USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Memorial history of Bradford, Mass. > Part 7
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played on the sabbath.' That man is as shy of his bi- ble as of some other books written for his use."
Obj. " There are so many tunes, we shall never have done learning them ; some say one hundred and fifty tunes."
Reply. "There have been five sung in our congrega- tion, but what we are accustomed to, Hackney, or St. Mary's, Standish, Dunhead or Brunsvick, Eighty-fifth Psalm Tune, and London. Solomon's Songs were 1005."
Obj. "It makes disturbance, roils and exasperates, grieves good people, causes them to behave indecently and disorderly in the House of God."
Reply. "The new way is not spoken against at Boston nor Cambridge. If men are offended that is their weakness, not their goodness. If we offend it is our weakness, not our sin. One of the wisest of the A. R. Singers said, when he heard the sermon on . Pre- judice,' ' I will read and pray and examine,' and when he had done this, he said ''Tis of God.'"
Obj. "This way is Quakerish and Popish. It is the introduction of instrumental music. The names of the notes are bawdy and blasphemous."
Reply. Apollo himself, who never laughed but once in a year, could never forbear giggling again at such comical objections. Truly a broad laugh or hearty scowl or deep sigh is all the answer needed. As to baudiness, as the tool thinketh, so the bell clinketh. The names of the notes were given by Guido Aretina .* As to names
* Native of Arezza, in Tuscany, flourished in the 11th century. The new notation was suggested during the performance of the hymn to St. John. The frequent returns of the syllables, ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, made such impression on his mind, that he used these syllables in his improvement, converting tetrachords into hexachords. The hymn which suggested to Guido the new method was as follows :
" Ut queant laxis, Mira Gestorum, Solve Pollutis, Resonare fibris, Famuli Tuorum, Labiis reatum Sante Joannes."
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of tunes, one is as good as another. 'Isle of Shoals,' for 'Isle of Wight,' ' Bull Head,' for 'Dunhead' as some in derision call them."
Obj. "It is needless ; our fathers got to heaven without it. What need of all this adoo and pudder for nothing ?"
Ans. "My father taught me a tune by note. He learned it at college. You might as well say, "it is needless to learn to read because your uncle could not read and had as good corn as any body."
The " Joco-Serious Dialogue " did not quiet the feeling. The whole town was in a "rage and a flame for more than a year." The performance of music in the churches was execrable. Cotton Mather said, " Singing, in some places, had degenerated into odd noise," and yet the people liked it. They thought the new way was the device of Satan. One of the objectors said, "I am jealous of this new way. If you sing by note, then comes praying by the book, and preaching by rule, then comes Popery !" Rul- ing Elder Tenney, (of blessed memory), says Symmes, "stood before the pulpit" in the humble church that stood on the brow of the hill in the old cem- etery, "and set the tune, while only four or five could sing it, and they with such torturing and twist- ing that no one could tell what tune they were sing- ing."
The old time chorister was a feature in New England life. "His first care was," as John Tufts says, "to set the tune at such a pitch that the people could sing it without squeaking above or grumbling below." Then he was to beat the time, so that the songsters could keep reasonably together. They put it on a tomb-stone of an ancient tune setter :
Stephen beat time And time beat Stephen."
The excitement in music was not local. It went through
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the colonies. At Braintree, Minister Niles refused to preach in the church if the singing by note were not stopped ; so he preached to the Anti Rule Singers in his house, while the other party sang by note in the church. The difficulty did not heal itself but was referred to a council. After grave deliberation and prayer, it was de- cided that the matter should be settled by compromise ; the Anti Rule Singers to sing their way in some of the songs, and the rest to be sung by rule. The first churches to introduce the new way were Boston, Charlestown, Roxbury, Dorchester, Cambridge. Frank- lin, Bridgewater, Ipswich, Newbury, Andover and Brad- ford.
Another trial came later when instruments of music were introduced. The very Evil One had crept into the sanctuary, they thought, when the viols and the sacred harps so long silent on the willows began to sound again. One minister, submitting with bad grace, said, let us fiddle and sing the 65th Psalm."
Mr. Symmes was accused of letting this music be brought in irregularly. He immediately asserted his prerogative. His whole dignity was in his reply:
"I introduced it." " I shan't be determined by those who neither know what they say nor whereof they af- firm." "Arraign my administration and I appeal to council." " The Pastor is master in doctrine and mu- sic."
About half a year the whole town was in a flame about it. Mr. Symmes wrote his sermon on prejudice in the heat of the controversy. He preached it here and in Mr. Tuft's pulpit in Newbury, and was requested to publish it by the people in Newbury. He assented for three reasons : 1. Because he has refused them several sermons they wished to print. 2. Because of their ur- gency. 3. Because there were some who heard it who did not like it. The sermon shows the aptness and fe- licity as well as the firmness and almost audacity of the
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man when conscious of doing right. The thought of the sermon may be imperfectly shown by analysis. Text, John i: 46. And Nathaniel said unto him, "can there any good thing come out of Nazareth ?" Philip saith unto him, "Come and see." Two things are ob- servable, 1. A doleful effect of prejudice. 2. A proper remedy for the cure of it.
I. Nathaniel was a good man. "Israelite indeed," a man of great integrity, in his spirit no guile. Not- withstanding all this he was under the power of pre- judice. a. He was prejudiced against the greatest truth of revealed religion. b. He was prejudiced against the best man that ever lived. c. He was pre- judiced against the greatest duty, i. e. accepting Christ. Therefore it follows that good men may be sadly pre- judiced.
II. Observe the reason of this prejudice. a. Partly through ignorance. b. Partly from defect in the preacher.
III. Notice the remedy. a. Come and see. Do not take up with common vogue. .
IV. Observe the nature of prejudice. It is a rash judgment without trial. There are no persons or things against which we may not be prejudiced. Men are pre- judiced against truth, in favor of error; there is no ab- surdity which has not advocates.
V. But then, let us look at the causes of it. a. Cor- ruption of nature. b. Satan has a hand in it. c. Pre- judice proceeds from the just judgment of God on per- sons and societies. But, to be more particular. d. Mis- understanding of scripture. Peter says some men "wrest" the scriptures. Many men now do that, putting the word of God to the rack and torture, compelling it to utter thoughts not divine. e. Education brings preju- dice. f. Great veneration for ancient custom, or what men call ancient, leads to prejudice. g. Prejudice arises from high thoughts of some persons and mean thoughts of others. h. Unwearying arguing from events leads to
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BRADFORD.
prejudice. The inhabitants of Melita argued that Paul was a murderer because of the viper ; then he was a God for a similar reason. i. Men are prejudiced by their lusts and idols. Finally, prejudice arises from unskil- fulness, unfaithfulness and cowardice or unexemplariness of ministers. Some pretenders to the sacred function are unskilful and cannot ; others are cowardly and dare not ; others idle and lukewarm, and do not; others unfaith- ful, and will not rightly divide the word.
· Again. Let us consider the woful effects of prejudice. 1. It hinders much good. 2. It hurts men's credit. 3. Injures men's estates. 4. It hurts posterity. 5. It harms society.
Lastly. Prevention. a. Take heed not to be set against the preacher of the word. You think the minister has some particular reference to your case. (Pray, sirs, what if he has !) This is to you an unpardonable crime. Some men are angry with the minister for telling them the truth. Such men are unreasonable with a witness (from all whom Libera nos Domine) I speak what I know, testi- fy what I have seen. Horresco referens. b. Take heed and not be prejudiced against church members. c. Take heed of superstition. d. Maintain a teachable disposi- tion. e. If you have reason to fear you are infected with the disease come to the word of God. f. Repair to your spiritual physician. g. Follow him. Don't balk your physician by not taking his remedies. h. Look up to God to direct and bless the means for your recovery.
I shall now shut up the discourse with saying two things. a. Let us pity, pray for, and be helpful to those under prejudice. b. Let us take heed of prejudice.
The effect of the sermon was very marked. It led to the abandonment of prejudice against the new ways of song. Some indeed were all the more angry, but most were turned from passion to reason.
The result of the controversy was the introduction of harmony in the worship of song. Mr. Tufts published
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a book of tunes .* It was bound up with an edition of the New England Psalm Book and was used extensive- ly in the colony. The people thought they knew what was an anthem of praise. The sweet lyrics which we sing were yet unborn. Watts, Cowper, the Wesleys, Montgomery and a great company who have been the singers of the church were yet to come. And the tunes of the church-some of them were written long before-but the church must wait almost a century before it can sing Coronation. "There is a fountain filled with blood," was as yet only a song in the heart. Our own Oliver wrote Federal Street more than a cen- tury later. The fugues which our fathers sung were not then in being. The great oratorios were only grand harmonies of God in the air, waiting for the genius which should catch their inspiration and trans- late them into the language of men to make them the utterance of the noblest sentiments of the reverent heart.
THE TITLE TO LAND. 1
In the early life of the colony it was not always easy to make terms with the Indians. The country all along the sea coast had been depopulated by fatal sickness. The Indians were shy, fearful, suspicious, and fled from every approach. In 1638, a title was secured from Masconomet, the Sagamore of Agawam, and he was paid for an indefinite wilderness which covered Ipswich and Rowley. In the first years of the eighteenth cen- tury the heirs of that Indian chief made a claim upon the town of Bradford and the following deed was ob- tained :
* An easy introduction to the Art of Singing Psalm Tunes. By Rev. Mr. John Tufts. A copy bound up with New England Psalm Book is in the library of the Mass. His. Soc., Boston.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BRADFORD.
" INDIANS TO YE TOWN OF BRADFORD.
" Recd on record Aprill 13, 1702.
"To all people unto whom these presents shall come, Samuel English, Joseph English, and John Vmpee, Indians, Grand Children and ye next true rightfull and lawfull heirs of Musquonomonit, als Muschonomet, Indian, decd, who was chief Sagamore, and native proprietors of yt whole tract of land Extending from ye southerly side of ye River Merimack unto Naumkeeg als Bass River, lying in ye county of Essex, within ye province of ye Massachusetts bay in New Engld. Send greeting, Whereas, divers Englishmen many years since in ye life time of ye said Musquonomitt, als Muschonomett, and by and with his knowledge, licence and good liking, did enter upon, Subdue, Improve, Build and settle an English Plantation, containing about Eight Thousand acres of land more or less, now called and known by ye name of Brad- ford, within and upon part of ye aforesd tract of land in ye County of Essex aforesd, which said Plantation or Township of Bradford and ye lands thereof are butted and Bounded Northerly upon ye said River Merrimack, Easterly upon the Line of the Township of Newbury until it come to ye Run of water in a certain swamp commonly called Beaver Swamp, and then Running on a straight line to a certain Rock com- monly called Hardy's Rock, and from thence to a white oak, , markt on Three sides, standing near into John Pickard's ffarme so called, and from thence Running near said John Pickard's house, and so over Johnson's Pond so called to an oak tree standing at ye south easterly corner of ye Pond called Little Pond, and from thence to a run of water on ye north side of a certain hill comonly called and known by ye name of Philistine hill, and following yt Run of water till it come to the line of The Town of Andover, and so upon An- dover Line till it come to ye River Merrimack, as also a certain Island cald and known by ye name of Gage's Island, containing about six acres of land, more or less, lying in Merrimack River aforesd : now Know yee, yt we, ye said Samuel English, Joseph English, and John Umpee, ye true rightfull and lawfull heirs of ye above named Saga- more Musquonomit, als Muschonnomet, as well upon ye
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Consideracon aforesd as for divers other good causes and con- sideracons us there unto moving, more especially for and in consideration of ye Sum of Six pounds and ten shillings, in currant Silver mony of New Engld, to us in hand at and before ye ensealing and delivery of these presents, well and truly Paid by John Tenny, Phillip Atwood, and John Boyn- ton, all of Bradford aforesd, yeomen, appointed a Committee by the Rest of ye Freeholders and proprietors of ye lands within and belonging to ye said township, ye receipt of which sum of six pounds ten shillings in mony we do here. by acknowledge, and ourselves to be therewth well satisfied, contented, and fully paid, have given, granted, aliened, Re- leased, Enfeofed, Ratified, and Confirmed, and for Ever 'Quitt claimed, and for us and every of us. each and every of our heirs, Do by these presents freely and absolutely give, grant, aliene, Release, Enfeofe, Ratify, Confirm, and for Ever quitt claim unto ye sd John Tenny, Phillip Attwood, and John Bointon, and ye Rest of ye ffreeholders and proprietors of lands within ye said Town of Bradford, their heirs and as- signes forever, all ye before mentioned Tract of land, Plan- tation or township called Bradford, containing Eight Thou- sand acres of land, more or less, and described and butted and bounded as above Expressed, or howsoever otherwise ye same is Butted, bounded, or Reputed to be bounded, and also all yt Island aforesd, Commonly called Gage's Island, together with all houses, Edifices, Buildings, trees, timber,' woods, underwoods, fields, feedings, pastures, marshes, mead- ows, swamps, ponds, pools, Runs, Rivoletts, Stones, herbage, Rights, members, hereditaments, profitts, privileges, Comod- ities, Emolumts, and appurtces whatsoever, upon ye aforesd tract of land and Island, or any part thereof, or to ye same or any part or percell thereof belonging or in any wise ap- pertaining, and also all ye Estate, right, title, Interest, In- heritance, use, property, possession, Claim, and demand what- soever of us ve said Samuel English, Joseph English, John Vmpee, and every of us, our and every of our heirs, of, in, to, and out of ye same, wth ye reversion and reversions, Remainder and Remainders thereof, and also all and Every sum and sums of money or paymts wh'soever, to be asked, Challenged, or in any wise demanded therefore : Excepting
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only a certain percell of Land of about three hundred acres, comonly called Mrs. Phillips his ffarme, Extending from ye aforesd River Merrimack up to Rowley Road, and all ye meadows Belonging to said ffarme Lying within ye sd Town of Bradford, according as said farm is Bounded :
"To HAVE AND TO HOLD all the Before mentioned, to be granted and Released, Lands and premises, in ye actuall possession of ye said John Tenny, Phillip Attwood, and John Bointon, and other ye free holders and proprietors of ye said Town of Bradford, being ( Except only as before is Excepted) with all ye rights, members, profitts, Hereditaments, & & appurtences thereunto belonging, unto ye said John Tenny, Phillip Attwood, and John Bointon, and ye Rest of ye ffree- holders and proprietors of ye said town of Bradford, their heirs and assigns for Ever, To their only proper use, Bene- fitt, and behoofe respectively for Evermore, ffreely, peaceably, and Quietly to possess, use, occupy, and enjoy ye same as a good, perfect, and absolute Estate of Inheritance, In fee, without the least lett, deniall, molestation, suit, trouble, evic- tion, ejection, claim, or demand of us ye said Samuel Eng- lish, Joseph English, and John Vmpee, or any or Either of us, or any or either of our heirs, or of any other person or persons, from, by, or under us, any or either of us, and we do hereby for ourselves and our heirs, Covenant, grant, and agree, to and with the said John Tenny, Phillip Attwood, and John Bointon, their heirs, Exers and admrs, on behalf of themselves and ye Rest of ye freeholders and proprietors of ye town of Bradford aforesd, their heirs and assigns, to warrant and defend all ye sd Granted and Released premises, and every part and parcell thereof unto ye said John Tenny, Phillip Attwood, John Bointon, and ye Rest of freeholders and pprietors of ye sd town of Bradford, their heirs and assignes for Ever, against ourselves, our heirs, and every of them, and all and all and every other person or persons having, claiming, or pretending To Have or Claim, any Estate, Right, title, or Interest in or to ye same, from, by, or under us, any or either of us, or from, by, or under ye sd Musquonomonitt, als Moschonnomet, or any other Sagamore or Indian whatsoever.
" In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and
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seals ye Thirtieth day of January, anno Domini One thousand seven hundred, annoq RRs Gulielmi Tertii, Angliæ &c. Deci- mo.
Signed, Seald and dd in pres- ) ence of us,
ye
Samll
S English and seale. .
By Samuel English, on March 2, 1700-1.
Samuel Hazen, for Sam.
Robert Clement, for Joseph, 31, 5, 1701.
ye
Joseph
English
and seale.
Moses Parker, for Sam.
mark of
John Griffin, for Joseph, 31, 5, 1701.
ye mark
John
Vmpee, seale.
of
Tho. Parley, Joseph ffoster, for John Vmpee, 22 Octo- ber, 1701.
mark of
The title thus secured put an end to all controversy with the Indians. The reason was not so much that the satisfactory price was paid, nor that the instrument was witnessed and on record with sealed signature, but the end of all controversy had come because the power of the Indians was broken. The tribes retreated before the advance of civilization, and their warriors could never keep their ranks filled along the clearings of the frontier. They made successful raids upon the colonies. They caused great fear and consternation and their bloody deeds filled many cabins with unutterable grief. But these fiendish cruelties did not retard the march of civilization. The Puritan had come with a great pur- pose to set up a kingdom in which righteousness and peace might dwell forever; his strength and courage would never weaken under the influence of these desul- tory attacks of the foes of the darkness and the forest. The end of King Philip's war was the end of these in- cursions for booty. The only thing that remained was to ask and receive another price for the land. The price was paid and the title signed, sealed and recorded.
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MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BRADFORD.
It was the cupidity of human nature which was shown in this repeated claim of reward. The English kings showed the same spirit. It was less bloody, more tech- nical, plausible, crafty ; but it was not less atrocious and shameful. In the cne case and in the other it was the exhibition of selfish greed, ungoverned by principle; in the end suffering shame and loss.
King James I gave, by letters patent, * " unto Sir " Richard Roswell, Sir John Young, Sir Richard Salston- "stall, John Endicott, and fifteen others, all that part "of New England, which lies and extends between a "great River there, commonly called Monomack, alias "Merrimack River, and a certain other River there, " called Charles River, and also all and singular those "lands and Hereditaments whatsoever; lying and being "within three miles southward of Massachusetts Bay, "and also all those lands and Hereditaments whatso- "ever, which lie and be within the space of three miles "to the Northward of said Merrimack River, * "and from the Atlantick to the South Sea (Pacific) and "and all Lands, Grounds, Place, Places, Soils, Woods, " Woodlands, Havens, Ports, Rivers, Waters, " Mines, Minerals, * * * in free and common soc- " cage, yielding and paying therefore the fifth "part only of the Oar of Gold and Silver which should "be gotten."
This charter was to their heirs and assigns forever, and yet Charles II "cancelled, vacated and annihilated" this charter, and compelled the colonists to buy their land over again. The charter was renewed by William and Mary; it was broken by George III. The original charter allowed self government by the colonists, but the King revoked the order and appointed a Governor. It freed them from taxation for the expenses of the home government, but in the end taxes were laid on them, at the pleasure of the Crown, while they were given no
* Neal's New England, v. II, p. 258.
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representation. Under the charter the towns had their own sovereignty; they met for deliberation as they chose, laid taxes, maintained schools, roads, cared for the poor, and conducted their affairs without "let or hindrance." They met in General Court by deputies, there deliber- ated for the colonies, laid taxes for matters of general concern. They had their governor, council and general court. Under the wild absurdities of King James the whole charter was swept away; the rights of towns, general court, the appointment of governor, council, and all the privileges which had been the pride of citizen- ship, by fiat of sovereign will, were "vacated and de- stroyed." The towns must help in making assessments. The people must pay quit rents, take out new patents and pay for them. Only three towns in Essex County complied. Bradford was not one of them. Rev. Mr. Wise of Ipswich was thrown into prison and deprived of his sacred office and heavily fined for urging the peo- ple to resist. It was a temporary triumph only. The purpose was to hold the colonies as a "conquered king- dom," the lands confiscated, the people at the mercy of the king.
The insolent, infamous Laud got his hand again at the throat of the Puritan. He wrote in high glee of the vacancy of the charter to Gov. Winthrop, but his cruel scheme was a failure, he died on the scaffold and left his name to lasting ignominy. Gov. Andros, un- der Charles, tried to subvert all rights and destroy the Puritan commonwealth, but he was led to prison by the sturdy men he tried to humble. The "Council for Safety" was organized, the aged Bradstreet was made its head; the convention was called, thirty-three towns responded, Bradford among the rest, and the "old charter was claimed as still in force." At this point a ship arrived with the welcome order to "pro- claim King William and Queen Mary." Joy was uni- versal. The people flocked to Boston. They "pa-
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raded the streets" in goodly companies, they rang the bells, held a feast at the Town-House, and made the streets resound with hearty acclamations "till the bell rang at nine o'clock, and families met to thank God at the domestic altar for causing the great sorrow to pass away."*
It was long before Englishmen could believe that the colonies could live without the mother country. We find these words in one of the histories of the times:
+" But after all it will be impossible for New England "to subsist of itself for some centuries of years; for "though they might maintain themselves against their "Neighbours on the Continent, they must starve with- "out a free trade with Europe, the manufacturers of the "country being very inconsiderable; so that if we could "suppose them to rebel against England, they must throw "themselves into the arms of some other Potentate, who "would protect them no longer than he could sell them "to advantage."
It was this idea that led to the domineering policy of the mother country. She did not know the ability of her American colonies. The town of Bradford resisted the encroachments of arbitrary power, instructed the depu- ties in General Court to stand firm against taxation without representation. Only three towns in Essex County appointed commissions under Governor Andros, to levy a direct tax for the king. Bradford was not one of the three. The whole trouble which culminated in the independence of the colonies might have been averted if the colonists had enjoyed an undisturbed title to land, the equal rights of citizenship and the kindly protection of sovereign power.
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