USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of the Old South church (Third church) Boston, 1669-1884, Vol. III > Part 3
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II
THE THIRD CHURCH NARRATIVE.
arrayed against each other. The majority, however, was in his favor, and they carried their purpose, as, from their point of view, certainly, it was right that they should. They were not to blame for insisting upon having their own way ; nor is there any evi- dence that the minority, "the dissenting brethren," as they came to be called, opposed them in this in any spirit of faction. Before final action was taken, but when it was foreseen what this would be, the brethren of the minority, as will appear pres- ently, proposed to submit the question in dispute to a mutual council ; and after the call had been given, they begged permis- · sion to withdraw and to organize another church, for which there was ample room in the growing town.1
As the discussion proceeded, another objection arose to the settlement of Mr. Davenport over the First Church. This had reference to the methods employed to detach him from his New Haven pastorate and bring him to Boston; and it soon came to overshadow, in its importance and seriousness, all questions growing out of the synodical controversy.2 We have hints as to what these methods were in the various histories of the time, but we find them fully set forth, with many other interesting particulars, in a Narrative prepared under the authority of the new church, and compiled from the original documents then extant, which, so far as we know, has never been printed until now.
" The Third Church," we are told, "after great travell and trouble being furnished and supplyed with officers and ordi- nances, did agree that there should be a narrative of the whole progress of their proceedings, drawn up and kept among the Churches Records for Posterity." This compilation was not made immediately, but in 1691, probably, a committee, consist- ing of Samuel Sewall, Jacob Eliot, Theophilus Frary, and Joshua Scottow, drew up a statement of what took place during the years 1667 to 1674. A copy of this document, authenticated
1 Dr. Abiel Holmes, following George Chalmers, says that in 1673 the town of Boston is supposed to have contained fifteen hundred families ; but Dr. Palfrey regards this estimate as altogether too high. - History of New England, vol. iii. p. 36.
2 At the end of the next century, the question of the half-way covenant had dropped out of the thought of people
generally, in connection with the forma- tion of the Old South Church. Thomas Pemberton, descended from one of the founders, in his Description of Boston, published in 1794, speaks of the brethren who separated from the First Church as being dissatisfied "on account of the Rev. Mr. Davenport's leaving his church at New Haven for a settlement here." - Mass. Hist. Collections, vol. iii. p. 258.
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12
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
"This narrativo Soving was by, el - Sam : Sowall, Doarous Ellyst offrango york. 2
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by Joshua Scottow,1 has been preserved in the library of Yale University, and we shall make free use of it in this history.2
The first leaf of the MS., which for con- venience of reference we shall call the Third Church Narrative, is missing, and the account opens in the autumn of 1667, in the midst of the proceedings of a meet- ing of the First Church, presided over by James Penn, ruling elder, at which "the dissenting brethren " sought opportunity
1 Mr. Scottow's certificate may be found at the close of the Narrative, in the third chapter. We present a facsimile of it on this page.
2 How this MS. found its way to New Haven we have no means of knowing. President Stiles records in his (MS.) diary : "Nov. 14, 1770. Read a long MS. Account of the Removal of Mr. Davenport from New Haven in 1668 to the first Chh in Boston, upon the Death of Mr. Wilson; & the Councills & Gathering the third Chh in Boston."
In the winter of 1885-86, the attention of the author was called to this Narrative in New Haven by Professor Franklin Bowditch Dexter, who not only gave permis- sion for copying it, but carefully compared the copy, when made, with the original. Professor Dexter, writ- ing under date of Aug. 14, 1886, says : "As you will see from a notice at the end, the transcript was not probably made by any of the church members, but by hired writers. There are two very different hands em- ployed, - perhaps three, - and I can trace no convin- cing similarity to any of the written autographs of the founders. The brief certificate near the end, purporting to be by Joshua Scottow, I believe is wholly in his hand ; the date is uncertain, - whether 1693 or 1691." This valuable MS. adds greatly to our knowledge of the early history of the Third Church. It must have been prepared in duplicate. Dr. Wisner says : "Among the papers of the Old South Church I have found two leaves, paged 148, 149, 154, 155, of some manuscript volume, on which is written what appears to be parts of the reply of the church in New Haven to this third letter from the church in Boston. On the top of the last page is written 'D. Dismission.' A portion of it purports to be a quotation of the most material part of the first letter from the church in New Haven." Dr. Wisner then quotes the fragment of the letter signed by Nicholas Street, and dated "12. 8º. 68," which we shall be able to give in full. - History of the Old South Church in Boston, in Four Sermons, 1830, pp. 74, 75.
13
THE REQUEST OF THE DISSENTERS.
to state their reasons for opposing the call to Mr. Davenport, but in vain.
DISSENTERS REQUEST.
. . . office in this Church they supposed they had good reasons against it, and desired before they proceeded to vote they would heare what they had further to say, the Elder and Brethren answer[ed] they de- sired not to heare their reasons, and proceeded to vote, some of the Brethren dissent[ing] then desired the Elder that he would at least be pleased to take notice of the number of the persons soe minded, and that without offence they might give in their names and reasons nex[t] Church meeting, he Answered they might against the next Church meeting give [in] their names, together with the reasons of their dissent if they pleased in writ[ing]. And soe the major parte went on (in a full concurrence) to vote letters to be writ[ten] persons to Draw them up, and Messengers to goe with them to New Haven.
The Church mett againe and found the Brethren since called dis- senting Brethren presenting [the] Elder with a writting 30 Sep., 1667. containing their humble request that they would not [ ] hastily proceed, and after reading of it, Pathetically intreated that the Church would harken to the request of their Brethren, which writing is here inserted.
HUMBLE REQUEST OF THE DISSENTING BRETHREN.
Honoured, Reverend, and Beloved Brethren
When we consider how long the Good hand of the Lord hath bin extend[ed to] this Congregation, in the mercifull injoyment of all his holy appointments [in] peace, through the vigilance and dextrous guidance of those (never to be forgotten) renowned labourers that the Lord of the harvest was pleased to set in th[is] parte of his vineyard, the remembrance of whome, their faithfull pious and profita[ble] labours for winning of soules to Christ, and stablishing our heartes in the fait[h] and order of the Gospell should never be forgotten, according to Heb : 13: 8. it is the great greife of our hearts, to thinke that after their departure Satan doth take advantage against us, through our watchlessnes soe as to threaten the distur[bing] if not totall bereaving us of our future peaceable Communion in the thing[s] of God, unles the ffather of mercies, open the eyes of the Congre- gation, really [to] see our impending evill, and by a timous and unani- mous application of our sel[ves] to a regular observance of the rule to and with one another, to Counter worke the enemy ; Deare Brethren it is our ffurther trouble that we cannot see our way cleare [to] so act with yourselves in what you have proposed, and seene cause to proceed in [with ]out us, wee humbly desire you not to interprett it to be willfullnes in [us]. We doe as before the Lord profess the con- trary, but a Religious tye of Con[s]cience that is upon us, to attend
14
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
our Duty in waiting the answer of him wh[o] is soe much desired. We therefore desire you to put on charity, and not to thinke of us, nor act otherwise towards us than become Brethren, as we [ ] desire to carry it to you ; And if we cannot all speake the same thing [ ] judging yourselves to exceed us in number, yett shew the spirit of Christ Jes[us] in a patient bearing with us and regular indeavour of our convictions [if] we erre in not acting with you, we trust through grace we sh[all] attend your ffull indeavours that way, that soe if it be possible we ma[y] be of one heart and mind in the Lord, whereby they that seek an advantage [over] us, and would rejoice in our divi- sion may be disappointed, we therefore beseech [you] to surcease that prosecution of your votes till we may have opportunity for [a] free and full consultacion togither with yourselves of what may most con- duc[e to] the glory of god, the wellfare not only of this Church but of all the Churches he[re] and elswhere, and if upon a deliberate 30: (7) 67. consideracon of things we cannot We hereby declare ourselves ready and willing and oblige ourselves to ac- quiesce in the advice of a Councill of Elders and Messengers of Churches mutually to be chosen, we shall add no more but that of the Apostle 2 : Phill : 2 : 3 :
subscribed by the dissenting Brethren 28 : (7) 1667.
Notwithstanding this our petition or addresse some of the Brethren desired they might not be hindered in the work they were met about and that the Elder would attend to the work of the day, although the Elder did affectionately with teares in his eyes desire that the motion of the dissenters might be harkened unto, but he could not prevaile being overruled to read the letters agreed to be sent unto Newhaven Church and Mr. Davenport a coppy whereof followeth.1
The church of Christ at Boston to the church of Christ at New- haven wisheth all grace and peace may bee multiplyed.
Reverend and beloved in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, wee know you cannot butt have heard of the dispensations of
Boston Churches letter [to] Mr.
Davenports the Lord in his afflicting of us, by his righteous bereav- [church] at ings of those pretious instruments who sometimes were Newhaven. as stars in his right hand, and officers, having the over- sight of us in the Lord, under whom, and their Administration of his ordinances, wee had greatt delight refreshing and ædification through his rich grace, butt nott soe improoving under enlargements, we are streightned, and breaches have beene made upon us one after another, and that which adds to our affliction before wee could obtaine a repayre of the first (notwithstanding our endeavours) a second hath overtaken us, whereby we are made to sitt sollitary, which our con- dition we are providentially led to present unto you, hoping to find
1 [We have corrected the copy of this draft, now in the possession of the Mass. letter by what appears to be the original Hist. Society.]
I5
LETTER TO THE NEW HAVEN CHURCH.
that Christian sympathy and fellow feeling with us, that your pure minds will bee ready to contribute to our assistance thereby forward- ing the work of the Lord amongst us, by your willing resigning to the will of the Lord your sometimes settled pastor the Reverend Mr. Davenport, though now as wee understand providentially loosned from those engagements hee sometimes were under to and with you, unto whome wee have sent as to yourselves, by our beloved Brethren Mr. Ed. Tyng, C[apt.] James Olliver and L[ieut.] Richard Cooke whome wee desire you to receive in the Lord and to give creditt to in this matter ; and although the call of the Church is nott soe unanimous as were to bee desired, yett itt it is soe full free and large, that wee ac- compt it our duty to make this Essay by our Brethren and letters, that thereby wee may have discovery of the mind of the Lord in the case, hoping that the houre of temptation passing over our Brethren nott so minded with us, they will nott onely acquiesce, butt rejoyce in the accomplishment of the will of the Lord, when they shall see his work to prosper among us though by an instrument they did nott so eye with their Brethren : wee cannott butt be under a good degree of sence how exercising itt must needs bee for you to part with soe Reverend a person as the Reverend Mr. Davenport is, who is so richly furnished, that wheresoever hee is or shall bee disposed, hee may bee as a pol- ished shaft in the hand of Christ coming in the fullness of the bless- ing of the gospell : yett resignations in the most desirable blessings circumstanced with the highest grounded expectations, have beene testimonyes of loves sincerity to him that gives, and to and for whome wee ought to part with all when hee calls thereto : itt was enough to make free to send, when by him itt was said the Lord hath neede, that itt is so in this case wee speak as wee beleive the Lord hath need of Mr. Jno. Davenport att Boston, and that you may so beleive and accordingly doe, wee pray the mover of all hearts to work you up togither that you may say wee have a little sister and shee hath no breasts, and what shall wee doe for our sister in the day when shee shall be spoken for, and wee further pray that you and wee may in all conditions tryalls changes bee so managed in our day, that when our Lord shall come, wee may bee so watching and doing that wee may bee counted worthy to enter into his joy through the meritts of him that hath purchased us to be a peculiar [people] to himselfe, zealous of good workes, unto whom with the ffather and the eternall spirit the onely one and true good bee glory for ever, in whome we remaine.
yours in the highest and best bond
28 : (7) Boston.
J. P.1 in the name of the Brethren.2
1 [James Penn, ruling elder in the First Church, Boston, from 1650 to 1671.]
2 [On the back of the paper with which we have compared this letter we find what we suppose to have been a post- script, as follows : -
"In the last Letter our church re- ceived from Rev. Dr. Owen it is [ ] he had such a valedictorie speach to our reverend Pastor Wilson that iff the wise orderer of all things should soe design that he should not see him in this world
.
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a th nd 537
16
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
At the same time we presented them with the reasons of our dissent,
Reasons of intreating they might have bin read before they voted dissent. their letters, but could not prevaile untill their letters were read and voted :
Reasons of our dissent from calling of Reverend Mr. Davenport unto office relation with us and subscribed by 30 Brethren were as followeth.
REASONS OF DISSENT.
I.ly ffrom the state of the Church he stands now an officer unto,
30: (7) 67. which is a state of peace and amity wherein they have lived without the least breach unto us knowne, [which] hereby may be broken to the occasion of the hazard of the ruine or rent both of Church and towne.
2.ly from the state of the person called who as it hath bin reported by some of our Brethren looketh at himself as free from the Church but by what doth appeare hath not bin dismissed from them, whose temptation may hereby be heightned to dessert his flock without any cause that ever we heard of unlesse alteration of civill government which hath not put any impositions upon them nor abridged their Church liberties.1
3ly from the persons calling whose acting as we humbly conceive hath bin sudden and not soe suitable unto the order of the Gospell and discipline which we all profess as a matter of such high concern- ment might require. Gall: 5. 13:
I: in respect that free debate in matters of such import was not without reflexion upon the dissenters.
2. in respect where as it was agreed that what was to be voted should be written, yet that all votes did passe and none were written.
yet att that great Assembling there would be A glad meeting. And he earnestly desired our church would not hinder themselves from Enjoyment of Able Teachers for soe unworthy a one as himselfe who was hindered yet withall Promised that he would take the first opertunity that the Providence off god should offer to him off coming unto us wher in he might but Rationally hope to have the free exercise of his ministry when he should come."]
1 [" There was one point," on the part of Mr. Davenport, "which made it de- sirable for him to change the location of his ministry. This was his strong dis- approbation of the policy adopted by Connecticut to compel the union of the New Haven colony with them, and his aversion to live under the government
which had so acted. There was another particular which brought the leading men, such as Leverett, to like him more than they had disliked him for what he wrote against the half-way covenant. This was the decided and strong encouragement which he gave the authorities of Massa- chusetts to deny the offensive claims of the royal commissioners, and to hold out in their independent attitude. In ad- dition, he and his Boston friends seem to have so far tolerated each other in their different views of such a covenant as not to disturb their friendly cooper- ation in other respects." - Felt's Eccles. History, vol. ii. p. 421.
Mr. Davenport declined a call from the Second Church to become its minister at the time of its formation. The Rev. John Mayo was settled over it in 1655.]
17
POSITION OF THE DISSENTERS.
3. in that the dissenters though soe considerable a number appeared declaring ourselves ready to render our reasons before the vote was passed, yet soe violently was it carryed on by our brethren manifest- ing that they desired to heare none, we suppose that [in] a civill Assembly the like would not have bin done, much lesse ought our brethren soe to have acted, who in diverse Church administrations of far lesse concerne than this of dreadfull obligation to office, and when pressed by.lesse than the 7th part of ourselves, yet the body of the Church rather than to act unto their greivances hath desisted there- from.
4 in that when we desired an orderly councill our motion was not complyed with but they proceeded unto action.
5 that the Reverend Mr. Allin hath bin acknowledged by our Brethren the voters as unmeet to lead and rule our congregation alone, and therfore another must be first voted to guide and rule him, which we conceive may tend unto the confirmation of Prelacy, and we see not but that it may be contrary to that of the Apostle, who requireth a sufficiency in the Ruler to Rule well.
6 in that some of the cheif voters saw not ground to admit Mr. Thatcher to be a member of our body for deserting his flock [at Weymouth] although they were supplyed with another officer, amicably parted with him, and had recommended him to our communion, yet now as we conceive incourage that in one which they condemne in another.
4 [I.] from the state of the dissenters who lay under an awfull ingage- ment to maintaine the travelling truth relating to duty unto the children of the Church and Heb : 13 : 8 : to remember those who have spoken the word of the Lord unto us, which now we should forgit pluck- ing downe what they have built and in stead of following their faith, should now divert from it, and cease to consider the end of their conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterd[ay] and to day the same forever :
2 we should walk contrary to Rev : 3 : 3 : not holding fast what we have received Coll : 2 : 6 : nor should we as we have received Christ Jesus the Lord soe walk in him, it having bin a received and pro- fessed truth, by the body of our Church having voted it in the affirma- tive, and that after much patience with and candour towards those otherwise minded diverse daies having bin spent in inquiring about this great Generation truth which (since hath bin confirmed by the Synod) full liberty also being granted unto those (who scrupled) to propose their questions and were answered with such Publique satis- faction ; that those few who remained unsatisfied promised to sitt downe, and leave the Body to act, excepting one or two ; accordingly there was an entrance upon the worke, But the Lord lay not to the charge of those that hindered the progress therein; which with
t
18
HISTORY OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
great blessing and success hath bin and is practiced in neighboring Churches :
Thirdly our Churches double experience of her widdow hood, and the difficulty of meat supply, causeth us in prudence to conceive, a person of soe great an age not soe suitable to that end.
4ly and lastly in that we take ourselves regularly bound by an unanimous consent of the Church, further to waite the determinate answer of the Reverend Dr. Owen which [were then by an ordinary 1] disapointement of providence and hath bin hether to retarded.
The Reasons were then read and no answer was made unto them for 9 months time (onely mr. Stodder said they were irregular, irrationall and he was ready to say ungodly) but after 9 months in the Publique a paper was read which the Elder said was an answer to the Reasons, the dissenters desired to know whether it was from him[self or] the Church, he said from the Church, then up stood mr. Ed: Ting an honourd Brother of the Church and said he doubted the Elder might not say the Church, for he knew not that he had ever heard them read before ; the dissenters desired a coppy, the Elder said he would give no coppy ; neither was it any more than once read at that or any other time untill the councill sate and then it was read.
After the Lord brought in Ships from England and they could heare of no letters from Dr. Owen many of them together went to the Elder to solicite and intreate for a Church meeting freely to consider and debate about any persons meet to be called to office in the Church but the Elder totally refused to grant any.
Mr. Davenport wrote to the Church where in he saith he considered the clearnes and strength of the call of christ by the Church
8 (8) 67. and that they may take notice and be assured of his strong inclination to obey this call, and hoped to be with them before winter.
COPPY OF MR. DAVENPORT FIRST LETTER TO THE CHURCH : 8 (8) 67. Honourable Reverend and dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus
The hast of your Honoured Messengers to returne unto you, com- pelleth me to be more briefe than other wise I should have bin, Let it please you to accept many harty thankes for this reall expression of your love in your invitation of me to such a service, as I accont the minnistration of the Gospel in your Church to be, both in respect of those eminent lights, which have formerly shined in that Golden Candlestick, and in reference to the Generall Influences from thence through out the Country, In which respects I am apt to be dis- couraged from such an undertaking, being -conscious to my selfe of my nothingness in myselfe, yett when I consider the clearnes and strength of the call of Christ, by you unto worthless me, to come and helpe you in such atime of your streights, I finde myselfe incouraged
1 [These words are erased in the MS.]
19
LETTERS FROM NEW HAVEN.
to beleive that his power will be glorified in my weaknes ; and his grace in my unworthynes where upon I wholy cast myselfe, and rely through the helpe of his spirit, waiting upon God in Christ to manifest his will, and my way soe clearly to myselfe and to his people, that we might be brought into a full acquiescence therein and obedience there unto, In order here unto this Church being assembled on the 7th day of this month I read your letters one directed to them and the other sent to me, and having some thing touching two things to be con- sidered in a call of God, viz: that it be from such a place, 2ly to such a place ; And cleared my call from them by some arguments which were of force with me (and it appeares) that one of them was confessed by the ablest among themselves to be unanswerable : And for clearing my call to you, the letters read before them were in my apprehensions sufficient ; The conclusion was that the matter under debate was looked upon, and that Justly soe weighty, as that a day for extreaordinary humbling of ourselves to seek the face of God and guidance by his spirit, before the question be Issued : should be set apart. the weeke following, and on the day after they would Consult and conclude with Gods helpe, After that you will receive from them their full answer, In meane time you may be pleased to take notice and to be assured of my strong inclynation to obey this call, which seemeth to me to be a call of Jesus Christ the Lord, your Lord and our, And accordingly I hope to be with you this winter with the con- sent of this Church if God permit, by the first opportunity after the fast is over in reference to all the premises, I humbly and earnestly begg the helpe of your fervent prayers and rest in Jesus Christ yours engaged to serve you in my worke where unto Jesus christ shall call me Jo : DAVENPORT : Sen :
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