USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of the First church in Boston, 1630-1880 > Part 26
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In 1856 the minister referred to the objections which some had to signing the covenant as a neces- sary requirement before allowance of participation in the communion could be granted. Whereupon Dr. Frothingham proposed the following vote, which passed, with one dissenting voice:1 " That our pas- tor may feel authorized to admit any persons to our service of communion on their application, at his discretion." The subject of the use of a Lit- urgy in the Sunday worship was discussed at the same time, but no decided steps were taken. The character of the church music formed a frequent topic of discussion also at this period, some cling- ing to the old-fashioned congregational tunes, while others favored richer and more elaborate pro- ductions .:
1 Deacon Foster.
.
£
300
FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [1850-So.
The subject of further enlarging the invitation to the Lord's Supper was introduced by Dr. Frothing- ham, April 1, 1858. He offered a form substan- tially as follows : " The ordinance of the Lord's Supper will be administered after the benediction and in behalf of the church. I invite all who desire to commemorate the love of the Lord Jesus to take part with us in the observance." The question was finally reserved for a special meeting to be held a week later, when, nine communicants expressing themselves in favor and four opposed, it was decided to leave it to the discretion of the pastor to act as he should see fit.
In the journal of Dr. Frothingham there is the following entry : " Thursday " (November 1), 1849, " preached the Lecture, Mr. Robbins failing to ap- pear." Between this date and Sunday, March 10, 1850, when Dr. Frothingham preached his farewell sermon, the journal, while it contains other entries, does not mention the " Thursday Lecture," so that it is safe to conclude that it was discontinued some- where during that interval. The present minister made an effort to revive it at an early period in his ministry.
" April 8, 1858 (eleven o'clock, A. M.). Thursday Lecture was resumed. Ministers of all denomina- tions - Baptists, Methodists, Orthodox, Congrega- tionalists, and Episcopalians - were invited to take their turn. Among others, the Rev. James Free- man Clarke, and the late Dr. Diman, of Provi-
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RUFUS ELLIS.
[850-80.]
dence (then of Brookline, Mass.), performed the service."
In this modified shape the famous lecture, which formerly sustained a public character, lingered for three or four years as a shadow of the past, and then vanished. The fortunes of " Thursday Lecture " are traced by Dr. Frothingham in " The Shade of the Past," written in 1833, at the close of the second century after its establishment, and printed by re- quest of the Boston Association of Congregational Ministers.
The importance which this ancient observance sustained while it lived and flourished, as well as its close connection with the parent church, are faith- fully portrayed in this charming narrative. " The lecture," he says, " was a meeting of all that claimed or deserved respect in the neighborhood. The mag- istrates were present; the governor of the colony, with his counsellors; and after its appropriate offices were ended it was followed by a convention of the people, at which municipal regulations were adopted, and questions of every kind were discussed that engaged the minds of the men of that day."
For more than half a century after its foundation by Cotton the lecture steadily advanced in splendor and importance. There is a gathering of the people from every quarter on the fifth day of the week to attend the service. " The villages send their yeo- men and pastors. The walls of Harvard College, that have risen at Newtown, contribute of its few
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FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [1850-80.
students and fellows to swell the train. The schools dismiss their pupils in the forenoon, and are kept no more that day, in order that no one may be de- prived of so great a privilege. The rough weather of a climate yet sterner than it has since been scarcely thins the assembly that comes to warm it- self with fervent words, and the glow of a common interest, and the breath of its own crowd in a cold place. What an array is here of dignity and sanc- tity and comeliness! What squares of scarlet cloaks ! What borders of white but artificial hair! What living complexions - of a less shining whiteness, and less presumptuously red - upon many fair but solemn faces, which the arguments of Cotton have divested of their veils! And lest anything should be wanting to so important an occasion, and lest a single interesting association of life should be over- looked or unconnected with it, I hear the list of names repeated with a loud voice of those who 'in- tend,' as the good phrase still is, to make themselves the happiest of mortals. Thus the recreations of the young and the meditations of the old, the order of the churches and the guidance of the State, the market-place and the marriage-ring, have their re- membrances bound together in this ancient service."
Until 1679 the lecture was "conducted by the pastors and teachers of the old congregation." In that year a change took place, the old church allow- ing the ministers of other churches to assist in the service. Towards the close of the century its popu-
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1850-80.]
larity began to wane. Cotton Mather " gave notice that the lecture was to begin at eleven o'clock in- stead of twelve; reproved the townspeople that attended no better; and declared that it would be an omen of their not enjoying it long, if they did not amend." The weather was oftentimes offered as an excuse. On one occasion, in 1715, during a violent storm, only sixteen women and two hundred men were present. The return to Boston after the siege was over raised the occasion into temporary prominence after seventy years of steady neglect. " After this," says Dr. Frothingham, "the lecture might have closed its doors. It had enough of honor ; I will add nothing further to its history."
The death of " the eminent historian and excel- lent man, William H. Prescott, late a worshipper in First Church," is noticed in an entry on the church records, Jan. 30, 1859. Funeral services were held at the church on the afternoon of the following day, and the minister preached a sermon entitled " The Joy of the Christian Mourner" on the following Sunday, February 6, which was printed by request of the society.
Towards the close of this year the record contains a report of the only legal contest in which the church was ever engaged. The corporation was obliged to bring the suit against the city of Boston, to recover damages for the laying out of Chauncy Place as a public highway. The land thus taken, it will be remembered, became the property of the church
£
304
FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON.
[1850-So.
under the deed from the Hollingsheads in 1680, and compensation was now asked for so much of it as had been taken for the public use in opening the street. The city, on the other hand, asserted that the church had already dedicated the property for a public highway before the widening took place, and consequently that no legal damages had accrued by reason of any further taking. The report discusses at length the progress of the suit, which, with the assistance of "able counsel" engaged in their be- half, resulted satisfactorily to the interests of the church.
"Deacon James Hiller Foster died Wednesday, Dec. 10, 1862, at the advanced age of eighty-nine, having served the church in his office since March 5, 1815."
Early in the year 1865 the society lost the fellow- ship of one whose services in Church as well as State were "in a degree of eminence " seldom sur- passed. The entry on the records of the corpora- tion is as follows : -
" Boston, Jan. 15, 1865. The church was this day called to mourn the loss of one of its most worthy mem- bers in the person of the Hon. Edward Everett, who died at his residence, No. 32 Summer Street, at about four o'clock this morning, seventy years nine months and four days old."
Several meetings of the Standing Committee were held to make appropriate arrangements for the fu- neral ceremonies, and to transcribe on the records
€
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1350-80.] RUFUS ELLIS.
of the church a fitting sense of their heavy bereave- ment. The following is a copy of the resolutions adopted by the church : -
" Whereas it has pleased the All-Wise Disposer of events to remove from us by sudden death our esteemed fellow-worshipper and beloved friend, Edward Everett; and
" Whereas we wish to put on record an expression of our sense of the great private worth which distinguished him no less than his public virtues: therefore be it
" Resolved, That by his decease the members of the First Church and Congregation have lost one strongly endeared to them by the association which has bound them together . as worshippers for many years past.
" Resolved, That we gratefully remember the constant interest which our departed friend took in the welfare of our venerable society, - an interest which he manifested to the last by his regular attendance on the offices of the sanctuary.
" Resolved, That we shall always hold his example in precious remembrance as of one who, while he dignified our nation, especially in her hour of trial, by his unselfish patriotism, humanity, and -generous devotion to the cause of Republican liberty, was no less distinguished for the humility, purity, and Christian excellence of his private life.
" Resolved, That these resolutions be placed on the rec- ords of the First Church, and that a copy be transmitted to the family of the deceased with the assurance of our most tender sympathy in this hour of their heavy be- reavement."
Public funeral services were held in First Church on Thursday, January 19; and besides an address on that occasion, the pastor delivered a sermon on
20
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FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [1850-80.
the following Sunday on " The Life, Services, and Character of Edward Everett," both of which were printed, together with the account of the action of the church on the occasion of his death.
At the annual meeting, May 28, 1865, Mr. Wil- liam Everett made a proposal, which the record says was " very well received," that the society should have a new house of worship in some more favora- ble location. Acting upon this suggestion, no doubt, Mr. Ralph Huntington and other proprietors of First Church requested the Standing Committee, June 21, to call a parish meeting for the considera- tion of the expediency of building a new church. In accordance with this request a special meeting of the proprietors, duly notified according to law, was held Thursday, June 29, 1865, at which twenty- one members were present. It was then voted, unanimously, to sell the present church property, and all other property belonging to the society, in such manner and at such times as shall seem expe- dient to the committee to be appointed for the pur- pose. The same committee were further authorized to purchase land, and build a new church edifice, with a vestry and parsonage, if they deem expedient.
Thomas B. Wales, moderator, in conformity with the vote of the meeting, then nominated George O. Shattuck, Samuel HI. Gookin, Edward Austin, Tur- ner Sargent, and John E. Piper, to join the Stand- ing Committee of seven, namely, Thomas B. Wales, Otis Rich, Samuel L. Abbot, George W. Messin-
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RUFUS ELLIS.
1850-80.]
ger, Nathaniel Thayer, John Collamore, and D. W. Salisbury, and together constitute a building com- mittee. This nomination, being referred to the meeting, was unanimously confirmed.
" Attest, GEORGE O. HARRIS, Clerk."
The committee thus chosen were not long in selecting the present site for a new meeting-house. The lot of land on which the present church edifice stands " was purchased of the city of Boston for three dollars per foot, payable ten per cent cash, and the balance in . nine instalments and interest at six per cent. The treasurer paid the first instalment of $5,880 in September, 1865, and received a bond of the city. The lot purchased contains 19,600 feet, the full value of which at three dollars per foot is $58,800."
On account of the high prices which then pre- vailed for materials and labor it was deemed inex- pedient at this time to do more than lay a foundation for the new edifice. It was also decided not to sell the Chauncy Street church property until some more definite arrangements should be made with regard to a removal.1
In the following year a letter was addressed to the vicar of Old Boston (England) in hopes of securing the " John Cotton pulpit" for a place in the new church. The attempt, however, proved unsuccessful.
The corner-stone of the new church edifice was 1 The vote to sell the Chauncy Street meeting-house was not taken until April 21, 1863.
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.FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [1850-80.
laid on Fast Day, April 4, 1867, with appropriate ceremonies, in presence of a large assembly. T. B. Wales, Esq., chairman of the Standing Committee, called the meeting to order, and the chairman of the Building Committee, Hon. G. W. Messinger, made an appropriate statement. Rev. Rufus Ellis, the pastor of the society, then read an account of the contents of the box to be placed under the stone, as follows : -
1. A silver plate, upon which are inscribed the name of the church, the date of laying the corner-stone, the names of the pastor, of the Standing and Building Committees, the architects, and the principal contractors for building the house.
2. Service book used in the church, containing an ac- count of the various pastors, and the dates of their settle- ments; also of the houses of worship, and a copy of the covenant.
3. A small pamphlet, giving an account of church work in First Church for the year 1866-67.
4. A bi-centennial sermon, in manuscript, preached by Rev. Dr. Frothingham, then pastor of the church, on the 29th August, 1830, and printed at that time by the society.
5. Sermon, etc., at the installation of the present pastor, May 4, 1853.
6. Commemorative discourses upon Hon. Edward Ev- erett and William Hickling Prescott, members of the par- ish, by the present pastor.
7. Copy of the Christian Register for March 30, 1867, containing a short description of the church.
8. Copy of hymn, by Rev. Dr. Frothingham, upon the laying of the corner-stone.
9. Rules and orders, and names of Board of Aldermen
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1850-So.] RUFUS ELLIS.
and Common Council, etc., for 1867, with inaugural ad- dress of his Honor, Mayor Norcross.
10. Boston Daily Advertiser, Post, and Journal for April 4, 1867, and Evening Transcript and Traveller for April 3.
II. Boston Almanac and Directory for 1867.
12. Monthly Religious Magazine for April, 1867.
13. Sundry pieces of currency.
The following is a copy of the inscription on the plate : -
This corner-stone of the First Church in Boston was laid with appropriate ceremonies on Fast Day, April 4, 1867.
PASTOR. Rev. Rufus Ellis. BUILDING COMMITTEE.
Thomas B. Wales,
Nathaniel Thayer,
Samuel L. Abbot,
D. W. Salisbury,
Samuel H. Gookin,
Edward Austin,
George O. Shattuck,
Horace Dupee,
G. W. Messinger,
John Collamore,
Turner Sargent, George O. Harris.
ARCHITECTS. Ware and Van Brunt. CONTRACTORS. Augustus Lothrop and Benjamin D. Whitcomb.
The pastor then read a few sentences from 2 Chronicles ii. and from 1 Corinthians iii. ; and, striking the corner-stone, said, -
" In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: Amen.
" I lay the corner-stone of an edifice to be here erected by the name of the First Church of Christ, and to be de- voted to the service of Almighty God, through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Other foundation can no man lay
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FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [IS50-80.
than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. The Law was given by Moses; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Amen."
Rev. Dr. Gannett then offered a singularly appro- priate prayer, which was followed by a brief address from the minister. Mr. Ellis then said, -
" There is one, always near to the heart of this congre- gation, whose enforced absence from these services we all deeply regret. He has not forgotten us, but has put into my hands this hymn, prepared to be read after the event, and yet so fitting the occasion that, even against his wishes, I must take the liberty of reading it to you here and now, that our dear and honored friend may be connected through some uttered words with this solemn and glad occasion."
The pastor then read the beautiful hymn, written by Dr. Frothingham, entitled " Laying the Corner- Stone of a Church," after which the doxology - " From all that dwell," etc. - was sung by the as- sembly, and the benediction pronounced by the pastor. The weather was fine, and the occasion in every way satisfactory.
The following description of the interior decora- tions of the present church edifice was written by the architects : -
"The subjects of the windows in the body of the church are: On the north side, 'The Transfiguration' (erected in memory of Turner Sargent) and 'The Syro-Phoenician Woman,' contributed by Miss Elizabeth Foster. On the south side, 'The Good Samaritan' (erected in memory of
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RUFUS ELLIS.
1850-80.]
John Eliot Thayer) and 'St. John at the Last Supper' (erected in memory of Miss Abby Joy).
" At either end of the transepts are similar windows, but of much greater size, being nearly twenty feet high. Those in the north transept contain full-length figures, about the size of life, of St. John and St. Paul. The subjects beneath are ' The Women and the Angel at the Sepulchre' and the ' Departure of Paul from Ephesus.' The St. John window is erected in memory of Peter C. Brooks, and the St. Paul window in memory of Thomas Beale Wales.
" The south transept is occupied by windows of similar size (contributed by Messrs. Nathaniel Thayer and Edward Austin), containing, in the place of the Apostles opposite, inscriptions relating to the history of the church. 'On one is the covenant under which the church was gathered, signed by Governors Winthrop and Dudley, etc. Beneath is the ' Vision of the Man of Macedonia,' - the carrying of the gospel into Europe having been considered by the founders of this church as the prototype of its introduc- tion into America, the text 'Come over and help us' oc- curring in the original seal of the colony. The other win- dow contains a list of the ministers of the church during the two hundred and thirty-eight years since its foundation. Beneath are figures of the four evangelists. The other win- dows were furnished out of the funds of the society, and consist, for the most part, merely of decorative work. The great Rose, however, at the end of the church, over the entrance, contains in the centre a figure of the Lamb, and about it a choir of angels singing and playing upon vari- ous instruments. In the north transept is also a small window, nearly on a level with the eye, containing in four compartments the story of the Prodigal Son. . . .
" All the windows are filled with English glass, executed in London in accordance with the architects' sketches, and are made of what is called mosaic glass work, as distin- guished from enamel painting. . . .
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FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [1850-80.
" The color decorations of the church, which are very carefully studied, and executed with great elegance, are quiet, but rich in effect, and carry out the general senti- ment of gravity and repose intended to be conveyed by the treatment of the whole interior. From the ends of the hammer-beams, and from the roof at the centre of the church, are suspended chandeliers of bronze and gold. . . .
" The church contains one hundred and eighty-seven pews, provided to accommodate nine hundred and fifty-five persons. It is heated and ventilated by steam."
The chapel also has lately been enriched by two beautiful memorial windows. The subject of the one on the right as you enter from Marlborough Street is St. Christopher. This window was the gift of Miss Mary Anne Wales, in memory of Fanny Cabot Paine. The one on the left is " The Young David," and is dedicated by his parents to the mem- ory of Gurdon Saltonstall.
The farewell services in Chauncy Street church, on May 10, 1868, were attended by a large congre- gation. The pastor preached from Psalm xxvi. 8. The sermon, with the Scriptures read during the ser- vice, was printed. " Much sensibility was mani- fested by the worshippers, many of whom had not attended at the church for many years." 1
" On May 17, 1868," the congregation gathered for the first time in the new chapel on Marlborough Street. We conducted our service with the aid of King's Chapel Liturgy, which is to be hereafter our
1 Church Records, Vol. II. 58.
2 During the summer of ISGS the society was invited to attend services in Arlington Street church.
£
FIFTH HOUSE OF WORSHIP.
CORNER OF BERKELEY AND MARLBOROUGH STRRETS. 1 868.
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1850-80.] RUFUS ELLIS.
Book of Common Prayer.1 The text was the in- scription upon the cloister approach to the chapel, - ' And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children.'"
The fifth house of worship of First Church was dedicated Dec. 10, 1868. The pastor preached a sermon entitled " The Gospel committed to Living Witnesses," - Acts i. 8. This sermon, with one preached on the first Sunday after the dedication ser- vices, entitled " The Mind to Work," - Nehemiah iv. 6, - was printed, together with the address at the laying of the corner-stone.
The new organ arrived from Germany in 1869.2
The amount realized from the sale of the Chauncy Street property, even when added to all the available assets arising from the sale of pews in the new church and invested funds still on hand, did not nearly cover the cost of the present house of worship.
1 Adopted by vote of the church, Tuesday, April 21, 1868. At the same meeting the present collection of hymns was substituted for " The Christian Psalter." The adoption of the Liturgy was understood (and such has been the practice ever since) to leave room for the free indulgence of extemporaneous prayer. In 1869, the church record says, "some conversation was held as to the desirablenes> of conforming, in our administration of the Lord's Supper, to the order of our Liturgy, which we have not as yet followed in this ob- servance, still retaining our former way. The drift of opinion seemed to be against any change, though there were those who earnestly desired it. It was suggested that at some convenient time an informal vote should be taken to ascertain the preponderance of opinion as to this subject. There are many who cleave strongly to our old way." It does not appear that this vote was ever taken. If so, it must have opposed any alteration, for the church still dlings to the old way of observing the communion.
2 Mr. Otto Cuntz, a former active member of the society, among other useful services, carried on the necessary and extended correspondence with the makers of the instrument.
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FIRST CHURCH IN BOSTON. [1850-80.
But with a generosity which to look back upon now seems almost incredible, various members of the society pledged themselves to cover the large deficiency. In this way four separate subscriptions were raised, amounting in all to over one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, until at last, by these persistent efforts, the church stood free of debt.' This happy state of things was reached in 1876.
Memoranda of Funds expended in Construction of the New Church, with Organ, etc., Complete.2
Invested fund, $36,885, at par, April, 1866, realized $38,785
Old church sold for net 135,266
Release of restriction to Cushing estate
10,000
Pews in new church sold for
$56,560
Less paid for pews in old church, say 8,000
48,560
First subscription
83,000
Second subscription 36,100
$351,711
From this should be deducted the total of the respective amounts 3 by which the expenses current have exceeded the receipts yearly, since 1864, at which time the defi- ciency commenced, namely : -
From ISog to 1870 $19,720
1870 to IS71 . 6,611
1871 to 1872 3,800
1872 to 1873 4,800
3.4,931
$316,780
Taxes on the new church before occupation, omitted above 2,500
$314,280
1 The names of those who, by their prompt and generous action, carried the church through this period are inscribed on the records in grateful recog- nition of their services.
2 This statement makes the church cost when complete for occupation, with organ, carpets, gas, etc., $314,280. It finally came to about $325,000.
8 These having been paid out of the above receipts.
£
315
RUFUS ELLIS.
1850-80.]
In the report which the committee make at the annual meeting, April 15, they "announce to the proprietors that the corporation is now entirely free from debt, and that its affairs are in a prosperous condition, and that the current receipts from pew taxes and rents promise to fully meet the expenses for the ensuing year."
In the year 1870 members of the society, with the consent of the corporation, sent the pastor abroad for a vacation of six months, in order to recruit his health. The pulpit was meantime sup- plied at the expense of the society.
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