History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 31

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 31

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There are in the records accounts of similar dona- tions afterwards. His private affairs are closely as- sociated with his public relations, and we have an- other account which is entitled : "Housekeeping Dr., since we were married November 3, 1697." The list opens with "2 powthering Tubs, 93 .; 1 Tub of Beef 154 pds. salted October 29, £1 188. 6ª .; wine w" married and wine to 7th day, £3; Bear 195. 64."

At the end of the church-book are various state- ments regarding the minister's gardening, the weather, etc. Of 1697 we read, "The winter this year was a very severe winter for cold and snow. The ground was covered with snow from the beginning of Decem- ber to the middle of March; many snows one upon another ; in February it was judged to be three foot and a half deep on a level." " Charlestown ferry was frozen up so that the boat did not go over once from January 17 to February 28, in which time I rode over upon the ice." The summer following this hard win- ter was a very fruitful summer. In February and March, 1700, he was planting his garden.

In 1696-97 there was important action by the church concerning the reception of members. The subject occasioned much discussion. The result was, in brief, that persons desiring to enter the church should be excused, if they so desired, from a public

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

relation of their religious experience, and should privately give satisfaction to the elders regarding their religious character. The minister was to state to the church the ground of his satisfaction with the candidates some time before they were to be admitted, and they were to be propounded in public, that if any one knew any reason which should justly bar them from communion he could privately inform the eiders. The vote of the church upon receiving persons who had been duly propounded was to be taken by "handy vote, or silence, or any other indifferent sign," at the discretion of the elders. Those who were accepted by the church were publicly to make " profession of their faith and repentance in their covenanting with God." This method does not differ essentially from that which is now employed in Con- gregational Churches. It leaves the whole matter with the church, and the application of the general principles will depend upon the spirit of each church in each case. During Mr. Brattle's ministry of twenty years, 364 persons were admitted to the church; 724 children were baptized.

In February, 1700, Mr. Brattle was " taken sick of a feaver," and was " very ille, near to death." In about a fortnight he was able to be out-" Deo sit gloria. Amen." He was often interrupted during his ministry by pains and languishments. At length the end came to him, also. February 15, 1716-17, "The Revd. Mr. Brattle, Pastur of the church of Christ in Cambridge, departed this life." He had borne his sufferings " with great patience and resigna- tion, and died witli peace and an extraordinary serenity of mind." "He was greatly honored at his interment." It was the day of "The Great Snow," and the principal magistrates and ministers were detained here for several days.

Let Judge Sewell give his account of these events : " 1716-17, February 15, 6. The Revª. Mr. William Brattle died last night at midnight. He was a Father to the Students of Harvard College and a Physician, My Fast Friend. I wish it be not portentous that Two such great men should fall in one week. Deus avertat omen." The reference is to the Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, of Boston, who died on the 13th.

"Febr. 16, 7. Is a great Storm of Snow and Sleet, so that the burying of Mr. Pemberton is put off to Monday, and notice sent accordingly. Feb. 18, 2. Great storm of snow; yet good going under foot. Mr. Pemberton is buried between 4 and 5, in Mr. Willard's Tomb. Feb. 20. . . . About } an hour past one my son and I set out for Mr. Brattle's Funeral in Capt. Belcher's slay; got thither in good time. Bearers, President Mr. Auger, Mr. Hancock, Mr. Wadsworth, Mr. Bradstreet, Mr. Stephens. Scarves and Rings. Governour and Govr. Dudley went first ; Govr. Usher and Sewall 2d. Were many ministers there; Mr. Rogers and Fitch, from Ipswich, came home from the Burying-place. Cousin Elithrop drove. Got home very seasonably. Another snow

coming on. Laus Deo. Feb. 21, 5. Extraordinary storm of snow; yet many were at Lecture to hear Mr. Colman preach the Funeral Sermon of Mr. Pem - berton and Mr. Brattle, from Jno. 9: 4. Compared Mr. Pemberton to Elijah ; Mr. Brattle to Moses. After Lecture the storm increases much, grows more vehe- ment." Mr. Brattle remembered the church in his last testament : " As a close to this part of my will, it is my desire to consecrate, and with humility I bequeath and present to the Church of Christ in Cam- bridge (my dearly beloved flock), for a Baptismal Basin, my great silver basin, an inscription upon which I leave to the prudence of the Reverend Presi- dent and the Rev. Mr. Simon Bradstreet."

The character of Mr. Brattle was held in general esteem. He was a man of marked politeness and courtesy, of compassion and charity. He had a large estate and he scattered his gifts with a liberal hand, yet without ostentation. He was patient and pacific in his temper, and "seemed to have equal respect to good men of all denominations." "With humility he united magnanimity ; and was neither bribed by the favor nor overawed by the displeasure of any man." He was of "an austere and mortified life, yet candid and tolerant towards others." He had great learning and ability, and bore a high reputation as a preacher. His manner in the pulpit was "calm and soft and melting." His sermons show that he was thoroughly of the Puritan school in theology; yet in ecclesiastical nsages he was liberal. When the Brat- tle Street Church was founded in Boston, by men who sought larger liberties in the ordering of their ecclesi- astical affairs, the movement enlisted his sympathy. When Mr. Colman was called to this Manifesto Church, Mr. Brattle wrote to him : " As for my own part, I shall account it a smile from heaven upon the good design of these gentlemen, if you can send them answer of peace." Of himself he wrote in 1715: "I can't but look upon myself as a standing instance of the infinite power and infinite goodness of God." His friend, Mr. Colman, said of him; "They that had the happiness to know Mr. Brattle knew a very religious, good man, an able divine, a laborious, faithful minister, an excellent scholar, a great bene- factor, a wise and prudent man, and one of the best of friends. The promotion of religion, learning, virtue and peace everywhere within reach was his very life and soul, the great business in which he was constantly employed, and in which he principally delighted. Like his good Lord and Master, he went (or sent) about doing good. His principles were sober, sound, moderate, being of a catholic and pacific spirit."

His relation to the college has been mentioned. In the absence of President Mather in England "the administration of the college," writes Mr. Sibley, " was carried on by the Tutors, John Leverett and William Brattle. . . These two wise and effi- cient officers appear to have constituted the whole

CAMBRIDGE.

College Faculty, and to have had almost exclusive direction of the studies and discipline." After the death of his brother, in 1713, Mr. Brattle, who was his sole executor, acted as treasurer of the college for two years, "and in 1715 delivered to his successor nearly three thousand eight hundred pounds of per sonal estate, and a real estate yielding two hundred and eighty pounds,"

A little is known of Mr. Brattle's life in smaller matters. He was a singer. Judge Sewall has an entry in 1701: "I went to the Manifesto Church. They sang the second part of the sixty-ninth Psalm. Mr. Brattle set it to Windsor tune." At an earlier date Mr. Brattle sets Oxford tnne.

In 1708 the judge remonstrates with Mr. Henry Flint regarding the application of saint to the apos- tles and evangelists. "He argned that saying Saint Luke was an indifferent thing; and 'twas commonly used; and therefore he might do it. Mr. Brattle used it."

Again, he cites Mr. Brattle as one of the men who had respect to nature and did not ent off their hair and put on a wig. In 1702 he had this cheerful entry : " Mr. Brattle came to us and smoked a pipe."

The town records give us the close: "6th Febru- ary, 1716-17. At a meeting of the inhabitants orderly convened, voted, that the charges for wines, scarfs, and gloves for the bearers at the funeral of our late Pastor, Rev. Mr. William Brattle, be defrayed by the town, under the direction of the deacons and se- lectmen."

There are here and there in the public records items of more or less interest in connection with the church. There is a vote that a pew be made and set up in the southwest corner of the meeting-house for the family of the minister; Mr. John Leverett and Dr. James Oliver have convenient places provided for their families. Here is a tax ordered, payable in money, for repairing the meeting-house, ringing the bell and sweeping. The little meeting-house bell was given to the farmers and a new one was received from Captain Andrew Belden, who received thanks in re- turn. The school-house was ordered to he rebuilt. A public contribution was taken for the relief of suf- ferers of a recent fire. A grant was made to Mrs. Hannah Gookin to pay her house-rent in 1701. The selectmen, with the consent of the pastor, who was deeply interested in the transaction, were "empow- ered to rent about five hundred acres of land laid out for the ministry, so that it shall become profitable to the university." Then, in February, 1703, at a town meeting, it is voted "that the inhabitants apprehend it necessary at this time to proceed to the building a new meeting-house, and in order thereunto there was chosen " a committee of seven, "to consider of the model and charge of building said meeting-house, and report of the same to the inhabitants." In 1706 the third meeting-house was built on or near the site of the second, and the first service in it was held on

the 13th of October in that year. The corporation of the college voted £60 towards the building of this house, and instructed Mr. Leverett and the treasurer to "take care for the building of a pew for the Presi- dent's family," and about the students' seats; "the charge of the pew to be defrayed out of the college treasury."

There was, in 1722, special interest in the church, when "Mr. Judah Monis, a Jew by birth and educa- tion, being converted to the Christian faith, owned the covenant, and was baptized and declared a mem- ber in full communion with the Church of Christ, after a prayer and discourse made by Mr. Colman, from John v. 46, and a discourse of his own from Psalm cxvi. 10, answering the common objections of the Jews against Christ's being already come, and giving a confession of his faith in the close. Sang part of the 110th Psalm, which solemnity was per- formed in the College Hall. Soli Deo Gloria." Mr. Monis was a useful member of the church, and a fund left by him is still used for the benefit of the widows and children of Congregational ministers. He was an instructor in the college from 1722 to 1760. "All the students, except the freshmen, were obliged to attend, four days in the week, the exercises of Judah Monis, a converted Jew, who was instructor in Hebrew, unless specially exempted."

The period we have just been reviewing presents many events which must have engaged the minds of the good people here. Queen Mary died in 1694, and William III. in 1702. In 1697 the peace of Ryswick closed the war between England and France. The next reign was largely occupied by the "War of the Spanish succession." Thus even this country was for twenty-five years preceding the peace of Utrecht kept in the commotion of war, which reached this side of the sea. A large part of the men were in actual ser- vice, while those at home were compelled to guard their houses and families against treacherous foes. It is estimated that during these wars not less than eight thousand of the young men of New England and New York fell in battle or by disease contracted in the service. Most of the households mourned for friends dead or carried into cruel captivity. It was a gloomy time; the resources of the country were greatly reduced, fields were nntilled, towns lay in ashes. The reign of Anne was marked by the con- stitutional union of England and Scotland, which ended the prolonged contest between those countries. The reign was marked, also, by its progress in science and literature. It was the time of Addison, Steele, Pope, Swift, Locke and Newton. Some of the glories and advantages of England's " Augustan Age " were enjoyed in the New England.

We return to our own modest history. After Mr. Brattle's death the church proceeded carefully to se- lect a man who should enter into the place he had left vacant. A meeting of the church was held April 19, 1717. President Leverett opened the meeting

HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

with prayer. After deliberation nominations were in order, and three elergymen were proposed for the offiee to be filled : Henry Flint, Jabez Fitch and Na- thaniel Appleton. A ballot was taken and Mr. Ap- pleton was found to have thirty-eight votes and Mr. Flint eight. An effort was made to make the vote unanimous by a hand ballot, and all but two are said to have lifted up their hands. "The moderator con- cluded the meeting with returning thanks to God for the peaceable and comfortable management of the af- fairs of the church. Laus Deo." The election gave great pleasure to the corporation of the college, who chose the new minister to be a fellow in Mr. Brat- tle's place, not even waiting for his ordination.

Mr. Appleton was born at Ipswich December 9, 1693, and was the son of the Hon. John Appleton, one of the King's Council, and for more than twenty years a judge of Probate in Essex County. His mother was the eldest daughter of the Reverend President Rogers. He graduated in 1712, and, although receiving generous proposals to enter into business, adhered to his purpose to prepare himself for the ministry. He was ordained pastor of the church October 9, 1717. Dr. Increase Mather preached on the occasion from Ephesians iv. 12, and gave the eharge. Dr. Cotton Mather extended the right hand of fellowship. Mr. Angier, of Watertown, and Mr. Rogers, of Ipswich, joined them in the laying on of hands. This was the beginning of a ministry which reached into its sixty-seventh year, the longest which the church has known. The written records of his labors as pastor comprise little more than long lists of persons received to the church, of adults and children baptized and of persons married. The summing up gives us 2048 children baptized and 90 adults. There were 784 admitted to the fellowship of the church. But figures give but a poor idea of the work of so long a ministry and of its results.

His eonneetion with the college continued until 1779-more than sixty years. He filled the office of fellow with fidelity and discretion, and essentially promoted the interests of this "important seminary." At the commencement in 1771 the college conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, in consider- tion of his "having been long an ornament to the pastoral character, and eminently distinguished for his knowledge, wisdom, sanctity of manners and use- fulness to the churches, and having for more than fifty years exerted himself in promoting the interests of piety and learning in this society, both as a min- ister and as a Fellow of the Corporation." This honor was the more marked in that it had only once been conferred, and that instance was seventy-eight years before, when Increase Mather was the recipient.

Traces of his faithfulness as a minister are to be seen through the church records, with the mention of events which concerned his relation to the church.

We come upon his vigilanee in 1731 and after- wards, when certain persons had fallen into open sin.

In February, 1734-35, the church and congregation met in solemn assembly and spent the forenoon in prayer and preaching. The sermon was from Ezra xiv. 5,6. In the afternoon several votes were passed, expressing the apprehension of a sad decay of piety, and rehearsing the many ways in which persons had proved false to their covenant, and run into innumer- able temptations and hazarded their souls. They feared that these evils resulted from a neglect to watch over one another, as they had covenanted to do. With deep contrition they promised to amend their lives, to discountenance sinful practices, and to deny themselves even their lawful liberty to prevent others from stumbling. They promised to be wateli- ful and helpful. They voted, finally, that a suitable letter should be prepared by the pastor and sent to the inn-holders and retailers of ardent spirits, exhort- ing them to do all they eould to prevent intemper- ance, gaming or any disorder at their houses. These general measures do not seem to have been sufficiently effective, for two years later, at a meeting of the church, a committee was appointed to consult with the pastor "about such measures as shall be thought most likely under the Divine blessing to reform the growing disorders that are among us." The commit- tee in its report advised that nine of the brethren be appointed "to inspect and observe the manners of professing Christians, and such as are under the care and wateh of this ehureh." They were to inquire into any sinful and disorderly behavior of which they might hear, and administer admonition with faithful- ness and tenderness. If such private treatment did not succeed, they were to advise with the pastor about more public action. In the case of such open and scanda- lous offences as required the notice of the church, they were to bring the matter properly before the church. But the appointment of the committee was not to excuse other Christians from the usefulness to which they were pledged. The committee was ap- pointed and entered upon its work. The plan ap- pears to have worked well, for year by year afterwards we have a record like this: "The brethren voted to choose a Committee to inspect the manners of pro- fessing Christians, etc., according to the method agreed upon April 19, 1737." The church was evi- dently striving to fulfill its own obligations, and at the same time not to eneroach on the freedom of any person. The offences were real, would be real now, and there was an honest effort to bring them to an end.

Another matter entering largely into the records concerns the lands belonging to the church. These have already been mentioned more than once. There is a eatalogue signed "N. A.," and entitled " Lands belonging to the Church and Congregation in Cam- bridge for the Use of the Ministry." The list in- cludes three small lots of four, eight and three acres, and a lot of forty acres in Menotomy, called Bare Hill. Besides these there was a lot of twenty acres in

CAMBRIDGE.

Newton, " the gift of Mr. Thomas Beale to the church of Christ in this place and town of Cambridge, whereof he was a member." There was, also, a farm of five hundred acres at the farther end of Lexington, towards Bedford, given in former time by the pro- prietors of the town for the use of the ministry. It was found expedient early in Mr. Appleton's minis- try to sell the land in Newton and Lexington. The proceeds of the former were invested in bonds, and the income was to be used as the church should direct. Of the money received for the Lexington lands, £130 was reserved for the erection of a parson- age; the rest was applied to the purposes of the orig- inal donation. Inasmuch as the proceeds of the Lexington farm were to be for the minister's benefit, he made an arrangement with the town whereby he was to receive two-thirds of the interest which ac- crued from the investments of the money received by the sale of the land. The remaining third was to be added, by the minister's proposal, to the princi- pal. The fund was to be in the hands of a treasurer nominated by the minister and approved by the town. Mr. Appleton solemnly charged the people of the parish to abide strictly by the arrangement which had been made, and never suffer the third of the in- terest to be applied to any other use than the increasing of the fund. He expressed the hope that no succes- sor of his in the ministry would ever desire or de- inand more than two-thirds of the interest money. "Nay, let me add, what some of you may easily compute, that by keeping this vote and agreement, of adding one-third of the interest to the principal, sacred and inviolable, that by the 3d or 4th generation it will of itself afford a comfortable and decent sup- port for a minister, without any tax upon the people."

We can trace this matter further. The minister of 1800 writes that this fund, by its own accumulation, and by the addition of the product of ministerial lands sold in 1795, has become greatly auxiliary to the support of the ministry. From time to time a committee was appointed to examine into the state of the church stock of moneys, bonds or notes in the hands of the deacons. In 1773 such a committee made a long report, in which they recommended that, after allowing the funds to increase by interest for fourteen years, for the next fifteen years one-third of the interest should be used for the support of the ministry, and that after that time two-thirds of the fund should be employed in this way, and the re- mainder added to the principal. In order that the fund might be further increased, the committee rec- ommended, also, to the members of the church that, whenever they came together " to commemorate the death and sufferings of Him who spared not to shed His precious blood for us, they would express their thankful remembrance of the benefit they have re- ceived, by cheerfully contributing a small part of the substance with which God has blessed them for the important purposes of continuing and spreading

amongst mankind that pure and undefiled religion which Christ appeared on earth to propagate." They entered into an elaborate statement "to show that a very small part of our substance, properly applied, would produce a very considerable effect " in enlarg- ing the resources of the church.

The church records present various matters which were of importance in their day and are still interest- ing. We have Mr. Appleton's wood account, begin- ning in 1729: " My good friends and neighbors have, for several years past, in the fall of the year, brought me a considerable quantity of wood gratis, some years between thirty and forty loads, sometimes above forty loads, which good and laudable custom, that had been dead for some years before the Rever- end Mr. Brattle's death, was revived by good Father Pattin about ten years ago, and continued by the friendship of the people." Then follow the names of the donors year by year, with the quantity of their gifts. In 1732 the people of the northwesterly part of the town were formed into a separate precinct, and in 1739 a church was gathered there. To this new church the church here gave £25 "to furnish their communion-table in a decent manner." In 1731 and 1734 additions were made to the commu- nion service of the church here by private gifts. In 1740 "the Hon. Jacob Wendell, Esq., from his re- gard to this place," presented "to the minister of the first church, for the time being, a large handsome Bible for the use of the church," and the gift was suitably acknowledged.

There was another change in regard to the method of receiving members. Those who wished had al- ready been excused from a public recital of their re- ligious experience. In 1757, at a church-meeting, "some of the honorable brethren of the church moved that for the future it might not be insisted upon with such who should be admitted into the church to come forth and stand in the front alley or aisle at the time of their admission ; alleging that it was disagreeable and surprising to some persons, and had been offered by way of objection by some per- sons, and had been such a stumbling-block to them as to prevent their offering themselves for admission ; and considering it was but a mere circumstantial thing, and a matter of indifference, and considering also that the practice of other churches allowed per- sons to stand in their own proper places, all the time of admission. Therefore, the brethren agreed to leave the matter to the discretion of the pastor, at the same time manifesting that they did not insist upon the standing in the aisle or alley, and that they should be well satisfied if they appeared in any of the seats or pews that joined upon the front alley, so as to be fairly before the pastor and in view of the as- sembly ; and to this no one of the brethren offered the least objection, although they were desired to do it if they had any objection to offer." This action marks the willingness of the church to regard the

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 31

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034