USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Quincy > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 20
USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Braintree > History of old Braintree and Quincy : with a sketch of Randolph and Holbrook > Part 20
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of Newtown, was chosen moderator. The disorders among us call for tears and lamentations rather than to be remembered."
Not receiving satisfaction from this body, they went still fur- ther, and sent in petitions to the General Court. The following are the petitions of the North and South Precincts, the contents of which will explain this controversy to a great degree.1 The in- habitants of the North Precinct were very loath to permit those of the South to secede, as it would deprive them of a propor- tional part of the salary of Mr. Fiske, the minister. True it is, that those of the South Precinct withdrew and built them- selves a separate church in 1706.
The following explanation of the construction of the church at
1. "To his excelleney the Governor, and to the Honorable Councill, and the Representatives of the Province in General Court assembled :
" The humble address and petition of the Bretheren of the South Church in Braintree, on the behalf of themselves and the rest of the Neighbors, Submis- sively sheweth, viz: For as much as a considerable Councill of nine Churches at their several sessions about our ecclesiastical affairs, have in their judicious results, declared their satisfaction in our weighty reasons, offered for counte- nancing an assembly for religious worship in the southern part of Braintree. But have directed us to apply ourselves to the civil Authorities, that we may from thence be put into best method for supporting the ministers that after an orderly manner might be settled among ns.
" Moreover, seeing by the Last Results of the Honored Councill we had granted ns such a legally and orderly dismission from the North Church in Braintree, as being at a gospel liberty to embody ourselves into a distinct Church state, and in the public gathering of our Church, according to the order of the Gospel. We have been respectively favored with the presence, assistance, and complacenee of the reverend and Honored Elders and Delegates of five neighboring Churches who (Neemine Contradicent) were pleased, most fairly, openly and solemnly, to ordain our Pastor, the Rev. Mr. Hugh Adams, in by and unto him also, they were pleased to give our Church, the Right Hand of Fellowship.
" Being therefore well assured of your fatherly compassion to us, and Chris- tian tenderness for the interest of religion amoungst us, we humbly petition that we may obtain the favor which that venerable Councill has invited us to ask and to hope for.
" Wherefor with a submissive sense of our necessary dependence on the chris- tian government, and majestracy and Civil Power, which the most high God, the Supreme majesty of Heaven and Earth has vouchsafed to our land. We do new as one of the regularly constituted (though the meanest of the) Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ in New England, humbly adventure so far to presume on the placable lenity and candor of your Honours, as to seek for shelter under the wing of your paternal care and conduct. And we do earnestly intreat and begg, that you will please to order our Precinct for us and settle according to the providen-
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the south end of the town, is to be found in the Massachusetts Archives :
" The inhabitants of the south part of the Town of Braintree having lately built a meeting-house for the Public Worship of God in that part of the Town, have this to say for themselves in answer to what may be objected to them.
" That although their proceedings herein through inadver- tency have not been so regular as they ought to have been, on the account of which they crave favour, humbly acknowledging whatsoever may be justly charged as an irregularity upon them,
tially appointed line of division already laid out and run between and limiting the two military companies in Braintree. There being in the northern part of the town, Colonel Edmund Quincy's company containing seventy-two families, and in the southern part of the town, Capt John Mill's company, consisting of families seventy and one, both enumerated by exact computation, each of which vicinities distinctly and separately, both as to quantity and quality, with the Providential smiles of Heaven, and the authoritative determination of your Honours, may be able with a sufficiency, comfortably to support each pastor in his proper Church affairs and ministry. All this for preheminence we must own, that in all our town rates, the North End congregation are about a fifth part higher and more able in raterable and improverable estates than our Sonth congregation.
" And to demonstrate the legality, equity and rationality of this our request for the above said Precinct, we have here from under the hand of our town clerk a copy of a town vote passed fairly, for our being released from our North End bretheren and neighbors, to be a different congregation by ourselves, and in granting this our petition ever hereafter, to pray for the presence of Christ whose name is Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, with the infinite wisdom and Grace to influence, preserve and moderate in his Majesties Honorable As- sembly of the Rulers of his New England Israel, you will indispensably oblige. From Naphtali, if your Honours please so to name our neighborhood, from Gen- esis, 30th chapter, Sth verse, and Matthew, 4th chapter, 15 & 16 verses.
South Braintree, October 28th, 1707.
" Your Honours most humble, obedient, and grateful, though most unworthy servants.
Samuel White, Sen., Samuel Bass, William Nightingale,
Samuel Niles, Jr., Sammel Payne, Thomas Wells,
Caleb Hobart, . Ebenezer Thayer, Benjamin Niles,
Nehemiah Hayden,
Ebenezer Spear, John Niles, Jr.
Joseph Allen, Samuel Littlefield, Mass. Arch., Vol. II.
" Whereas before this most Honorable Court the last Wednesday, our opposers in their objections against our petition, were pleased to misrepresent several things which we think and know in our conscience, are not right, we do now humbly crave liberty to answer thereunto.
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with all they have therein done amiss, yet they hope that the fol- lowing considerations, may be of weight, sufficiently to demon- strate that their proceedings have not been altogether irregular, nor to be condemned as at first.
" The old meeting-house in the said town being built many years ago, when the town was small, was accommodated for both situations and measures, to the circumstances of the town in that day, and is altogether inconvenient for the town, i. e., the whole town in its present circumstances ; and as it is now situated in two distinct parts, considerably distant from the other, and not large enough to contain with comfort above two-thirds of the in- habitants.
" The aforesaid inhabitants of the south end of the town find-
" 1st. It being insinuated about the vote passed for our release from the North congregation, that their being such an even division between the two companies three or four from the North joining with the South, might make a majority of voters. And that which Colonel Quinsey said, that several of them withdrew and entered their dissent.
" We must answer thereunto, the whole truth of the matter, that when the town meeting was generally convened the last November, we proposed to the North End that they would be pleased to vote by themselves, distinctly from ns, whether we should be released, &c.
"Colonel Quinsey then replyed in their behalf, that as a part of the town only, they could not legally pass any vote, but that it must be the whole town to- gether. Accordingly when it was thus fairly put to vote, it passed so generally throughout the whole assembly of our town inhabitants, as that we could hardly discern any of those hands that were not then held up, whereby it was and is very evident to us, that we had the major part by far, of the North congrega- tion, as it may appear by its being afterwards, presently put to the negative vote and there were but three or four hands held up at the most, and we can prove that neither Colonel Quinsey nor any others of them did, at that town meeting, either withdraw or enter any dissent.
" 2d. Whereas the Rev. Mr. Fisk was pleased then to desire this Honorable Court to examine into the legality of our Church dismission, granted ns in Bos- ton by general council of Churches, &c.
"We answer that the Churches had as much warning of it as possible,'and for any to question the validity of any act of an ecclesiastical council, because there appears not the majority of Ministers, who themselves sit only with the brethe- ren in such a council as delegates, but equally concerned, seems to argue for Prelacy too Papisticall for New England Churches.
" 3d. What Mr. Baxter was pleased to object, that we are so poor as to be just able to maintain our own minister, we own it to be true, and that the North End congregation are as well able proportionably to pay the ninety pounds to their minister, as we to pay seventy to our minister, may be easily made to appear.
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ing it very irksome, (especially in the winter,) to come so far as most of them come to meeting, and through such bad ways, (whereby the Lord's day, which is a day of rest, was to them a day of labour, rather,) and knowing that the inhabitants of their part of the town, for numbers did almost, (if not altogether,) equalize the other part, who did of themselves when these were few, if any inhabitant in the south part, maintain two worthy ministers at once to their satisfaction, have made their application to the town at sundry times for near a dozen years at their general town meeting, that they would consent to have a larger meeting-house built for the whole, which might contain all the inhabitants, and might be something nearer to them, the other being now at the
Capt. John Mills was Moderator on ye day of town meeting above said, and can if there be occasion, give a more full account of the work of that day.
Joseplı Adams, Nehemiah Hayden, Samuel Payne, Samuel French.
" To his Excellency and to the Honorable Councill and the Representatives of the Province in General Court assembled :
" The humble address of several of ye bretheren of ye North Church, Brain- tree, and other inhabitants in behalf of themselves, and many other of their neighbors most Immbly sheweth, viz:
"That whereas there has been an address preferred to the Honorable Assembly by divers inhabitants of ye South End of Braintree, containing in it principally their request for a distinct Precinct, to be ordered and settled by your Honours, and that, according to the providentially appointed line of division already laid out and run between and limiting ye two military companies in Braintree, which desire of theirs, they ask and hope for, yet seems in complyance with ye direc- tions of ye Honored Councill of Churches, and in pursnance, as they say of a legal and orderly dismission from ye North Church in Braintree, and so of an orderly settlement of a minister among them. Which how far that dismission and their settlement upon it, has been according to rule and order respecting matters of such a nature, and how far to be approved of, is most humbly sub- mitted to your Honours, great wisdom and judgement.
"But that we may not molest and trouble this great and general assembly, with too tedious a narrative of the many steps of precipitancy and disorder that have been from first to last taken in this matter, and presuming that your Honours are already too senceable of it to be in any degree imposed upon, we your hum- ble petitioners shall take leave to answer only those two things petitioned for by our South End neighbors, which we presume are one of them expressed and ye other intended.
" The thing expressed, is their desire of a Precinct, to be settled according to ye formentioned line of division, which if it should please this Honorable Court, too unreasonable a weakning ye old and standing part of ye town, for as much as ye
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other end of the town ; but the other end of the town have wholly refused to gratify them in this their reasonable desire, and this notwithstanding there was a clear vote that there should be a new house built, so long ago as the year 1695, which now stands up- on record. And they did all to hinder the prosecution of the said vote, without our knowledge at a private meeting for that end, at old Col. Quinsey's, did agree amoung themselves to shin- gle the old house. Pretending to be at the whole charge them- selves, and some persons going about to see what people would subscribe thereto, which notwithstanding severall pounds were afterward gathered by a rate upon the whole town.
far greater part of our land, for future settlement, is on ye South side of ye afore- said pretended line.
" The thing intended and implied, is their earnest desire to be released and discharged from their own obligation and engagement for the support of ye Rev. Mr. Moses Fisk, which by a fair and legal vote of the town they are unde- niably under.
" The legality and equity of that their discharge they have insinuated (as this Honorable Court has already wisely observed) to be demonstrable by a vote of the town (as they say) wherein it was agreed, that the southern part of Brain- tree be a separate congregation by themselves. As to this vote your humble pe- titioners have only this to answer, that the town was not notified of any such assembly.
" There needing, we conceive, no further answer to be made, (your Honours poor supplycants not doubting of your wise and judicious proceedings, in mat- ters of such consequence) beg leave earnestly to pray, that it should seem meet to your Honours to divide our town into two distinct Precincts for the future, that it may be ordered without weakening the north part of ye town, and that our South End neighbors and bretheren may not be released from bearing their usual part of that charge, which they were forward in ye day of it to vote for and agree to.
" In granting this our humble request, ever hereafter to pray for ye conduct and guidance of Heaven to influence and direct this Honorable assembly of the fathers of our land, you will endlessly oblige your humble and most dutiful and obedient though undeserving servants,
John Beales, John Marshall, James Brackett,
Joseph Crosby, John Newcom, Jr., Benjamin Savill,
Nathaniel Speare, Joseph Brackett, Joseph Parmentor,
Samuel Belcher, Peter Neweum, Gregory Belcher,
Simon Brient, John Brackett, Samuel Baxter .:
Wmn. Savill, Edmund Quinsey,
" We whose names are hereto subscribed, being members of the Church in Braintree and inhabiting the Northern part of the town, who attend likewise
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"They yet at sundry times have acquainted the town with their grievances, asking a gratification of their desire, and have offered that if they would build altogether they would consent to have the timber gott out and raised, and when ready to raise, it should be left to a committee of indifferent men not otherwise concerned in the matter to appoint the place where it should set up, and would consent without objections let it be where they pleased, which being still denyed gave them sufficient reason to think of building themselves.
most duly on the public worship of God in the old meeting house, in hearty love and zeal to the interest of religion at the South end of the town, and to onr be- loved fellow-members and bretheren inhabiting there, do hereby declare our full consent and willingness, that our said bretheren should have a dismission from our Church in order unto their embodying themselves into a Church State, in the south congregation, in testimony whereof, we hereto sett our hand on this third day of May, anno, 1707.
" We whose names are here unto subscribed, being of the North part of Brain- tree, do hereby signify that we have consented, and still do consent that the peo- ple of the South end of our town, should be a congregation by themselves.
Braintree, Nov. 19th, 1707.
Joseph Adams,
Eleazer
Benjamin Neale,
John Baxter, Sen.,
Peter Adams,
Samnel Savill,
Clemant Cock,
Nathaniel Wales,
John Bass, Jr., John Webb,
Nathaniel Owen,
John Bass,
Joseph Haydon,
Thomas Lamb,
Samuel Bass,
John March,
Joseph Beall,
John Penniman,
Samuel Tompson,
Samuel Speare, Theophilus Curtis,
William Rawson, Joseph Bass,
Samuel Howard.
Mass. Arch., Vol. II., p. 246.
"To his Excellency the Governor and to the Honorable Councill and the Rep- resentatives of this Province in General Court assembled :
" The humble acknowledgement of the bretheren of the South Church in Braintree, sheweth.
" Being informed that your Excellency and the Honorable Councillers and Representatives in this most Honorable Court assembled, have resented it, as our precipitancy, without our previous complaint, to the General Court, of our aggrievances to be considered and redressed and without our asking your advice, direction, or permission for us to adventure to erect and build a new Meeting House, to form ourselves into a public assembly for Religious Worship. and to proceed unto the calling and settling a minister amongst us. The first aspect of all, which may seem to be a contempt of Authority and an indignity to our Rulers as a factions or rebellious design, which construction, to be put upon our hasty proceedings, we from the sincerity of our hearts most utterly disclaim and detest.
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" Whereon they did the winter past, talk very hotly of build- ing a meeting-house by themselves, as they had several times be- fore discouraged, and come to something of resolution therein but were squib'd and floured by several of the other end of the town, that were the chief antagonists in the case, especially after they had gotten some of their timber, which notwithstanding they went on to build, as they had concluded ; now after they had considerable progress, some of those that were most against them, fearing what it would come to, began to stir, and would have them desist from their work, and they would now join with them to build together, but the others thought they had little rea- son to regard them, then seeing that they had all along been so obstinate, thinking the south end were not able to build alone, and that they had thereby an advantage to hold them to their humors as they pleased.
" Their meeting-house being so far finished, as that they might comfortably meet in, that they might keep peace with their
" Nevertheless we must and do freely acknowledge our rashness and error, too apparently an occasion thereof, and wherein we have thereby transgressed the Holy Law of God, or the wholesome and good law and customs of the land, we do earnestly and penitently crave pardon of God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ and of this most Honorable Assembly of our Rulers, desiring humbly to submit to your pious, paternal chidings for our so blamable haste in our proceed- ings and with shame to accept the testimony your Honours may please to bear against us, humbly hoping that no christian people in New England will be so impudent as to take pattern by us in anything wherein we have so much erred in our obedience to the civil authority over us.
"Notwithstanding which, seeing this most Honorable Assembly, having been pleased to manifest such a christian tenderness and fatherly indulgence of us, as with your benignant goodness to overcome the evil of our so unlicensed pro- ceedings, it being according to the divine Oracles, the glory of your Honorable Court, has shined forth in the admission of our poor petition, to such an audience and concurrence in both of these Honorable Houses, as for us and our opposers, to be favored, this day, with an opportunity to speak to this petition before this Honorable Assembly and heartily accept with all thankfulness, who are your Honours most unworthy though greatly obliging servants.
Joseph Allen, Samuel Payne,
Braintree, Nov. 19th, 1707. Nehemiah Hayden, Samuel French.
In the names of, and behalf of the rest.
"The humble confession, Acknowledgement of the Bretheren of the South Church in Braintree." Mass. Arch., Vol. II., p. 247.
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Bretheren. Theyshave at a town meeting lawfully convened the 25th of this instant, November, made such proposals as these which, (a word illegible,) by the moderator, after there was a major vote that they should be a congregation by themselves, viz : first, whether the other end of the town would pay Mr. Fisk to his satisfaction, the south end being at the whole cost of their own meeting-house and maintaining a minister amoung them- selves, and quitting their right in the old house; this denied. A second proposal was made, whether they of the north end would pay Mr. Fisk 80 pounds per annum, and the other doing as afore- said and paying ten pounds per annum to Mr. Fisk ; this denied. They made a third proposal, viz : whether if they would pay Mr. Fisk 90.pounds per annum, the south end doing as aforesaid and paying 20 pounds per annum to Mr. Fisk, which yet was denied.1 And now notwithstanding all the clamor that has been made, and irregularity charged upon them, they hope that no judi- cious unbyassed person will condemn them, yea, they think they may say, let their enemies themselves, guided by their own con- science, be judges, for it may be proved easily that both Mr. Fisk with several others of their antagonists have at sundry times ac- knowledged, (and dare not deny,) that the lower part of the town have been and are more to blame in the matter than the south end. Braintry, Nov. 25th, 1706.
SAMUEL PAYNE, NEHEMIAH HAYDEN, SAMUEL FRENCH ." Mass. Arch., Vol. II., pp. 248, 249.
1. Not being able to settle Mr. Fisk's salary amieably among themselves, the question was referred to the General Court, who after due consideration, passed an Act regulating the matter as follows:
" In council, November 22d, 1707. In the Case of Braintry, Heard yesterday, and voted,
"That the Agreement of the Town of Braintry for the support of Mr. Fisk, During the Exercise of his ministry there is good and valid, and that the whole Town is obliged annualy to rayse the same as formerly. The Hearers of the new congregation forthwith take care by subscription to rayse a maintenance, for the minister there and present the same to the next session of the Court, who may then proceed to assign the Precinct for their Auditory, having always re- gard to the Ancient Settlement of the Town, that they may not be left uncapa- ble to support the ministry among then.
"Sent down for concurrence, in the House of Representatives, Nov. 25, 1707. Read, Pas'd in concurrence." Mass. Arch., Vol .. II, p. 250.
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Mr. Hugh Adams was ordained as their pastor, September 10th, 1707.
" The excitement that had grown out of this division of the town gradually subsided, a reconciliation was effected soon after the settlement of Mr. Marsh in the North Precinct, and the har- mony of the two parts of the town was completed, by Mr. Adams officiating in the north meeting-house, which he did, March 19, 1709-10.
" The establishment of Mr. Fisk's salary was a source of con- siderable trouble, as well as questionable management. There was more legislation in regard to Mr. Fisk's ministration than any other minister settled over the first parish. He was sent to the society by order of the General Court, to be their pastor be- cause they could not agree among themselves to have a perma- nent clergyman settled over them, and legislation was required to establish his salary. The following depositions sent to the Gen- eral Court will illustrate the method adopted by his friends in town to get the ninety pounds voted by them as his yearly stipend :
" Benjamin Neal, of full age, testifieth and saith that he being in the house of Col. Edmund Quinsey a few days before the vote past in the town meeting for Mr. Fisk having ninety pounds per annum, said Col. Quinsey would have persuaded me to take one part of the town to endeavor to influence and persuade them to pass such a vote, and urge as an argument that we should oblige the Churchmen among us to pay their proportion of it, or words to that effect, and further saith not. BENJAMIN NEAL."
" Samuel French of full age, testifieth and saith that being in the house of Capt. John Mills about a fortnight or three weeks before the town vote passed for the ninety pounds, Col. Quinsey calling me forth and said, you know what has fell out in the town, the churchmen now are seeming to get a foot in the town, if you will join with us in a vote, we'll suppress the churchmen ; I have got sixteen already. I answered, I was not willing to this mat- ter; he replied, you may be afraid that this will hinder you being a distinct congregation at the south end ; but this will do you no harm, or be any hinderance to you ; I replied that I
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would consent to no vote in that matter, but from year to year · and further saith not. SAMUEL FRENCH."
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