USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lexington > History of the town of Lexington, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 1868, Volume I > Part 33
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"Mr. Estabrook was sent for to declare to the people whether he did accept of the call of the Inhabitants of this place and whether he wold abide with us to be our settled minestor - his answer was yes he wold. it was asked him how long. he answered that so far as he knew so long as he liue it should not be his falt if he ded not he had no intent to leave us and if he ded leaue us he wold repay the mony expended for the bulding sd house."
The call being accepted, and the day for the ordination fixed, it was agreed that a church should be organized at the same time. A committee was appointed to make arrange- ments for the ordination, and to "prouid what is nesesary for the entertainment of the majestrats ministors and mesin- gers of the chirches that day."
Neither the church nor the parish records give us any in- formation concerning the council, or the services on the occa- sion. But Judge Sewall, who was then present as one of the honored magistrates to take cognizance of the establishment of a new church, has the following in his manuscript jour- nal: -
"October 21, 1696. A church is gathered at Cambridge, North Farms; no relations made, but a Covt. signed and voted by 10 brethren dismissed from ye churches of Cambridge, Watertown, Wooburn, and Concord, for the work. Being declared to be a church, they chose Mr. Benjamin Estabrook yr Pastor, who had made a good Sermon from Jer. 3. 15. Mr. Estabrook the Father managed this, having prayed excellently: Mr. Willard gave ye Charge; Mr. Fox the Right Hand of Fellowship. Sung part of ye 48th from ye 9th v. to the end, - O God, our thoughts. - Mr.
1 This house was 42 feet by 18. It stood a few rods east of Vine Brook.
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Stone and Mr. Fiske thanked me for my assistance there. Cam- bridge was sent to; they had no Teaching officer; they sent Elder Clark, Hastings, Remington." 1
The church which was gathered on that occasion adopted a covenant founded on the broad principles of the Gospel, avoiding those controverted doctrines which have often proved causes of division.
This covenant was signed by the pastor elect, and by David Fiske, Sr., Samuel Stone, Sr., John Russell, Israel Mead, Thomas Cutler, Sr., David Fiske, Jr., Samuel Whit- more, William Reed, John Merriam, Samuel Stone, Jr., and Thomas Merriam.
The church was further organized by electing John Mer- riam and Samuel Stone deacons. There were also added to the church during the nine months of Mr. Estabrook's min- istry, by recommendations from other churches, the following persons: Seaborn Fiske, wife of David Fiske, Sr., Sarah Stone, wife of Samuel Stone, Sr., Elizabeth Russell, wife of John Russell, Elizabeth Winship, wife of Ephraim Winship, sev- erally from the church of Cambridge; Sarah Merriam widow, Sarah Fiske, wife of David Fiske, Jr., Dorcas Stone, wife of Samuel Stone, Jr., Mary Merriam, wife of John Merriam, severally from the church of Concord; and Abigail Reed, wife of Captain William Reed from the church of Woburn. There were also admitted on their own profession during Mr. Esta- brook's labors, Joseph Simonds and his wife Mary, Matthew Bridge and his wife Abigail, Jonathan Poulter and his wife Elizabeth, Philip Russell, Joseph Stone, Mary Winship, Abigail Cutler, wife of Lieutenant Thomas Cutler, Mary Johnson, wife of John Johnson, and Ruth Locke, wife of Samuel Locke.
Thus a church of thirty-three members was gathered in about nine months from the settlement of their first minister. This of itself shows the success with which his labors were blessed. The relation between Mr. Estabrook and his people was a happy one, and promised to be productive of much good. He had been with them several years before his settle- ment, and hence knew them well and was known of them. He was their first pastor, and they his first flock. It was the
1 For this, and several other important facts connected with the history of the church, we are indebted to Rev. Samuel Sewall, of Burlington.
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union of kindred hearts, given in early life; and the happy fruits of this union show that the attachment had been mutual, and that the confidence on either hand had not been misplaced. Both parties were undoubtedly congratulating themselves on this new relation, and anticipating years of happiness and prosperity. But how delusive sometimes are hu- man hopes! He whose wisdom is unsearchable, and whose ways are past finding out, saw fit to sunder these ties. On the 22d of July, 1697, when Mr. Estabrook had completed only nine months of his ministry, he was called from his earthly labors.
Rev. Benjamin Estabrook was son of Rev. Joseph Esta- brook, of Concord, who came to this country in 1660, and entered Harvard College, where he was graduated in 1664. He settled in Concord in 1667, where he remained till his death, in 1711, which was in the seventy-first year of his age and the forty-fourth of his ministry. Benjamin Estabrook was born February 24, 1671,1 was graduated at Harvard, 1690, and commenced preaching in Lexington in 1692. In November, 1693, he married Abigail Willard, daughter of Rev. Samuel Willard, then of the Old South Church in Boston. Mr. Estabrook was highly esteemed by his people, and left the reputation of a pious and devoted servant of the Lord. Though he was only twenty-six years of age when called hence, he had already established a reputation which gave promise of distinction in his profession. He was buried in Lexington, and his tombstone bears this inscription: -
HERE LYETH INTERRED YE REMAINS OF MR. BENJAMIN ESTABROOK LATE & FIRST PASTOR OF YE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN THIS PLACE SON TO YE REVD MR JOSEPH ESTABROOK PASTOR OF YE CHURCH IN CONCORD WHO DEPARTED FROM US TO CHRIST, JULY 22D A.D. 1697, AGED 26 YEARS & 5 MONTHS VIRTUS ANTEIT ANNOS.
Immediately on the death of Mr. Estabrook, measures were adopted to obtain a candidate for settlement. A meet-
1 For a more full account of the Estabrook family, see Genealogical Register. (Vol. II. Ed.)
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ing was called November 17, to consider "procuring some help in ye ministry: Then thare was made choyce of Mr. John Hancocke to preach with us tille May followinge In order to further setellement: - It was also agreed that Mr. Hancock should have eaighten shillinges aweeke, and bare his own charges :- till May."
Mr. Hancock commenced preaching at Cambridge Farms, December 12, 1697, and in February following, "It was then voted by the majore part of ye people that were present that Mr. Hancock should bee further Invitted to Continue with us for a settlement; & Dea. Samuel Stone and Lt. David ffiske ware made choyce of by ye Companye to traatte with Mr. Hancock about his settelling with us."
It seems that the committee chosen to "traatte" with Mr. Hancock were successful in their preliminaries at least; for in March, 1698, says the record, "The sallerrye that was for- merlye granted to ye Reverend: Mr. Benjamin Estabroke was a second time granted: & confermed upon the Rev. Mr. John Hancock."
"It was allsoe votted that thay will giue the Reverend Mr: Jno: Hancocke four score pounds In monye: towards his settellment : ye one half In ye yeare: 1698: and ye othre halfe In the yeare: 1699."
The preliminaries being settled, the church by "a Unani- muse Votte" proposed "to prosede to the ordination of Mr. Hancock, in convenient time," and the congregation on the 6th of September, 1698, "votted without the church on the Afirmatiue; very fullye - att a full mettinge."
The 2d day of November, 1698, was agreed upon for the ordination, and provision was made by the parish for the entertainment of the council. The further proceedings on the occasion we will give in the language of the church records, written by Mr. Hancock himself.
"Five Churches were Sent unto to Carry on ye work of said Day, viz: the South Church of Christ in Boston, the Churches of christ in Cambridge, Newtown, Concord & Woburn, the elders and messengers whereof appeared, & in the morning, Mr. Willard being chosen moderatour, they proceded, haveing made way for it, & earnestly Imploring heavens blessing on the affairs of ye day, unto ordination, The Rev. Mr. Willard Giving the Charge, & the Rev. Mr Joseph Estabrook the right hand of fellowship; the elders of the other Churches assisted by laying on of hands."
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Mr. Hancock, being thus settled over the church and soci- ety at Cambridge North Precinct, continued their pastor till his death in 1752, having had a peaceful and prosperous ministry of fifty-four years. Rev. John Hancock1 was son of Nathaniel Hancock of Cambridge (now Newton). He was born December, 1671, entered Harvard College in 1685, where he was graduated in 1689. He was ordained, as we have already stated, November 2, 1698. He married Eliza- beth Clark, daughter of Rev. Thomas Clark, of Chelmsford, by whom he had five children - three sons and two daugh- ters. 2
Ebenezer, son of Rev. John Hancock, of Lexington, was born December 7, 1710. He was graduated at Harvard, 1728, and prepared himself for the ministry. He was a young man of great promise; and received a unanimous invitation to settle at Sherborn, as successor to Rev. Mr. Baker. But the people of Lexington, fully impressed with his meek, unosten- tatious piety, and pleased with his easy manners and popular eloquence, gave him an earnest invitation to settle with them, as colleague with his father. Ebenezer did not long hesitate between these calls. The desire to aid his father in his declining years induced him to accept the invitation of Lexington. The 2d day of January, 1734, was fixed upon by the parties, and on that day Rev. Ebenezer Hancock was solemnly set apart as a co-laborer with his father in the ministry of Christ. Seven churches were invited to take part in the ordination, viz .: the Church of Christ in Weston, the two churches of Watertown, and the churches of Newton, Cambridge, Medford, and Bedford. Rev. Mr. Hancock, the father, preached the sermon, and gave the charge, and the Rev. Mr. Williams, of Weston, the right hand of fellowship.
Though the son engaged ardently in the work of the min- istry, for the twofold purpose of promoting the cause of his Divine Master, and of lightening the burden of his devoted and pious father, then over sixty-three, he lived only to com- plete the sixth year of his ministry. He died January 28, 1740, greatly beloved and universally lamented, in the thirty- first year of his age. He was never married.
1 See, also, An Address by Rev. Carlton A. Staples in Commemoration of the Ordination and Settlement of John Hancock. Arlington: C. S. Parker & Son, Printers, 1900. Also Proc. Lex. Hist. Soc., Vol. III, p. 5. Ed.
2 See illustrations - Rev. and Mrs. Hancock. Ed.
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Of the two daughters of Rev. John Hancock, Eliza, born February 5, 1705, married Rev. Jonathan Bowman, of Dor- chester; and Lucy, born April 20, 1713, married Rev. Nicholas Bowes, of Bedford.1
Though Mr. Hancock was distinguished in his family, he was more distinguished for his personal merit. He was very eminent in his day for wisdom, piety, and fidelity in the cause of his Divine Master; and for a happy talent at preventing discord and healing animosities among his people. From a great respect for his age, services, gravity, and dignified de- portment, he was long honored with the appellation of "Bishop." For nearly thirty years he was the senior minister in this part of the county of Middlesex; had for many years presided in most of the councils for ordination within its bounds; and had given the solemn charge to twenty-one ministers, the last of whom was the late Dr. Cushing of Waltham, at their induction into office. He had the reputa- tion of being a peacemaker; and his advice and fatherly counsel were frequently sought by the neighboring churches. His decision was generally the end of strife.
He was remarkable for his industry and devotion to his profession. He was early in the morning in his study, and early in the week at his preparations for the Sabbath. In this way he was always apparently at leisure, and ready to receive and entertain all those whom his social habits called to his house. His success in his profession is evidence of his fidelity. During his ministry, there were added to the church four hundred and forty-five by profession, and thirty-two by letters of dismissal and recommendation from other churches; one hundred and eighty owned the covenant, and sixteen hundred and thirty-seven were baptized.
Mr. Hancock was what might be denominated Calvinistic in his theology; and yet his grasp of mind and acquaintance with the world, and his great good sense, made him liberal and charitable to others. While his own mind was made up, and his own opinions formed, he was willing that others should adopt the same manly course, and judge for them- selves.
In his sermon at the ordination of his son at Braintree, he says: -
1 For a more particular account of the Hancock family, see Genealogical Register. (Vol. II. Ed.)
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"Where there is so much work to be done, and work of such importance, it calls for diligence and fidelity. It is God's work, and must not be done negligently; it is the soul's work, and must not be done slightly; it is a great work, and of eternal consequences, and must be done faithfully. Unfaithfulness in the minister is more unpardonable than in another man, for hereby the cause of Christ, and the souls of men, are betrayed. Who would make an unfaithful person a ruler over his goods? Let ministers learn their dependence both for assistance and success. The power that can furnish you unto this work, and give you success, is from above. "T is not from men, but from God. Men may pray over you, and put their hands upon you, and bless you in the name of the Lord; but they cannot bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit upon you. They can confer orders, but they cannot convey grace."
This extract shows the tone and spirit of his preaching, when young men are set apart for the ministry. We will give a specimen of his bold and manly preaching before the rulers of the Colony. It is from a public lecture delivered before the authorities: -
"I will speak unto great men; About what? Not about matters of state, but religion. Not about their farms or their merchandize, but about their souls. Not about such things as are meerly tem- poral, but about things which are spiritual and eternal. ... Great men are a part of a minister's charge, and must be addressed to at proper seasons, and on proper occasions. The ministers of Christ are to take heed unto all their flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers; and the great men in some congregations make up a considerable part of the flock. ... It is the greatest pride and vanity that can be, for any to think themselves too great to be spoken to about their duties to perform, or about their sins and their faults that they may amend them. However, ministers must speak to them in the name of the Lord, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear." ... "Great men are not always good; it would be well, it would be happy for all states and governments, if they were. Indeed, they ought to be good, yea to be the best of men, yet many times they are the worst, scourges of the world, and plagues of mankind."
There is another trait in Mr. Hancock's character, which must not be passed over without notice. He was highly social; not merely fond of society, but with a vein of humor or wit in which he would often indulge. This pleasant, facetious disposition rendered his society interesting to the young and
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gave him a hold upon their affections, which few ministers enjoy.
Many anecdotes are related of Mr. Hancock, showing his facetiousness, and the great control he had over his people even in temporal affairs. Two neighbors could not agree upon the division line between their lands - each claimed more land than the other would yield. The dispute rose high, and a lawsuit was threatened. Mr. Hancock, hearing of the dis- pute, called the parties together, took them upon the ground, and asked them to make their statements. When they had concluded, he took a stake and stuck it into the ground, and said, "There, neighbor A., your land comes to this stake; and neighbor B., don't you encroach upon your neighbor beyond that point." It is only necessary to say that this was the end of the strife.
It was customary in some of the early churches to have elders, as assistants to their pastors in certain of their duties; and sometimes they officiated as teachers. There happened to be two members of Mr. Hancock's church who had an inclination to fill such an office, and they called upon Mr. Hancock to confer with him upon the subject. They stated that his labors were arduous, and he somewhat in years, and they thought it might be some relief to him to have two elders chosen. Mr. Hancock told them that he thought well of the subject; but expressed some doubt whether any persons could be found who would accept the position. To relieve his mind on that point, they modestly hinted that they might be induced to accept the place to relieve him. "Well," said Mr. Hancock, "I should be very glad to have elders chosen, and should rejoice to have such gentlemen as you are fill those positions. I suppose you know the duty of such officers?" "No," replied one of the gentlemen, "we do not; but we know . that you understand the whole matter, and can easily inform us." "Well," said Mr. Hancock, "the duties of elders have never heretofore been very well defined in the church, but latterly they have settled down to this - the younger elder is to brush down and harness the pastor's horse when he wishes to ride out; and the elder elder is to accompany the pastor when he goes out of town and pay his expenses. I should like very well to have such officers chosen." The gentlemen, being taken somewhat by surprise, let the subject subside, and made no further effort for the choice of elders.
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One of his brethren in the ministry, who knew him well, thus speaks of this turn of mind: 1 -
"That facetious temper and turn of wit which were natural to him, and which some people of a different make might think abounded, he made a very good use of in general, and it served to scatter the clouds of melancholy that hung upon some people's spirits, and to stir up a pleasant cheerfulness within them. He did thereby soften men's tempers, and correct their ill humors, and bring the fretful, the angry, and the revengeful, into a calm, peaceable, and forgiving frame. As you have had the reputation of being a peaceable people, I believe you will readily grant that it has been very much owing to the pleasant, prudent, and pacific counsels of your deceased pastor."
Mr. Hancock had great wisdom and sagacity in managing the affairs of his parish. Though he was a close student, and a good Biblical scholar, he did not confine his study to books alone. He mingled with his people, and so learned not only their wants, but their habits and turn of mind- the secret springs of action by which they were moved. He was thus enabled to guide, and in a manner to control them. Mr. Appleton bears testimony to this in the following passage: -
"He was eminently fitted for this place in its infant state, when you were few in numbers, and needed a man of such wisdom and prudence to advise and assist you in your outward and civil, as well as spiritual, concerns. And I believe it will be allowed that but few people have had so great help, benefit and comfort of a minister in all respects, as this people have had in Mr. Hancock. Few minis- ters have been so much concerned in the various affairs of their people, as he was in yours; and yet I never heard him taxed of being in the least a faulty busybody in other men's matters; for you your- selves were so sensible of his wisdom, and the goodness of his capacity, and readiness to direct and advise you, that as I have understood, you seldom or never engaged in any important or difficult affair without consulting him upon it."
The wisdom of Mr. Hancock is perhaps in nothing more conspicuous than in the manner in which he met and con- trolled the great movement of his day, which was denomi- nated "new-lightism." Nothing had occurred to awaken the church or to call forth its energies for a long period, and most of the clergy had fallen into a state of stupor. This
1 Discourses delivered at Lexington the Sabbath after the death of Mr. Hancock, by Mr. Appleton of Cambridge.
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condition of things excited the attention and aroused the energies of such men as Whitefield, and their "new-light," as it was called, spread rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic. Many of our churches were excited, distracted, and rent asunder. Many of our clergymen, waking up from their slumbers, and seeing a little more interest manifested in matters of religion, fancied that the Gospel was about to be lost in the blind frenzy of the age; and they declared a war of extermination against this new movement. Others caught the fire, and without stopping to inquire whether it were a true or a false zeal, plunged into the whirlpool, and suffered them- selves to be carried in every direction by its blind eddies. The church at Concord was severed in twain, that of Medford was greatly agitated; and others were more or less disturbed by this new order of things. Councils were called, books were written, and all the artillery of the church militant was put in requisition to oppose the spread of what some deemed a dangerous heresy.
But in the midst of this commotion Mr. Hancock moved steadily forward, being aware that the religious as well as the natural world would have its seasons of refreshing as well as of drought; and that what was looked upon as the work of the enemy, was but the natural result of the apathy into which the churches had fallen. Instead, therefore, of opposing this spirit of awakening in his society, he availed himself of it, gave it the right direction, and added many to his church. He was fully aware that these seasons of peculiar religious inter- est would come, and had, as early as 1728, added nearly eighty to his church in a single year. So, in 1741 and 1742, in the midst of this "new-light" movement, he made about the same accession to his church, and that without any foreign aid or unnatural effort. While some of the neighboring clergy were attempting to smother this religious feeling and thereby stifle the sincere aspirations of pious souls, and others were fanning the flame and thereby converting it into a wild and dangerous conflagration, Mr. Hancock, with truly enlight- ened zeal, was guiding this spirit of inquiry and feeling of devotion and thereby aiding the cause of true religion.
Not, however, that Mr. Hancock was wanting in manly independence. He knew and realized that the pulpit had its rights, and that to secure these rights he must recognize the rights of the pews. His intimate acquaintance with his peo-
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ple, his minute knowledge of their wants, their feelings, their infirmities, and even their prejudices, enabled him so to ap- proach every subject of interest as to obtain a candid hearing and impress a salutary lesson upon his hearers. He did not dwell in the musty past or in the misty future. He was a man of the present; ready, however, to study the past that he might obtain knowledge to guide him in the future. He was conservative and at the same time progressive; desirous of bringing about a reformation by implanting Gospel prin- ciples in the heart. He was more emulous of being a faithful minister than a noted reformer - fully realizing the oft- forgotten truth that no reformation is abiding which flows not from Christian principle. With these views and with that great good sense obtained by an intimate acquaintance with human infirmities, he availed himself of all the real advantages of the Whitefield movement without producing any of those convulsions which disturbed many parishes.
We have already seen that Ebenezer Hancock, who was settled as a colleague to relieve his father, died after about six years' labor. His father, at the death of the son, was nearly seventy years of age, yet he continued for more than ten years to discharge the arduous duties of his office up to the Sunday before his death. And it was remarked by his con- temporaries that he spoke with nearly the same firmness and vigor at the age of eighty as at the age of forty. But the firmest constitution must yield; the most devoted laborer must cease from his toil. We cannot better describe his sud- den and unexpected death, than by copying from the title- page of two discourses delivered at Lexington the Sabbath after his funeral, by Rev. Mr. Appleton, of Cambridge: -
"Going to bed as well as usual, the night after the 5th of Decem- ber (1752), and awaking some time after midnight with great pain in his stomach, died in a few minutes, in the eighty-second year of his age, and the fifty-fourth of his ministry."
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