History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 137

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 137

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vised the establishment of a church and measures were taken accordingly. In May, 1885, the first ser- mon was preached in Agricultural Hall by the Rev. J. F. Lovering, pastor of the Old South. The labor- ing oar was now placed in the hands of the Rev. Dr. A. E. P. Perkins, a resident minister without charge. Through his efficient labors, with those of his coad- jutors, such progress was made that in the summer of 1886 a commodious chapel had been erected, and on the 26th of September was dedicated. The land for the site, on the corner of Elm and Russell Streets, was the gift of David Whitcomb. Including this, the whole cost was about nine thousand dollars. The title of the property is in the City Missionary So- ciety. On the 24th of February, 1887, the church was constituted and at the same time the Rev. George S. Pelton, formerly of Omaha, was installed as its first pastor. At first a Society was organized on the old double-headed plan ; but after nearly one year of church life passed in this way Park Church took advantage of the general law for the incorporation of churches enacted in 1887, and on the 17th of Janu- ary, 1888, took on corporate powers and became itself a parish. Both men and women were named among the corporators, and both were made responsi- ble for the " government of the body" so far as they were " legal voters." The aim was to make impossi- ble the old-time antagonism of church and parish. This the scheme assured. But just as under the old Congregational way, so now, there still remained two bodies in Park Church-a spiritual body independent of law and an artificial hody subject to law.

Pilgrim Congregational Church .- The origin of this church was in marked contrast with that of the Plymouth and Piedmont Churches. While they sprang into existence as it were full-grown and dis- played masculine vigor from the first, Pilgrim Church had a childhood. It was, in a sense, the child of the City Missionary Society. That society explored the ground and prepared the way and supplied the first preaching. Because of that society it came to exist when and where it did. It first became visible in the form of a diminutive Sunday-school, at No. 6 Hancock Street, on the 13th of May, 1883. Mrs. Fannie M. Bond, a city missionary, had gathered a little flock, and Mrs. Fannie H. Mighill, whose warm co-operation had been secured, opened her doors for its reception. At this first meeting exactly ten scholars were present, of whom five had never before been in a Sunday school. By the 8th of July the ten had become a crowd and Woodland street school- house was secured for its accommodation. In five years it had grown to nearly six hundred members. On the 1st of July, 1884, the school received the gift of a lot of land from Mr. F. B. Knowles, of Pied- mont Church, and Mrs. Helen C. Knowles, of Union Church. The same persons, with others, contributed money for the building of a chapel which was fin- ished and occupied on the 25th of January, 1885.

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When completed it was the first of six houses of worship now (1888) standing between Piedmont Street and New Worcester. On the 16th of Novem- ber, 1884, the Rev. Charles M. Southgate began pas- toral work. He was a graduate of Yale in the class of 1866, and came to Worcester from a pastorate of nine years with the Congregational Church in Ded- ham. Under the fresh impulse imparted by him the enterprise went rapidly forward in the way of its en- largement and consummation. On the 19th of March, 1885, the church, embracing eighty-eight members, was organized, and at the same time the pastor was installed. On the 19th of August, 1887, ground was broken for the new church edifice, and on the Ist of July, 1888, it was dedicated. It stands on the corner of Main and Gardner Streets, is one of the most attractive churches in the city, and, with the other property, is valued at one hundred and ten thousand dollars. The auditorium has more than one thousand and fifty sittings, while the rooms de- voted to the Sunday school accommodate more than six hundred persons. The society connected with this church was incorporated on the 13th of April, 1885. The by-laws provide that all male adult mem- bers of the church shall, and "any " adult members may, become members of the society.

Three things distinguish this from other Congrega- tional Churches, and probably from all other churches in the city. The first is, the church and parish status. By requiring adult male members of the church to become members of the parish and mem- bers of the parish to be members of the church, it was designed, as in Park Church, among other things, to make antagonism between the two bodies impossi- ble. One further thing seems essential to the.com- plete success of this plan, and that is, to require all temale, as well as male, adult members of the church to become members also of the parish. Without this, antagonism, however improbable, is nevertheless possible. The second distinguishing thing is the unique and admirable provision for the accommoda- tion of the Sunday school. A 'spacious primary room, parlor and ten separate class-rooms have been so arranged that each can be shut off from the rest during the study of the lesson and then all thrown into one again for the general exercises. The third thing is the provision for the secular side of this church organization. The first chapel was moved to one side, named Pilgrim Hall, and fitted up with rooms for a gymnasium, carpenter's shop, boys' read- ing room, hall for social purposes and a kitchen. In this Hall the healthful secular life of Pilgrim Church goes on through all the secular days of the week. The membership of this church at the close of the year (1888) was two hundred and fifty.

Church of the Covenant .- This church is an anom- aly of Congregationalism. At present it is tripartite, but it may become quadrupartite and indefinitely more. Under one church organization there are thus

far three "sections," each in a different part of the city. The names of these are, the Houghton Street Section, South Worcester Section and Lake View Section. Each section is an inchoate church, having some, but not all the powers of a Congregational Church. The peculiar organization grew out of the needs of the chapel congregations in charge of the City Missionary Society. Upon the incorporation of this society, in 1883, the congregations at South Wor- cester and Lake View came under its care. On the 19th of October, 1884, it organized a Sunday school in the neighborhood of Houghton Street, and on the 15th of October, 1885, dedicated the Houghton Street Chapel. In the chapel a council assembled on the 10th of December following to organize the church. At an adjourned meeting of the council held in the vestry of Plymouth Church, on the 22d of December, the business in hand was completed by the public re- cognition of the Church of the Covenant. In Janu- ary, 1886, there were forty communicants in all the sections, of whom more than one half were in the Houghton Street Section.

Due provision was made for the practical working of this anomalous church. It was placed under the "pastoral care" of the City Missionary Society, with the city missionary, Rev. Albert Bryant, for its pastor. Each section was to manage its own sectional affairs. The pastor of the church was to be the pastor of the section and preside at all its meetings. He was to perform all pastoral, pulpit and sacramental duties for each separately. There was to be a secretary of the section and a clerk of the church, the former of whom was to transmit his record of sectional doings to the latter for permanent record. Each section was to elect one deacon or more, and the sectional deacons were collectively to be the deacons of the church. Any section might admit and dismiss members of its own body, but the duty of issuing letters of dismis- sion and recommendation was laid upon the clerk. The discipline of its own members was placed exclu- sively in the hands of the section, as though it were an independent church. Matters of interest common to all the sections were referred to a general advisory board. This was to consist of the pastor, standing committees of the sections and two representatives of the City Missionary Society chosen annually. By this board the clerk of the church was to be annually elected. If the church was to be represented in any ecclesiastical body, each section was to take its turn in appointing the representative. Finally, the whole church and each section were to hold separate annual meetings. The title to all the property was vested in the City Missionary Society. After a trial of several years the working of the plan fully met the expecta- tion of its authors. At the close of the year 1888 the membership had increased to sixty, more than half of which still belonged to the Houghton Street Section.

PRESBYTERIANS .- In the year 1718 about one hun-

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dred families of Scotch descent and Presbyterian principles emigrated to this country from the north of Ireland. Landing at Boston, they dispersed to various points in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. A part came to Worcester, and in the next year gathered a church after the Presbyterian way. A minister, Rev. Edward Fitzgerald, accompanied them and preached to them for some months. Their place of worship was at first in the garrison-house, then recently built, near the junction of the Boston and Lancaster roads. Very soon they began to build a house of worship for themselves ; but while it was in the process of erection "a body of the inhabitants assembled by night and demolished; the structure." Discouraged by this unwarrantable opposition, they made no further attempt to build a sanctuary. But the church continued to hold on its way for some years. For awhile they worshipped with the Congre- gational church, nearly equalling them in numbers; but, failing in this way to secure any preaching of their own kind, they withdrew and again became separate with the Rev. William Johnson as their minister. While supporting him, however, they were also compelled by law to contribute their share to the support of the church of the " standing order." From this burden they, in 1736, asked but failed to be re- lieved. In the end, by successive removals and other- wise, this first Presbyterian Church in Worcester gradually vanished out of existence, and for nearly one hundred and fifty years no further attempt was made in that direction. Conspicuous among this early company of Scotch Presbyterians was William Caldwell, who very soon went from Worcester with his family and became the founder of the town of Barre. He lived to be one hundred years old, lacking one year. His grandson, William Caldwell, became the sheriff of Worcester County-" the model sheriff," as Governor Lincoln styled him. An ancestor of General George B. McClellan was also among these early Presbyterians of Worcester.

After the long interval already mentioned a second Presbyterian church was constituted. The first meeting for this purpose was held on the 21st of Feb- ruary, 1886, and on the first Sunday in April follow- ing public worship was inaugurated. The church was formally organized by the Presbytery of Boston on the first Sunday in September, 1886, with forty-eight members and the Rev. J. H. Ralston as acting pastor. Mr. Ralston was a graduate of Alleghany Seminary, afterwards was in Kansas for seven years as a home missionary, and was called to Worcester from that distant field of labor. The place of worship for this church is a hall in the building of the Young Men's Christian Association.

UNITARIAN CONGREGATIONALISTS-First Unita- rian Church .- For about three-quarters of a century one church and one parish sufficed for the inhabitants of Worcester. Then the "Second Parish in the town of Worcester " was organized. That was and still

remains its corporate name, although the organiza- tion is commonly known as the First Unitarian Church. The genesis of the new body came about on this wise: The Rev. Mr. Maccarty, after a long and peaceful ministry with the First Church, had grown old, fallen sick and become unable to preach. A young man about thirty years old, Mr. Aaron Bancroft, was found to take his place in the pulpit. After he had preached for eight Sundays, Mr. Mac- carty had so far recovered as to be able to resume his pulpit, and Mr. Bancroft went away. In the next year the aged minister died and Mr. Bancroft was again called in. This time his preaching caused commotion. Differences of opinion sprang up; the parish became divided, the peace of the town was disturbed and social intercourse interrupted. A sec- ond time Mr. Bancroft went away. Then the town- not the church-improved the opportunity to vote in town-meeting " that there be a day set apart for fast- ing and prayer in this town for calling on the Divine assistance for the re-establishment of the gospel min- istry in this place." The town adjourned its meeting for one week, and then, four days before the one appointed for the fast, voted to have " Mr. Haven" preach four Sundays and after him Mr. Bancroft four. This arrangement brought Mr. Bancroft's first Sunday on the 10th of January, 1785. The date is significant. Three days later, without waiting to hear him on the remaining three Sundays, his admirers to the number of fifty-four signed and presented a petition for the town-not the church-to take action looking towards his settlement as Mr. Maccarty's successor. In the town-meeting held in response to this peti- tion on the 1st of March, they moved this remarkable proposition : "That the town agree to settle Mr. Ban- croft in the work of the gospel ministry, and such other person as may be agreeable to and chosen solely by those who are desirous of hearing further, and the settlement and salaries of both to be at the expense of the Town at large." The record says that "there was some debate." It adds that it passed in the negative. Defeated on this point, the petitioners then moved for leave to form a religious so- ciety over which Mr. Bancroft might be settled. This, too, passed in the negative. They then proceeded to take what the town had refused, with all its financial consequences. A voluntary association was formed, a covenant adopted and a church organized. Of the sixty-seven associates, only two men and four women had been communicants. But these, even, not having been dismissed from any other church for the purpose, were not competent, according to usage, to form the new one. A novel expedient was devised to meet this novel situation. A public " lecture" was appointed, at which the covenant was read and explained and then signed by all who chose to. In this way the church connected with the Second Parish was constituted. Public worship began on the third Sunday of March in the court-house, with preach-

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HISTORY OF WORCESTER COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

ing by Mr. Bancroft. On the 7th of June he con- sented to become the minister of the new society, and on the Ist day of February, 1786, he was ordained. Only two ministers of the vicinage could be found to assist, the rest coming from Boston, Salem and Cam- bridge. After much difficulty and delay the new parish was duly incorporated on the 13th of Novem- ber, 1787. It was a poll and not a territorial parish, and was the first of the kind in Massachusetts outside of Boston. Here some notice may fitly be taken of what seems not to have arrested the attention of any previous writer. By the ancient law of Massachusetts the method of choosing and settling a minister was after this manner : the church first made choice ; then the parish-i.e., town-concurred or non-concurred. Unless there had been church action there was no place for parish action. This law, originating in 1692, continued down through the last century and was in force when the Constitution of the Commonwealth was adopted. That instrument contained two provis- ions bearing on the matter in hand : first, parishes were given the exclusive right of electing their public teachers ; and second, all the laws theretofore in force were declared to "remain and be in full force until altered or repealed by the legislature; such parts only excepted as are repugnant to the rights and liberties contained in this Constitution." Now, on the one hand, the law of 1692 giving to the church first and the parish afterwards the right of election never was repealed ; but, on the other hand, that law was repugnant to the "exclusive right" of election given to parishes. And this appears to have been the legal status at the date of Mr. Bancroft's candidacy in 1785. The right of the church to any voice in the election of its minister had been simply annihilated. Whether this was known and fully understood at that time may well be doubted. Nevertheless, the business about Mr. Bancroft went forward precisely as though it was understood. The first and only resort was to the parish. The parish alone took action ; the church took none. So far as its records show, Mr. Bancroft was not a candidate before that body. His name, even, does not appear on its records. The scheme to make him the minister of the First Par- ish manifestly originated outside the church and was carried on outside. And however much it turmoiled the town, it neither rent nor hardly ruffled the church. This view is supported by the fact, already stated, that only six communicants were found in the new movement. After the Bancroft party had withdrawn the First Church and Parish resumed their ancient relations and proceeded to elect Mr. Story as their minister by the rule of 1692; the church choosing and the parish concurring. The same course was pursued in the subsequent election of Dr. Austin. And this would seem to show that the procedure in Mr. Bancroft's case was accidental and exceptional, and not in the way of using the new power conferred on parishes by the new Constitution.

A house of worship for the Second Parish was the next essential thing. With much self-denial on the part of both parish and pastor-the latter relinquish- ing one-third of his salary-a building was erected, and on the 1st day of January, 1792, was dedicated. The modest edifice, shorn of its bell-tower and con- verted into a school-house, still stands on the spot where it was first placed, at the north end of Summer Street. Once installed in its pulpit, Dr. Bancroft for many years pursued the even tenor of his way, mak- ing many friends and no enemies, and by his virtues and writings building up a great and solid reputation. After forty-one years a colleague was provided, and on the 28th of March, 1827, the Rev. Alonzo Hill was ordained to that office. In 1829 the old meeting- house was deserted for a new and more spacious one built of brick on the site occupied by the present edifice. On the 19th of August, 1839, Dr. Bancroft departed this life at the age of nearly eighty-four. He began his preaching in Worcester as an avowed Arminian. He was also from the first, as he said, an Arian, but not an avowed one. At first he forebore to preach the Arian or Unitarian doctrine "because," in his own words, " the people were not able to bear it." When, thirty-six years after, he preached a course of contro- versial sermons in advocacy of that doctrine, he found they were able to bear it, as they evinced by asking for their publication. Curiously enough, one of these old sermons, on the " Annihilation of the Incorrigibly Wicked," places the Unitarian divine squarely by the side of the late rector of orthodox " All Saints." 1 The volume called forth a high encomium from President John Adams. "Your twenty-nine sermons," he wrote, " have expressed the result of all my reading, experience and reflections in a manner more satisfactory to me than I could have done in the best days of my strength." Besides this volume and the best " Life of Washington" in the day of it, Dr. Bancroft was the author of thirty- fonr other publications, chiefly sermons. In the " Worcester Pulpit" his character was drawn by the "orthodox" author of that work, with fit expansions and illustrations, as that of a benevolent, candid, brave, discreet, much-enduring and conscientious minister and man. His face, which art has made familiar in many places, has all the attractions of the ideal saintly pastor.

On the death of Dr. Bancroft, his colleague, Dr. Hill, became sole pastor, and so remained for more than thirty-one years. On the 29th of August, 1849, the church was destroyed by fire. Three days after the society began to build anew, and on the 26th of March, 1821, dedicated the present church edifice. While the body of the building is in the plain rectangular style of that day, the spire is a model of architectural beauty. In the pulpit of this church

1 Compare Dr. Bancroft's twenty-seventh sermon with Dr. Hunting- don's "Conditional Immortality," published more than half a century after.

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Dr. Hill completed his ministry of more than forty- three years. At the end of forty years from his ordination he preached a historical discourse, wherein may be found much interesting information touching the Second Parish and his own ministry. His death oc- curred February 1, 1871. Dr. Hill was a man of rare benignity ; his face was a benediction. As a colleague he lived in entire harmony with his senior, and as sole pastor he perpetuated all amiable traditions. For nearly a century the Second Parish flourished under the two pastorates in an atmosphere of peace, diffused by the personal influence of the two pastors. The third minister of the parish was the Rev. Edward H. Hall. He had been installed as the colleague of Dr. Hill on the 10th of February, 1869, and succeeded as sole pastor at the decease of the latter in 1871. Mr. Hall closed his ministry of thirteen years to ac- cept the charge of the Unitarian Church in Cam- bridge. He had so endeared himself to his parish- ioners that with unfeigned regret they yielded to the separation. He had continued and re-enforced the traditional amenities of the Second Parish ministry. He had approved himself "a scholar, and a ripe and good one." As a thinker he had pushed his way among the deep problems of thought, beyond what was commonly known of him. In the literature of art he was so much at home that many outside, as well as within his own parish, gladly came for instruction to the art lectures which he gave on several occasions. A broad and fine culture, coupled with a liberal faith, appeared to express the ideal towards which he con- tinually aspired. And so, his transfer to the univer- sity town was a fit recognition of his aspirations and growth in that direction.

A vacancy of about three years was terminated by the installation of the Rev. Austin S. Garver, in 1885.

Church of the Unity .- Sixty years after the forma- tion of the First Unitarian Church proceedings for a second were initiated. At the close of service in the afternoon of June 23, 1844, sume persons, at the re- quest of eleveu members of the Second Parish, tarried to hold a conference on the subject. In August a committee reported in favor of a new Unitarian society. On the 25th of that month a meeting was held at which it was voted "to procure funds to pay for preaching, to hire a preacher, and to procure a place in which to hold religious worship, also to procure subscriptions of funds to build a church." Forthwith subscriptions were opened, a building fund inaugu- rated, the present lot on Elm Street purchased, and early in the spring of 1845 the erection of a church edifice begun. On the 26th of January in the same year the first religious service was conducted by the Rev. Dr. James Thompson, of Barre, in a hall over the Clarendon Harris book-store. On the 27th of November, after the necessary preliminaries, the "Second Unitarian Society in Worcester " became a body corporate under that name and style. The

number of corporators was forty-one, among whom were Pliny Merrick and Benjamin F. Thomas, after- wards justices of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. On the 7th of February, 1846, the parish adopted the following, which is its only by-law : "Any person signing his name to a certificate in a book kept by the clerk for that purpose, signifying his intention to do so, shall thereby become a member of this parish." At the same meeting, by regular action on an article which had been put into the warrant, the parish voted that its name should be the "Church of the Unity." But it does not appear that anything was ever done to legalize this change of name. On the 10th of February, 1846, the Rev. Edward Everett Hale was unanimously invited to become the minister of the parish. On the 25th of April occurred the dedication of the church, and on the 26th the in- stallation of the minister. The dedicatory sermon- a remarkable one-was preached by the Rev. Orville Dewey, D.D., and that of the installation by the Rev. Samuel Lothrop, D.D. No church was ever formed in connection with this parish, no creed or covenant ever adopted, no deacons elected. But, in semblance of church order, on the 25th of May, 1846, the parish, at a meeting duly warned, adopted these resolutions : " That a committee be directed to make the necessary arrangements for the administration of the ordinances of religion : That this church has united for all means and purposes of Christian fellowship : Therefore, that an invitation be given to all persons present to par- take with us of the Lord's Supper." This action marked the striking departure from the First Unitar- ian Church, which from the beginning had a church organization with a covenant, diaconate and solemn admission to membership. The ministry of Dr. Hale continued for ten years. He then, June 30, 1856, resigned his office, not because of any dissatisfaction, but because he had received a call to Boston, where he would have leisure for study which the constant draft for sermon-writing in Worcester would not allow. His parishioners were dismayed at this threat- ened calamity and earnestly sought, but were unable to avert it. The brilliant career of Dr. Hale since he sundered this tie is known to all the world. Nine months went by before action was taken to provide his successor. On the 19th of April, 1857, from among several who had been nominated in the parish meet- ing, the parish by a major vote invited the Rev. George M. Bartol, of Lancaster to accept the vacant place. Mr. Bartol declined the call and the parish went on without a minister for a year and eight months longer, when, December 22, 1858, the Rev. Rush R. Shippen was installed. In July, 1871, Mr. Shippen resigned to take office as secretary of the American Unitarian Association. In a printed dis- course Mr. Shippen said : "We observe the Com- munion as a Memorial Service only." Under his ministry, in 1865, the church edifice was enlarged by the addition of forty-six pews at a cost of five thousand

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History of Worcester County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 137

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1464