History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 113

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III > Part 113

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Such was the conclusion of Dr. MeClure, and it seems to have been welt grounded. "The instru- ment " containing an " agreement " must have been drawn after the date of " a certain writing," for it was drawn "by authority " of that writing. That writing

was dated March 26, 1649. It must, therefore, have been after that date that "the brethren on Mystic side," were preparing " shortly to go into a church estate by themselves." Very likely the "instrument " was drafted on the same day as the " writing " (only after the " writing"), as both appear to have been es- sential to the consummation of "the agreement." Moreover, that the word " shortly" indicates a period of not more than a few weeks is made quite probable by the fact that the people of Mystic side, at this very time, were taking measures to seenre the incor- poration of their town. Their petition to the Gener- al Court was responded to, on May 11, 1649, in the following laconic Aet of Incorporation :

"In answer to the peticon of seull inhabitants of Mistick side, their request is granoted, viz., to be a distinct toune of themselves, and the name thereof to be Mauldeo." (Records of Massachusetts, vol. iii. p. 162).

As late, probably, as March 26, 1649, or sixteen days before the date of the above Act of Incorpora- tion, "the brethren on Mystic side," most or all of whom were doubtless members of some church, as the very term " brethren " would seem to indicate, were preparing "shortly to go into a churchi estate." It can hardly be doubted that these same " brethren " were the men, or among the men, who petitioned the General Court to incorporate their town. It is quite certain, then, that they were seeking at once the incorporation of their town, and the organization of a church within it, and, more than probable, that they obtained both at about the same time. The date of the organization of the First Church in Malden, therefore, is almost certainly not far from May 11, 1649.

The statements of Edward Johnson are indefinite. Referring, perhaps, to the year 1648, he says : " About this time the town of Malden had his first foundation stones laid," but we know that the town was not incorporated until 1649. His subsequent statement, that "the people gathered into a church some dis- tance of time before they could attain any Church officer to administer the seals unto them," gives us no date. For ought he says, the expression "some distance of time " may refer to the period between May 11, 1649, and the date of the settlement of the first minister in Malden. It is absolutely certain that no church was organized in this town before March 26, 1649, for after that date, or at that date, " the brethren " were preparing " shortly to go into a church estate." This is the testimony of a legal document witnessed and recorded. As compared with this legal and positive statement, the careless and indefinite statements of Johnson are of no weight.

Morcover, there is evidence that the chief purpose of the Mystic side men in seeking the incorporation of their town was, that they might enjoy better re- ligious privileges. Richard Frothinghan, in his " His- tory of Charlestown," informs us, that as early as January 1, 1649, "a large committee was chosen from

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the inhabitants" residing on the south side of the Mystic River, "'to meet three chosen brethren on Mistick side,' to agree upon the terms of a separa- tion, and the boundaries of a new town. This com- mittee made an elaborate report beginning : 'To the end, the work of Christ, and the things of his house there in hand, may be more comfortably car- ried on, it is agreed as followeth : '" that the Mistiek side men shall be a town by themselves, &c. This language indicates that, at that date, the work of Christ had been begun on Mystic side, and that the things of His house were " in hand," but not that a church had been organized, and that they were in the full enjoyment of Christian privileges. The truth appeared to be, that they had already estab- lished, in an informal way, religious services on Mystic side, which had been conducted for the most part by a Christian layman, William Sargeant, but that now they proposed to organize a church, settle a minister, build a parsonage, and, perhaps, a meet- ing-house.

When the First Church in Malden was formed there had previously existed in the territory now com- prised in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts forty- two churches. Three of these had been organized in England, and transferred bodily to this country. Two of the entire number, however, had removed to Connecticut. The Malden Church, therefore, when formed in 1649, was the forty-first church in Mass- achusetts. Several of those early churches have, within the last hundred years, ceased to be orthodox Congregational Churches; and at present date (1890) there are only twenty-three orthodox Congregational Churches in this Commonwealth which are older than the First Church in Malden. This church is more ancient than any church of the same denomi- nation within the former limits of Boston. Only one church, indeed, of this order, within the present lim- its of Boston is older, and that is the First Church in Charlestown (now a part of Boston). The Old South Church, Boston, so famous in history, was organized in 1669, and the Park Street Church as late as 1809. The latter is a young church in comparison with that sisterhood of ancient churches to which the Mahlen Church belongs.

as are more needed in every community and nation than any other class of people. On board the ships that brought them over the sea they had an abundance of religions services-" Preaching and catechising, fasting and thanksgiving, were duly observed." Win- throp, on the voyage, wrote a little book, en titled " A Model of Christian Charity," which evinced that in his own heart was living the spirit of Christ. Before dwelling-houses could have been prepared for all the company they organized the Church of Christ, and established the Christian ministry. Those who joined them during the years immediately following were like-minded. Indeed, no other class of people were permitted to make their homes in the Colony. The colonists speedily pushed ont from Charlestown, southwest across the channel to Shawmut (Boston), westward to New Town (Cambridge), and northward across the Mystic River to Mystic side (Malden); and soon to regions still beyond, taking possession of the wild lands, subduing the wilderness and establishing Christian homes. And Cotton Mother, speaking of this people, teils us that, "Wherever they sat down they were so mindful of their errand into the wilder- ness, that still one of their first works was to gather a church into the covenant and order of the gospel." (Magnalia, vol. i. p. 79.)

As early as 1631, or only one year after the settle- ment of Charlestown, English people were living on Mysticside. Seven years later the population had come to be considerable ; and ten years from that date, or in 1648, the inhabitants on this territory were numerons enough to be moving for the organization of a church. This movement and their previous zeal in establishing and maintaining regular religious ser- vices are what we would expect of men and women, who belonged to Governor Winthrop's colony. There were among them some of the first settlers of Charles- town. We know that several of their number came over the sea later. But they all belonged to one and the same class of English people. They were Puritans. They accepted heartily the Calvinistic interpretation of the Scriptures. Their religious beliefs had made them righteous and self-sacrificing, courageous and great lovers of liberty. They feared and loved God. Christ was dear to their hearts, and lived in their lives. Sin and irreligion were hateful to them, prayer and Christian service were their delight. Such in character and faith were the people who founded the First Church in Malden.

THE FIRST MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH .- It would be interesting to know more than we do of the men and women who were the original members of this ancient church gathered on Mystic side. But we may be thankful that, while the biography of no one Some of the original members of the Malden Church were previously original members of the church in Charlestown. Others of this number joined the Charlestown Church some years after it was formed, Others still, who were among the original members of the Malden Church, may never have united with the First Church in Charlestown. There is evidence that, in some instances, good Christian people resided for several years in Charlestown, and yet were never con- of them has come down to us, we are not left in entire ignorance of their general character. The fact that they "issued out of Charlestown " tells us something. We know what sort of people settled in that town nineteen years before. They were Governor Win- throp's people, godly men and women for the most part, Puritans in faith and character, people of such sterling integrity and worth as the world always has need of-of such moral and religious stamina, indeed, 'nected with the church in that town, for the reason

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that from the first they expected to remove sooner or later to some other plantation. Edward Johnson, the author of "The Wonder-Working Providence of Zion's Saviour," was one of this class.

He was a prominent man in the Colony, and eminent in Christian service; yet he resided six years in Charlestown without becoming a member of the church there. He then removed to Woburn, and took an active and leading part in the organization of the First Church in that town. Some of the founders of the church in Malden may have pursued a similar course. In that case they removed their church rela- tion directly from some church in the old country to the new church in Malden.

No catalogue of the original members of the Mal- den Church has been preserved, yet the names of some of them are known. Mr. Corey speaks of "a document in relation to the church, written in 1648," which contains the names of several " of the leading men of Malden." As this document pertained " to the Church," the men whose names it contained prob- ably took part in the organization of the church the next year. "They were Joseph Hills, Ralph Sprague, Edward Carrington, Thomas Squire, John Wayte, James Greene, Abraham Hill, Thomas Osborne, John Lewis and Thomas Caule."

Joseph Hills was a lawyer by profession, and an eminent man, not only in his town and church, but also in the Colony. Dr. McClure places him in his list of " distinguished citizens," and records the fol- lowing particulars respecting him :

" He was born in 1602; came to New England at least as early as 1639, and was admitted as freeman in 1645. He resided at first in Charlestown, then in Malden, and at last in Newbury, whither he re-1 moved in 1657, and where he died February 5, 1688, aged 86 years. He was representative from Charles- town in the General Court for 1647, in which year he was also Speaker. He was for some time captain of the Malden Company, and represented Malden from 1650 to 1656. lle was for several years one of the Assistants of the colony. . . . His first wife was Rose Dunster, a sister of Henry Dunster, the first president of Harvard College."1

Mr. Corey, speaking of the part Mr. Hills took in laying the foundations of the town, says: " He had been engaged in important commissions with the leading men of the government." " He had just com- pleted the famous revision of the Massachusetts laws, which was printed in 1648, and which was the first code of laws established by authority in New England. He came with his wife, Rose, from Maldou, in Essex, England, and in compliment to him, Mystic side is supposed to have received its new name." Mr. Frothingham speaks of him as "the principal char- acter in Malden ; " and Edward Johnson describes him as "active to bring the laws of the country in

order, and as " the leader of the Malden band " even before the first town officers were chosen.

Ralph Sprague, one of the founders of the church in Malden, came from England, "at his own cost," probably with Higginson's company, to Salem, in 1629. His wife, Joan, came with him ; also two brothers, Richard and William. He was one of the pioneers who, that same year, came through the woods from Salem to the mouth of the Mystic River, took possession of the place on the southern side of the river, afterwards and now called Charlestown, and settled there. Probably he was a member of the church organized at Salem under those godly minis- ters, Skelton and Higginson. He was certainly a member of the church organized in Charlestown, and which in a few weeks removed to Boston, for his name is in the list of those, who, in 1632, were dismissed from the First Church iu Boston to organize a new church in Charlestown. This Second Church in Charlestown, now called the First Church, was the church from which the brethren came who organized the church in Malden. Ralph Sprague took the oath of a freeman in 1631, was made con- stable at the General Court in 1630, heid several military offices, and was frequently representative in the General Court. He died in November, 1650.

Edward Carrington, as Dr. McClure informs us, was admitted freeman in Charlestown in 1636; was one of the principal men in Mystic side at the time of the iucorporation of Malden. He also seems to have been a man of some wealth and considerable influence.

Thomas Squire came to Charlestown with his wife, Bridget, in Winthrop's company, in 1630 ; was No. 83 on the list of church members, in Boston; was dis- missed in 1632, with others, to organize the new church in Charlestown.

" John Wayet, Esq., was very prominent among the first settlers of Malden. He was the representative of the town in the General Court from 1666 to 1684, and in the last-named year, was Speaker of the House. He served many years also as one of the selectmen." (Dr. McClure.)

James Greene came from England, was in Charles- town in 1646 and in Mystic Side in 1647. He was a member of the church in Charlestown. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were doubtless among the original members of the First Church in Malden. He died March 26, 1687, aged seventy-seven years.

Abraham Hill was made a freeman in Charlestown in 1640, and died in Malden, February 13, 1676. Ile was the ancestor of the Hills in Cambridge and of several noted families in New Hampshire. Ilis wife's name, perhaps, was Sarah.

Thomas Osborne was in Charlestown in 1644, and was made freeman in 16-19. Ile lived on Mystic side. His wife, Sarah, was one of the sisterhood who " stood up manfully in defence of their pastor, Rev. Mr. Mathews, against the General Court." In 1662 he and his wife were dismissed to the church iu

1 " (Bi-Centennial Book, " p. 168.)

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Charlestown. The next year he "united with Gould as a Baptist, having embraced the opinions of that sect as early as 1658." (Savage.)

John Lewis came to Charlestown in 1634. His first wife's name was Margaret, and by her he had six children. His second wife's name was Mary Brown, and six children were born to them. He died Sep- tember 16, 1657.

Thomas Caule, or Call, "a baker. came from Eng- land with his wife, Bennett, and three children. He died May, 1676." The name of his second wife was Joanna, and she was one of the brave women who pleaded for their minister before the General Court. (Dr. McClure.)

Such were the ten men who, it is thought, were among " the leading men of Malden " at the time its First Church was organized. Six of them surely were among the original members of the church, and very likely all of them were. As a class, they were evi- dently men of ability, integrity and influence. They were worthy to be the founders of a Christian Church and to aid in founding a Christian State. Among the original members were also William Sargeant, "the godly Christian " and lay-preacher, and his good wife, Joan. John Upham, who was a leading citizen, held many important offices and trusts in both the town and the Colony, and was " deacon of the church for at least twenty years," and his wife, Elizabeth, were likewise in the list of first members. In the same class, too, without doubt, were most, if not all, of the thirty six women who, as will later be shown, so honorably and publicly stood up in defence of their minister when they thought him wronged. To this select number others doubtless belonged, whose names, though now unlettered on the pages of the earthly church records, are, we believe, imperishably "written in the Lamb's Book of Life."

The church, which thus began its history early in May, 1619, entered at once and vigorously upon the difficult task of obtaining a minister. The members do not seem to have been unduly fastidions. Within about a year they extended calls to no less than nine candidates, viz., to " Mr. Miller, then at Rowley; Mr. Blinman, Mr. John Wilson, son of the first pas- tor of Boston; Mr. Samuel Mather, Mr. Ezekiel Cheever, Mr. Lyon, to one of the Watertown officers, to one of the t'harlestown church officers and to Mr. John Breek." (Dr. McClure.) Several of these were probably at the time students in Harvard College preparing for the ministry. Some of the list after- wards became distinguished ministers. None of them accepted the call from Malden.

REV. MARMADUKE MATHEWS THE FIRST MINIS- TER .-- The first pastor of the church was Rev. Marma- duke Mathews, Ile received and accepted a call some time in the early part of the year 1650, The exact date of his settlement is not known. During his brief pastorate he was a sorely afflicted man, but his troubles were not occasioned by unhappy relations

between him and bis church, but partly by neighbor- ing churches, and chiefly by the General Court and the magistrates. His case was a remarkable one, and deserves much ampler treatment than we have space to give it.

Rev. Marmaduke Mathews, son of Matthew Ma -- thews, born in 1606, at Swansea, in southern Wales, graduated at Oxford February 20, 1624, at the age of eighteen ; arrived at Boston September 21, 1638. Ilis wife, Catharine, united with the First Church in Bos- ton February 6, 1639. He settled in Yarmouth and was the first minister in that town, remaining there from 1639 to 1643. Winthrop calls him a " godly minister." Morton, in his " Memorial," under date of 1642, mentions his name as among "the speeial- ist " of "a considerable number of godly and able gospel preachers," with whom "about that time the Lord was pleased, of his great goodness, richly to ac- complish and adorn the Colony of Plimouth," " who then being dispersed and disposed of to the several churches and congregations thereof, gave light in a glorious and resplendent manner as burning and shining lights." Hutchinson speaks of "a set of pious and learned ministers " who were pastors of churches in Plymouth Colony in 1643, and Hubbard affirms that one of this number was Marmaduke Mathews.

Having elosed his ministry in Yarmouth in 1643, Mr. Mathews, probably in 1644, removed to Hull and preached in that town, it would seem, several years, for in 1650 he was spoken of as having lately preached in Hull.

The civil authorities in Plymouth Colony appear to have had some dealing with Mr. Mathews before 'be left Yarmouth. Mr. Frederick Freeman, in his " History of Cape Cod," informs us that even under the jurisdiction of the Pilgrims,

" A strict watch was kept over the churches by the magistracy. No church could be gathered without the permission of the magistrates, and any minister preaching without their approbation was liable to a penalty. Mr. Mathewa tbus offended, and was fined ten pounds."

But the antiquarians have not yet deeided with any unanimity whether he committed this offence through mere inadvertenee ; or because he did not be- lieve that a minister of Christ, in his beliefs and offi- cial service, should be subjected to the will of the civil authorities; or was thus punished because he was judged to have preached erroneous doctrines. Yet Mr. Freeman, in a foot-note, adds the following apparently just remark : "Mr. Mathews has been represented by some of his contemporaries as 'weak and eccentric,' but we are inelined to think the weak- ness was mere artless simplicity, and the eccentricity the frankness of a man void of subtlety."

The imposition of this fine, however, in 1643, and the troubles connected with it, may have occasioned his departure from Yarmouth, which occurred the same year. The people in Hull were satisfied with his ministry, yet for some reason he left them. They

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then petitioned the magistrates of the Massachusetts Colony that he might be returned to them. On May 2, 1649, the following remarkable response was made to their petition :

" The Court thinks it no way meet to grant . their desire for Mr. Mathews returning to them, nor residing with theni, and do declare that they find several erronions expressious, others weak, inconvenient and unsafe, for which it judgeth it meet to order, that the said Mr. Mathews should be admonished by the Governor in the name of this Court." (Records of Massachusetts, vol. ii. p. 276).

This action of the magistrates indicates that in some way they had already reached the conclusion that this minister's preaching was not what it should be.

Two days later, or on May 4th, the General Court or House of Deputies received a petition from the people of Hull "for the encouraging [that is, the furnishing of pecuniary aid to] Mr. Mathews to go to them aud preach amongst them." The reply of " the whole Court " is: "That Mr. Mathews should not return to Hull, nor reside with them." And further they " do declare that they find several erro neous expressions, others weak, inconvenient and unsafe, for which they judge it meet to order, that the said Mr. Mathews should he admonished by the Governor in the name of the Court." Doubtless the admonition was duly given by the Governor. Mr. Mathews did not return to Hull.

In the early part of the next year, 1650, Mr. Math- ews is preaching acceptably to the people in Mal- den. The church wishes to ordain him as its pastor. In the mean time Mr. Mathews requests of the Court an opportunity to explain the language used in his preaching to which exception had been taken. The voluntary presentation of this request was frank and honorable, and discloses an ingenuous confidence on his part that he could give a satisfactory explanation. On June 21, 1650, the Court ordered that his request should be granted, and that on the 28th of that month an opportunity should be furnished him to "give sat- isfaction for what he had formerly delivered as erro- neous, &c., to the elders of Boston, Charlestown, Rox- bury and Dorchester, with such of the magistrates as shall please to be then present (if he can.) "1

Mr. Mathews appears before that council, but fails to give satisfaction. Two churches, that of Charles- town and that of Roxbury, wrote to their brethren in Malden, earnestly advising them not to ordain him. "The latter, in reply, requested that any 'sin' in their pastor-elect might be pointed out, and they would consider it. No reply was received from Rox- bury previous to the ordination, and only the views of Mr. Nowell, from Charlestown, but whether in be- half of the church, or as a magistrate, is not stated. Mr. Mathews was ordained."2 The brethren in Mal- den were aware that the church in Salem "ordained," that is, installed, Mr. Skelton as its pastor and Mr.

Higginson as its teacher; that the church in Charles- town ordained Mr. Wilson as its teacher. They knew also that the Cambridge platform, adopted two years before (1648), allowed a church not only to choose, but ordain its own officers. Why, then, should they not ordain as their pastor the man whom they had chosen to that office? In ordaining Mr. Mathews they supposed they were doing what they had a perfect right to do, and evidently intended no disrespect to magistrates or to other churches, and had they and their pastor been left to themselves, they might have long labored together in the interest of Christ and His kingdom-for ought that can now be seen-in great peace and joy.

Another year passed. On May 7, 1651, the Gene- ral Court again assembled. Early in the session Mr. Mathews was summoned to appear and give satisfac- tion for " former and later miscarriages." He appears at the appointed time, May 15th, and listens to charges, nine in number, grounded upon certain pas- sages taken from his sermons. He "owned not " the charges ; but they were supported by the testimony of two Malden men, John Hawthorne and Thomas Lynde. Hawthorne, at another time, was anxious to obtain from the Court a license to keep a tavern in Malden, and sell intoxicating drinks. The hearing appears to have continued through several days. Mr. Mathews made an elaborate defense in a paper of considerable length, in which he explained in detail the several passages in his sermons on which the nine charges had been grounded. He was a trained schol- ar. He delighted in careful distinctions and defini- tions. These seemed to him obvious and important, and in his simplicity he thought he could make them seem so to others. He read his Hebrew Bible flu- ently, held it, perhaps, in his hand, as he discoursed to the plain men of the Court upon the meaning of certain Hebrew words, and gave the exegesis of cer- tain passages in the Hebrew Scriptures.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. III, Part 113

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1278