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 8
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He fulfilled a mission under the Hampshire Missionary Society of four months, in 1802, in the western counties of New York. He itinerated and travelled over 1400 miles, and has left a detailed and lengthy journal of his mission. He wrote a biography of himself, consisting of sixty quarto pages, which has been preserved. He published a volume on the " Evidences of Christianity," a treatise on the Saints' Perseverance, and numerous single sermons, orations, and addresses. He was a representative to Congress for fourteen years, from 1804, and read the Bible through every winter he spent at Washington. His absence from his people proved unfavorable to their religious prosperity. John Ran- dolph, who was in Congress with him, is reported to have inquired of him at one time, "And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness ?" 1 Sam. xvii. 28. When on his missionary tour near Albany, while in a public house, he heard a man use profane language, and said to him, that from his appearance he judged him to be a man of veracity, and he presumed the company present would take his simple word as true without the use of an oath. The man apologized, said he was ashamed of him- self, for his mother had taught him better, and thanked his reprover.
A ministerial cotemporary of Mr. Taggart for many years, says of him: "His sermons were evangelical, scriptural, able and long. He once said, he had no short sermons. He was
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not eloquent, but monotonous and dull in his delivery. He had a remarkably tenacious memory, and could remember to a great extent the ages of his people and the dates of their deaths. He was eccentric in his manners, even in the pulpit." While in college, attending a religious service, he was observed to be busily engaged in catching flies. When called to an account for not attending to the exercises, he told the college officer that he did give attention to them, and could repeat what was said ; and then he pro- ceeded to repeat what was uttered on the occasion with great correctness. In the early part of his ministry in Cole- raine, he is represented as having rode on horseback to Rev. Mr. Hubbard's, in Shelburne, holding in his hands a riding-stick and a large jack-knife, and was found by Mr. Hubbard, dismounting before his door, thus armed, who jo- cosely accosted him : "Mr. Taggart are you for war ?" upon which Mr. T. replied, that soon after he started from home, he used his knife to cut a stick, and had not thought of having it in his hand since then. In his preaching, he was accustomed to say frequently, 'aye but,' and would occa- sionally turn so far around as to look out of the pulpit win- dow. In public prayer his eyes would often be open, and he would watch persons entering the church at such times, till they reached their seats. In telling a story, his eccen- tricity strikingly appeared, as the author well recollects. When he came to the gist of the story, he would become animated, straighten himself up in his chair, rub his hands together with much earnestness, and run out his tongue and. roll it rapidly from one side of his mouth to the other. He was not accustomed to visit his people very much, or to be very familiar with them. He found it difficult, even to con- verse with his own children on religious subjects in a per- sonal manner. When one of his sons was at one time in an interesting state of mind, and he wished to have him in- structed, he did not feel free to converse with him, but wrote over a sheet of paper to impart counsel and instruc-
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tion to him, and requested a neighboring minister to con- verse with him. In person, Mr. Taggart had a large frame, was fleshy, was slow and moderate in his movements. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Packard of Shel- burne. The epitaph on his gravestone is as follows, viz .:- " This stone is erected in memory of Rev. Samuel Taggart, who was born March 24, 1754. Was ordained in this place, Feb. 19, 1777. Represented this District in Congress four- teen years ; and died April 24, 1825. He had an amiable disposition, a discerning and well-improved understanding ; was an able divine ; and preached the gospel with delight, until a few days before he departed, as we trust, to be with Christ."
" My Saviour shall my life restore, And raise me from my dark abode ; My flesh and soul shall part no more, But dwell forever near my God."
The following obituary of him appeared in the Franklin Herald, Greenfield, Mass., May 10, 1825 :- " He was pos- sessed of native mind and talent above the ordinary stand- ard ; his perceptions clear, his memory peculiarly retentive, and his judgment sound. These he improved in the course of his life by extensive reading and by application to those various branches of knowledge too, which lay beyond the sphere of his immediate profession. His religious sentiments were evangelical, commonly denominated Orthodox. These he apparently derived from a careful, extensive and repeated examination of the sacred scriptures. In regard to religious doctrine, he was neither shackled by human systems, nor swayed by the opinions of men. The Bible, which he pe- rused much in early life, was his standard. * * * His mode of delivery in preaching, was not in itself alluring and pleas- ant ; nevertheless his sermons were always instructive, evan- gelical, and weighty : they were peculiarly rich with Bible truth and doctrine, Bible proof and argument, Bible illustra-
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tion and spirituality, combining in due proportion and in proper connection, doctrinal, practical and experimental re- ligion. * * His general ability and integrity, his general character and worth, procured for him a large share of re- spect and confidence from that extensive portion of enlight- ened community which knew him. * * The productions of his pen are not unworthy of notice and commendation. Although, in point of taste and ornament, he hardly kept pace with the hastening step of improvement in what is called the art of fine writing, still, however, his writings are all interesting and valuable." Mr. Taggart's ministry in Coleraine was about forty-one years and a half.
During Mr. Taggart's absence at Washington, and be- tween his dismission and the resettlement of the ministry, a large number of ministers preached to this church as supplies ; among whom were Revs. Robert Hubbard, Dr. A. Chandler, Pliny Fisk, Dr. Edward Hitchcock, Preserved Smith, Jr., Dan Huntington, Mr. Torrey, Mr. Brackett, Jairus Burt, and Horatio Flagg, the last of whom declined a call in 1827 to settle.
4. REV. ARETAS LOOMIS Was installed Aug. 5, 1829, and Rev. Thomas Shepard, then of Ashfield, preached on the occasion ; and he was dismissed after a ministry of about six years in Coleraine, March 9, 1836. Mr. Loomis was born in Southampton, Dec. 19, 1790 ; graduated at Williams in 1815; studied theology with Rev. Vinson Gould of South- ampton ; was licensed by the Hampshire Association, Au- gust, 1817 ; was ordained as an Evangelist at Belchertown, May, 1818, and the sermon was preached by Rev. Sylvester Woodbridge, then of Greenfield ; was a missionary one year, under the Hampshire Missionary Society, in Western Vir- ginia ; preached as stated supply in Randolph County, Va., for six and a half years from 1819; preached in West Wind- sor, Vt., six months in 1826 and 1827; supplied in Castle- ton, Vt., in 1827; began to supply in Coleraine in 1828. After his dismission from Coleraine, was installed in the
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second Congregational church in Bennington, Vt., April 27, 1836, and Rev. Dr. Charles Walker preached the sermon ; was dismissed from Bennington, Nov. 6, 1850; then sup- plied in New Preston, Ct .; in October, 1851, removed to Hebron, N. Y., where he has since lived and preached. Mr. Loomis has two sons, who are ministers, a notice of whom may be found in the account of ministers originating from Coleraine.
Between the dismission of Mr. Loomis and the settlement of the next pastor, the church was supplied by the Rev. Messrs. Packards of Shelburne.
5. REV. HORATIO FLAGG was installed as pastor, May 3, 1837, and Rev. T. Packard, Jr., preached the sermon ; and he was dismissed, May 23, 1848. Mr. Flagg was born in Wil- mington, Vt., Jan. 24, 1798; graduated at Amherst in 1825 ; studied theology with Dr. Packard of Shelburne; was li- censed by Franklin Association, February, 1827 ; supplied in Coleraine in 1827; was ordained in Hubbardston, Vt., Jan. 24, 1828, and Rev. Dr. Charles Walker preached on the occasion ; was dismissed from Hubbardston, June 10, 1834; installed in Clarendon, Vt., in 1835, and Rev. Ira Ingram of Brandon, Vt., preached the sermon ; was dismissed from Clar- endon, Nov. 15, 1836 ; then began to supply at Coleraine. In 1851, Mr. Flagg represented the town in the State Leg- islature. Since his dismission, he has continued to reside in Coleraine. His ministry in Coleraine was about eleven years.
6. REV. CYRUS W. ALLEN Was installed pastor, Feb. 28, 1849, and Rev. John C. Paine of Gardner preached the ser- mon ; and was dismissed, Nov. 23, 1852. Mr. Allen was born in Taunton, Oct. 28, 1806; graduated at Brown in 1826 ; studied theology at Andover ; ordained as an Evan- gelist at St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 6, 1833 ; was an agent of the Tract Society for three or four years, in Illinois and Mis- souri, after being licensed ; was a stated preacher for two years at Potosi, Mo .; installed as pastor in Norton, July 8, 1835; and was soon dismissed from there; installed pastor in
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Pelham, N. H., Feb. 1, 1843; and dismissed from there, May 12, 1847; and installed at Hubbardston, Dec. 29, 1852, and Rev. J. W. Chickering preached the sermon. Mr. Allen remains a pastor in Hubbardston. Mr. Allen's ministry in Coleraine was nearly four years.
Since the dismission of their last pastor, this church has been supplied to some extent by Rev. L. L. Langstroth.
Of the six pastors of this church, five were dismissed ; three are still living ; and the average length of their pasto- rates was about twelve years.
CONGREGATIONAL MINISTERS ORIGINATING FROM COLERAINE.
. 1. Rev. Oren Johnson was born in Coleraine, Feb. 22, 1801 ; graduated at Williams in 1829; finished the theolog- ical course at Auburn in 1832; was licensed by Franklin Association, September, 1831; ordained as an Evangelist in N. Y. State, Sept. 17, 1833, and Rev. Mr. Higgins of Bath, N. Y., preached the sermon. Mr. Johnson was never in- stalled as the pastor of any church. He was employed as a Home Missionary several years in Steuben County, N. Y., and Elkland, Penn. In 1844 he removed to Beaver Dam, Dodge County, Wisconsin. He has supplied that place and Clason's Prairie more or less. He still lives in Beaver Dam.
2. Rev. Aretas G. Loomis, son of Rev. Aretas Loomis, was born in Randolph County, Va., Oct. 16, 1820; lived there about six years, and about two years in Greenfield, and from 1828 to 1836, in Coleraine. He graduated at Wil- liams in 1844; finished his theological course at East Wind- sor Hill in 1847 ; supplied six months in West Charlemont, and six months in Colebrook, Ct. ; was ordained as pastor in Bethlehem, Ct., Jan. 30, 1850, and his father preached the sermon. He is still in Bethlehem. He was licensed by the Hampshire Association in July, 1846. He was married in 1853, to Miss Elizabeth M., a great-grand-daughter of Rev. Dr. Joseph Bellamy.
3. Rev. Elihu Loomis, son of Rev. A. Loomis, was born
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in Randolph County, Va., Oct. 13, 1823, and lived there about three years, and two years in Greenfield, and eight years in Coleraine. He graduated at Williams in 1847 ; finished the theological course at Princeton, N. J., in 1850 ; and was ordained pastor in North Pownal, Vt., Oct. 22, 1851, and the sermon was preached by his father. Mr. Loomis was licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick, N. J., in 1850, and immediately began to preach at Pownal, where he was settled. Ill health constrained him to leave his people, and request a dismission in May, 1853, though the pastoral relation is not formally dissolved. Since then he has resided chiefly at Bedford. He was married Nov. 25, 1851, to Miss R. Augusta Lane of Bedford.
4. Rev. Lorenzo Lyons was born in Coleraine, April 18, 1807; lived there for about twelve years, then lived in Mon- trose, Penn., and subsequently in New York. He gradu- ated at Union in 1827; finished the theological course at Auburn in 1831; was ordained as a Foreign Missionary at Auburn, N. Y., Oct. 20, 1831, and Rev. Josialı Hopkins preached on the occasion. He embarked for the Sandwich Islands, Nov. 26, 1831; reached Waimea, July 16, 1832 ; was constituted pastor of the native church in Waimea, by the Hawaiian Clerical Association in June, 1835.
In a letter to the author, dated June 23, 1852, Mr. Lyons says: "In the autumn of 1836 some cheering signs appeared. There was the commencement of a revival. In May, 1837, Mrs. Lyons died, while we were attending the general meet- ing of the Missionaries at Honolulu. On my return, the re- vival was still progressing. A new impulse was given to it by the death of Mrs. L., to whom the people were much at- tached. The work went on with great power. I was occu- pied day and night with inquiring souls. My house was thronged. The revival continued for two or three years, till nearly all the people in my field were professedly converted and gathered into the church. The whole number received to this church, on examination, is 6,169, of whom about
.
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3,000 have deceased. While it must be acknowledged that this was a great and marvellous revival, yet after several years' observation, I am thoroughly convinced, that a great number of the professed converts were deceivers and de- ceived. Many have apostatized ; and many, who remain as still connected with the church, will probably never reach heaven. * After laboring twenty years among the hea- then, I have come to the conclusion, that it is a great work to fit a heathen soul for heaven. With man it is impossible. Though the Sandwich Islands may boast of having the largest churches in the world, yet should trying times come, multitudes now in the church will doubtless fall away, and be found no longer with the followers of Jesus. At the day of Judgment it is to be feared, that though multitudes have been called, but few will be chosen as fit subjects for heaven. Let me repeat it, and let my humble declaration be sounded throughout Christendom-it is a great and slow work to con- vert and christianize a heathen nation. Missionaries must be satisfied with slow and small progress; and their supporters must learn to join in the satisfaction. The great probability is, that but few of the heathen will be saved. Yet those few are to be saved out of the midst of multitudes, and that through the knowledge of the gospel. There is no other medium, through which these chosen few can secure the blessings of the great salvation. Ignorant of the glorious gospel, all must be lost. Hence the Saviour's last injunc- tion : 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.' And this injunction must be obeyed, or none will be saved. Obeyed, some will be saved, though multitudes, who hear, will reject the offers of salvation, and perish forever. But the salvation of the few will fill all heaven with shouts of rejoicing, and prove a source of joy unspeakable through the ages of eternity." Mr. Lyons is still in Waimea.
5 .* Rev. Luke Lyons, brother of Rev. Lorenzo Lyons, was born in Coleraine, Oct. 2, 1791, and lived there chiefly till
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about 1812, and then went to Albany, N. Y., where he en- gaged in teaching and in preparing for the ministry. He never graduated at any college, but received the honorary degree of A. M., from Williams, in 1823; completed the course of theological study at Princeton, N. J., in 1821; was licensed by the Albany Presbytery, Sept. 20, 1821; then preached in Dorchester, S. C .; ordained as an Evangelist at Albany, N. Y., Oct. 8, 1822, and Rev. Mr. Monteith preached ; supplied in Esperance, N. Y., and was installed pastor there in August, 1824, and left there, Oct. 1, 1827 ; was installed as pastor in Cortlandville, N. Y., July 30, 1828, and Rev. Dr. Lansing preached on the occasion ; remained there about four years ; installed pastor in Rochester, N. Y., March 12, 1833; remained there about six years ; was then a pastor in Allegan, Mich., about two years ; was then pastor in Jerseyville, Ill., from 1840 till his death, in 1845. Cor- respondents, acquainted with him, say of him: "He was in- deed very much beloved among all his acquaintance, and the Lord smiled upon his labors :" " He was a faithful, de- voted, and successful minister :" " As a pastor he was greatly beloved. He was eminently successful in building up churches, and in winning souls to Christ. Converts multi- plied under his preaching. While his interest and sympathy extended to all ages, classes, and conditions, the young were his peculiar care. He was singularly successful in discover- ing and developing talent ; in finding hands for all work, and work for all hands, in the Lord's vineyard ; in guiding the young, through a preparation for, and into, fields of use- fulness ; in getting young men into the ministry. The in- fluence of his benevolent and genial spirit, not confined to his own church, was diffused throughout the communities where he labored. He sought to elevate society by the es- tablishment of schools and seminaries of a high order, and the multiplying of other means of information." He mar- ried Miss Aurelia Fobes, who survives him, and has charge of the Montecille Female Seminary in Godfrey, Ill. Mr.
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Lyons died in Jerseyville, Ill., Jan. 11, 1845, aged 53. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. A. T. Norton, of Al- ton, Ill.
6. Rev. Jonathan McGee was born in Coleraine, Oct. 5, 1789 ; graduated at Williams in 1814; completed the the- ological course at Andover in 1817; was licensed by the Londonderry Presbytery in April, 1817 ; was ordained as pastor in Brattleboro', East Village, Vt., Jan. 13, 1819, and Rev. Samuel Taggart, then of Coleraine, preached the sermon ; was dismissed from there, September, 1834; installed pas- tor of the first church in Dunstable, N. H., (now Nashua, ) Jan. 1, 1835, and Rev. Dr. Barstow of Keene, N. H., preached the sermon ; was dismissed from there, June, 1842; installed pastor in Francestown, N. H., Aug. 16, 1843, and Rev. Dr. Amos Blanchard of Lowell preached the sermon ; was dismissed from there, Oct. 25, 1850 ; began to preach in Greenfield, N. H., January 1851, where he still resides and preaches. During Mr. McGee's ministry in Brattleboro' three revivals were enjoyed ; one in 1827, by which twenty- five were added to the church ; one in 1831 and 1832, and ninety-five were added ; one in 1833, and one hundred and two were added ; and during his ministry in Nashua a re- vival was enjoyed, in 1837, and sixty were added ; one in 1842, and about one hundred hopeful conversions were the fruit of it.
7 .* Rev. William Riddel was born in Coleraine, Feb. 4, 1768; graduated at Dartmouth in 1793; studied theology with Rev. Dr. Burton of Thetford, Vt. ; was licensed at Newbury, Vt., in January, 1794; afterwards spent five months with Rev. Dr. Emmons of Franklin ; supplied in Charlemont and Chesterfield ; ordained as pastor in Bristol, Me., in August, 1796, and dismissed in 1804; spent about one year as a missionary in New York ; supplied in Townsend, Vt., from 1808 to 1810; occupied a farm in Gill from 1810 to 1815, and preached occasionally ; installed in Whitingham, Vt., Sept. 27, 1815, and the sermon was by Rev. Dr. Packard ;
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dismissed from there, August, 1817 ; resided in Bernardston from 1817 to 1819 ; then in Hadley two years ; then in Ber- nardston about twelve years ; and afterwards chiefly in South Deerfield, till his death in 1849, Oct. 24, at the age of 82. Mr. Riddel indulged a hope in Christ while teaching in Con- way, and during a revival, in the winter of 1788-9. In 1797 he married a daughter of Rev. Dr. Samuel Hopkins of Hadley. She died in 1813. Of seven children, three be- came heads of families, two of whom are now living, one of whom is Rev. Samuel H. Riddel, a notice of whom may be found in the account of ministers originating from Gill.
The following extracts are from a manuscript biographical account of Mr. Riddel, prepared by his son : " His sermons, though little set off with the graces of rhetoric or of oratory, in which he did not excel, were clear, logical, sound, earnest and instructive." "From conscientious views, in regard to the use of property, and a desire to have the means of doing good beyond, as well as within, the circle of his own private relationships and attachments, he always practised the strict- est economy with more than ordinary self-denial. It was not to accumulate or hoard property that he was careful of personal expenses, but because he valued it for nobler and more liberal purposes. Few men ever regarded property with a slighter attachment for its own sake, or appropriated it more cheerfully for all benevolent objects, whether of a public or private nature, which seemed to him to have a valid claim upon the support of christians. His sympathy with the designs and movements of these great objects was strong and active ; and the satisfaction which he found in contributing something from time to time for their advance- ment was far superior to that of any mere personal indul- gence." It has been ascertained that his contributions to benevolent objects previous to his death amounted to more than $4,000, and his bequests by will to such objects amounted to nearly an equal sum. "When it is considered that in his youth he gave up his whole patrimony to his
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brothers ; that he obtained his education by his own unaided efforts ; that he realized less from his profession than almost any minister of his day, his salary never having exceeded three hundred dollars annually ; that he never devoted him- self to any scheme for amassing property ; and that he re- ceived no aid in this respect from his family, his case furnishies an eminent example of what, under the Divine blessing, may be accomplished by economy and careful management, from a high benevolent motive." "During a considerable portion of his life he kept a private record of his spiritual exercises." "During the last two years of his life he entered upon and nearly completed a careful revision of all his manuscript sermons." " He possessed naturally a strong physical constitution, and enjoyed remarkably uni- form health during the whole course of a life, which was con- tinued until he had nearly completed his eighty-second year. Only once did he remember being confined by sickness, which was by a slight attack of fever during one of his college vacations. He retained all his faculties of body and mind in unusual vigor to the last." His views and feelings during his last sickness, and when near death, may be learned from the following record of his expressions : " I have no other plea," said he, "but that of the poor publican." A clergy- man conversing with him made some reference to his life, and his experience as a christian and a minister of the gospel, as furnishing a source of peaceful reflection now. " That," he said, " does not satisfy me. People will say you have been a christian so long we suppose you have no anxiety : you have nothing to do but to die ; as if religion were like money in the bank, and they should say, you have so much of it laid up that you are secure-you can't break. But my view of religion is different. Religion is a thing, which, to enjoy it, you must have it-must have it in exercise." " The Saviour will do right to hide from me the light of his countenance at this time, I have so often back- slidden from him. But O, to see him in the beauty and
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glory of his character." "God is all my salvation, and all my desire." Being asked, a day or two before his death, if it were the will of God, could you not give yourself into his hand this day? "Yes, this moment," was his reply. When it was supposed that he would never more recognize those around him, he again opened his eyes upon them, and, speaking to his son, said, "Do you see that I am dying ? The Lord bless you all. I am calm and resigned-calm and resigned. I have been remarkably calm all day." Then, in a voice of the most heavenly sweetness and seren- ity, he offered a few petitions of fervent prayer, entirely appropriate to his case, which were the last audible supplica- tions breathed from his lips to the eternal throne. He con- tinued for some time longer ; but, without any struggle at last, his hands composed upon his breast as in a gentle slum- ber, he fell asleep in Jesus." Dr. John Woodbridge of Had- ley preached the funeral sermon. His remains were removed to Gill and buried by the side of those of his wife, and an appropriate service was performed on the occasion by Rev. Josiah W. Canning.
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