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 3
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Some scanty notices occur, which indicate the condi- tion and management of affairs in Watertown at this early period of its history. It appears from the town records, that a vigilant attention to the general inter- ests of the settlement was required of every individual ; for in 1639 it was ordered, "if any of the freemen be absent from any public town meeting, at the time appointed, sufficient warning being given, he shall forfeit for every time to the town 2s. 6d." In the same year, it was ordered, that "the two fairs at Watertown, the one upon the first Friday of the 4th month, the other upon the first Friday of the 7th month, shall be kept upon the trayning-place,"? - an intimation that there must have been more business in the town, than one would expect at so early a date. Soon after this, an order is found in the records, by which " the meeting-house is appointed for a watch- house to the use of the town,"t and which may lead
* Hubbard, pp. 177, 307, 314.
+ Here is the first mention of a meeting-house in the town. It is pretty well ascertained, that it stood on a rising ground between the
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to the inference, that it was thought necessary to maintain a patrol in the night, probably for fear of the Indians.
Mr. Phillips was the sole minister of Watertown till 1639. In that year the Rev. John Knowles, "a godly man and a prime scholar," arrived in New England, and on the 19th of December was ordained second pastor of the Watertown church in connexion with Mr. Phillips. The peculiarity of the proceeding on this occasion drew upon the church the notice and animadversion of their brethren in other places. At that time it was the custom, when two were associat- ed in the ministry in the same place, to induct one into office as pastor, and the other as teacher. This ecclesiastical distinction, whatever it was, seems to have been deemed important by many. But Mr. Knowles, as well as Mr. Phillips, was ordained as pastor ; * so that the Watertown church had two pastors, and no teacher, which was thought to be a censurable anomaly. Another irregularity was, that at the ordination of Mr. Knowles no notice was given of the transaction to the neighbouring churches, nor to the magistrates. It was conducted wholly as an affair of their own, and by themselves. This mode of pro- ceeding was probably owing to a very jealous solici- tude to maintain and to manifest their entire ecclesias- tical independence. The Congregational principle, which recognises in every religious society the right to choose and ordain its own ministers (though the assistance of others, by a general and laudable custom,
houses of Deacon Moses Coolidge and Mr. Daniel Sawin, on the north side of the road to Cambridge. There was a common before it, which was used as a training-field.
* Dr. Kendal is therefore incorrect in saying that Mr. Knowles "was teacher with Mr. Phillips." Cent. Discourse, p. 22. The fact, that he was not so, was the very ground of complaint. It is true he is called teacher in Palmer's Nonconformists' Memorial ; but surely the statement of Winthrop (II. 18), and others of the early New England writers, is of higher authority with regard to a matter which came under their personal knowledge,
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is requested on such occasions, as a matter of courtesy and fellowship), was doubtless espoused and defended by Mr. Phillips, whose notions concerning subjects of this sort were for some time regarded with suspicion, and who was unsupported in his views till Mr. Cotton arrived and gave his sanction to the same principles. It is probable, that Mr. Phillips was willing to carry his theory into practice, at the ordination of his col- league, and persuaded his church to adopt the course for which they were blamed. The right, which they assumed, in proceeding without giving notice to other churches, appears not to have been generally recognis- ed at that time .*
Mr. Knowles did not long remain at Watertown. In 1642, in company with other clergymen he went to Virginia, in consequence of the earnest intrea- ties of some people in that colony, that their spiritual wants might be supplied by faithful ministers from New England. Mr. Phillips had been requested to go on this distant service; but he declined the
* See the case of the Malden church (in 1651). Hubbard, p. 550. With respect to the distinction of office in the ministry, before mention- ed, Lechford in treating of the ecclesiastical usages of the Massachus- etts colony has the following remarks: "Generally, for the most part, they hold the Pastors and Teachers offices to be distinct ; the Teacher to minister a word of knowledge, the Pastor a word of wisdome ; but some hold them all one; as in the church of Watertown there are two pastors, neither will that church send any messengers to any other Church-gathering or ordination." Plain Dealing, p. 4. What Lech- ford meant by the word of knowledge and the word of wisdom, as designat- ing separate duties, I confess myself unable to comprehend. Proba- bly the distinction between pastor and teacher, founded on Ephesians, iv. Il., was at no time very clear or well defined. If the one was de- voted chiefly to parochial duties, while the peculiar business of the other was to study and expound the instructions of sacred truth, or if, as has been said, the teacher's office was principally to explain doctrines, while the pastor was to enforce them with suitable counsels and exhortations, it is easy to see that their respective duties would be continually running into each other, and that, as the line of separation could not be much observed in practice, the distinction would soon become merely titular. Such doubtless was the case ; and it may be presumed that pastor and teacher sustained towards each other, in fact, only the relation of col- leagues or assistants, with no specific department belonging to each. On this subject, see Mr. Savage's note, Winthrop, I. 31, and Hist. Coll. Ist Series, VII. 271.
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invitation, and his colleague took his place. Knowles and his assistants were heartily welcomed by the people in Virginia, and their preaching was blessed with an abundant success. But the Episcopalian influence, which prevailed in the government of that province, soon put a stop to their labors. As they would not conform to the orders and usages of the church of England, they were compelled to leave Virginia. Mr. Knowles returned to Massachusetts, and was again in the ministry at Watertown, associat- ed with Mr. Phillips's successor. He continued there but a short time, and then returned to England after an absence of more than eleven years. Few men were held in so high respect for piety, learning, and talents. He was a native of Lincolnshire, and after having been a student at Magdalen College, Cam- bridge, was chosen fellow of Katherine-Hall in 1625. In this situation he was employed as a tutor, and had at one time forty pupils, many of whom afterwards became distinguished as members of parliament, or as eminent preachers. In a moment of weakness, he suffered himself to join others in giving a vote for one of Archbishop Laud's bell-ringers, who had been proposed as candidate for a fellowship in Magdalen College, - an act which he never remembered, or spoke of, but with sorrow and repentance. Some time after, he received an invitation to be lecturer at Colchester, which he accepted, and performed the duties of the office with great ability and success. In that place he formed an intimate acquaintance with the Rev. John Rogers of Dedham, one of the most gifted and awakening preachers of his age .* He was with him
at his death, and preached his funeral sermon. About this time, the schoolmaster's place at Colchester became vacant, and Mr. Knowles used his influence
* This was the man of whom Bishop Brownrigge used to say, - " Mr. Rogers does more good with his wild notes than we [the bishops] with our set music."
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to have a person chosen in opposition to the recom- mendation of Laud. On this account, the Archbishop was so angry, that he would suffer him to remain there no longer ; and as his license was revoked, he departed . for New England. After his return to his native country, he was a preacher in the cathedral at Bristol, and was useful and greatly respected. Being one of the many, who were silenced by the act of uniformity, he went to London, and there preached in private. He remained in the city during the desolating plague in 1665, fearless of danger, and rendered great service by his labors and visits in that distressing extremity. In 1672 he became a colleague with the Rev. Thomas Kentish, and preached at St. Katherine's. The
attachment of Mr. Knowles to the duties of his profes- sion was strong, and unshaken by suffering. It was his fate to meet persecution and severe trials, while in London; and to the suggestions of his friends, who were alarmed for his safety, he used to reply, -" In truth I had rather be in a jail, where I might have a number of souls, to whom I might preach the truths of my blessed Master, than to live idle in my own house, without any such opportunities." It is said he was so fervent and earnest, that he sometimes preached till he fainted and fell down. He died on the 10th of April, 1685, at a very advanced age .*
* Mather (Magnal. Book iii. Chap. 3) and Johnson (Wonder-Work- ing Providence, Book ii. Chap. 15, and iii. 11,) have, each in his usual style, given an account of Mr. Knowles and his doings. See also Win- throp, II. pp. 18, 78, 96; Palmer's Nonconformists' Memorial, ii. 349; and Wilson's History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches, I. 154. Knowles's letters to Gov. Leverett in 1674 and 1677, evincing the inter- est he felt in the colony and in Harvard College, may be found in Hutch. Coll. 447, 514. Other letters from him are published in Hist. Coll., 3d Series, I. 62, 65. - Lechford's passing notice of him leads us to infer, that he was thought to be peculiar in some of his ideas concerning ecclesiastical matters : " And also I remember Master Knolles, now one of the pastors at Watertowne, when he first came to be admitted at Boston, never made any mention, in his profession of faith, of any offi- cers of the church in particular, or their duties ; and yet was received." Plain Dealing, p. 10.
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The mode of supporting ministers gave rise, about this time, to some dispute. In Boston, and for some years in other places, their support was derived from voluntary weekly contributions .* But this was found to be too precarious a dependence, and in many places recourse was had to taxation. The introduction of this mode gave great offence to those, who did not like to be compelled to pay for the maintenance of the clergy. Among others, " one Briscoe of Watertown" was so indignant at the supposed grievance, that he wrote, and circulated privately, a book against this way of supporting ministers. This book, of which I presume 'no copy is now to be found, assumed a tone not only of argument, but of severe and bold reproach. The magistrates thought, that such an offence was not to be overlooked. Briscoe was summoned before the Court, and acknowledged his fault in the use of contu- melious expressions, and indeed in having published ' the book before he had presented his complaints on the subject to the proper authorities. He was fined ten pounds, and one of his publishers was fined forty shillings.t
* So says Hutchinson, I. 376. The notice which Josselyn takes of these contributions, as he witnessed them, is too curious to be omitted. After remarking that the clergy lived upon the " bounty of their hear- ers," he proceeds to the following particulars: "On Sundays in the afternoon, when Sermon is ended, the people in the Galleries come down, and march two abreast up one Ile and down the other, until they come before. the desk, for Pulpit they have none; before the desk is a long pue where the Elders and Deacons sit, one of them with a mony box in his hand, into which the people, as they pass, put their offering, some a shilling, some two shillings, half a Crown, five shillings, accord- ing to their ability and good will; after this, they conclude with a Psalm." Account of Two Voyages to New England, p. 180. It is easy to see that cases would not be infrequent, in which the " good will " would by no means be equal to the " ability."
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+ Winthrop, II. 93, and Hubbard, 412. See appendix D. This book ex- cited no little commotion. Hubbard gives vent to his indignation against Briscoe by saying, that such an absurd reasoner " fuste potius erudi- endus quam argumento." Mr. Briscoe was a tanner ; and the year be- fore this dispute, his barn was burnt, which was deemed a retribution for his refusing " to let his neighbour have leather for corn, saying he had corn enough." However churlish or unkind this refusal might have been, yet surely here was no dignus vindice nodus. . But these special
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The disposition to emigrate still continued among the Watertown people. In 1642, Thomas Mayhew, whose name appears very early among the first set- tlers of Watertown, and who in the year just men- tioned was chosen one of the Selectmen (as the office was afterwards designated), began the settlement of Martha's Vineyard, and removed his family thither. Lord Stirling laid claim to this and other islands. From his agent, James Forett, Mayhew had, on the 10th of October, 1641, obtained a grant of the land, and he was for many years governor of the island. His son, Thomas Mayhew Jr., was pastor of the church gathered there. This name is much and de- servedly honored in the annals of New England. From these ancestors descended the Rev. Jonathan Mayhew of Boston, one of the most enlightened theo- logians and most energetic patriots our county has ever produced .*
Another plantation was commenced, by some of the people of Watertown, at Nashaway, which was called Lancaster. But the settlement was unprosperous, and its progress slow.t
On the first of July, 1644, died the Rev. George Phillips. The loss was heavily felt not only by the town, but by the colony in general ; for he was one of their best and most venerable men. He was born at Raymond, in the county of Norfolk, England. Having given early indications of deep piety, uncom- mon talents, and love of learning, his parents sent him to the university,# where he distinguished himself by remarkable progress in his studies, especially in
judgments were quite common, according to the interpretation of things in those days. Another instance may be found in the case of " one Shaw at Watertown." Winthrop, I. p. 200.
* Holmes's Annals, Vol. I. p. 265, and Hutchinson, Vol. I. p. 151. An interesing memorial of the Mayhews is to be found in Hist. Coll. 2d Series, Vol. III. p. 66.
+ Holmes's Annals, Vol. I. p. 273, and Winthrop, Vol. II. p. 161.
# Prince (p. 375) supposes it to have been the University of Cam- bridge.
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theological studies, to which he manifested an early partiality. He was settled in the ministry at Boxsted, Suffolk, and his strong attachment to the principles of the old Nonconformists brought him into difficulty with some of his hearers. They laid their complaints on this subject before Mr. Rogers, of Dedham, who gave this honorable testimony of his confidence in his highly esteemed fellow-laborer, that "he believed Mr. Phillips would preach nothing without some good evidence for it from the word of God." As the storm of persecution grew darker and more threatening, Mr. Phillips resolved to take his lot with the Puritans, who were about to depart for New England. He joined the company, who arrived in 1630. On board the vessel, by his religious ministrations, (as Gov. Winthrop testifies in a letter written at that time) he " gave very good content to all the company, as he did in all his exercises, so as they had much cause to bless God for him." Soon after his arrival, he was . smitten with deep affliction in the loss of his wife, who, though an only daughter, had left her parents, to share cheerfully and affectionately the sufferings of her husband. She died at Salem, and was buried by the side of the lady Arbella Johnson, " who," as Mather says, " also took New England in her way to heaven." The ministry of Mr. Phillips at Watertown was fruitful of religious blessings to his flock, and he gave himself to his work with unwearied assiduity and devout zeal. His church expressed very happily and laudably their affectionate respect for the memory of their pastor, by providing for the education of his eld- est son, Samuel Phillips, who was afterward the min-
* There is no little confusion in the old writers respecting this place of Phillips's ministry. "Mr. Hubbard" (says Prince, p. 375) " styles him an able and faithful minister of the Gospel at Boxsted in Essex, near Groton in Suffolk : but Boxford being in Suffolk, and Boxsted in Essex, and both near Groton, I suppose that Boxford, in Dr. C. Mather is a mis- take of the printer." Prince, in correcting Mather about the town, has himself fallen into an error about the county, for Boxsted is in Suffolk about 60 miles N. N. E. from London.
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ister of Rowley. Mr. Phillips is said to have been an able controversial writer. One of his hearers obtained from him a written copy of arguments, which he had used in conversation concerning the baptism of infants and church discipline, and sent it to England where it
was printed, accompanied with an answer. Mr. Phil-
lips thought it necessary to take notice of this book, and he published a " Reply to a Confutation of some Grounds of Infant Baptism ; as also concerning the Form of a Church, put forth against me by one Thomas Lamb." A preface for this work was written by the Rev. Mr. Shepard of Cambridge. I have been able to discover no copy of this publication, and I pre- sume it is not now to be found. Phillips also engaged in a controversy, by letter, with his neighbour Mr. Shepard, on some points of church discipline. The discussion is said to have been distinguished by candor and urbanity on both sides, but was never published.' This subject was one, in which the minister of Water- town was deeply versed and pecularly skilful. He was the earliest advocate in Massachusetts for the Congregational order and discipline ; and his views were for a time regarded as novel and extreme .* He seems to have been more thorough and decided in renouncing the ecclesiastical forms of the church of England, than others were at that time ; for he declar- ed, that " if they would have him stand minister by that calling, which he received from the prelates in England, he would leave them."+ It is mentioned
*" It is said that Mr. Phillips of Watertown was at the first more acquainted with the way of church discipline, since owned by Congre- gational churches; but, being then without any to stand by him (for woe to him that is alone), he met with much opposition from some of the magistrates, till the time that Mr. Cotton came into the country, who by his preaching and practice did by degrees mould all their church administrations into the very same form, which Mr. Phillips labored to have introduced into the churchies before." Hubbard, p. 186.
+ This is stated on the authority of a letter from Samuel Fuller, the physician of Plymouth, found in Gov. Bradford's Letter Book. See Hist. Coll. 1st Series, Vol. III. p. 74. And yet, notwithstanding this appa- rently uncompromising spirit, the name of Phillips is found among the
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as a singularity in Mr. Phillips's ecclesiastical conduct, that he administered the ordinances to the churches in Boston, when their pastor Wilson had gone to Eng- land ; for, strange as it may seem, the right of a minister to administer the ordinances to any church but his own, was at that time so much denied or doubted, that Phillips is said to have been the only man, who was willing to venture upon such an exercise of the sacred office. He was evidently a man of firmness and independence, conscientious in forming and fearless in maintaining his opinions. He was noted for his learning in the original languages of the Scriptures, which he is said to have read through six times every year, and to have remarked that he always found something new in them. It is recorded of him, with beautiful simplicity, that he was "a godly man, specially gifted, and very peaceful in his place, much lamented of his own people and others." There is a tradition, that he lived in the house now occupied by Mr. Daniel Sawin, opposite the old bury- ing-ground. Among his descendants was the late Hon. William Phillips of Boston, Lieut. Governor of this Commonwealth .*
Mr. Phillips's successor in the ministry at Water- town was the Rev. John Sherman. The date of his settlement cannot be ascertained. Our records make no mention of the transactions concerning it. We only know from them, that he was in the pastoral office in the town as early as 1648. In that year is recorded a grant of 120 pounds, to be equally divided
subscribers to the well known and interesting letter written on board the Arbella, in which so much of kindness and respect is manifested towards the church of England.
* The most ample account of Mr. Phillips is given by Mather, (Mag- nal. Book iii. Chap. 4,) from which others have for the most part drawn their information. The sorry muse of Johnson (Wonder-Working Providence, Book i. Chap. 23,) has endeavoured to grace his name with a well meant effusion of panegyric. Frequent notices of him occur in Winthrop. Eliot & Allen (Biographical Dictionaries) have given short accounts of him. See also Holmes's Annals, Vol. I. p. 276, and Brook's Lives of the Puritans, Vol. II. p. 493.
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between him and Mr. Knowles, who was then associ- ated with him in the ministry. Mr. Sherman came to New England in 1634, and preached at Watertown as an assistant to Mr. Phillips for a few weeks only. The first sermon he delivered was on a day of thanks- giving, kept by the people of the town in the open air under a tree. There were several clergymen present ; and, we are told, they " wondered exceedingly to hear a subject so accurately and excellently handled by one, who had never before performed any such public service." Shortly after this, he removed to New Haven, and was earnestly requested to settle as a colleague at Milford. This invitation he declined from motives of delicacy towards the person who was already settled in that place. He then, for a while, quitted his professional duties entirely, went into civil life, and was chosen a magistrate of the colony. In this office he continued two or three years. After the decease of Mr. Phillips, the church at Watertown, anxious to form a permanent connexion with a man, whose services, for the short time he was among them, had been so very acceptable, invited Mr. Sherman to become their pastor. He returned to the duties of the sacred office, and accepted the invitation, though about the same time he was solicited to settle in the ministry by one church in Boston, and by more than one church in London.
The contest between the king and the Parliament, by which England was at this time convulsed, excited of course a very lively interest in New England. The feelings, which the people had brought to this western world, would not suffer them to be neutral in such a conflict ; and they would naturally espouse with zeal the cause of the Parliament. One Jenyson, however, who was captain of a military company at Watertown, and a man of considerable repute, seems not to have sympathized with the general feeling on this subject. He ventured, in conversation to call in
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question the lawfulness of the proceedings of the Eng- lish Parliament; and for this offensive freedom of speech he was in 1644 cited to answer before the magistrates. He did not deny that he entertained scruples respecting the conduct of the Parliament, but complained that he should have been so suddenly called to answer in public for a mere matter of opinion, before any inquiries had been made, or any conversa- tion held with him, in a private and friendly way. The Court were conscious that they had proceeded too rashly with him; but still they feared that with such opinions he would be an unsafe man to hold a military commission, though he acknowledged the Parliament party to be the better and more honest men, and was only not quite sure that, if he were in England, he should feel authorized to appear in arms against his king. One would suppose, that this expression of loyalty was sufficiently guarded and moderate, to save Capt. Jenyson from the censure of his brethren. But such was the spirit of the times, that he found it prudent to retract even this testimony of allegiance to his sovereign ; and after the court had given him time to consider the subject, he satisfied them by declaring that, on further examination, he believed the cause of the Parliament to be entirely just, and that, if he were in England, he would engage in its defence.
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