USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dedham > History of the Clapboard Trees or Third Parish, Dedham, Mass. : now the Unitarian Parish, West Dedham, 1736-1886 > Part 10
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Mr. White's preparatory studies were carried on at the seminary in Exeter, and he entered Harvard College at the age of thirteen. He graduated in 1805, and with a good reputation as a student. He was then a tutor in Bowdoin College for a short period. His theological studies were begun under the instruction of the Rev. Joseph Chickering, of Woburn, and were concluded under Dr. Ware in Cam- bridge. At this period, he held some connection with the college, probably as a tutor. "There I first saw him," says
* Mrs. Merrill D. Ellis.
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REV. JOHN WHITE, THE FOURTH MINISTER
Dr. Lamson, "and I remembered well the same look,- grave, sincere, respectful, and full of self-respect,- which he never ceased to wear; and I know how greatly he was esteemed by acquaintances and friends."
All who knew Mr. White will say that he was a true min- ister. He was not a great preacher, had no ambition in that direction, did not covet distinction ; but he was thoroughly devoted to his work, and zealous in his love for his people. He was gentle, devout, sympathetic, and full of kindly feel- ing. Everybody loved him, and he had the good will of all within and without his own congregation. He was of a mild and forbearing spirit, even in temper, gracious in manner, and ready always to speak the word of peace.
During his long settlement of thirty-eight years, the parish was in a condition of entire harmony. His nature was of that mould that he was ever the same on all occasions, had no ups and downs, uttered no rash words, and did nothing which could in any way promote discord. This had its effect on the parish, and helped to promote the good feeling which continued throughout his long ministry. Dr. Lamson paid a worthy tribute to his success in this direction : " A more peaceful ministry never existed. Through these long years, not a murmur of discontent has ever arisen ; no acrimony of feeling has ever been awakened; there has been no angry controversy ; no bitterness nor strife; no feverish restless- ness ; no ill-feeling ; no reproach nor recrimination. All has been light; no dark cloud has risen in your sky." This was said by Dr. Lamson in his funeral sermon ; and he also said to the congregation then assembled : "You all trusted him ; you knew that he was your friend, that he was a kind inter- preter of motives and actions, that he was not one who was disposed easily to contract prejudices, or to have his mind darkened by suspicion and distrust. So he proceeded on his calm, even way, provoking no hostility ; for it was not easy to feel enmity towards such a man,- in his going out and coming in, so prudent, always considerate of others' feelings, so just, so self-possessed, so reasonable."
Tribute has been paid to the memory of Mr. White by Dr.
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THE CLAPBOARD TREES PARISH
Lamson, in his admirable funeral discourse, by the Rev. C. C. Sewall, and by Mr. Locke. All that now can be said of his character and the admirable nature of his ministry has been said by these persons. Whoever follows them must repeat in substance what they have said, and said in a manner very excellent and just. They all bear tribute to his unworldly and simple character, to his fidelity and uprightness, and to his desire to serve his fellow-men.
During the ministry of Mr. White, the parish became Uni- tarian ; but it became so without any special agitation, and probably without controversy or bitterness of any kind. His preaching was practical, and not theological ; and it was cal- culated to teach men how to live rather than how to settle disputed points in religion. People of all shades of belief heard his preaching, and all alike were edified by it. He drove no one away by what he said, because he said nothing at which any one could take offence. He was devout, trust- ing, possessed of the true spirit of a living faith ; and he made religion real and helpful to those who heard him. His aim was to develop a pure and holy living, in the gospel manner and purpose. He was not an aggressive Unitarian, sought no controversies with those of other religious profes- sions, and had no desire to promote the interests of a sect. His Unitarianism was that of the first generation of its pro- fessed advocates in this country, who wished to return to the pure and simple teachings of Jesus, and who wished to get rid of all theology that was in opposition to the ten com- mandments, the Sermon on the Mount, a pure trust in God and a future life, and who found in Jesus a Master to whom they gave the truest reverence. They took the Bible as their creed, and they gave it a generous and a loving interpre- tation.
During Mr. White's ministry, four of his sermons were printed. The first of these was given before the Society for the Suppression of Intemperance, an auxiliary branch of which was organized in Dedham. This sermon was deliv- ered in 1817, and was a plea for the temperance movement which had just begun. He was one of the vice-presidents
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REV. JOHN WHITE, THE FOURTH MINISTER
of the society to which he spoke, and he was fully in sym- pathy with its objects. His sermon was, in fact, an exposi- tion of the objects of the society and a defence of its reasons for being.
His next printed sermon was preached in 1822, at the funeral of the Rev. Stephen Palmer, of Needham, who preached the funeral discourse at the death of Mr. Thacher. Mr. Palmer was of the more orthodox of the Congregation- alists, the separation between the two branches of that body not then having been made complete. In his sermon, Mr. White alluded to the Orthodoxy of his friend, and also to his liberality and toleration as well as to his charity of mind. "We have in this union," he said, "an example which, if followed, would present to our view the Christian world, like a band of brethren, not contending merely for the prev- alence of one system of speculative belief over another, but striving together in the exercise of kind affection to pro- mote practical godliness."
In 1828, Mr. White preached a sermon on "The Nature and Extent of Christian Liberty." This was probably as clear and full an expression of his attitude towards the doc- trines of religion as he ever gave. It was an excellent statement of the liberal idea of the worth and need of liberty in religion. He maintained that there should be liberty in regard to the use of the external rites of religion ; that every individual should have the right of the free exercise of lib- erty in the interpretation of the Bible, no one possessing a claim to the privilege of dominion over his faith ; that there should be freedom from the dominion of sin ; and that Chris- tian liberty implies freedom from the condemning power of sin. He claimed that the doctrines most contended for are those enveloped in mystery and darkness, and those which are inferred rather than clearly stated. He held firmly to the Bible as the source of Christian teaching, but he would have men perfectly free to interpret it for them- selves.
In 1836, on the occasion of the one hundredth anniver- sary of the distinct existence of the parish, Mr. White pre-
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THE CLAPBOARD TREES PARISH
pared an historical sermon, which was soon after published. On account of a storm, it was not delivered on the 10th of January, but a week later. It was the first account of the history of the parish, of any fulness or thoroughness, which had ever been prepared. It indicates much research and careful preparation, a use of the church and parish records and of such traditions as could be relied on. It includes, with the numerous notes which were appended, an admirable account of the parish and those who had lived in it. His estimate of the ministers who had preceded him in the par- ish was fair and just, and expressed in his usual charitable spirit. In every way, it showed his attachment to the parish, and his love of that which was best in its life. Speaking of the houses of the first settlers, several of which still remained in his day, he said: "We look with a sort of veneration upon these ancient abodes of the men and women of a generation long since passed away. They remind us of the firmness and vigor and determined spirit which were characteristic of their occupants. They have stood through the storms and sunshine of more than a hun- dred annual revolutions. The present strength of their frames makes us almost ready to believe that they may endure through another century. Their sturdy oaken beams seem to defy the tooth of time, compared with which our modern structures are like the vapor which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away." It was to be expected that Mr. White would love the sturdy and honest work of the first settlers, and have a feeling of firm respect for what they did and were.
The peace and quietude of the parish at this period, its very prosperity and success, give less than ever before for the historian to record. The better its work is done, the less is there in the life of a religious society which can at- tract any special interest. Men and women were being made stronger for human duty and more worthy to serve God, but these things cannot be put upon record or brought forth to adorn the historian's page. The quiet simplicity of Mr. White's life left its lasting impression on his people ;
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REV. JOHN WHITE, THE FOURTH MINISTER
but it went evenly on from day to day, without jar or dis- cord. He was a true pastor and a faithful shepherd of his flock.
He followed in the footsteps of his predecessor, and was in the habit of taking to his house a number of boys for private instruction in preparation for college. This work he carried on successfully, and it added to his moderate income by a method which was congenial to his nature. His house was the centre of the social activity of the parish. Two daughters were born to him, Elizabeth Jane and Delia Dwight. Soon after his settlement, he built a commodious house a few rods west of the meeting-house, now owned by Mr. Franklin Copeland; and there he resided until his death.
During his ministry, he was greatly aided by his wife, to whom he was married Jan. 1, 1817. She was Delia Jane Holcomb Dwight, the daughter of Seth Dwight, of Utica, - N. Y .; but she had lived for many years with the Rev. Mr. Holcomb, of Sterling, whose wife was her aunt. She was eminently fitted to be the wife of a minister, for she was energetic, devoted, and self-possessed. She was very active in promoting the interests of the parish, and did not hesi- tate to take the lead when any hard work was to be done. She readily became, says Mr. Sewall, "a fit helpmate to her husband in all his pastoral and his domestic affairs. What- ever might affect any of the people, whether of joy or sor- row, was of interest to her, and whenever sickness, suffering, or bereavement became their experience, her sympathetic, helpful, and comforting presence was quickly afforded to them. But it was in her own home, in all her domestic ar- rangements, and in the constant demands on her there, that the disposition and ability of Mrs. White were most actively and fully developed." Her memory is still a constant influ- ence in the parish, and her name is associated with many a benefit now enjoyed by it.
Mrs. White, after the death of her first husband, married Benjamin D. Emerson, the author of a widely used arithme- tic, and lived in Jamaica Plain, where she resided until her death in 1864. One who knew her there says she was a
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THE CLAPBOARD TREES PARISH
·leader in every good work, and a woman of such presence and influence as is rarely to be found. She was very active during the period of the Civil War, in promoting the in- terests of the Sanitary Commission and in otherwise lend- ing cheer and aid to the soldiers.
After a long and prosperous ministry of thirty-eight years, Mr. White passed away on Sunday, Feb. 1, 1852. His ill- ness was very brief, for he was in the pulpit only two or three weeks before. Three days later, the Rev. Dr. Lamson preached a funeral discourse, full of tender recollections, to a very large congregation in the meeting-house. It was a noble tribute to the memory of his friend. "His great ser- mon was his life," said the preacher ; "and few, if any, ever preached a better." This was a true summing up of the career of Mr. White. Nothing more or better could be said about him, because this was the highest praise. "We have had," says Mr. Sewall, "like knowledge of no one among his contemporaries in the ministry, whose record was more entirely free from any stain of worldly ambition or of un- faithfulness to the highest ends and obligations of the pas- toral relation. His uniform singleness of purpose and ear- nestness of endeavor to make full proof of his ministry in the spiritual health and prosperity of his flock were happily productive of that inward peace which outlasts all human favor, and is infinitely better than all human applause. His transparent simplicity and sincerity, the calm dignity of his bearing, and the warmth of his affections made him a favor- ite with all his associates in the ministry and among his many friends in all the relations of life."
On the Saturday following Mr. White's death, the Chris- tian Register paid this tribute to his memory : "Mr. White was esteemed and beloved by all who knew him as a true and faithful Christian minister. In all the relations of life, he was a man of duty and a man of gentle affections. Many have enjoyed his hospitality, and some have found his house, in early days, when under his care as a teacher, a second home, where they hardly felt the want of parental care and tenderness. Few men have been more unostentatiously
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useful, and few have left behind them a memory so stainless and of so much substantial worth. Within the circle in which he moved, his loss will be deeply felt. ... He was a man of meekness and humility, firm in his convictions, stead- fast in his purposes and affections, bearing himself always with a dignity and grace which mark the character of the true Christian gentleman."
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X.
THE BAPTIST SOCIETY.
DURING the first half of the eighteenth century, the ideas and principles of the Baptist denomination were accepted by a few persons in Medfield. In 1752, seven men were exempted from paying the ministerial tax, because they formed a branch of the Baptist society in Boston. Their numbers increased, and in 1772 they were able to build a meeting-house. The church was formed in 1776, with twenty eight members ; and the Rev. Thomas Gair was set- tled as the pastor, remaining with the society until 1787. A period of twenty-three years followed, in which the so- ciety had no pastor, the pulpit being supplied. In 1810, the Rev. William Gammell became the settled pastor ; and he preached on alternate Sundays in Medfield and West Dedham.
Of those who seceded from the Clapboard Trees parish, only one man, Benjamin Colburn, joined the church in Med- field ; and he became a member there in 1809. In the same year, Lucy Colburn, Betsy Baker, and Abagail Colburn be- came members of the church; and in 1810 their number was added to by the admission of Monica Baker, Molly Ellis, and Hannah D. Smith.
The account of the formation of the church given on the first pages of its records, already quoted, continues the nar- rative in the following words : -
The ministry of Revd Mr. Pecking, then officiating at Medfield, was blest to the awakening and conversion of many individuals. An atten- tion more than was ever known before in this place was excited, so that in about two or three years several became savingly acquainted with the truth.
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THE BAPTIST SOCIETY
Mr. Pecking not continuing in Medfield for a short time no preach- ing was had, till the Revd Mr. Gammell came, in whom both Medfield and Dedham was united. He opened the present meeting-house on Thanksgiving day, November 18, 1810, and continued his labors in the two places alternately till 1823, when he left to take charge of the. Baptist church in Newport, R.I. Under his ministry several were added to the church in Medfield, a number of whom resided in Dedham and other places.
After his removal the supply of preaching was very irregular till Revd S. Adlam came, who preached from May 1824 every alternate Sabbath, with little intermission, till the close of the year, when preach- ing was had every Sabbath. For several reasons it was thought advisa- ble to have the members residing in and near Dedham formed into a separate church, upon which a council was called, who approved it, and after forming them into a church, ordained and installed S. Adlam over them. . . .
The first meeting of the society in West Dedham was held at the meeting-house on Monday, March 15, 1824, the meeting having been called by a justice of the peace at the request of a number of persons made to him for that purpose. Benjamin Colburn was chosen moderator, and Abijah Fisher clerk. The name of "the First Baptist Society in Dedham" was that given in the call for the meeting, and it became the name of the society. The following persons became members of the society during the year 1824 :-
Benjamin Colburn,
Elisha Colburn,
Abijah Smith,
David Baker,
Phinehas Colburn, Abijah Colburn, Ebenezer Dean,
Elisha Onion,
David Baker,
Eliphalet Colburn,
Isaacus Colburn,
Robert Thompson,
Seth Morse,
Jabez Boyden,
John Morse,
Moses Everett,
Joel Talbot,
Abijah Fisher, Seth Gay,
Robert H. Baker,
Thacher Colburn,
William Perbeck, Warren Colburn,
Nathaniel Colburn,
Dwight Colburn, Alvan Colburn,
Timothy Smith, Isaac Colburn, Jonathan Colburn, Ellis Colburn,
Clement Bartlett,
James Pettee,
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THE CLAPBOARD TREES PARISH
Ichabod Colburn,
Moses Guild,
Obed Baker,
Calvin French, of Needham,
Willard Draper, Daniel Draper,
Moses Gay,
Sabin Turner.
Andrew Lewis,
During the next three years, the following persons also became members : -
Parker Wilson,
Joseph Baker,
Sumner Richard,
Aaron Baker,
Enoch Ellis,
Molly Fisher,
Ebenezer Fisher,
Spencer Fuller.
The number of those interested in the Baptist church and society had become large enough by the year 1824 to warrant the formation of a distinct church. The following request, signed by members of the Medfield church resident in West Dedham and its neighborhood, was accordingly prepared : -
To the Baptist Church in Medfield,
Beloved Brethren : Believing the time is come in which it will be for your comfort and our prosperity, and tend to the promoting of the Redeemer's cause, that we be constituted into a church by the name of the "First Baptist Church in Dedham; " we hereby request you would dismiss us who have hereunto set our names for the above purpose :
Abijah Fisher,
Deborah Gay,
Polly Richards, Betsy Baker,
Cynthia Colburn, Hannah French,
Fanny Colburn, Lucy Mason,
Benjamin Colburn,
Molly Fisher,
Abagail Colburn, Fanny Fisher,
Monica Baker, Jabez Boyden,
Mary Ellis, Sally Thompson,
Molly Russell,
Nancy Everett,
Rene Morse,
Calvin French,
Hannah Smith, Betsy Colburn, Lucy Colburn, Cynthia Baker,
Lucy Colburn, 2d.
This request was granted by the Medfield church; and a meeting of those asking for dismission to form a new church was held Oct. 23, 1824, when Benjamin Colburn was chosen
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THE BAPTIST SOCIETY
moderator and Calvin French clerk. Articles of faith and a covenant were adopted. The Rev. Samuel Adlam was asked to take oversight of the church and to receive ordina- tion. A council of churches and ministers assembled No- vember I, and formally constituted the new church and received it into fellowship. At the same time, Mr. Adlam was ordained, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Mr. Wayland.
In 1817, Mrs. Betsy Baker, wife of Obed Baker, and a member of the Medfield church, organized in her own house the first Sunday-school held in the town of Dedham. After several years, it met in the meeting-house; but there was no fire, and it did not assemble in the winter. ' In 1819, the number of children was thirty; and the attendance was from thirty to forty for many years. A Sunday-school library was started in 1826. Mrs. Baker was not only a woman of much piety, but of great energy. At about this time she had a desire to possess a leghorn bonnet, but was not able to procure one. She plucked straw in the fields with her own hands, bleached and braided it, and made a bonnet for her own use. She made bonnets for neighbors, improved upon the first attempt, and finally led the way to the building up of a large industry in Dedham and adjoining towns. Another member of the church, Miss Molly Fisher, built a parsonage in 1824, kept it in repair at her own ex- pense, and gave it by will to the society on her death in 1837.
The church received large accessions to its membership in 1828, and again in 1832: in the former year, forty-one ; and, in the latter, forty-four. The members of the church residing in Needham and Dover withdrew in 1838, to form a separate church. In 1843 the church dismissed sixteen of its members to form the Baptist church of East Ded- ham, and in 1858 it dismissed others to constitute the Baptist church of South Dedham (Norwood).
The Rev. Mr. Adlam remained with the church until 1827, when he was succeeded Jan. 3, 1828, by the Rev. Jonathan Aldrich, who remained until Feb. 27, 1830. Since
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THE CLAPBOARD TREES PARISH
that time, the succession of ministers has been as follows : the Rev. Thomas Driver, May, 1830, to the autumn of 1838; the Rev. T. G. Freeman, from the spring of 1839 to April, 1841 ; the Rev. Joseph B. Damon, from Oct. 13, 1841, to October, 1843; the Rev. J. W. Parkhurst, from October, 1843, to Nov. 24, 1850; the Rev. Jeremiah Chaplain, from Nov. 24, 1850, to Sept. 6, 1858; the Rev. Benjamin W. Gardner, from Nov. 1I, 1858, to Nov. 1, 1867; the Rev. I. J. Burgess, from Nov. 1, 1867, to Sept. 9, 1871 ; the Rev. Samuel J. Frost, from Sept. 15, 1872, to April 26, 1874; the Rev. S. C. Chandler, from Sept. 6, 1874, to Jan. 20, 1878 ; the Rev. T. M. Merriman, from April 6, 1879, to May 6, 1883; the Rev. E. S. Ufford, from June 28, 1883, to Octo- ber, 1886; the Rev. O. P. Bessie, from November, 1886, to the present time.
With the exception of one or two years when first organ- ized, the society has raised all moneys by subscription and by the renting of pews. In 1832, a vestry was built, which was enlarged a few years later. Land was bought in 1842 for enlarging the meeting-house yard. In the latter year, the church passed strong resolutions condemning slavery, and pledging the church to oppose it in every manner possible. The meeting-house was enlarged and repaired in 1834, at a cost of $1,403.73. In 1846, alterations were made in the galleries, and new pews built. The pew-owners, in 1852, sold their pews to the society at a nominal sum; and since then they have been rented annually. During this year, the meeting-house was painted, frescoed, and repaired, at a cost of $1, 144.73 ; and repairs were also made in 1858 and in 1868. In 1873, a new bell was procured, at an ex- pense of $649.70, which was obtained by the sale of the old bell and by subscriptions.
There was a brief period of trouble in the society in 1843, concerning the dismissal of the Rev. Mr. Damon ; but, with this exception, the society and church have been harmonious and successful almost without interruption since their formation.
XI.
THE PARISH IN RECENT YEARS.
BEGINNING with the year 1814, when Mr. White was set- tled, the life of the Clapboard Trees parish was harmonious and peaceful. From that time to this, it has quietly pur- sued its way ; and little has occurred in it that needs to be recorded. The population within the limits of the old terri- torial parish has probably never much exceeded five hundred persons, and farming has been the chief industry. During the first half of the century, a few small mechanical indus- tries were carried on within the limits of the parish. Since then, two or three store-keepers and a dozen mechanics have found employment. The building of the Boston and Providence Railroad to the centre of the town, and the New York and New England Railroad through South Dedham, took away most of the mechanical industries of the village and many of its most enterprising citizens. The parish has become more strictly a farming community since then. Its business has lessened, and its population has not increased. Those families who gave life to the parish during the first half of the century have gradually disappeared or lessened in numbers, and there has been a gradual decrease in church attendance.
In 1814, the parish had $450 loaned on land securities, and notes of hand, signed by the original subscribers, to the amount of $1,482. This year it was "Voted, to ring the bell fifteen minutes, stop five minutes, and then toll ; under- taken by Mr. Moses Kingsbury at $9.87 I-2." The roads through the meeting-house yard were built by the voluntary labors of the members of the parish. The farm of Mr. Thacher was rented at a vendue ; and the parish paid for the rum and sugar furnished to the bidders and spectators on that occasion.
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