USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Lancaster > History of the town of Lancaster, Massachusetts : from the first settlement to the present time, 1643-1879 > Part 19
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235
LIST OF TAX PAYERS.
began his ministry here, and others had been born, and grown to man's estate during his forty years pastorate. The tax list which follows is therefore one of the most interesting histori- cal documents which could be presented to the student of our local history. The names are arranged alphabetically for convenience.
Abbott, Joseph, Atherton, Amos, Ballard, Benjamin,
Josiah,
Sherebiah,
Barrett, Jacob,
Beaman, Ebenezer,
Hill, Enoch, Houghton, Israel,
James,
66 James,
James, jr.,
Nathaniel,
Phinehas,
Holte, Thomas,
Hubbard, Capt Jonathan,
Hunt, Sherebiah,
James, Joseph,
Johnson, Daniel, Joshua,
Joslin, Peter,
Peter, jr.,
Kendall, Jonathan,
.6 Joshua, jr.,
Thomas, Knight, Amos,
Amos, jr.,
Jonathan,
Lepingwell, Reuben, Thomas,
Locke, Samuel, Nichols, Israel,
John,
Goodfree, James,
Green, Peter,
Hadley, John,
Harris, Asa,
יי David,
" Ebenezer,
John,
Haskell, Henry,
Jeremiah,
John,
John, jr.,
66 Thomas,
Bennitt, Elisha,
John,
Keziah,
Bowers, Jerahmeel,
John,
Carter, Ephraim,
James,
Lieut. John,
Samuel,
Clark, Mathew,
Crosfield, James,
Divoul, Ephraim,
John,
Manasseh,
Dole, Thomas,
Farmer, William,
Flagg, Gershum, Fletcher, John,
Joshua,
Robert,
Fowle, Jacob,
Garey, Thomas,
66 John, jr.,
Roger,
Osburn, Alexander,
236
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
Osgood, Aaron,
Steward, John,
Benjamin,
Dea. Hooker,
Tomson, Simon, Wheelock, John,
John,
Whitcomb, Hezekiah, Joseph,
Joseph,
Joseph,
Joshua,
Joseph,
66
Josiah,
Dea. Josiah,
Moses,
Nathaniel,
Phelps, Asahel,
Wilder, Abigail,
Dorothy,
Andrew,
Edward,
Caleb,
John,
David,
66 Joshua,
Hon. Joseph,
William,
Joseph, jr.,
Phillips, John, John, jr.,
Willard, Capt. Abijah,
Aaron,
Priest, Joseph,
Aaron, jr.,
Reed, Joshua,
Benjamin,
Rice, Peter,
66 Daniel,
Richardson, William, 2d,
Ephraim,
66 Col. Samuel,
Simon,
William,
John,
Nehemiah,
" Nathan,
Wright, Nathaniel,
Reuben,
Thomas,
Sawyer, Nathan, jr.,
Thomas, jr ,
Serjant, John,
Wyman, Abijah,
Snow, John,
Nathaniel.
Sterns, Joshua,
In this list the names of Fairbank, Moor and Prescott will be missed. In the Rate for 1749 are the names of Jabez, James, Jonathan and Joshua Fairbank, Dea. Joseph Moor, and John Prescott. The name of Sawyer occurs but once ; but in the Rate for 1749, there are not less than twelve Saw- yers, viz : Abigail, Abner, Amos, Bezealer, Bezaleel, jr., Derias, Elisha, Ezra, Josiah, Nathaniel, Phinehas and Thom- as. There were several other changes in the course of two years. The spelling has been copied literally. Derias stands
Daniel, jr.,
Wood, Hannah,
Robins, Edward,
Rugg, Amos,
Daniel,
White, John,
237
OWNING THE COVENANT.
for Darius ; and Bezealer for Bezaleel. The female names represent widows in most if not all cases.
A careful inspection of the Church Records would dis- close the fact that a large proportion of the names in the above list belonged to members of the church either by con- fession, or by owning the Covenant.
The allusion to the practice of "owning the Covenant" warrants a brief explanation in this place. In former times the Orthodox churches in this State contained three classes of members exclusive of baptised children. The first class included those who were received into full communion by the church, on confession of their faith, and the relation of their experience in conversion. The second class comprised those who "owned the Covenant," as it was phrased. In 1662 a synod was held in Boston which gave sanction to the " half-way Covenant," so called, which provided that bap- tised children of members of the church, when they came to maturity, if correct in their morals, might give their assent to the church Covenant, without professing conversion, and have their children baptised. These baptised children, when grown up, and having children, might present their off- spring for baptism, in the same manner. They were con- sidered members of the church, in a limited sense, but could not be admitted to the Lord's table without making known their hearty acceptance of Christ as their Redeemer and Lord.
The third class of members embraced, first, all " baptised persons," and afterwards all "persons not immoral in their lives," allowing them to come to the communion with those who professed conversion. This was the plan originated by Dr. Solomon Stoddard, of Northampton, who was settled there from 1672 to 1729. He dated his own conversion at a communion service, and this led him to value that ceremony as a " converting ordinance." The practice begun by him had considerable prevalence, but was opposed by his grandson and successor, the celebrated Jonathan Edwards. Whether any
238
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
were received into the church in Lancaster on the plan of Stoddard, is not known. But the half-way Covenant was used here till the close of Mr. Harrington's ministry. Young persons were generally received on confession of their faith, and as hopefully converted. The members taken in on the " half-way" plan were, for the most part, parents who had been baptised, who were reputable in conduct, and had some sense of religious obligation, and desired to have their children brought into some special relation to the church of Christ.
Going back to the beginning of the ministry of Mr. Pren- tice, it appears from the Records that six persons were re- ceived to full communion before the close of the first year. In 1709 three were received, including one from the church in Sudbury, and Josiah White, senior. His son Josiah was already a member. The additions for a series of years were from three to eight, all by profession. In 1728 twenty-one were admitted, four-fifths of them being females. The next year, ten joined the church, four males, and six females ; eleven were added in 1730.
The following extract under date of December 13, 1731, brings to mind a custom prevalent in the last century, and not yet quite obsolete. "Baptised, with the consent of the church, (several of the brethren present) at the house where William and Elinor White his wife live, their twins, (a son and a daughter,) the names William and Margaret. This was done at the desire of the parents, and because the chil- dren were both weak and feeble, and not able to be brought out, and one of them was especially under threatening cir- cumstances by reason of a sore mouth." The baptism of children at home, when dangerously sick, occurred quite often, and doubtless was sometimes craved by parents under the unscriptural notion that baptism was either a converting ordinance, or else in some way brought the child into saving relations to the Head of the church. When done as a grate- ful offering of a child to the Author of salvation, the service is free from objection, and a graceful recognition of the fatherhood of God.
239
FORMING OF CHURCHES IN OTHER TOWNS.
The time had now come for the church to give up its mem- bers for the purpose of forming new churches in the towns around. In 1733, August 9, " the brethren present, by vote, discovered their willingness that Joshua Fairbank, Henry Willard, Peter Atherton and Elijah -, all of Harvard, should join with others in said town, in forming of a church there." The church was organized on the tenth of October. Another entry of the same date needs explanation. It was voted that " Sarah Smith, (heretofore Atherton, ) should be recommended, according to her desire, to the church of Christ in Bolton." As the church in Bolton, according to Whitney, was not organized till November 4, 1741, it is not easy to understand this action. Was there a church in Bol- ton as early as 1733 ? In the following January, four female members, the wives of prominent men in the new town were dismissed and recommended to the church in Harvard.
Under date November 1, 1741, is the following : " Sundry brethren manifesting their desire of the consent of the church to their lying with others in the foundation of a church at Bolton, and being recommended to the business, viz. : Jere- miah Wilson, Jonathan Moor, John Wilder, Jacob Hough- ton, John Priest, John Fletcher, Jabez Fairbank, David Whitcomb, Nathan Butler, Nathaniel Wilson and Joshua Sawyer; it was voted by the brethren present that it should be according to their desire."
Next in order came the church in Leominster. The church was formed on the fourteenth of September, 1743, but previous to this the " brethren by vote signified their willingness that Gardner Wilder, and Thomas White, should join with others in forming a church in Leominster." Other members were, from time to time, recommended to the churches in Harvard, Bolton and Leominster. Though liv- ing in these towns, some of the members felt a lingering love for the mother church, and reluctantly withdrew as circumstances required.
December 9, 1744, a church was formed in Choxet, and
240
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
the Rev. John Mellen was ordained. With a view to this, the following brethren were dismissed and recommended, at a meeting held on the twenty-fifth of the preceding Novem- ber. David Osgood, Benjamin Houghton, jr., Joseph Moor, Josiah Wilder, Jonathan Osgood, Jonathan Bayley, Thomas Fairbank, Thomas Burpee, Josiah Richardson, Reuben Rugg, Samuel Bayley, David Nelson, William Goss, Oliver Moor, Edward Robins and Daniel Powers. May 5, 1745, "the widow Annah Ross, the wife of Thomas Burpee, the wife of John Snow, the wife of Jonathan Powers, and the wife of James Ross, desired to be dismist and recommended to the communion of the second church in Lancaster. It was consented to by vote of the brethren on said day."
It was a practice more frequent in former generations than now to receive members of other churches to occasional com- munion, on the strength of letters of credence. For some reason the person was not ready to withdraw from the church, at his former residence, but desired to be in good standing with the church where he resided. There are several cases of this kind on record. One dated August 21, 1740, may be given as a specimen, showing also the origin of a well- known family from which more than one physician sprung. " At a church meeting at my house, the brethren present, upon hearing the case of old father Dunsmoor, a member of a church in Ireland, of which Mr. Matthew Clark was the pastor, discovered their willingness that he should, (accord- ing to his desire, and upon his submitting himself to disci- pline,) have the privilege of attending communion with us in the ordinance of the Lord's Supper."
All writers of the religious history of New England tes- tify to the laxity of morals which began in the later years of the seventeenth century, and continued for nearly a hundred years. There were many towns which furnished exceptions to the general state of religion. Many churches, at differ- ent times, received large accessions of members. During the wonderful season which goes under the name of the
241
ADDITIONS TO THE CHURCH. - DISCIPLINE.
" Great Awakening," it has been computed there were as many as thirty thousand received into the churches in Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut, including a few in New Hamp- shire. This movement had its origin, chiefly, in Northamp- ton, in 1735, under the preaching and prayerful labors of Pres. Edwards. Whitefield was a mighty instrument in the work. But there were many churches which did not derive great benefit from the revival; and some took the position of antagonism. Not till after the close of the revolution- ary war, and the frightful revelation of infidelity in France, was there a decidedly upward tendency on the part of the churches in the eastern states, and throughout the country. War raged, with intervals of peace, from 1689 to 1710; and passing the eastern war in 1724-5, from 1739 to 1783. And war is always a time of moral deterioration. Lancaster was in all these wars, and doubtless came under their debasing power. The admissions to the church, however, were quite uniform during Mr. Prentice's ministry. From two or three to ten or fifteen were received to full communion annually. In 1745, near the close of his life, the aged minister received fifteen ; all but one on confession of faith.
Cases of discipline at some periods were rather frequent. Occasionally a brother was arraigned for intemperance. In 1728 a member "made an acknowledgment of his having been guilty of excessive drinking." At a meeting held near the close of that year, another member submitted his " acknowl- edgment of disorderly leaving his wife, and living from her ; of his vain company keeping and excessive drinking, vain and foolish talking," etc.
The sin which most frequently stains the pages of the church Records, was some form of violating the seventh command- ment. Children were born prematurely in reference to the date of marriage. Public sentiment, if not legal coercion, in almost all cases of the kind, constrained wedlock, and the parties lived happily and reputably together. But the mem- ory and the stain were enduring.
16
242
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
At a church meeting held at the pastor's house, March 28, 1728, the following vote was passed by the " brethren of the church, nemine contradicente, viz : That such as are to be lookt upon as offenders shall not be obliged in ordinary cases to make a confession before the congregation, but that it shall be lookt upon as sufficient for such to offer satisfaction to the church."
Several cases of discipline are detailed at length in the Records, and they all serve to show the tenderness and pa- tience of the church towards offenders. One case was that of a woman who absented herself from the communion so long that the brethren felt called upon to inquire the cause. It appears that she felt aggrieved by the treatment she had received from her father-in-law, also a member of the church. She was treated with all kindness, and finally confessed her error in debarring herself from a great and previous privilege on account of the supposed misconduct of another. It does not appear that her opinion in relation to her grievance was changed, but she asked forgiveness of the church for having broken her vows, and was retained in fellowship.
In another case a man and his wife were dealt with for using improper language, and abstaining from public worship. The woman was abusive, and at last confessed as much. In reply to a neighbor who spoke in approbation of the preach- ing on the preceding Sunday, she said that " it would have been as much for the advantage of the people if the minister had sworn and cursed as to say what he did." The real trouble consisted in the fact that Mr. Wheeler and his wife had leanings towards Quakerism in the form and spirit which characterised that system in those days. They absented themselves from worship; denied the right of the church to the name and privileges of a church of Christ, and were other- wise possessed with too much individuality to conform to the church of their fathers. The brethren held meeting after meeting, and waited upon them in hope of obtaining satisfac- tion. The final action of the church is not found in the Records.
243
BLISS. - WHITEFIELD.
In all the cases, so far as examined, the utmost care ap- pears to have been used to avoid injustice, and to bring about reform and reconciliation. The offending brother or sister was visited, according to the directions of Christ, in Mat- thew 18 : 15-18. Then the case was reported to the whole church. Before censure was uttered, brethren were sent to converse with the party. The accused was notified of the meeting, when his case was to be considered. If the trouble was not removed by these means, the church sent a written admonition, expressed in kind but faithful language. If this failed, the second admonition [Titus 3 : 10] was sent, and not till patience and forbearance had ceased to be a virtue, did the church pronounce the sentence of exclusion.
The churches enjoyed quiet and harmony during the greater part of the ministry of Mr. Prentice ; but bitter dissensions broke out before his decease. In these he was involved, and the whole community took a deep interest in the controver- sies which were rife. The Rev. Mr. Bliss, of Concord, had trouble with his people, and several councils were called to compose matters, without much success. The history is given at some length in Shattuck's History of Concord, and may be read with profit at this late day ; but it need not divert us from the current of our own history, except so far as the church and minister of this town were mixed up in the strife. The church was represented in an ex parte council called by the opponents of Mr. Bliss, and held in June, 1742. This council justified the action of those by whom it was convened. The church in Concord was divided ; but after all this com- motion, the majority adhered to their minister, and he died in his pastorate after a very successful ministry. It is clear that Mr. Prentice did not approve the course of Mr. Bliss, in some particulars ; but there is nothing to show that there was a difference between them in relation to the essential truths of the Gospel.
No preacher, whether as a pastor or an evangelist, has ever rivaled the celebrated Whitefield in popularity among the
244
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
people of New England. A division of opinion was inevi- table, and the division was at many points. Some disliked his methods ; others rejected his doctrines ; and others still did not approve of any measures which interfered with the regular ministry. Meetings of ministers were held which criticised him and cautioned the churches against his labors ; and other meetings were called, which cordially approved of him and his work. The ministers and churches in this region, as well as in other parts of the province, were divided, and met in separate meetings to give expression to their views. Mr. Prentice was among the opponents of Whitefield, and joined with others, at a meeting held in Marlborough, Janu- ary 22, 1745, in censuring the new measures. At the same time he was a firm believer, doubtless, in the system of Chris- tian doctrine, of which Whitefield was the champion. Last- ing effects followed this controversy, the end of which is not yet reached.
The number admitted to full communion with the church, during the ministry of Mr. Prentice, by himself, is as fol- lows : males, 127; females, 203. Total, 330. Under the record thus given, some minister writes, "Per me, 27, 37." That is, he received 27 males and 37 females into the church. Adding these, the total number of admissions was three hun- dred and ninety-four. These are rightly included in the re- sults of the ministry of Mr. Prentice, as they were made during his life. His health began to fail in 1746, and from that time till his death, Messrs. Benjamin Stevens, William Lawrence; Cotton Brown and Stephen Frost, the latter a member of this church, and all graduates of Harvard, sup- plied his pulpit. It is supposed that one of these gentlemen wrote the words "per me."
The half-way members are not counted in the Records, and it was not customary to enumerate them in giving the num- ber of members. However, the numerous entries give the impression that a large proportion of the people of the town, who were not in full communion, held this relation to the church.
245
FAMILY OF MR. PRENTICE.
The number of baptisms from " Rev. Mr. Prentice's ordina- tion to the last recorded by him," was fifteen hundred and twenty-three. From this time, October 25, 1747, to Novem- ber 16, 1748, the date of his successor's settlement, thirty- eight were baptised by other clergymen, making a total of fifteen hundred and sixty-one.
The deacons in this period, as far as can be found, were Capt. Peter Joslin and Joseph Wilder, Esq., elected in 1715 ; James Wilder and Josiah White, in 1728 ; and Hooker Os- good and Israel Houghton, in 1742. The choice was in all cases unanimous, or by a large majority, and those chosen were requested not to decline, at the time, but take the sub- ject into consideration, and give an answer at a subsequent meeting. The meeting of the church for the choice of dea- cons was opened, and generally closed with prayer; and the designated deacons requested the prayers of the minister and brethren that they might be led to a right decision.
Two days before the decease of Mr. Prentice, January 4, 1748, the church voted to settle a colleague if "God should spare their minister's life." On the sixth he was called to a higher ministry. By appointment, the twenty-first was set apart for a day of fasting and prayer, and the neighboring ministers, Messrs. Gardner of Lunenburg, Seccomb of Har- vard, Rogers of Leominster, Goss of Berlin, and Mellen of the second precinct, were all invited to be present.
He died much lamented, at the age of sixty-six, " after a life of much service and faithfulness." He had been married twice. Mrs. Mary Gardner, widow of his predecessor, was his first wife. They had three sons, Stanton, a physician, Thomas and John. The eldest daughter, Mary, became the wife of the Rev. Job Cushing of Shrewsbury, and the mother, besides other children, of Jacob Cushing, D. D., (H. C., 1748,) minister of Waltham, and John, also D. D., (H. C., 1764,) minister of Ashburnham, and father of Thomas Park- man Cushing, founder of Cushing Academy. Elizabeth, the second daughter, married Mr. Daniel Robins of Chockset,
246
HISTORY OF LANCASTER.
and after his death, Capt. Curtis of Worcester. Sarah was the wife, successively, of Dr. Smith and Col. Brigham, of Southborough. Mr. Prentice's second wife was also a wid- ow, Mrs. Prudence [Frost] Swan, mother of the Rev. Josi- ah Swan. They had three daughters, two of whom became wives of ministers. Prudence married Josiah Brown, of the west parish, and a Harvard graduate. Relief became the wife of Rev. John Rogers of Leominster, in 1750, and Re- becca married the Rev. John Mellen, of the west parish, or Sterling. One of her sons was Judge Mellen of Portland, Maine. Charlotte Mellen, his daughter, was the wife of William Kent, of Concord, N. H. His daughter, Rebecca Prentice Kent, became the wife of Rev. Charles Packard, the first pastor of the Orthodox church in Lancaster.
Mr. Willard, the historian, must have conversed with aged people who remembered Mr. Prentice, and he probably gave the voice of tradition when he wrote these words : " He is said to have possessed great dignity and severity of manners, and to have been bold, direct, and pointed in his style of preach- ing." He was thoroughly orthodox after the pattern of or- thodoxy then prevalent in New England. He died too early to have been much affected by the writings of Edwards. It is evident that he was highly respected at home, and through- out the province. Among his occasional sermons was one preached at Marlborough on occasion of the death of Rev. Robert Breck, in 1731. Another was an ordination sermon, for the Rev. Ebenezer Parkman. When Worcester county was formed, he was invited to preach at the opening of the first court, August 10, 1731. The text was from II. Chron. 19 : 6-7, and was appropriate to the occasion. " And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do : for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in judgment. Where- fore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you ; take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes." Perhaps Mr. Prentice was selected for this service at the suggestion of one
247
ELECTION SERMON.
of his deacons, the Hon. Joseph Wilder, senior, who was on the bench at this time.
In 1737, when Belcher was governor, he was invited to preach before the general court. The sermon was printed with the following title. " A Sermon delivered at Boston, in the audience of the Great and General Court of Assembly of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, May 28th, 1735. Being the Anniversary for the Election of His Majesty's Council for the Province. By JOHN PREN- TICE, A. M., Pastor of the Church in Lancaster."
The text was from II. Chron. 17 : 3-6, and the subject, " Pure and undefiled Religion, the highest Obligation and truest Glory of Civil Rulers." The closing page is a fair specimen of his matter and style. He was addressing the governor, council, lower house, clergy, and people, and said : " Let us all be deeply sensible, and thoroughly convinced of the necessity and utility of our being truly religious, and on the other hand, of the evil, danger, manifest unprofitableness, and manifold disadvantages, of our being irreligious, or only formalists in religion ; and let us be concerned to have our hearts found in God's statutes. Let our aim and endeavor be, to be really, personally, and relatively good. Let us not seek unto Baalim, but let us know and acknowledge, worship and obey the living and true God, the God of our fathers, with a perfect heart and a willing mind ; and walk in all his com- mandments and ordinances blameless. Let us imitate Christ, our great pattern, walk in the ways of pious predecessors, and imitate the graces and virtues of the saints and people of God upon record in the sacred pages, and of our forefathers in this land. If we do thus, may we not hope to have God with us, as he was with our fathers, and that he will not leave us and forsake us, but establish us an holy people to him- self? If we return to the Almighty, shall we not be built up, and have the Lord our God nigh unto us in all that we call upon him for? I conclude with that in Psal. 85 : 9, 12, " Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him, that glory
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