USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Cambridge > The First Evangelical Congregational Church, Cambridgeport, Mass. > Part 5
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MRS. LYDIA JACKSON, the wife of Captain Jackson, who was very indignant at the religious conduct of his family, was one of the two which came bearing letters directly from Mr. Gannett's Unitarian Church in Cam- bridgeport. She was transferred in 1834 to Bowdoin Street, Boston. She was very zealous and active, and became the third Mrs. Lyman Beecher. She died, not long since, in Brooklyn, N. Y.
ELIZABETH D. JACKSON, her daughter, was also trans- ferred to Bowdoin Street, Boston, in 1834. She became Mrs. S. C. Carter, and is now living at Amherst. Though removing from here in 1834, she keeps up her interest to
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the present time, and has given many items of informa- tion which are embodied in this discourse.
MARY H. JACKSON, also a daughter of Lydia, had the first Sunday-school library in charge. She was transferred to Lowell in 1833. She became Mrs. A. H. Safford. In 1837, as Mrs. Safford, she brought a letter from Lowell to this church. In 1842 she transferred her relations to the Second or Austin Street Church, and died, a member of that church, in 1851.
MISS CAROLINE BOARDMAN POOLE, adopted at two years of age by Mrs. Boardman, from whom she received her name, was a teacher in Miss Ellis's school, and was one of the Christian women who gathered from the poor fami- lies then living in the vicinity of where Hovey's Gardens now are, their children and the children of the persons who attended Dr. Beecher's preaching, and who desired their children to be under Evangelical training, and or- ganized our Sunday school. She died in 1844.
MISS ELIZA FREEMAN was one of the brightest converts ; a young, robust girl, who entered at once upon the Sab- bath-school teacher's work. The Master soon called ; she died in 1832.
MRS. ALICE BLACK, the mother of a beautiful family of small children, came into the church unaccompanied by her husband, and died, beloved of all, in 1843.
HANNAH RICHARDSON, sister of Mrs. Boardman, died by her own hand, the next year after the organization, 1828.
MRS. SUSAN ENSWORTH was the wife of an intemperate man, and, cheerfully accepting her lot, commended her religion by her industry and economy and good spirits. The date of her death is not known.
LUCY BRIGHAM, wife of the proprietor of one of the
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great taverns of the early times, was a devoted, active Christian woman. Her daughter Maria (now Mrs. Dr. Furber of Newton Centre) united with Hanover Street Church in 1827, and from thence, by letter, here in 1834; another daughter, Lucy F., united with this church on profession in 1835. The mother died in 1837.
PHOEBE HARLOW was the mother of Charles and Abigail R. and the grandmother of Louisa D. Harlow. She died in 1842, and is the only one of the original members whose name and blood are represented in the present membership.
MRS. NABBY HANCOCK. She was " Solomon's " wife, and Solomon's great-grandfather was John of the BOLD IIAND of " DECLARATION." She died in 1851.
ABIGAIL BOARDMAN was the widow of Andrew Board- man, grandson of Lieutenant-Governor Spencer Phipps, commander-in-chief of all His Majesty's forces in North America in 1756. To her belongs the honor of institut- ing the first school in the Port, when, in the year 1800, she induced Mary Merriam to remove here from Lincoln for the consideration of "room and board, and from each of the twelve scholars twelve and a half cents a week, and an extra charge of two dollars for fuel during the season. Mrs. Boardman, a lady of great refinement, pos- -sessing all the Christian virtues and accomplishments, died in 1848, seventy-eight years of age, the last of the house of Boardman."
MISS MARY MERRIAM continued to teach here for more than thirty years. A very popular teacher, honored by her grown-up pupils, she died in 1852, aged eighty- three years, the oldest resident but one in the city.
MRS. BATHSHEBA BISCO transferred her connection di- rectly from the Unitarian Church, and, like Lydia of old,
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she brought her household with her. As an illustration of what we conjecture to have been true in many instances during the ecclesiastical upheaval, I give in the words of her son, Rev. Thomas C. Bisco, the following : -
" My mother made a profession of religion, and joined the church that worshipped in the Brick Meeting-house, which was then the only church and place of worship in the Port. At that time Unitarianism was not openly avowed. I do not think she ever had any Unitarian tendencies in her mind or heart. She was, until her marriage, an attendant on. Dr. Kellogg's preaching in Framingham, her native place. He was regarded as one of the more orthodox of the 'Stand- ing Order,' as they then were called. With our mother's hearty good-will, her children, doubtless influenced by Dr. Chaplin's family, who were our next-door neighbors, often at- tended Dr. Beecher's meetings in Boston. After Dr. Beecher's course of lectures at the Port, she came into full sympathy with the new movement for organizing an Evangelical church, and contributed liberally, according to her means, toward the erection of the new house of worship. Her piety was not of the emotional type, but calm and steady, and her life a quiet and retired, a uniform and constant one. She gave more time and thought to her Bible than to all other books and papers combined."
In 1838 she transferred her connection to Grafton, hav- ing become a member of her son's family upon his settle- ment as pastor there in 1836. She remained in his family until 1865, when at eighty years of age she died.
ELIZA B. Bisco, her daughter, also transferred her con- nection to Grafton in 1838. She afterward became Mrs. H. A. Ball, and is now a resident of West Newton.
MARIA H. Bisco, another daughter, married a Mr.
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Street, and in 1836 was transferred to a church in Man- chester, England. She has since become Mrs. M. H. Sev- erance, and also resides in West Newton.
THOMAS C. BISco was one of the young men (they were called boys then) who were converted during the revival. He was examined for admission to Hanover Street Church, Boston, but did not join that church. The same committee examined the believers who proposed to form this church, and upon their advice, he and his companion, Bancroft, united here on profession of faith. He was then seventeen years of age. He graduated at Amherst Col- lege in 1831. He studied theology here with Dr. Stearns, and was licensed to preach in 1835. He supplied the pulpit at South Weymouth, and declined an invitation to " settle " there. In July, 1838, he was ordained pastor at Grafton, where he preached for upwards of thirty years. During this time about three hundred were added to the church on profession of faith. He resigned his pastorate at Grafton in 1848, and within four weeks after accepted a call from the church at Uxbridge. Here he labored for six and a half years, when failing health compelled him to retire from " the more active and arduous labors of the ministry." He now resides at Holliston.
- DAVID BANCROFT, JR., united with the church in the same manner as Bisco did. They were of the same age, and warm friends. (When at the anniversary table, Rev. Mr. Bisco, in rehearsing the incidents of those days, said, " O that Bancroft could be here to-day !" feeble old age seemed to have gone down into the grave and brought back its prisoner, and the two seemed to stand there in the bloom of immortal youth ; and we thought how soon at the upper table these fancies will be glorious realities.)
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From an obituary notice in the "Congregational Quar- terly " for January, 1876, we glean : -
" In his seventeenth year he engaged as clerk for Everett and Bruce, in an excellent dry-goods house, at Cambridgeport, Mass. Here, in 1825, he was led by a way that he knew not. He craved Evangelical teaching. His employers favored him in this respect. A physician in charge of a private hospital was of the same mind. So young Bancroft pushed his way on Sabbaths into Boston, to hear Dr. Beecher at Hanover Street. The physician was at pains and expense to take his patients to the same place of worship. Then the physician said to Dr. Beecher, 'Come out to Cambridge and give us an evening lecture.' The lecture was established, and so well attended that Dr. Beecher appointed an inquiry meeting. To the first inquiry meeting some three hundred persons came. The result finally was, that in a few months conversions were multiplied and the foundations of churches laid. Young Ban- croft was among the first to believe, and these remarkable scenes 'kindled in him the ardor, and schooled him into the habits of the zealous life-long worker for souls.' He graduated at Amherst College in 1835, and at East Windsor Hill in 1838. He had two pastorates, - one at Willington, Conn., of nearly twenty years, and one in Prescott, Mass., for about sixteen years. Here he died in the midst of a work of grace, March 11, 1875."
MARY PARKS was a teacher in Miss Ellis's school and in the Sabbath school. She exhibited her interest in this enterprise, not more by her generous gift of one hundred dollars, than by her attendance upon all meetings, and her warm attachment for it until she died at Melrose, in 1856. To her position in Miss Ellis's school and relation to Dr. Chaplin's family was due the fact that the gathered
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Sunday school found a home on the first Sabbath of its meeting.
LYDIA BLOOD was engaged in the family of Dr. Chap- lin in charge of some department of his Institute work, and in 1838 removed to Grafton.
MRS. CLARISSA RICHARDSON is the only one of the origi- nal members who has retained her connection for the en- tire half-century. Though residing in Boston, she is present with us to-day, and with her, her only son and a granddaughter.
Of MRS. ELIZA ANN WARD and ELIZA READING I am unable to ascertain any trace, except that they died pre- vious to 1869, as members of this church.
MRS. D. HILLS also was transferred in 1831, but to what church neither records nor accessible tradition tells. JANE E. FISK, oldest child of Deacon William Fisk. Professing faith in Christ at the early age of fifteen years, she was active in the church while in Cambridge. She married Rev. C. S. Porter, and removed to New York City in 1837. She died in 1843, aged thirty-one years.
ZABIA ROBINSON lived in Cambridge a long and con- sistent Christian life. Her regular attendance upon the sanctuary is well remembered by many. She died a mem- ber of this church, though not in the city, in 1875.
MRS. ISANNA VALENTINE lived to see her husband and six of her children members of this church, and her hus- band a very efficient and generous supporter and deviser of good enterprises. She died in 1874.
MRS. CELINDA HILL removed to Billerica, to which place she transferred her relation in 1875. She and her husband (Brewer Hill) are still living at Billerica, she aged ninety and he ninety-four years of age.
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ADELINE O. GRAY was transferred to the Old South, Boston, in 1833, and from that church to this in 1836, and from this to that again in 1841. She married Mr. Bates. She died in Cambridge, 1871, aged sixty-seven years.
SALLY GRAY (MRS. HOLMES) was transferred to the Old South in 1833. She died in Cambridgeport in 1841, aged thirty-two years.
LOUISA A. GRAY (MRS. BATES) was transferred to Brooksville, Me., in 1834, where she is still living. From her we have received items of interest regarding former times.
MISS NANCY HILL remained in Cambridge until her death, in 1844. She resided on Harvard Street, and with her lived Miss Hannah Binney. When her house was burned they both became members of the family of Captain Amos Smith. In this family Miss Hill died, out- living her sister, Mrs. Smith, but about one year.
EMILY BOWTELL was excommunicated in 1838. Such was the band of believers as we are permitted to look upon them to-day. Nine of them are still living.
WILLIAM FISK, known as Deacon Fisk, although not one of the original members of the church, was intimately associated with the enterprise from the beginning. He united with the church in 1833, and was elected one of its first two deacons that same year. For thirty-seven years he was in very many respects its stanch and able friend. His name is frequently associated with those of Dr. Chaplin and Dr. Stearns in the peculiar struggles and perplexities of the first quarter-century of the church's existence. Four years before and ten years after the long pastorate began and ended, this name occurs at very short inter- vals. His house and his store literally gave shape to the
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lot, and place to the meeting-house in it, as the three buildings were in range. His home was the place of confer- ence for friends and committees, and after the church was gathered there his purse was their reliance and his pocket- book their bank. (Churches are borrowers, and use banks for accommodation.) His counsel was their dependence and his will their bulwark. For more years than any other officer he filled the good office, - that of Deacon. After thirty-one years of faithful service in it he died at his post, the only one of the seven who has finished his life in this office.
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH, COVENANT, AND STANDING RULES.
THE last fifty years have witnessed spirited discussions concerning the creeds of churches, and great have been the changes introduced, in many instances, in order to conform to the views of pastors and prominent members. As might be expected, this church has passed no por- tion of its existence without an expressed and definite creed. It has had a faith within it of such a character that it would bear expression, and the expression is clear. " The Confession of Faith and Covenant " which the forty- six wished to adopt as the basis of their union is couched in no dubious language. Three months after the organiza- tion they adopted their standing rules, which are equally explicit, and they had an edition of three hundred copies printed. In 1844 a new edition was ordered printed, and in January, 1845, some changes were made in the stand- ing rules. October 19, 1855, the standing rules were
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revised, and alterations, erasures, and substitutions exten- sively made. May 28, 1869, commenced a series of meetings which closed June 18, during which the present creed, covenant, and standing rules were adopted seriatim and with careful attention ; and without doubt they who participated in this change greatly desire that it be the last change while they remain here.
BAPTISMS.
From the very organization of the church until the present time, with the exception of the twenty-two months between October, 1844, and August, 1846, the record of baptisms is unbroken. From these records, so far as this church goes, we are able to obtain an answer to the questions, " Is infant baptism falling into disuse ?" and "Is the church bringing in people whose parents have not by this rite consecrated them to God in their infancy ?"
Up to the close of Mr. Perry's pastorate, for a period of three years, there were baptized, infants, 25, on pro- fession of faith, 15; up to the close of Dr. Stearns's pas- torate, for a period of twenty-four years, infants, 269, on profession of faith, 86; up to the close of Mr. Gilman's pastorate, for a period of four years, infants, 30, on profes- sion of faith, 9 ; up to the close of Mr. Murray's pastorate, for a period of six and a half years, infants, 69, on pro- fession of faith, 18; up to the close of Mr. Twining's pastorate, for a period of four and a half years, infants, 16, on profession of faith, 17; up to the close of Mr. Karr's pastorate, for a period of three and a half years,
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infants, 8, on profession of faith, 20; during the present pastorate, infants, 12, on profession of faith, 50. The average number of infant baptisms per year is 82. This average is fully met in the numbers baptized during the last eighteen months. Of the 565 who have united with the church on profession of faith, 215 have been baptized. Of the 95 uniting with the church, during the present pastorate, by profession of faith, 50 have been baptized.
PRAYER AND FASTING.
THE clear and bright jewels of the Christian faith, which, while it exalts the mind for a fuller view and more comprehensive grasp of truths and their inter-relations, emphasizes apprehension above comprehension, as the herald of distinct vision after partial vision shall be done away with, have ever been in open view in this church. The original Saturday evening prayer-meeting is to-day hallowed in the experiences and memories of the older members, and we who know how on Friday evenings we have met the Lord of the grand presence-promise clasp our experiences with theirs in the golden link which says, under date of October 27, 1841, "It being no longer con- venient to hold the Saturday evening prayer-meeting at the house where it has always been held (Dr. J. P. Chap- lin's), and it being the expressed desire of the church to substitute Friday evening for Saturday evening, it was voted to hold a weekly church prayer-meeting at the vestry on Friday evening." The half-century goes out, as it came in, with unshaken confidence in prayer, of which Jehovah is the inspirer and hearer and answerer. Prayer
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has not fallen into disfavor nor into disuse, nor have this people come to think that its farther end is nowhere and its hither end is nothing, and the whole thing a spawn of delusion. A lone fugitive between Beersheba and Haran, a mere boy in the Valley of Elah, a deserted Elijah amid the four hundred and fifty men, wise in popular es- timation, on Mount Carmel, has no more faith in prayer than a church of those who amid the surroundings of prayerless naturalism believe Jesus when he says, " If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you."
Akin to this doctrine of prayer, and rising and falling with it in the centuries, is that of fasting,- fasting, not as a dietetic provision, not to give the system rest, but as typifying and proclaiming a voluntary and complete self- surrender to the inspiration of the Spirit of God. From January, 1840, until the present year, this church alone, and in connection with other Evangelical Christians of this and other denominations, has set apart days of fasting in humble and sincere and confident proclamation to each other and to the world, that it believes that there is still one unchanging God in Israel, the movings of whose power are, in his infinitely wise and mysterious counsels, directed in conjunction with this humble and devout form of worship.
PRAISE.
IF uniformity and unanimity with regard to books of praise and modes of ascribing praise are to accompany the millennium, and are not to exist till then, every lover of the church must feel constrained to pray for the mil-
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lennial dawn. With the vexed problem of Hymnals and Chorals this church has had somewhat to do. Exactly what it has done may exist in the memories of some in the society, but it is not a matter of record. I have seen the copy of " Watts' and Select Hymns" owned and used here by Dr. J. P. Chaplin, and am compelled to believe that Dr. Lyman Beecher found in it hymns for his great revi- val works. What would an Evangelist of to-day do with it ? In 1840, a resolution to substitute "Church Psal- mody " for " Watts' and Select Hymns " was laid on the table. In 1849 another attempt was made to change Hymn Books, and the matter was referred to the Examin- ing Committee. In 1852, again, the matter is referred to a joint committee of the Church and society. In June, 1852, amid the items for which the proceeds of the old church and its furniture were expended, I find a bill of Crocker and Brewster for hymn-books, of $ 11.50. As they published " Watts' and Select Hymns," but did not publish " The Psalmody," and as this bill calls only for books enough, in addition to what were on hand, to cover what the larger accommodations in the new church might demand, we seem warranted in concluding that "Watts' and Select Hymns " were still in use. In June 16, 1854, a committee was ap- pointed to select suitable hymn books for the chapel. In January 30, 1857, a committee of five, with the pastor, was appointed " to take into consideration the subject of a change in the books of psalmody." They reported, April 24, when further consideration was postponed for two weeks. May 8, the matter was indefinitely post- poned. . In January, 1859, a new joint committee from church and society was appointed to consider the subject of hymn books. April 21, 1859, two books were recom-
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mended for consideration, " Sabbath Hymn Book" and " Congregational Hymn Book," accompanied by the opin- ion of each member of the committee. Action was deferred for one week. May 6, action was deferred for four weeks. June 3, a vote was taken that the whole matter be indefi- nitely postponed. May 17, 1861, the supply of hymn books in the vestry being insufficient, the subject was re- ferred to a committee of three. May 24, the committee reported in favor of retaining the present book, and pur- chasing one hundred new copies, and measures for purchas- ing the one hundred new copies were adopted that even- ing. March 20, 1863, a committee consisting of the pas- tor and five others was appointed "to the consideration of a change in the hymn book." January 13, 1864, the pastor and two others were appointed to consider the subject of a change of hymn books for the vestry. De- cember 4, 1874, a committee consisting of pastor and six others was appointed to examine and recommend a hymn book for the chapel. January 8, 1875, the church adopted the recommendation of the committee to pur- chase one hundred copies of "Songs for the Sanctuary," and to raise the money by subscription. February 18, 1876, a vote was taken " to give a fair trial to Congregational sing- ing, and to provide two hymn books for each pew, and ap- pointing a committee to confer with a committee on the part of the society in selecting a new book." March 31, 1876, the present hymn book, " Songs for the Sanctuary," was adopted, and the purchase of two copies for each pew was made forthwith. Although almost every sort of record is made connected with this subject except conclusions, yet it is known that " The Village Hymns " was used at evening meetings, and "The Sabbath Hymn Book " at the
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Sabbath service. As a matter of fact, changes have been made ; as a matter of record, they have been contemplated.
Surely Church Psalmody has honorable mention on our records, and through much tribulation has it come over the shaking marsh of indecision up to its present solid ground.
With an organ from the very first, it has been through the ordinary experiments of voluntary and paid choirs, of chorus choirs, quartette choirs, and chorus quartette choirs, and each of these with congregational singing, and con- gregational singing with neither, and is now trying the quartette chorus choir and congregational method.
CHANGE IN HOURS OF SERVICE.
WELL established before novelty was proclaimed as an essential charm, and change an absolute necessity in the ordering of its affairs, this church undertook no change in the hours of service until November, 1870. Then the second service was assigned to the evening, and "the afternoon devoted to a Bible service for the whole con- gregation." Early in the following June, it began to return to the old ways by voting to hold the second service at four o'clock, p. M., during July and August. By two meetings held January 24 and March 1, 1872, they voted to hold " the second preaching service at three o'clock, P. M." That circle was just fourteen months in circumference, and it was complete, and the end is com- pletely lost in the beginning thereof.
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MODERN REFORMS.
TEMPERANCE.
THE modern modes of agitating the temperance reform began in the Washingtonian movement, and have all fallen within the period of our review. This church has taken the stand of very many others. It has not, either in its articles of faith, or covenant, or standing rules, a temper- ance pledge. It leaves each member thereof to act with freedom in his choice of means and organizations for promoting good order and virtue and the well-being of all through every possible effort. For this it has some- times been called anti-temperance, but I believe falsely so called. There are in it some who do not accept the doctrine of total abstinence. There are in it many more who do accept it. However, the record is fair, for, under date of January 20, 1830, ten years before Wash- ingtonianism began its glorious work, at an annual meet- ing called for general purposes, we find the following resolution was unanimously adopted by the church : -
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