USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of the Second Church, or Old North, in Boston : to which is added a History of the New Brick Church > Part 9
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But the judges were carried away captive, for the time, through the power of a terrible delusion. Superstition got the better of their reason and their humanity. The blind- ness of their fanaticism was impenetrable by the light of
truth. The cry of justice could not make itself heard amidst the confusion and clamor of fear; and mercy failed to render her thrills perceptible in hearts that were shiver- ing with superstitious awe. That Cotton Mather was en- chanted in the same spell with the other prominent actors in these tragic events ; that he was credulous to a ridiculous extreme; that he was inordinately fond of the marvellous ; that he was too easily imposed upon ; that his intense and undisguised interest in every case of alleged possession betrayed him into indiscretions, and laid him open to cen- sure; and that he busied himself unnecessarily with the trials, - are facts which rest upon indubitable evidence, are blemishes which can never be wiped away from his name. But no deeper stigma than these facts affix can be justly fastened upon his character. That he was under the in- fluence of any bad motives, any sanguinary feelings ; that he did not verily think he was doing God service, and the devil injury ; that he would not gladly have prevented the disorderly proceedings of the courts, the application of un- lawful tests, and every thing unmerciful in the trials, and inhuman in their issue, -- the most careful examination has failed to make me believe.
In admitting so much as I have unfavorable to Cotton Mather, in relation to the witchcraft-madness, it has been my endeavor to do ample justice to the statements and opinions of his enemies. If there has been an error in
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making up the judgment I have ventured to express, it is in not having allowed sufficient weight to the vindications of his conduct furnished by his friends and himself. I am sensible that a better case might be made out by one who should undertake to defend him. This I have wished studiously to avoid. I will only add, in dismissing this topic, that every one who carefully examines the whole evi- dence will find a perplexity whichi never can be wholly cleared up. At one moment, his character appears in a favorable light; at another, under the shade. In some points, his conduct impresses us with respect; in others, with disapprobation. Here, we find him taking a stand for humanity and justice ; and there, apparently countenan- cing the errors of the judges, and defending their decisions. Now, he expresses sentiments worthy of a wise man; and anon, unless we reject the testimony of Calef, he speaks and acts more like one infatuated. There was, doubtless, an inconsistency in his own feelings; and therefore there must be in our verdict. His mind was pendulous. Though attached, at its highest point of desire and purpose, to eternal justice, it was ever oscillating over a wide scale of notions and impulses. If he was a riddle to himself, there is no wonder that he should appear so to us.
The great defect of Cotton Mather's character was the want of steadiness, to which allusion has just been made, combined with a lack of judgment. If he could have possessed these two qualities, he would have been one of the greatest and most influential of men, as he is one of the most remarkable.
Taken out of his own age, and judged by the standard
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of another, his character is precisely such as is likely to be under-estimated. His contemporaries, with all his imper- fections, regarded him generally with admiration and respect, though he had enemies enough to expose all his faults, The judgment passed upon him by the best men of his times, who knew him thoroughly, and were compe- tent to estimate him, is safe in the keeping of history. The verdict of posterity may not have fully agreed with theirs ; but theirs stands recorded in terms distinct and unequivocal, above the power of time or enmity to oblite- rate or alter. It accords to him " extraordinary intellectual capacity, readiness of wit, vastness of reading, strength of memory, treasures of learning, uncommon activity, un- wearied application, extensive zeal, and splendor of virtue, through the abundant grace of God." It asserts that "to do all the good he could to all, was his maxim, his study, his labor, his pleasure." It represents him, in spite of his singular style, as " an impressive and effective preacher ; of so much warmth and zeal, so much earnestness and since- rity, with spirits so raised and all on fire in the pulpit, and such evident and pious longing to do good, that his faults disappeared in his excellences ;" and it declares, that he was mourned at his death " as the first minister in Boston ; the first in age, in gifts, and in grace; the first in all the provinces of New England for universal literature and extensive services." *
* Colman, Prince, Gee, and others. I cannot believe that the descrip- tion given of him by good men is so unlike the original as to involve absurdity, as well as falsehood. Mr. Gee says, "He was bright among the excellent of the earth. The whole land has lost a very considerable part of its strength and glory. Truth and justice have lost a champion who was 15
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The ministry of Cotton Mather ran parallel with that of his father, from the time of his settlement as colleague, May 13, 1685, till the death of the latter, Aug. 23, 1723, - a period of thirty-nine years. He survived his father till February 13, 1728, - only four years and a half ; having been pastor of this church forty-four years. During this period, the society enjoyed uninterrupted prosperity, the congregation was very numerous, and multitudes were added to the church. If an eminently successful ministry, a crowded audience, the strong and unabated attachment
able to defend and maintain them. Learning hath lost an eminent patron, who was ever ready to promote it.
The churches have lost a pastor who was a pillar in the house of his God. It would be difficult to find his equal among men of like passions with us. He was pious without pretence, serious without moroseness, grave but not austere, affable without meanness, and facetious without levity. He was peaceable in his temper, but zealous against sin. He was catholic in his charity, abundant in his liberality, and obliging to strangers, though often ill requited." He speaks most plainly of his revilers, and rebukes them boldly and sharply. He calls them " that herd of abandoned mortals whose sport it has been to reek their venom upon a faithful ser- vant of God, in profane and ungodly scorn and derision ; " and then, turning his discourse to them, he bids them "mourn for the hardness of their hearts, and repent and bewail their abuse." Mr. Gee would not have dared to have thus challenged and rebuked his accusers, unless he knew well that they deserved it, and felt confident that Cotton Mather had been injured. I think that we are bound, after reading such words as these, not to attach too much weight to the statements of those who were hostile to our minister.
I have not spoken particularly of Cotton Mather's writings, and have necessarily left many facts of his history untouched. He published three hundred and eighty-two books, and left others in manuscript. Of the lat- ter, the most important and ponderous is a work on which he was employed for about twenty years, - Biblia Americana, -illustrative of the Old and New Testaments. It is in the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Proposals were issued for its publication, in three volumes, folio, after his death ; but sufficient encouragement could not be obtained. It is a work of immense learning and labor.
For further notice of his writings, style, &c. see APPENDIX E.
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of a large congregation, the steady enlargement of a church, benevolent activity,* and a general and constant improve- ment of the ordinances on the part of a people, are any proofs of piety, ability, and faithfulness in a religious teacher, or give him any claim to respect, - the name of Mather richly deserves to be mentioned with reverence in the church with whose best days it is associated, and whose history it has made illustrious.
Cotton Mather was alone in the care of the church, only four months after the death of his father. Joshua Gee, a son of the Second Church, educated under the care of its venerable minister, and one after his own heart, was chosen to be his colleague, and ordained, Dec. 18, 1723. Mr. Gee was graduated at Harvard College in 1717, and was regarded as a young man of unusual promise. Before receiving the call of this church, he had attracted some notice, and been invited to settle in Portsmouth, N.H. His talents were of a high order, and qualified him to exert a commanding influence. All who have spoken of him bear testimony to his powerful intellect, his profound learning, and his extraordinary ability as a logician. Though not calculated to win popularity, he could easily command respect by the force of his arguments, the weight of his
Some idea of the number and variety of the charitable operations to which Cotton Mather prompted his parishioners may be formed from the frequency and amount of contributions. Mr. Ware has noticed the follow- ing in one year: £62, for redeeming captives from the Indians; £53, for redeeming two persons from Turkish captivity; £80, for relieving three young men from the same; £44, for relief of poor inhabitants of frontier towns in the East; £53, on Fast-day, for the poor; and £60, at Thanksgiv- ing, for propagating the gospel.
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thoughts, and a certain natural superiority which appears to have impressed itself upon all who came in contact with him. It is said, "that he was capable of rising to any height of excellence ; but, unhappily, he was of an indolent habit, which prevented him from making that use of his advantages which would have secured to him the ascen- dency for which he seems to have been formed." He was a high Calvinist, and full of zeal, not always tempered by charity or controlled by discretion. He took a leading part in the theological controversies of his day. " He was an earnest promoter of the religious excitement which pre- vailed throughout the country after Whitfield's first visit ; and refused to open his eyes to the evils which attended it, even after many of its friends had become convinced of their existence." His great fondness for " revivals " led him to multiply prayer-meetings in his own church, and involved him, with others, in a serious contention with a majority of the congregational clergy of Massachusetts. At the annual meeting of the Convention, in Boston, in 1743, that body felt called upon to take notice of the exten- sive disorders which had grown out of the religious excite- ment above alluded to, and published a " Testimony against several errors of doctrine and evils of practice which have of late obtained in various parts of the land." Mr. Gee replied to this in a letter to Rev. Nathaniel Eells, Moderator of the Convention; complaining of the false impression the pamphlet was likely to produce as to the state of the churches, and that no testimony had been allowed in favor of revivals; and calling another meet- ing of ministers, for the day succeeding the Commence-
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ment at Cambridge, then held in July. The proposed meeting took place, and prepared another " Testimony to the Churches," giving a favorable representation of the late revivals ; but acknowledging the evils and dangers that attended them, and warning the churches against them, as well as against " itinerancy, and the intruding into parishes without the consent of their ministers." To this document were affixed the signatures of sixty-eight ministers, to- gether with the separate testimonies of forty-three others, added in appendix ; making the whole number of names one hundred and eleven. "Gee's attack upon the Conven- tion was answered very satisfactorily by Mr. Prescott, of Salem, and Mr. Hancock, of Braintree; who make it evi- dent that he wrote in great hastiness of temper, and under the influence of what he regarded a personal affront. They prove several of his statements to be incorrect, and com- pletely defend the doings of the Convention. Dr. Chaun- cy, who had been personally assailed by Mr. Gee, defended himself in a letter published in the 'Boston Evening Post' of June 24; and Mr. Gee, according to Mr. Han- cock, retracted.
" Another meeting of the ' Assembly' was held in Sep- tember, 1745 ; when a further defence was attempted of the religious excitements of the country. This second ' Testimony' was signed by Prince, Webb, and Gee, of Boston, and twenty-one others. There were also pub- lished, in this feverish season, two ' Testimonies ' of laymen, against the prevalent evils of the churches." *
* Note to Mr. Ware's Historical Sermon.
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The remark of Dr. Chauncy has been often quoted, with reference to Mr. Gee : " It was happy Mr. Gee had an indolent turn ; for, with such fiery zeal and such talents, he would have made continual confusion in the churches." It is also said of him, that he enjoyed, more than any thing else, to sit down and talk with his friends, and talked admirably well. His power seemed to show itself best when there was no call for exertion ; for he rather shrunk from working; though, when he set about it, he could accomplish as much as any man. This combination of ardent, even rash zeal, and great natural force, with an indisposition to exertion, is sometimes met with; though it would appear, at first thought, to be unnatural and incon- sistent.
It is evident, from repeated votes and other expressions in the church-books, that there was a very strong attach- ment felt for Mr. Gee by his parishioners. They seem to have been quite generous in their pecuniary bestowments ; not only, from time to time, increasing by small sums his salary, which was paid weekly, but adding to his allowance for rent and for fuel, and making presents of considerable value from the "church-stock." * His health appears not to have been good, as early as 1731; at which time he asks
* Such votes as the following are of not infrequent occurrence : - " 18 Nov. 1729. Voted, that, in consideration of the dearness of all neces- saries of life, there be a present of sixty pounds now made to the Rev. Jo- shua Gee, our pastor, out of the money in the church's stock. Also voted, that an addition of five shillings per week be made to Mr. Gee's salary, so as to make it up four pounds ten shillings per week. Also voted, that an addition of ten pounds be made to the thirty pounds formerly allowed to provide Mr. Gee with firewood, for the year current, beginning the first of
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to have assistance in administering the communion when he may be feeble, and to have measures taken for the sup- ply of the pulpit. It is possible that the indolence with which he is charged may have been in part the lassitude arising from physical weakness, for which every one who has experienced it, and struggled against it, will be willing to make liberal allowance. The church readily assented to his proposal for assistance. They voted to choose three persons, to preach in succession, each of them four weeks, evidently with a view to the choice of a colleague. From this time forward, I judge that Mr. Gee preached but a comparatively small part of the time. The three persons first selected were Samuel Mather, Daniel Rogers, and Mather Byles .* As soon as they had completed their engagement, it was again agreed to chose two, to preach in turn four sabbaths apiece. This time, the choice fell upon Stephen Sewall and Samuel Mather. When they had finished, the church voted to appoint "the Tuesday following the eighth Lord's day to come to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer, to implore the gracious pre- sence of the great Head of the Church to guide them in the choice of a pastor; and the Friday following said
May last. [N.B. Drawn up by the Hon. Adam Winthrop, Esq. in the pastor's absence.]"
His salary was afterwards increased to eight pounds a week; and, when he was alone in the care of the church, three pounds were allowed him weekly, to supply his pulpit, as he might feel it to be necessary for his relief.
* Grandson of Increase Mather, by whom he was greatly beloved. See Increase Mather's will, in Appendix. He was a member of the Second Church, and by vote, Dec. 10, 1732, was "dismissed to the new church, in Hollis-street, that he might be ordained its pastor."
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Tuesday, for a meeting to proceed to the choice." In the meantime, they agreed to divide the intervening sabbaths between Samuel Mather and Mather Byles. On the ap- pointed day, Jan. 28, 1732, Samuel Mather was chosen by sixty-nine votes out of one hundred and twelve.
His ordination as colleague took place the twenty-first of the following June, about four years after his father's death. " He was recommended to the church, not only by their respect for the ancient family, but by his own charac- ter for diligence, zeal, and learning, of which he certainly possessed an uncommon share. He had already made himself known at home and abroad by several publica- tions." After he had continued colleague-pastor for nine years, a serious difficulty arose between himself and a majority of the church, as well as between himself and Mr. Gee. The affair, as represented in church-papers which have been recently discovered, was not so creditable to Mr. Mather as we might desire. Regard to truth compels me to notice these records; though I would prefer to cast a deep veil over the whole matter. There is nothing in the whole history that leaves a stain upon the memory of Mr. Gee,
It appears that many of the church, together with Mr. Gee, were dissatisfied with Mr. Mather, partly on account of what they considered the looseness of his doctrines, and partly on account of suspicions and charges of impropriety of conduct which were current against him. Mr. Mather, on finding that such a state of things existed, asked a dis- mission. The church refused to grant it, and proceeded to an investigation of the charges. Not being able to
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agree as to the truth of the accusations, or to bring about any satisfactory issue, they called in the aid of an eccle- siastical council. The churches invited to form the council were the Rev. Dr. Colman's, Dr. Sewall's, Mr. Webb's, Mr. Foxcroft's, and Mr. Checkley's. So far as can be ascer- tained from various sources, -for the matter is not clearly stated on the church-records, - the council held two meet- ings. The result of the first was a letter of advice to the church, on one part, and Mr. Mather, on the other, as to their several duties till the time to which the council adjourned ; perhaps with the hope, that, before the ad- journed meeting, the difficulty might be healed. The tenor of this advice may be gathered from the agreement of both parties, as recorded on our books. The church vote, that, upon the supposition of the Rev. Mr. Mather's compliance with the advice given to him, they purpose, by the will of God, to comply with the advice given to them ; that is, "to attend upon his ministry, and strive to effect a reconcilia- tion, until the time to which the council is adjourned." Then the Rev. Mr. Mather gave in a declaration of his resolved endeavors for a compliance with the advice given to him by the said venerable council, in several articles, as follows :
" 1. I shall endeavor, according to the advice given, to use all proper means to get my mind further enlightened and settled in the important points mentioned by the council, and to discover the same in preaching and conver- sation.
"2. I shall endeavor to be more frequent and distinct in preaching on the nature, and pressing the necessity, of regeneration by the Spirit of grace.
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"3. I shall endeavor to beware of any thing in my sermons or conversation which may tend to discourage the work of conviction and conversion among us. I shall be cautious and watchful in this respect; and, in public and private, encourage the said good work of God.
"4. With respect to the grounds of fear and jealousy concerning me, I desire to judge and humble myself before the Lord, and would with condescension and meekness endeavor the minds of my brethren may be reconciled and healed, and for the future would walk before my brethren with the humility required in the gospel, and with becoming circumspection.
" Lastly, I resolve, by the Divine help, to comply with all the advice above mentioned."
But this prospect of harmony was soon clouded. The church voted, that Mr. Mather had not satisfactorily per- formed his engagement to comply with the advice of the ministers. The adjourned meeting of the council was held. The church were advised to dismiss Mr. Mather, and to continue his salary for one year; the ministers very generously offering to give their services in preaching as often as they might be requested, in order to encourage and help the church to bear this pecuniary burden. Mr. Mather being dismissed, thirty men and sixty-three women, members of the church, who were his friends, withdrew with him; the number that remained with Mr. Gee being eighty men and one hundred and eighty-three women. The separated party, with Mr. Mather, afterwards sent a letter to the church, offering to return; or, if not allowed to do so, expressing their conscientious purpose to build
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a new meeting-house. The church voted that their return, and the re-settlement of Mr. Mather, would not be consis- tent with the peace and edification of the church. Where- upon they proceeded immediately to erect a church in Hanover-street, at the corner of North Bennet, where the Universalist Church now stands. The fact that so many persons of good character supported Mr. Mather, and undertook the arduous and expensive work of building a new church to sustain him, would seem to afford good reason to doubt whether the charges of impropriety were well founded. From the period of his dismission, Dec. 21, 1741, till his death, June 27, 1785, he continued to be the minister of a separate congregation, most of the members of which, at his decease, returned to the Second Church.
From the removal of Mr. Mather, Mr. Gee continued sole minister of the church till Sept. 3, 1747; at which date, Samuel Checkley was ordained as his assistant. The health of Mr. Gee, however, had long been declining; and, before a year had elapsed from the settlement of his col- league, the church was in mourning for his death, in the fifty-first year of his age, and the twenty-fifth of his minis- try. While under his charge, the church sustained, in a great measure, the high position which it had acquired through the distinguished services of his predecessors. It was continually applied to for advice and assistance by other churches in their difficulties, and took a leading part in the ecclesiastical affairs of New England.
I ought not to forget to acknowledge an important obligation under which Mr. Gee has placed his successors, by laying the foundation of a church and pastor's library.
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" Mr. Checkley was the son of an eminent minister of the New South Church, and is said to have been distin- guished for a peculiar sort of eloquence, and an uncommon felicity in the devotional service of public worship. He published nothing except one sermon on the death of Mrs. Lydia Hutchinson, and left the records of the church so imperfect, that little can be learned from them of its state and fortunes during his connection with it. He died, after a ministry of twenty-one years, on the 19th of March, 1768." * The character of his theological opinions may be understood from the vote passed by the church previous to his call, that the person whom they should elect " shall appear to the church to be a person of experimental piety, who embraces the doctrines of grace according to the gospel, and the Confession of Faith of the churches of New England, and the discipline of Congregational Churches, exhibited in our well-known platform, and the propositions concerning the consociation and communion of churches."
It is worthy of notice, that, in May, 1760, the church unanimously voted, that it "was reasonable that the brethren of the congregation should unite with them in managing the temporal affairs of the society." This is the first distinct recognition on our records of the right of the congregation to conjoint action with the church. The majority of the parish committee were to be selected from the church ; namely, the deacons and five of the brethren ; four only of the members being allowed to the congre- gation.
Mr. Ware's Historical Sermon.
John Lathrow
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THIRD PERIOD.
FROM THE ORDINATION OF DR. LATHROP, 1768, TO 1851.
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