USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Princeton > The history of Princeton, Worcester county, Mass. from its first settlement; with a sketch of the present religious controversy in that place. Designed for the use of the inhabitants > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14
1073 tons of hay. There were, moreover, 1115 acres of fresh meadow, yielding yearly 762 tons of hay. In addition to this, there were 2266 acres of unimproved, and 2434 of unimprovable, land, 265 acres used for roads, 200 covered with water, and fifteen occupied by the town and other pro- prietaries. Making, in all, a territory of 19,582 acres, val- ued at $180,536 00. There were in the town, the same
31
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
year, 192 dwelling-houses, and cattle of all descriptions to the number of 2963. The population the same year was 1345, and the whole valuation $348,293 00 .*
CHAPTER IV.
Ecclesiasticul History. Introductory remarks. First preaching in town. Organi- zation of the Church, 1764. First Meeting-house built, 1762. Call to Mr. Goodrich, 1766. Call to Mr. Fuller, 1767. His Reply and Settlement. First Deacons chosen. Present to the Church. Troubles with Mr. Fuller. Com- mittee's Letter. His Final Dismissal. Suit vs. Town. Verdict for Defendants.
AWARE that I am entering on a delicate part of my sub- ject, I feel a word of explanation to be necessary. Perhaps there never was a subject of more universal interest, or more generally the theme of conversation, than their ecclesiastical history, and especially their religious divisions are, at this moment, to the inhabitants of Princeton. Go where you will, upon the highway, to the church or town meeting, the domes- tic fireside, or the social circle, and " our religious troubles" are sure to meet you. No place is sacred from their intru- sion. Of course, in the phrenzy of this excitement, amid the meetings of boards spiritual, councils ecclesiastical, churches and parishes militant, informal assemblies innumerable, there are as many varying opinions and contradictory reports, I had almost said, as people. To record all these in sober history, the author must most assuredly write himself down what Dog- berry in the play aspires to be. From the chaotic mass pre- sented, I am left to the ungrateful task of selecting the few grains of truth. I cannot hope to give satisfaction to all," where each is at variance with his neighbor as to what pro- priety requires. My constant aim, in speaking of the past, as well as present difficulties, will be to give only facts, as they exist, substantiated by written documents, unaccom- panied by any, or at most few and unavoidable, strictures of my own. Of the many religious differences, which have and do exist in this place, I most certainly have my own views.
* I am indebted for these statistics to the Report of the State Valuation Committee, for 1831.
32
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
Yet I belong to neither of the parties, which now divide the inhabitants. In some of the religious views of either I do not sympathise, while I certainly am not identified with the in- terests of one more than another. If any one, therefore, shall feel himself aggrieved, by any statements of mine, I beg him to review the facts, and if being correctly given they still place him in an awkward position, the fault is his, and not mine. Without the expectation of escaping censure, I yet hope to treat the "vexed subject " with sufficient impartiality to have little to apprehend from it. Abominating from the bottom of my heart all introductory apologies and explanations, with these few remarks, which I hope may save the luckless histo- rian from the catastrophe of bringing about his ears the whole posse of his religiously litigious townsmen, I enter upon the subject.
The early settlers of Princeton, like those of all our towns, were emphatically a religious people. Hardly had sufficient land been redeemed from the wilderness to settle half a dozen families, when we find them active in measures for the supply of their spiritual wants. Of course, they were as yet too poor to build a house of worship, or support regu- larly the stated ministrations of the gospel, and scattered over too wild and extensive a territory, to form themselves even into a church or society. Yet almost as soon as we hear of the first settlement, we find preaching was had at the rude dwellings of the settlers, the preacher going from one section of the town to another, to accommodate the different clusters of families which occupied them. The custom was, to have preaching eight sabbaths in the year, two in each section of the settled territory. The first sermon ever preached in town, was probably at the house of Abijah Moore, to an audience, which, materially increased at a later day, a small room and bed-room held quite comfortably. An old lady, still living, at the age of eighty-four, recollects hearing a sermon at Mr. Moore's, preached by the Rev. Mr. Harrington of Lancaster, in October, 1759, on the occasion of the district's incorpora- tion. " There were then," says the old lady, " but a handful of us, who found our way to church by marked trees."
The inhabitants continued to employ preaching, in this manner, still without enjoying, in full, the ordinances of the gospel, until the 12th of August, 1764, twenty-five years after the first settlement, when a church was gathered, con-
33
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
sisting of eighteen male members, who entered into a cove- nant, of which the following copy is transcribed from the church records :-
"A Covenant entered into Aug. 12th, 1764. We whose names are hereunto subscribed, apprehending ourselves called of God into a church state of the Gospel-Do first of all confess ourselves to be so highly favored of the Lord and ad- mire his free and rich grace which calls us hereunto: and then with humble reliance and dependence on the assistance of his grace and Holy spirit therein promised for them, that in a sense of their own Inability to do any good thing, do humbly wait upon him for all, we do thankfully lay hold on his covenant, and solemnly enter into covenant with God and with one another according to Godliness .- We declare our serious belief of the Christian Religion as contained in the sa- cred Scriptures, acknowledging them to contain the whole re- vealed will of God concerning our faith and practice, heartily resolving to conform our lives to the rules of that Religion so long as we live .- We give up ourselves to the Lord Jehovah, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only true and living God, and avouch him this day to be our God and portion for- ever .- We give up ourselves to the blessed Jesus, who is the Lord Jehovah and adhere to him as the head of his people in the covenant of Grace, and rely upon him as our Prophet, Priest, and thing to bring us to eternal blessedness .- We ac- knowledge our everlasting and indispensable obligation to glo- rify God in all the duties of a sober and godly life, and par- ticularly in the duties of a church state and a body of people associated for an obedience to him in all the ordinances of the gospel, and whereupon depend upon his gracious assistance for our faithful discharge of the Duties thus incumbent upon us. We engage with dependence on his promised grace and spirit to walk together as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the faith and order of the gospel, so far as we shall have the same revealed unto us, conscientiously attending the worship of God in his house in praying to him singing to him and giving rev- erend attention to his word, read and preached according to his institution, the sacraments of the New Testament, the dis- cipline of his kingdom and all his holy institutions in commun- ion one with another and watchfully avoiding all sinful stum- bling Blocks and Contentions, as become God's people in cov- enant with him .- At the same time we do present our off-
5
34
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
spring with ourselves unto the Lord, purposing with his help to do and keep in the methods of a religious education that they may be the Lord's-All this we do fleeing to the blood of the everlasting covenant for the pardon of our many Errors, and praying that the glorious Lord Jesus who is the great Shepherd would prepare and strengthen us for every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight, to whom be glory forever, Amen."
This Covenant, which appears not to have been recorded until sometime subsequent to its formation, and then in the hand-writing of the Rev. Mr. Russell, was signed by the fol- lowing persons :- Tilly Littlejohns, Elisha Wilder, Ebenezer Jones, Abel Pray, Samuel Hastings, Samuel Bixby, Abner Howe, Samuel Moseman, James Haynes, James Norcross, Timothy Moseman, Peter Goodnow, James Gibbs, Abijah Moore, Caleb Mirick, Timothy Keyes, Noah Norcross, and Stephen Brigham. From the date of this covenant there ex- ist no church records until May, 1767, when a committee was chosen to send letters missive to several of the neighboring churches, requesting their assistance at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Fuller, in the September following. We learn, however, from the town records, which are nearly perfect from 1761, that they continued, as before, to hire preaching, usu- ally four or five months in each year. Their meetings were still held at private houses. As early as 1761, probably ear- lier, for the records, for two years subsequent to the incorpo- ration of the district in 1759, are lost, the erection of a house of public worship was in agitation in the district meetings. In 1760, at the meeting in March, as I learn from other sources than the records, it was voted to petition the General Court to grant a land tax, to enable the district to build a house of worship, settle a minister, and lay out roads ; and Dr. Harvey was chosen an agent to present this petition. In the warrant for a meeting, Feb. 9, 1761, I find the following article :- " To see if the district will vote to build a meeting- house for the public worship of God, and choose a committee for the same, or act any thing relative thereunto, as the dis- trict shall think proper." This article, say the records, " was not voted," although it would seem from the warrant for March meeting of the same year, that, previous to this time, the dis- trict had fixed the location of the house. In this warrant I find the following article, somewhat curious in its orthography,
35
1252567
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
as well as phraseology :- " To see if the Destrict will vote to build the meeting-house, to wit the house for the publick worshep of God in some other place then that which it is allready Voted to be built on and vote aneything Relating thereunto that the Destrict Shall think proper, or otherwise to vote where the said meeting-house shall be built." This ar- ticle is succeeded by the following :- " To see if the Destrict will vote to build a meeting-house as soon as can be conven- antly and choose a committee for the same and Report unto the Destrict upon what terms they can git it built and when,
or act any thing as the Destrict shall think proper." From these two articles, it would seem, the inhabitants had settled the usually great bone of contention in country villages on such occasions, the where, although not the when, the house should be built. The second of these articles was passed over in the meeting. On the first, the following vote was had :- " Voted Col. John Whitcomb of Bolton, Dea. Samuel Pierce of Holden and Dea. Joseph Miller of Westminster be a committee to measure the said District of Princetown, and find the centre thereof, and afix or order the place for building the meeting-house on, to wit, the house for the public worship of God, and if the centre be not suitable ground to build the said house on, then on the nearest place to the centre that is suitable according to the best Judgement of the Committee, and they are desired to make return thereof at the adjournment of this meeting, and it is also voted that Mr. Thos. Harmon of Rutland, and Dea. Jonathan Livermore of Westborough, be surveyors for the purposes above said and that all the said committee and surveyors be under oath for the trust committed to them as above said. Also voted that the vote for building the said meeting-house within two rods of the most southerly corner of Mr. Caleb Myrick's Land be and hereby is revoked and Discontinued." This committee attended to " the trust committed to them," and made their report, which is not on record. The district, however, at a meeting in June of the same year, dissatisfied with the committee's " best judgement," took the usual course in such cases, and, after paying the committee some half the cost of erecting the meeting-house, voted not to accept their report, and to locate the house them- selves. Accordingly, on the 22d of July, 1761, the follow- ing vote was passed :- " Voted that the meeting-house for the
36
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
public worship of God be built on the highest part of the land given by Mr. John & Caleb Mirick to the District for their public use, near three Pine trees marked on the north- erly side, being near a large flat rock." A location in some respects ambiguous, for it would be hardly possible to select any spot within the vicinity which would not be beside "a large flat rock." The site thus fixed upon, and on which the house was finally built, is the same as that on which the congregational church now stands.
The location being thus finally settled in 1761, the first measures for the erection were taken in October of the same year, when it was " Voted to build a meeting-house for the public worship of God, and that said house shall be fifty foots long and forty foots wide." This house, the dimensions of which are here given, was raised on the 30th of June, 1762. It was of sufficient height to admit of galleries, and built in puritanical plainness and simplicity, without bell, spire, or ornament of any kind. The interior resembled somewhat in form that of the present house, the galleries occupying three sides, the pulpit the fourth. What the cost of this house was does not appear. The expense of the frame was 717. 13s. 4d. which was paid to Abijah Moore, who also drew from the treasury 28l. as the cost of the raising. The glass was pre- sented to the town by the Hon. Moses Gill, in 1765. When the first preaching was had at this church it is impossible to ascertain. It was not entirely complete until after the settle- ment of Mr. Fuller, in 1767, although a town meeting was held in it May 30th, 1763. Subsequent to Mr. Fuller's or- dination, I find a vote of the town to finish "the second seat in the galleries." The outside remained unpainted, except so far as the brush of time laid on its coat of venerable and reverend black, until March, 1770, when it was voted "to paint the meeting-house provided Mr. Moses Gill finds the paint." Whether Mr. Moses Gill's generosity again devel- oped itself, and the house changed colors for the better, I am unable to say. In October, of the same year, it was voted to plaister the walls, and one more advance made towards a con- summation, by this time, " devoutly to be wished." In No- vember following, it was voted that " Ye plaistering under ye Galleries be made crowning & ye plaistering whitewashed and ye Seats in ye side Galleries be Finished." Our ances-
37
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
tors finished their public, as their private buildings, " a room at a time."*
The first attempt of the district towards the settlement of a minister, was in 1765. In the warrant for a meeting in December of that year, is the following article :- " To see if the District will vote how soon they will settle a minister, and also whether they will hear any one or more of the candidates for the ministry, which they have already heard, in order for settling, or any other or others which they have not heard, or act anything relating to that affair." On this article, it was voted " to hear Mr. Baker, Mr. Fuller and Mr. Moore, each of them six sabbaths on probation, in order for settling." Neither of these gentlemen, however, received any call to settle in the district at this time. From what reason I am unable to say. Probably neither were desirous of settlement, or, what is most probable, neither were sufficiently satisfactory in all points to the inhabitants. Be this as it may, the first invitation to become their minister, given to any individual, was the call to the Rev. Sewall Goodrich, in 1766. In Au- gust of this year, the district voted to concur with the church in their selection of Mr. Goodrich, and also voted him as a settlement, 133l. 6s. 8d. one half payable in eight months, and the remainder in a year from the expiration of the time of the first-mentioned payment. They also voted him an annual salary of 531. 6s. 8d. Mr. Goodrich, however, declining the invitation, an addition to the salary, of 13. 6s. 8d. was voted in the September following, to be paid as follows : one half in five years from his ordination, thenceforth to be continued as part of his salary ; the remainder at the expiration of ten years with the like condition. Mr. Goodrich still declined the invitation, and nothing further was done towards the set- tlement of a pastor until the 30th of March, 1767, when the district voted, 22 to 4, to concur with the church in their call to the Rev. Timothy Fuller, to settle with them in the work
* The manner of disposing of the pews in this house was somewhat novel. The individual paying the highest land tax was allowed the first choice, he paying therefor a certain sum, fixed by a committee of the dis- trict. Dr. Harvey obtained the first choice, for which he paid 3l. 1s. 4d. His valuation was 95l. 8s. Oliver Davis obtained the second choice, paying therefor 3l.
The church stood about thirty years from the time of its completion, when it was taken down in order to make room for the one at present standing on the same spot.
38
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
of the gospel ministry. The same pecuniary encouragement was voted Mr. Fuller, which had been previously offered Mr. Goodrich. To this Invitation Mr. Fuller returned the follow- ing answer :-
" To the Church and Congregation of the District of Princeton.
Brethren, Having sometime since received your notice in giving me an invitation to settle with you in the arduous and important work of the Gospel Ministry, I have taken it into due consideration, and having sought direction of God and tak- en suitable advice of the neighboring ministers I think it my duty to comply with your desires. Accordingly I now de- clare my acceptance of your invitation aforesaid, humbly de- pending upon and imploring divine grace and assistance that I may be both faithful and successful. I am far from desiring that my people should find the gospel burdensome, therefore, though your offers are not great, yet considering the infant state of your society, your great unanimity and kind disposi- tions, I look upon it as a call from God and am encouraged to accept in dependence on your generosity, as your ability in- creases to contribute of the means with which God in his pro- vidence shall bless you to my necessities, to my comfortable and honorable support. As far as I know my own heart I undertake with a single aim at the glory of God in connexion with your best interest. I think I must be far removed from the least suspicion of having any lucrative views in the case, but assuredly my highest views are to advance the kingdom of Christ which is not of this world. I would take this opportu- nity to express my gratitude for the good opinion you have manifested of me, hoping I shall always walk worthy of your esteem and friendship. I would earnestly request your pray- ers for me that I may so act the part assigned me in life as that I may be instrumental of turning many from sin to God, be approved of Christ the great Head of the Church and judge of the world, and finally be admitted to the rewards of the faithful steward. I at the same time assure you of my prayers for you that the God of love and peace may be among you, that you study the things that make for peace and those by which one may profit and edify another, and pursue the way which through Christ will make you happy in life and comfortable in death and glorious at the resurrection. These are my prayers, these are my wishes, and to promote these
39
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
may I always be led to discern and embrace every proper method. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd of the sheep, thro' the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight thro' Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever, Amen. TIMOTHY FULLER.
Princeton, May ye 16th, 1767."
Mr. Fuller's ordination took place the 9th of September, 1767. On this occasion letters missive, inviting their presence by their pastor and delegate, were sent to the First Church in Danvers, the second Church in Shrewsbury, the second in Lancaster, and the churches in Wilmington, Rutland, Holden, Weston, Westminster, and Middleton, all of which were present.
Soon after Mr. Fuller's ordination the church met, and, on the 9th of November, 1767, adopted a covenant of admission not differing essentially from that subscribed by the original members at the organization. The first deacons of the church were also elected at this meeting. They were Tim- othy Keyes and Adonijah Howe, who were regularly intro- duced into office in the February following. It was also vot- ed, " that the sacrament be administered once in two months ; but may be omitted at particular times as the pastor may judge expedient." About the same time the Hon. Moses Gill presented to the church a flagon, tankard, cup and dish for the communion table, together with a baptismal basin. These were for four years the only vessels owned by the church. In 1772 three additional tankards, a dish and a cloth were procured. These, together with the present of Mr. Gill, constitute a part of the church furniture still in use by the congregational church.
Mr. Fuller continued to discharge the pastoral duties to the general satisfaction of his people, until 1775, when a general uneasiness arose in consequence of his supposed unfavorable views of the revolutionary contest then opening. During their session, in 1774, the General Court had desired Gov. Gage to appoint a fast, in view of the then threatening state of affairs. He, however, declined, and they then recommend- ed a day for the purpose in imitation of their pious ancestors, " who, on all occasions of common danger and distress, de-
40
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
voutly looked to God for direction and favor." This fast it seems Mr. Fuller from some cause refused to hold, and hence the disaffection of his parishioners, who at this early day were not behind the rest of their countrymen in an enthusiastic de- votion to the common cause. This produced the first uneasi- ness, and soon brought, as would appear from their proceed- ings, the people to a determination of ridding themselves at all events of their preacher. Other charges were of course brought against him, or, rather, things that might otherwise have passed unnoticed were construed into grievances. These are summarily stated in the following letter from a committee of the church :-
" To the Rev. Timothy Fuller.
Sir, We are dissatisfied with your conduct in the pastoral office in the following particulars-1. Your not catechising and instructing the children more frequently. 2. Your neg- lect of pastoral visits and of conversation on spiritual things. 3. An unchristian backwardness to instruct and enlighten your flock, which we fear proceeds from a disregard to their spirit- ual welfare. 4. Your neglecting lectures when first settled among us. 5. Your refusing to appoint a Fast when motion- ed by the General Court on account of the fearful apprehen- sion of losing liberties of country, through the arbitrary pro- ceedings of the British Parliament. 6. Your treatment of the Church, when seeking for satisfaction in the articles of charge.
TIM'Y KEYES. STEPHEN BRIGHAM. STEPHEN HARRINGTON. ICHABOD FISHER. THOS. GLEASON.
Princeton, March 26, 1776."
Mr. Fuller replied to these charges by letter, " which stands on record," say the church records, "in the Old Church book." This book has unfortunately been lost in some of the religious commotions, and the answer of Mr. Fuller is not accessible to the writer. With this exception, we have no church records from February, 1776, to May, 1786, about the time of Mr. Craft's ordination. Sometime subsequent, how- ever, to the trial of the suit, at Salem, which he commenced against the town for the recovery of his salary, Mr. Fuller
41
HISTORY OF PRINCETON.
published a vindication* of his conduct, in which is incorpo- rated, probably, the substance of his reply to the church. With respect to the charge of toryism, he says, "What my people believed, I am unable to determine ; but I persuade myself they did not believe me opposed to the measures of my country, because there was nothing in my conduct or con- versation to justify such a faith, considered as a rational prin- ciple. My principles did not forbid my offering the petitions of the people for relief; but I readily joined with my people, on all days set apart by any court or Congress, for public de- votion, and led them in their addresses to heaven for aid and deliverance." In regard to the charges of neglect of lectures, catechising, and pastoral visits, he says, "To these, I at that time answered, that I had rarely omitted a lecture previous to the communion, except for a period somewhat exceeding a. year after my settlement, when lectures were not so statedly appointed as afterwards, by reason of necessary avocations. That I had made it a rule to catechise their children twice a year, from which I had seldom deviated. That I had visited them all generally once a year; and never neglected to visit persons in sickness, upon their offering a note for public. prayers, or upon particular application, and on such visits had endeavored to adapt my addresses to their circumstances." The charge of levity, in presiding at the church meetings, is explained by supposing "the moderator laid down his head on the seat before him, shivering with the cold, which the: people might fondly construe into a shake of laughter." " It. may be impossible," somewhat satirically continues the writer, " sometimes in such debates and altercations to suppress a re- luctant smile. And there may be such a concurrence of circum- stances, as to protect a man from censure, in such a case, on any occasion whatever, except an immediate address to the Deity." The tyranny in church government, another subject of complaint, seems to have been charged upon Mr. Fuller, in two instances in particular ; in one of which, he refused to put a vote whereby the church would go into an immediate investigation of the charges, then for the first time brought
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.