History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 9

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700

USA > Massachusetts > History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I > Part 9

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HERELYEN THE BODYOF MARI THE WIFE OF ELIZVRHOLYOKE WHODIED OCTOBER 26.1657 Shee Ilyes heere was while she stood Avery glory of womanhood Even here was sowne most precious Dus! which surely shall rise with the just

Mary Holyoke, dau. of I'm Pynchon the leader of the Colonists who settled Springfield was born in England and died us recorded here. The remains of the Pynchon Family were removed from the old burying ground at the foot of Elm Street Mar. 1849 and are de- posited around this stone.

In the year 1638, two years after the planting of Springfield, William Pynchon became involved in difficulties with the Connecticut people at Hartford, under whose jurisdiction he had till then remained, on account of which, and also on account of the fact then discovered that Agawam, now Springfield, lay

# Hartford records give this date incorrectly as the 6th of November, 1645. See Mase. Hist. Coll., 4th series, Vol. VI., p. 375.

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

within the boundaries of the Massachusetts jurisdiction, he seceded from Connecticut, and became subject to the authori- ties at the Bay.

The controversy which arose on account of the separation is set forth somewhat at length in a succeeding chapter. In the mean time we must follow the fortunes of Wm. Pynchon until he leave the colony.

In the year 1637, being the autumn after the first arrival of the colonists at Agawam, came the Rev. George Moxon, the first minister at Springfield. Mr. Moxon was educated at Sidney College, Cambridge, England, where he took the de- gree of A.B. in 1623. He came to Massachusetts in the year 1637, and first settled at Dorchester. He was made a freeman Sept. 7, 1637, and that very autumn followed his old friend to Agawam, on the Connecticut River.

The following records, transcribed from the early town books of Springfield, throw some light upon Mr. Moxon's coming, and the early establishment of religious services at the infant colony at Agawam :

March 20, 1637 .- It is ordered that in consideration of certayn charges which the present inhabitants have been at for Mr. Moxon's house and fencing his lott, such as shall for future tyme come to inhabite in ye place shall bear a share in the like charges in proportion with ourselves.

Il.

January 16, 1638 .- It is ordered that the three rod of grownd yt lyes betwixt John Woodcock's parcell and Goodman Gregory's lott, shall be appropriated, two rod of it to Goodman Gregory and one rod of it to Rich'i Everett, reserving 40 rods for a place for a meeting-house, which is to be allowed out of Goodmau Gregory's lott.

III.

The 13th of Jannary, 1638 .- A voluntary vote agreed upon the day above said for ye raising of fourty pounds toward ye building of a house for Mr. Moxon.

Jolın Searle

Thomas Horton.

...

John Leonard

(M)

Robert Ashley.

John Woodcock

12 (X)

Richard Everitt

John Alline

(M)

John Burt.

(X)

Ilenry Smith

(K)

Mr. William Pynchon,

IV.

13th January, 1638 .- For Mr. Moxon's maintenance till next Michaelmas.

£.

Jeline Burr ..

Henry Smith

John Cable.

John Searle ..

Rich. Everett.

(K)

John Alline ..

Thios, Horton ...

John Woodcock ....

Robt. Ashley.

John Leonard.

Thos. Mirach

In 1653, Mr. Moxon returned to England with Mr. Pynchon, and died there Sept. 15, 1687.

MR. PYNCHON'S BOOKS.

In the year 1650, Mr. Pynchon published a book in Eng- land upon a controverted religious topic, which shortly after caused his removal from the colony. The title of this book was,

" THE MERITORIOUS PRICE OF OUR REDEMPTION, JUSTIFICATION, ETC., CLEERING IT FROM SOME COMMON ERRORS, AND PROVING,-

" Part I .- 1. That Christ did not suffer for us those unutterable torments of God's wrath, that commonly are called Hell-torments, to redeem our soules from them. 2. That Christ did not bear our sins by God's imputation, and therefore he did not bear the curse of the Law for theni.

"Part II .- 3. That Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law (not by suffering the said curse for us, but) by a satisfactory price of atonement, viz., by praying or performing unto his Father that invaluable previous thing of which his Mediatoriall sacrifice of atonement was the master-piece. 4. A sinner's right- eonsness or justification is explained, and cleered from some conunon errors.

" By William Pynchon, Gentleman, in New England.

" The Mediator saith thus to his father in Psal. 40: 8-10: ' I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy Law is within my licart;' viz., I delight to do thy will or Law as a Mediator.

"' I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart ; I have declared thy faith- foloess and thy salvation;" namely : I have not hid thy righteousness or thy way of making sinners righteous, but have declared it by the performance of my Me- diatoriall sacrifice of atonement, as the procuring came of thy atonement, to the Great Congregation for their everlasting righteousness.

" London: Printed by T. M., for George Whittington and James Moxon, and are to be sold at the blue Anchor in Cornhill, neer the Royal Exchange, 1650. 158 pages."

The doctrines upon the Atonement advocated by Mr. Pynchon in this book were repugnant to the gloomy dog- mas of the New England theologians of the time, and were considered to be heretical and dangerous.

The matter was promptly brought before the General Court at Boston, and action taken thercon, of which the following is a record :

"October 19, 1650.

" This Court havinge had the sighte of a booke lately printed under the name of William Pinchon, in New England, gent., and judginge it meete, doe there- fure order, first, that a protest be drawne fully and clearly to satisfy all men that this Court is so farre from approvinge the same as that they doe utterly dislike it and detest it as erroneous and dangerous.

"2ndly, That it be suffyciently answered by one of the reverend elders.

" 3dly, That the said William Pinchon be summoned before the next Generall Court, to answer for the same.

"4thly, That the said booke now broughte over be burnt by the executioner (or such other as shall he appoynted thereto, provided that the party appoyuted be willinge), and that in the market-place in Boston on the morrow immediately after the Lecture. Per Curia.

" The declaration and protestation of the Generall Court of the Massachusetts in New England.

" The Generall Court, now sittinge at Boston, in New England, this sixteenthi of October, 1650. There was broughte to or hands a booke written as was therein subscribed, by William Pinchon, Gent., in New England, entitled, ' The Meritori- vus Price of or Redemption, Justibcation, etc., clearinge it from common errors,' etc., which booke, brought over hither by a shippe a few days since, and con- tayning many errors and heresies generally condetumed by all orthodox writers that we have met with, wer bave judged it meete and necessary for vindication of the truth, so far as in us lyes, as also, to keepe and preserve the people here committed to our care and trust in the true knowledge and fayth of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our owne redemption by him, as likewise for the cleareing of ourselves to our Christian brethren and others in England (where this bouke was printed and is dispersed), hereby to proteste our innocency as being neither partyes nor privy to the writings, composeing, und printinge, nor divulginge thereof; but that, on the contrary, we detest and abhorre many of the opinions anil assertions therein as false, eronyous, and hereticall ; yea and whatsoever is contayned in the said bouke, which are contrary to the Scriptures of the Oldl and New Testament, and the generall received doctrine of the orthodox churches extant since the time of the last and best reformation, and for proffe and evi- dence of our sincere and playne meaninge therein, we doe hereby condemne the said booke to be burned in the market-place, at Boston, by the common ex- ecutioner, and doe purpose with all convenient sprede to convent the said William Pinchon before authority, to find out whether the said William Pinchon will owne the said booke as his or not; which if he doth, we purpose (God willinge) to procede with him accordinge to his demerits, unless he retract the same, and give full satisfaction buthe here and by some seconde writinge, to be printed and dispersed in England; all of which we thought needfull, for the reasons above aleaged, to make knowne by this shorte protestation and declaration. Also we further propose, with what convenient speede we may, to appoint some fitt per- son to make a particular answer to all materiall and controversyall passages in the said booke, and to publish the same in print, that so the errors and falsyties therein may be fully discovered, the truth cleared, and the minds of those that love and seeke after truth confirmed therein. Per Curid.

" It is agreed upon by the whole Court that Mr. Norton, one of the reverend ellers of Ipswich, should be intreated to answer Mr. Pinchon's bouke with all convenient speede.

" It's ordered, that the foregoing declaration concerninge the booke subscribed by the name of William Pinchon in New England, gent., should be signed by the secretary and sent into England to be printed there. Per Curia.

" It is ordered that Mr. William Pinchon shall be summoned to appeare before the next Generall Court of Election, on the first day of theire sittinge, to give his answer for the booke printed and published under the name of William Pinchon, in New England, gent., entitled "The Meritorions price of or Redemp- tion, Justification,' etc., and not to depart without leave from the Court. Per Curia."*

In accordance with this order, the Rev. Mr. Norton was employed by the court to confer with Mr. Pynchon upon the subject, and prepare an answer to his book.

At a General Court held in Boston, on the 7th of May, 1651,

* Mass. Col, Records, Val. III., page 216.

...

Thomas Mirack

Jeliu Burr ...

Jolın Cable.

Mr. William Pynchon

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

Mr. Pynchon presented the following recantation, a copy of which we give from the records :

" ACCORDING to the court's advise I have conferred with the Revs. Mr. Cotton, Mr. Norrice, and Mr. Norton, about some points of the greatest consequence in my book, and I hope I have so explained my meaning to them as to take off the worst construction ; and it hath pleased God to let me see that I have not spoken in my book so fully of the price and merit of Christ's sufferings as I should have done, for in my book I call them but trials of his obedience, yet intending thereby to amplify and exalt the mediatorial obedience of Christ, as the only meritorious price of man's redemption ; but now at pres- ent I am much inclined to think that his sufferings were ap- pointed by God for a further end, namely, as the due punish- ment of our sins by way of satisfaction to divine justice for man's redemption .*

" Your humble servant, in all dutiful respect, " WILLIAM PYNCHON. 17

On the 23d of October, 1650, Roger Williams, writing to John Winthrop, Jr., among other things speaks of this book as follows :

" He tells me of a booke lately come over, in Mr. Pynchon's name, wherein is some derogation to the blood of Christ. The booke was therefore burnt in the market-place at Boston, and Mr. Pynchon to be cited to the court.

" If it is in hand, I may hope to see it. However, the Most High and only Wise will by this case discover what liberty conscience hath in this land."+

Mr. Pynchon gave bail for his further appearance at court, and the matter was further continued until the next meeting.

In the mean time, before the day of hearing came on, Mr. Pynchon had left his adopted country, a voluntary exile, never to return.

In the year 1653, and after Mr. Pynchon's arrival in Eng- land, Mr. Norton's answer was published in London. It was entitled "A DISCUSSION OF THAT GREAT POINT IN DIVINITY, THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST," etc.

Mr. Pynchon published a rejoinder to this book, of which the following is the title in full :

"THE MERITOAIOU'S PRICE OF MAN'S REDEMPTION ; " or, " CHRIST'S SATISFACTION DISCUSSED AND EXPLAINED.

" 1. RY SHEWING how the sufferings and the sacrifice of Christ did satisfie God's Justice, pacific his Wrath, and procure his Reconciliation for Man's Re- demption from Satan's Head plot.

"2. By vindicating the sufferings and the sacrifice of Christ from that most dangerous, Scriptureless Tenents, that is hell forth by Mr. Norton, of New Eng- land, in his Book of Christ's suffering, affirming that he suffered the Essential Torments of Hell, and the second death, from God's immediate vindictive wrath.

"3. By showing that the Righteousness of God (so called in Rom. 3: 21, 22, 26; in Rom. 10: 3; in Cor. 5: 21; and in Phil. 3: 9) is to be understood of God the Father's performance of his covenant with Christ; namely, that ujum Christ's performance of his Covenant (by combating with Satan, and at last by making his death a sacrifice) he would be reconciled to believing sinners, and not imputo their sins to them. And therefore : 1. This Righteousness of God must needs be the formal cause of a siunet's justification. And 2. It must needs be a distinct sort of Righteousness from the Righteousness of Christ, contrary to Mr. Norton's Tenent. This is evidenced in Chup. 14, and elsewhere.

"6. By explaining God's Declaration of the Combate between the Devil and the seed of the Woman in Gen, 3: 15, from whence (as from the foundation principle) this present reply doth explain all the after-prophecies of Christ's Suf- feringH.

"7. By clearing several other Scriptures of the greatest note in these Contro- versies from Mr. Norton's corrupt Expositions, and by expounding them in their right sense; Both according to the Context, und according to sundry eminent Orthodox Writers.#

"BY WILLIAM PYNCHON, ESQ., LATE OF NEW ENGLAND. 1655."

Mr. Pynchon followed up the discussion in a book printed at London in 1662, called " The Covenant of Nature made with Adam Described, etc., and cleared from sundry great mis-

takes." In this last-named volume, the address to the reader is dated " From my Study, Wraysbury, Feb. 10, 1661."

Mr. Pynchon died at Wraysbury on the Thames, in Buck- inghamshire, some time during the month of October, 1662, aged seventy-two years.

OTHER BOOKS OF MR. PYNCHON.

Mr. Pynchon published other works than those above re- ferred to, among which is one entitled

"THE TIME WHEN THE FIRST SADBATH WAS ORDAINEn.

"1. Negatively. Not in the times of Adam's innocency, as many say it was.

"2. Affirmatirely. It was ordained after the time of Adam's fall and re-crea- tion.

* * * * *

* *

" And herein it follows:

"Ist. That as the Sabbath was ordained to be a typical sign, so it must be al.ol- ished as soon as Christ had performed his said propitiatory sacrifice.

"21. As it was ordained to be the sanctified time for the exercise of the said blessed ordinance, so the next day of the week into which it was changed nuist continue without intermission until the end of the world.

" By William Pynchon, Esq., London. Printed by R. I., and are to be sold by T. N., at the three Lyons in Cornhill, near the Royal Exchange. 1654."

In this work Mr. Pinchon's argument sounds strange enough to our modern ears, and to give the reader some idea of the methods of the speculative theology of that day, a statement of some of his propositions is given, and a single quotation from the last-named work is indulged in.

Mr. Pynchon argues that Adam and Eve fell from Para- dise on the first day of their creation, which was the sixth of the creation as mentioned in Genesis.

That God made Adam out of the dust of the earth, and commanded the beasts of the field as well as the angels in heaven to become man's ministering servants. The beasts were brought before Adam, and, as no helper was found among them meet for him, Eve was formed, and the pair was placed in Paradise ; that a part of the angels obeyed and min- istered unto Adam and Eve, but that a large number of the angels, seeing that Adam was but formed of dust, disobeyed and refused to serve them. Upon this, the disobedient angels were cast out of heaven, and, uniting together, became Satan's head. Hearing the covenant between God and Adam as to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life, the fallen angels resolved to accomplish the fall of man also. So, in the first few hours of man's innoceney, Satan's head appeared in the serpent as an angel of light and tempted the woman Eve. We now quote at this point of the argument what Mr. Pynchon says : "Now, God, being a cunning and complete Workman, would not be outbidden by Satan's brags, and therefore he gave Satan leave to do his worst (as he did afterwards give him leave to do his worst to Christ); for he knew that if his workmanship should fail upon the trial, he could tell how to mend it, and how to make it better able to endure the trial for the time to come."

On page 35 is a fac-simile of one of the pages of Mr. Pyn- chon's Book of Records, kept at Springfield while acting as a magistrate in his infant settlement. It is interesting, not only as showing Mr. Pynchon's handwriting, but as being the first page of the records of his court. The first action recorded was between Cable and Woodcock about the building of the historie house on the " Ilouse Meadow," or Agawam, in the summer of 1635. In the second action recorded it will be seen that Mr. Pynchon was not only judge of the court, but the plaintiff in the suit in which Henry Smith, his son-in- law, was foreman of the jury.

JII. THE PLANTING OF WESTFIELD.

Although Northampton was the first permanent settlement made after Springfield in the Connecticut Valley in Massa- chusetts, yet the first attempt at settlement was made, and the first buildings outside of Springfield were put up, at Wo-ro-noak, now Westfield.

* Mass, Col. Rec., Vol. III., p. 229.

+ Mass. Hist. Coll., 4th Series, Vol. VI., p. 285.

# The author is indebted to the kindness of the Librarian of Harvard Uni- versity for the privilege of examining this rare volume.

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

This settlement at Woronoak was begun by Connecticut people as early as the year 1640, they supposing that the place lay within their jurisdiction.

In that year Governor Hopkins erreted a trading-house at what is now Westfield, and had considerable interest in the plantation .* About this time Agawam, now Springfield, was leaving the jurisdiction of Conneetient for that of Massa- chusetts.

In the dispute which then arose regarding the boundary line, Wo-ro-noak was claimed by both jurisdictions. The matter was taken to the General Courts of the respective colonies ; and at a General Court, held in Boston on the 4th of March, 1641, the following letter concerning Wo-ro-noak was ad- dressed by the General Court at Boston to the General Court at Hartford, which will throw some light on the subject :

" From the Generall Court at Boston, 2d of the 4th month, 1641.

" SR,-It is grievous to ns to meete wth any occution that might cause difference to arise brtweene yr people and us, standing in so near relation of friendship, neighborhood, and Christianity, especially ; there- fore or study is (when any such arise) to lahor the removeing of them upon the first appearance. Now so it is, that wee have been certified that you have given leave to some of yours, to set up a trading-house at Waronoch, which is known to bee wtbin or patents lying as much or more to the north than Springfield. Wee heare also, that you have granted to Mr. Robt. Saltonstall a great quantity of land, not far beneath Springfield, whch wee conceive also to belong to us. Wee desire you to consider of it, as that which we apprehend to bee an injury to us, and do us such right in redresse hearof as you would expect fro us in a like case. Wee suppose wee shall not need to use other Argumts; wee know to whome wre wright, Wer have thought meete npon these occations to intimate further unto you that wee intend (by God's help) to know the certainty of ur limitts, to the end that wee may neither intrench upon the right of any of or neighbors, nor suffer orselves and or posterity to bee deprived of what rightly he- longeth unto us, wheb wee hope will bee wtbout offense to any ; and npon this wee may have somne ground of proceeding in or further treaty wth you alumt such things as may concerne the welfare of ns all. These things wee leave to your consi leration, and shall expect yor answear,

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PAGE FROM WM. PYNCHON'S COURT RECORD.

IV.

THE PLANTING OF NORTHAMPTON.

Northampton sits at the foot of the towering central mountain chain of the Connecticut Val- ley in Massachusetts, filled with the lingering charm of more than two centuries of cultivated and refined life.

" Art's storied dwelling, learn- ing's green retreat."

Her Indian name Non- o-tuck, or Nan-o-tuk as oftener written in old records, and sometimes Nol-wo-togg, is of local significance descriptive of a feature of her near landscape. In the In- dian tongue Noen-tuk, or No-ah-tuk, means "in the middle of the river," in allusion to the island situate between North- ampton village and Mount Tom, surrounded by an old channel of the stream, and to the penin- sula upon which Hadley is built .¿

After Springfield had become firmly established at the mouth of the Agawam, the first movement of her people in search of " fresh fields and pastures new" was not westward, but north- ward, and up the " Great River," as it was then called. The first record which we find looking towards a settlement at Non-o-tuck is the following :

" ATT A GENERAL COURT OF ELECTION, held at Boston the 18th of the 3d mo., Anno 1653. Mr. Samuel Cole, of Boston, having longe since disbursed fifty pounds in the common stocke, as appeared by good testimony to the court, on his own re- quest hath 400 acors of land graunted him at Nonotucke, to be layd ont by Cap- tayne Willard."

In the mean time a petition had been filed in the General Court, by eertain inhabitants of Springfield, asking the privi-

* See Trumbull's Hist. of Coun., Vol. I., p. 147.

f Mass. Col. Rec., Vol. I., p. 323.

# Holland's llist. of Western Mass., Vol. I., p. 65. 2 Col. of Conn. Hist. Society, Vol. II., p. 11.

" In the mean time wee rest."+

The matter was finally referred to the Commissioners of the United Colonies, and on the 27th day of October, 1648, an order entered by the Commissioners awarding Wo-ro-noak to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and the Connecticut people seem to have abandoned their settlements, and Wo-ro-noak beeame a part of the town of Springfield.

In 1662 another movement was made to settle Westfield by certain gentlemen who appear to have belonged in Windsor and Dorchester. They petitioned the General Court for, and received, a tract of land six miles square, conditioned that

in case the petitioners should settle themselves, and a min- ister within three years, " the order for Wo-ro-noak hence- forth to lye to Springfield should be void," otherwise the land should belong to Springfield until a plantation should be settled there.

This scheme seems to have entirely failed, only one man having acquired title by his residence of five years there. At length, on the 7th of February, 1664, at a town-meeting held at Springfield, Capt. Pynchon, Elizur Holyoke, and Messrs. Ely, Colton, and Cooley, were appointed a standing committee, " To have the sole power to order matters concerning Wo-ro- noak, both for admitting of inhabitants to grant lands, or for any other business that may concern that place, and conduce to its becoming a town of itself."

Under this arrangement a permanent settlement was made at Wo-ro-noak. In 1669 it was incorporated as a town, by the name of Westfield.±

HISTORY OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY.

lege of making a settlement at Non-o-tuck, on the Connecticut, which was in the following words :

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History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Vol. I, Part 9

Author: L.H. Everts & Co Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts Number of Pages: 700

Author: L.H. Everts & Co
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia : Louis H. Everts
Number of Pages: 700