USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Watertown > Historical sketch of Watertown, in Massachusetts, from the first settlement of the town to the close of its second century > Part 12
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(C, page 17.)
The following is the letter alluded to, taken from the Mass. Hist. Coll. 2d Series. vol. iv. p. 171.
" Reverend and deare friends, whom I unfaynedly love and re- spect. It doth not a little grieve my spirit to heare what sadd things are reported daily of your tyranny and persecutions in New England, as that you fyne, whip, and imprison men for their consciences. First you compel such to come into your assemblies, as you know will not joyne with you in your worship, and when they shew their dislike thereof or witness against it, then you styrre up your magistrates to punish them for such (as you conceyve) their publick affronts. Truly, friends, this
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your practice of compelling any in matters of worship to doe that whereof they are not fully persuaded is to make them sin, for soe the apostle (Rom. 14 and 23) tells us, and many are made hypocrites thereby, conforming in their outward man for feare of punishment. We pray for you and wish you prosperitie every way, hoped the Lord would have given you so much light and love there, that you might have been eyes to God's people here, and not to practice those courses in a wilderness, which you went so farre to prevent. These rigid wayes have layed you very lowe in the hearts of the saynts. I doe assure you I have heard them pray in the publique assemblies, that the Lord would give you meeke and humble spirits, not to stryve so much for uniformity, as to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.
" When I was in Holland about the beginning of the warres, I remember some christians there, that then had serious thoughts of planting in New England, desired me to write to the governor thereof to know if those that differ from you in opinion, yet hold- ing the same foundation in religion, as Anabaptists, Seekers, An- tinomians, and the like, might be permitted to live among you ; to which I received this short answer from your then governor, Mr. Dudley, God forbid (said he) our love for the truth should be grown so could, that we should tolerate errours ; and when (for satisfaction of myself and others) I desired to know your grounds, he referred me to the books written here between the Presbyterians and Independents, which if that had been sufficient, I needed not have sent soe farre to understand the reasons of your practice. I hope you do not assume to yourselves infallibil- itie of judgment, when the most learned of the apostles confes- seth he knew but in parte and saw but darkely as through a glass. Oh that all those who are brethren, though yet they can- not thinke and speake the same things, might be of one accord in the Lord. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be thus minded towards one another, after the example of Je- sus Christ our blessed Savyor, in whose everlasting armes of pro- tection he leaves you who will never leave to be
Your truly and much affectionate friend in the nearest union
RIC : SALTONSTALL.
For my Reverend and worthyly much esteemed friends, Mr. Cot- ton and Mr. Wilson, preachers to the church which is at Boston in New-England."
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(D, page 32.)
It is proper here to advert to the use which has been made of the case of Briscoe, in a pamphlet entitled " Vindication of the Rights of the Churches of Christ," published at Boston, 1828. The writer considers the statement of Winthrop and Hubbard in this instance as furnishing decisive evidence, that the churches (taking the word in its limited sense, as signifying only the com- municants,) were regarded as bodies politic, and exercised the power of levying a tax for the support of their pastors. It is not necessary here to go into an examination of this position. The arguments, by which the writer attempts to sustain it, have been most satisfactorily refuted in a very able Review of the pamphlet, published in the " Christian Examiner," for 1828, vol. v. p. 500, &c. I will only remark, that the writer of the " Vindication" seems to have mistaken the object of Briscoe's complaint, which was against the tax itself, not against the power by which it was im- posed. The support of the ministers had before been drawn from voluntary contributions ; and when a tax was introduced compelling every man to pay his proportion for this purpose, Bris- coe found fault with the change, as an offensive and injurious in- novation. This was the object of his opposition, which therefore furnishes no evidence in favor of the abovementioned position, since the power of the church to raise money was not the point in debate. It is true that Winthrop, and Hubbard who merely copies Winthrop, speak of Briscoe as being grieved because he and others were taxed, when they " were no members." Much stress is laid on this expression to show that the church, distinc- tively so called, possessed and exercised the power in question. But the expression, in all probability, was used concerning a re- lation to the religious society, as such, in Watertown, not to the body of the communicants exclusively. When the tax was in- troduced, and payment demanded by the proper authorities of the town, it is probable that Briscoe and others, in the warmth of their resentment, separated themselves from their former connex- ion, and declared they would have nothing to do with the support of the ministry or of public worship. They therefore considered themselves as " no members," and were angry because the tax was still required of them. It is an extreme jealousy of taxation, and not resistance to a power exercised by the church, which appears in Briscoe's case. The town records show decisively, that the appropriations for the support of the ministry were made by the town, as such, not by the church, as a distinct body. The tax for this purpose in 1642 (the very year in question) was or-
18
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dered at a town meeting, in which other town affairs were trans- acted, such as choosing Selectmen, appointing persons to pack and sell leather, &c. ; and, in 1648, " at a general towne meet- ing, the towne granted to Paster Knowles and Paster Sherman 120 pounds for the yeare following, to be equally divided be- tween them ; the said sum to be raised by rute made by the sev- en men " (meaning the Selectmen). There is nowhere in the records an intimation of the church, peculiarly so called, pretend- ing to hold or exercise the power of raising money by tax for the support of their pastors. On the contrary, this is uniformly men- tionedas the town's affair, and disposed of among other town business.
(E, page 50.)
The body of the Rev. Mr. Sherman was deposited in the old burying-ground in Watertown, and a plain monument raised over it, which, having fallen into decay, was rebuilt in 1821. His epi- taph is said by the Rev. John Bailey, in a book of records kept by him, to have been written by Mr. Willard, doubtless the Rev. Samuel Willard, pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, who was married to a daughter of Mr. Sherman. It is as follows :-
Johannis Shermanni maximæ pietatis, gravitatis, et candoris viri, in theologia plurimum versati : in concionando verè Chrysostomi : in Artibus liberalibus præcipuè Mathematicis incomparabilis : Aquitamensis ecclesia in Nov. Anglià fidelissimi pastoris : Collegii Harvardini inspectoris. et socii : Qui postquam annis plus minus XLV Christo fuit 'Tangirns * in ecclesia fidus Morte matura transmigravit, et à Christo palmâ decoratus est, A. D. MDCLXXXV Augusti, Ætatis suæ LXXII : Memoria.
Mather, at the close of his account of Sherman, has bestowed
* Immediately after this word Mr. Bailey, who transcribed this epi- taph into his manuscript book, has inserted in a parenthesis the follow- ing comment ; "i. e. one of the underrowers that steer the ship to- wards the haven." In thus explaining this Greek word according to its derivation, rather than in its common and obvious sense, he has made it present to the mind a metaphor somewhat striking and pleasing.
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upon him the following epitaph, borrowed, with the alteration of the name, from its application to another person :
Ut Pauli Pietas, sic Euclidea Mathesis, Uno Shermanni conditur in Tumulo.
It may not be improper to insert here an epitaph on the Rev. Jonathan Mitchell of Cambridge, written, as I suppose, by the Rev. Mr. Sherman. I am induced to think it to be from his hand, because Hubbard (p. 606) ascribes it to "a neighbour minister," and because it is subscribed with the initials J. S. If it be Sherman's, it may lead us to fear that his philosophy and mathematics had not altogether fitted him for a poet ; although, if compared with the sepulchral inscriptions in verse which were common at that period, it will certainly appear very respectable.
2
Here lies the darling of his time, Mitchell, expired in his prime, Who, four years short of forty-seven, Was found full ripe, and pluck'd for heaven; Was full of prudent zeal, and love,
Faith, patience, wisdom from above ; New England's stay, next age's story, The churches' gem, the college glory. Angels may speak him, ah! not I, (Whose worth's above hyperbole,) But for our loss, were 't in my power, I'd weep an everlasting shower.
(F, page 58.)
When Mr. John Bailey came from Ireland to New England, he brought a manuscript book, to which I have already had oc- casion to refer. In this book he kept a record of all the com- munions of his church, first in Limerick, beginning June, 1679, and then in Watertown, in regular order till he left the town. In these records are occasionally found some interesting particulars. The following notice, while he was in Ireland, is worthy of being transcribed. "The 44th Sacrament was upon the 11th of Oct., 1683, in the evening, at Mr. Wilkins. It's now too long a storye to tell all the particular reasons why we had not one sooner ; many have been the exercises, tryals, vexations, we have met with since July the 1st. There hath a plott broken out since then that hath occasioned a world of trouble, and some have suffered, as Russell, Essex, Capt. Wolcott, &c., and others
140
are like to suffer ; it hath made the papists proud, &c., but God will,'in his own time, discover the worke of darkness ; I say no more of it. We were shutt out of the Abby by the locking of the gates, and it's sad to think we shall never come more into our old place of worship. Then I was advised by the Bishops not to preach ; I promised to forbeare a while because of such a criticall juncture of time ; after 3 Sabbaths I began again, &c. and so the Bishop with the broad seall of his court certified to the Mayor, who is very unwilling to do any thing against me, that I did preach such a day, and so required the Act of Unifor- mity to be putt in force against me in 3 monthes imprisonment. I was sent for before the Mayor, Recorder, and other justices, to whom I opened my mind fully : the Recorder was for imprison- ment, but the Mayor was not only willing to forgive what was past, but not to putt me on promising to forbeare for the future (for he knew I would not promise it), but to warne me for the future, telling me what to look for if I do so any more. So that now in a sort the very neck of our liberty is broken, for there is little likelihood of doing any thing in private. This is the sad- dest day I have seen ; all their former wayes have hitherto been abortive, nothing fledged till this. The Lord is performing the thing appointed for me, and yet what this may come to I know not ; but there is just ground of fear, because all things every where goe down the wind." Again he writes :- " The 46th Sacrament was on Jan. 13, 1684, in the morning, at Mr. W's. I was at one of clock to preach in the Irish town; but I have now nothing to say to this day's worke, for I was imprisoned in the afternoon, and so I suppose it may be the last Sacrament I may give ; many things were said at the Table, which I now being under confinement forbear to repeate," &c. The next record, Oct. 6th, 1686, speaks of his arrival in New England, and of his being " set apart for the church in Watertown." From this time notices follow, in a regular series, of all the communions of the church in Watertown while he was with them. He gives the heads of his sermons and remarks on these occasions, and is , so particular as to notice the weather, and other minute circum- stances. He speaks frequently of the communion being attended by great numbers of people from the neighbouring and even distant towns. At one time, he says, they were " so many, that they put us hard to it to get elements sufficient."
Mr. Bailey seems to have used this book as a depository for his notes about his private matters, as well as ecclesiastical affairs. It contains the epitaphs upon his wife, who died and was buried in Watertown, and upon his brother Thomas. They were writ-
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ten by Mr. Moody, probably the Rev. Joshua Moody, of the First Church in Boston, and are as follows :
Pious Lydía, made and given by God, as a most meet help to John Bailey, Minister of the Gospel. Good betimes, - Best at last, Lived by faith, - Died in grace, Went off singing, - Left us weeping,
Walked with God till translated in the 39th yeare of her age, April 16, 1691.
Read her epitaph in Prov. xxxI. 10, 11, 12, 28, 29, 30, 31.
Here lyes the precious dust of Thomas Bailey
A painful preacher A most desirable neighbour
An exemplary liver
A pleasant companion
A tender husband
A common good
A careful father
A cheerful doer
A brother for adversity
A patient sufferer
A faithful friend
Lived much in little time.
A good copy for all Survivors.
Aged 35 years. He slept in Jesus the 21. of January 1688.
Among the curious medley contained in this book are some memoranda of Mr. Bailey's expenses ; and at the end of one of these accounts he exclaims, " I'll proceed no further, it's enough to make a man mad to take notice of dayly expenses," &c.
The following entry among his marriage records is worthy of notice. " There was by the General Assembly, sitting in Oc- tober or November, 1692, an order made for Ministers marrying, as well as Justices of the peace, which hath encouraged me to do it at the importunity of friends," &c. Hutchinson says that, among our ancestors, "there was no instance of marriage by a clergyman, during their charter; but it was always done by a magistrate, or by persons specially appointed for that purpose, who were confined to particular towns or districts. If a minister happened to be present, he was desired to pray." Vol. I. p. 392.
It may be well to take notice here, that in a blank leaf of Mr. Bailey's book, " Man's Chief End to Glorifie God," &c., pre- sented to the Massachusetts Historical Society, there is the fol- lowing memorandum respecting his descendants : " Now living of his offspring, in Boston, two great-grand-children, namely, Sarah Belknap and Abigail Willis, and three great-great-grand- children, namely, Charles Willis, Jr., Nathaniel Willis, and Abi- gail Willis. May 28, 1771."
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(G, page 60.)
This report as then presented, respecting both the ministry and . the meeting-house, stands in the town records as follows :
" Whereas in a general Town Meeting of the inhabitants of Watertown, upon the 27th of December last past, it was voted that matters of difference relating to the settling of a minister and the placing of the Meeting-house, should be left to the determina- tion of a committee, to be chosen by the Governor and Council : And whereas upon the application of Mr. William Bond and Lieut. Benjamin Garfield, the Governor and Council were pleas- ed to nominate us the subscribers to be a committee for the ends aforesaid : We do advise and determine, that forasmuch as you have once and again called the Rev. Mr. Henry Gibbs to labour in the Lord's vineyard at Watertown, which he has so far accepted as to spend some years with you, in which time yourselves and others have had plentiful experience of his ability and real worth, that therefore you do your endeavour that he may speedyly be fixed among you in the work and office of the ministry.
" And whereas there has been of a long time, even ever since the dayes of your blessed pastor Phillips, an earnest contending about the place. of meeting for the publick worship of God, hav- ing heard and duly weighed the allegations of both parties in your publick meeting, and considering the remoteness of the most of your inhabitants from the place where the meeting-house now stands, our advice and determination iu that matter is, that with- in the space of four years next coming there be a meeting-house erected in your town on a knowl of ground lying between the house of the widow Sterns and Whitney's hill,* to be the place of meeting to worship God for the whole town. And if in the mean time, the minister see cause to dwell in the house where the Rev. Mr. John Bayly dwell'd, the town pay rent to the proprie- tors, as hath been accustomed since its building. So praying God to unite your hearts in his fear, we take leave, who are your truly loving friends and brethren.
Boston, May 18, 1693.
To our Brethren and Neighbours of Watertown.
WILLIAM STOUGHTON. JOHN PHILLIPS.
JAMES RUSSELL.
SAMUEL SEWALL.
JOSEPH LYNDE."
* The spot thus described by the committee was in one of the an gles now formed by the intersection of two roads near the houses of Mr. Charles Whitney and Mr. Joel Pierce, -- a place sometimes called the Four Corners. It is now remembered in the town, that a meeting- house was said to have once stood there.
143
(H, page 66.)
By the order of the Court in 1700, it would seem, all the in- habitants of the town (except the " the Farmers ") were required to choose which of the two places of worship they would support, and then sign their names to an obligation for that purpose. The names of those, who subscribed for the support of the old meeting- house, were as follows :
J. Hammond, Senr. N. Wyeth.
J. Bacon.
R. Norcross. J. Goddard.
J. Childs.
S. Stone.
H. Spring.
J. Stone.
N. Barsham. N. Fiske.
J. Holdin
J. Stratten, Senr.
T. Train.
C. Grant.
N. Coolidge, Senr.
R. Coolidge.
S. Randall.
N. Bright.
D. Benjamin.
Jno. Stone.
J. Mason.
D. Smith.
S. Stratton
P. Wellington.
D. Fiske.
C. Coolidge
W. Bond.
E. Goddard.
J. Eddy, Junr.
T. Bond. R. Beers.
M. Sawing.
J. Beers.
A. Benjamin.
J. Grant.
J. Eddy, Senr.
J. Coolidge.
J. Treadaway.
J. Train.
J. Dix, Senr.
T. Coolidge.
J. Bond. G. Lawrence.
W. Shattuck.
W. Shattuck. D. Church.
J. Maddock.
S. Jennison.
T. Whitney.
E. Whitney.
J. Stratten, Junr.
S. Hastings.
Eliz. Bond.
R. Goddard.
The names of those, who subscribed for worship at the new meeting-house, were as follows :
J. Warren, Senr.
Jno. Mars, Junr.
B. Whitney.
S. Cook, Senr. J. Brown. N. Sterns.
J. Mars, Senr. T. Phillips
J. Wellington Senr.
J. Barnard, Senr.
James Barnard for his land in Wa-
H. Clark, Senr. S. Phillips.
tertown.
S. Paris.
G. Beal.
D. Harrington.
C. Church.
E. Cutter, Senr.
J. Warren, the Cap- B. Garfield. tain's son. Justice Phillips.
S. Cook.
R. Bloss. A. Gale.
Jm. Mars.
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(I, page 77.)
1 have been informed, that the monument* now standing over the ashes of Mr. Gibbs and his wife, was erected by the Rev. Dr. Appleton of Cambridge, who, as has been already said, was married to their daughter. If this be true, it is probable that the following epitaphs, inscribed on the monument, were written by him.
Hic Depositæ sunt reliquia viri verè venerandi Henrici Gibbs, Ecclesia Christi apud Aquitonienses Pastoris vigilantissimi, Pietate fulgente, eruditione non mediocri, gravitate singulari spectatissimi : Peritiâ in divinis, prudentiâ in humanis, accuratione in concionibus, copiâ in precibus, præcellentis : Qui per ærumnas vitæ doloresque mortis requiem tandem invenit. die Octobris 21. Anno Domini MDCCXXIII. Ætatis suæ LVI.
Hic Etiam deponitur corpus Mercy Gibbs Conjugis sua dilectissima, Que expiravit in Domino 24 Januariis Anno Domini MDCCXVI. Ætatis suæ XLI. 1
(K, page 113.)
It may be interesting to some to present, somewhat more in detail, the doings of the town on this subject. The report men- tioned in the narrative, after a long preamble, recommended the following resolves :
" 1st. That we highly approve of the late resolutions of the merchants of the town of Boston, and elsewhere in this State, and also of the doings of the said town of Boston, and their pro- posal for callng a Convention at Concord, in the County of Mid- dlesex, on the 14th day of this inst. July, for the purpose of de-
* This, and the monument erected to Thomas Baily, and to John Bailey's wife, were repaired and put in order in 1821.
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vising ways and means for lowering the prices of all the necessary articles of life, both foreign and domestick, and for the effectually appreciating our currency. 2dly. That the town will, by their committee, meet at Concord on the 14th of July inst. for the pur- pose aforesaid. 3dly. That, in order to co-operate forthwith with the merchants in their glorious attempt for the lowering the pri- ces of every necessary of life, it is resolved, that the produce of our respective farms shall not advance in price in the least degree from what they now are, upon condition the late resolution of the merchants respecting foreign articles shall continue : but the same shall lower in the same proportion as foreign articles do, - and that we will use our utmost exertions that the several mechan- icks in this town lower in like proportion ; and in order that this vote be carried into complete execution, voted 4thly, That a com- mittee of seven be chosen, whose business it shall be to ascer- tain, as nearly as may be, the prices of foreign and domestick ar- ticles, and to determine what proportion they ought in equity to bear each to the other, and publish their doings monthly, and cause the same to be posted up at the meeting-house and other places of publick resort in the town, which shall regulate the prices of all the articles mentioned in said notification for the time therein specified : And if any person or persons shall be so lost to all sense of honour, love of their country, or their own interest, as to violate in the least degree the true intent and meaning of this resolution, by selling their produce at a higher price than established by said committee from time to time, said person or persons so offending shall be deemed enemies to their country, and cryed as such by the town-clerk, for six months after, at ev- ery publick meeting of the town :- this resolution to hold good and valid until the State at large shall have adopted some perma- nant mode of regulating the same. 5thly. That the Selectmen be directed, without loss of time, to transmit copies of the pro- ceedings of this meeting to the towns of Newton and Waltham, praying them to adopt some such method, in order that we may be mutually assisting in the only feasible way possible, that we can think of, for the appreciating our currency, and thereby rendering our independency sure, and securing to us and our posterity peace, liberty, and safety."
On the 26th of July, 1779, the resolves passed in the Conven- tion at Concord were accepted and approved by Watertown, and a committee was appointed "to regulate and settle the prices of such articles as may be thought proper." This committee soon after reported a list of prices for articles, in addition to those agreed upon at Concord. "Hay and milk in Boston market"
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146
were exempted from the regulation. The following is the list of prices, as given in the town records
" For the Innholders : - a dinner 18s. - horse-keeping per night 17s. - oats per pottle 5s. - punch per bowl 30s. - W. Ind. flip per mug 12s. - yoke of oxen per night at English hay 18s.
Tanner.
sole leather per lb.
20s.
curried calf-skins, single, equal to 6 lbs. sole leather.
Labour.
a man per day, find himself
60s.
a man per day, and found 40s.
Teaming.
per mile, not exceeding 90 miles out, per ton 18s.
man and team per day, find- ing themselves £5.10s. man and team, found, per day £4.
Shoemaker.
men's best shoes per pair £6. 00 women's best do. 4. 10s.
Tailor.
making a man's best worked
coat
£8.
do. do. waistcoat 4.
do. do. breeches 4.
Weaver. for weaving 7-8 cotton and
linen cloth per yard 6s. 3d.
do. yard wide tow 6s. 3d.
5-4 all wool 9s.
Blacksmith.
narrow axe
£7.10s.
shoeing a horse round with refined iron and steel £5. 00
shoeing oxen in the same
manner £10. 00 -4
Mechanics.
per day, finding themselves 72s
do. and found 52s.
Saddler.
best saddle compleat
£70.
best curbed bridle
.
£12.
best single-reined do. .
£6.
Leather-dresser.
best sheep's wool per lb. 22s. 6d. best wash'd leather dress- ed sheep-skins, single 56s. 3d.
Boating from Boston.
per boat-load
£18. 15s.
per hogshead
25s.
per barrell
7s. 6d.
Barber.
shaving
.
3s.
Hatter.
best beaver hat
£40.
best felt hat
£4.
Joiner.
common mahogany desk
£ 20.
do. round top case drawers £130.
do. four foot table
£ 27.
Currier.
currying calf-skins
24s.
do. a hide
£4.
Tallow-Chandler.
candles per lb. 18s.
hard soap per lb. 10s.
soap per barrell £15.
Potter.
quart mugs per doz.
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