USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Worcester > Historical discourse at Worcester, in the Old south meeting house, September 22, 1863; the hundredth anniversary of its erectiion > Part 7
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The vote referred to was by the Church and congregation, as follows : "That yese Psalms be sung without reading line by line as has been usual, except on evening lectures and on extraordi- nary occasions w'n ye assembly can't be generally furnished with books."
Though this change in the mode of conducting church music, was not fully effected in Worcester till 1779, yet it is true as stated by Dr. Bacon in his discourse, that strenuous efforts were made by the people in that direction for many years before.
The committee deem it proper to remark, that the quaint hymn, rendered after the manner of 1763, was received by the large con- gregation standing and facing the pulpit, with the utmost gravity and propriety. And as to the choice and beautiful concluding hymn, suggested by the analogy of the occasion to the century plant, and rendered by the organ and full choir, in the approved manner of modern church music, it need only be said, that it inspired the admiration of all who heard it.
8. The Organ .- The introduction of the organ in 1846, is an era in the musical history of the Old South. Previous to that time the choir had been aided by powerful " stringed instru- ments," as humorously described by the Rev. Dr. Nelson in his letter to us. But since the introduction of the organ, the big bass
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viol and its smaller stringed accompaniments, have all disappeared, and, although scarcely twenty years have elapsed since the change, they are now sought only as relics of antiquity, to be brought forth on some centennial occasion. As such they were brought forth at our anniversary, in illustration of church music at the commencement of the present century. And old " Northfield," in its palmiest days, was never enacted with its fantastic fugues, in more effective style.
At an early period, the puritanical sects had strong religious scruples about introducing any instrumental music in their devo- tions. And one respectable sect, the six principal Baptists, that settled in Bristol County, in the Plymouth colony and the neigh- boring parts of Rhode Island, according to Backus in his Church History, did not allow, previous to the American Revolution, any music in their religious meetings. And they hence received the designation of " anti-singing Baptists." But the scruples as to the use of instrumental music in church services, was much more pervading. And it is noticeable that the controversy upon that subject in this country, was flagrant when the Old South church was built in 1763.
Whatever may have been the original merits of this contro- versy, so far, at least, as the organ is concerned, that has received a unanimous verdict in its favor. And the charming poet of the "Seasons," has chanted its triumph, in one of his sweetest strains :
" Yet Chief for whom the whole creation smiles ; At once the head, the heart, the tongue of all ; Crown the great hymn ! In swarming cities vast,
Assembled men, to the deep ORGAN join
The long resounding voice. oft breaking clear,
At solemn pauses, through the swelling base ; And as each mingling flame increases each, In one united ardor, rise to heaven."
Some allusion to this controversy seemed proper in a notice of the changes that have taken place in the churches of puritanical origin. And we close this notice, by a letter upon the subject, from the learned and obliging Librarian of the American Anti- quarian Society .
HON. IRA M. BARTON,
DEAR SIR :- I enclose the memorandum I mentioned respecting the discus- sions on the subject of church music. It seemed to me that the year 1763 was
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the beginning of a new era in relation to the use of instruments in public wor- ship, more particularly organs, of which two were ordered, I think, for Phil- adelphia in that year by the Episcopalians.
Very truly yours, S. F. HAVEN.
In the year that the Old Sonth meeting house in Worcester was erected, (1763) a pamphlet was printed in Philadelphia, entitled " The Lawfulness, Excellency, and Advantage. of Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of God, urged and enforced from Scripture, and the example of the far greater part of Christians in all ages." "By a Presbyterian."
The writer says, " I shall not wonder if the attempt I am making towards introducing the use of instrumental music into the worship of those societies who have hitherto been taught to look upon such as unlawful and unscriptural, should be attended with the same opposition with the promulgation of the gos- pel itself." He states that St. Paul's church, Philadelphia, is the only Eng- lish congregation in that Province that has an organ.
The writer's zeal seems to have been excited by the opposition he anticipated, and he makes the most of scriptural sanction. He tells us that long before the flood Jubal followed the making of organs as a trade ; and that at the dedication of Solomon's temple the great Concert of Praise was enlivened with "an hundred and twenty trumpets, assisted by a proportionable number of . other kinds of musical instruments - among which we may rest assured the well toned organ found a place."
This pamphlet not only exhibits the general opposition that prevailed against the use of organs and other instruments of music in 'churches at that date, 1763, but also indicated the beginning of a movement among congregational- ists in favor of their introduction.
So late as 1786, " A Tractate on Church Music, " extracted from Price's Vindication of Dissentors, was reprinted in London under the sanction and recommendation of the celebrated Dr. Price and Dr. Kippis, and inscribed to Rev. Dr. Chauncey and Rev. Mr. John Clark, of the First Congregational Church in Boston.
This tract, which is a very learned one, goes profoundly into the usages of the ancient churches, and undertakes to prove that the use of musical instru- ments in the Christian church receives no sanction from antiquity. The Hom- ilies of the Church of England are quoted as bearing testimony against them ; and it is stated that Luther " reckoned organs among the ensigns of Baal." That musical instruments were allowed and even preseribed in the worship of the Jews is, admitted, but they are regarded as holding the same place with many of the ceremonials which were " condescended " to that people on account of their weakness and childishness.
9. Versions of the Psalms used at the Old South .- The Psalm sung by the choir in the " usual way " of 1763, was a version of Psalm
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103, verses 17-22; which, in our common English Bible, is as follows :
17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children.
18. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20. Bless the Lord, ye bis angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts ; ye ministers of his that do his pleasure.
22. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion : bless the Lord, O my soul.
The following is a literal copy of the version of the above psalm by Richard Mather of Dorchester, and the " Apostle Eliot," and his colleague, the Rev. Mr. Welde of Roxbury, found in the library of the American Antiquarian Society. It was published in 1640, and was " printed by Steeven Daye at our Cambri lge" Dr. Thomas, in his History of Printing, says it was the first book printed in this country ; though printing had been introduced before in some parts of Spanish America :
" But yet Gods mercy ever is shall be & aye hath been to them that fear him ; and's justice unto childrens children.
To such as keepe his covenant, that do in minde up lay the charge of his commandement that it they may obey.
The Lord hath in the heavens hye established his throne and over all his Royallty doth beare dominion.
O yee his Angells that excell in strength blesse yee the Lord that doe his word, that harken well unto the voyce of's word.
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All yee that are the Lords armies O bless Jehovah still : & all ye ministers of his his pleasure that fulfill.
Yea all his works in places all of his dominion, blesse yee Jehovah : O my soul, Jehovah blesse alone."
This version appears not to have commended itself to universal favor. The muses were probably not over propitious to Richard Mather, and the learning of Eliot in the Indian languages, would not be likely to improve his English versification. The Rev. Mr. _ Shepard of Cambridge, reflected rather cavalierly upon the rever- end authors in the following stanza :
Ye Roxbury poets, keep clear of the crime Of missing to give us very good rhyme ; And you of Dorchester, your verses lengthen, But with the text's own words you will them strengthen.
Perhaps we ought to make amends for giving currency to this aspersion upon the poetic character of Richard Mather, and for that purpose, we give the favoring testimony found in the epitaph on his monument in the ancient graveyard in Dorchester;
" Divinely rich and learned RICHARD MATHER, Sons like him, prophets great, rejoic'd this father. Short time his sleeping dust's here's covered down, Not so his ascended spirit or renown."
" Ob. Apr. 22, 1669, ÆEtatis sux 73."
And to prove that the New England version of the Psalms was as good as other poetry of the day, we give the contemporaneous epitaph of Major General Atherton, found in the same graveyard : HERE LYES OVR CAPTAINE AND MAIOR OF SUFFOLK WAS WITHALL A GODLY MAGISTRATE WAS HE AND MAIOR GENERALL
TWO TROVPS OF HORS WITH HIME HERE CAME SUCH WORTH HIS LOVE DID CRAVE TEN COMPANYES ALSO MOURNING MARCHT TO HIS GRAVE
LET ALL THAT READ BE SURE TO KEEP THE FAITH AS HE HATH DONE
WITH CHRIST HE LIVS NOW CROWN'D HIS NAME WAS HUMPHRY ATHERTON. HE DYED THE 16 OF SEPTEMBER, 1661.
In 1650 the New England version was revised and improved by President Dunster of Harvard College and Mr. Richard Lyon ; and Dr. Thomas says the same passed through fifty editions.
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The degree of perfection to which the version had arrived in 1762, will appear by reference to the specimen on page 54, lined off to the congregation in the Church.
The version of 1758, by the Rev. Dr. Prince, he states to have been " an endeavor after a yet nearer approach to the inspired original as well as the rules of poetry."
Dr. Prince subjoined to his revisal, a few of the spiritual songs of Dr. Watts ; but he could not tolerate the poetic license taken by him in his version of the Psalms.
The complete English version of the Psalms by Tate and Brady, was published by royal permission, in 1098, and the same is now in use in the English Church, and by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States. Their version of the portion of the 103d. Psalm referred to, may readily be seen by turning to the Common Prayer Book, and it is not here inserted. About the time of the erection of the Old South Church, the version of Tate and Brady superseded the New England Psalm and Hymn Book .*
The version of the Psalms by Tate and Brady continued in use in our Church till the year 1790.
The adoption of the version of the Psalms by Dr. Watts, and of a church creed, signalized the commencement of the administration of the Rev. Samuel Austin. By his influence the change in the psalmody of the Church appears to have been effected without controversy. But ex-Gov. Washburn, in his history of Leicester, says, that the version of Watts was not generally adopted till after the revolution, "and then only after a long and violent struggle." And the Hon. James Draper, in his history of Spencer,
*For this fact we have the authority of Mr. Lincoln, who probably derived it from the records of the Church which he had in his hands while compiling his valuable history of Worcester. Those records, from 1716 to 1816, have most unfortunately been mislaid or lost. Should this note lead to their discov- ery, it will save a very valuable source of local church history.
Mr. Lincoln's testimony is corroborated by the fact that in 1762 an edition of the version of Tate and Brady was published in Boston, with an " appendix containing a number of hymns taken chiefly from Dr. Watts' Scriptural Col- lection ;" that a well-worn copy of that edition has come down from Mr. Mac- carty to his great granddaughter, Mrs. H. K. Newcomb ; and that in 1788, an edition of the same work was published in Worcester by Isaiah Thomas, indicating that the version was then in demand in this county.
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informs us, that in 1761, the church and congregation of that town met and voted on the claims to favor of the different authors of church psalmody, with the result of thirty-three for Sternhold and Hopkins, fourteen for Dr. Watts, and six for Tate and Brady. But the author adds that in 1789, " the good taste of the people prevailed," and the psalms and hymns of Dr. Watts were adopted. The following is his version of the portion of the 103d Psalm above referred to :
" But his eternal love is sure To all the saints, and shall endure ; From age to age his truth shall reign, Nor children's children hope in vain.
The Lord the sovereign King Hath fixed his throne on high ; O'er all the heavenly world he rules And all beneath the sky.
Ye angels great in might, And swift to do his will, Bless ye the Lord whose voice ye hear, Whose pleasure ye fulfill.
Let the bright hosts who wait The orders of their King, And guard his churches when they pray, Join in the praise they sing.
While all his wondrous works Through his vast kingdom show Their Maker's glory, thou my soul, Shalt sing his praises toc."
While we accord manifest poetic improvement in the version of Dr. Watts, we are impressed with the conviction, that no mere poctic rhyme nor measure can equal, in point of beauty and sublimity, the common version of the Psalms in our Scriptures. And we record with satisfaction, the fact, that, in our Church, the chanting of the Psalms is approved and increasing.
The version of the Psalms now used in the Old South, was set forth in 1845 by President Day, Dr. Bacon, and others, in behalt of the General Association of Connecticut. It generally follows Dr. Watts ; but some of the Psalms, and the greater part of the subjoined collection of hymns, are taken from other authors of sacred poetry.
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10. Public Reading of the Scriptures. - Mr. Lincoln states in his History of Worcester, at page 179, that " The public reading of a lesson from the scriptures, as a stated portion of religious service, was not introduced into New England until near the mid- dle of the last century ;" and that " the following extract from the records of the church, shows the period when it was first com- menced. here."
" 1749, Sept. 3. Voted that thanks be given by the pastor, publicly, to the Hon. John Chandler, Esq., for his present of a handsome folio bible for the reading of the scriptures, which laudable custom was very unanimously come into by the church, at one of their meetings sometime before."
The small bible, with texts noted, before referred to, in the cabi- net of relics at Mechanics Hall, (from which our pastor read the scriptures on the day of our anniversary), is of small octavo size, and bears intrinsic evidence of having been much used by Mr. Maccarty in his pulpit. But what appears to have been regarded as a munificent bequest of the scriptures by Judge Chandler, in the folio form, no doubt provoked greater attention to the delight- ful part of church services, that consists in reading the scriptures. And all that can properly be inferred from the record of the church is, that the Rev. Mr. Maccarty, with his small octavo Bible, was not able to read conveniently so much as his people desired, and their brother Chandler liberally provided the means for grati- fying their wishes. Certainly it should not be inferred that there had been any previous aversion to the reading of the scriptures in their public religious services ; but rather to the contrary.
It is remarkable that the order taken by our Old South in 1749, for the public reading of the scriptures, finds its precedent in a corresponding order taken by the Old South in Boston, in 1737. According to the Rev. Dr. Wisner, in a note to page 30, of the history of his church ; " April 24, 1737, the brethren of the church stay'd, and voted, that the holy Scriptures be read in public after the first pray'r, in the morning and afternoon ; and that it be left to the discretion of the pastor, what parts of Scripture to be read, and what to expound."
Upon this record Dr. Wisner remarks, " that this was doubtless the introduction of the reading of the Scriptures in public worship in the congregation ; our fathers having long abstained from the commendable practice, to be, in this respect as in others, as differ-
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ent as possible from the Church of England, which requires the Scriptures to be read, and prescribes the portions for every service."
It would falsify history to say that the colonists had not strong prejudices against the ceremonials of the Church of England. Their legislation against Christmas, the most highly cherished festival of the English Church, strongly attests to that fact. But still the record of the Boston Old South, and the argument or rather the assertion of Dr. Wisner, come far short of proving that the colonists were averse to the principle or practice of reading the Scriptures in public worship. They only induce the belief that any prejudices the colonists may have had upon the subject, rela- ted not to the reading of the Scriptures, but to the forms of read- ing prescribed in the English Liturgy. But however that may have been, the enlarged religious charity of the age, and an abate- ment of the imposing ceremonials of the English Church by its successors in this country, quite disarm the prejudices, if any ever existed, in the way of a liberal public reading of the Scriptures, by all sects that profess and call themselves Christians.
11. The Ministers of the Parish .- As under the laws of this Commonwealth, ministers are recognized as holding an important official relation to the parish as well as to the church, some notice of the successive incun bents of our pulpit, will not only be proper but expected. This notice, though complete, must necessarily be short, and for the materials of it we are largely indebted to the Manuel of the Church, published in 1854.
It would be an agreeable service to speak of the life and charac- ter of the incumbents of our pulpit, but the limited extent of these notes does not admit it. We can here only add a few additional facts from which others may perform the grateful ser- vice, making reference to Mr. Lincoln's History of Worcester, and to the " Worcester Pulpit," by the late and lamented Rev. Dr. Elam Smalley, pastor of the Union Church, who died at Troy, N. Y., July 30th, 1854.
1. The Rev. ANDREW GARDNER was the first ordained minister of Worcester. He was a native of Brookline, Mass. - graduated at Harvard College in 1712 - was settled at Worcester in the fall of 1719, when a meeting house was erected on the present site of the Old South ; and was dismissed by a mutual council, Oct. 31st, 1722. The Rev. Peter Whitney, in his history of the
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County of Worcester, states that Mr. Gardner was afterwards settled at Lunenburg, from whence "he moved up nigh to Con- necticut river, in New Hampshire, where he died in a very advanced age."
2. The Rev. ISAAC BURR, the second minister of Worcester, was born in Fairfield, Conn. in 1698 - graduated at Yale College in 1717 - was ordained Oct. 30th, 1725 - was dismissed, upon the advice of a mutual council, in March, 1745, and afterwards removed to Windsor, Vt.
3. The Rev. THADDEUS MACCARTY was born in Boston in 1721 - graduated at Harvard College in 1739 -was ordained at King- ston, Plymouth county, Nov. 3d, 1742, where he ministered three years, and was installed at Worcester, June 10th, 1747, where he died July 20th, 1784.
4. The Rev. SAMUEL AUSTIN was born in New Haven, Nov. 7th, 1760 - graduated at Yale College in 1784- was installed as minister of the First Parish in Worcester, Sept. 30th, 1790 - was elected President of the University of Vermont in 1815, retaining a nominal relation to the Church and parish in Worcester - was dismissed Dec. 23d, 1818, and died at Glastenbury, Conn., Dec. 4th, 1830.
5. The Rev. CHARLES A. GOODRICH was born in Berlin, Conn .- graduated at Yale College in 1815 - was ordained at Worcester as colleague with the Rev. Dr. Austin, July 15th, 1816 - was dis- missed at his own request, Nov. 14th, 1820, and died at Hartford, Conn., June 4th, 1862.
6. The Rev. ARETIUS B. HULL was born at Woodbridge, Conn. Oct. 12th, 1788 - graduated at Yale College in 1807 - was or- dained at Worcester, May 22d, 1821, and died there May 17th, 1826. (See note 14.)
7. The Rev. RODNEY A. MILLER. born at Troy, N.Y .- graduated at Union College in 1821 - pursued his course of theological studies at the Princeton Seminary, N. J. - was ordained. at Worcester, June 7th, 1827 - was dismissed by a mutual council, April 12th, 1854, and now resides in Worcester.
8. The Rev. GEORGE PHILLIPS SMITH of South Woburn, (now Winchester) Mass., was born at Salem, February 11th, 1814 - graduated at Amherst College in 1835, and at the Andover Theo- logical Seminary in 1840 - was installed at Worcester, March 19th, 1845, and died at Salem, Sept. 3d, 1852.
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9. The Rev. HORACE JAMES of Wrentham, Mass., was born in Medford, May 6th, 1818 -graduated at Yale College in 1840 - pursued a course of theological study at the New Haven and Andover Seminaries - was installed at Worcester Feb. 3d, 1853 - was appointed chaplain of the 25th regiment of Mass. Volun- teers, in Oct. 1861 - was dismissed, at his own request, Jan. 8th, 1863, and now retains his connection with the army.
10. The Rev. EDWARD ASHLEY WALKER of New Haven, Conn. was born at that place Nov. 24th, 1834 - graduated at Yale College in 1856 - pursued his theological course at New Haven, and the universities of Heidelburg and Berlin - was installed at Worcester, July 2d, 1868, and is now the minister of the First Parish and pastor of the Church.
12. Deacons and Members of the Church. - Though deacons sustain no relations to the parish, other than that of prominent members of it, yet as they are officers of the church, and recog- nized legal trustees of the same, we here note their
Names. .
Election.
Death. Age.
Daniel Heywood,
1716,
April 12, 1773, 79
Nathaniel Moore,
November 25, 1761,
8-4
Jonas Rice,
January 14, 1748,
September 20, 1753, 81
Thomas Wheeler,
December 16, 1751,
March 17, 1790,
71
Samuel Miller,
September 9, 1759,
81
Nathan Perry,
November 5, 1783,
January 12, 1795, 66
John Chamberlain,
November 15, 1791,
May 31, 1813, 68
79
David Richards,
November 23, 1801,
January 29, 1829,
78
Moses Perry,
June 18, 1807,
March 12, 1842,
80
John Nelson,
April 16, 1812, .
January 14, 1834,
72
Lewis Chapin,
January 30, 1833,
Resigned.
Moses Brigham,
Nathaniel Brooks,
August 5, 1836,
' Nahum Nixon,
John Bixby,
September 30, 1836,
Richard Ball,
September 17, 1845,
Allen Harris,
October 1, 1845,
Resigned.
Jonas M. Miles,
Caleb Dana,
April 4, 1851,
Samuel W. Kent,
January 2, 1861,
Charles A. Lincoln,
February 1, 1861,
Caleb Dana, Clerk.
Richard Ball, Treasurer. Number of members of the Church, 557.
13. The Solid Men of Worcester in 1763 .- The original sixty-one pews on the floor of the Old South, were valued at from nine pounds
February 1, 1769,
73
Jacob Chamberlain,
February 14, 1806, 88
Thomas Wheeler,
Leonard Worcester,
October 19, 1797,
May 28, 1846,
Resigned. .
November 3, 1850, 53
August 27, 1850, 62
July 14, 1853, 81
Resigned.
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to four pounds ten shillings each. Then the choice in the pews was given to the inhabitants, in the order of the amount of taxes paid by them respectively upon their real estate. An order of preference, one would suppose, better suited to the latitude of feudal Old England, than that of her Province. By the repeated and gratuitous kindness of our City Clerk, we give a complete list of those feudal lords of Worcester, in 1763. A comparison of this list with the list of the fewholders given in note 2, will show that they do not entirely coincide; showing also, that the tax payers did not always avail themselves of the right of pre-emp- tion which the vote of the town gave them.
" At a Town Meeting held at Worcester, on ye 14th Day of Dec'r., 1763, one o'Clock Afternoon, at ye Meeting House, by Adjournment from ye 12th of S'd. Month,"
" Voted, that the Pew No. 18 be granted to ye Home Stead Farm of ye late Hon'ble. Jolin Chandler, Esq., in consideration of his Donation towards Build- ing S'd. House."
" Voted, That ye following persons have their Choice of Sd. Pews, & in ye Order following, viz :- John Chandler, Esq., Daniel & Abel Heywood, Thom- as Stearns, Samuel Mower, Josiah Harrington, Gershom & Comfort Rice, Eli- sha & Robert Smith, Nathaniel Adams, James Brown, Jacob Hemingway, Israel Jennison, Joshua Biglo, Francis Harrington, John Chandlers Mill Farm, Gardiner Chandler, Esq., Nathaniel Moore, John Curtis, Jonathan Stone, John Chaddick, Elisha Smith, Jun'r., Tim'o. Paine, Esq., Daniel Ward, John Boyden, Thomas Rice, Jacob Holmes. Joshua Whitney, Joseph Clark, Junr., Jacob Chamberlin, James Goodwin, Thomas Cowden, [ Ebenezer Flagg,] Robert Barber, Ezekiel How, James Putnam, Esq'r., Tyrus Rice, Mathew Gray, Isaac Gleason, Nathan Perry. Thomas Wheeler, Daniel Mc Farland, David Bancroft, Samuel Miller, Daniel Boyden, Benjamin Flagg, William Mc Farland, Luke Brown. James Nichols, Josiah Peirce, Amos Wheeler, Asa Flagg, Ebenezer Lorell, Samuel Curtis, Josiah Brewer, Esq'r., Thomas Par- ker, Asa Moore."
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