USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Cambridge > Sermon on the re-opening of Christ Church, Cambridge, Mass. : preached on the twenty-fourth Sunday after Trinity, November 22, 1857 : with a historical notice of the Church > Part 5
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FRANCIS L. BATCHELDER, Class of 1844. HENRY M. PARKER, Class of 1839. RICHARD H. DANA, Jr., Class of 1837.
Gentlemen who favor this project are requested to make it as widely known as possible. Copies of this Circular can be obtained on application to the Trustees above named.
Several hundred dollars have already been subscribed for this object, beside the promise from one source of the largest bell. The list is still open for the graduates of Harvard, who have worshipped at Christ Church, and others to contribute. Shall not the one hundredth anni- versary of the Church, soon to occur, be welcomed with an inspiring peal ?
Among the benefactions of the Venerable Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was the gift of a valuable Library, consisting of standard works of Theology for the use of the missionary at Cambridge ; a thoughtful provision for the greater efficiency of their Churches, which the Society never omitted. The Library of the Cambridge mission was gathered together after the pillage of Mr. Serjeant's house, and having been
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preserved through the war by the Rev. Dr. Parker of Boston, was transferred by him after the peace, with the sanction of the Society, to the Rev. Mr. Wiswall, who had been the missionary at Falmouth, (Portland,) when that town was burnt by a British fleet in 1775, and had removed to the Provinces.
A service of plate for the altar was loaned by his Excellency Governor Bernard, which the vestry in 1770 refused to purchase of him, and it was probably returned. The Royal Governors received from the Crown on their appointment Communion Plate and ornaments of a Church, to be appropriated at their discretion. In 1772 his Excellency Governor Thomas Hutchinson gave a silver flagon and covered cup, now in use, which bear the following inscription :
THE GIFT OF K. WILLIAM AND Q. MARY TO YE REVD. SAMLL. MYLES FOR Y' USE OF THEIR MAJESTIES' CHAPPELL IN N. ENGLAND MDCXCIV.
This was the King's Chapel in Boston. Governor Hutchinson had received from King George III. in 1772, a service of plate and pulpit furniture, which he pre- sented to the Chapel,1 taking in exchange the old com- munion service, part of which he gave, through the Rev. Dr. Caner, to the Cambridge Church, and the same to the Church at Newburyport. In 1787 this plate, then in the hands of the Rev. Dr. Parker of Boston for safe keeping, was claimed by Dr. Thomas Bulfinch,
1 Greenwood's Hist. K. Ch. p. 161.
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Warden, as the property of the King's Chapel. The Rev. Dr. Caner had carried away, at the evacuation of Boston in 1776, all the plate and other valuables belonging to the Chapel, and they were afterwards disposed of in the Provinces by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The following correspondence relating to this matter and to the Cambridge Missionary Library, has been preserved.
Extract from a letter of the Rev. William Morice D. D., Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to the Rev. Samuel Parker D. D., Rector of Trinity Church, Boston, dated Hatton Garden, Oct. 23 1786.
" The Society have thought proper upon the statement of the facts by you respecting the gift and appropriation of the Church Plate' of Cambridge, not to trouble them- selves any further about it, but to leave it to your own discretion to act in that matter as you shall think proper.
" They are obliged to you for your care in transmitting the library to Mr. Wiswall. The libraries given by the Society were in all cases designed for the use of the missionary, and therefore transmitted down from one missionary to another. As that is no longer the case, there could be no impropriety in transferring it to another place where the Society have a mission ; for the property was the Society's, who purchased the books. The library, as appears by their books, was given by the Society to Mr. Apthorp, and left by him to his successor ; what part was added I know nothing about. I am sure Dr. Apthorp can have no objection to the present appli- cation of it.
" I shall be at all times glad to hear from you, and
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should be obliged if you would send me a copy of every of the liturgies which have been printed in the States since their separation."
Extract from a letter of Dr. William Morice, Secretary of the Society, to the Rev. Dr. Parker, dated July 17th 1787.
" Dr. Apthorp's account of the Church plate of Cam- bridge seems to correspond with yours in a former letter. He says that when he was missionary Governor Bernard gave one flaggon and one cup of silver and some rich crimson damask for the Table. Which, he adds, was not given with so good a grace as it ought to have been, the Governor intimating that he considered it as his prop- erty, and that he should lend it to the Church ; but no farther mention being made of returning it, they always considered it as a gift. Dr. Apthorp's mother gave a silver dish for baptisms, and Dr. Caner sent two flaggons of old plate from the Chapel. He concludes that he always considered the books, plate, ornaments and organ, as the unalienable property of the Church at Cambridge, and he should suppose they are now to be applied by the directions of the Society.
"This is Dr. Apthorp's opinion in his own words. Where the right is, I pretend not to say. This I think, Mr. Serjeant (his estate) can have no claim upon it, for what has Church plate to do with any debts between him and his people ? The Chapel can have no right, for it was given to Cambridge Church in consideration that new plate had been given to the King's Chapel. It therefore belongs to Cambridge Church upon the supposition that a Church of England minister officiates there. As that is not the case, I should think the Society might demand
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it, in order to give it to some other Church in the King's remaining Provinces ; which they have done with Dr. Caner's."
The last payment on account of Mr. Serjeant's salary was made in October 1774. There was nothing then due to him from the Church for his services up to that date. The civil commotions which followed sufficiently account for the arrearage afterwards.
THE REV. DR. PARKER TO THOMAS BULFINCH, M. D.
"Mr. Parker's compliments wait on Dr. Bulfinch : begs the favor of him to return by the bearer the plate belong- ing to the Church at Cambridge, for which Mr. Parker is accountable both to Mrs. S.1 and the people of Cambridge Church. To convince the Wardens of the Chapel that said plate is the unalienable property of Cambridge Church, the following extract of a letter from Dr. Morice, Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to Mr. P. dated July 17th 1787, is tran- scribed. ' Dr. Apthorp says that when he was mission- ary,' &c.
"If any further evidence is necessary, Mr. Deblois, who was a Warden of the Chapel at that time, will confirm this. Still, if the Wardens of the Chapel think they have any right to this plate, Mr. P. has no objections to their attaching it in his hands, when they have returned it, and let the right be tried in the law.
" BOSTON, Nov. 30th, 1787."
DR. BULFINCH TO REV. DR. PARKER.
" Dr. Bulfinch presents his compliments to the Rev. Mr. Parker: returns him all the plate which he borrowed
1 Mrs. Serjeant, then a widow in England.
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of him according to his promise at the time of borrowing it; wishes Mr. Parker to look at the arms and inscription on the flagon ; by which it appears to be the unalienable property of the Chapel, not liable to the disposal of Dr. Caner or any other person, without a regular recorded vote of the Church so authorizing him, which appears never to have been passed. Can Mr. Parker conceive that the plate belonging to Trinity Church is on any account at his disposal without the express consent of the Church ? But, even admitting that Dr. Caner had such a power, and afterwards clandestinely carried off all the plate belonging to the Chapel, ought not that piece in equity to be returned which Dr. Apthorp says. was only sent to the Church at Cambridge, and which we say was only lent? It is the opinion of some of the old proprietors of the Chapel, that Dr. Apthorp is mistaken respecting Governor Bernard's plate being given at all, and that in fact it was not given, but used in his own family. Dr. Bulfinch assures Mr. Parker that no part of this plate was used at the Communion yesterday, as the Church was very cheerfully supplied for that purpose by the Rev. Mr. Eckley.
" MONDAY, December 3d 1787."
The confusion in these statements evidently arose from Dr. Apthorp's supposing the plate in the hands of Dr. Parker to be the same which was loaned by Gov. Bernard to the Cambridge Church ; that service having been claimed and returned after Dr. Apthorp left the country. That the account before given is the true one, appears not only from the records of Christ Church, but from the following extract from a letter of Mr. Serjeant, dated Cambridge, October 7th 1772.
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" Gov. Hutchinson has made us a present of a silver flagon and cup with cover, and given the same to New- berry Church. Bass, I imagine, will not be a little proud of it."
This was the Rev. Edward Bass, then Rector of St. Paul's, Newbury, afterwards Bishop of Massachusetts.
What was done with " the two flaggons of old plate from the Chapel," sent by Dr. Caner in Mr. Apthorp's time, does not appear. They are not mentioned in a list of benefactions on the Records in Mr. Apthorp's hand- writing, and may have been returned when Gov. Bernard loaned his set.
Mrs. Grizzel Apthorp, the mother of Dr. Apthorp, gave a handsome Christening basin of silver, the inscrip- tion upon which bears marks of the son's classic pen.
ECCLESIA CHRISTI CANTABRIGIÆE IN NOVA ANGLIA ANATHEMAI CONSECRAVIT DNA APTHORP MDCCLXI.
Mrs. Mary Faneuil, probably the wife of Benjamin Faneuil Sr. Esq., gave a large folio Bible for the Reading Desk, and the Hon. Thomas Lechmere two large folio Service Books. Mrs. Anne Wheelwright, the sister of Mr. Apthorp, gave a cloth and six napkins for the Com- munion Table. His Excellency Gov. General Shirley gave the damask for the Communion Table, Chancel and Pulpit ; and Nicholas Lechmere Esq. the damask for the Wardens' Seats. In 1791 Mrs. Mary Bethune gave a Silver Server for the Communion offerings, and a large Damask Table Cloth and two napkins for the
1 Deo dicatum donarium.
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Altar ; and the King's Chapel, Boston, two folio Prayer Books. An additional cup and cover of silver were since procured by the subscription of several individuals.
In 1838 the Ladies of the Parish, assisted by others friendly to the object, raised by a Fair nearly $750, which was laid out in repairs of the building and improvement of the Church grounds.
In 1840, upon the recommendation of the Convention of the Diocese, a subscription was commenced for the more sufficient and permanent support of the minister of Christ Church ; by which nearly $1400 was obtained ; which sum, with other moncy appropriated by the Parish, was invested in the present Rectory. The prin- cipal subscribers were the Hon. Samuel D. Parker, $300; Hon. David Sears, $200; Hon. William Appleton, John C. Warren, M. D., Henry Codman Esq., and Edward Tuckerman Esq., $100 each.
A handsome stone Font was presented by the Ladies of the Parish at Christmas 1856.
Among the friends of the Church in times past, in addition to Jonathan Simpson Esq., whose pious exer- tions for rescuing the Church from destruction have been already noticed, the Hon. William Winthrop, Abraham Biglow Esq., and the Hon. Samuel Phillips Prescott Fay, should be remembered for their long continued ser- vices and attention to its interests. Mr. Winthrop was Warden for ten years, Mr. Biglow twenty-six, and Judge Fay thirteen. Mr. Winthrop remembered the Church in his will, and bequeathed to it about seven acres of land. James E. Sheafe Esq. of Portsmouth, N. H., in 1831, and Joseph Foster Esq. in 1836, gave each a legacy of $200. Miss Mary Pearse in 1838, and Miss Sarah C. Lowell in 1851, left legacies of $100 each.
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Many other gifts and benefactions, separately smaller, but considerable in the aggregate, and, when they were given, very seasonable and serviceable, have been received by the Church from its friends at different periods, beto- kening the interest which was felt in its prosperity, not only as a Parish Church, but as a Chapel for the stu- dents sent to the University from families belonging to our Communion in all parts of the country. The num- ber of these has usually been about one seventh of the whole number of the undergraduates, besides many con- nected with the other departments of the University.
The late alteration was commenced about the middle of August 1857, and completed in November, during the absence of the Rector ; services in the meanwhile were held in the Lyceum Hall, chiefly by the Rev. D. Gordon Estes. Twenty-three feet, or two inter-columnar spaces, were added to the length of the building. Except in the proportions, the interior was made to conform more closely to the original plan. When the Church was built the Pulpit and Desk stood near the first column, on the southerly side, in front of the Chancel, and the former had a sounding board above it, handsomely ornamented, which was afterwards placed in the Rev. Dr. Homer's Church in Newton. In the repairs of 1825 the carved capitals were added to the columns, which had been left unfinished, the Pulpit was removed to the south and the Desk to the north corner of the Chancel, within the rails, and the two double rows of square pews in the nave were changed into two single rows of long pews, those of the side aisles remaining of the original form. The last also were subsequently altered with a view to greater economy of room, and in 1854 the whole Church was re-arranged
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with open seats with the same view, making a consid- erable addition to the accommodations for worshippers. The number of pews was originally forty-four ; it is now one hundred, of about the same average capacity, the alleys having been somewhat narrowed and the vacant spaces filled up. The Pulpit is now restored very nearly to its first position, and the Desk being also brought forward, the Chancel is again left clear for the proper Altar Services.
Such is an imperfect sketch of the history of Christ Church, Cambridge. Begun under highly favorable cir- cumstances, with every promise of the most flourishing success, yet speedily checked in its prosperity ; built by a band of gentlemen whose very names and families have almost entirely disappeared from amongst us, of whom indeed little remains in Cambridge but their estates, their Church, and their fame for loyalty and honor; twice in a deserted and ruinous condition, yet through the good Providence of God happily restored, and the offering of prayer and praise renewed at its altar; carefully watched over and preserved by a little company of Christians, to whom the Liturgy and order of the Church were dear; gradually increasing in the number of its worshippers, and now considerably strengthened and enlarged; long may it stand as a monument of the past, and serve for the furtherance of pure religion and the immortal inter- ests of truth and peace, to the glory of the Redeemer, whose name it bears !
IN CHRISTIANÆE FIDEI ET CHARITATIS INCREMENTUM.
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