USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Fitchburg > History of the Calvinistic Congregational Church and Society Fitchburg, Massachusetts > Part 2
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Separation of Parishes.
General Court May 13, 1807, that "Men being chana- ble Cretures; believing it perfectly consistant with the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth, and peculiarly congenial with republican Government; be- lieving it will tend to promote practical virtue, religion and morality, and remove Occasion for discontent," to grant liberty to pass over from one society to the other annually, the person so doing notifying each society in writing beforehand of his purpose.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & five.
An act to incorporate a number of the inhabitants in the Town of Fitchburg in the County of Worcester into a religious Society by the name of the Calvinistick Congregational Society in Fitchburg .
Whereas the Congregational Church in Fitchburg lately under the pastoral care of the Reverend Samuel Worcester, now under that of the Reverend Titus T. Barton, together with those who meet with said church for the worship of God, have petitioned this court to be incorporated into a distinct religious society for the reasons expressed in their petition, and it appearing reasonable to this Court that the prayer thereof be granted
Sec. 1. Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- resentatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the church aforesaid and such inhabitants of the Town of Fitchburg as meet with them for the worship of God with their polls and estates be and hereby are incorporated into a Society by the name of the Calvinistick Congregational Society in Fitchburg, with all the powers, privileges and immunities which other religious Societies in this Commonwealth are entitled to by law, they paying the taxes that have already been assessed upon them for the support of public worship
Sec. 2d. Be it further enacted that any of the inhabitants of the Town of Fitchburg who may Desire to Join said Society shall have full liberty thus to do at any time previous to the first day of Jan. uary one thousand eight hundred and six, provided they signify in writing under their hands to the Cleark of the said Society their wish and Determination of being considered as members of said So- ciety, and they shall accordingly be recorded as such by the Cleark of the said Society, and any member of the said Society shall have the right to leave the same at any time before the sixth day of January, one thousand eight hundred and six, by leaving a writen determination with the Cleark of said Society, whose duty it shall be to record the same, and such member shall thence afterward,
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Calvinistic Congregational Church.
be considered a member of the Society to which he originally be- longed.
Sec. 3d. Be it further enacted that if any person who may here- after scttle within the limits of said Town, shall be desirous to join the Society aforesaid, he shall have full liberty to do it at any time within twelve months from his settlement in the Town, by signifying his determination of the same in the manner pointed out in the second section of this act.
Sec. 4th. Be it further enacted that all young persons within the limits of the Town aforesaid, when they become twenty-one years of age, shall have full liberty at any time within twelve months after they become twenty-one years of age, to join with their poles and estates either of the said Societies by signifying their determination in writing to the Clcark of the Society they may desire to join.
Sec. 5th. Be it further cnacted that Joseph Fox, Esquire, or any other Justice of the peace in the County of Worcester be and he is hereby authorised to issue Warrant to some member of the Calvinis- tick Congregational Society, requesting him to warn the members of the said Society quallificd to Vote in parrish affairs, to assemble at some convenient and sutible time and place as shall be expressed in the said warrant to chose such officers or parishioners by law re- quired to chose in the month of March or April annually, and to transact all other matters and things necessary for the well being of the said Society.
In the House of representatives, June 13, A. D. 1805. This Bill having had three several readings, passed to be enacted. Timothy Bigelow, Speaker In Senate June 14, A. D. 1805. This Bill having had two several readings, passed to be enacted.
H. G. Otis, President.
June 14, A. D. 1805. By the Governor Approved
Caleb Strong.
A truc Copy Attest
John Avory, Secretary.
Fitchburg 25 May, A. D. 1805.
This may certify that we, the subscribers, being inhabitants of the Town of Fitchburg, wish to belong to the religious Society in said Town about to be incorporated by the name of the Calvinistick So- ciety.
Joseplı Down Daniel Andrews
Jeremiah Kinsman Jun. Jolın Osborn
Ephraim Kimball
Setlı Phillips
Thos. Eaton Jun.
Eben'r Hutchinson
Sam'l Burbank Jun.
Abel Farwell
Thos. Thurston Jun.
Wiliam Downc
Jon'n Lowe Jun.
David Whittemore
David Battles
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Separation of Parishes.
Amos Wheelor
Jeremiah Kinsman
James Poole
Samuel Parker
Asaph Goodridge
Jonathan Lowe
Phinihas Allen
Joseph Downe Jun
Jason P. Lowe
Sam'l Burbank
Jabez Sawyer
Moses Hale
Timothy Damon
John Pratt Jun
Mary Low
Aaron Eaton
Daniel Holt
Daniel Putnam
Ephraim Osborn
Timo'y F. Downe
George S. Putnam
Joseph Wheelor
Asaph Boutel
Josiah Putnam
Phinihas Brown
Joel Eaton
Martha Burnham
Kendal Boutel, Jun.
Thos. Eaton
Benj'n Parker
Kendal Boutel
Verin Daniels
Amos Lawrance
Eben'r Thurston
Aaron Houghton
Nath'l Boughtell
Calvin Messenger
Thos. Eaton, third
Samuel Harris
Polamades Parkins
Thos Thurston
John Thurston
David Baldwin
John Thurston Jun.
John Upton
John Messenger Benj'n Fuller John Farwell
Mary Thurston
John Farwell Jun.
Amos Lawrance Jun
Jacob Fullam
Elias Messinger
Levi Farwell Jun
Consider Turner
Eliphelet Pearley
Mary Eaton
Josiah Fuller
Joseph Simonds
Edward Scott
Nehemiah Fuller
Simon Farwell
Tiler Flagg
The following persons returned their names to the Cleark of the Calvinistiek Congregational Society in Fitchburg, with their wish and determination to join said Society at the time of the following Dates, (viz)
Nathan Badcock August 10 A. D. 1805
Asa Farwell
Peter Sandin
Daniel Hodgkins
Joseph Farwell
Phinihas Wetherbee
Solomon Storey Thomas Miles
Oliver Taylor
Joseph Battles
Levi Farwell
Samuel Kimball
Joseph Battles Jun
Abra'm M. Farwell
Elisha Hall
Nathan Battles
Eleazer Sartwell
Hannah Savage
Abel Baldwin
Samuel Taylor
John R. Kemp
John Battles
Joseph Upton
John Thurston, Jun. Society Cleark.
The above list of names together with that of May 25 comprise the members of the parish in 1805.
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Calvinistic Congregational Church.
LAYING FOUNDATIONS.
February 26, 1805, "There were donations given to the church by sundry well-disposed persons of nearly six thousand dollars, who requested that the principal should be kept at interest and the interest be appropri- ated for the support of the pastor of the church while time shall last."
The list which followed comprised fifty-four names, all of whom were members of the parish, exclusive of the pastor, against whose name is recorded the gift of $200. The largest donor was Ebenezer Thurston, $400. Two women only were recorded, Widow Mary Lowe, $200, and Widow Abigail Lowe, $20.
On the 16th of May, 1805, the first record on the books of the C. C. church was as follows: "The Dea- cons of all the several churches not being episcopal churches, being by an act of the Commonwealth passed the 20th of February, 1786, constituted so far bodies corporate as to take in succession all grants and Dona- tions made to their several churches, and to sue and Defend in all action touching the same, And there hav- ing been made to the church of Christ in Fitchburg of which we the subscribers are the Deacons, Donations to the amount of nearly six thousand dollars in money by sundry well-Disposed persons, who request that the sums they gave, should always be kept at interest and the interest applied to the support of the Pastor of the church while time shall last. We the Deacons of the aforesaid church met on the 16th of May, 1805, to transact business relative to our legal trust and the better to carry into effect the desires of the liberal donors to the church and to promote the interest of the church which is Done according to the act of the Legislature above mentioned. We agree there shall be a cleark and a treasurer who shall be appointed annu- ally by the corporate body. It shall be the duty of the cleark to enter on the records of this body all the Donations which have been or may hereafter be made
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Laying Foundations.
to the Church with the name and intention of the Donor; he shall record all the loans of money, naming the persons to whom the moneys are loaned, and gen- erally he shall keep a fair record of the meetings and legal transactions of this body corporate. Also it shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive Donations that may be made to the Church; he shall hold all notes, bonds, Deeds and securities of every name and nature, that are or may be given to this body corporate; he shall collect the interest on notes, &c., and generally he shall receive all the moneys intrusted in the hands of this body corporate and pay them over, taking receipts always for what he pays according to the order of this body. KENDALL BOUTEL, Deacons
DANIEL PUTNAM, of the EBENEZER THURSTON, (above named JOHN THURSTON, JR., J Church.
"At a legal meeting of the Deacons of the Calvinistic Congregational Church in Fitchburg on the 16th of May, 1805, in their corporate capacity.
"1st. Voted and chose John Thurston, Jr., Cleark.
"2nd. Voted and chose Ebenezer Thurston, Treasurer. JOHN THURSTON, JR., Cleark."
For a clearer understanding of the claims of the C. C. church to the right to establish the date of organi- zation as 1768, the following convincing argument was made by the Rev. Alfred Emerson in a centenary dis- course March 1st, 1868.
"First. This church in its doctrine and its disciplinc is the same as that instituted here in 1768. That was Calvinistic in its faith; so is this. That was Congre- gational in polity; so is this.
"Second. It is the same according to the principles and usages of the denomination as derived from the Scriptures.
"A Congregational church is an association in which, under Christ, the will of the majority is law. By vote of a very large majority, the church separated from
3
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Calvinistic Congregational Church.
the First parish in 1823 and joined itself to the C. C. society (incorporated in 1805). With this vote of the church but ten failed to comply. Moreover (its only organization being in 1768) it has been recognized as the First Church of Christ in Fitchburg, by every eccle- siastical council and by every church conference in which this church has had a part.
"But it may be said, the decisions of the civil courts are adverse to this claim. To this the answer is, the matter before us comes not within the jurisdiction of the courts, for we speak of the church in its ecclesias- tical, not its legal relations. Hence, as it regards this, the decisions of the courts are of no binding force and of no value whatever. We bow to the law in its appropriate sphere. The C. C. church in obedience to its decision gave up 'what they deemed to be their own property' (sec page 29) and their own records in 1823. But to the higher law alone we look for the principles of our religious faith and polity.
"It is the claim of the courts that a Congregational church is always 'the church of the parish.' Thus in the famous Dedham case-see Mass. Term Reports, Vol. XVI, page 488, it was held that 'a church cannot sub- sist without some religious community (i. e., a parish) to which it is attached.' The secession of the whole church from the parish would be the extinction of the church. 'Those who withdraw from the society ccase to be members of that particular church.' Hence, since the church separated from the First parish in 1823, it is claimed that it cannot be the First church in Fitch- burg. Now that is very good law, no doubt. The ultimate decision of the courts, whatever it be, always is. But it is no rule for Congregationalism. The fact is, save in the eye of the judges, a Congregational church no more depends for its existence upon a parish than it does upon a Sabbath school or a house of worship. It depends upon it in no wisc. Some of our very best churches, those including the highest talent and learning in the denomination (e. g., that in the
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Laying Foundations.
theological seminary at Andover), have never been connected with a parish.
"The doctrine of 'a church of a parish' was never known to Congregationalism. If it should be declared a pure fiction of the law, a myth of the judges, we should take no pains to deny it. Our appeal is to a higher law. The charter of Congregationalism is the New Testament. In this we read of the 'Church of Christ,' the 'Church of God.' But of the 'Church of the Parish,' never. So far is the New Testament from lending the least countenance to such a doctrine, a parish is not once named from Matthew to Revelation. We cannot accept it then. If in this, others differ from us, we can have no controversy with them. But for ourselves, we cannot have a question that, ecclesiasti- cally, the C. C. Church is the First Church of Christ in Fitchburg. I have sketched its history as such.
"The question is asked, 'If this is the First Church of Christ in Fitchburg, why not retain its name?' This would open the door to litigation and endanger the rights of property. If, for example, a legacy were left in this name, and the courts sustained the old decision, the property, although given to this church, would legally belong to the First parish and thus the intent of the testator would be defeated."
The term "Calvinistic," which has been the distinctive title of the church for a hundred years, has occasioned comment from time to time, and various attempts to change have been made. At the time of incorporation, this church, in common with many others, was dis- tinguished from the town church by that term. At that day, the Calvinistic Congregational church of Leominster, of Westminster, was the usual designation in church records. In the rapidly growing town of Fitchburg with its various sects developing into churches, this name was retained as a matter of con- venience, while in the smaller neighboring towns the necessity did not exist.
The somewhat remarkable tenacity with which it
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Calvinistic Congregational Church.
has clung to us while elsewhere it has become obsolete, has given the impression in some quarters that this body of believers was wedded to the theology of John Calvin to the exclusion of other divines of equal merit. Yct, while "the rose by any other name may be as fragrant," convenience and custom combine to make a strong argument for the retention of the old name.
While the church has never championed the theology of Calvin more than others, it is not ashamed to ac- knowledge its sympathy with that phase of it which is well expressed by John Fiske in his "Beginnings of New England." "Perhaps not one of the mediaval popes was more despotic in temper than Calvin, but it is not the less true that the promulgation of his theology was one of the longest steps that mankind has taken toward personal freedom. Calvinism left the individual man alone in the presence of his God. His salvation could not be wrought by priestly ritual, but only by the grace of God abounding in his soul. In a church, moreover, based upon such a theol- ogy there was no room for prelacy. Each single church tended to become an independent congregation of wor- shippers, constituting one of the most effective schools that has ever existed for training men in local self- government."
A NEW MEETING-HOUSE.
With a church and parish completely equipped with pastor, officers, crced and rules, the important step was next taken for the erection of a meeting-house. At a meeting of the society September 2, 1805, Ephraim Kimball (grandfather of Gen. John W. Kimball) having secured the deed of the land now occupied by the present meeting-house at a cost of one hundred and eighty dol- lars, John Farwell, Jr., was chosen agent of the soci- ety to accept this deed and a committee composed of Verin Daniels (grandfather of John H. Daniels), Ebenezer
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A New Meeting House.
Thurston, Jonathan Lowe, Jr., Aaron Eaton, Ephraim Kimball, John Thurston, Ephraim Osborn, Moses Hale and Seth Phillips, was chosen to estimate the cost of building and a building committee consisting of Ephraim Kimball, Verin Daniels, John Farwell, Jr., Ebenezer Thurs- ton and Moses Hale, were chosen, who proceeded at once to build and in 1806 the new house was occupied.
Three gifts are on record which are significant as a testimonial of sympathy in the unusual undertaking. "Received of Rev. Mr. Sanborn of Redding which was given by friendly members of his society seven dollars and fifty cents." "Received of Rev. Samuel Worcester of Salem, which was given by friendly members of his society boxes of glass." "Received of the Rev. Sam- uel Austin of Worcester which was given by friendly members of his society" (record not filled out).
Concerning this first "temple of worship" we quote from a very interesting paper, written by Mrs. David B. Silsby in 1895, which was read on the occasion of the last service in the second meeting-house before its demolition. "This edifice was by no means beautiful, neither was it comfortable for young and old. Our great-grandfathers never saw the dimensions of the purse carried at the present day, and doubtless their church looked as beautiful to them as we anticipate ours will be.
"The entrance to their church was from Main street by long steps made of wood. The pews had very high backs with long seats fastened to them with hinges. At cach end of these seats was a short one for the children. In front was a chair which served a conven- ient place for men's and boys' hats. During the Sab- bath school this chair was occupied by the teacher. This certainly was a very comfortable arrangement for the teacher, but for the children on the high-backed seats, the spinal column must have been straightened rather more than nature intended. We have reason to be thankful that in the present age genius has devised greater comforts for both the young and the old.
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Calvinistic Congregational Church.
"It was the custom of the congregation to rise and turn the back to the minister during prayer. In that case all the hinges were unfastened and the long seats dropped in order to give more room to those standing. After the prayer services were resumed as soon as order was restored after refastening the seats. The desk in the pulpit was so high that a number of blocks were provided for the convenience of the minister who should happen to be so unfortunate as to be unable to reach the top of the desk. Sometimes one block would be sufficient, sometimes two, and at one time all were nec- essary for a minister who was much shorter than the others.
"The church was heated by a large box-stove; a huge pipe ran up from the center and then extended outward in such a manner as to pass the entire length of the room on each side. A cord of wood was depos- ited under some of the seats for the convenience of the janitor. Small foot-stoves were in many of the pews for the use of the elderly ladies. Just as the minister would come to his 'fourteenthly, fifteenthly, lastly, finally, in conclusion, from the above we draw the fol- lowing inference, first, second, third, etc.,' these little stoves grew cold and were passed to the man at the end of the pew. He was expected to go to the stove and draw out the red-hot coals with the long poker, put them into the stoves and carry them back to the pews. At each time the janitor was busy cleaning up the floor."
During the earliest years of the church's history, Capt. John Farwell and Jonathan Haskell, and later Stephen Dole (grandfather of the present janitor), served as janitors or sextons at salaries ranging from one to three dollars per annum.
During the year 1806 the meeting-house lot was re- located whereby land was exchanged with Dr. Snow on the "southard" next to the river. And again in 1808, ten feet was deeded to the factory corporation "on condition the said corporation will obligate them-
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Again with the First Parish.
selves to let the same lay common forever"-(the present alley between it and the Wallace bloek). On October 13, 1808, the indispensable adjunet of every New Eng- land meeting-house was established by vote of the soci- ety "to dispose of the stable grounds to those that pur- chase, so long as it shall be improved for the use of stable ground, at vendue," and thus the double row of horse sheds came into existence.
The financial stress ineident to the struggles of the infant nation, together with the removal of the stimu- lus of the first great undertaking, aided possibly by dissatisfaction with the pastor, as the society's action might indicate in its vote August 10, 1812, "To see whether the Rev. Mr. Barton would be useful as a gos- pel minister any longer for said society-negative 22, yea 13,"-these doubtless were the controlling reasons for overtures which were made the following year, on the departure of Mr. Barton, for a return to the First parish. January 6, 1814, the society chose Thomas Eaton, Jonathan Thurston and Nehemiah Giles to eon- fer with the First parish, "now in session respecting raising money in unison for supplying the pulpit and to petition legislature at next session for dissolution of corporate society powers"-and on the 10th of Janu- ary, it was voted that the meeting-house together with the land connected with said house be deeded to two men, viz. John Farwell and Capt. Joseph Farwell, by their giving a drawback bond by which they will deed it to whomsoever the committee (seven chosen for the purpose) shall direct.
A side light may reveal somewhat of the discourage- ments of the church at this time. An unsueeessful at- tempt was made to secure a suitable pastor, first of Rev. Warren Fay and later, of Rev. Benjamin C. Meigs, a missionary destined to sail the following year to Ceylon. Somewhat singularly, Rev. Dr. Worcester was instrumental in defeating their purpose. Dr. Wor- cester, then at the outset of his great undertaking in establishing the missionary work of the American
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Calvinistic Congregational Church.
Board, wrote to Mr. Meigs concerning the effort of the C. C. church. "Did the good people in Fitchburg duly weigh the considerations? I cannot but think, that they looked too much on their own things and not enough on the things of others. I admit that their situation is somewhat peculiar; I feel for them; but other parishes think their situations also peculiar; and if a missionary may settle in Fitchburg, missionaries may settle in other parishes. The precedent would cer- tainly be a dangerous one." The great controversy also had just begun in New England, whereby the intel- lectual reasoning of Dr. Channing was able to crystal- lize the theological views of many influential and intel- ligent people into Unitarianism. These considerations had weight, and influenced the Calvinistic church to believe not only in unity of spirit but in bonds of peace. It was during the year 1815 that the celebrated correspondence took place between Dr. Channing and Dr. Worcester in which the latter successfully withstood the doctrines of Channing, and the final separation be- tween Unitarianism and Trinitarianism became complete.
The union of the two churches at this time was not the strange alliance it might seem from the remark of Dr. Worcester. "How could the brethren of the church have ever consented to such a measure? You can no more unite with those people than light and darkness can be one." Only those who are familiar with the ecclesiastical history of New England during the fol- lowing decade can understand that the faiths of Chris- tians were in process of evolution.
The Rev. William Eaton was settled over both par- ties in 1815, which union continued eight years, but his Calvinistic views were not acceptable to the Unitarian wing and the truce was finally broken in 1823.
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.
FL Francis DO
FIRST MEETING-HOUSE, 1806-1844.
Asa Thurston.
ASA THURSTON, THE MISSIONARY.
A sketch of one of Fitchburg's most noted Christian heroes is appropriate at this point of time-a product of the missionary spirit of the times, inspired doubtless by the burning zeal of Dr. Worcester in this his first pastorate.
Asa Thurston, son of Capt. Thomas and Lydia Davis Thurston, was born October 12, 1787, one of a family of ten children, at the Thurston homestead, now known as the Daniel Taylor placc, some three miles northwest from the present city hall. The father, an active supporter of the new church, whose name ap- pears the second in the list of givers towards the enter- prise, was a fine musician and leader of the church choir for thirty years; from him his son Cyrus doubt- less inherited his musical gifts.
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