USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Pelham > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 28
USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Prescott > History of Pelham, Mass. : from 1738 to 1898, including the early history of Prescott > Part 28
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The position taken by the Presbytery that the " Representation " brought serious charges against the Presbytery and that the author must appear before that body and make good what they construed as grave charges against the body itself or individuals composing it, and
315
REV. ROBERT ABERCROMBIE.
that he was called upon to appear and be tried before them,-they, whom he was charged with making accusations against, to be judges, -was in Mr. Abercrombie's opinion, contrary to the principles of the Presbyterian body and in disregard of the rules governing the Presbytery. In other words if the Presbytery was the party accused it was contrary to all precedent that the accused should hear the case and render decision.
The first session after the " Representation " was received, was held at Boston, Mr. Abercrombie not being able to attend. The session following was at Newberry. At this session Mr. Abercrom- bie was appointed to preach Mr. Boyd's ordination sermon at Green- wich but before the time, received a message from Rev. Mr. Moor- head forbidding him to do so.
At the next session, as Mr. Abercrombie claims, the Presbytery made repeated requests to have him withdraw the offensive " Repre- sentation." These requests were declined, and being called upon to support the " Representation," he respectfully declined to do so, because he was not to be heard as a representer, but as an accuser, and the accused were to be his judges.
Mr. Abercrombie then submitted a proposition to refer the case to the General Assembly of the church of Scotland, or to a number of Congregational ministers to be mutually chosen. These proposi- tions were declined by the Presbytery.
At this session Mr. McGregorie read a long paper covering the whole case exhaustively,-declaring that the papers of Mr. Aber- crombie contained
* diverse insinuations and reflections, also sundry more direct asser- tions against this judicatory, and declined their authority. * * Upon the * whole the Presbytery judge that the said Mr. Abercrombie is guilty of insin- uating things against the Presbytery false and groundless, and that he ought to be solemnly admonished and rebuked for his sin against God and the church, and exhorted to walk with more circumspection in future.
That if he submits to said rebuke, he will be esteemed in his former standing, with this Judicatory ; but if not he is suspended from the exercise of his Ministerial office four weeks from this time.
Mr. Abercrombie being called upon and refusing to submit to the rebuke the Moderator in the Name of the Presbytery proceeded to suspend him from the exercise of the Ministerial office, according to the foregoing vote.
From the Minutes of the Session at Newbury August 20th 1754.
Per SAMUEL MCCLINTOCK, Scribe."
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HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
A few days later a man was sent to the Pelham people, and read to them the minutes of the Presbytery, and by an order from that body " discharged all from hearing Mr. Abercrombie."
The suspension for four weeks was on August 20, 1754, and Mr. Abercrombie was continued under suspension until the meeting of the Presbytery in Pelham on April 15, 1755. At the session of the Presbytery in Pelham April 15, 1755 Mr. Abercrombie submitted another document, addressed as follows :
" Unto the Gentlemen calling themselves the Presbytery to meet at Pel- ham April the 15th 17:55."
In this paper as in the first he plead with them to receive the dis- cipline of the Church of Scotland in her purest times, and to practice in such a manner that immoral and illiterate persons may not be admitted into the sacred office of the ministry, and those unworthy among the people may be kept back from sealing ordinances. He declined to accept them as worthy to decide in his case because to quote his words : " by your former conduct you have unqualified yourselves to sit in judgement upon any case wherein I am con- cerned. and I absolutely refuse to submit to your judgement." The closing paragraph of the paper follows :
" I appeal from you as Judges, unto the first free and impartial Synod Assembly or Council, to whom I may in Providence have access to apply, and who will redress those injuries you have done me. And finally, if the all wise Jehovah, in his adorable Providence see meet so to dispose of matters that such Synod, Assembly or Council cannot be obtained in Time, I appeal from your unrighteous Judgment, unto the Righteous Judge of all the Earth, to whom I desire to commit my cause, before whose awful bar you and I must ere long appear to answer for our conduct, stand an impartial trial, and receive the final sentence, from which there is no appeal. Even so, Come Lord Jesus. Amen. R. ABERCROMBIE. Pelham, April 15, 1755.
At this meeting of the Presbytery the people of Pelham submitted a paper to that body desiring light upon the matter of suspension of their pastor and expressing doubt as to the legality of the proceed- ings, and setting forth at length their reason for so believing, and closing with a desire that the Presbytery give answer in writing. The answer of the Moderator was that they had joined with a man the Presbytery had laid under suspension, and that going to hear him was against the wishes of the Presbytery, consequently the Presbytery had no more to do with them.
317
REV. ROBERT ABERCROMBIE.
At a meeting or session of the Presbytery at Boston, May 14, 1755, they reported that they had proven many of the charges against Mr. Abercrombie, although he was absent and declared :
" that his usefulness at Pelham was at an end. Therefore the Presby- tery by their vote dissolve the particular relation between said Mr. Robert Abercrombie and the Church and Congregation at Pelham :- and they do hereby in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the great head of the Church, and by virtue of the authority committed by him to them, actually disolve the relation of Pastor and people : between the said Mr. Robert Abercrombie and the Church and Congregation of Pelham ; prohibite and discharge him to exercise the office of the holy ministry or any part thereof in said Pelham, under the pain of the highest censure of the church: and furder; seeing Mr. Robert Abercrombie has rejected all proposals, made to him; by the Presbytery for an accomodation, and refuses to retract from or make satis- faction for the false and injurious things insinuated: we do in the same name suspend the said Mr. Abercrombie from the Exercise of the Ministry and every part of it until the next session of the Presbytery, or such time as he shall be orderly restored therefrom : under the pain of Deposition.
J. MOORHEAD, Mod'r.
Signed per order SAMUEL MCCLINTOCK, Clerk.
Boston, May 14Th 1755."
In criticism of the decision of the Presbytery at its session at Pel- ham on the 15th of April 1755, Mr. Abercrombie remarks to his friend :
" I am threatened with the highest Censure of the Church, if I exercise any part of the Ministry in Pelham. I should be glad to know, whence it comes to be thought so highly censurable and criminal for me to exercise my Ministry in Pelham, more than in any other place. But not having the papers, upon which, it may be supposed, this sentence is founded, I cannot give you that light concerning it, which I would desire. I shall only say this Method, that the Presbytery have taken to condemn a man, without letting him or the world know for what, I look upon as mean unreasonable and injurious. While a man is thereby deprived of an opportunity to clear up the truth, to vindicate himself, the world are left in the dark, yea, are necessarily left to think it must be some gross immorality, some heinous crime for which he is so severely treated, and has such awful threatenings denounced against him.
When the case was examined at Pelham none but Messers Moorhead, McGregorie, McDowel and Burns with their Elders were present .- It is customary to change the Elders every meeting : and at this, Mr. McDowell and Elder were absent. Messrs Parsons and Boyd, with their Elders, now- present, had never heard the case examined; nor those Elders who were: not at Pelham. Mr. Moorhead was continued Moderator. So that of ten: members who were to judge, seven had not heard the case examined. Ina.
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HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
short, if they gave any judgment it must not be thought to result from their own knowledge, upon having heard the case and enquired into the affair ; but grounded upon the testimony of Messrs Moorhead, McGregorie and and Burns, and if so, I can't see why these three could not have done the business alone ; unless the others wanted to give their followers an example of practicing upon the principles of implicit faith, and convince them that they required of other men no more than they themselves were willing to do. 'Tis plain there was not a majority of the Presbytery to act upon the affair. And so according to Presbyterian Principles, their sentence is of no force and claims no regard. R. ABERCROMBIE.
Pelham, May 30, 1755."
It has been claimed that certain members of the church and soci- ety at Pelham appeared before the Presbytery and preferred com- plaints against their pastor. This was doubtless true, as there were people in Pelham who protested against the action of the town in calling Mr. Abercrombie at first, and may have carried their opposi- tion along until another good opportunity came to express it publicly. In more recent times it is seldom that there cannot be found a small minority in any church or parish that do not like the settled minis- ter whoever he may be. If one minister is dismissed and another settled, the same chronic grumblers and fault-finders begin their opposition to the new minister where they left off with the old. Not- withstanding the fact of personal opposition to Mr. Abercrombie in Pelham, there is also indisputable evidence that he had a strong fol- lowing among them through his entire ministry, and during his life until his death.
Whatever the cause or causes of the trouble between the Rev. Mr. Abercrombie and the Presbytery, or upon whom rests the blame for trouble between the pastor and the people of Pelham it was most unfortunate for pastor and for people,-unfortunate for all concerned. The absence of united and harmonious feeling and action between pastor and people worked for harm continually, and could only result in preventing the new settlement from becoming as strong and flour- ishing as it would have been, had all of the disturbing disagreements been absent. The people of Pelham should have been more largely benefitted by the labors of such an highly educated, talented man as Mr. Abercrombie, and would have profited thereby to a much greater . degree had they been united in supporting him by prompt payment of salary, and in giving him a more united moral support. Strict disciplinarian as was the pastor, it is possible he was not as lenient
319
REV. ROBERT ABERCROMBIE.
as some more liberal members of his church thought he should be, and too much inclined to exact entire and unquestioned compliance with the Westminster Confession of Faith. He was a man of strong mind and will, and his convictions of duty would not allow him to preach smooth things, or allow any falling away from the strict letter of church discipline without reproof. His people were also Scotch and it is quite possible were firmly convinced that the pastor was too exacting and strict in church discipline, and disinclined to bow humbly under correction. Mr. Abercrombie was unfortunate in having a strong element of opposition to contend with from his first connection with the people of Pelham as shown by the strong protest against his settlement. There was also a strong Abercrombie ele- ment or party that clung to him for years after his connection with the church was severed by the Presbytery.
Stephen Burroughs, The Supplyer.
From 1739 to 1784, or for forty-five years the people of the town had enjoyed the services of a settled minister only about twenty-four years. From 1744 to 1754, during the pastorate of Rev. Robert Abercrom- bie, from 1764 to 1771 under Rev. Richard Crouch Graham, from 1774 to 1781 under Rev. Nathaniel Merrill. During all the years not covered by the pastorates of these three eminent ministers the town had received the Gospel from supplyers; sometimes through the aid and recommendation of the Presbytery, at other times by their own exertions in securing a preacher. The cause of this state of things, judging from what the records contain of the troubles and trials of the people lay largely with the people themselves. They were all sturdy and zealous in their belief, conscientious and scrupulous in the matter of discipline,-consequently each man considered his individual ideas and opinions those that should be adopted. The result was a division of opinion and no spirit of concession for sake of harmony and unity.
Mr. Abercrombie continued to live in the town after his dismis- sion, and the strong minority of followers and adherents which his presence in the town kept together and active in their allegience to him, could not fail to have a discordant effect, and had a tendency to prevent unanimity and harmony in the matter of calling a new minister, as well as tending to keep up and encourage dissentions. We would not wish the reader to think that we have any desire to charge Mr. Abercrombie with having a hand in preventing harmoni- ous action and unity among the people, but we do say that his pres- ence in the town, and the loyalty of his friends, must have been harmful rather than beneficial, and we can but feel that to this fact among others, the trouble in settling and retaining men in the pas- toral relation was due.
That ministers without settlements were not very numerous is attested by the records showing where men were paid for journeying to " the Jersey College and to Pennsylvania after a minister," and there is a possibility that the good deacons of Pelham became a little careless in demanding the fullest and undoubted endorsement before accepting the services of a supplyer.
321
STEPHEN BURROUGHS.
However this may have been it is certain that a Godless adven- turer at last obtained entrance to the pulpit and was accepted as supplyer for a limited period.
The reader should bear in mind that at this time nearly all travel over the country was on horseback or on foot, and that the means of communication by mail were at long intervals and uncertain, It was not as easy to learn the antecedants of men as now. There was no quick communication by railroad, telegraph or telephone,-no daily mail,-no detective agencies through which the records of suspicious persons could be looked up. The ministerial office was above sus- picion. A ministerial imposter and deceiver was unheard of, and yet the continual demand for supplyers was the means of these good people having experience with a first-class specimen of the genus so much more common now than then. The reader should be charit- able in his consideration of the experience of these people at Pelham, having in mind their environment, and compare it with that of other towns and communities which have had experience with the hypo- critical religious cheat, and ministerial wolves in sheep's clothing, and who have been deceived and cheated by such graceless imposters, while every modern facility for enquiry and investigation was at hand.
STEPHEN BURROUGHS : ALIAS REV. Mr. DAVIS.
On a Tuesday afternoon in April or May 1784, a bright active young man nineteen years of age, rode up the steep hillside highway to Pelham, West Hill. He sought Dea. Ebenezer Gray and pre- sented a letter of recommendation written by Rev. Mr. Baldwin, then minister at Palmer, which introduced the young man as Rev. Mr. Davis, and as one well equipped to discharge the duties of supplyer for the pulpit of the church at Pelham, at that time without a settled minister, Rev. Mr. Merrill having been dismissed. Dea. Gray read the letter of Rev. Mr. Baldwin and having great confidence in the latter as a man of piety and good judgment, he consulted with other prominent members of the church to whom Mr. Baldwin's letter was submitted. The result of the careful consideration of the letter and its recom- mendation, including the fact that the young man had preached acceptably to the good people of Ludlow the previous Sunday, was, that they engaged the applicant as supplyer for four weeks at five dollars per Sunday. beside board and horsekeeping.
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HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
The young man's garb at the time was anything but ministerial, or that would be considered so at the present day. He wore a light gray coat with silver-plated buttons, green vest and red velvet knee breeches, and seems to have entered upon his duties as supplyer without any objection being made to his unministerial robes. Possi- bly they might have supposed that he had more fitting raiment for the pulpit within his capacious saddle-bags. Whatever he may have had in the way of clothing within the saddle-bags, he did have ten old sermons written by his father which he had purloined on leaving home. These sermons were his only reliance for success in his new field of labor in addition to his abundant assurance, fearlessness and cheek, with which he was well equipped.
STEPHEN BURROUGHS.
There seems to have been satisfaction with the preaching of the new supplyer during the four weeks of his engagement, as a new con- tract was then made with him to supply the pulpit for four months longer.
It was not long after he entered upon the performance of the duties of his second engagement before some of the watchful ones began to have certain vague suspicions that the new supplyer was not all that he claimed to be, and might be more and worse than he claimed ;- the people became suspicious, consequently watchful, and alert.
323
STEPHEN BURROUGHS.
Deaths occurred among these hardy people occasionally and there was at least one death during the ministrations of this bright but wicked pretender, and the supplyer officiated at the funeral. Sermons were required often at funerals among these people at that time, and it is said that this funeral being at a private house the supplyer did not have a position where he could easily read his sermon and at the same time be sure that none present could get a glimpse of it. Some one present looked over his shoulder and saw that the manuscript did not have the fresh, crisp appearance that should mark the newly written sermon ; on the contrary it was yellow and dingy with age, and this fact being noised about roused a suspicion that the supplyer was preaching old sermons, and not of his own composition.
The suspicion based upon what was seen at the funeral was spread from man to man until the whole town was discussing the situation. Doubtless this topic was the main one for days, until the ability of the new supplyer to write a sermon, or to preach without obtaining one already written became seriously questioned. This was a very important matter for the Scotch Presbyterians, and a plan was laid to test the young supplyer's ability to preach without a written sermon of his own or another's composition, and the plan was carried out. The following Sunday, a short time before the supplyer entered the church, he received a call from the leading members and was requested to preach from the words found in the first clause of the fifth verse of the ninth chapter of Joshua,-which reads as follows : " And old shoes and clouted upon their feet".
The supplyer without any show of surprise or appearance of being disconcerted, walked up the winding stairs to the high pulpit and opened the services preliminary to the sermon, and having only the intervening time to think out a sermon based upon such a strange and barren passage of scripture as the one thrust upon him.
He seems to have been equal to the situation however, and with a coolness and deliberation worthy of a more honest man and a less solemn occasion, he proceeded to preach a sermon that commanded the attention of the audience, and at the same time convinced his critics of his ability to preach an old sermon or a new one, if written, -- more than that,-it satisfied them of his ability to preach without any sermon at all, though they might not have accepted with becom- ing grace the personal application of the subject with which he scored them at the close. His exordium consisted of a short narrative of
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HISTORY OF PELHAM, MASS.
the Gibeonites, and a history of their duplicity in general and toward the Jews especially. The subject was divided into three heads :
First-The place of shoes.
Second-The significance of old shoes.
Third-Of clouted shoes.
Under the first head he discussed the nature and use of shoes,- calling attention to the fact that man is but a sojourner in the world for a season ; all traveling to another and better state of existence where all would arrive at last. He dwelt upon the necessity of being prepared for the journey, of being well and fittingly shod to render the journey easy ; that the truly good man was careful to have his feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. He called upon them to remember that there was no such thing as remaining inactive during this earthly probation, all are moving rapidly forward to their final end ; and the way is not smooth,-it is filled with stones as well as briars and thorns, and unless well shod, we are wounded at every step. Mankind has learned that the way is rough and thorny and seeks such covering for the feet as they imagine will be a sure protection.
Secondly, of old shoes ;- he informed his hearers they represented those who had been hewing for themselves broken cisterns that could hold no water. Generation after generation follow each other on the same road,-they follow in the footsteps of those that have gone before them, and their feet are shod with the same old shoes.
The old shoes also represent old sins. The spirit of jealousy and discord, of suspicion and lack of confidence among men is but a display of old sins,-of old shoes that are as old as any worn. Jeal- ousy is an old sin, and of this old sin Solomon said "Jealousy is more cruel than the grave." It causes men to hate each other,-it breaks up and destroys churches and all organizations wherever it is allowed to enter. Woe be to those who cherish and nourish the seeds of jealousy.
Thirdly, of clouted shoes .- Those who wear old shoes, who become suspicious and jealous of their fellowmen know very well how hateful and odious they become to all who are subjected to their wicked practices. Ministers and people, husbands and wives, parents and children fall a sacrifice to this unseemly jealousy. Such people know this is all wrong, know that it is sinful and are ashamed, and they
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STEPHEN BURROUGHS.
have recourse to patching and clouting; they cover themselves with false pretenses to hide their deserved shame and disgrace.
Jealousy is a most debasing sin, and the least excusable of all. My hearers, he said, you know that when this sin has taken posses- sion of your souls all comforts and joys flee away, and this first born son of hell triumphed in your bosoms. O jealousy, that green-eyed monster that makes the meat it feeds on.
The conclusion of the sermon from this strange text was a sting- ing application of the subject which must have made the suspicious Scotchmen writhe under the lash laid upon them by this nineteen years old stripling, from the high pulpit of the old meeting house.
" My Hearers, where shall I apply this doctrine? Is it calculated for a people only at some great distance? Can we not bring it home, even to our own doors? Search and see. Try yourselves by the sanctuary and if there your garments are not washed in inno- cence, you will find 'Mene, Mene, tekel upharsin' written on your walls. Will you suffer this hateful monster to rage among you? Will you wear these old filthy clouted shoes any longer? Will you not rather be shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace ?"
The people who had selected the text for the " Supplyer " under the suspicion that he had been preaching sermons written by others because he was unable to write them himself were abundantly sat- isfied that it was not necessary for him to write sermons in order to preach, and they were comparatively quiet for awhile. The supplyer had preached the four Sundays that Dea. Ebenezer Gray with the advice of other prominent members of the church had hired him for and had begun on his second engagement of sixteen Sundays at five dollars per Sunday besides board and horsekeeping. He had secured for himself more fitting clothing, and had purchased a new horse, saddle and bridle; had disposed of the horse and outfit that he first came to town with and he seemed to be going along swimmingly. But there was trouble in store for this wicked pretender that all of his smartness failed to avoid. No one of his acquaintances knew where young Burroughs was or what he was doing save Joseph Huntingdon, a young man whom he had known at Dartmouth college. Burroughs kept up a correspondence with Huntingdon and the latter proposed to visit Pelham on his way from College to his home in Coventry, Conn., sometime in September, 1784.
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