USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > The History of Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts, 1836 > Part 20
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" On the 6th of May, 1635, Mr. Joseph Hull, a minister from England, with twenty one families, came and settled in Weymouth. In September following, he took the freeman's oatlı. In 1638, he represented the town of Hingham in the General Court; and on the 5th of May, 1639, preached his farewell discourse at Weymouth. He did not, however, preach in Weymouth much over a year, if any ; for Mr. Thomas Jen- ner was there on the 12th of January, or June, 1636, and in December following, took the freeman's oath. On the 9th of January, 1637, according to Hubbard and Winthrop, 'divers of the ministers and elders went to Weymouth to reconcile the differences between the people and Mr. Jenner, whom they had called there for their pastor, and had good success.' The 13th of May, 1640, he represented Weymouth in the General Court ; but left the place soon after, and went and resided for a time in Maine. The duration of his ministry in Weymouth, must have been very short. His name is often mentioned in the Records.
" Mr. Robert Lenthal, whom the people had invited to be- come their minister, was in Weymouth previously to the 30th of January 1638, a sufficient length of time to disseminate his new doctrines, make preselytes, and collect a strong party to
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oppose the new organization of the Church, which took place on that day. Mather undoubtedly was right in saying he was there in 1637. It may then be considered as an historical fact, that Mr. Hull, Mr. Jenner and Mr. Lenthal, were in Weymouth at the same time. It is said that Mr. Lenthal, in 1640, went to Newport ; and after residing there for a time, returned to England. The duration of his ministry in Weymouth, could not have exceeded a year and an half ; and probably was much shorter, and, like that of his predecessors, subject to much in- terruption and unpleasant occurrence.
"Mr. Lenthal was succeeded in the ministry by Mr. Samuel Newman, in whom all the people united ; and this put an end to the commotions and troubles of the five preceding years. He was born at Banbury, in England, in 1600; was of Oxford University, and an able minister to seven different churches. In 1638, he came to New England, spent some time at Dorchester, and then came to Weymouth, in 1639; where he preached about four and an half or five years ; and then emigrated to Re- hoboth, with a majority of his church ; where he died, July 5, 1663. His name is several times mentioned in the Town Re- cords ; but nothing relating to his ministry or emigration."
The Rev. Samuel Newman, as stated above, and as we have seen in our civil history of Rehoboth, was minister of the church at Weymouth, before the removal of a majority of its members to ' Seacunke ;' came with the first settlers of our town, and con- tinued their minister till his death, July 5, 1663. [For a full account of Mr. Newman, see, supra, History of Rehoboth, p. 25, and pp. 54-8, inclusive.]
During Mr. Newman's ministry, a schism broke out in his church, deserving of mention here, which occasioned considera- ble dissension in the religious affairs of the town. The leader on the part of the schismatists, as they were then denominated, was Obadiah Holmes, a native of Preston,* in Lancashire, (England). The precise date of his emigration to this country is not known. He was admitted to the church in Salem, (Mass.) March 24, 1639 ;+ from this he was excommunicated, and, in 1646, removed with his family to Rehoboth, and became a member of Mr. Newman's church. Disliking his discipline, and some of his tenets, Mr. Holmes and eight others withdrew
* Morgan Edwards' Ecclesiastical Hist. of R. I., in MS., in The possession of the R. I. Hist. Soc. at Providence. From this I have derived many of the facts here re- lated. Mr. Benedict was probably indebted to the same source.
+ Farmer's Register.
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their connection from this church, and established, in 1649, what they called a new church. They soon declared for the principles of the Baptists, chose Mr. Holmes for their minister, and were re-baptised, as it is supposed, by the Rev. Mr. Clark, of Newport. Mr. Newman excommunicated them, and incited the civil authority against them. Four petitions were lodged at court against them : one from Rehoboth, signed by thirty-five persons ; one from Taunton ; one from all the clergymen in the colony but two ; and one from the government of Massachusetts. The Plymouth magistrates merely ordered them to desist from practices disagreeable to their brethren ; and Mr. Holmes and Joseph Torrey were bound, the one for the other, in the sum of ten pounds, for their appearance at court. One of the compa- ny promised to comply with the requisition, and was dismissed. This occurred in June, 1650. At the next October court, a bill of indictment was found by the grand jury, against John Hazell, Edward Smith and his wife, Obadiah Holmes, Joseph Torrey and his wife, the wife of James Mann, and William Buell and his wife, for continuing their meeting from house to house, on the Lord's day, contrary to the order of court.
Soon after this Mr. Holmes removed to Newport, R. I., where he succeeded Mr. Clark, minister of the first Baptist church there, in 1652 : a part of his adherents in Rehoboth removed with him.
On July 21, 1651, a short time before his removal to New- port, Mr. Holmes and some of his associates were seized at Lynn, and the next day sent to Boston, and confined in jail, charged with the crimes of preaching the gospel, and administer- ing the sacrament while under sentence of excommunication, re- baptizing persons who had been before baptized, disclaiming against the sprinkling of infants, and such like charges. These charges being proved against him, he was fined by the court £30, to be paid by the first day of the court of Assistants, or to be well whipped, and to be kept in prison till it should be paid, or security given in for it. He refused to pay the fine, and would not even consent to let his friends pay it for him ; saying, that, 'to pay it would be acknowledging himself to have done wrong, whereas his conscience testified that he had done right.' He was accordingly whipped publicly, September, 1651, receiving thirty lashes. In a manuscript of governor Joseph Jenks, written more than a hundred years ago, he says, " Mr.' Holmes was whipped thirty'stripes, and in such an unmerciful
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manner, that in many days, if not some weeks, he could take no rest, but as he lay upon his knees and elbows, not being able to suffer any part of his body to touch the bed whereon he lay." Immediately on his being released from the whipping post, his friends coming up to congratulate him for the fortitude with which he had suffered, two of them, John Hazell and John Spur, were apprehended, under the pretence that they meant to show contempt for the authorities, and were sentenced to pay each forty shillings, or to be whipped. They had determined to choose the latter, but their friends paid their fines, and they were released. John Hazell belonged to Rehoboth, whither he came from Boston. He was upwards of sixty years old, and died a few days after he was released, and before he had reached home.
Mr. Holmes died at Newport, October 16, 1682, aged 76 years, and was buried in his own field, where a tomb was erected to his memory. His wife's name was Catharine. He had eight children, - Mary, Martha, Lydia, Hopestill, John, Oba- diah, Samuel, and Jonathan ; and his descendants, in 1790, were estimated at 5000. Obadiah was a judge and a preacher in New Jersey, and died at Cohansey. John was a magistrate in Philadelphia. One of Obadiah's sons was living in New- port, in 1770, at the age of ninety-five. A great-grand-son of Mr. Holmes stated to Morgan Edwards, to whose manuscripts I have twice referred, that there was a manuscript in the posses- sion of the family, which removed into New Jersey, from which a full history of his life might be obtained.
In September, following the death of the Rev. Samuel New- man, the Rev. Zachariah Symes was employed to preach, for " forty pounds a year, and his diet." By reason of the infirm health of Mr. Symes, the town voted " it expedient to look out for another godly, able minister, to labor with him in the work of the ministry." The same vote was repeated May 15, 1666. " May 23, 1666, Mr. Symes was admitted by the town, as an inhabitant, to purchase or hire for his money." At the same meeting, the Rev. John Myles,* minister of the first Baptist church in Swansey, (which church was organized and contin- ued a while, in Rehoboth), was invited to preach " once a fort- night on the week day, and once on the Sabbath day." Mr. Myles was employed to lighten the labors of Mr. Symes. In
* For an account of the Rev. John Myles, and the organization of his church, see supra, History of Rehoboth, pp. 63-4, inclusive.
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the year 1666, we find a Mr. Burkley invited to continue his labors among the people, " in order to the settlement in the ministry, if he be approved of."
In March, 1668, the Rev. Noah Newman, son of the Rev. Samuel Newman, was ordained over this church, and continued its pastor till his death, April 16, 1678, a period of ten years. [For the remaining particulars respecting Mr. Newman, see supra, pp. 57, 58, 87, 91, 119.]
The successor of Mr. Newman was the Rev. Samuel Angier. He commenced preaching here during Mr. Newman's last ill- ness ; was settled in 1679 ; and, in consequence of ill-health, removed in 1692, or 1693, to Cambridge, the probable place of his nativity. [For a further account of Mr. Angier, see, supra, History of Rehoboth, pp. 130-1.]
Mr. Angier was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Greenwood, a native of Weymouth, (Mass.), and a graduate of Cambridge. He was settled over this church, in October, 1693, and contin- ued its pastor till his death, September 8, 1720, aged fifty years. [For a further account of Mr. Greenwood, see, supra, History of Rehoboth, p. 136.]
The Rev. Thomas Greenwood was succeded in the pastoral office by his eldest son, John, who was born at Rehoboth, May 20, 1697 ; graduated at Cambridge in 1717 ; was married May 25, 1721, and ordained minister of Rehoboth the same year. He had fourteen children, most of which died young. [See supra, History of Rehoboth, pp. 136-141, inclusive.
The next minister of this church was the Rev. John Carnes, who had previously been settled over a church at Stoneham, (Mass.) He was born at Boston, in 1724, graduated at Cam- bridge, in 1742, and was installed over this church, April 18, 1759.
He commenced preaching in Rehoboth in the autumn of 1758. We find on the church records, bearing date of Novem- ber 9, 1758, a vote of the church, appointing " Deacon Read to signify their choice to Mr. Carnes, and desire him to continue to preach among them."
At the installation of Mr. Carnes, the following churches were present, viz : the first church in Lynn, the first and second churches in Attleborough, the church in Bristol, the church in Medfield, the third church in Dedham, and the church in War- ren. The introductory prayer was made by the Rev. Mr. Townsend, of Warren; the Rev. Mr. Henchman, of Lynn,
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preached the installation sermon ; the Rev. Mr. Balch, of Ded- ham, gave the charge ; the Rev. Mr. Thatcher, of Attlebor- ough, made the prayer after the charge ; and the Rev. Mr. Burt, of Bristol, gave the right hand of fellowship.
From the following record, in the church book, it would seem that some opposition was made by a party, though doubtless the minority, to the settlement of Mr. Carnes. " The council that installed Mr. Carnes, was a mutual council, chosen by those that were for his settlement, and by those that opposed it. And the votes of the council were unanimous, and in favour of pastor and church."
" The disaffected," according to the language of the records above referred to, " continuing, after Mr. Carnes's settlement, to make difficulty, councils were called, and results drawn up, and published ; from which it appears that the objections made by the aggrieved were trifling." -" Upon the 28th of June, 1763, a council of eight churches met, at the desire of the parties ; and, as every thing in dispute was left to the final decision of this council, the parties bound themselves to abide by the result of the said council."
The following is a copy of the agreement to this effect, signed by " the aggrieved brethren," with their names attached :
" REHOBOTH, June 28, 1763.
" Whereas it has been doubted whether the aggrieved brethren of the Church and Congregation, in the first parish in Rehoboth, have sufficiently bound themselves to abide by the result of the Ecclesiastical council, this day convened in this place, by virtue of letters missive, signed by the pastor, in the name of the church, dated, Rehoboth, May 20, 1763 : We, the said aggrieved brethren, of the said Church and Congregation, do hereby promise and oblige ourselves to submit all manner of difference between us and the pastor and Church aforesaid, to the judgment and final decision of the Rev. Mr. Gay, pastor, and Jacob Cushing, Esq., delegate, of the first church in Hing- ham; the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Pemberton, pastor, and James Halsey, delegate, of the new brick church, in Boston ; the Rev. David Hall, pastor, and John Fry, delegate, of the first church in Sutton ; the Rev. Nathan Webb, pastor, and John Spring, delegate, of the church in Uxbridge ; the Rev. Andrew Elliott, pastor, and William Parkman, delegate, of the north church in Boston ; the Rev. William Vinall, pastor, and Na-
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thaniel Cogshall, delegate, of the first church in Newport ; the Rev. Elisha Fish, pastor, and Josiah Dean, delegate, of the church in Upton ; and the Rev. Amos Adams, pastor, and Eleazer Williams, Esq., delegate, of the first church in Roxbu- ry, - the council, convened as aforesaid, or the major part of them ; and that we will abide by the result and determination of said council : -
" Aaron Read,
John Howland,
Eleazer Carpenter,
Caleb Walker,
Nathan Read,
John Howland, Jun.,
Elijah Kent,
Aaron Read, jun.,
John Humphry,
Jesse Newman,
Obadiah Read,
Nathaniel Carpenter,
John Walker,
David Perrin,
Samuel Maxwell,
Abraham Walker,
James Clay,
William Bucklin,
Richard Whitaker,
Stephen Allen,
Stephen Fry,
Samuel Mason,
John Smith,
John Bowen,
Allen Jacob,
Nathaniel Wheaton, __
John Barstow,
Joseph Bridgham,
Elkanah French,
Ebenezer Carpenter,
John Greenwood, jun.,
Nathan Daggett,
Jabez Carpenter, jun.,
Joshua Abell,
Moses Walker,
James Daggett,
Timothy Read,
James Read,
Richard Spear,
Jonathan Carpenter,
Robert Abell,
Comfort Walker.
" A true copy,
" Attest, AMOS ADAMS,
Scribe of the Council."
The council not only cleared, but commended the pastor, and blamed " the aggrieved." The following extracts from their report will serve to give their opinion of Mr. Carnes's con- duct in their own words : - " Upon a review of the several arti- cles alleged against Mr. Carnes, the evidences by which they are supported, and his answer to them, we with pleasure ob- serve that nothing has appeared inconsistent with either his christian or ministerial character. We have reason to conclude that he hath been uncommonly supported under his continued
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trials and temptations, discovered a serious spirit, and endeav- oured in the midst of numberless discouragements, to carry on the great design of his ministry."-" Now, since it appears to this council that the Rev. Mr. Carnes was regularly installed a pastor over the First church of Christ in Rehoboth, by a coun- cil mutually chosen, and nothing has been objected to his doc- trine, or morals, or ministerial abilities, during the five years he has been among them, we must judge that he has done nothing to merit a dissolution of the pastoral relation between him and his people ; that, therefore, it would be unjust to the Rev. Mr. Carnes, and injurious to the church under his care, a majority of whom, it appears, still adhere to him, to remove him from them."
" The aggrieved instead of abiding by the result of this coun- cil," say the church records, "agreeable to their obligation, made application to the general court, and by misrepresentations obtained a committee to come to Rehoboth, to enquire into all matters of controversy, and to endeavor to bring about an ac- commodation. Accordingly this committee caine, and there was a public hearing of every thing in dispute; after which a committee was chosen by each of the parties, to draw up a plan of accommodation. And these committees not agreeing, Mr. Carnes, of his own accord, made proposals in order to make peace by his own removal. He left the matter to the commit- tee, and proposed a removal upon certain conditions, which will appear by the following copies : -
" ' A Copy of the Form of Mr. Carnes's Removal, drawn up by the Court's Committee, and voted by the Church.
"' At a meeting of the Church of Christ, in the First Pre- cinct in Rehoboth, Nov. 24th, 1764 : Thomas Clapp, Esq., moderator,
" The Church taking into consideration the Rev. Mr. John Carnes's request for a dismission from his pastoral office over this church and congregation, do hereby express our hearty sor- row for the occasion of it, which is not any fault that is found in his ministry or moral conduct, but an unhappy alienation of the affection of many of his people towards hini, and constrains us, contrary to our inclination and the good opinion which we have always had of him, to comply with his request ; and accordingly do hereby vote his dismission from his pastoral relation over this church, testifying on his behalf, that his conversation, while with us has been blameless as becometh the gospel, and hath in all things approved himself an able and faithful minister of Jesus
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Christ ; and as such do recommend him to all christian people, where God in his providence shall call him to preach his holy word, or to settle in the work of the gospel ministry.' "
"' Copy of the Result of the Committee from the General Court.
" ' REHOBOTH, Nov. 24th, 1764.
"' We, the subscribers, appointed and chosen, to hear all mat- ters of difference and controversy between the Rev. Mr. John Carnes and the First Precinct in Rehoboth, where he is minister, and to endeavor an accommodation between them ; and after a full hearing of all parties, and all objections against him, we do hereby testify to the world on his behalf, that there was nothing offered, or so much as pretended to be offered, against his mor- al character ; but his whole conduct, through so many trials and temptations, (human frailties excepted,) appeared to be blame- less. But there appeared an unhappy alienation of affection in his people to him, and incurable, which was the true cause of our advising to his separation ; and, in our opinion, he hatlı in no measure forfeited his ministerial character ; but, from the tes- timony of many of his people, we have reason to believe, that in the course of his ministry he hath approved himself a good minister of Jesus Christ. And, notwithstanding any thing that has appeared to us, we can, and do, recommend him as such to all christian people.
" ' George Leonard, Benjamin Lincoln, Daniel Howard, Thos. Clapp, Edward Sheaffe,
Committee."
In compliance with his request, and with the advice of the above committee, Mr. Carnes was dismissed from his pastoral connection with this church, December 4, 1764, by a council, convened at his house by the desire of the church.
Mr. Carnes soon left Rehoboth, and removed to Boston, the place of his nativity, where he remained till the evacuation of that city by the British troops, in July of 1776. He then en- tered the American army as chaplain, and continued to the close of the war.
He then removed to Lynn,* (Mass.), where he received the commission of a justice of the peace, and was nine years elected
* Hist. of Lynn, by Alonzo Lewis, pp. 194-5
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a representative to the General court. In 1788, he was a mem- ber of the convention to ratify the constitution of the United States. " He sustained through life," says Mr. Lewis, " a good reputation, and was esteemed a patriotic and useful citi- zen. His wife was Mary Lewis, daughter of Mr. John Lewis, of Lynn ; and on removing to Lynn, after the death of her fa- ther, he fixed his residence at the 'Lewis place,' in Boston street. He had several children, two of whom, in 1829, were living in Boston, - John, the eldest son, and Mary Wardsworth, the youngest daughter. Mr. Carnes died at Lynn, October 20, 1802, aged 78 years.
The next minister of this church was the Rev. Ephraim Hyde, who was ordained May 14, 1766. He was a native of Pomfret, Ct .; graduated at Yale College, in 1758; was pastor of this church seventeen years, and died October 11, 1783; aged forty-five years. - He married, in 1767, Mary Angier, daughter of the Rev. John Angier, the first mill- ister of the east parish of Bridgewater. His children were, Ephraim, who resided in East Bridgewater, where he died in 1834; John, Samuel, Ezra and Mary. Mary died in 1790, aged 15. On the death of her husband, Mrs. Hyde, with her children, returned to Bridgewater, where she died in 1788, aged forty-eight. John is a physician, and he and Samuel went to Freeport, Me. Ezra married Patty, daughter of Joseph Ames, of Bridgewater, in 1805. He lived and died in Boston, and after his death his family returned to Bridgewater. Ephraim, the eldest son of the Rev. Mr. Hyde, married Mary Dresser, of Pomfret, Ct. Their children were, Mary, born 1795; Ledyard, born 1796; Eliza, born 1798 ; Augustus, born 1801 ; Nathan Dresser, born 1803; and Orinda, born 1805, and died 1812. Eliza married Wallace Rust, Esq., of East Bridgewa- ter; Augustus follows the seas ; Nathan D. married, in 1833, Elizabeth C. Mitchell, daughter of the Hon. Judge Mitchell, of East Bridgewater, and resides in Boston .* The Rev. Mr. Hyde was much beloved by his people to whom his labors were highly useful. He was interred in the old burying ground near his church.
Mr. Hyde was succeeded by the Rev. John Ellis. He was born at Cambridge, (Mass.), in 1727, and graduated at Cambridge University in 1750. He was settled as a minister, at Norwich,
' * I have been enabled to give the genealogy of Mr. Hyde's family a little more mi- nutely than usual, by aid of Judge Mitchell's MS. Hist. of Bridgewater.
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Ct., till the commencement of the Revolutionary war, when he entered the American army as chaplain, and continued during the whole war. He was installed over this church March 30, 1785, and dismissed, at his own request, in 1796, in consequence of old age and infirmities. After his dismissal, he returned to Norwich, where he died in 1805 or 1806, at the age of seven- ty-eight. His son, James Ellis, Esq., graduated at Brown uni- versity ; became a distinguished lawyer ; located himself for a while at Rehoboth, whence he removed to Taunton, where he now resides.
During Mr. Ellis's ministry, a long series of difficulties arose between him and the precinct, which, from the degree to which they engrossed the attention of the majority of the town at the time, as well as from their singularity and interest, deserve, per- haps, more than a passing notice. The following is a brief ac- count of these occurrences.
DIFFICULTIES IN THE FIRST PRECINCT IN REHOBOTH, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE "LONG MEETING."
In giving an account of these unpleasant occurrences, destruc- tive alike to the interests of religion, and the peace and pros- perity of society, I have endeavoured to divest myself of the prejudices of party, and to state the truth, on whatever side it may have been found to lie. A narrative of these difficulties was published and circulated in a pamphlet at the time of their occurrence, by James Ellis, Esq. son of the Rev. John Ellis ; and which, notwithstanding the author's almost insurmountable temptations to partiality, is said to be, to a good degree, a fair and impartial statement. Of this I have here made a free use, re- touching only what might seem to take the tinge of party.
' In the year 1784, the first precinct in the town of Rehoboth being destitute of a Congregational minister, applied to, and en- gaged the Rev. John Ellis to supply them.
' After having preached with them upon probation, the church gave him a call to settle with them; and on the tenth day of November, A. D. 1784, the inhabitants of the precinct, at a lawful meeting, called for that purpose by vote, unanimously con- curred with the church in the choice of Mr. Ellis. The precinct at the same meeting, voted the sum of ninety pounds, (which at an after meeting they, by vote, raised to one hundred pounds,)
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should be given Mr. Ellis for his yearly salary, while he con- tinued in the work of the ministry among them ; they also voted to raise the sum that might be necessary to discharge the salary, by an assessment on the polls and estates of the inhabitants of the precinct. The precinct soon after, by a committee chosen for that purpose, officially informed Mr. Ellis of these proceed- ings, and that the union of the inhabitants in the choice of him was very great.
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