USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Longmeadow > Proceedings at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Longmeadow, October 17th, 1883 > Part 23
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As to overtures made by Episcopalians, I know nothing only what I had from his own mouth. He told mne and several others in this quarter that Dr Moore of New York, or some of his church, invited him to place him- self under their care ; for they would do anything and everything for him in
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completing his education and preparation for the missionary service. Like- wise that an Episcopalian clergyman in Montreal, I think he said 'twas Dr Montain, urged him to join their communion, urging similar and many other motives ; this was at a time when we were difficulted to procure money for his support.
He is now with Rev' M' Hale, of Westhampton, in this county. When I saw him in Decem' last, he told me that he had read six books of the Ænead, several of Cicero's orations, and one or two of the gospels in Greek ; he has spent much time upon the Latin, as he has found that the most diffi- cult language, except his mother tongue, to pronounce. He is greatly de- sirous to obtain a knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew: for he says that when he presses the Friars with a passage of Scripture as it stands in the English Bible, they tell him that it is not translated right, and he is unable to contradict them.
I have heard it objected to Eleazer that he appeared fickle; but who would rationally expect that an Indian would at once become steady. I have heard it said that he was assuming: this no one will think strange who con- siders how much he has been flattered and caressed by many of the first characters in New England. For some time past I must say that to me he appeared more stable. more meek, and in every respect more promising. His whole soul seems swallowed up in the idea of becoming a preacher of Christ among his own countrymen. In a letter received from him since his last return to Canawaga, he says he had much conversation with them, and they expressed great desire that he should come and be their religious teacher immediately.
My dear friend, do not the designs of Zion's King, who is also Lord of of Providence, in permitting the awful destruction of Deerfield, and in counteracting all subsequent exertions for the redemption of Eunice Wil- liams from Indian captivity, begin to develop themselves.
Your brother in Christ,
R. S. STORRS.
Whether Eleazer Williams was really the grandson of Eunice Wil- liams, or the son of Marie Antoinette, will probably always remain an open question-at least for persons of large credulity. That he was strikingly European, and even Bourbon, in physiognomy is unquestion- able ; the one fact which gives some coloring of plausibility to the whole tissue of newspaper and oral gossip constituting the staple of Mr. Hanson's book entitled "The Lost Prince."
Most of this gossip carries upon its face the evidence of its improb- ability, and scarcely deserves any attempt at historical analysis. Mr. Williams's own statements and reminiscences in its corroboration de- pend for their value entirely upon the degree to which he was, per- haps unconsciously, influenced by his personal interest in the case. No law of mental action is more imperative than that desire long indulged
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comes greatly to influence every faculty of the mind; and to this law Mr. Williams was probably no exception. Nothing can be more in- correct than the impression which Mr. Hanson would give, that Mr. . Williams was a man of such guileless simplicity and of such compar- ative indifference to the personal bearings of the case as to be in no danger of accepting his reminiscences from his imagination instead of his memory. He was, on the contrary, very keenly alive to his own possible historical importance, and brooded upon it so long and in- tensely as to become at last apparently quite liable to mistake the un- conscious cerebrations of his sleeping hours for actual reminiscences. Such wildly improbable stories as the alleged De Joinville interview in the cabin of a Western steamboat, with solemn deeds of abdica- tion soliciting the poor missionary's signature, and very much else of his evidence both subjective and objective-can hardly be explained except upon this supposition.
The writer was well acquainted with Mr. Williams-his supposed kinsman and frequent guest-and has often discussed the whole sub- ject with him ; receiving from him more than once the playful promise of a French premiership whenever Mr. Williams should attain his royal rights. It was always interesting to listen to the story, literally ever new as he rehearsed it in these successive interviews with ever increasing detail of circumstance and dramatic illustration from his constantly growing collection of royal relics-a robe of Marie Antoin- ette, a Bourbon snuff-box, etc., etc. But every such rehearsal only left upon my mind a still stronger impression that I was merely listening to the excursions of a lively imagination into the realms of pleasant possibilities under the stimulus of a strong self-interest, rather than to the clear deliverances of memory, or the sober deductions of reason.
Possibly Mr. Williams did come at last to believe that where there were so many assertions and affidavits there must be some basis of fact; and that it was his own duty " to put himself "-like a presiden- tial candidate-"into the hands of his friends ; " not only doing noth- ing to contradict their claims in his behalf, but even rendering them the support of a grateful and quickened memory.
Be this as it may, it is quite certain that the memory which could possibly accept the stupendous dream of the De Joinville cabin inter- view as a veritable fact, is fatally discredited throughout. And equally certain that no really reliable evidence, subjective or objective, has been yet adduced to connect Eleazer Williams with the throne of France ; or to disconnect him from a legitimate Longmeadow rela- tionship as the grandson of Eunice Williams.
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L .- THE DAVENPORT WILLIAMS COMMUNION CUP.
The destruction by fire in 1846 of the old Williams parsonage in Longmeadow was undoubtedly a very severe loss to antiquarian re- search in the Connecticut valley. It was occupied at that time by a bachelor grandson of Dr. Williams, who kept its treasures of manu- script and of printed Americana jealously locked up in the old attic, scarcely permitting any one access to them after the abuse of his for- mer confidence by a noted antiquarian who had, as he believed, sur- reptitiously conveyed some of them away. The fire took upon the roof from the cinders of the old Burnham place upon the opposite side of the street, and but little comparatively could be saved from such exposed and combustible material. Among rescued matter, how- ever, were most fortunately the ten manuscript volumes of Dr. Wil- liams' diary covering the entire period of his ministry, with the excep- tion of one missing volume, and a small collection of original letters and other manuscript, all now in the possession of the writer. Of special interest among them is the following original document showing the seed-thought of one of the most noted of early American publications, "The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion " :
Memdm for the Revd M' Sam1 Miles
The Lott of Bills of Exchange Payable to Yourfelf I defire may be difpofed of by advice of the Revds of the Clergy of this town and M' John Williams of Deerfield for the Procuring an acct about the Englifh Captivity of the late Wars in Canada ; how they were ufed there in general, but in particular what Ways and Means they ufed to make them become Roman Catholics and Indians; and towards the printing fome fmall tract concerning a Difference of our Religion againft the Roman Catho- lics and Indians, to be conveyed to them privately in Canada &c; and in doing of thefe things you will all oblidge him who is
Yo' moft affectionate friend and faithful humble fervt FFR. NICHOLSON.
Boston Decr 25 1714.
Among other more bulky articles in lower rooms, and hence more easily rescued, were the old oak writing table and the inkstand of Dr. Williams now in the church pastors' room, two very old bureau and buffet pieces of furniture whose painted ornamentation includes the arabesque initials of Abigail Davenport, an extremely old and odd . pistol which unbroken tradition refers to the former ownership of John Williams of Deerfield, and, most curious of all, a long, slender wooden tube, about six feet in length and an inch in diameter, octa- gonal at one end and round at the other and fitted at either end for
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ear and mouth pieces now, however, missing, which has for genera- tions been known as the "Courting Stick." Whether it was really used for that purpose, as tradition has it, by young people sitting in the usual place for young people, upon opposite sides of the old-fash- ioned fireplace, to carry on their whispered love-making unheard by their elders more honorably located in front of the blaze, or whether it was simply used, as experiment now easily demonstrates it might have been, as a very effective ear tube for good old Dr. Williams, it is in either case a curiously unique relic of the olden time.
But by far the most interesting and important of these material relics of the old parsonage, is the Davenport Williams silver commun- ion cup, now in the possession of the first church in Longmeadow, of which some more particular account should be here given.
The inventory of the estate of Rev. John Davenport of New Haven, made in 1670, mentions, among other items, silver plate to the value of £50. The will of Abigail Davenport, widow of his son John Davenport of New Haven, probated in 1718, the very year of the marriage of her granddaughter Abigail to Dr. Williams, bequeaths " unto the Church of New-haven my Silver caudle cup, desiring a cup to be made thereof for the service of that Church, as Likely as yt will afford for the Vessel and its making, out of my love and affection to the house of God." The cup thus made is still in Communion use by the First Church of New Haven.
The will of Rev. John Davenport of Stamford, a signed copy of which is in the writer's possession, in a codicil (which is not given with the printed document in the Davenport Genealogy) bequeaths to each of his minor children " a silver cup market at ye bottom outwardly."
[From the same codicil also are the following curious provisions:
" Alfo, I give and bequeath to my Loving Wife Elizabeth befides ye thirds of my perfonal Eftate wch I expect the take in other parts of my Eftate than what I now Name I fay I give my fd Wife Elizabeth my two negroes to fay Dick and Su who were both hers before my marrying her to be to her ye fª Elizabeth all ye term of her being my widow, and after that that both be to my fd Children. Alfo I abfolutely give to her my fd Wife Elizabeth to her Affigns my Mulatto boy Vannall who there- fore. my mind is that he fª Vannall be not put in my Inventory ; but if fd Su fhall have any more child or Children while under ye Improvement of my fª Wife Eliza- beth my mind is yt fuch child or children every of them continue with fª Su under ye care of my fª Wife Elizabeth, but then to be accounted my Eftate and on ye ex- piration of fd term of her being my widow then to belong to my fª Children John, Deodate, Abraham, James, Abigail, Martha, Sarah, Elizabeth."]
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The married children had previously received a similar cup also "markt at ye bottom outwardly," and that of Abigail, brought by her to Longmeadow, was in family use by old Dr. Williams until his death, as his own personal drinking cup. The little recess above the fire- place, in which it stood with the wine-toast liquid which constituted his occasional refreshment, is well remembered by his great-grand- daughter Miss Eunice C. Storrs, still living in Longmeadow. This cup, "markt outwardly at ye bottom," with the initials " A. D."-Abi- gail Davenport-and upon the side with those of John Davenport, her great-grandfather-J. D .- was at the death of Dr. Williams willed by him to his children, and coming ultimately into the possession of his granddaughter, the second wife of Rev. R. S. Storrs, was by her pre- sented to the church in Longmeadow as a Communion cup. The his- tory of the cup from about the time of Cromwell to the present time seems thus reasonably established. It is of hammered silver-Eng- lish make-and was almost certainly among the plate brought by John Davenport of New Haven from England in 1639-and probably consid- erably antedates any similar Communion cup in this section except that of the New Haven Church, of which it is nearly the fac simile, and which was probably, with it, a part of a social drinking set belong- ing to Rev. John Davenport. The accompanying engraving is an accurate representation of the Longmeadow cup :
THE DAVENPORT-WILLIAMS SILVER COMMUNION CUP. FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN LONGMEADOW .- 1718.
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M .- RELIGIOUS ASPECTS AND EVENTS.
The Precinct of Longmeadow was equivalent, as to its religious aspect and intent, to what is now known as the Parish or Religious Society. Its germinant principle and immediate occasion was the fact that a sufficient number of families-or about forty-had gathered, and were competent to the independent support of the gospel ministry. On this ground their petition was heard by the "Great and General Court " and they were incorporated as a Precinct February 17, 1713.
When, three years after, the spiritual body of the church, in distinc- tion from the prudential body of the Precinct, was organized, it was under no denominational name. Its appellation was " The Church of Christ in Longmeadow." The original tendency was towards a synod- ical government. At the second church meeting, February 19, 1716, it was voted
" Yt we acknowledge power in Ecclefiafticall Councills and do judge it our duty to be fubject to a Councill of ye Churches (if we in a difficulty fhould call them) till fome Superiour Councill be fet up in ye Province unto which we may appeal."
But this High-church Congregationalism was gradually modified until it finally disappeared, as appears from the following votes :
Oct. 22. 1770. The church voted their full concurrence with ye 6th fection of the 13th Chapter of ye Cambridge Platform. Feb. 14. 1775. Ye church met to recon- fider this vote, and the meeting was adjourned to ye 13th of March.
March 13. Ye church met and paffed the following vote-viz : As to the exer- cife of Government and difcipline in the church, we agree to take ye Word of God, for our Guide, which is the only rule, our Great Lord and Mafter, has beftowed for the regulation of our Conduct in that affair ; being willing to receive light and help from any forms of humane compofure agreeable thereto : and do in fpeciall Adopt the Cambridge Platform, as to the Subftance of it, and as far as agreeable to Scripture.
The last clause is a gentle relinquishment of the Cambridge Plat- form and the precursor of its vanishing away.
The Longmeadow church set out under the " Half-way Covenant ; " an insidious, and, as it proved in the after history of this and other New England churches, a dangerous error. Cotton Mather, one of Stephen Williams's ancestors, had lamented the exclusion of many of the children of his day from baptism, and from the " Ecclesiastical Inspection" which should accompany baptism. The Half-way Cove- nant permitted those who had themselves been baptized in infancy to renew their " Baptismal Covenant," although not ready "to come up to that experimental account of their own regeneration, which would sufficiently embolden their access to the other Sacrament." Solomon Stoddard of Northampton, who gave the charge to Stephen Williams
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at his ordination, made the tendency of the Half-way Covenant looser still, by holding that "the Lord's Supper is instituted to be a means of Regeneration."
During the first year of the church thirty-seven were admitted to " our fellowship " or full communion, and forty "owned ye covenant." The Confession of Faith and the Covenant were the same for all.
CONFESSION OF FAITH.
You believe that there is one only liveing and true God ; ye Father, Son and Holy Ghoft ; that God entered into a covenant of works, with man on condition of perfect obedience; that our firft Father by Eating the forbidden fruit, caft himfelf, and all his pofterity, into a ftate of Sin and mifery ; that God out of his mere mercy, Sent his only begotten Son, who in our nature hath borne the curfe, and anfwered ye law for us : that all who believe on him, are juftifyed, and will be kept by the power of God, through Faith unto Salvation. You believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament are the word of God. You believe that at the Laft Day, Jefus Chrift will defcend from Heaven, and condemn all ungodly men to Everlafting Fire with ye devill and His Angells; and invite his Saints to ye poffeffion of the King- dom prepared for them, before the foundation of the world.
THE COVENANT.
You do here take hold of the Covenant of the Lord, and defire to Give up your- felf to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, and you do promife to Submit your- felf, to the Government of Chrift in this Church, and that you by God's grace will walk in Brotherly Love, and Seek the peace of this church, So long as God fhall continue you here.
RESPONSE OF THE CHURCH.
We promife (by God's Grace) to walk toward you in Brotherly Love, and to watch over you, for the Good of your Soul, and make you partaker of the ordi- nances of Chrift among us, that belong to thofe in your ftation.
Thofe y' own the Covenant and affent to the Confeffion of Faith as above do then acknowledge-That by Baptifm I have been dedicated to God, a favor I thankfully acknowledge, and do now Subject myfelf to the Government of Chrift in his church, and to the regular adminiftration of it in this church, while his providence fhall continue me here, promiffing allfo to take pains to obtain yet further preparation of ye Sanctuary, y' may Embolden me to wait upon God in all his ordinances.
It was voted by the church Feb 19. 1717 That if any Baptized perfon living among us, fhould fall into any Scandalous tranfgreffion, though he hath not actually owned ye covenant, yet we will proceed with him as if he had owned ye covenant, and when he makes fatiffaction, he fhall explicitely own ye covenant.
There is no certain evidence that Stephen Williams adopted Solomon Stoddard's extreme view of the Lord's Supper as a means of regeneration ; but evidence enough that the half-way covenant was unhappy, as time went on, in its devitalizing and unspiritual effect. Happy for all concerned when the "Great Awakening " of 1740 rooted it out.
Previous to that remarkable event there were no "revivals," in the mod- ern sense of that term, but there were "reformations." They were revivals in the very genuine and strenuous purpose and endeavor to renew covenant obligations, and translate them from the letter into spirit and life.
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" A Covenant for Reformation," which is subjoined, well illustrates the spiritual condition and necessities of the time. Stephen Williams had long been mourning with great heaviness of spirit over the decay of vital reli- gion. He had been prominent among his ministerial brethren in urging a "reformation." At a conference of the churches in Chicopee he had ex- horted as follows. The question before them was : "What methods are proper for us to take in order to ye suppression of vice and revivall of Reli- gion ?" First, he opens the " Facts." Vices abound-visible and manifest evills among us-decay of ye power of godliness-divine institutions neg- lected by many-some unbaptized-great multitudes never join themselves the churches of Christ-low esteem of ordinances-strifes and contentions -extravagant dress beyond our estates and degree-family gov' and instruc- tion neglected-how many children ignorant of the first rudiments of reli- gion and without civility-yea, and without instruction in reading and writ- ing-intemperance, much drunkenesse, tavern haunting and cheating one another ; breaches of the 7th command' and not to insist on the abounding of adultery, how amazing does ye sin of fornication abound, sinful company keeping, and wanton managements which possibly may be meant by the apostle when he speaks in Romans 13, 13 of chambering and wantonness.
The faithful pastor dep'ores the general unconcern concerning a reforma- tion-" Nay, don't many oppose it, and have not sinners many advocates ?" He then exhorts to combined action-" That we bear our testimony against ye Sins we are sensible do prevail among us. I mean a particular testimony by particular and set discourses, y' we be frequent, full, and plain in our cautions, warnings and reproofs. See Ezek. 3, 17, 18, &c, Isa. 68, I. The direction is to shewe them their sins. And here I would ask whether it may not be expedient and proper for us as ministers to endeavour to engage some of our civil rulers to endeavor to promote a reformation by putting ye laws in execution and to directly encourage it." See Ezra 10. 2. 34.
He then urges an explicit renewal of covenant in which " ye sins of ye times should be engaged with, and reformation of ourselves (in the name and help of Christ) be promised before ye Lord." Ezra 10. Nehemiah 5. 10.
The more frequent and instructive catechising of youth is also urged. "I am persuaded that there is a want of knowledge among us even such knowl- edge without which the heart can't be good-many are destroyed for lack of knowledge." He suggests a good and popular exposition of the Assembly's Catechism. He urges more systematic and thorough pastoral visitation, the stirring up the people to more earnest and united prayer, greater minis- terial industry and diligence, and especially in "inculcating upon our people those things especially wherein vital piety doth consist, earnestly endeavor- ing to further ye saving conversion to God, ye growth and flourishing in holi- ness, and that ye people may be well principled against ye vices of the age. And let us my brethren, be carefull that we be examples to our flocks, let us by our own walk hold forth and represent ye graces of our Lord, and that the holiness of His doctrine be without reproach."
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As the appointed day for owning the Covenant of Reformation that he proposes for his own people draws nigh, we perceive the travail of his soul. " August 19. 1728. I pray God to give me prudence and wisdom to man- age myself in this affair on foot about renewing ye Covenant. 18. Sabbath. This day I urged with all ye solemnity I could ye duty of appearing on ye Lord's side as called thereto ; ye Lord grant yt (what is agreable to his will) has been offered may be well accepted and well improved ; that it may not be despised and rejected to y hurt and damage of this people. 19. I per- ceive y' some are pretty much ruffled at ye notion for a reformation, and ob- ject and reproach me particularly as accounting me a forward instrument in ye cause. What an honour is done me y' I should be counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ's name. I am more fully convinced yt ye thing is agreeable to ye mind and will of God, because of ye opposition y' it meets withall from some men as oppose it. There are caballings and confederat- ings agt it. God grant yt we may rather be animated to promote it. I pray God to give me zeal and prudence. Ye Lord be pleased to forgive those y' reproach and vituperate it. 21. I find many objections against ye method proposed to bring about a reformation. I pray God to give me wisdom and prudence, as well as a becoming zeal to manage as I ought in this affair.
22. This day was observed as a day of fasting and prayer in this place, and the covenant for reformation was publicly consented to by ye greater part of ye communicants and those y' had recognized y" Baptismall Bonds. Ye Lord graciously be pleased to own and accept of his people. and keep it allways in ye thots of ye hearts. 23. I am tired and spent with yesterday's Service, but it was in my Lord's Service and it matters not, if I had been much more tired and spent. for I desire to spend and be spent for Him."
As appears by the Church Records, the covenant was assented to " by standing up when it was read and by lifting up the right hand thereunto as a token of it-both males and females." Those of the communicants that did not consent were Capt. George Colton, John Cooley, Samuel Miers, and Matthew Cooley. Of those that had recognized their baptism and did not consent were Samuel Stebbins, Sr., William Colton, William Cooley, and John Hodge.
A COVENANT for REFORMATION. Affented to in Long-Meadow, in Springfield, Augull 22" 1728.
HE LORD our GOD, who is Holy in all His Ways, and Righteous in all His Works, has lately by many Rebukes of His Providence, fhown His difpleaf- ure againft us in this Land ; Particularly by a diftreffing War ; and by very great and fore ficknefs, efpecially in fome Places ; and by awful and dittreffing Storms and Tempefts ; and by an amazing EARTHQUAKE in the Year pait; whereby the Inhabitants of the Land have been greatly terrifyed; and very lately by a very fore and diftreffing Drought, whereby the Fruits of the Earth with us, have withered and languifhed, and were in danger of being wholly loft ; whereby GOD is calling upon us, to acknowledge and confefs our Sins; which are the procuring Caufes of His Judgments. 'Tis true, and ought with all thankfulnefs to be acknowledged, that GOD has not proceeded to Extremity with us, but in Wrath has remembered
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