USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 11
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" VII. As we have been informed, there hath been an ordi- nance of parliament, that no confession of any party, made to or before any presbitery, Consistory of chh., shall be excepted or Improved in any Court of civil Justice against any person whatsoever : so we judge it unreasonable and unchristian yt any Person or Persons Shall Prosecute in ye Law or other ways any singell evedence, or any Singell Person, who hath Given testimony before ys councell ; as singell evedence, in- trogated by sivell authority, and sworne, is not Liabell to be cast in any action of Defamation, meerely because he is a singell evidence. for Singel evedences, Interogated by a solemn Councell of churches, and called upon to speak to any particular, we think ought not to be Prosecuted in ye law, because they are singell evedences : and such Prosecuting of any witneses whomesoever, who have testified before ys coun- cill, we believe will tend to continew or Revive ye flames of
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strife, and be a means of Preventing ye speedy and steddy peace which is greatly desired; and therefore we declare against it.
" VIII. Our judgment is, yt ye Teaching Elders, together with ye Ruling Elders, if ye chh. have any, ought to Inquire into ye Knoledg and experence of such as desire to joyne in full communion with ye chh., and of such as desire to lay hold on ye covenant, before they be Propounded to ye church.
"IX. It's most eligabell that complaints, evedences, and con- fesions be given in unto ye Pastor in writing, and by him communicated (If he judg fit) to ye church, to be further sifted by Proper Interogatories if need be.
"X. We think ye Pastor and other Elders, or, in want of El- ders, ye Decons or other Princeple members, may have ye first cognicence of cases, and yt they should Issue such as they find Isuabell by them acording to Scripture Rule; and yt they are not bound to give ye chh. ye first hearing of every case, or of any case ; yea, of many cases, not to give them ye Publick hearing of them at all.
" XI. As for Brother John Skiner, we Judg yt he ought to humble himselfe before God and our Lord Jesus Christ for his hard words against and charges upon his Revd. Pastor and ye chh., and for his long and disorderly withdrawment from ye communion of ye chh. at ye Lord's table ; and confes his falt to them, and promise Reformation and an harty union with them for time to come. and thareupon we, in the Bowells of Christ, advise and intreat ye Rev. Pastor and chh. to forgive him, and restore him to their Intire Kindness, Charity, and communion ; and yt ye whole chh. be sensibell of & sorowfull for ye many sins and failings which, upon a strict Review of ye offentious words and actions, they may severally find ymselves chargabell withall, and make fresh applications of ye blod of yr and our Glorious Redeemer, by faith, for ye Purifying of their consciences ; that unto ye God of Peace, through ye Lord Jesus, they offer up their incessant supplications for Pardone, and for ye Restoration and Perpe- tuation of ye mutual Peace and Love and edefication. and in ye dredfull name of ye etarnal Sone of God, and Head of ye chh., we solemnly Charge all ye Good People and yr children and sarvants in ys Place, yt they love and honour ye worthey Pastor of ye chh., ye Revd. mr. avery, and earnestly pray for him, and do theyr utmost endever for his Peace, comfort, and good subsistance among them; and labour to ye utmost that
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they may all be Profetable Hearers of ye word of ye Lord, dispenced by him. and we pray God yt our advice may be acceptable to ye saints and People of God in Norton, and Profetable to them; and that he will graciously bless them all with Peace and holiness, and with his Grate salvations. Amen.
" SAMLL. How (?). PETER THACHER, Moderator.
ISAC CLARK. JOHN DANFORTH.
GEORGE BARBER.
JOSEPH BAXTER.
JONATHAN CLAP. JOHN SWIFT.
WILLIAM PEABODIE.
RICHARD BILINGS.
DANIELL PRESTON.
MANASSAH TUCKER.
JONATHAN GULLEVER.
JOHN WODSWORTH. ELEZER WHELOCK."
In obedience to the decision of the council, Mr. Skin- ner makes confession in these words : -
" I, John Skiner, have had a Strong opinion, that ye charge upon ye Assessors, yt they had Refused an abatement of ma- dam Leonard and her son's rates, was a false charge; but, ye Councill of Churches haveing otherwise determined, I do Sub- mit to and aquies in their determinations. and ye sd. holy Council of chhs. haveing Judged yt I ought to humble my- selfe before God and ye Lord Jesus Christ for my hard words against and charges upon my Reverend Pastor and ye chh., for my long disorderly withdrawment from ye Communion of ye chh. at ye Lord's table, and Confes my fault to them, and Promice Reformation and Harty union with them for time to come; besids what I, in comon with other good people in Norton, am exhorted to, and charged to love and Honour my worthy Pastor, ye Revrd. Avery, and earnestly Pray for him, and to do my utmost endevour for his Peace, Comfort, and good subsistance in Norton ; and that I will labour to ye ut- most yt I may be a Profitable hearer of ye word of ye Lord dispensed by him, - I do acordingly humbell myself for my hard words against and charges against my Revrd. Pastor and ye chh., and for my long and disorderly withdrawment from ye communion of ye chh. in norton; and I do Pene- tently confes I have ben very falty tharein; and I ernistly beg Pardon thereof at ye hand of God and of ye Lord Jesus Christ, and ask forgivenes also at ye hand of my Revd. Pas- tor, mr. avery, and of ye chh. in norton ; and Promise, by ye Grace and Help of ye Eternall Sperit, to Reforme to ye time
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to come, and to Performe my duty to ye Revrd. Pastor and chh., to God, and to my own soul, yt ye Councell of chhs. at Norton has advised in yr Result, Dated November 13, 1722 ; nor will I be an Incendiary of strife in norton; nor will I Bring my Pastor or others to an uneasenes by complaining of and finding falt with any words spoken in ye sd. Counsell, or Bringing in of any charges or testemonies against me or any others ; and Pray to be Relesed from ye eclesasticell sus- pencion.
" JOHN SKINER."
Thus the breach was apparently healed; the out- ward flame was quenched. But we fear there are yet some smouldering embers of discord, that will ere long burst forth, to the injury of the pastor, if not the church. We shall see further on.
In order that all may have a full understanding of subsequent events for a few years in the church his- tory, it is necessary that the different grades of church officers should be explained.
There were early, in many of the New-England churches, four sets of officers, who exerted not a little influence in the community. These were, first, pas- tors ; second, teachers ; third, elders ; fourth, deacons. From an article in the " American Quarterly Register " for 1840 (p. 37), it appears that -
" Pastors and teachers were formerly two distinct officers, but, in some of the New-England churches, were quite early united in one. The distinction was founded upon Eph. iv. 11; Rom. xii. 7, 8; &c. According to the Platform, 'The pas- tor's special work is to attend to exhortation, and therein to administer a word of wisdom: the teacher is to attend to doctrine, and therein to administer a word of knowledge.' Thomas Hooker declares the scope of the pastor's office to be to work upon the will and affections ; that of the teacher, ' to inform the judgment, and to help forward the work of illumination in the mind and understanding, and thereby to make way for the truth, that it may be settled and fastened upon the heart.'"
It seems from this that the pastor's duty was to preach ; the teacher's, to catechize.
9*
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" Many of the first settlers of New England regarded the office of ruling elders as of divine institution ; and appealed to 1 Tim. v. 17, and other passages, as warranting this per- suasion. They were elders in common with the pastor and teacher; and as it was their duty to assist the teaching offi- cers or officer in ruling, or conducting the spiritual affairs of the church (in admitting, for instance, or excluding members, inspecting their lives and conversations, preventing or healing offences, visiting the sick, and administering occasionally a word of admonition or exhortation to the congregation), they obtained the name of ruling elders. Ruling elders were anciently ordained, and were sometimes addressed by the ; appellation of reverend. The place of the ruling elders in the congregation was an elevated seat between the deacons' seat and the pulpit." 1
The practice of having ruling elders was not uni- form in the New-England churches. Some had them ; others did not. They were longer retained in the churches than teachers, as distinct from pastors. When chosen, they were usually taken from among the dea- cons ; selecting that one who, for his gravity, eminent piety, and other special gifts, was deemed worthy to be advanced to a higher position. When a vacancy was thus caused in the deacons' seat, it was filled by choosing some one from the body of the church. It was also a practice in some churches, and continued till about the commencement of the present century, to ordain deacons. I cannot learn that their ordination conferred upon them any powers they did not possess before. I am informed by a gentleman of great anti- quarian knowledge,2 that it was also "allowable for churches to have widows, or deaconesses, particularly to visit the sick." We will also state, that it was a cus- tom to allow some persons to own or renew the cove- nant, who were not admitted to full church member- ship. The owning or renewing of the covenant gave them the privilege of having their children baptized, but did not admit them to the communion-table.
1 American Quarterly Register, 1840, pp. 40, 41.
2 Rev. J. B. Felt, of Boston.
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Hence some who renewed or owned the covenant were never communicants. Keeping these facts in mind, we will pass over some ten or twelve years of church history, and then lift the curtain again.
Rumors are in motion, that Mr. Avery does not rule the church after the manner of the Church Discipline ; and by way, no doubt, of refreshing his memory, some of the members contrive to have a church-meeting called for the reading and re-adoption of the Platform as their guide in church discipline.
The record says, -
"The Church thought it necessary (inasmuch as thare ware more members belonging to the church then formerly, and many of them never had read, or heard the said Plat- forme Read) that it shold be Read at the Church-meeting on the 5th of Sept., 1734, and that the Church shold Renew their vote to Practice according to the Rule of it ; and, acord- ingly, sd. Platforme of Church discipline, agreed upon by the synod assembled at Cambridge, 1648, was Read, and thay did by vote manifest it, that thay did unanemosly approve of said Platforme, or the substance of it, and agree to Practice acord- ing to the Rule of it."
This clause, " or the substance of it," shows that it was not, even by themselves, very strictly construed at this time.
There are some restless spirits who are not satisfied with the state of things in the church, and think some- thing must be done, - they hardly know what. It occurs to them that the deacons of the church have never been ordained ; and forthwith they get up the following petition : -
"To the Revd. Mr. Joseph Avery, &c.
" We, the subscribers, do thus say, that threw the Goodness and Mercy of God to us of this town of Norton, yt there hath ben a Congregational church gethered, and yourself ordained the pastor; and we have hitherunto Injoyed ye means of Grace and ye ordinances of Christ, according to his own insti- tution, peaceably unto this day ; which call for the thankfull- ness from us of this church. but, notwithstanding the mar- ceys we have Injoyed, we have hetherto lived Either in the
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neglect or a willfull omition of the emprovement of one spe- ciall priviledge, which our Lord Jesus Christ hath purchast for us, perticular ye ordination of Deacons: for although ye Church hath Chose Deacons first, second, or third, yet they only stand on probation ; and so ye church do still Re- main not yet compleated with officers acording to scripture. and platform. therefore we do desire yt one or more of ye Deacons, such as yourselfe and ye Church shall think fitt, may be ordained ; and yt another Deacon may be chosen, which we understand is of necessaty. all which we desire might be ac- complished before the next sacrament. and, to say no more, we hope you will grant our desires. we remain your loveing Brethren.
" Dated in NORTON, September 25th, 1736.
" GEORGE LEONARD. JOHN WILD.
JOHN WETHERELL. JOHN BRIGGS, 2nd.
JOSHUA POMROY. EPHRAIM LANE.
SAMLL. CLAP. WILLM. STONE."
JOHN AUSTIN.
I should judge from this that they wished the deacons to be ordained to the position of ruling el- ders.
Mr. Avery is opposed to this measure, and hence takes no efficient means to forward their desire.
A year went by, and they find another source of dissatisfaction. The minister is guilty of admitting persons to own the covenant without a vote of the church, and they address him as follows: -
"To the Revd. mr. Joseph Avery, Pastor of ye 1st Church of Christ in Norton, Greeting.
" We the subscribers, being members in full communion in sd. Church, are humbly of ye opinion, that there ought not to be taken into ye Church any members without their owning ye covenant in Publick : therefore we do protest and declare against it, and desire that practise may not be any longer fol- lowed in this Church. we also are of ye opinion, that persons ought not to be taken into, or under ye watch and care of, the Church, without a clear vote of ye church for it; and there- fore think that takeing into, or under ye watch or Care of, ye Church, without the vote of ye Church for ye Same, cannot
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be Justified by ye word of God, nor the platform of Church discipline; which, you may Remember, we of this Church have voted for our rule of discipline : therefore we do pro- test against any further proceeding in that affair, without a plain vote of the Church for it. and your complyance herein will very much oblige us.
" Dated NORTON, May 30th, 1737.
"John Briggs, 2nd, George Leonard, Ephraim Lane, Willm. Makepeace, Jonathan Newcombe, 2nd, Joshua Pom- roy, John Wild, Willm. Ware, Ephraim Dunham, John Austin, John Wetherell, Benjamin Cobb."
What was the result of this petition, I have no means of determining. For a few years, I find nothing to indicate the course of events that transpired. The confession and votes that follow may throw some light upon the state of affairs at that time, and perhaps ex- plain one cause of strife in the church; for, when persons are guilty of such practices as are here con- fessed, they are apt to get into difficulty. It shows, however, that there was a noble heart within the weak flesh : -
"Upon ye 24 day of october last past, in ye county of Suf- folk, I do own and acknoledg yt I did drink to much strong drink, so yt I was disgised thareby, to ye dishonnor of God and my holy profession ; for which I am hartyly sorry for my dishonouring of God and my holy profession : and if I have at any time given offence to any by word or action, or by being disguised with drink at any time wtsoever, I am sorry for it. and I do hartily and willingly take shame to myself for my drinking to excess ; for I know it is sin. I pray ye church to receiv this my confession, and forgive me my of- fence to them, and pray to God for me that he would pardon this and all my other sins; and I pray the Chh. to extend their charity towards me so far as not to think I allow myself in any one known scandalous sin. also my earnest desire is yt ye chh. would dismiss me from ye office and service of a Deacon of ye chh. for ye future.
" Dated NORTON, november 2, 1745.
"JN. BRIGGS, 2nd."
" December 18th, 1745. - Att a chh .- meeting, Regularly appointed by the Pastor of the chh., according to the Desire
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of Deacon John Briggs, the second, ye chh. voted his dismis- sion from ye office and service of a Deacon of ye chh. for ye future."
" December 22nd, 1745. - The above-written confession of Deacon John Briggs, the second, was read to the chh .; and the chh. voted their acceptance of the same."
How much " strong drink " had to do with the un- happy state of affairs about to distract the church, we can, of course, only conjecture ; but sure we are, that, after the lapse of a little more than a year, the pastor is served with the following document, which intimates that the church was (spiritually considered) in a bad condition : -
"To the Reverend Pastor of ye first Church of Christ in Norton.
" We, being under apprehension of ye frowns of God's providence on this church in permitting such Divisions and seperation amongst us as have hapned to us of late, - which we think to be the tokens of God's Displeasure towards us, - wherefore we, your Brethren and humble pertitioners, Re- quest that you appoint a Church-Meeting forthwith, where the Church may come together, in order to read ye Platform of Church Discipline, and vote it again if they think it proper ; and, further, to consult what measures are best to be taken in order to Regulate those disorders that are amongst us at the present Day. - Dated norton, febuary 6, 1747.
"John Briggs, 2nd, Benjamin Cobb, Benjamin Hews, Gideon Basset, Willm. Codington, John Guilbert, Ephrm. Lane, John Briggs, Jacob Newland, Josiah Newland, Seth Smith, John Austin, Jeremiah Cambel." .
We can find no record of the proposed church- meeting; but it is presumed that even the reading of the Platform of Church Discipline did not heal the divisions and ill feelings then raging in the bosom of the church. Strange that it never occurred to these men, that the best church discipline is the humble and forgiving spirit of Jesus !
Frequent church-meetings for the discipline of mem- bers are always ominous of evil, and show that the
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first great requisite of a Christian life - viz., love - is wanting somewhere. Even church-members are sub- ject to passions and prejudices like other men ; and, when once they become embroiled in local strifes and feuds, they are very apt to lose the spirit and temper of their divine Master, and thereby increase instead of diminishing the flames of dissension. The following record shows a most lamentable state of affairs in the church ; shows that criminations and recriminations are rife ; shows, to some extent, the dissatisfaction of a portion of the church with the pastor ; and also the means used - not adequate, however, to the end de- sired - to heal the fast-widening breach : -
" A chh .- meeting was appointed by ye Pastor of ye chh., to be on ye 17th of June, 1747, at ye publick meeting-house, at one a'clock in ye afternoon, for ye following reasons ; viz. : 1st, yt ye chh. might consider what their duty is, and dis- charge their duty, with respect to Sarah Campbel, ye wife of Gershom Campbel, for her offence in withdrawing from com- munion with ye chh .; and yt ye chh. might Inquire into ye report, and be rightly Informed concerning a report, of her denying what she had said concerning her going to hear Mr. Avery preach ; viz., yt she would sooner burn at ye stake than go to hear mr. avery preach, &c.
" 2. To lay before ye chh. John Finney's, sen., Reasons of dissatisfaction with ye Pastor and chh., and what can be proved yt he said at ye time when he desired ye pastor to appoint a chh .- meeting; and yt the chh. may consider what their duty is, and discharge their duty, with respect to said John Finney, sen.
" 3. That ye chh. might Inquire and be rightly Informed with respect to what James Briggs had said concerning Mr. White's preaching, and Consider what yr duty is, & discharge their duty, with respect to sd. James Briggs ; and also that ye chh. might consider what their duty is, & discharge their duty, with respect to those persons that have kept a meeting at ye house of James Briggs upon ye sabbath, & held communion with persons of a neighbouring town In ye performing Divine worship and service ; namely, prayer, &c. Concerning whom it is reported yt they have disorderly seperated from com- munion with ye chh. y. y. belong to."
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" Att the chh .- meeting on ye 17th of June, 1747, -
"1. The chh. voted that sister Sarah Campbel should be suspended from Communion with ym at ye ordinance of ye Lord's Supper, for her refusing to acknowledge she was guilty of offence in withdrawing from communion with ye chh. with- out sufficient reasons, and before she had laid before ye chh. ye Reasons of her dissatisfaction.
"2. The chh. voted that Brother John ffiney, sen., should be suspended from communion with ym at ye ordinance of ye Lord's Supper, for his refusing to acknowledge he was to blame for saying ye chh. was not settled according to Gospel Rule, and yt he did not like recieving members into ye chh. without certainly knowing y. y. were not hypocrites, and yt ยท ye chh. was settled on ye same principles as ye chh. of Room, & that ye chh. worshipped God falsly and by Images, and all ye difference was they did not set up Images before their eyes ; and that he would as soon join with the chh. of Room as with this chh. The chh .- meeting on ye 17th of June, 1747, was adjourned to be on ye 14th of July, 1747, to be at ye publick meeting-house."
" Att the chh .- meeting on ye 14th of July, 1747, -
" Several members, yt were dissatisfied with ye Pastor and chh., gave in yr. Reasons of dissatisfaction with ye pastor and chh. in writeing; and it was proposed to ye dissatisfied members, whether y. y. desired, as well as Gershom Campbel, the chh. to joine with them in calling a counsel, & to take it into consideration, and to Inform ye chh. whether y. y. did or no, on ye next chh .- meeting, which was adjourned to be on ye first monday in august next, to be at ye publick meeting- house, at one o'Clock in ye afternoon.
" James Briggs said, at sd. chh .- meeting, he was afraid the chh. would still joine & hold with ye chh. of Rome."
" Att a chh .- meeting on ye 1st of January, 1747-8, the chh. did, by a vote, suspend Gershom Campbel from communion with them at ye ordinance of the lord's supper, for saying it did appear to him that Mr. avery and the chh. have suckt at ye breast of the chh. of Rome, else they could not have swal- lowed down & digested such Doctrine as Mr. Avery was ac- cused with, which is the foundation ye chh. of Rome was built upon, and ye prop yt keeps it up; and also for his un- just seperation from this chh.
" At the same chh .- meeting abovesd., the chh. did, by a vote, suspend James Briggs from communion with them at ye
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Lord's Supper, for his unjust seperation from communion with ym, & his setting up a seperate meeting at ye house in which he dwells, in opposition to ye meeting and worship of God in this chh. and precint. also, att ye same chh .- meeting abovesd., ye chh. did, by a vote, suspend Phinehas Briggs, and also Ester Briggs, ye wife of Phinehas Briggs; also Joshuah Campbel, and abigal his wife; also Mary ffiney, ye wife of John ffiney, senior; also John ffiney, ye 2nd; also Lydia Campbel, ye wife of william Campbel, - for their unjust seperation from communion with ys chh., and their Joyning with yose yt have set up and held a seperate meeting, in op- position to ye meeting and worship of God in this chh. and precinct.
" Att the chh .- meeting abovesd., The chh. were desired, by ye Pastor, to inform the other members of the chh. who did seperate from communion with the chh. in ye Publick worship of God in his house and sanctuary upon the sabbath, and from communion with ye chh. at ye ordinance of the Lord's Supper, that the chh. did think it to be their duty to bear a testimony against their unjust seperation, without y. y. should make satisfaction to ye chh. for their offence in with- drawing from communion with ym in ye publick worship, and at ye ordinance of ye Lord's Supper.
" Whereas there were several of the chh. did think it their duty to bear testimony against those members of ye chh. yt did seperate from communion with ye chh. in ye Publick worship of God in his house & sanctuary, and at ye ordinance of ye Lord's Supper, without y. y. should make satisfaction to ye chh. for their offence, ye Pastor did desire ye chh. to meet Immediately after the publick lecture preceeding the sacrament to be on ye first Sabbath in March (sd. lecture was to be on ye 2nd day of march, 1747-8), that ye chh. might bear a testimony against yr. unjust seperation, without y. y. should make satisfaction to ye chh. for their offence in sepe- rating from communion with ym.
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