USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Framingham > Memorial of the bi-centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, June, 1900 > Part 4
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
remains to be done, and it is a work in sweet accord with the spirit of a Christian church; a work not of destruction or of theological controversy, but of discussion and education, peace and union.
Human nature, as we have come to see it, is not a devilish anarchy, but a hierarchy of powers, rising one above another until the highest brings the human into communion with the divine. Each has rights in its own sphere, but the lower has no rights except to serve when the higher makes its demands.
It is the high function of the Church today to remind us of the great possibilities of our nature, to encourage us to trust our spiritual intuitions as we trust the revelations of our sense ; to show us that "the perennial fountains of religion lie in the primal essence of the reason and the moral con- scientiousness," and that there we find "a Spirit that beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God ; " to so cultivate the devout trusts and habits of the soul as to enable us to read aright the moral significance of the past and separate with unerring instinct the truth of God from the egotism of man ; to so nourish the spirit of humility that we may ever be seekers and learners ; to so inspire our minds with the spirit of reverence that we may walk with uncovered heads, not only in the presence of the sublime manifestations of nature, but in the presence of sobbing grief and kneeling penitence ; to so emphasize the power of the conscience as to make us sure " our sins will find us out ; " to so encourage us to believe in the good and its final triumph over evil, that the night will shine as the day, while we work or wait for the dawn; and to impress upon us the all-consoling fact that, whatever may happen, the infinite Love and Care is so great that even "the hairs of the head are all numbered."
On these grounds and for these causes the Church makes today its appeal to you all, both young and old. It is the noblest appeal that was ever made to man, for it makes possible a glorious state of society based on a reasonable and consecrated obedience of the two great commandments of the law,- love to God, and love to man.
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FIRST PARISH
MINISTERS.
JOHN SWIFT. Settled Oct. 8th, 1701 - Died April 24th, 1745.
MATTHEW BRIDGE.
Settled Feb. 19th, 1745-46 - Died Sept. 2, 1775.
DAVID KELLOGG.
1
Settled Jan. 10th, 1781 to Jan. 20th, 1830. A. B. MUZZEY.
Settled June 10th, 1830 to May 18th, 1833.
GEORGE CHAPMAN.
Settled Nov. 6, 1833 - Died June 2, 1834.
WILLIAM BARRY.
Settled Dec. 16, 1835 to Dec. 16, 1845.
JOHN N. BELLOWS. Settled April 15, 1846, to Oct. 16, 1847.
JOSEPH H. PHIPPS.
Settled Nov. 16, 1848 to 1853,
SAMUEL D. ROBBINS.
Settled 1854 to 1867.
HENRY G. SPAULDING. Settled Feb. 19, 1868 to June 15, 1873.
CHARLES A. HUMPHREYS.
Settled Nov. 2, 1873 to Nov. 1, 1891.
ERNEST C. SMITH.
Settled Jan. 21, 1892 to Oct. 1, 1899.
CALVIN STEBBINS.
Sept. 2, 1900
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
REV. FRANKLIN HUTCHINSON, Pastor.
Remember the days of old.
Deuteronomy xxxii-7.
We find these words in the beautiful ode composed by Moses at the close of his long and illustrious life. He desired that the people so dear to him, and whom he had served so faithfully should be firmly established upon that foundation of truth and righteousness, which as he knew, would alone enable them to grow and prosper, and abide unto all genera- tions. So he urges them to look back over the years, to
" Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations,"
that they may realize in the clear light of God's love and faithfulness, as manifested in all their history, the great value and importance of such foundation.
So we, today, as we celebrate the two hundredth anniver- sary of the incorporation of our Town should remember the days of old, and consider the years of many generations, that we may learn the lessons the past can teach us, and above all the great lesson that a nation's greatness and permanency is conditioned, not so much by wealth or power, as by character. "Happy are the people," says John Fiske "that can look back upon the work of their fathers and in their heart of hearts pronounce it good." This, as a Town, we can do. For as the events of the years of the past unfold before us we certainly can rejoice over the character and work of those who founded and built up our Town. And this is saying a great deal, for it is not every state, city or town that can recall the past without keen regret. In too many cases there is a sad record of injustice, oppression and persecution in some form or other. It is not so with us. In our history we find no such injustice to the Indian as characterized so many settlements in colonial days. Every foot of land occupied was bought and paid for and the Indian was ever treated kindly. We find no oppression of any persons on account of
First Baptist Church. Erected 1826
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
race or condition. Slavery indeed existed as a national institution, and a difference was made between the races even in the house of God, as the two pews especially constructed for them in our own church strikingly evidence, but there was no cruel treatment of the negro. Again, here we find no persecution on account of religious belief, or even any intol- erance manifested, and that at a time when intolerance was still thought a virtue. In fact the people as a whole must have been kind-hearted and charitable, for we find that a number of those who had so severely suffered in the witch- craft delusion in Salem, and elsewhere, found a hospitable welcome in our borders, and settled in that part of our Town which is still called Salem End. In thus acting they most consistently lived up to that which the name of our Town signifies, for the old English name Framlingham or Friendlingham means a house or habitation of strangers. Friendling is an old Saxon word and means a stranger, and Ham, a dwelling or house. And let us rejoice at this time of the two hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the Town, that from the earliest days to the present -from the small beginnings, to our town now of 11,000 or more-a cordial and hearty welcome has been extended to all.
But let us remember that if we are to prosper and be strong, and abide unto future generations we must have those same elements of strength which were possessed by the early settlers. They were men, true, noble, conscientious, courageous men. This week we shall see many things to remind us of those days long ago- as in the Historic Exhibit - things which will vividly recall the manners and customs of those times, but they will not, cannot show us the real men and women of those days. To see them, we must study their times, their character ; then we shall see their strong faith, their sincerity, their devotion to duty, their loyalty to truth and righteous- ness, their deep convictions, their consecration to the highest ideals, and all the other grand and noble traits which charac- terized them. They were not ordinary men. Let us remember that they did not come from the slums of the great cities of Europe, but that they were among the best citizens of England and the other countries from which they came.
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
They were owners of farms, thrifty, prosperous, who left their homes simply because of their true and heartfelt de- votion to the idea of religious freedom, which dominated their thought and lives. They dared to oppose an oppressive government ; they dared to protest against all unrighteous- ness; they dared to believe in, and proclaim freedom of conscience; they dared to be pure, true, sincere, just, pious men. They were indeed the choice ones of the countries from which they came, as the poet sings:
" God had sifted three kingdoms to find the wheat for this planting, Then had sifted the wheat as the living seed of a nation. So say the chronicles old, and such is the faith of the people."
Truly they were not ordinary men. Think of what they accomplished in settling the country, even in the face of the greatest difficulties. It was a long, hard contest with the forces of nature, and the hostile savages, but they triumphed, and triumphed gloriously. Think of what they did in the way of education. A schoolhouse was always built as soon after the erection of the church as possible, and generally close by the church, as if realizing the dependence of the one on the other. In our Town the first meeting-house stood at one end of what is now the old cemetery, and the school- house at the other end. Higher education was not neglected. Harvard College was founded in 1639, and Yale College in 1701.
Think of what they accomplished in the moral and spirit- ual training of the young. Ah ! dearer to them than all else was such training. When the men of Framingham went before the General Court to ask to be incorporated as a town, they said, " We petition neither for silver and gold, nor any such worldly interest but that we may have the worship of God upheld among us and our children, for the enlargement of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: for the good of souls and the souls of our children that they may not be like the heathen." Can we read such a petition without emotion, and without having the greatest respect and admiration for such men? They sought not gold but they brought golden threads to the warp and woof of our
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
national character and life. They have been charged with being hard, narrow, bigoted and hypocritical. Some among them were of such a character, but not all of them by any means, and they have the right to be judged by the best among them and not by the worst. They were not perfect. They made many mistakes. But have we profited by their mistakes? Are we on a higher moral and spiritual plane than they were ? Is our government less corrupt? Have we more reverence for sacred things? Have we a purer home- life ? Have we a truer regard for the Sabbath? The late Prof. Phelps once said : " It is popular to look down from a serene altitude upon the 'Sabbatarian bigotry' of the Pil- grims. Be it so, if so it must be. Their fame can bear it if our morals can. But one thing is certain, they knew what they believed and the reasons why. They built their theory of the Lord's day upon nothing less dignified than the Decalogue. Mount Sinai towered before them. Their con- victions had the strength of the hills. They never drifted on popular tides. They were not accustomed to ask the world's opinion before forming their own. More than all they never acted first and settled the account with conscience afterwards. Think what we may of their scruples about disembarking at Plymouth on the Lord's day morning, they did not go on shore and make themselves comfortable, leaving their Bibles in the cabin of the Mayflower. A little infusion of their sylvan strength into our easy-going faith would not harm us. It would not make bigots of us if it should stiffen the back- bone of our convictions and make our ideal of the Lord's day more worthy of the world's respect. Men of robust beliefs, who 'know the reason why;' men who are not afraid to make motions which nobody seconds; men who do not blush for the nicknames with which the world labels them, are the men, who in the long run command the moral homage of mankind. 'They have great allies.' Time and God are on the side of such men."
Let us not, then hold in a sort of good-natured contempt their love for sacred things, their knowledge of the Bible, their reverence for the church, their holy keeping of the Sabbath day, their convictions and their consecration, but
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
seek to emulate them. And if we have somewhat of the "more truth from God's word " which John Robinson said would break forth, may it be manifested by a faith and life, which shall reveal the indwelling Christ, as the shining face of Moses revealed that he had been with God.
"Pilgrims over the ocean ! In Liberty's name We cherish the flower of your fame. Our song, our speech, our thought, our life, Are the gold from the fire of your trial and strife. Our peace ye gave, And still where it's green forests wave, Our altar's flame Is the light of your old devotion."
And now, friends, such was the character of the early Bap- tists in our Town and State. They were true, noble men, with whom duty was a very sacred word. It saddens one to read how they were treated in Boston and other places, fined again and again, publicly whipped, thrown into prison and there held despite their pleadings for freedom - freedom not simply of the body, but of the soul - freedom to worship God in accordance with the dictates of their conscience, - freedom to do the very things which the Pilgrims and Puritans had left their homes in the mother-country in order to secure. But we must not dwell on the persecution of our Baptist forefathers, upon the scenes of their sufferings, but rather on such a scene as Dr. N. E. Wood describes in his history of the First Baptist Church in Boston, in 1718, on the occasion of the ordination of Elisha Callendar as pastor of that church. Dr. Increase Mather, his son, Dr. Cotton Mather and Mr. Webb, all Congregationalists, conducted the service. Dr. Cotton Mather preached the ordination sermon on "Good men united," in the course of which he said, "New England also has, in some former times done something of this aspect, which would not be so well approved of; in which, if the brethren in whose house we are now convened, met with anything too unbrotherly, they now with satisfac- tion hear us expressing our dislike of everything that has looked like persecution in the days that have passed over us."
Park Street Baptist Church. Erected 1855
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
That was well said, and reveals the true manliness of Cotton Mather. Let us recall such scenes, so prophetic of what was to come to pass more perfectly in our own time, and also recall the fact, as I have mentioned, that in our own Town there never was any intolerance manifested towards those who conscientiously differed from the belief or practice of the standing order.
Baptists began work in the Town about 1756. In 1757 Whitman Jacobs and Noah Adams of Connecticut preached here. In 1762 Mr. Jacobs baptized four persons. In 1763 six were baptized, and in 1764 he and Elder Green baptized seven. In the March warrant for 1763 was an article : " To see if the Town will abate the ministerial rates to a number of persons of this Town who pretend (profess) to be of the per- suasion of the Anabaptists and have sent in their names to the Selectmen." And a year later March 12, 1764, the Town voted "that the ministerial rates for 1763 of Joseph Byxbe and eleven others be abated." As far as we know no one objected. A Baptist Society was organized about that time, and it is thought that Mr. Joseph Byxbe, Jr., was the first stated preacher. The society was received into the member- ship of the Warren Association in 1778.
The successors of Mr. Byxbe from this time to 1780,- preaching occasionally -were Nathaniel Green, Simon Snow, Noah Alden and a Mr. Lampson. Then Elisha Rich became pastor, but the exact date is not known. In 1781 Mr. Edward Clark came to Framingham and remained here until 1790 when he removed to Medfield. He afterwards returned to Framingham and preached from 1801-1811. Between 1763-1790 about thirty were baptized. From 1790 to 1809 nothing seems to have been accomplished and the number of Baptists steadily declined, so when the Rev. Charles Train began his labors here there were but four ac- knowledged Baptists in Town. The number, however, soon increased, slowly at first, but afterwards with greater rapidity. August 4, 1811 a church was organized under the name of the Baptist Church of Weston and Framingham. In 1814- 1815 a work of grace commenced in this church which spread throughout the Town. As a result of it fifty were added to
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
the church. On May 3, 1826 the connection with the Weston Church was dissolved, and the First Baptist Church of Framingham was organized with 119 members.
For many years after the beginning of their work in the Town the Baptists had no place of worship. They in all probability met first at Mr. Joseph Byxbe's. Then in 1772 in the upper part of the house (tavern) of Ebenezer Marshall, afterwards occupied by a Mr. John Park, at what is now called Park's Corner, called at that time "the Corner." A few years later the Society purchased the building that had been used by the Second Congregational Society, and removed it to " the Corner " and " placed it on a ledge of rocks wherethe railroad track now runs." It was originally located on the north side of the road to Marlborough (now Pleasant street,) about two miles from the village, on the farm known in later years, and until recently, as the John Johnson place. Sub- sequently it was taken down and rebuilt at a point on the west side of the road to Hopkinton (now Winter street, ) and north of and between the Dr. Timothy Merriam homestead and Sudbury river. That building repaired and altered somewhat, at two different times, served the Society until the present church building was erected, which was in 1826. At the time of the independent organization of the church, Rev. Charles Train was chosen pastor and he served the church until 1839. He was a true, earnest, faithful minister of the Lord - a fitting representative of the period we are recalling during these Bi- Centennial days. He was a man of great force of character, of deep and strong convictions, and like the Pilgrims, with the courage of his convictions. He was a Baptist from prin- ciple, and at all times and in every place was loyal and true to the teachings of Scripture as he understood them. But his townsmen, irrespective of church or party recognized his sterling worth and honored him in many ways. He was for five consecutive years, 1822-1826, the representative of Framingham at our General Court. In 1827 he was not elected because of two sermons he preached on the subject of temperance. The effect of these was such that several went out of the church feeling very angry towards the pastor. But he could not do otherwise, for becoming convinced that intem-
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
perance was an evil, his devotion to duty was such that he had to speak out against it even though he made political enemies. The year following, however, he was sent again as the representative of the Town. In 1829 he was chosen by the two branches of the Legislature to fill a vacancy in the Senate, and in 1830 he was chosen Senator by the people. "He had the honor," says Mr. Temple, "of being the first to move in the plan of forming a legislative library, as well as the yet more important matter of a revision of the laws relat- ing to common schools. He had much to do also in obtaining the charter of Amherst College." He was a member of the School Committee of the Town for over thirty years. His picture hangs in our Public Library over the entrance door. I trust that our young people will now and then look upon the kindly, earnest face and remember him and those other faithful men of the days of old, and emulate in their lives the noble deeds of the fathers.
What shall be the future of Framingham? What do we hope it will be ? Better in every way? More firmly estab- lished on truth and righteousness? Dedicated to all that is noblest, highest and best ? Then we, each one, should be thus dedicated, be thus established, and may we realize our re- sponsibility, as on this occasion we remember the days of old, and resolve in our heart of hearts that we shall do our part well - that Framingham may be the better for our having lived in it, and that the future may be more glorious than the past. So may the Past influence us, and we the Future.
" Love thou thy land with love far brought From out the storied Past, and used Within the Present, but transfused Through future time by power of thought."
MINISTERS.
REV. CHARLES TRAIN,
Ordained Jan. 30, 1811-Aug. 29, 1839.
REV. ENOCH HUTCHINSON,
Aug. 21, 1840- June 3, 1841.
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
REV. JAMES JOHNSTON,
June 29, 1841 - Aug. 10, 1845.
REV. JONATHAN ALDRICH,
Sept. 20, 1846 - April 3, 1851.
REV. WILLIAM C. CHILD, D.D., May 1, 1851 - April 1, 1859.
REV. JOSEPH A. GOODHUE,
July 1, 1859 - July 31, 1862.
REV. A. W. CARR,
Jan. 1, 1863- Nov. 1, 1865. REV. ARTHUR S. TRAIN, D.D.,
Oct. 21, 1866 - Died Jan. 2, 1872.
REV. WILLARD P. UPHAM,
Oct. 1, 1872 - June 29, 1876.
REV. GEORGE E. LEESON,
Ordained June 29, 1877 - Died Aug. 20, 1881.
REV. FRANKLIN HUTCHINSON,
Ordained June 28, 1882-
Church edifice erected in 1826. The oldest meeting-house in Town.
PARK STREET BAPTIST CHURCH. REV. F. T. WHITMAN, Pastor.
The pastor spoke upon "The influences of the Baptist Church in the last seventy-five years in this community."
BETHANY UNIVERSALIST CHURCH. REV. GEORGE E. HUNTLEY, Pastor. The pastor had for his theme "Inheritance and Steward- ship."
HOPE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
REV. WILLIAM HOGARTH TOWER, Pastor.
The theme of the pastor's sermon was "Sunday Two Hundred Years Ago."
Bethany Universalist Church. Erected 1882
Hope Presbyterian Church. Erected 1891
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. REV. GEO. A. NIES, Pastor. The subject of the sermon by the pastor was " The begin- nings of Methodism in Framingham."
ST. STEPHEN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. SOUTH FRAMINGHAM.
The Rector, Rev. John F. Heffernan had special services in the morning, and in the evening a Vesper Service, the church being thronged with worshippers. On one side of the Altar stood the flag of the Commonwealth, on the other the Stars and Stripes. Special services were also held at ST. BRIDGET'S CHURCH, Framingham.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
REV. LUCIUS R. EASTMAN, Pastor.
At a special meeting of Plymouth Church held April 5th, 1900, Voted. That a public service in grateful com- memoration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Incorporation of Framingham as a Town be held in the audience room of Plymouth Church on the afternoon of the second Sabbath in June, to which a general invitation shall be given.
That as the First Parish Church and the First Baptist Church of Framingham, have in common with the Plymouth Church, special reason for interest in such a commemorative service, a cordial invitation be extended to each of these churches to unite with our church in holding this service, and to select three of their membership who shall, together with
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TWO HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY
a similar number of our own members, constitute a commit- tee with full power to arrange a programme and all necessary details of the service,
Voted, that the Pastor, with Dea. F. B. Horne and Miss Ellen Hyde, be members of the Committee in behalf of Plym- outh Church.
The First Baptist Church, at a meeting held May 3d, ac- cepted the invitation to unite with Plymouth Church in a commemoration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the - Incorporation of Framingham as a Town. The following were chosen members of the Committee: Rev. Franklin Hutchinson, Dea. C. A. Belknap and Miss Clara Davis.
At a meeting of the First Parish in Framingham on the 14th of May it was unanimously voted to accept the invitation of Plymouth Church to join with them and with the First Baptist Church in holding commemorative services on the afternoon of Sunday, June 10th, and the following were chosen members of the committee: Mrs. Martha Weeks, Franklin E. Gregory and Samuel B. Bird.
PROGRAM.
1. ORGAN PRELUDE.
2. DOXOLOGY.
3. RESPONSIVE READINGS. Pastor and Congregation.
4. CHOIR HYMN.
5. SCRIPTURE READING. By Rev. Franklin Hutchinson, Pastor First Baptist Church.
6. PRAYER. By Rev. Calvin Stebbins, preacher at First Parish.
7. ANTHEM. " Before Jehovah's Awful Throne."-Den- mark. By Choir.
8. ADDRESS. "Church Life in the Eighteenth Century." By Joseph Parker Warren, President of the Old South Historical Society of Boston.
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PLYMOUTH CHURCH
9. HYMN. "O God, we praise Thee and Confess."-Dun- dee. By Choir and Congregation.
10. ADDRESS. "Pastors and Laity of Framingham at the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century." By Rev. Addison Ballard, D.D. of New York City.
11. HYMN. "Let children hear the mighty deeds."-St. Martyns. By Choir and Congregation.
12. ADDRESS. "The Beginnings of Sunday Schools in Framingham." By Charles S. Whitmore, Dea- con of the First Baptist Church.
13. HYMN. By Choir and Congregation.
Written for this occasion by Rev. Charles A. Humphreys, Pastor of First Parish, Nov. 1, 1873-1891.
When of old our fathers sought Way of truth divinely taught, To the church their feet would speed Holy men their feet would lead.
Hither too our feet have sped, When we've sought the heavenly bread, Here have asked the question still Of the way to Zion's hill.
Reverently we now recall Pastors, guides, companions,- all Who have walked this way on earth, And have found the heavenly birth.
When in life's long school we ask To be taught our heavenly task, When we, doubting, make our choice, May we heed the Master's voice.
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