USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > Origin and annals of "The Old south," First Presbyterian church and parish, in Newburyport, Mass., 1746-1896 > Part 3
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set on his head by the British Government. This peril had its influence in making him yield to the re- peated overtures that had already come to him from Newburyport. An effort had been made in 1769 to
get him as Mr. Parsons' colleague. But the Booth- bay men refused to give him up, though recog- nizing our people as the "patrons and friends of oppressed truth in the worst of times" and nobly struggling through "a torrent of persecution."
Messrs. Moorehead and Parsons disagreed as to Mr. Murray; which was the beginning of a strife that parted brethren, and hindered the formation of the Synod of New England. Undoubtedly Mr. Parsons was in the right, and he was so regarded by the Presbytery. He had written to England and satisfied himself that aside from early irregularities fully atoned for, the charges against Murray were
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groundless. One effect of this controversy was the creation of the Presbytery of the Eastward. June 27, 1771, of which Murray was " the father and vitalizing force." The Synod formed four years later, and lasting only six years, aimed to cover all New England and to come into association with existing synods in other parts of the country; but it was launched in troublous times and failed of its praise- worthy purpose. It was really but a continuation of the old Presbytery of Boston, subdivided into three presbyteries of Londonderry, Palmer and Salem, which latter presbytery became its legal successor .* Unfortunately the synod rejected the Presbytery of
*The following dates will be found at least approximately correct : The first Presbytery of Londonderry, or the so-called "Irish Presbytery," was formed in 1729 and expired in 17SI. It held tenaciously to the Scotch forms and customs. The first Presbytery of Boston lasted from 1745 to 1776, when it practically became the Synod of New England, turned again, in 1782, into the l'resbytery of Salem that lasted till 1791. The life of the Presbytery of the Eastward was from 1771 to 1794. The Presbytery of Grafton, including mainly New Hampshire churches, was from 1775 to 1815. In 1794 the new Presbytery of Londonderry was formed, that absorbed the Presbytery of the Eastward, and lasted till [$70. The Presbytery of Newburyport was organized in 1826, and maintained a separate existence till 1847, when it joined the Presbytery of Londonderry. This latter name, was changed, by act of the General Assembly, in IS71, to the Presbytery of Boston; which at this time includes forty-two churches and sixty-two ministers, and covers all New England, except Connecticut. As nearly as can be determined amid this tangled complication, the First Presbyterian Church of Newburyport, which joined the Presbytery of Boston, Oct. 4 1748, remained in it till its expansion into the Synod of New England in 1776; then probably joined the Presbytery of the Eastward, with which it was identified till 1793; then in the Presbytery of Londonderry from 1794 to 1825; in the Presbytery of Newbury- port from 1826 to 1847: in that of Londonderry again from IS48 to 1870; since when it has been in the Presbytery of Boston. Forty graduates of Andover Seminary were ordained by the Presbytery of Newburyport.
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the Eastward, which also seems to have caused our church to stand aloof; although this is not easy of proof as no records remain of the three presbyteries named above. I judge that our church, after waver- ing awhile, cast in its lot with the Presbytery of the Eastward, as I find a record of that body's meeting here, although our name does not appear on the roll of its churches.
After Mr. Parsons' death came a dreary vacancy for five years, and then they made another and a suc- cessful call for Mr. Murray. His translation hither, in 1781, made Newburyport " the Banner Church of the Presbytery." It was no calumny to style the closing days of the Revolutionary War "the worst of times," if we may judge from the statements made in an odd little duodecimo with the peculiar title: "BATH-KOL," meaning the "daughter of a voice," or "a voice from the wilderness." It was further de- scribed as " an humble attempt to support the sinking truths of God against some of the principal errors raging at this time." What those raging errors were, we are informed in the vivid pictures drawn of prevalent atheism, deism, heresy. Sabbath-breaking, blasphemy, intemperance and gross immorality and dishonesty. The book was from the pen of Parson Murray, but it was published by the authority of the
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JOHN MURRAY, 1781-1793.
DANIEL DANA, 1794-1820.
SAMUEL P. WILLIAMS, 1821-1826.
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Presbytery of the Eastward, with an exhortation to special measures of reform.
One way insisted on was a faithful visitation of every family in every parish, not only by the pastors but also by the elders. The list of heart-searching questions prepared for such visits by Mr. Murray were such as would hardly now be tolerated, and yet they must have been fruitful of great good at the time. Their aim was to heal divisions, promote fam- ily piety, give instruction in the Bible and the catechism, and to secure the early conversion of children. As a result of such fidelity this church was saved at a crisis when many larger ones went down in disgrace and obscurity.
Murray's oratory was powerful, and his published sermons are master-pieces of colonial eloquence. He never preached less than an hour, and often ex- ceeded two hours; yet held his hearers so that they could not leave, even letting the Thanksgiving dinner spoil, rather than lose any of his fervid words.
But finally a divided sentiment arose by the advent of a missionary from Lady Huntingdon's school, the Rev. Charles W. Milton, who, at Mr. Murray's own suggestion, was temporarily employed as his assistant during a period of ill-health in 1791, and who so captivated a part of the congregation that they with-
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drew. Judicial process followed with the approval of the Presbytery; and on the next sacramental Sabbath, Parson Murray publicly "fenced the table" against the "covenant-breakers," as he styled them. The latter, after worshiping awhile in a private house, the building now known as 13 Milk street, or- ganized as the "Independent Calvinistic Society," with Mr. Milton as pastor, and with a body of ruling elders as a session. Legally they became the "Fourth Relig- ious Society," or as it is popularly known, the Prospect Street Congregational Church.
REV. DANIEL DANA, D. D.
Still another division shortly ensued over the set- tlement of Mr. Murray's successor, the Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D., in June, 1794. The remonstrants, thirty-three in number, retired without a regular dis- mission, and set up a Second Presbyterian Church, which was duly organized by the Londonderry Presbytery, October 29, 1795. Their ground of dissat- isfaction, remonstrance, and ultimately of withdrawal, was the notion that Dr. Dana was theologically unsound; when in reality he was as firm as the Rock of Gibraltar. With them went most of the Session, the clerk, the treasurer, the funds, and the records- the latter however being restored after many years.
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Here it may be stated, for the honor of religion. that " healing acts" were subsequently passed con- cerning all the schisms by which the Church of Christ had been torn in this community. Rev. Leonard Withington took great pains to effect an amicable settlement of all the difficulties between the First Church of Newbury and the First Presbyterian Church; which was done by mutual conference and unanimous resolutions passed by both bodies, October 17, 1816. The censures that our own church had felt obliged to lay on those who withdrew irregularly to form the Prospect Street Church and the Sec- ond Presbyterian Church, were lifted after time had somewhat softened the asperities of the separation. And now. at this late day, and amid the festivities of this anniversary, comes the graceful action taken officially by the Third Church, (the First Religious Society), recognizing us as "rectus in ecclesia." Thus peace at last prevails between the mother churches and sister churches of our beloved city. and long may it continue!
Concerning matters of controversy it should be remembered, however, that the fathers fought for cherished principles. Theirs were earnest souls : and " Calvinism," "Pelagianism," "Arminianism." "So- cinianism," and " Arianism." were so many war-cries
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of battles that had to be fought. Then again, laws framed for the right became by perversion weapons of oppression. Discontented members found it hard to get satisfaction, dismission, or exemption from legal liabilities. One after another the various de- nominations wrenched from the courts that very right for which the War of the Revolution was fought, namely, exemption from taxation without representation. And we think they did well to make peace with each other, on all hands, after the dust and smoke of battle had cleared away. And the same may be said of other controversies that were inevitable in a formative state of society.
So far as Dr. Dana was concerned, the singular misunderstanding as to his orthodoxy probably arose from the high degree of literary finish with which he clothed the rugged old Calvinistic truths. Men ac- customed to harsher ways of expression did not at first understand his suavity, nor see that he was their champion. They saw this so clearly at a later day, as to induce them to call him to serve, for twenty years, as pastor of the identical body that had originally withdrawn on his account.
Dr. Dana was a forcible preacher, a clear expounder of the Word, a sympathetic pastor, an authority on the classics and polite literature, and withal a
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keen controversialist. The latter was an enviable gift at a time when. as Dr. Vermilve remarks, "The town was an epitome of New England. Scarcely any two churches maintained communion with each other; and of six ministers of near denominational complexion, no two agreed in theology." Harvard College had drifted away from its motto, " Christo et Ecclesiae;" and there was a demand for an orthodox theological seminary. The Calvinistic host was divided between those who held to the unmixed teachings of Geneva, and those whose views had been modified by Hopkins and others of his school. Both wings started simultaneously theological simi- naries in Essex county, that were coalesced into Andover Seminary; and their compromise creed was what is now popularly known as "Orthodoxy," in dis- tinction from so-called "Liberal Christianity." Dr. Dana was from the first a trustee of Andover, and fought hard to keep the seminary sound in the faith. I spare you the details of the controversy between Dana and Woods; but it shows that Old Andover, as well as New Andover, was a "storm centre."
Dr. Dana was greatly interested in Sunday schools. Probably the first Sunday school in America was started at Roxbury, in 1674, but it was short-lived and we barely know of its existence. The first to be organ-
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ized in a purely religious and voluntary form was started by Rev. Robert Steele, a pioneer Presbyte- rian of Pittsburgh, in 1800. The first two of that kind in Massachusetts were started here under Dr. Dana's ministry, and by members of this church. One formed in 1814. in our former chapel on Beck street, was under the direction of Miss Ann Wheel- wright, with Miss Dolly Greenleaf, and Miss Eliza Gould as assistants. The other school, though held in the chapel of the North Congregational Church, was organized by Miss Phoebe Harrod, a member of the Old South Church, with the help of the Misses Farnham and Carter. The first public address made on the subject was by Dr. Dana before eight hundred children and youth gathered by the "Newburyport Sabbath School and Tract Society," which dates from November 23, 1817, and whose neatly kept records are in our Pastoral Library. The First Religious Society withdrew from the union in 1824, and others at a later day, the society being disbanded in 1835. This organization, it will be observed, ante- dated by several years, the national societies started at New York and Philadelphia, in creating which our local society had an important share.
The fact is also memorable that some of the first missionaries sent out by the American Board were
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ordained in our church. The first five, Newell, Judson, Hall, Nott and Rice were set apart in the Tabernacle of Salem, (which originally belonged to the Presbytery of Salem :) but the second set, namely, Samuel J. Mills, James Richards, Edward Warren, Benjamin C. Meigs, Horatio Bardwell and Daniel Poor, were ordained in the First Presbyterian Church of Newburyport, and Dr. Dana gave them their ordi- nation charge. Dr. Cornelius preached a missionary sermon here the next year, and took a collection of $230, which he said was the largest single offering that had thus far been made to the cause of missions. Dr. Dana was among the promoters of the Merrimac Bible Society, the Merrimac Humane Society, the Female Charitable Society, and other benevolent associations.
In 1820 Dr. Dana accepted a call to the presidency of Dartmouth College. Subsequently he served the church at Londonderry for four or five years, and then returned to this city as pastor for twenty years of the Second Presbyterian Church. His remains repose in the Oak Hill Cemetery, and his memory is fragrant in our hearts. His published discourses were numerous and constitute a valuable part of the religious literature of New England.
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REV. SAMUEL P. WILLIAMS.
After Dr. Dana's departure a unanimous call was given, in 1821, to Rev. Samuel P. Williams, whose ministry was ended by death in 1826. He was born at Weathersfield, Conn., in 1779, and sprang from a distinguished ancestry. He was moreover a preco- cious youth, being graduated with honor from Yale College at the early age of 17 years. For some time he was a merchant. But after his conversion, in 1803. he studied theology with president Dwight, and also with Dr. Howard, of Springfield, with whom he was invited to act as a colleague-pastor. He decided, however, to accept a call to Mansfield, with the understanding that he should be silent as to the Uni- tarian controversy. But after two years of such silence he felt impelled to try to convince his people of the Deity of Christ, with the result that after a
long struggle, his ministry was closed in that place. Yet the fact should be noted, as a proof of his dili- gence, that during those ten years Mr. Williams preached nine hundred sermons. Pardon me for also mentioning the fact that my great-grand-parents were among his parishioners in Mansfield, and helped him fight his battles for orthodoxy.
The impression left in Newburyport is that Mr. Williams was a strong, pungent and even blunt
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preacher, ploughing the fallow field from which others were to reap a rich harvest. Yet others testify that his burning words were spoken with a melodious voice, and with such a profusion of illustrations as to win those whom another might have repelled. He bought no man's friendship by deceit; nor did he ever screen his own faults by hypocrisy. He was mighty in the Scriptures, and had many souls given him as seals of his ministry. Ilis perfect transpar- ency of character convinced even scoffers that he was sincere. He might wisely have been more suave and flexible, without sacrificing the truth; but we cannot withhold our tribute of respect from a man who was so determined to purge the church of all dross and to make it shine as pure gold*
His last sickness was lingering and painful, but he "died in the harness." His fidelity to duty made him continue to preach even when his bodily feeble- ness obliged him to deliver his message while sitting in a chair instead of standing in the pulpit. Thus he gave his final sermon on Thanksgiving Day, 1826; and it is significant that his topic was "The Value of
*The last exchange of pulpits between the Presbyterian and Unitarian ministers here was in 1S23, when Mr. Williams, in an exchange with Mr. Andrews, took advantage of the occasion to preach a strong Trinitarian sermon that led to a sharp controversy. It may be doubted, however, if the First Religious Society became decided in its stand until the days of Mr. Fox, who sought for a middle ground between Calvinism and Parkerism.
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Life." Even in that hour the seal of death was on his brow, and within a month he died, triumphant in the faith to which he had been so steadfast and loyal. When Dr. Withington broke the news to him that he was soon to die. Mr. Williams said: "I trust in my Savior alone; the purposes of God are right, and I have no wish to alter them." That impressive tes- timony was characteristic of the man.
THE PASTORATES OF DRS. PROUDFIT AND STEARNS belong to the domain to be traversed by another. But a few words may not be amiss here. Both men had many friends and deserved them. Dr. Proudfit was born at Salem, N. Y., in 1803, and graduated at Union, in 1821. He was distinguished as a classical scholar, a fine writer, abounding in delightful thoughts apt to be absorbed in his meditations but when aroused excelled in conversation, and was an excellent pastor. His friends styled him " the beloved John."
A grand enterprise was undertaken early in the ministry of Dr. Proudfit, being nothing less than the erection of a "Monumental Temple," in honor of Whitefield. Subscriptions amounting to several thousand dollars were obtained, and the pastor was to solicit the remainder in England. But for some reason the project did not meet with due encourage-
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ment. Next it was voted to build a brick church on the site of this edifice. But it was finally concluded to let the old meeting-house stand, only repairing and modernizing it to some degree. This was done in 1829; and again and still further in 1856. There was a proviso that if this was done "the proprietors should sell all their right and title to the Society."
A plan of the old meeting-house, as it appeared before these alterations were made, is to be seen hang- ing on the wall of our chapel, and it has some unique features. When erected it was said to be the largest church building in New England; and the parish at one time included two thousand souls. The frame-work of the structure was of white oak from the farms of the members. The wrought iron nails came from England. The raising took three days, on which occasion Rev. John Moorehead of Boston preached. It was first occupied regularly for worship in August, 1756; and the next week the chapel on High street was taken down. The plan shows the audience room to have been larger than it is now. be- ing ninety feet long by sixty-three feet broad, with towers at each end, making the entire length one hun- dred and twenty-four feet. The front door was on School street, from which a broad aisle ran to the pul- pit, which was then on the East side. Two other
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narrower ones ran from East to West, and five from North to South. There were one hundred and forty square pews with seats all around and a chair in the middle. These seats were on hinges, which were lifted during prayers and dropped with a loud noise at the "Amen." The Elders' pew was in front of the pulpit, with the seat for the Deacons in front of that and lower down. The seat for the sexton was at the side of the pulpit, whence he could conven- iently hand his regular batch of notices to the pastor. The tything-men occupied rear seats and carried their official rods, (still kept as relics) whereby to strike the rebellious youth with awe. Special seats were set apart for the negroes. A huge canopy, or sounding-board was hung by iron rods from the attic and over-shadowed the pulpit and official pews. The stairways to the three broad galleries were in the towers; and at one time a public library was kept in one of the towers. As long ago as 1767 the parish voted to "put in seats for ye singers" in the gallery; and two years later they voted to make "additional seats for ye singing women."
FACTS FROM THE OLD RECORDS.
Some curious things have been unearthed from the records of the parish, and other sources, and the
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mine is by no means exhausted. The service of sacred praise was long a fruitful subject of contention in colonial New England. The Scotch churches used what is known as Rouse's Version of the Psalms of David; while the Congregational churches mainly used "The Bay State Version" made by Elliot, Mather and Weld. This church, however, from the first preferred the version made by Dr. Isaac Watts, and afterwards enlarged by Dr. Worcester of Salem, into what was known as "Watts and Select." The Presbytery contented itself with recommending this version "as well adapted to the New Testament Church," which was more judicious than it might have been to try to compel churches to adopt Watts in preference to Rouse. The custom at first was to "deacon the hymn." that is to have a precentor lead. first reading two lines, the congregation following as best they might, everybody singing whether in tune or out of tune. At Londonderry, as late as 1802, an article in the annual warrant was " to see if the Parish will agree to have the singing carried on in future without reading the line." It was referred to the Session, which formed a choir, who on the next Sunday rode right over the precentor as he vainly strove to maintain his ancient rights.
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In our parish the better way was chosen, in 1807. of making a liberal appropriation "for a singing school for the benefit of the church " previous to which it is said that a few old tunes had to do service on all occasions, twisted in every imaginable way. Dr. Dana did much to improve the church music. In his day the singing was led by Mr. William Woods, who was also helped by the clarionet and violoncello. Dr. Dana preached and lectured on sacred music and helped to organize a musical society for the Merrimac valley. In 1833 the parish purchased a pipe organ which has long been regarded as one of the best in the region. A well-worn copy of the "Revival Mel- odies" has been handed me by one of our oldest members, with the assurance that it was used at early evangelistic meetings, and caused excitement as an innovation. It contained such melodies as "The Morning Light is Breaking;" "I Would Not Live Alway;" "O Turn Ye. O Turn Ye;" "When Shall We Meet Again?" and similar songs that then had the charm of novelty.
For seventy years those who crowded this church depended on foot-stoves altogether for warmth in winter; while the minister preached in his ample cloak. and wore gloves with a finger and thumb cut off to enable him the better to turn the leaves. A
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law was made allowing the sexton twenty cents for each foot-stove that he had to fill before service and remove afterwards. A great sensation was made in 1819 by the introduction of wood stoves at an outlay of SIoo. The first day they were in place the people were so overcome that some of them fainted away and were carried out of the house; but they revived on learning that as vet no fires had been kindled in the new stoves. The doors of the stoves opened into the ample vestibule, where the custom continued of ranging the many foot-stoves in a wide circle to be filled with live coals from the stove. In 1856 coal stoves replaced the wood-stoves; and when these had burned out, furnaces were introduced in 1868, although by some a preference was shown for steam- heat.
In 1810 the land adjoining the meeting-house was bought, on which a chapel was erected at the cost of $300. This was the old brick chapel on Beck street. where the first Sunday School was started in 1814. The building was sold to the Roman Catholics and removed to Charles street in 1843, thus becoming the birthplace of that organization which has since grown to such size by the influx of elements favorable to its tenets. A new chapel was built by us in 1843, front- ing on School street. It was afterwards enlarged
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and joined with the main edifice by connecting halls. A memorial class-room was added in 1885, at the instance of the late Dr. Frank A. Hale, who was at that time the Sunday School Superintendent.
It was in this chapel that a church was organized in connection with the labors of Rev. John W. Em- erson, a member of our church, and a graduate from Amherst College and Princeton Seminary. That was January Ist, 1850, and at the evening services, held in the main room, there was a great congregation. This youngest daughter of the First Presbyterian Church-I think we may greet her as such, although many members were drawn from another church- took the name of the Whitefield Church. This has often caused confusion in the minds of strangers, who naturally expect to find the relics of the great evangelist where his name is found.
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