREEMAN, chosen October 26, 1834, died Feb. 20, 1847, aged 59.
HORATIO G. WOOD, chosen Dec. 2, 1842. He was dis- missed in order to become a member of the central Congregational church, March 25, 1849. NATHAN BASSETT : he was deacon of the church which worshipped at the old meeting-house, 1746, Mr. Weld, minister ; but we have no record of his election.
54
EPHRAIM WOOD, also, who was received in 1715, served many years as deacon, but there is no record of his election or ordination.
JONATHAN COBB : his name is set to the instrument of " Mutual Confession" in 1738, as deacon ; he early belonged to the church, but the time of his admission does not appear. Died Aug. 5, 1728, aged 68 years.
MEMBERS WHO BECAME MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL.
PETER THACHER, JR., graduate at Harvard College 1737; settled at Attleborough.
SAMUEL PALMER, graduated at Harvard 1727 ; settled at Falmouth.
NATHAN PRINCE, graduated at Harvard 1718; settled at Rattan, Honduras. (See subsequent notice.)
- AZEL WASHBURN, graduated at Dartmouth College 1786 ; settled at Rutland, Vermont.
- ISAIH WESTON, graduated at Brown University 1793; settled in Fairhaven.
OTIS THOMPSON, graduated at Brown 1798; settled in Rehoboth.
JAMES SPROAT, graduated at Yale College 1741; settled at Guilford, Conn., 25 years, and afterwards at Philadelphia, 25 years, and died 1793. S. T. D. Nor. Car. and Philadelphia : - " Dr. Sproat was a respectable divine and loved to dwell on the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel. He was held in high esteem, and evinced great piety and submission under the heaviest afflic-
-
55
tions. In the midst of the yellow fever, when but two or three usually attended a funeral, more than fifty attended his ; and some relig- ious Africans volunteered to carry his bier. He was converted under the ministry of Mr. Tenant, and was settled in his church after his death." - Allen's Bio., Dic.
BENAIAH PRATT, was not a graduate, but preached in Maine in the new settlements.
DANIEL O. MORTON : he graduated at Middleberry College 1813 ; settled in New Shoreham, Ver .; Win- chendon, Mass., and died, 1852, in Bristol, N. H. NOAH ALDEN : he was not a graduate, but was a man of distinction, and a useful preacher. He settled first at Stafford and afterwards at Bellingham ; was a member of the convention which formed the Constitution in 1780, and also of that which adopted the Constitution of the U. S. A. HILYARD BRYANT : he graduated at Amherst College in 1831; settled at Wallingford, Conn., as an Episcopalian.
CHARLES W. WOOD; graduated at Brown University 1834, at Andover Seminary 1837; settled in Ashby, Mass.
WILLIAM BARKER, died while pursuing his theological studies in Andover Seminary.
NOTICE OF SOME OF THE MEMBERS.
Although it may seem invidious, the committee feel constrained to notice some of the members of the church who have gone before us, with some particularity : --
56
JACOB THOMPSON, ESQ.
An original member of the church, a man of distinc- tion as a surveyor and magistrate; he surveyed the " twenty-six men's purchase," and divided it among the proprietors in lots, and also the proprietaries of several neighboring towns. He was a man of great weight of character, and took the lead in the deposition of Mr. Palmer. Several of his letters to neighboring ministers on that subject are still extant. He was considered a man of sound piety, and a pillar in the church, and greatly respected.
1724. - SAMUEL PRINCE, ESQ.
A print in Boston, called the " New England Weekly Journal," of July 15, 1728 says, " He was one of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace ; and five of the Justices of the county, and an ancient captain of the town, (July 5,) were bearers at his funeral. He at first lived in Sandwich, then at Rochester, of which he was princi- pal proprietor, and was successively representative of each of these towns. He was religious from his youth, and much improved in Scriptural knowledge; of a public spirit and an open heart. In 1723 he came to Middleborough with his wife and resided with Rev. Mr. Thacher, who married his daughter. Mrs. Prince was the daughter of Gov. Hinkley, of Plymouth Colony, by whom he had seven sons and three daughters. He was father of Rev. Mr. Prince, of the Old South Church, Boston, the author of the Chronology. He was buried,
57
by his own request, under the shade of two oaks at the west end of the new burying ground, (the oaks are still standing,) and afterwards removed to a family tomb in the same yard.
1723. - NATHAN PRINCE,
Son of the above, was educated at Harvard College, where he was fourteen years tutor and five years a fellow, and afterwards an Episcopal missionary in the Island of Rattan, Bay of Honduras, where he died, July 25, 1748, aged 50 years. He was author of a book on the resurrection of our Lord, and of another on the government of the college, both of which were in great estimation. "He is ranked among the great men of this country." - Allen's Bio. Dictionary.
1725. - MERCY PRINCE, ALICE PRINCE,
Daughters of said Samuel, and Elizabeth Ames, (1742) their cousin, were very important helpers in the church, and the tradition is that they promoted the presentation of the silver cup ; they may well be called a family of Princes. Elizabeth married Joshua Lazell, and lived in the house where James Sparrow now lives. Alice mar- ried Samuel Gray, of Harwich.
1712, 1725-MADAM THACHER AND MADAM MORTON
Were grandmothers to many parishioners, and mothers in Israel, ready with every good device and every good work; the pilgrim spirit was in their hearts, and the pilgrim. blood was in their veins, and for nearly forty
8
58
years the church had no better helpers; both our records and tradition bear testimony to their active labors and charity.
1735. - SAMUEL EDDY, JR.
He was among the best hopes of the church. His wife Lydia, was sister to John Alden, the centenarian, whom some of us remember. They joined the church at an early age, and we find his name in every impor- tant committee, and especially in the troublous times which followed Mr. Thacher's death, he was relied on as well qualified to meet the crisis. The committee of the General Court said, "We could not understand these difficulties till Samuel Eddy came before us." The old people have told us, " we had no member of so much intel- ligence, firm and constant piety, and sound discretion in the things of the kingdom." His early death was much lamented. His two sons, Samuel and Nathan, were also members. They removed to the State of New York, and were fathers and grandfathers of a number of eminent ministers of the Gospel.
1729. - MERCY BENNETT.
She was the wife of Nehemiah Bennett, a man of good report in the church. She was a centenarian, and said "Peregrine White had been in her house." The great snow of 1717 was five or six feet deep. She said that " she was then eighteen years of age, and that she and two other girls of her age walked to Plymouth in that snow to meeting on the Lord's day, thirteen miles, and returned the same day." She was firm and consis- tant, and persevering in her piety to the end.
59
1736. - JOANNA PADDOCK.
She was wife of Ichabod Paddock, and daughter of Thomas Faunce, the last " Ruling Elder " in the Plym- outh Church, the son of a pilgrim, and died in 1745, aged 99 years; a man known in all the churches as " mighty in the Scriptures, strong in the faith, of great discretion, and deep and exemplary piety. A letter from Rev. Mr. Thacher to him, on the subject of the great revival, is extant, and soon to be published. In his last sickness, he showed the rock on which the pilgrims landed ; spoke much of the life to come, and to one, who mentioned to him the good he had done, said, "tell me not of that, if I am saved it will be through free, sovereign grace, abounding in Christ Jesus." The daughter was a Christian worthy of such a sire.
1708-20. - ISAAC FULLER.
He was son of the pastor, and a distinguished phy- sician; he lived in the "Fuller neighborhood," and practiced in the neighboring towns, and was often called to distant places. He was honored by the name " Mountebank," which was only vouchsafed to those who were able to prescribe an infallible remedy for all kinds of diseases, or supposed to be so.
1731 -LUKE SHORT.
The record by Mr. Thacher is, "I suppose him near one hundred years old." The following account is from a magazine printed some thirty years since, and which agrees with the reminiscences of him by the old people whom we knew. "He was born in Dartmouth, England,
60
where he lived till he was sixteen years of age. He recollected to have seen Oliver Cromwell, and to have been present when Charles I. was beheaded in 1649. He led a seafaring life, and settled in Marblehead, and thence removed to Middleborough, and had a family of children. At one hundred years of age he worked on his farm, and his mental faculties were but little impaired. He was sitting one day in his field at this advanced age, when his memory was fixed on his early life, and he called to mind the fact of his having heard the celebrated John Flavel preach, and his text, " If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema marenatha." He also recollected much of the sermon, and also that he said, in the blessing, 'how shall I bless this whole assembly, when every person in it who loveth not the Lord Jesus Christ is anathema maranatha.' Whereupon a Baronet fell to the floor with solemn conviction. These recollections called his attention to the subject of religion, and he obtained mercy and joined the First Church in Middleborough, and gave pleasing evidence of piety until his death in 1746, aged 116." His house where he lived and died was on the rising ground about. one hundred rods southwest of Deacon Tilson's.
Among the aged survivors of the great awakening and the wars, and troublous times, whom some of us remember, we would mention Dea. Benjamin Thomas, Barzillai Thomas and John Alden. Dea. Thomas, though not of a cultivated mind in other things, was well versed in the Scriptures, of inflexible virtue, sound and clear orthodoxy, and conscientious in the perform- ance of known duty, holding on upon the old landmark's and not letting them go. " He appeared to have a
61
and discerning mind, and active in duty. He was humbling sense of the depravity of his own heart and his own unworthiness of any favor from God, and said all his dependence was on the free grace of God." -- Mr. Barker's fun. sermon.
In 1782, he was a representative, and in 1788, a mem- ber of the convention which adopted the Federal Con- stitution. A bill was under discussion for repealing the law of primogeniture. The deacon declared his doubts, as the Scriptures showed special favors for the first born. A Boston gentleman said, " the Deacon mistook the Scriptures, for they said that Jacob, though the younger brother, inherited the birthright." The deacon said, " the gentleman had forgotton to tell us how he obtained it, how Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, and how Jacob deceived his father, pretending to be Esau, and how his mother helped on the deception - he had for- gotton all that." The laugh was at first against the deacon, but at last turned against the gentleman from Boston.
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.