USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of the Old South church (Third church) Boston, 1669-1884, Vol. I > Part 12
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66
The records of the Salem church, kept by the Rev. John Higginson,2 confirm the statements of the Narrative, and the entries of Mr. Hull : -
On the 3d of the 2d month [1669] was read a letter from the dissenting brethren at Boston, sent unto this Church, wherein they expressed that the result and advice of the Council called by the Elder and brethren the last summer, was to grant them an amicable dismission, in order to the propagation of another church ; this advice they had attended, having several times moved for a dis- mission, but in vain. Therefore they made this address to sundry other Churches, as their only next refuge left them by Christ in his word ; professing their firmness to the government, according to the patent, and that they are not for any other way of church order, than that solemnly declared from the Scriptures, in the Platform of Disci- pline, and the last Synod about the subject of Baptism and consoci- ation of Churches, desiring ever to maintain brotherly love and com- munion with the Church they desired to be dismissed from as also with the rest of the Churches. They did humbly again and again desire us, in the bowels of Jesus Christ request and desire us, not to
On April 16, lodging at the house of his worthy son [Increase Mather], a minister in Boston, he was taken very ill. . . . So his Lord found him about the blessed work of a peacemaker; and with an allusion to the note of the German Pho- nix, Mr. Shepard of Charlestown, put that stroke afterwards into his Epitaph : Vixerat in Synodis, Moritur Moderator in Illis. Returning by coach, thus ill, unto his house in Dorchester, he lay patiently expecting of his change ; and, indeed, was a pattern of patience, to all spectators, for all survivors. . . . His son perceiving the symptoms of death upon him, said 'Sir, if there be any special thing which you would recommend unto me to do, in case the Lord should spare me on earth, after you are in Ileaven, I would intreat you to express it; ' at which, after a little pause, with lifted eyes and hands, he returned, ' A special thing which I would commend to you, is, care concerning the rising generation in this country, that they be brought under the
government of Christ in his church, and that when grown up, and qualified, they have baptism, for their children. I must confess, I have been defective, as to prac- tice ; yet I have publickly declared my judgment, and manifested my desires to practice that which I think ought to be attended ; but the dissenting of some in our church discouraged me. I have thought that persons might have right to baptism, and yet not to the Lord's Sup- per ; and I see no cause to alter my judgment, as to that particular. And I still think, that persons qualified, accord- ing to the fifth proposition of the late Synod-Book, have right to baptism for their children.' "]
1 [In addition to the seven magistrates whose approbation appears on p. 77, there was the deputy governor, Francis Villoughby, who was a friend of the new church.]
2 John, son of the Rev. John Higgin- son, married, October 9, 1672, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Savage.
سعيدا
92
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
receive sinister reports against them, but to send the Elder and messen- gers of our Church to meet with others in council at Boston upon the 13th of April, to consider, consult, and give their helpful advice in their labouring case.
After the reading of this letter it was desired to defer the issue till the Lord's day after, till it might be known from the Elders of Boston Church whether the Church there consented to such a council, or would give them a meeting : which by the Pastor (and others) was enquired of the week following, who brought a negative answer from the Elders. Yet the brethren of the Church generally did agree in this, that there was and ought to be relief against miscarriages in par- ticular churches in the Congregational way. And in the issue by a vote they desired the Pastor and Capt. Price, to go not as members of the Council to vote therein, but to be present at the Council, and so to do what good they could, as they heard Mr. Whiting and Mr. Laiten of Lin Church were desired so to go.
At a Church meeting, April 30, 1669. The Pastor made some report of what was done at the Council, wherein there was a meeting of messengers from thirteen other Churches besides Salem and Linne, and that they applied themselves first unto the Elders twice, and then to the Elders and brethren of the Church of Boston ; the 3d time in way of mediation for a pacification, but were three times denied to admit of any conference with them. So the Council considered of the advice of the first Council, and the Scripture grounds of it, and saw cause to approve of it, viz., that the dissenting brethren might have their dismission, and in case the Church persisted in denying their dismission, they might take their liberty seasonably to be a Church of themselves, as if they had had a formal dismission.
On the 16 day, [May,] being the Sabbath, was read in the public assembly, a letter sent from the three Elders of the first Church at Boston, to the Church of Salem, expressing their desires of a chari- table construction of their actions, and their willingness to declare the reasons of their actions, when it should be desired. The Pastor declared that the week past the dissenting brethren had made use of their liberty at Charlestown in gathering into a Church body of them- selves, according to the advice of two Councils in their case, with the approbation of Magistrates and Elders according to the law, and had the right hand of fellowship given them by the messengers from five Churches, - so he saw not any need of any further discourse about the contents of the former letter at present. So it rested at the present.1
1 [New England Congregationalism, by Daniel A. White, pp. 76-78.
The records of Roxbury church con- tain this entry : -
93
MR. DAVENPORT'S ELECTION SERMON.
We will now return for a moment to the Third Church Nar- rative : -
19 : (3) Being Election day Mr. Davenport preachd, who then did greivously inveigh against the preceding work and all that did assist therein, to provoke the Generall Court against it. Vide Copiam.
28: A writing was put in by Mr. Everill, Mr. Bridgam, and good- man Grub into the house of Deputies tending to the disturbing of it.1
30. Mr. Davenport in his Lecture sermon did excuse the Churches slownes to dismisse the dissenting Brethren perceiving it stuck with the Country.
2 (4). The writing above mentioned put into the house was rejected by the house.
On account of this controversy, "two parties," says Hutchin- son, " were produced, not in the other churches only but in the State also;" and "the whole people of God," says Cotton Mather, "throughout the colony, were too much distinguished into such as favored the old church, and such as favored the new church; whereof the former were against the synod, and the latter were for it." 2
Mr. Davenport was, in part at least, responsible for bringing the dispute between the two churches into the politics of the day. In the month of May following his installation he was invited, as we have seen by the Narrative, to preach the Elec- tion Sermon, and he took the opportunity to defend his side of the controversy, and to sharply criticise his opponents.3 The
"12 3m 69 The Dissenting Brethren aforementioned, made a Secession from the Church at Boston and gathered them- selves into a new church estate at Charles- town, having the approbation of seven of the magistrates and the right hand of fellowship from the Elders and Messen- gers of five churches."]
1 [These were petitioners, and not members of the house. Mr. Bridgham with Peter Tilton represented Hadley in 1670. In 1668 Thomas Grubb, with Ed- ward Hutchinson, Richard Way, Benja- min Negoos, and others, addressed a memorial to the General Court in behalf of the "Anabaptists," and were admon- ished for "many reproachful expres- sions " against the authorities which their paper contained.]
2 Edward Randolph wrote to the Bishop of London that the dispute ran so high "that there was imprisoning of
parties and great disturbances." Dr. Wisner thinks that members of the new church may have been imprisoned for not attending the authorized worship, and for setting up a church assembly without permission from the magistrates ; but this is doubtful, because the majority of the magistrates, and by far the larger portion of the people, believed the seced- ing members from the old church to be in the right, and public opinion, we think, would have shielded them from punish- ment for any such reason. The " im- prisoning of parties," of which Randolph wrote, was probably the arrest of some of the members when they began prepa- rations for building, as will appear in the next chapter.
3 Mr. Davenport's text was I Sam. xxiii. 5: "So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philis- tines and brought away their cattle, and
1
94
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
deputies, most of whom favored the First Church, passed the customary vote of thanks. The majority of the magistrates or assistants, who constituted the upper branch of the General Court, refused to concur in the vote, thinking that the occasion should not have been used in such a partisan manner, and that the Third Church and those who supported it had been dis- honored by the preacher. A remonstrance was therefore sent down to the deputies, declaring the vote of thanks "to be alto- gether unseasonable, many passages in the said sermon being ill-resented by the Reverend Elders of other churches and many serious persons," and the request was made that "they would forbeare further proceeding therein." Governor Belling- ham, who was in the chair, refused to put the question on send- ing down this remonstrance, and at the call of his associates it was put by Simon Bradstreet, who himself, a few years later, became a member of the Third Church.1 The deputies, how- ever, refused to give way.
When the members of the new church took steps towards the location and erection of their meeting-house, the ultra-con- servatives, as we shall see in the next chapter, placed every possible obstacle in their way. These men seem to have been strangely unconscious of the general drift of opinion among the churches and in the community ; otherwise, after the action of the influential and representative councils in favor of the breth- ren of the new church, they would have abandoned the struggle as hopeless. But failing, as they did, to discern the signs of the times, they persisted in their opposition, only to make the ultimate triumph of the seceding brethren more signal and complete.
It has been said that just after Mr. Davenport's Election Sermon in 1669 the House of Deputies was asked to consider the question of the organization of the new church, but declined to do so. The public excitement, however, increased to such an extent, and the relations to each other of 'Church and State were such, that the General Court could not but take cognizance of the controversy. At the opening of the session in May, 1670, the magistrates passed a " vote to heale differences," to which the deputies would not consent, their objection being to the proposal to call "the teaching elders of the churches," or some of them, into conference.
smote them with a great slaughter. So
1 May 25, 1669. Mass. Archives, vol. David saved the inhabitants of Keilah." x. p. 7.
95
A VOTE "TO HEAL DIFFERENCES."
The magistrates Apprehending that it is the duty of this Court by all possible and lawfull wayes and meanes to seeke the Composing of the present differences that are of late increased among the churches of these parts, and as much as in us lye that the stumbling blocks to our peace may be removed : Doe Judge meet that there be a Con- ference of both houses, referring to those matters. and that the Teach- ing Elders of the churches so many as may Conveniently be desired to be present to give their advice and helpe as the matter may require.
The magistrates have past this their brethren the Deputies here- to Consenting :
EDW : RAWSON Secretary.
The Deputyes Consent not hereto but are very willinge and ready to attend by all wayes and meanes for the Composure and healinge of any differences that are amongst us So it be in a reg- ular way, and Desire our Hon- oured magistrates, would please to draw up some meete expedient for the attaynment of the ends before proposed our Honoured magistrates Consenting hereto
WILLIAM TORREY Cleric.I 12 : 3 1670
Toward RawSon .
The next action was initiated by the deputies, and was prompted by a memorial addressed to the General Court, in the name of the freemen of the town of Hadley and of sundry free- men of the town of Northampton. This paper was drawn up by the Rev. John Russell, of Hadley, a friend of Governor Bel- lingham,2 and evidently at the instance of the latter, for there was no reason why these distant towns should concern them- selves in this particular way about the formation of the new church in Boston. The memorial has been preserved in the Massachusetts Archives, and is as follows : -
1 [Mass. Archives, vol. x. p. 287.]
2 Mr. Russell was one of the executors and trustees under Governor Bellingham's will, the others being Mr. Oxenbridge and Mr. Allen, of the First Church, and Mr. Anthony Stoddard. He graduated
at Harvard College in 1645, was one of the settlers of Hadley in 1660, and was the minister there from that time until his death in 1692. In 1657 he favored the Baptismal Covenant. Walker's First Ch. in Hartford, p. 193.
96
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
To the Worshipfull and much Honoured Generall Court of the Massa- chusetts now sitting in Boston.
It being abundantly manefest to them that know the Lord and doe considar the oparation of his hands, that his carriage toward his churches and people in this Country : hath not bin as in former times the yeers of the right hand of the most High : but that instead of his wonted blessing and lifting up the light of his Countenance he hath shewed us both many signes of his displeasure against and departure from us : which if he proceed to doe then is that fearful woe Hos : 9 : 12 accomplished towards us. The Consideration and fear wherof occasioneth us to present this our humble Enquiry to this Honoured Court viz Whether the rods of God upon our churches and land have not this speaking voice to us that there should be some publike and solemn enquiry what it is that hath provoked the Lord (who doth not afflict willingly but if neede be) against us.
The genuine and tender filiall spirit when it sees the father angry cannot rest without enquiry why it is: The example of that man after Gods own hart 2 Kings [? Samuel] 21, I : 2. (as well as others) is a pattern to us : Our owne both distresses and dangers may necessitate us to faithfull and diligent search if there be any Achan or Jonah that may hazzard the Losse and ruine of all.
The finding and unanimous agreing in what our evill is : seems to be the necessary and first means and part of our turning to the Lord wherby only we can hope for his return (in mercy) unto us accord- ing to his wonted loving kindnesse : which that we may surely and speedily finde is the earnest prayer of your humble servants
HADLEY May 3d 1670 In the name of the ffreemen of the Town of Hadley.
HENRY CLARKE JOHN RUSSELL SAMUELL SMITH
WILLIAM HOLTON of northampton WILLIAM CLARKE
in the name of Sundrey of the freemen there who have had Consideration of the above mentioned premises.1
There haveing bin a motion to this Court by sundry ffreemen Inhab- itants of Hadley and Northampton, Subscribed in their Names by severall gentlemen and wel disposed persons, and herewithall pre- sented the Contents whereof is of great Concernment to our peace and the Contynuation of the presence of god with us as also remove- all of these evills, that have bin and are at present upon us, which on due and serious Consideration, the Deputyes Judge meet, to reffer to the further perusall of A Committee, and to that end have nominated
1 [Mass. Archives, vol. x. p. 286.]
MEMORIAL FROM HADLEY. 97
Captain Edw : Johnson [Woburn] 1 Captain Rich. Walderne [Dover] mr. William Parke [ Roxbury] mr. Edw : Woodman [Newbury] and mr. Peter Tilton [Hadley] unto whom they desire some of our Honoured magistrates may be Added to act herein and to draw up their appre- hentions about the same, and seasonably make returne thereof to this Court, Desireing our Honoured magistrates Concurrance herein.
WILLIAM TORREY Cleric.
13: 3. 1670
The magistrates have nominated mr. Thomas Danforth to Joyne in this Committee accordingly
EDW : RAWSON Secretary.2
13th may 1670.
Mr. Danforth was one of the magistrates who had given his official sanction to the formation of the new church, and it was not likely that he would be able to agree with his associates on the joint committee, representing, as they did, the majority in the House of Deputies, who were on the opposite side. The result was the presentation of two reports, one signed by the members of the House, the other by Mr. Danforth. In the former, various "demonstrations of the Lord's displeasure against this poor people " are enumerated, "some whereof are more immediately from his own hand, and others more mediately the corruption of man's nature, being through the Lord's judi- cial hand, made the executioner of his good pleasure." "Those that are more immediate are such as these :" blasting the choicest of the grain for several years ; the great loss sustained in shipping, and obstruction to the trade of the country ; cater- pillars, and grasshoppers of late years, and during the last sum- mer extraordinary floods ; God's visitation of the bodies of men with sicknesses, as agues, fevers, etc. ; the death of so many of the Lord's servants, the ministers of his word ; and sundry pro- digious signs, such as comets, earthquakes, etc. "Those that are more mediate are these - contentions, unbrotherly dis-
1 [Edward Johnson was the chief founder of Woburn, and the author of Wonder-working Providence of Sion's Saviour in New England. Although chairman of the committee on the part of the deputies, he does not seem to have written the report that follows. This and the other papers on the con- servative side in the controversy are in the handwriting of Peter Tilton, one of the founders of Hadley, and a deacon in
the church there. Whether he or the Rev. John Russell was the author it is impossible now to say.
Hutchinson, speaking of Peter Tilton in another connection, says that he " was one of the most rigid, and was concerned in a paper published about that time, representing the great apostacy both of magistrates and ministers." Captain Johnson died April 23, 1672.]
" [Mass. Archives, vol. x. p. 287.]
.
98
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
tances, such as do seem by a judicial hand of God to prevail among the churches and people here."
The majority report proceeds to specify under twelve heads "some of the causes of these epidemical judgments." It will be enough for our present purpose to quote the eleventh : -
XI. Weariness of the rule and government of Christ in Church and Commonwealth 2 Chron xii. 5. Jer ii. 5. 6.
The effects or consequents whereof are ; -
I. Formality and slightness in the awful and solemn administrations of God's house.
2. Woeful declining from our primitive and foundation work.
3. Innovation threatening the ruin of our foundations, and the ex- tirpation of those old principles of the congregational way laid by so many of the Lord's worthies who are now at rest.
In the third part of the report, some " helps or means " are proposed, "for the removing the Lord's hand, and stopping his. displeasure so signally manifested." (1.) The appointment by the Court of a solemn day of humiliation. (2.) Consideration by "all sorts, rich and poor, high and low, of what estate or condi- tion soever throughout this Colony," of the professed ends for which it was planted, namely, to serve in God's holy institu- tions, according to his own mind and will. (3.) " That our bitter strifes, envyings and contentions be heartily bewailed before the Lord and confessed one to another, and that instead thereof, according to the counsel of the Holy Ghost, Col. iii. 12. we put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind," etc.
The deputies approved of this "returne," and desired the concurrence of the honored magistrates, but they consented not thereto (25. 3. 70).1
Mr. Danforth said in his report : -
As to the causes of God's anger, I do fully concur with our breth- ren in those twelve particulars before mentioned, as to the substance thereof, only in those three things that are entered, as the effects and consequences of the eleventh particular, viz. weariness of the rule and government of Christ, I cannot concur nor subscribe thereto, not so fully understanding what they intend.
He then propounded whether the "weariness of Christ's easy yoke," which had been deplored, did not more truly appear (1) in families, in the governors of them, and those who should be governed ; (2) in churches, " by a practical rendering the church
1 Mass. Archives, vol. x. pp. 289, 290, 292.
ACTION OF THE MAGISTRATES. 99
covenant to be an empty, useless and mere titular matter ; " (3) in the boldness found in many to rise up against the Lord's faithful ministers ; (4) in a practical denial, on the part of many, of subjection to the government of Christ and his church, and in others, want of zeal against such sinful practice ; (5) in the great neglect of multitudes, old and young, in not joining them- selves to the Lord and his people. And he concluded : -
Many more things might be added, but some of the Reverend Elders having taken pains, more particularly and fully to discover both the causes and remedies, and is in a manuscript that may be seen and considered, and will be found of general use if the Court please to call for it, I shall not further enlarge.
Having declined to concur with the deputies in approving the majority report, the magistrates sent down on the following day a communication to this effect : ---
Beloved Brethren
Being Apprehensive of the Sad Simptomes of the displeasure of God against us, increasing upon us of late, wee thought it a duty incumbent on us. to make a serious Inquiry into the Causes, by Im- prooving the best meanes within our power, and for that end proposed to our brethren the Deputies, to make use of the help of the Elders, then assembled at the Election, which proposall was by yourselves waved, yet soone after yourselves mooving for a Committee of this Court to be imployed in such a Service, in Compliance with you, wee assented, and after a large time of Consultation returned their result which being Approved by the deputies and sent up to the magistrates for their Consent ; uppon a slender perusall thereof ; (though many things therein represented mustbe acknowledged) severall particulars therein being less clearely expressed yet manifestly insinuating, if not reflecting blame upon the Elders and a Considerable part of the Coun- try, wee thought it necessary, to desier a cleerer explication in two particulars, which having received from yourselves, wee must professe and declare our greiffe and dissatisfaction to your sence, not owning or knowing of any Elders or Churches amongst us that can be so char- acterized without Calumny and Slaunder, in many of the particulars, and in others traduced and misrepresented and consequently abused ; and since the receipt of the former we have received a second charg- ing many Elders churches and magistrates with irregularities and breach of order and law in approving the New church at Boston ; in which actings our innocency wee beleive is yet entire, and nothing hath (to our understanding) beene offered to convince of blame : And notwithstanding wee have too much cause to feare that diverse, if they
.
100
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
have not receded from, yet have imbibed other notions than were owned or intended by the first founders of these colonies and churches yet we shal forbeare to retaliate, But doe hereby profess and declare our adhærence to the primitive ends of our coming hither, and to the practice of our churches in their purest and most athlettick Consti -. tutions.
Voted by the magistrates to be sent to their brethren the deputies.
EDWARD RAWSON Secretary.1 26 May 1670.
Appended to this paper was the following proposed reference of the subject to the clergy : -
The premises considered, wee apprehend that wee have all great cause of humiliation for the divisions of our Reuben. yet haveing con- fidence that there is not so much guilt resting on the churches, nor their leaders as to those innovations that are charged on them, al- though much cause is found to bewayle the great security and wearines of the easy yoake of Christ Jesus, and unkind enterteyment that is given to the rich offers of his grace in the gospell, Do Judge meet to commend the same as matter of humiliation and bemoaneing ourselves before the Lord, and also to the Reverend Elders to consider thereof and to present what they shall Judge meet as an expedient for healing and remedy, at the next generall Court.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.