History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859, Part 38

Author: Clark, George Faber, 1817-1899. cn
Publication date: 1859
Publisher: Boston, Crosby, Nichols, and Co., and author at Norton
Number of Pages: 608


USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 38


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Ephraim Leonard and Josiah Pratt are empowered " to obtain a minister to preach 3 months," and twenty pounds were raised " to support the minister." Dec. 13, " voted to hire a minister to preach the gospel in the precinct until the first of March."


During the winter of 1831-2, it is supposed, the pre- cinct had stated preaching, in accordance with the vote passed Dec. 13. March 27, 1732, at a legal meet- ing of the precinct, it was "voted to give Rev. Mr. Ephraim Little, of Scituate, a call to settle with them in the work of the Gospel ministry ; " and they agreed to


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give him a yearly salary of a hundred pounds, old tenor, during his ministry in the precinct, and offer him, as a settlement, two hundred pounds, to be paid in annual instalments of fifty pounds.


These proceedings were " without a negative vote." Mr. Little, however, gave a " negative " answer; no doubt, much to the disappointment of the precinct.


We had prepared a full ecclesiastical history of the North Precinct ; but our crowded pages and other good reasons oblige us to omit most of it.


Oct. 7, 1734, Abiel Howard, of Bridgewater, was unanimously chosen pastor. "He could not see his way clear to accept the call ; " and hence the precinct try again. May 20, 1735, they unanimously gave a call to Atherton Wales, of Braintree ; but he declined it. With commendable perseverance, the precinct, Dec. 20, 1735, unanimously invited Samuel Toby, of Sandwich, to settle. His answer was "No." Again they look about for a candidate. One is procured. He is acceptable to the people, who, Sept. 7, 1736, ask Ebenezer White, of Brookline, to be their "gospel minister ; " and, after about four weeks' deliberation, he accepted the invitation.


The ordination took place, Feb. 23, 1737; but who took part in the interesting services of consecrating him to the work of the gospel ministry is unknown, as no records are to be found. It is uncertain on what particular day the church was embodied. No record of the organization of the church, or the names of those who composed it, are extant among the church or parish papers ; but Rev. Mr. Avery fortunately made in his church-records the following entry, which throws some light upon the matter. We therefore transcribe it.


" Jan. 2nd, 1736-7. - Dismissed (at yr request), in order to ye gathering a Chh., Nicholas White,* John Hall,* Tho- mas Skinner,* Sen., John Skinner, Sen.,* Ephraim Grover, Sen.,* Benja. Williams, Seth Dorman,* Josiah Pratt, Thomas Fillebrown, Joshua Atherton, Stephen Blancher, Wm. Pain, Benj. Lane, Willm. Dean, Jonathan Pratt, Joshua Williams,


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Andrew Grover, Thomas Grover, Sen.,* Ezra Skinner, - members of ye Chh. in Norton, Living in ye North precinct."


Those marked with a star were original members of the church from which they were dismissed; so that just half - reckoning the pastor among the num- ber - of those who were embodied, Oct. 28, 1714, as the first church of Norton, were among the original members of the North-Precinct Church. They parted from their old associates and pastor in the goodly fellowship of the gospel and in the spirit of Jesus. They parted because they thought the interests of religion demanded a settled ministry in the northerly part of the town. One proof of the fraternal feeling existing between the parent and the child is the follow- ing vote, copied from Mr. Avery's records : -


"July 1st, 1737. - Att a chh .- meeting before ye sacrament, ye chh., by vote, gave two bacars they bought with yr own money, and also ye bacar given by Mrs. Hannah Briggs, ye wife of Benj. Briggs, Sen., of Taunton, with her Consent, to ye 2nd Chh. in Norton, for yr. use and improvement."


Mr. White's ministry was not of the most peaceful character. He was probably too liberal in his views to satisfy many of the "stricter sort" of his parish. He was of a feeble constitution, and hence frequently was unable to attend to the duties of his office. Just as negotiations for his withdrawal from the ministry were completed, and a successor had been chosen, or on the 18th of January, 1761, he left the troubles of earth for the peaceful realms of the spirit-world. Jan. 12, 1761, six days previous to Mr. White's death, the precinct chose "Roland Green, of Malden, to settle with them in the work of the Gospel ministry." He was ordained Aug. 26, 1761, under the shade of some venerable trees, which stood near the westerly end of the present Congregational Meeting-house, in Mans- field. Mr. Green continued in the ministry till July 4, 1808; when he died suddenly of apoplexy, at Norton, whither he had come that morning to join in a public celebration of the day.


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In April, 1770, the North Precinct of Norton was, by an Act of the General Court, incorporated into a separate district called Mansfield.1 Of the causes that led to a total separation of the precinct from the town, we are not cognizant. Probably the pre- cinct thought they had so far increased in importance and dignity as to be able to take care of themselves ; and certainly, after having a tutelage of about thirty- nine years, they were worthy to assume the powers and duties of a corporated town. And yet, for some years after the erection of the precinct into a district, it voted with Norton in the choice of representatives to the General Court.


Perhaps the following votes of the town might have had some influence in hastening the separation : -


March 19, 1749-50, the town voted down a motion to have one-third part of the town-meetings at the North-Precinct Meeting-house.


March 29, 1756, " voted not to have any of the town- meetings held in the North precinct."


May 21, 1764, " voted that one-third part of the meetings in said town shall be held at the North- Precinct meeting-house."


March 9, 1767, " The town voted to hold no more of the town-meetings in the North precinct of sd. town." This vote was probably the straw that broke the camel's back; for an immediate movement was made towards a separation. The precinct seems not to have been unwilling that the child should navigate the sea of life alone, as will be seen by the action of the town : -


" SEP. 14th, 1767.


" Voted, whereas the North precinct of the town of Norton have desired said town to vote them off a district, the sd. town doth hereby signify their consent to the same, if the General Court should think proper to set off and make sd. precinct a


1 The difference between a district and a town was that the former were not allowed to choose a separate representative to the General Court, but were connected with some other town or district for that purpose. A few years after the incorporation of Mansfield as a district, a General Act was passed by the Legislature, raising all districts to the dignity of towns.


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separate district ; sd. North Precinct taking their proportion- able part of the poor of said town, and also their propor- tionable part of the town-stock."


After negotiating with the General Court more than two years, the court, as we have stated, declared the child of full age to act for itself. The bounds be- tween the towns were the same as between the town and precinct already given.


CHAPTER XXXII.


THE DISSENTING CHURCH.


" My name is written in the Book of Life." - P. J. BAILEY.


THE reader has probably noticed, that in the chapter on the ministry of Mr. Avery, p. 107, allusion is made to those who had set up a meeting in opposition to the First Church ; and also, on pp. 108 and 109, seven per- sons were suspended for their separation from Mr. Avery's church, and joining with those who had set up a separate meeting.


After a long and patient search, we have found the record of these dissenters, who formed a church and society, and maintained worship according to their own idea of things. They were, no doubt, what were called in those days "New Lights," and adherents to many of the doctrines promulgated by the leaders of the re- vival of 1740. Most of them were residents of the easterly part of Norton ; some of Easton and Taun- ton.


As this movement, in several respects, was quite an important one, and as few at the present day know any thing relative to it, we shall let their own records tell the reason which induced them to take the steps they did, and set forth the principles on which they established the new organization. We retain their


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own phraseology ; taking the liberty to supply, in brack- ets, such words as seem necessary to complete the sense.


The spelling is so bad, that few of our readers would be able to make out what is meant if we copied the ori- ginal : therefore we take the liberty to correct that.


" The Records of a Church of Christ in Norton, in the County of Bristol, in New England, that dissented from the Consti- tution of the Church in this land for the following reasons ; to wit : -


" 1. Because that they did not particularly examine those admitted to their communion, as they ought to do.


" 2. Because they did not hold a gospel discipline.


"3. They deny the fellowship of the saints.


"4. Their settling ministers by way of salary.


"5. By their allowing of half-way members.


" All which particulars we look upon to be contrary to the rules that Christ and his apostles practised.


" And after due pains being taken, and no way [being devised ] to have the difficulty removed, we, in faithfulness to the cause and interest of Christ's kingdom here in this world, did bear faithful testimony against their proceeding.


"Then the Lord put it into our hearts to [look to] him for direction ; and we set ourselves to seek the Lord by prayers. And the Lord put it into our hearts to set apart the first day of February, 1747,1 to be kept as a day of solemn fasting and prayer to Almighty God, for the accession of his Holy Spirit to direct us in the way he would have us to walk in. And the Lord so wonderfully owned and blessed us, that ten persons solemnly covenanted with God, and one with another, for the building of [a] Church, and maintaining the worship of God, in this place."


" The articles of faith and Covenant drawn up and agreed upon by the Church of Christ in Norton : -


"1. We believe that there is one only living and true God, who is a spirit; of himself from all eternity to all eter- nity unchangeably the same; infinitely holy, wise, omnipo- tent, just, merciful and gracious, omniscient, true, and faithful


1 This was, no doubt, 1748, new style.


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God ; filling all places, and not included in any place ; essen- tially happy in the possession of his own glorious perfec- tions.


"2. That this God subsists in three glorious persons, - the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, which are but one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.


"3. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, wherein he hath given us a perfect rule of faith and practice.


" 4. That God hath, for the manifestation of his glorious perfections, ordained whatsoever comes to pass.


"5. That God, in the beginning, created the heavens and the earth, and all things in them; and doth still uphold all things by the word of his power.


"6. That God did create man in his own image, -in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness, - capable of obeying and enjoying of him ; and so made with him a cove- nant of life, the conditions whereof were perfect obedience.


"7. That man soon fell into sin against God, by which he brought himself and all his posterity into a state of Death.


"8. That, man being thus dead, his recovery is wholly in and from God.


"9. That God the Father hath from all eternity chosen a number in Christ to eternal salvation.


" 10. That Christ did, in the fulness of time, take on him the human nature ; lived a perfect life on earth ; died a cursed death on the Cross ; arose from the dead; ascended into the heaven, and there ever liveth to make intercession for them.


"11. That the Holy Spirit of God, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and he only, can and doth make a par- ticular application of the salvation purchased by Christ for every elect soul.


"12. That we are of the number that was chosen from eternity 1 in Christ; and that he hath come and obeyed and suffered, arose and ascended, and doth ever plead before God


1 It is a somewhat remarkable fact, that all those who believe in the popular doctrine of " election " are sure that they are of the number chosen to eternal salvation. But their daily intercourse with the world does not always impress others with a favorable idea of their superior sanctity.


Rev. I. Backus, in his " Church History," vol. iii. p. 160, speaking of this church, says, "Some of the members, especially they who lived in Easton, had run into the most delusive notions that could be conceived of, - even so far as to forsake their lawful wives and husbands, and to take others ; and they got so far as to declare themselves to be perfect and immortal, or that the resurrection was past already, as some did in the apostolic age."


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THE DISSENTING CHURCH.


the Father for us; which he hath given us to believe by send- ing the holy spirit to convince us of our miserable and lost condition, and discovered to and offered to us a glorious [salvation] in his suitableness and sufficiency, and [invited] us to embrace him with our whole souls; whereby he is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and re- demption.


"13. That the life of religion consists [in] the knowledge of God, and a conformity to him in the inner man; which necessarily produces an external conformity to his laws.


"14. That all doubting in a believer is sinful; being con- trary to the commands of God, hurtful to the soul, and a hinderance to the performance of duty.


" 15. That true believers, by virtue [of] their union to Christ, have fellowship one with another, whereby they are made partakers of each other's gifts and graces.


"16. That the first day of the [week ], commonly called the Lord's day, is the Christian Sabbath.


" 17. That true believers, and none but such, are members of the Catholic Church of Christ, and have a right to all the internal and external gifts and privileges that Christ hath left in his Church in the world; in order to the right enjoy- ment of which, and the due administration of Church Disci- pline, [it] is meet, and according to scripture, that there be particular Churches of believers."


"Of which we shall next consider, and say, -


"1. First, it is a number of true believers, by mutual acquaintance and communion voluntarily covenanting and embodying together for the carrying-on the worship and ser- vice of God.


" 2. That [there] are two sacraments of the New Testa- ment, which Christ has instituted to be practised or observed in his Church till his coming; (viz.), Baptism and the Lord's Supper.


"3. The most of [us] hold that true believers have a right to give up their children to God in Baptism ; yet a different opinion in this point don't break our fellowship.


"4. That whosoever pretends to administer or partake of the seals of the covenant of grace, without saving faith, are in danger of sealing their own damnation.


" Therefore, the doors of the Church are to be carefully kept at all times against all such as cannot give a scriptural evidence of their union to Christ by faith.


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" 5. That a number of true believers, being thus essentially and visibly united together, have power to choose and ordain such officers as Christ hath appointed in his Church, - such as bishops and deacons; and, by the same power, to depose such officers as evidently appear to walk contrary to the Gos- pel. Yet we believe, in such cases, 'tis convenient to take advice of the neighboring Churches of the same Constitu- tion.


" 6. That, before choice and ordination of such officers, trial be made of their qualifications by the Church in which they are to be officers in.


"7. That the Bishop or Elder, by virtue of their office, have no more power to decide any case or controversy in the Church than any private brother : but his work is to lead in the meetings of the Church, and to administer the Sacra- ment; and to devote himself to the work of teaching and warning, rebuking and exhorting, the people, publicly and from house to house.


"8. That the deacon's office [and] work is to take care of the poor and the church treasure, and to distribute to the support of the Pastor, the propagation of religion, and to minister at the Lord's table.


" 9. That all the gifts and graces that are bestowed upon any of the members are to be improved by them for the good of the whole; in order to which, there ought to be such a gospel freedom, whereby the Church may know where every particular gift is, that it may be improved in its proper place and to its right end, for the glory of God and the good of the Church."


" THE COVENANT.


" Thus having declared our faith concerning the Trinity, and of the state of man before and after the fall, the way of salvation by Christ, how we are brought into the Covenant of Grace, of the communion of saints, the nature and power of a church, &c., -


"We do now, in the presence of the Great God, and in the faith above and before declared, and by the present help of Divine Grace, renewed and united by giv[ing] up ourselves to God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be for him, and no other; freely submitting ourselves to him, to be at his disposal, for his glory ; taking him as our chiefest good ; promising, by the help of Divine Grace, to watch against


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THE DISSENTING CHURCH.


every sin, corruption, and temptation, and to hold a continual and perpetual warfare with the same ; looking to Christ Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith; promising to watch over one another in the love of God, and to hold com- munion together in the ordinances and discipline of the Gos- pel Church ; submitting ourselves to one another in love, and submitting ourselves to the discipline of this Church as a part of Christ's mystical body, according as we shall be guided by the spirit of God in his word, and by the help of Divine Grace; still to be looking for more light from the Lord, be- lieving that he will yet further and more graciously open his word and the mysteries of his kingdom; looking and wait- ing for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen."


It is much to be regretted that these ten persons, who were so sure that they were "of the number chosen from eternity," did not append their names to this statement of reasons, declaration of faith, and covenant ; for nowhere upon the records does it appear who they were.


Possibly they did not immediately sign the cove- nant, and that they were of the number - whose names we shall hereafter give - that covenanted with the church previous to the ordination of a minister.


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The matter is left in doubt; and eternity will pro- bably only reveal who were these " ten righteous men" that were to save the Sodom of Norton from destruc- tion.


Having adopted the covenant, &c., they began to look about for an elder or teacher in spiritual things. We will let their own records tell how they reached the end desired : -


" August ye 1, 1748. - A meeting [was] appointed to inquire duty of God, in or[der] that God would make duty plain to us, in order to have a Church completed with officers; And, after solemn prayer to Almighty God, it ap- peared duty to us to appoint August ye 11 to be kept as a day of fasting and prayer to Almighty God, that he would give us a Pastor and other officers in this church."


" August ye 11, - being the day set apart by this church for solemn prayer to God, - the church came together, and


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THE DISSENTING CHURCH.


some brethren from Rehoboth and Attleboro'. After solemn prayer to God, and a sermon preached, William Carpenter - after being called by this Church to the work of the ministry - gave himself to God and this Church, to serve them in the work of the ministry, and was received in fellow[ship], and, at the same time, signed [the] covenant with this church. Then, at the same time, the church agreed to appoint Wednesday, Sept. ye 7, for the day of solemn ordination to ordain William Carpenter to be pastor of our formed church in Norton ; and, at the same time, agreed to send to the following churches, - to wit, Canterbury, Provi- dence, Rehoboth, Attleboro', and Middleboro'."


"Sept. ye 3 being appointed by this church to be kept as a day of solemn prayer to God, to beg his help and assistance in the ordination of our pastor, and [to] choose deacons for this church, - after solemn prayer to God, the church chose James Briggs and Phineas Briggs for deacons of this church."


Agreeably to previous arrangement, the ordination services took place on Sept. 7, 1748. The churches above named, - except Middleborough, - with their pastors and messengers, were present, and formed the council : viz., Rev. Solomon Pain, of Canterbury ; Rev. Joseph Snow, of Providence ; Rev. John Pain, of Rehoboth ; Rev. Nathaniel Shepard, of Attleborough. The records say, -


" After Mr. Carpenter declared [his] call to the work of the ministry, and his call to take the particular charge of this church ; [and] after solemn prayer to Almighty God for his assistance in the work of sd. day, and a sermon preached by Mr. Snow, - then proceeded in the solemn work of the ordi- nation. Mr. John Pain gave Mr. Carpenter his charge; and Mr. Shepard, the right hand of fellowship : and a glorious time it was. Glory to God alone !"


Sept. 8, - the day succeeding the ordination of Mr. Carpenter, - James Briggs and Phineas Briggs, who, on the 3d inst., had been chosen deacons, were or- dained ; and thus " the church was completed with officers," according to the ideas of its founders.


Deacon James Briggs was the son of Richard, one of the first settlers of this town; and was born


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,


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THE DISSENTING CHURCH.


March 16, 1718-19. He married Damaris White, May 5, 1743 ; and had eight children.


Phineas Briggs was probably the son of John Briggs, 2d, and Hannah his wife, whose maiden name was Rocket ; and is supposed to have been born about 1710. He married, Dec. 27, 1739, Esther Finney ; and had nine children.


For two or three years after the organization of this church, they appear to have prospered quite well; and frequent additions were made to their numbers. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper seems to have been observed quite often, with much interest, - some- times, and perhaps regularly, twice a month. We will make a few extracts from the records, to show something of the spirit that pervaded the church : -


" Lord's day, Sept. ye 18, 1748. - The Lord's [Supper] was received in this Church in the power of the Holy Ghost; and a blessed day it was. all the glory be given to God."


" Lord's day, October ye 20, 1751. - The Lord's supper was administered in this Church by the special assistance of the spirit of God and the power of the Holy Ghost, every member covenanting with God in a Solemn manner."


" Lord's day, July ye 7, 1754. - The Lord's Supper was administered in this church, with considerable of the presence of God."


" April ye 6, 1760. - The Lord's Supper was received in this church with much of the refreshing influences of the spirit of God."


This church - born, no doubt, of a dislike to Rev. Mr. Avery - had not probably within it the elements of long life. It was not probably in fellowship with the regular Congregational churches in this vicinity.


Some of the ministers who assisted in the ordination of Mr. Carpenter are supposed to have been Baptists ; or, if not, it is presumed they dissented from the es- tablished churches, and very likely became, ere long, of the Baptist faith. Some of the members of the church, perhaps, had strong predilections to Baptist notions. At any rate, the church, from some cause, was broken up in the spring of 1761; and from its ruins sprang


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a Baptist church and society, whose history we shall record in the next chapter.


The record-book of the dissenters continued to be the record-book of the Baptist society ; and the records are continued without interruption in the same hand- writing, which is probably that of Deacon Gershom Cam- bell, who appears to have been clerk for many years.


This dissenting church and society never had a meeting-house, but held religious worship in the pri- vate dwellings of its members. It is supposed that most of the members, and perhaps all, were baptized by sprinkling; and we know that some of them were believers in infant-baptism, for the record shows that the children were "sprinkled."


'The following are the names of those who cove- nanted with the church before the ordination of Mr. Carpenter. We give their names in the order in which they were admitted.


Sarah Cambell, 1st, Sarah Cambell, 2d, James Briggs, Abigail Cambell, 1st, Seth Babbit, Phineas Briggs, Esther Briggs, Lydia Briggs, Jabez Briggs, Simeon Babbit, Stephen Blanchard, Dorothy Smith, Joshua Cambell, Gershom Cam- bell, Ruth Blanchard, Mary Pike, Damaris Briggs, Lydia Cambell.




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