USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > History of the churches and ministers, and of Franklin association, in Franklin County, Mass., and an appendix respecting the county > Part 22
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dred and one years since its organization, it has had settled pastors ninety-three years, and has been destitute of a settled ministry eight years. This church has had five pastors.
PASTORS. 1 .* Rev. Judah Nash was ordained as the first pastor of this church, Nov. 22, 1752, and after a ministry of fifty-two years and three months, died while pastor in Mon- tague, Feb. 19, 1805, aged 76. Mr. Nash was born in Longmeadow, Jan. 11, 1729; and graduated at Yale in 1748. His widow died in Montague, Sept. 9, 1824, aged 97. He has descendants living in the town. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Joseph Kilburn of Wendell, and was published, from which the following is an extract :
"We, among whom he has preached the kingdom of God, shall now see his face no more. No longer can our houses and our hearts be open to welcome his reception among us; to receive counsel from his lips, or to hear the words of truth from his instructive tongue. His affability and mildness of temper served eminently to his usefulness as a counsellor in difficult cases. He had a readiness and pertinence of observation in administering reproof peculiar to himself. This being one of the most difficult parts of the ministerial office, the due performance of it, without giving offence, is worthy of peculiar notice. His advice in council has been sought and improved to the edification of the churches in this vicinity, and in places more distant. His knowledge of the scriptures, and of the history of the church, joined with a tenacious memory, rendered him pecul- iarly serviceable as a counsellor. He has lived to be a moderator of councils, of conventions of ministers, and at ordinations to give the charge to most of his survivors in this vicinity. This duty he performed with a solemnity and gravity, in the phraseology of scripture, becoming the dig- nity of his station, and in a manner adapted to leave the most salutary and lasting impression on the mind and heart. His religious sentiments appeared to be the result of calm
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inquiry after the truth as revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Far from calling any man master on earth, he studied the sacred text, and imbibed his sentiments from that living fountain. He studied plainness of speech, and sound doctrine, such as might be profitable to the hearers ; and was very pathetic in his exhortations, that they might not receive the grace of God in vain.
" His life and conversation were a transcript of the doc- trines he taught. His moderation no doubt contributed to the length of his days, and protracted the preservation of an enfeebled constitution. He sympathized with his afflicted fellow-mortals, and administered the balm of consolation to hearts wounded with grief. He was benevolent and chari- table, entertaining his friends with hospitality and kindness ; practising economy, and living in a style which enabled him to help the poor and needy. The constancy of his de- votion, with the exercise of that charity which is the bond of perfectness, evinced the real piety of his heart. Among his friends he was a son of consolation in a time of adversi- ty ; and at other times he instructed and edified his com- panions by a free conversation. By the fireside, as well as in the sacred desk, he delighted in communicating the truths of the gospel. His company was highly prized by those who knew how to prize good humor and sociability with intellectual and moral improvement. Free from super- stitious bigotry in his sentiments, he could patiently hear the reasons of a different opinion. His readiness in the scriptures, and clear understanding of the arguments used by the sacred writers, enabled him to obviate the objections of cavilling infidelity and senseless fatality.
" He was candid in his sentiments and judicious in his remarks, faithful in performing his ministerial duty, and a lover of the people of his charge. Not long before his decease, he was heard to observe, that he intended the duties of his office should be among the last he performed in life. And accordingly it was so ordered by a superintend-
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ing providence, that he continued his ministerial public labors till a short time before his death. But the candle of life, which has so long shone in this candlestick of our Lord, is now extinguished. The pastor of this church is now gone, and they shall see his face no more in the land of the living. Another solemn meeting, however, awaits both pastor and people in the great day, when God shall judge the world by Jesus Christ. Then they who have received the testimony of the grace of God, and wisely improved it, shall be admitted to join the triumphs of the cross of Christ in his kingdom of glory. There, faithful pastors and pious people shall meet in the joy of their Lord to part no more."
The following is a part of the inscription on the grave- stone of Mr. Nash : "Faithful to his God, a lover of Christ's church, a friend to mankind."
" Ever ready to hear affliction's cry, And trace his Maker's will with curious eye, He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allur'd to brighter worlds, and led the way ; At church, with meek and unaffected grace, His looks adorned the venerable place."
2 .* REV. AARON GATES was settled as the second pastor of this church, Oct. 27, 1807, and after a ministry of about twenty years was dismissed, Dec. 12, 1827. Mr. Gates was born in East Haddam, Ct., Aug. 12, 1780; graduated at Williams in 1804; studied theology with Rev. Dr. Lathrop of West Springfield ; after leaving Montague, was installed as pastor in South Amherst, Feb. 1, 1832, and was dis- missed from there in April, 1835 ; supplied in East Hartland, Ct., about six years ; and then in West Hartland, Ct., about three years ; and died in Barkhamstead, Ct., April 4, 1850, aged about 70.
The following obituary notice of him was published in the Puritan Recorder for May 2, 1850 : " As a minister, he
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was judicious, evangelical and faithful. As a husband, a father, and a friend, his memory is precious. His last ill- ness of three weeks' continuance was distressing, and his mind often wandered. But whenever conscious of his situa- tion, he manifested peculiar anxiety for the spiritual welfare of his people. "I cannot preach to them," he would say, "but I can pray for them." The remains of Mr. Gates were brought to East Hartland, to be buried among the people of his former charge, and by the side of a beloved daughter. His funeral was numerously attended, April 6, in the Congregational church, where an appropriate sermon was delivered by the pastor, Rev. Nelson Scott." Mr. Scott has kindly furnished the author with the following account of Mr. Gates, with the liberty of inserting it in this work, viz. :-
" The following note in reference to the Rev. Aaron Gates, former pastor of the Congregational church in Mon- tague, is cheerfully placed at your disposal :
" Mr. Gates received the ordinance of baptism in August, 1788, in the Congregational church at Hartland, Ct., where his parents had been admitted to communion in January of the same year ; and whither they had removed from East Haddam, Ct. His father, afterwards, and for some years, sustained the office of deacon in that church. Mr. Gates spent the period of his boyhood with his father, being fitted for college under the tuition of Rev. Aaron Church, second pastor of the church in Hartland. With a mind somewhat forward in its developments, and in consequence of being partially and providentially disenabled for the pursuits of agriculture, he was fitted for, and entered, college young. Of his relative standing the writer has no definite means of knowing ; though he is said to have been a good scholar.
" The expenses of his collegiate course were defrayed mostly by his own exertions. Mr. Gates stood therefore among that class of ministers, who know the value of a hard-earned education; who have learned to adapt them-
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selves to an economical style of living, and who have early been inured to exertion. He entered college with the min- istry in view, though in his own judgment he had not at that time met with a change of heart. This necessary change he hoped was experienced while a member of Wil- liams. After his graduation he returned to Hartland, where he united with the church, Nov. 4, 1804. Soon after this event he entered, among others, on his theological studies with Dr. Lathrop of West Springfield. Having completed this part of his preparatory studies, Mr. Gates preached his first sermon at Hartland, from these words : 'Run, speak to this young man :' Zech. ii. 4. His peculiar manner of enunciating this text, as if addressing some one at the door of the church, is remembered by some to this day, over an interval of fifty years. This occurred not many months previous to his receiving an invitation to preach in Montague. Of his labors and success as a pastor for twenty years in that place, your pages will speak more definitely than the writer of this article has been informed.
" The ministry of Mr. Gates, after his dismission from Mon- tague, a period of twenty-four years, was divided between South Amherst, Hartland, West Hartland and Barkhamsted ; he being out of regular employment only an interval of about two years previous to entering on his labors in the last named place. In the two former of these places he was privileged to see some precious fruits of his labors, in the hopeful conversion of many souls.
" At the time of his decease Mr. Gates had been preaching in Barkhamsted about six months, and was laid aside from his labors only about two weeks previous to his death. His remains are deposited in Hartland cemetery, whither they were brought for interment, in accordance with a previous request.
" Mr. Gates, while in the vigor of life, is said to have manifested in the pulpit a good degree of energy and so- lemnity. His manner was affectionate and often emotional ;
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himself sometimes weeping while giving utterance to his solemn message. His theology was drawn from the Scrip- tures, rather than from Germany ; while he deeply felt the great importance of integrity in the ministry as to the doc- trines inculcated.
"In revivals, Mr. Gates is believed to have been both faithful and judicious. He would never encourage any one to hope that he had met with a change of heart ; but on the contrary would rather discourage such hope, by presenting some clear and close scriptural test. He was accustomed to say that 'he was none afraid of getting away another's christian hope, which was good for anything; and the sub- ject would find out soon enough whether he had such a hope ; there was no need of telling him.' Mr. Gates' percep- tion of christian character was quick and clear. In a time of religious excitement, he once intimated to several young persons expressing great confidence that they were chris- tians, that he saw no good evidence of their having experi- enced such a change. They were deeply grieved, and per- haps, we might say, offended. But those persons now make no pretensions to being the followers of the Lamb.
" Finally, Mr. Gates' ministry of 44 years is believed to have been creditable to himself, and instrumental of bringing many to Christ. And in allusion to the text selected for the occasion of his funeral, we trust very many will become the occasion of his joy, and a part of his crown of rejoicing in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming."
3. REV. MOSES B. BRADFORD was ordained as the third pastor of this church, Nov. 19, 1828, and after a ministry of about three years was dismissed, Jan. 16, 1832. Mr. Brad- ford was born in Francestown, N. H., April 20, 1799 ; gradu- ated at Amherst in 1825; studied theology with Rev. Dr. Packard of Shelburne ; was licensed by Franklin Association in May, 1827 ; after his dismission from Montague was in- stalled as pastor in Grafton, Vt., Oct. 31, 1832, and still remains a pastor in that place. Rev. Dr. Humphrey, then
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President of Amherst College, preached his ordination sermon at Montague. Mr. Bradford's father, Rev. Moses Bradford, was a minister, and for a long time pastor of the church in Francestown, N. H., and died in Montague, June 13, 1838, aged 73 ; and several of his brothers were likewise ministers. About 150 have been added to his church during the twenty- one years of his ministry in Grafton, Vt.
4 .* REV. BENJAMIN HOLMES was installed as the fourth pastor of this church, Nov. 18, 1834, and after a ministry of about three years and a half was dismissed, May 16, 1838. Mr. Holmes was born in Misfield, Yorkshire, England, in 1768; he studied for the ministry under Rev. Mr. Scott of Heckmondwyke, England, and never graduated at any col- lege. He was settled at Park and Caddishead and Stratford- upon-Avon, in England ; came to the United States about 1819 ; preached in Madrid, N. Y., Andover, N. Y., for nine years, Chatham, N. Y., Weathersfield Bow, Vt., for three years, Chesterfield for four years, Peacham, Vt., West Brook- field, Vt., and his last field of labor was Bethany Centre, N. Y. He died in the last named place, and his remains were buried in Lancaster, N. Y., and funeral sermons were preached by Rev. Mr. Hart of East Bethany, N. Y., and by Rev. J. C. Lord of Buffalo, N. Y. The following is the inscription upon his monument, viz. : " Sacred to the memory of Rev. Benjamin Holmes, who departed this life, Aug. 2, 1845, aged 77. He was a native of Yorkshire, England ; an able divine, and a laborious minister of the New Testament for a period of fifty-five years. The last Sabbath of his life he discoursed to his people from Revelation ii. 11."
The following obituary notice of him was written by Rev. A. G. Hall of Rochester, N. Y. : "Mr. Holmes was a native of England. He was the child of pious parents, who trained him in the strict principles of the dissenters. He became the subject of renewing grace early in life ; and at the age of nineteen was in the habit of collecting the poor and ignorant and neglected in the neighborhood, and telling them of the
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love of Christ. At an early age he studied for the ministry, and for fifty-five years he preached the gospel with fidelity and success. During all this period he preached every Sab- bath, except about twenty-five, when he was prevented by sickness. He usually preached three times on the Sabbath. He loved to preach. When on his way to this country, twenty-six years ago, he preached on shipboard every Sab- bath, though often obliged to be lashed to the mast, on ac- count of the rolling and tossing of the vessel. For several years he was the pastor of a dissenting church in Stratford- upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakspeare. He was associ- ated with Rev. J. A. James of Birmingham, who wrote his testimonials when he left his native country. He has labored for the last quarter of a century in various places in this country, with tokens of the divine favor. He loved the great doctrines of grace, and could not bear those who derided or perverted them. While he was decided in his resistance to error, and plain and faithful in rebuking it, he was at the same time remarkably kind. His preaching was instructive. It was food for the saint-sound, scriptural, and experimental. None could hear him without receiving the impression that his own soul was deeply imbued with the truth which he uttered. He possessed the happy faculty of mingling re- ligious truth with cheerful conversation, and in this way, of making religion prominent without rude obtrusiveness. He was eminent for practical wisdom. Many young clergymen and others will remember the counsel of " Father Holmes " with gratitude. He possessed to the last almost the ardor of his youth. Very few young men exhibit as much unction and energy as he at the age of 77. He exchanged time for eternity suddenly. On Wednesday he preached with unusual unction. He seemed so full of heaven, that one of his hearers remarked to another, that he could not remain long in this world. On Friday night, while asleep, he died with- out a struggle or a groan. He went to heaven with his armor on. During a long life he had borne testimony to the
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truth, the vitality, and the power of the gospel ; in death God suffered him to be silent. A living is better than a dying testimony."
His widow says of him : " Besides his Sabbath labors, he usually preached three and four times during the week. His general study was the Bible ; and it can be truly said, it was his meat and drink. His desire was, that he might be al- lowed to preach the gospel to the end of his days. In this he was gratified, as he preached on Wednesday, and died in the night of Friday the same week." His widow and several children still survive. His son, Rev. Henry B. Holmes, was once a pastor in Sunderland, and is now an agent of the American Tract Society, residing at Andover.
5. REV. JAMES H. MERRILL was ordained as the fifth pastor of this church, Nov. 26, 1839, and has entered on the fifteenth year of his ministry in Montague. Mr. Merrill was born in Lyndeboro', N. H., Oct. 16, 1814, and his father was for a long time a pastor in that place ; graduated at Dart- mouth in 1834; studied theology at Andover ; and has been settled only at Montague.
Of the five pastors of this church, three were dismissed ; three are deceased ; and the average length of their pastorates in Montague is about eighteen years and a half.
CONGREGATIONAL MINISTERS ORIGINATING FROM MONTAGUE.
1. Rev. Lucius R. Eastman was born, Sept. 15, 1809, in Hadley, in a house standing on the spot where Goffe and Whalley, the "regicides," were long concealed ; at about two years of age Montague became the place of his residence ; graduated at Amherst in 1833; finished the theological course at Andover in 1836 ; was settled as pastor at Sharon, Nov. 15, 1837, and Rev. Calvin Durfee preached on the occasion ; was dismissed from there in 1840; preached two years in Berkley ; then preached in Provincetown ; in 1845 preached in Boston and gathered the Pilgrim Congregational
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Society ; in 1846 returned to Berkley, and is still supplying a church in that place.
2 .* Rev. Walter Gunn was born in Montague, June 27, 1815, and removed to Carlisle, N. Y., in 1833; in 1837 he joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church ; graduated at Union in 1840; studied theology in the Seminary at Gettysburgh, Penn. ; was licensed Sept. 6, 1842, by the Lutheran Synod ; was appointed a missionary to the heathen in the Lutheran Connexion, May 25, 1843; was married to Miss L. Pultz of New York ; was ordained as a missionary at Johnstown, N.Y., Sept. 5, 1843, and the sermon was by Rev. J. Z. Senderling ; embarked from Boston in November, 1843 ; arrived at Gnn- toor, India, June 18, 1844, where he lived and labored for the salvation of the heathen till his last sickness and death. He died with the consumption. Two days before his death, being asked if he had any fears, he replied, "None at all- all is bright and glorious." Respecting his two children, he said to his wife, " Train up the children for Christ." On the day of his death he said, "If this could be my last day, oh how delightful !" The native converts watched with the corpse, and sung during the time,
" Rock of ages cleft for me."
His Memoir has been published by Rev. G. A. Lintner, D. D., in a little volume of 156 pages, from which the fol- lowing sentences are taken : " Mr. Gunn devoted himself to the work of foreign missions from a principle of love to his divine Master, and a sincere regard for his glory." " He was eminently a man of prayer." " Our departed brother had an ardent love for souls, and a predominant desire for the salvation of the heathen." The following is from his diary, viz. : " Our desires to labor among the heathen are the same that they were between five and six years ago when we left the shores of our native land. Here, if it please God, we wish to spend the energies of our body and mind, to preach, to pray, to labor, and to die. We have
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embarked our all in the cause, and we regret not the de- cision."
He died in Guntoor, India, July 5, 1851, aged 36. His widow still survives, a laborer in the foreign field. Though Mr. Gunn became a Lutheran after his removal from Mon- tague, yet, as the Evangelical Lutheran Church so nearly agrces in its main features with Orthodox Congregational churches, he is, for convenience's sake, reckoned among the Congregational sons of Montague. An error occurs in his Memoir in giving Carlisle, N.Y., as his birthplace, instead of Montague.
3. Rev. Justin Marsh was born in Montague, March 14, 1796 ; graduated at Amherst in 1824; studied theology with Rev. Allen McLean of Simsbury, Ct. ; was licensed by the Hartford North Association, Ct., Feb. 6, 1827 ; was ordained at Farmington, Ct., as a Home Missionary, Oct. 14, 1828, and the sermon was by Rev. A. McLean ; preached from 1828 to 1831 in Mina, N. Y .; from 1831 to 1834 supplied in West Aurora, N. Y. ; preached a year or two in Cattarau- gus County, N. Y. ; then preached a year in Orangeville, N. Y. ; labored a year in a parish thirty miles long at Battle Creek, Mich. ; has since preached at Leoni, Mich., and Grass Lake, Mich., and Augusta, Mich. ; was installed pastor of the church at Stoney Creek, Mich., June 22, 1842, and Rev. C. G. Clarke preached the sermon ; was dismissed from there Feb. 8, 1848 ; from 1848 to 1852 preached in Tekonsha and Eckford, Mich .; was installed as pastor at Lodi, Mich., Dec. 16, 1852, where he still remains, and Rev. W. S. Curtiss of Ann Arbor preached on the occasion. Liberty is given to insert the following statement of Mr. Marsh, viz. : " A de- voted home missionary's life is of course full of incidents. He has to grapple with all the various elements of mind, with wickedness and error, and talk kindly and reason strongly with all. I could tell you of being kicked out of doors, and the fact bringing all the Universalists around to hear me preach the next Sabbath ; of mock meetings, and of
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spies sent over to our meetings to get something to mock at, and their being detained, captured, and, by the grace of God, made new men ; of a man getting up in a public congrega- tion and making voluntary confession for his yesterday's abuse of me. But let one example of confession suffice for the whole. One very severe Saturday night, just as the clock struck twelve, some one knocked at my door very lond. On opening the door a tall figure stood there. ' Mr. - ,' said he, ' will you forgive me ?' Certainly, but . who are you ? said I. ' O, that wicked -,' naming him- self, ' that has made you so much trouble.' He had opposed me in every possible way for two years, and now had come through the cold for two miles, at dead of a tedious night, to ask my forgiveness. I invited him in, conversed and prayed with him. He is now a very consistent member of the church." Mr. Marsh has published several sermons. He is now living with his second wife, who was from Ashfield, and he has three children.
Rev. Moses Bradford, who was for a long time a pastor in Francestown, N. H., died in Montague, June 13, 1838, aged 73.
Of the three ministers here reckoned as sons of Montague, two are natives of the town; one is a Congregationalist, one a Presbyterian, and one was a Lutheran ; all were grad- uates ; one is a home missionary and one was a foreign mis- sionary ; and two are now living.
OTHER DENOMINATIONS.
BAPTISTS. A Baptist church was organized in Montague, July 16, 1767, "and was for several years known as the Baptist church of Montague." " As they increased, the centre was removed in this direction, (towards Leverett, ) and, in 1791, the name was changed to the ‘Baptist Church of Leverett.' " The meeting-house and the centre of opera- tions are in North Leverett, and it is now called the " Bap- tist Church of Leverett and Montague." While this church
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was considered as being in Montague, among the preachers who supplied it were Messrs. Ebenezer Cooley, Isaac Beal, and Simeon Combs. The Baptist church located in Sunder- land is called the " Baptist Church of Sunderland and Mon- tague," and its members reside in the two towns. The fol- lowing Baptist ministers originated from Montague, viz., Revs. Elisha Gunn, Alfred W. Osgood, Judah Wright, and Azel O. Sparry, a Freewill Baptist.
EPISCOPALIANS. " The Society was first organized, July 13, 1815. The Rev. Titus Strong was invited to the Rec- torship, July 24, 1815, who has occasionally preached for the Society. The Rev. George White supplied in 1816, and the Rev. Mr. Bowers in 1817. The Rev. Rodolphus Dickinson supplied in 1833, and preached several years afterwards. The Rev. Orange Clark preached in 1844, and the Rev. Mr. Clapp in 1845. Since that there have been no meetings of the Society."
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