USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Chelsea > Documentary history of Chelsea : including the Boston precincts of Winnisimmet, Rumney Marsh, and Pullen Point, 1624-1824, vol 2 > Part 24
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1730 April: 13. At a Church meeting appointed to receive the Deacon's accounts & as also to choose another Deacon. En- sign Joseph Belcher, M' Samuel Watts, & Mr Jacob Hassey were chosen a Committee to be joyned with the Deacons, for drawing out and disposing of the money Collected for the poor; and also to agree with some fit person to look after the Meeting house.
At the same time, Our brother Mr William Hassey was chosen to the Office of a Deacon by a Majority of Votes, & Voters; he Objected his unfitness, but it was left to his serious Consideration. and that he should Manifest his acceptance of the Churches call to sª Office, by sitting in the Deacons seat. The Churches stock in the Deacons hands was found a penny short of what it was last year : 1111: 178: 7d: Out of which the Deacons were ordered to buy a case for the Cushion to preserve it from dust.
Nov: 12. Publick Thanksgiving. The Contribution was appointed for Mis Lamsons daughter, under dangerous circum- stances by a swelling in her neck, the Doctour speaks very donbt- fully of her : there was gathered, about five pounds, eleven shillings. odd penec.
March: 25: Publick ffast. The Contribution for the poor amounted to twenty nine shillings & some pence.
March: 31: At a Church Meeting to receive the Deacons Accounts : the Churches Stock in the Deacons hands was found to be seventeen shillings, two pence more than last year. At the
82 [Rev. David Parsons was Rev. Thomas Cheever's neighbor in Malden, 1709-1721. See Corey, Malden, 469-476; E. Washburn, Leicester, 75-SS.]
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[CHAP. XXVII
same Meeting upon the fame of abusive carriage of Elisha Tuttle and his Wife to their Mother & Sister, after some Debate, the Deacons were appointed to go to them & to Desire them to forbear coming to the Sacrament the Next time: & also to enquire into the matter & see what Evidence there was to lay before the Church at their next Meeting appointed on tlie seventh day of April next. & also to Order sd Tuttle & his Wife to Attend ye Church at that time. At the same Meeting. Mr Sam! Watts, Mr Jacob Hassey, & Mr Samuel Tuttle were Chosen a Committee to be joined with the Deacons for drawing out, and disposing the Money Collected for the Poor.
April: 7: The Church mett according to Appointment, Elisha Tuttle & his Wife were at the Meeting; the Evidence of their Mother & Sister was distinctly read once & again, which they solemnly affirmed, as in the presence of God, to be the truth; but sd Elisha Tuttle & his Wife denied what they were charged with : & their behaviour before the Church was not such as was expected by the Church, whereupon the Church thought it best to referr the matter to another time, & that they might have time to Consider their former carriage to their Mother & Sister.
Juluy 2ª At a Church Meeting Elisha Tuttle & his Wife gave satisfaction to ye Church.
Oct : 28: Publiek Thanksgiving. The Contribution for ye Poor amounted to thirty one shillings, & some pence.
1732 : April : 16. A Generall ffast, a very stormy day ; ye Con- tribution for the Poor, but ten shillings, some pence.
May. 19. At a Church Meeting to receive the Deacons Accounts, The Churches Stock in the Deacons hands was found to be: 13tl : 098 : 11d: At the same time an Account was given of what the Committee had drawn out for the Poor, which the Church approved off, & the Church Voted the same Committee that were chosen last year to Continue this year. At the same Meeting Elisha Tuttle, being sent to by the Church, came and being asked the reason of his Withdrawing from the Communion of the Church after Considerable debate, he Owned that he had done wrong in his Withdrawing, and that he was Sorry, he had neg- leeted so long without asking a dismission. Upon which the Church declared that they would be satisfied, with what he had declared, for the time past, provided he did return to his duty. Attest Thomas Cheever Pastour.
[1732, May 30. The Second Church in Boston sent an invita- tion to Rumney Marsh Church to assist in the ordination of Rev. Samuel Mather as pastor, June 21.7 33
33 [The letter was in the ordinary form.]
239
CHAP. XXVII] FORMATION OF A CHURCH
1732 : June : 11: I read this letter to the Church, & the Church consented to send Our beloved Brethren, Deacon Chamberlane, Deacon Hassey, Mr Joseph Belcher, Mr Samuel Watts, Mr Jacob Hassey & Mr Thomas Brintnal to attend that Service. The Brethren appointed, accompanied ine at the thne & place ap- pointed being the twenty first of June, When the Rev! M' Samuel Mather was Ordained to the Ministry of the Gospel, & to the Pastoral Office in the 2ª Church in Boston.
Octob: 26: Publiek Thanksgiving. The Contribution for the Poor amonnted to 378 & some pence.
1733 March: 29 A General ffast:
Novemb : 22. Publick Thanksgiving. The Contribution for the poor amounted to 468 & some odd pence.
1733-34 : March : 1st A Church Meeting to receive the Deacons accounts. The Churches stock in Deacon Chamberlains hands was found to be twelve pounds, eleven pence, the which because of his removal to live at Pullen-point, he desired the Church to receive it, which they did, & gave Deacon Chamberlane a receipt by their Pastor: The Church then deposited sd 12": 11ª in Deacon Wm Hasseys hands, so that the Church's Stock in sd Deacon Hasseys hands, with three pounds & seventeen shillings which he had in his hands before, & twenty shillings given by Deacon Chamberlane, amounts in the whole to sixteen pounds, seventeen shillings, & eleven pence. There is also in the hands of Deacon Hassey four pounds, sixteen shillings & five pence of the money Contributed for the poor.
At the same Meeting Capt: Sam! Watts, Mr Jacob Hassey, & Mr Sam1: Tuttle were desired to Continne as a Committee in con- junction with the Deacons for drawing out and disposing of the money Collected for the Poor. Attest: Thomas Cheever Pastor. April : 4: A General ffast.
The church at Rumney Marsh received a letter from the Second Church of Boston, of which Joshua Gee and Samuel Mather were pastors, calling its attention to " the Scandalous Differences, & Divisions that have arisen & prevailed for some years in the first Church of Christ at Salem," of which Rev. Mr. Fisk was pastor, and that on the request of " a Considerable Number of the Brethren of that Church," the Boston church determined by its Elders and other dele- gates to visit the Salem church "in order more fully to Understand their ease, & to know what might be our farther Duty relating to it."
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[CHAP, XXVII
Accordingly the Salem church were notified of this pur- pose in a letter addressed to Rev. Mr. Fisk, and asking for a conference on February 20, 1733/4. This letter, however, Mr. Fisk did not communicate to his church; but he and some members of the church wrote private letters to dis- courage the coming of the delegates of the Boston church. But these letters only served to eonfirin the latter in " a per- swasion, that [they] were called to Testify [their] Com- munion with the first Church in Salem, according to the Method prescribed in our Platform of Church discipline, commonly ealled, the third Way of Communion, and agre- ably to the Adviee of a Couneil of Churches Assembled at Salem in the Summer past." The delegates proceeded to Salem, but Rev. Mr. Fisk refused to receive them; where- upon they, after inquiring into the state of affairs, as they were directed, signed " a letter of Brotherly Admonition " to the Salem ehureh, and waited on Mr. Fisk and entreated him " to aeeept & eommunieate it"; but this also Mr. Fisk refused, " deelaring he would have nothing to do with a letter that eame in the third way of Communion: so that [the Boston ehureh was] denied the Priviledge of Communion with Our Brethren the first Church in Salem, either by letters or by conference."
There appear to have been three ways of communion between churches: First, by mutual care; secondly, by con- sultation with one another; and thirdly, by admonition.34
Being thus repulsed in their friendly offers, the Boston church made one more endeavor to bring Mr. Fisk to reason according to the Platform, and accordingly wrote to him enclosing a copy of their former letter of admonition, and beseeehing him to relieve the Boston ehureh of the necessity of ealling in other ehurehes to assist in the work of diseipline. But Mr. Fisk remained obdurate, and took no notice of the second letter. Whereupon the Boston church sent letters to several other churches, among which was that of Rumney Marsh, asking them to appear by their Elders and other
34 John Wise, The Churches Quarrel Espoused, 110. [According to the Platform of Church Discipline, 1649, chap. xv. sect. 2, there were also three other ways of communion between churches: - 4thly, by participation; 5thly, by recommendation; and 6thly, by relief in case of need. See Mather's Magnalia, Book v.]
241
CHAP. XXVII] FORMATION OF A CHURCH
delegates at a conference to be held at Salem; to join in " See- onding our Charitable Admonition " to the Salem church.35
April : 14: I read this letter to the Church : And they readily complyed with the business, and Consented to Send our Beloved Brethren. Deacon Chamberlane, Deacon Hassey, Capt Samuel Watts & M' Jacob Hassey, with my self to Attend that Service.
Deacon Chamberlane at his desire was exensed; the other three attended the service.
1734: Ap: 28: This 28th of April, I acquainted the Church. that we according to their Vote Went to Salem, the 234 of this instant; Where we mett the Delegates of the Second Church in Boston, and the Delegates of the third Church in Boston, & the Delegates of the first Church in Gloucester. After we were formed into a Council, the Delegates of the Second Church in Boston laid before us the Case of the first Church in Salem, from a con- siderable Number of letters, & other Papers, as also their Chari- table Admoni| tion] to the sd first Church in Salem, whereby it did plainly appear to us, that there had been Seandalous Conten- tion in the first Church of Salem of long Continuance, & that they had Neglected to use proper means for healing their Divisions. Whereupon We were convinced it was our Duty to joyn with the Second Church in Boston, in Seconding their Charitable Admo- nition. Here follow's a Copy of what was done by the Council.38
Memorandum. When the Committe went to present this Ad- monition, M' Fisk was gone from home; the young woman of the house would not receive it; when told that it might be she was ordered not to receive it. She answered, she would not say
35 [ Rev. Thomas Cheever inscribed this letter on the Romney Marsh church records. It was printed in a pamphlet entitled : " A Faithful Nar- rative of the Proceedings of the Ecclesiastical Conneil convened at Salem in 1734," by J. Sewall and others of the Council, 1735, pp. 36-39. The pre- liminary correspondence of the Second Church in Boston with Mr. Fisk and with the disaffected members of his church was printed there among the official documents of the two conneils. 1
30 [Printed in the pamphlet eited in note 35.1 The letter of admonition to Salem church was signed by Thomas Cheever, moderator, John White, Joseph Sewall, Thomas Prince, Joshna Gee, Sammel Mather, Edward Hutch- inson. Josiah Willard, Nathanael Saltonstall, JJames Sayword, Nathanael Coit, Thos. Cushing, Jr., Samuel Watts, Edward Proctor, Dan. Henchman, William Hasey, James Pierpoint, Joseph Allen, Grafton Feveryeare. Wil- liam Larrabee, Jacob Hasey. Among these names will be recognized many then famous in theology, and others afterwards among the foremost patriots of the colony. [The Council adjourned to meet at Boston May 28; see infra, the entry of June 9.]
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ICHAP. XXVII
she was not : in our Return we saw Deacon Osgood & would have given him the letter for M' Fisk, but he also refused to receive it. Attest Thomas Cheever.
1734, May 15: At a Church-meeting appointed to deal with our brother William Tuttle for drunkenness, he Offered an acknowl- edgement which was read; and after Considerable debate about his acknowledgment, whither it were sufficient for his being restored to the Communion of the Church at the Lords table from which he had absented himself for a considerable time, it was Conclu- ded on the Negative, for these reasons: first, becaus he had con- tracted a habit of drunkenness by frequent acts; & also because he had often made great promises of reformation to such of the Brethren as had dealt with him about his sin, but all were soon forgotten ; & also because he did not offer his acknowledgement untill he knew the Church had appointed to deal with him. Upon the whole the Church concluded he should be Suspended from the Lords table for some time to see Whither his secming repentance were attended with fruits mect for repentance & a reformation : the Sentence of Suspension was formally pronounced.
Attest Thomas Cheever
June : 9. 'At night I acquainted the Church with the result of the Council, upon their Adjournment to Boston, May 28th; who on May 30th, Unanimously concluded, that Our Churches ought to make use of a Synod, or Council of Neighbour Churches Walk- ing orderly, for the conviction of the first Church in Salem, ac- cording to the Direction of our Platform; together with the Several Churches which they agreed to Call in, (27 Churches sent to) 37 and read the copy of the letter to be sent to those Churches. The Church Voted, that their former Delegates should attend this Service untill the matter were brought to an issue.
Attest. Thomas Cheever.
July 16, Nineteen of ye 27 Churches, called in by the 4 Churches, met at Salem by their Elders & other Delegates, on the 16 of July, Who after they had formed themselves, having chosen ye Rd. M' Nchemiah Walter of Roxbury their Moderatour, & Mr John Barnard, of Marblehead Adjutant Moderatour, & made their Rules for their Voting by Churches; sent for the 4 Churches to lay the Case before them which they did, and answercd severall Objections made against their proceedings. Several Ministers & some other Delegates Withdrew because the Councel refused to take Mr. ffisks proposals to his agrieved Brethren into their Con- sideration & among the rest Mr Barnard withdrew, whereupon the
37 [Interlined in the original.]
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1
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CHAP. XXVII] FORMATION OF A . CHURCH
Councel Chose Rd. Mr. Jeremiah Wise of Berwick Adjutant Mod- eratour in his stead; there remained 15 Churches, & when the letter of advice was read, it was voted Unanimously by those 15 Churches, the 4 Churches being joyned made up the Number of 19 Churches. The Council justifyed ye proceedings of ye 4 Churches; and adjourned to Octob: 15: When & where the Councel being met at Salem, took Mr. flisks proposals under their Consideration & made their Remarks upon them which were publickly read in the Meeting house, & afterwards published their Result also in the Meeting house: there were 17 Churches when the Result was Voted: then ye Council Dissolved.38
Nov : 7: Publiek thanksgiving. the Contribution for the poor above thirty shillings.
Dee. 8: Just before ye Administration of ye Sacrament, Wil- liam Tuttle, who was Suspended from the Lords-supper, May : 15: was restored by a Vote of the Church to their love & Communion.
1734/5: ffeb : 21: At a Church Meeting appointed to consider what we had to do farther in the case of the first Church at Salem : after the reading of some letters, & the proposals made by Mr ffisk to his aggrieved Brethren, with the remarks of the Comeil upon them, as also the Result of the Council ; and some debate : the Church Voted their approving and accepting the judgment of the Council ; I then read the following declaration and the Church Voted it without any contradieting, & that it should be publickly read the next Lords day, which was done accordingly. Attest. Thomas Cheever.
We the Church of Christ in Rnmny-marish, having upon the call & invitation of the 2ª Church in Boston, sent Our Elder & other Delegates, to meet with the Delegates of the sd 2ª Church in Boston, and the Delegates of some Other Churches, at Salem upon the 23d of April last; when & where they mett with the Elders & Delegates of the 3ª Church in Boston, & the first Church in Glocester; and having the state of the first Church in Salem laid before them by the Delegates of the 2ª Church in Boston, together with the Charitable Admonition of the sd Church given to the first Church in Salem for their Negleet of the Means of peace under their Scandalous Contentions: & being fully satisfied that there has been a Seandalons Contention for a long time in the first Church in Salem, and that sd Church has Neglected to use the proper means for healing their Divisions; and that the 2d
[The result of the Council was here inseribed by Rev. Thomas Cheever. It was printed in the pamphlet cited in note 35. See also infra, the entry of February 21, 1734/5.]
.
2.14
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XXVII
Church in Boston had just reason to give an Admonition to the first Church in Salem for that their Neglect; and that they had given their Admonition with Regularity, Prudence, and tender- ness; and being fully sensible of the just Occasion of Uniting with the Delegates of the 2d Church in Boston, in Seconding their Charitable Admonition, both because the first Church in Salem still Continue in Contention, refuse to hearken to the Admonition given them, & still Negleet to Use the means of peace :
Accordingly Our Delegates, with the Delegates of the third Church in Boston, & the first Church in Glocester Uniting with the Delegates of the 2ª Church in Boston, made their Application to the Rev :d M' Fisk, that he would allow them a Conference with him & his Church upon the Melancholy Occasion; and when this was absolutely refused; they joyned in Seconding the Admonition of the 2ª Church in Boston, as both the reason of the thing, & the Platform of our Church discipline, agreably to the Rules of Gods word directed : And having adjourned to meet at Boston on May: 28: that they might know, whither their Admonition had the desired good effect on the first Church in Salem, it then ap- peared by letters & testimonies received from 21 aggrieved Breth- ren at Salem, that the sd letter of Admonition had been once and again refused by the Pastor, with repeated declarations that he would neither hear, nor receive it; so that the first Church in Salem appears to continue Obstinate & impenitent under Seanda- lous Divisions, & refuses to hearken to the Charitable Admonition of Neighbour Churches. Whereupon the Delegates of the 4 above- mentioned Churches were Unanimously of Opinion, that their Churches ought to procced to make Use of the help of a Synod, or Council of Neighbour Churches Walking Orderly, for the Con- viction of Our Brethren of the first Church in Salem. Accord- ingly by their letters they Called in a great Number of Churches, to meet at Salem on the 16th of July.
When we received from Our Delegates an account of what they liad done in Our name, and what they had farther coneluded upon, We were well satisfied therewith, and Voted that Our former Dele- gates should attend this Serviee, untill it were brought to an issue. The Major part of the Churches, that were sent to, did meet at Salem, on the 16th of July, by their Elders & other Dele- gates, & having formed themselves into a Council, by choosing Rd : Mr Nehemiah Walter of Roxbury their Moderator; they sent for the Delegates of the four Churches abovenamed to lay before them the Melancholy ease of the first Church in Salem ; the Steps they had taken, & what they had to Offer, for the Justification. of their Apprehension, that that Church is Obstinate & impenitent in
215
CHAP. XXVIII
FORMATION OF A CHURCH
Scandalous Division among them : which when they had done, and Answered Several Objections made against their proceedings; The Council justified the Proceedings of the sº 4 Churches, & desired the 4 Churches to joyn with this Council, in their farther pro- voeding, as by their Votes app[car. ] When the 4 Churches were joyned with the Council, the Council reinforced the repeated Ad- monitions given to the first Church in Salem, by leaving with them a letter of Advice for their Conviction, & Adjourned to 15th of October.
The Council met again at Salem according to Adjournment, Octob: 15: and having Examined & Maturely Weighed the case of the first Church in Salem, as they say in their Result, and having Offered other proper Methods for their Conviction, which proved ineffectual, the Council declared their Apprehension & judgment, that the first Church in Salem hath Slighted all means that have been used with them, nor have complied with their Duty as a Church, in any one particular: and farther declared that, as the sª Church, Notwithstanding a long Series of Reproofs. Admonitions, & advice & other Means, upon the account of their Open Offenees, still remains Obstinate, We the Council aforsd think Our Selves called to bear Witness against the Male-admin- istration of that Offending Clurch, according to Direction of Our Platform of Church discipline. Accordingly in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, We protest, declare, and publish, that this Church is become Obstinate & impenitent Scandal, and hath justly exposed it self to a Sentence of Non-Communion from Our several Churches. Having made which Deelaration, We farther proceed to Declare to all the Churches of Our Lord Jesus Christ through this Province; that the first Church in Salem hath ju[stly] for- feited the Priviledge of Communion with these Churches, & deserve to be deprived of the priviledge. However the Council, conform- ably to the pattern of Our great Saviour, who hath compassion on the ignorant, and on such as are out of the way, think & make known, that the Churches, to which we respectively belong, may out of tenderness & compassion delay to Pronfonnee ] the Sentence of Non-communion for the space of three Moneths after the Date of this our declaration : and if after the patient & tender delay of this Sentence, it shall not appear [to] our respective Churches, that the first Church in Salem have repented & betaken themselves to the use of proper means of peace and healing, We then advise, that Our Churches, approving and accepting the judgment of the Council, do Declare the Sentence of Non communion respectively concerning them ; and that they Withdraw themselves from Par- ticipation with them at the Lords table, and from such other
246
HISTORY OF CHELSEA
[CHAP. XXVII
acts of holy Communion, as the Communion of Churches doth otherwise allow and require.
We the Church beforenamed declare, that we approve and accept the judgment of the Council, and having waited four moneths, to see whither the first Church in Salem have repented, and betaken themselves to the Use of proper means of peace & healing; but no such thing appearing, We now Proceed to declare the Sentence of Non Communion concerning them. Accordingly in the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, We do solemnly publish & declare that we will not hold Communion with the first Church in Salem, neither by participation with them at the Lords table, nor any other act of holy Communion, as the Communion of Churches doth otherwise allow and require. And in as much as there are Several Members of that Offending Church, named in the Result of the Council, who do not consent to the Offence of the Church, but do in due sort bear Witness against it, We will receive them to wonted Communion. Voted by the Church ffebr: 21: nemine contradicente Attest Thomas Chcever.39
1734/5 At the Church Mecting, ffebr : 21 : it was Unanimously Voted, that the Church should Meet upon the last fryday in March in Order to choosing Ruling Elders.
March : 28. The Church mett according to their Appointment, to choose Ruling Elders: When they brought in their Votes. Capt. Samuel Watts, & Dcacon William Hassey were Chosen by the Majority of Voters.40
At the same time Mr Jacob Hassey 41 was Chose to ye Office of a Deacon by a Major Vote.
June 17 A Church Meeting according to appointment, to con- sider a letter received from the Church of Christ in Hopkinton desiring this Church to send their Pastor & other Delegates to meet with the Delegates of some other Churches, to give them advice in a matter of difficulty referring to a Number of Bretheren of fframingham Church who desire to joyn with the Church in Hop-
39 The trial and condemnation of the Salem church, proceeding with great regularity in accordance with the accepted ecclesiastical rules in such cases, led to results far more serious than would follow in these days. See infra, p. 249, the action by which the Salem church, ten years later, 1745, sought and was returned to the fellowship of the Church. See Hutchinson, Hist. of Mass. (ed. 1795), i. p. 373.
40 This appears to have been the first election of Ruling Elders in Cheever's church. The duties of these officers are set forth in the Platform of Church Discipline, chap. vii. But what led to their appointment at this particular date and not earlier I am unable to say. [See supra, vol. i. pp. 242, 244, 338, 353.]
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