History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 268

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 268

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In 1699 the town voted that there should be an amendment of the disorder of persons sitting in the meeting-house. Five shillings was fixed as a penalty for every day of failure to sit where directed.

The next year rules were prescribed to the select- men to guide them in seating persons. They were to have respect, first, to age; second, to voters; and third, to length of residence. The Massachusetts Senate still seats its members according to certain rules of a similar character.

In the sceond church, the people above sixty years were seated according to age, others according to the tax or rate paid. The men sat on one side, the wo- men on the other. In this, as in ofher towns, special votes were often passed, giving certain seats to par-

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ticular individuals, as, 1711-12, " voted that tioud- man Spofford has liberty to sit in fourth sete before the pulpit, and his wife to sit in the third sete in the North East corner." Deafness or other infirmity often furnished the occasion for special seating priv- ilege.

Lastly, children were seated by themselves, within reach of the tythingman's rod, to prevent disorder.

The hour for morning worship was as early as eight or nine o'clock. People who were tardy in arriving were to be fined.

In front of the pulpit sat the ruling elders, and be- fore them the deacons, both facing the congregation.

The elders gave out the psalms, line by line, to be sung.

In the early days of the Massachusetts colony, ser- mons were not read from manuscript. That was too formal-too much like the rectors in England. The hour-glass stood before the minister, and when he had preached an hour he gave it another turn, it he were not done. Dr. Kingshury says the sermons in Bradford Church were not very long, judging from the specimens preserved.

Simple reading of the Scriptures was not tolerated , and it seems a very reasonable conjecture that, aided in the early day from the pulpit. It must be accom- panied with comment or explanation otherwise it was too much like the Mass, singing or saying by Bradford was incorporated in 1675. rote.

The General Court had ordered, in 1677, that the selectmen in towns should appoint tythingmen to keep order on the Sabbath, and also to arrest such as vio- lated it, as by unnecessary traveling. In the early part of this century a vigorons attempt was made in ; years, as we have observed, when he came to Brad- Essex and Middlesex Counties to revive the old law and restrain traveling.

The late venerable Samnel Hoar, of Concord, a Puritan in conduct, though liberal in doctrine, was much interested in this movement. Hisdistinguished son, Senator Hoar, relates: " It is said that an old farmer in one of the northern towns of Middlesex Connty was looking, in melancholy mood, at the de- vastation in his woodland, made by the great Septem- ber gale of 1815, when he suddenly exclaimed,-' 1 wish this tornado had come last Sunday!' ' Why so?' was asked. 'Because I should have liked to see as it came along up through Concord, whether Sam Hoar would have tried to stop it.' "

Notwithstanding what Dr. Kingsbury says of the brevity of Bradford sermons, the following vote is sig- Dificant :

"Jan. 30, 1723. The Church voted, that they, having considered that the sleeping at meeting, and especially the laying down ye head to sleep, 18 a very great indecency and irreverent position in ye worship of God for ye preventing of it for ye future, have thought it expedient to pass at vote, and accordingly agree that it shall henceforth be accounted an offence for any of ye Brethren of this church, or any of ye communi cants, to put themselves into sncb an irreverent position as to lay their head on their hands, or seat, and that if any shall do so, they shall be observed and reproved, and that if they reform not, that they shall be publickly called forth before ye church stayed for that end, and admon- ished for such their offensive carriage.1'

In JSI8 a vote passed unanimously in the East Parish, recommending to all to go into the meeting- house during the tolling of the bell on days of public worship, and to make as little noise as practicable in moving the falling seats. The last occasion was a great opportunity for mischievous boys.

January 7, 1672, " it was voted and granted that ye Towne name shall be Bradford." It was formerly supposed that the name was adopted in compliment to Governor Bradford, the historian of Plymouth. But among the original proprietors of Bradford were five families named Chaplin, Palmer, Smith, Dicken- son and Jewett, to whom house-lots had before been laid out on Bradford Street, in the village of old Rowley. Tradition said these families came to America from Bradford, in the West Riding of York- shire, England. The names of Maximilian Jewett and Joseph Jewett have been found in the register of Bradford Church. They, doubtless, then came from Bradford, Yorkshire. Joseph Jewett owned, at one time, a large tract of land in our Bradford, and Shubael Walker and Robert Ilaseltine, early settlers, were his sons-in-law. Shubael Walker was the first town clerk, by his position, he influenced the townspeople to change the name from Merrimack.

The religions or church history of Bradford is, in at least one respect. unique-in the long and remark- able course of preparation which was deemed neces- sary before the formal organization of the Church. The minister or teacher, Mr. Symmes, was of mature

ford, and had been in charge of another church for a number of years. There were a sufficient number of professed Christians in the town, members of the Rowley, Haverhill and other churches. They prized the sacraments, which Mr. Symmes could not admin- ister till he was ordained. In the meantime, the peo- ple, as has been seen, were able to support their minister and did support him. They had built a sufficient meeting-house, which, in fact, satisfied them for many years. Why, then, was there such an un- accountable delay-from 1668, at least, till 1682? Mr. Ward, of Haverhill, indeed, was absent from the council called to advise as to the organization of a church. Dr. Kingsbury suggests that his "absence may possibly be the key to the understanding of the reason why there was so much question about the propriety of forming the church. A large majority of these Bradford people are members of his church. It is possible that he wished to have nothing to say about the matter." But that seems hardly a suffi- cient or suitable reason for his absence or apparent indifference. The Haverhill Church had indeed ex- tended a grateful hospitality to these stray sheep of other folds ; but that would seem to be no reason why they should not be gathered together under the care of their own peculiar and suitable shepherd. New

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churches were constantly forming in those days of private or more public, personal or social, that have arisen ever among rapid growth. In Boston and elsewhere, there were already many such examples. The time was not quite yet, but in its fulness, there would be many dowered daughters of the fruitful Haverhill church itself. The venerable Ward, of all men, would seem to have been peculiarly the man to give his blessing and good speed to these bretbren and sisters, so long under his care, and now apparently especially called to set up a tabernacle for themselves, and be ready for greater activity and usefulness. But steps were taken with extraordinary gravity and self-searching :

"Jan. ye 11, 1781, the town chose a committee to advise and consult and act what in their best judg- ment they shall think mete for ye good of ye town as to ye settling ye Rev. Zecheriah Symmes in office. ' Mr. Symmes himself was chairman of this committee. And on the same day the committee was given full power to act in the premises.

On the same day, also, in pursuance, no doubt of his own request, it was voted that Mr. Symmes " have liberty, at his discretion, to call ont any two men of the inhabitants of ye town to be with him in catechising ye youth, and to go with him to see who of ye heads of families or others will join to ye church." At a private fast held at the house of Brother John Tenney, October 12, 1682 (many months after the preliminary steps above detailed), " an instru- ment of pacification and mutual obligation to church union and order for ye future " was drawn up and signed by the professing Christians present, who call it a "preparatory help toward the gathering of a church in Bradford."

It is an extraordinary instrument, well worthy to be reproduced whenever any attempt is made to tell the story of Bradford. It will be observed that it clearly alludes to past discords and disturbances. But Dr. Kingsbury says : " It is impossible to know what the differences were which are so freely confessed." The instrument was not signed by the women, be- cause that was not yet customary. Their not signing certainly was not extraordinary in this case, because long afterwards, when the second parish church was formed (Groveland) the women did not take part, but were received into the church after its organization.

" We whos names are subscribed, being awfully sensible that we live fu an nge wherein God hath, in part, executed that dreadful threaten- ing to take place from the earth, and wherin Satan, that great makebate and author of confusion doth, by God's permission, exceedingly rage, even in the visible Chnich ff God, and wherein that wirked one is sowing ye tares of discord, almost in every Christian society tye sad effects of which, we that ary ye inhabitants of Bradford have for some years past experimentally felt and have yet ye bitter remembrance of ) we being now (through ye rich and undeserved mercy of God in Christ Jesus) under hopeful probability of settling a Church of Christ in Bradford, do take this ourasion, as to express our hearty and unfeigned sorrow and hunhatun for what nuchristian differences have broken out umnong us to the dishonor of God's name, the grief of his Spirit, and to the obstruct ing of the work and kingdom of Jesus Christ, and to the hindering of sur peace and edification so also in the name of God, and by his gra- clone help, seriously and solemnly to engage and promise, for the future, to forgive and forget to the utmost of our endeavors, all former un- christian animosities, distances, alienalious, differences and contests,

or between usand others; to pass a general act of amnesty aud ob. livion on them all, and not to speak of them to the defamation of each other, at home in Bradford town, much less abroad in any other place ; nor to repeat or revive them, unless called by scriptural role, or lawful authority, to mention them for the conviction or spiritual advantage of each other. Besides we promise through the grace of God, that, in case God, in his most wise and holy providence, should permit any offences, for the future to break forth among us (which we desire God of his iaf- nite mercy would prevent as far as may he for his own glory and our own good) that we will then conscientiously endeavor to attend to scriptural rules for the heahag and removing of them, and those rules in particular, Lev. 19 : 17, Matt. 18 : 15; and to bring no matter of grievance against each other to our minister or to the Church, but in a scriptural and orderly way and manner. That we may ba helped inviolably to ob- serve this our agreement, we desire the assistance of each other's mutnal both christian and church watch, that we may be monitors or remem- brancers to each other of this branch of our covenant, as also the instant and constant prayers of each other, that God would enable us carefully to observe this instrument of our pacification and our conditional obli- gation to church union and order, that God's name may be honored by us and we may experience God's conimanding his blessing upon us, even life forever more. "

It seems to have been Mr. Symmes' custom to read this paper at intervals and ask renewed assent to it. This was done at a private fast, April 4, 1683. "At a private fast at my house," February 2, 1686; " at a private church fast at my house, December 22, 1698, (forefather's day), I read the above said instrument, there being but two of the males in full communiou absent."

October 31, 1682, occurred the meeting of the council, called to advise whether a church should be formed. The council was composed of John Higgin- son of Salem, John Richardson of Newbury, Wil- liam Hubbard, the historian, of Ipswich, John Hale, of Beverly, John Brock, of Reading, Mr. Symmes' brother-in-law, Edward Payson, the junior minister of the church at Mother Rowley, and Samuel Phillips, its senior pastor, progenitor of so much beneficence, public spirit and eloquence, of whose praises the world has been full.

In the guarded manner which was customary, clouding itself in scriptural language and allusion, the council returned an affirmative answer to the question, " whether minister and people should pro- mote without delay, a coalition of themselves into a church society." The same council met, December 27th following, to complete the organization and or- dain the pastor. The vote of the town by which it agreed to provide for Mr. Symmes' maintenance is very claborate. The following is a part of it :

"We ye inhabitants of Bradford utet together at a legal Town meet ing, 13th of March, 1682 or 3, in thankfullness to God for his great mercy in setting up his sanctuary among ns; do hereby engage our selves jointly and singly, and do engage our children after ns as far as we may by unre parental authority to endeavor to onr, and their utmost power, to uphold ye faithful ministry of ye Gospel of Jesus Christ in the town of Bradford so long as we and they shall live, and for ye encor- agement of the same to contribute a liberal and honoralde maintenance toward it as the rule of ye Gospel doth require, to ye ntmost of our and their ability which God shall be pleased to bless us and them with from time to time, and for ye encouragement of our present Minister we doe covenant and promise to give und allow to bim so long as he shall con- tinue with us as our Minister ye fall sum of sixty pounds per annom, if God be pleased to preserve nsin our present capacity, and to be paid in our present state anunally as followeth.

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" Ye first half in wheat and pork, butter and cheese, allowing at least to ye half, one pound of butter for every milch cow, and one cheese for a family, ye other half to be in mait, peas, Indian or rye, except what be willingly accepts in other pay.

" The first payment to be made ye 2nd Thursday in October, ye other payment to be made ye Ord Thursday in March, and if any unforeseen providence shall hinder ; then to take ye next convenient day ye week following.

" We further grant liberty to bim to improve for his best advantage what land we shall accompdish, or obtain for ye Ministry."

It was agreed also that he should have commonage for ten head of cattle, sufficient fire-wood, he paying sixpence a cord for hauling, carting and cording it. It was, moreover, stipulated to furnish him with ten sufficient loads of good hay annually, fencing and yard stuff, "at a reasonable lay," and convenient highways to the several parcels of land they had given him, and to the five acres of meadow, and the forty acres of land "we bought of Benjamin Kimball," also two men from year to year to " the comfortable carry- ing on his affairs," and that all these things be duly and truly done without trouble to " our present minister." It was afterwards voted that no oil-wood, or poplar, or bass-wood, be brought to Mr. Symmes. Truly this was not only a liberal, but a generous and considerate provision. And there is ample reason to believe that the same tender and watchful care of their pastors has been very constantly extended by this church down to the present day. The history of the church is largely the history of the town.

Although the population is so largely increased, and although very many attend church and meeting in the larger town across the river, it is yet an impor- tant and significant fact that there is no other church organization and no otber meeting-house in thetown of Bradford, than that of the First Congregational Church. When Mr. Symmes grew old, about 1705, it was voted to engage some person to assist him. Mr. Hale was first invited and afterwards, Mr. Joseph Stevens, both of whom declined. Whilst such negotiations were in progress, Mr. Symmes died, and the usual pompous Latin inscription was cut upon his tombstone.

This is not surprising, for Mr. Symmes, the second of Bradford, was a very interesting man. Increase Mather praised him, who had known him from his youth. He was attractive personally, from good looks, high spirit, accomplishments, varied learning, im- petuosity. He had a fine voice, and was a good singer. He was hot-tempered and imperious, but was magnanimous and ready to confess a wrong. One may suspect he lived a good deal in extremes of high and low. When he preached the artillery election sermon, in 1720, which was printed, Rev. Dr. Colman, of Boston, wrote a preface to it, wherein he said : " May it prove as profitable in the reading as it was in the hearing; the preacher was unto us a very lovely song of one that has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument." The church records bear witness to his fervor. When there was any notable accessions to membership, he broke forth in praise and ascription to God in Latin phrase, which, per- haps, some of his people would have thought savored of the Romish priesthood and the mass : " Soli Deo Triuni, sit omnis Gloria ! Laus Deo ! Gloria Deo in Excelsis ! Gloria Christo !" With so much that was good, noble and pleasing. he was always in hot water, says his biographer; "he wanted prudence in the economy of his family and a kind, winning manner of address with his parishioners. With a better salary than his neighbors, he lived and died poor, and he likewise kindled a party spirit in both parishes where he was settled. One matter in dispute was concerning church music." In the last particular, Mr. Symmes was correct in point of taste and doubtless accom- plished good, but was too hot and rash in his manner of pushing the controversy.

The church records bear traces of his masterful- ness, as when it was decided to choose ruling elders by which Mr. Symmes probably meant ehlers that he could rule,-" At length I left it to them to choose one for ye upper end of ye Town (having first de- clared that if they chose ye two aged Deacons, I should not comply with it, if they would have no more).

It so happened that just at this time, Zecharialı Symmes' son, the Rev. Thomas Symmes, who had I then nominated for the East End, etc." been preaching in the neighboring town of Boxford But when Mr. Symmes died, that good man, so op- posite in character, Rev. John Brown, of Haverhill, who seems to have had a great admiration of him, preached his funeral sermon and wrote a very inter- esting account of him. He was buried in the old cemetery, doubtless in the lot chosen by his father, October 10, 1725. In the May before (Sth) had befallen at Pigwacket the famous fight between Captain Lovewell's men and Paugus' party, in which four happens, he had not been quite appreciated in his . Haverhill men were engaged. Mr. Symmes had for some years, was leaving that people. He had been born in Bradford, in 1678, and graduated at Harvard in 1693. He had studied at Cambridge five years after graduating and had preached at Boxford five or six years, so that the Bradford folks must have been very familiar with him. He was now about thirty years old, nearly the same age as his laborious father when he came to Bradford. Perhaps, as often birth-place. June 14, 1708, the town voted to hear "improved " the occasion and preached a sermon which was published, part of the title of which was " Historical Memorial on the Fight at Pigwacket." him preach next, then a committee was chosen to go and invite him to " come and preach for some time," then " that he should be again invited," and at last, | A few years ago a sudden controversy springing up, November 24. 1708, "Then voted and passed on the upon an antiquarian point, caused the sermon to be hunted up, and revived the memory of the Bradford minister. affirmative, that Mr. Thomas Symmes should be or- dained with all po-sible spede."

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To this brilliant man succeeded Rev. Joseph Par- sons, born at Brookfield in 1701, who gradnated at Harvard in 1720; was ordained at Bradford in 1726, and died here in 1765. There was an excellent council when he was settled, and a "Great Ordination." Mr. Parsons, too, had his days of glory, when he preached betore the artillery company and the Gen- eral Court.

Ile did not favor Whitefield's preaching, and was one of the ten Merrimac Valley clergymen who pro tested to the Boston ministers against his being ad- mitted to the pulpit.

poraneous speech. He was eccentric and imprudent in his conduct, and, at one time in his career, too much immersed in worldly matters. Tradition says he was fond of swapping horses ; but Dr. Perry re- cords that he repented and made a blessed ending : "He that repenteth and forsaketh his sin, shall find mercy." Mr. Dutch died in 1813, and then Dr. Per- ry himself was ordained September 28, 1814. Dr. Perry was not only a good minister, but a very useful citizen. His labors in behalf of agriculture, for in- stance, were marked, and it is believed he received a prize for an essay on tree culture. He was an early friend of advanced education, and gave much atten- tion to the schools of the town.

About the time of Parsons' settlement had come also the period when the people in the eastern part of the town, having grown populous, were no longer Rev. David A. Wasson, a graduate of the Theolog- ical Seminary at Bangor, was ordained as colleague with Dr. Perry in 1851. Mr. Wasson was a man of keen and incisive mind and an original thinker. He had also a native and gennine independence; but he was an extreme radical, and had strayed far away from Calvinism. The result might easily have been foreseen. He was not in his proper place, unless he could carry all the people of his parish with him. That was impossible. There was a hot controversy. Mr. Wasson was unmasked, as it was probably called. IIe resigned, taking a portion of the people with him. The seceders had an independent society or free church, but that was not very successful, and Mr. Wasson soon retired from it. He has recently de- ceased. Not prosperous in life, he probably had more original power of mind than any other of the ministers of Bradford. willing to go up to the west end to meeting. There does not seem to have been a great deal of friction, when it was recognized that the separation was inev- itable. The East Precinct was incorporated June 17, 1726, and the church was organized June 7, 1727. One hundred and one members were dismissed to form it. With them went both deacons, and thirty- three members by the name of Hardy. Rev. William Balch was the first minister of the Second Church. He graduated at Harvard in 1724, was ordained in 1728 and died in 1792, aged eighty-eight years. lle was able, simple, benevolent and beloved ; but there was once (about 1744) a storm in his parish, when nine members of the church declared themselves dissatis- fied with his preaching on doctrinal points, and ap- pealed to a neighboring church when their own sus- tained the pastor. A council was called, which sus- tained Mr. Balch and the church. Then there was a The East Parish built its first meeting-honse in 1726, and its second in 1790. pulpit warfare between Mr. Balch and the ministers , of Ipswich and Beverly, in which Mr. Balch was There has been a marked difference in the character- isties of the two parishes of Bradford. The elder has been invariably prudent, conservative, consistent. The younger parish, disturbed by two great dissen- sions, in the time of Balch and the latter days of Perry, has not been so peaceful. There has been schism, separation. There has been a greater tendency to radicalism. But there has been always a good degree of intelligence. The two parishes were sepa- rated after two hundred years of municipal life. Grove- land was incorporated March 8, 1850. The relations between the people of the two towns are believed to be entirely friendly. There are, of course, many ties thought to have sustained himself ably. The result of the council was signed by the moderator, Rev. John Barnard, of Andover. But Mr. Balch was ac- cused of Arminianism, and had not Mr. Barnard also the same tendency ? His sons, Edward Barnard (of Haverhill) and Thomas Barnard (of Newbury and Salem), as well as his son-in-law, Dr. Tucker (of Newbury), and Mr. Balch himself, were all Arminian. Of the First Church in Bradford, however, Dr. Kings- bury says : "It has been supposed that the churches in this valley suffered from false doctrine during the time of the pastorate of Parsons and Williams. It was not true of this church. The pastors were faith- " of consanguinity and old friendship to nnite them. ful in preaching the truth." Undoubtedly, they were Calvinistic. But yet the separation was wise, and probably it is not regretted by any considerable number of persons

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 268

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1672

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672