USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Historical collections, Vol. II > Part 17
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Several of his parishioners in this society sympathized with Mr. Ballou, and embraced the new doctrine, and these con- verts to the new faith soon began to move for his dismission from the Charlestown society, and for several years created a disagreeable division among his people, which resulted in his preaching his closing sermon, October 6, 1823.
He continued at Charlestown to preach to fully half of the members of that society, who withdrew and held their meetings in the town-hall, until March, 1824, when he accepted an invitation to settle over a Universalist society at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He continued there till 1828, when, after much deliberation, he accepted an invitation to become pastor of the Unitarian society in Charlton.
This act, on the part of the Universalists, was by many regarded as a wrong step, as in fact he had not withdrawn his connection from their association before accepting this invita- tion ; and, furthermore, there was then a society of Universal- ists in that town.
Accordingly, the southern association soon after passed a vote of censure or disapprobation for his connecting himself with the Unitarians ; this act Mr. Turner regarded as meddle- some and contrary to right and proper usage. In a letter to Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, Mr. Turner writes as follows :
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"Asking to be dismissed is an act merely formal. I intended, and still intend, to take up my connection with your order at the meeting of the convention. This I should have had to do even if I had applied to the southern association. I have purposely avoided increasing the num- ber and consequent trouble of such formal transactions."
The following is the resolution passed by the association :
Voted unanimously : "That notwithstanding we individually disap- prove the conduct of Rev. Edward Turner in placing himself at the head of a society in Charlton, which is in opposition to a Universalist society in that place, and in connection with a body which disclaims all fellow- ship with the order of Universalist Christians, this association submits the consideration of the subject to the general convention."
Rev. Mr. Cobb, in reply to Mr. Turner, who complained of this action, wrote as follows :
" The case, as it stood before us, may be thus stated: A Universalist minister, in full connection with the Universalist order of Christians, had consented to take the lead of a party in Charlton against the inter- est of a society in the same place which was in our fellowship, and the interest of which he was of course under solemn obligation to aid. We did not consider you as having separated yourself from our connection. We do not contend that you ever put yourself under obligation to aid the interests of the Universalist order as long as you live; but we con- tend that, when one comes into the fellowship of our convention, lie comes under a particular obligation to aid our common cause; and that this obligation continues as long as he continues in our connection. And if you judge you have a right to exert your influence, either for or against our order, as you choose, before you take up your connection with us, we judge that we have a right to express to the world our approbation or disapprobation of the course you take. I know that the association recognizes the principle you contend for-that one has a right to with- draw from our connection without being censured for it; and the con- sideration of your case was put off from the first to the second day, with the hope that, before the close of the session, we should receive from you some communication, which would relieve us from the disagreeable necessity of maintaining the credit and discipline of our order by a vote of disapprobation."
The minutes of the session of the Universalist association, held at Cavendish, Vermont, in 1828, give the following mem- orandum-records of the convention :
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" Received a request from Rev. Edward Turner, that his connection with this body be dissolved ; whereupon, voted that said request be granted."
The invitation by the people of Charlton to Mr. Turner to become the pastor of the Unitarian society about being formed was in November, 1827. Immediately (November 13) he wrote to the wardens of his parish, asking their advice as to his leaving. On the 27th he wrote to the Rev. L. Willis :
"You may have heard that I have been invited to settle over a Uni- tarian society in Charlton, Massachusetts. This is actually the case, and I wish your opinion on the subject. The society is probably, to a man, on the restoration ground. It is in part formed of persons who were my hearers and supporters in the early part of my ministry. I should be the same man I have ever been, and preach the same doctrine."
His decision was not probably reached till Jannary or February.
This acceptance was, no doubt, the mistake of his life ; it led to his withdrawal from all his old associations, resting his chances for future success and a living upon a connection at least doubtful ; and as he says, with those who profess restor- ation, which he acknowledges was then his belief, as it had been heretofore.
With his present belief he could not be received into the association with Unitarians, although installed as such over the church and society in Charlton.
He, no doubt, was led to this partly from old associations, being the scene of his early life and first association in the ministry. He, also, no doubt, hoped that the connection with the people of Charlton would be a permanent settlement, where he would receive a reasonable support, and be with- drawn from the disagreeable differences which had been a great perplexity to his naturally peaceful and quiet disposition.
In all this he was to be disappointed, as a large portion of his hearers at Charlton sympathized with Universalism, in its
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recently declared faith, which soon produced a division in his society, and caused his dismission in May, 1831.
He spent the winter of 1831-'32 at the South; and in July, 1832, he became minister of a small Unitarian society at Fishkill Landing, New York. Here he continued until the spring of 1840, when his family went to Charlestown, Massa- chusetts, to reside for a year, with his son-in-law, Mr. Brown, then of that place. In March, 1841, he and Mrs. Turner removed to Jamaica Plain, to a home left by their son-in-law, Captain Brewer, in their care during his absence with his wife to the Sandwich Islands, and in his family they happily passed the remainder of their days.
After leaving Fishkill, Mr. Turner preached nearly every Sabbath up to within two or three years of his death, spend- ing considerable time by way of supply, at Burlington, Ver- mont ; North Easton, Westminster, Boylston, Barnstable, and South Natiek, Massachusetts; and he occasionally preached up to the last of his days.
He was present as one of the bearers at the funeral of his old friend and co-worker, Mr. Ballou, June 9, 1852. In Octo- ber of that year he preached for the last time in the Unitarian church, at West Roxbury.
" No decline in his health had been observed, except the advance of age; and amidst his children and his books, with his faithful compan- ion at his side, surrounded with everything to minister to his happiness, his days were passing in a serene, beautiful and (for him) vigorous old age, when suddenly, on Friday, January 14, 1853, while reading, he was attacked with chills, and the usual symptoms of a severe cold. Calling him to dinner, the servant found him too ill to go to the table. He im- mediately took his bed, and was comfortably sick for about a week.
He died early Monday morning, January 24, at the age of seventy-six years and six months."*
* This biographical sketch has been derived from information furnished by his children, particularly Mrs. Weld; and the biographical sketch written by Rev. E. G. Brooks, D. D., published in the April and July numbers of The Universalist, for the year 1871; also, from a long personal acquaintance by this writer, having often heard him preach in the south part of Worcester county, while he resided in that vicinity.
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JOHN BISBE.
Rev. John Bisbe was born in Plympton, Massachusetts, May 12, 1794. He was the oldest son and child of John Bisbe and Lydia Soule. He was educated at Brown univer- sity, Providence, Rhode Island. His father intended him for a Calvinistic minister, but while in college he heard Rev. Richard Carrique preach Universalism, which called his atten- tion to the merits of that doctrine. He was reared, in his father's family, in the strictest sense of the Calvinistie faith, his father being a deacon of a church of that order. He had a severe conflict in his mind before accepting the faith of Uni- versalism ; his father being much displeased with him on that account, especially as he had intended him for the ministry of the faith he professed.
It caused him great grief to differ with his father, but a sense of duty, in support of what he believed the teachings of the Seriptures, impelled him to adopt the faith of Univer- salism.
He now appears to have for a time abandoned the idea of being a minister of the Gospel, and commeneed the study of law at Taunton, in the office of the Hon. Marcus Morton, where he continued fifteen months. But this profession was not adapted to his taste and inclination. His religious feeling and nice discrimination between right and wrong would not permit him to join in the ordinary contests of the legal pro- fession.
His gentle temperament and conscientious scruples deterred him from entering upon a life of contest suitable to the re- quirements of a lawyer engaged in trials of litigation.
The Bible was much preferred to law books ; his delight and chief happiness was the study of the Scriptures, particularly the new dispensation ; this led him baek to his first decision: that of a preacher of the Gospel.
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He now abandoned the law, and gave his attention to the- ology. His studies in this direction were mostly without a teacher ; he was an apt scholar, and soon became learned in the Scriptures. With a natural and easy flow of language, and possessing an acute and logical mind, it was easy for him to discuss questions in theology, or to illustrate portions of Scripture in a manner to command the attention of intelligent minds.
He joined the Universalist denomination at their general convention held at Claremont, New Hampshire, in the year 1818, and received ordination and license to preach according to that order.
His first sermon was preached at Dana, Massachusetts, and the next at Hardwick. He was at once regarded as a preacher of a high order in point of eloquence and logieal reasoning.
He then preached for the Universalists at Western (now Warren), and at Brookfield, in the parish of Podunk. At both places he gained many hearers, and soon created such an interest with the people in his behalf and the cause of Uni- versalism, that a meeting-house was ereeted for him at each of these places.
These houses were dedicated to the worship of God, and he ordained as pastor over the two societies, on the 14th of November, 1821.
During this period he established a high school at Podunk, for the instruction of young ladies and gentlemen, in the usual branches of academical studies, which soon became of high repute.
Here, on the 9th of June, 1823, he was married to one of his pupils, Miss Mercy Ruggles, daughter of Constant Rug- gles, Esq., of Hardwick, and continued to reside at South Brookfield until he accepted an invitation to become pastor of a Universalist society at Hartford, in the autumn of 1824, where he preached three years.
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Here he had a call to become pastor of a Universalist society in Philadelphia, another of that order in New York, and a third from a Universalist society in Portland, Maine.
He accepted the latter, removed to Portland, in July, 1827, and became greatly beloved and admired by his parishioners.
Here he caught a violent cold, and in attempting to address a temperance assemblage about the 1st of March, 1829, his exertion aggravated his disease, producing pneumonia, which terminated his life on the 8th instant, following, at the age of thirty-four years and ten months.
His advance as a preacher, and the brilliancy of his powers of elocution, caused his death to be greatly lamented through- ont this denomination ; all felt that a great hope had been disappointed in his early decease.
He was one of the first to encourage the establishing of Sabbath schools in this denomination, and was among the first who engaged in the cause of temperance. He was active wherever he labored in promoting the cause of religion, and those things which tended to advance the moral and social character of the people. He established Bible classes, and held frequent meetings for conference and prayer, taking the lead, and making zealous efforts to interest his people in all practical ways which would tend to their general welfare.
He preached extemporaneously, simply having a few words to remind him of the points and order in which the subject was to be discussed ; and from his choice of words, and the connected manner in which his subject was treated, it could scarcely be imagined that he was not preaching from full notes.
He was remarkable for the purity and beauty of his diction, and so familiar was he with the meaning of words, and so choice in their nse, that a critic once said of him, "that he never used a word when there was a better one in the English language to express his meaning."
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His conscientiousness was remarkable and carried to the minutest details of life ; he would not allow the slightest departure from strict truth, either expressed or implied.
He was so nice and scrupulous that, when a suit of clothes came from his tailor, he could not be induced to wear them until they had been paid for.
The disease which terminated his life continued but eight days, and near its close he requested that his society should be informed that he was firm in the faith which he had preached to them, and that he saw with clearer vision than ever before the spiritual world and its glories.
He was a prayerful and devout Christian ; it was his daily custom to read the Scriptures to his family, and lead them in prayer each morning before entering upon his daily duties. He was a constant reader of the Scriptures, and the last chapter which he read with his family was the 17th chapter of Job, beginning, " My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me." It was a singular circumstance, as he was then in usual health, but was taken severely ill that night and never again rose from his bed.
His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Thomas King, father of T. Starr King, and the church was crowded with people of the different religious denominations, who mani- fested much feeling and regret for the loss of a man who had, by his purity of character and kindly deportment, made him- self beloved and respected by all who had his acquaintance. Although comparatively a young man, he possessed the wis dom and discretion of a person full of years ; his parishioners felt the shock of his sudden departure from them, as they loved him as a friend and faithful guide, and knew it would be diffi- cult, if possible, to fill his place again.
Three children were the fruit of his marriage with Miss Ruggles : Laurelia Ruggles, born May 31, 1824, died Octo- ber 8, 1825 ; Lydia Laurelia, born August 10, 1826, is now 14A
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living in Orange, New Jersey, the wife of David H. Ropes, Esq. ; they have four children, three sons and one daughter, the only descendants of John Bisbe that now survive. Charlotte Ruggles, the third daughter of John Bisbe, and Merey, his wife, was born, June 6, 1828, and died, November 29, 1832.
His widow was married, April 8, 1833, to Captain Daniel Jackson of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and had by her second marriage eight children-three daughters and five sons. Cap- tain Jackson died, February 1, 1852. Mrs. Jackson had, pre- vious to her husband's decease, in the year 1842, commenced the practice of medicine at Plymouth, and continued to practice at that place until 1860, when she removed to Boston, after attending a course of studies at the New England Female college, where she received the degree of M. D. She at this time has quite an extensive practice at Boston, among the best class of people, and has secured for herself a liberal competency.
The personal appearance of Mr. Bisbe was peculiar and very noticeable ; once seen could not easily be forgotten. He was thin, in stature rather tall, and light complexion. His hair something of a nondescript in color ; it had a yellow tinge, nearly a cream color, with eyebrows nearly white.
His thorough knowledge of history and political affairs caused frequent requisitions upon his time for the delivery of addresses and orations, which he executed with signal ability. His oratory was pleasing and attractive, always drawing a full house.
REV. JOHN BOYDEN.
John Boyden was a native of Sturbridge, Massachusetts, born in 1808 or 1809. His father was a very respectable farmer, and united with the society of Universalists in the parish of Podunk, South Brookfield, and a constant at- tendant upon the preaching of Rev. John Bisbe while he
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was the pastor of that society. It was in the select school established at this place by Rev. Mr. Bisbe that young Boyden received most of his education in the higher branches of learn- ing, and probably drew his inspiration in favor of the pro- fession of a preacher of the Gospel. He commenced the occupation of school-teacher about the age of sixteen, and for a time taught an annual school in New York, in a town on the Hudson river.
While on a visit to his father's family, he met Rev. Massena B. Ballou, then the pastor of the Universalist society in the north part of Charlton, but who occasionally supplied preach- ing for the society in the parish of Podunk, where he formed the acquaintance of the elder Boyden, and frequently visited his family. It was on one of these visits that Mr. Ballou met young Boyden, and became much interested in him, diseov- ering that his young acquaintance possessed more than ordinary ability, evincing knowledge beyond that usually of -persons of his age.
It was at this first interview that Mr. Ballon suggested the idea of his preparing himself for the ministry; in this the young man acquiesced, and requested his aid, and soon after became a member of his family, where he commenced reading under the guidance of Mr. Ballou, preparatory for the ministry.
Having spent several months in this family, it was deemed advisable to continue his studies where he could possess better and more enlarged advantages, and with this object in view he placed himself under the care of Hosea Ballou, in Boston, where he completed his ministerial education. He had not been long there before Mr. Ballon sent him to preach to some destitute societies.
His first sermon was preached at Gloucester, and for a year he preached occasionally in the vicinity of Boston ; then re- ceived an invitation to reside in the family of Rev. Menzies
.
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Rayner, then of East Hartford, Connecticut, where he re- mained about a year, preaching in various towns in that State. He was, in 1831, married to Miss Sarah Jacobs, sister of the wife of Rev. Massena B. Ballon, and soon was invited and became pastor of the Universalist church in Berlin, Connec- ticut, and was esteemed a very successful and good preacher. He was next settled several years in Dudley, Massachusetts ; while here he occasionally preached at Southbridge, Charlton, Brookfield, and Oxford, and became generally beloved and respected by the people of this faith in the vicinity. Having closed his pastorate at Dudley, commencing in 1835 and end- ing in 1840, he was invited to take charge of the Universalist society in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, where he continued until his death, which occurred, September 28, 1869, at the age of sixty-one, having been pastor of this society in Woon- socket twenty-nine years, where he was greatly beloved, and his death sincerely lamented.
The south part of Worcester county has been the scene where many of the most able and celebrated ministers of the Universalist faith have frequently preached their doctrine, and aided in rearing the several churches of this denomination.
John Murray, one of the pioneers in this faith, occasionally appeared here. He participated in the proceedings of the first Universalist convention, which met at Oxford in 1785, and adopted the name of "Independent Christian Univers- alists," as their denominational title. Mr. Murray was a native of England, born in Alton, Hampshire county, Decem- ber 10, 1741, and died at Boston, Massachusetts, September 3, 1815. He came to America in 1770, at the age of twenty- nine years. Under the preaching of Wesley and Whitfield he became a convert to Methodism, and occasionally preached in connection with Rev. John Wesley ; but soon after his ar- rival in America he adopted the faith of Universalism, and was excommunicated therefor from the Methodist connection. He
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appeared in this country first in New York and New Jersey, then at Newport, Rhode Island, at Boston, Portsmouth, and many other places in New England, and finally settled at Gloucester, Massachusetts, in 1774. His preaching every- where was vigorous and effective. In 1775 he received the appointment of chaplain for three regiments from Rhode Island, then encamped before Boston, but owing to ill-health his connection with the army was closed, and he returned to Gloucester and served the Universalists there again. In 1783 he became plaintiff in an action brought to recover property belonging to people of this denomination, which had been ap- propriated to the expenses of the original orthodox society of Gloucester, on the ground that Universalists were not a soci- ety legally authorized and vested with civil and corporate powers. The decision of the court in his favor established an important principle in the constitution of religious societies.
In 1793 he was settled over a society in Boston. From his activity in disseminating the principles of the Universalists, he is regarded as the father of Universalism in America.
MASSENA B. BALLOU.
The Rev. Massena B. Ballou, who was settled for a time over the Universalist society in Charlton, was the second son of Rev. Hosea Ballon, of Boston, who was for about forty years pastor of the Universalist society in School street in that city. The late Hosea Ballon here referred to was born in the town of Richmond, New Hampshire, April 30, 1771, and his wife, whose maiden name was Ruth Washburn, was born at Williamsburg, Massachusetts, the 17th of September, 1778. They were married, September 15, 1796, and had three sons and six daughters.
The subject of this sketeh was born in the town of Dana, Massachusetts, November 28, 1800, but before his remem-
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brance his father, who had his first settlement at Dana, re- moved to Barnard, Vermont, in the year 1803, where this son resided seven years, and attended the district school there, kept part of the time by his father. He then removed with his father to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he was settled as pastor over the society of Universalists, and re- mained there about seven years, till 1815, and here this sub- jeet again attended the town school, and then followed his father to Salem, Massachusetts, where he preached about two years, until invited to become pastor of the second Universal- ist society in Boston, in 1817, in December. This society had then just finished their meeting-house, the present venerable structure on School street, where on the 25th of said month he received installation. Rev. Paul Dean preached the ser- mon from Aets xx, 24th, and also gave the fellowship of the churches. Rev. Edward Turner, then of Charlestown, made the installing prayer and gave the charge; and the Rev. Joshua Flagg, who succeeded Mr. Ballon at Salem, offered the concluding prayer. Mr. Ballon continued to be con- nected with this society till his decease, June 7, 1852. The funeral was on the 9th following, and the reverend gentle- men whose names follow were pall-bearers :
Rev. Daniel Sharp, D. D.
S. Barrett,
S. Cobb,
" L. R. Paige.
Rev. Edward Turner,
S. Streeter,
.. Thomas Whittemore,
.Josiah Gilman.
The foregoing brief reference to the father of the present subject of this sketch is here given from the fact that Rev. Hosea Ballou frequently appeared in the south part of the county of Worcester as a preacher, and his influence exerted great effect upon the people in directing their attention to this faith, and next to Rev. Edward Turner no one did more to build up this doctrine in this vicinity than he.
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After his father removed and settled in Boston, Massena was sent to the academy at Dudley, then under the manage- ment of the Universalists, soon after it was established by Mr. Amasa Nichols, whose name it then bore ; and then he was engaged in a wholesale store as clerk, and boarded dur- ing that time in his father's family, where were several young gentlemen students for the ministry. Here, becoming ac- quainted with these young men and with their ideas, he con- ceived the plan of becoming a preacher of the Gospel.
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