USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > The history of the First Baptist church of Boston (1665-1899) > Part 13
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 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23
yrs in ye fellowship of ye gospell ISAACK HULL JOHN EMBLEN in ye name of ye church. 1
There is no record of his restoration to the fellow- ship of this church.
"1688 August 12th Att A Church meeting Bro Sweetser was Elected for a Decon upon probacon." 1
1 "Church Record."
194
He was "ordayned March 91 :"1 This was Benjamin Sweetser, who became a member prior to 1669. He was the son of Seth Sweetser, who settled in Charles- town in 1638, and who had been a Baptist in Hert- fordshire, England. The father, a man of property and social standing, died in 1662, before the church was organized, but he had been in close sympathy with those who became the founders.
"Aug 12th 1688 att A Church meeting itt was Agreed upon that Brother Sweetser Brother Squire Brother Skinner Brother Killcay Brother Hiller & Brother Callender should have care as there wisdome should direct for the support of ye Ministry and set- tleing of M' Milborne as an Assistant in ye ministry who then promised to be helpfull therein."1 These brethren seem to have been a committee for the church finances. Nothing further is known of Mr. Milborne. Doubtless his services were unacceptable.
"28 December [1689?] agreed at a Church meeting yt .M' Emblen should have thre quarters of the contri- bution."1 It is easy to guess that his salary was somewhat fluctuating, but always small. From this time until 1694, a period of five years, only five new members were received into the church. Elder Hull was gone and Elder Emblen was left sole pastor. It was a time of disheartenment. The church did not grow or prosper. Interest in spiritual things was at a low ebb. There were some strong and earnest lay- men, but the pastoral leadership was inefficient. From August, 1696, to June, 1708, there is no record of any member received nor of any business transacted. It
1 " Church Record."
-
195
was a time of general religious declension throughout New England. The Congregational ministers felt that the glory of the colony had departed. There was widespread lamentation over the laxity of morals and the indifference toward public worship. The desire for wealth, pleasure-seeking, and general worldliness greatly increased.
This church had no settled pastor from 1700 to 1708. They had occasional preaching by other per- sons than Baptists. In 1709 one of the meinbers al- leges as a reason for non-attendance at the church that they " had sett a presbeterian Minister to preach amongst us,"1 and that when he had attended "in ye time of prayer he turned his back & kept on his liatt," 1 as a protest against this unbaptistic intruder. In 1706 the church again sought a pastor in England, but without success.2 They then sent urgent invita- tions to Elder William Screven, of South Carolina. He listened favorably to their request and was on the eve of acceptance, wlien the pastor of the church which he had founded in Charleston suddenly died. Mr. Screven felt that he could not leave the bereaved church in such a crisis, and accordingly wrote to Bos- ton, June 2, 1707, "his great disappointment " that he could not come. He recommended them "to improve the gifts which they have in the Church. Brotlier Callender and Joseph Russell, I know, have gifts that inay tend to edification if improved." 3 This sugges- tion was adopted, and Mr. Ellis Callender, who had been a lay preacher among them for about thirty years, and who had taken charge of public worship in 1 "Church Record." ? Backus, " Hist.," Vol. I., p. 466. 3 Ibid., 467.
196
the absence of the pastor, was chosen in 1708 to be their pastor. I can find no record of his ordination. Under his faithful care the church began to revive and grow. He had become a member in 1669. His name is eighteenth in our list, and he was the fifth pastor. He was a discreet, devout, devoted man. He was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him. The first token of friendly recognition which Baptists had yet received from Congregationalists came to him in 1714, in the form of the following letter :
16ª. Im. 1714.
Sirs : As in the distresses of the winter, we did, with the solem- nities of humiliation, call upon our gracious God, so, since he has graciously recovered so many of our people, and sent in such sea- sonable provisions for our necessities, it has been proposed among the ministers of the town, that our good people may acknowl- edge these favors of our prayer hearing Lord, with the solemnity of a thanksgiving in our several congregations : for which, also, we have had the encouragement of the government. The time we would propose for such a service is Thursday the first of April, if the churches have no objection against it. And it was desired that you might be seasonably apprised of this purpose, because we are well assured of the welcome, which a motion of such a nature will find with you, and the people of God unto whom you stand nearly related. Having thus discharged the duty in this manner incumbent on me, I take leave to subscribe,
Sir, Your brother and Servant COTTON MATHER.
To my worthy friend, Mr. Ellis Callender, Elder of a Church of Christ in Boston. 1
The fact was that Mr. Elisha Callender, son of Mr. Ellis Callender, had graduated in 1710 from Harvard College. Dr. Increase Mather had been president of
1 Backus, " Hist.," Vol. I., p. 420.
197
the college for sixteen years, resigning in 1701, and still retained a close relation to it. In this way he had become acquainted with young Callender and his father. Both the Mathers had written fiercely against the Baptists, and had denied them any recognition as an orderly and regular church of Christ. They had incited the civil authorities to persecution. But per- sonal acquaintance with these two Baptists had wrought a great change, and they found that Baptists were godly, peaceable, law-abiding citizens, who had been grossly calumniated ; that they were not in op- position to education, nor to an educated ministry ; that they were not the incendiaries of common- wealths, but that they were conscientious and Chris- tian souls, of as good English stock as themselves. The result of these discoveries, which they might have made years earlier, was this first public recogni- tion of the Baptist church as a true church of Christ.
It was now almost fifty years since the church was organized, and during all that time Dr. Increase Mather had been pastor of the Second Church, which was the immediate neighbor of this church. It may be said, therefore, that his recognition of it was some- what tardy.
.
CHAPTER X
ORDINATION OF ELISHA CALLENDER. PROSPERITY. WORK AT SPRINGFIELD AND VICINITY. MANNER OF SINGING. DEATH OF MR. CALLENDER.
0
I
X
" AUGUST 10. 1713. Shem Drowne & Elisha Cal- lender were baptized & Reced to Comunion with ye Church."1 These were two notable names, and des- tined to have an important influence over the desti- nies of this church. "On Wednesday the 21st of May 1718 Elisha Callender was ordained a pastor of this Church of Christ by the Reverend Docter Mathers & M' Webb of the new north Church." 1 This marked a very notable advance in the position of the church in the town. Never before had the churches of the Standing Order recognized formally this church as a legitimate, regular, or authorized -church of Christ, although the Mathers had given their personal recognition four years before. During all its history it had maintained itself vigorously and consistently, but it had stood alone and without Christian recognition.
The spirit of intolerance had greatly lessened, for . otherwise the church would never have ventured to send the following letter :
A Coppy of a Letter sent to Dr Mather & Mr Webb to be communicated to their Churches in the beginning of May 1718 :
Honored & Beloved in the Lord
Considering that there ought to be a holy fellowship maintained among godly Christians and that it is a Duty for us to Receive one another as Christ also Receives us to the glory of god not-
1 " Church Record."
201
202
withstanding some Differing persuasions in matters of Doubtfull Disputations, and although we have not so great Latitude as to the Subject of Baptism as the Churches in New England gener- ally have, notwithstanding as to fundamentall principles in your Doctrine of Christ both as to the faith & order of the Gospell, we Concur with them being also satisfied that particular Churches have power from Christ to Choose their own Pastors & that Elders ought to be ordained in Every Church & haveing Chosen our well beloved Brother Elisha Callender to be our pastor we Intreat you to send your Elders & Messengers to give us the Right hand of fellowship in his ordination.
In ye name of ye Church. 1
To this friendly overture these churches responded and sent their pastors and messengers to assist in the ordination. Ex-President Increase Mather, his son, Dr. Cotton Mather, and Mr. Webb conducted the service. Dr. Increase Mather says :
It was a grateful surprise to me when several of the brethren of the Anti-pedobaptist persuasion came to me, desiring that I would give them the Right Hand of Fellowship in ordaining one whom they had chosen to be their pastor. I did (as I believe it was my duty) readily consent to what they proposed : considering the young man to be ordained is serious and pious, and of a candid spirit, and has been educated in the College at Cambridge : and that all of the brethren of that church with whom I have an acquaintance (I hope the like concerning others of them) are, in the judgment of rational charity, godly persons. 2
Dr. Cotton Mather of the Second Church preached the ordination sermon, on "Good Men United," in the course of which he says :
New England also has, in some former times, done something of this aspect, which would not now be so well approved of ; in
1 "Church Record." 2 Sprague's " Annals Baptist Pulpit," p. 35.
203
which, if the brethren in whose house we are now convened, met with anything too unbrotherly, they now with satisfaction hear us expressing our dislike of every thing that has looked like persecu- tion in the days that have passed over us.
This was a public acknowledgment of the wrong- doing in the early persecutions, which must have been very grateful to the few members, like Ellis Callender and Benjamin Sweetzer, who had survived those times. It was a frank and honorable recogni- tion of them as a Christian church. It had been long delayed, but was none the less welcome.
This memorable result was largely due to the high esteem in which the Callenders, father and son, were lield in the community. The son was the first native American Baptist minister who had received a college education. He was a man of liberal, cultivated, and wise spirit. He had won the affectionate regard of ex-President Mather, and as a scholarly alumnus of Harvard could scarcely be treated lightly by the ministers of the colony. Doubtless it was this friendly attitude of the venerable ex-President Matlier which opened the way for the recognition of this church and the ordination of its minister. It was a far cry from President Dunster, who having become a Baptist in belief, was driven from his high office, to President Mather, who now gave it its first official recognition as "a Church of Christ in Boston." The former was the virtual founder of this church. The latter, whose public life as pastor and president had covered all tlie years of its history, gave a practical completion to what the former had begun. The ordination scene must have been one of strangely
204
conflicting memories to the older persons present. President Dunster, after many years, was in good degree vindicated.
This fraternal event had many and far-reaching re- sults. The church came soon to have a new social standing in the town, and its pastor was received on every side with great honor. It had now a recog- nized place among the other churches. Nor were Baptists the only ones who benefited by this exhibi- tion of Christian brotherhood. Harvard College soon after was the recipient of large benefactions from a Baptist. A new era of prosperity in the church followed. New members, many of whom were per- sons of influence, began to unite with the church, and its work widened rapidly.
"Decemb" 14th 1718 The Church Chose Richard Proctor to the office of a Deacon by a major vote." 1 "January 30th 1718 Messrs Hillar & Proctor were ordained Deacons of this Church."1 Richard Proc- tor became a member January 14, 1709, and Benjamin Hillar June 1, 1708. A further evidence of the rapid extension of the work of the church is the election of other deacons.
"April 29ª 1720 Josias Byles was chosen Deacon by a major vote upon probation." 1 He was received into the church November 1, 1719. He served faith- fully in the office of deacon for thirty-three years. "May 5, 1721. At ye saine Church meeting Brother Shem Drowne was chosen to ye office of a Deacon by a major vote." 1 He and his pastor were baptized on the same day, August 10, 1713. Deacon Drowne
1 " Church Record."
205
was a notable man in Boston. He had general super- vision of the fortifications and mnade the necessary repairs upon them. He was a man of affairs in many directions. It was he who made the famous gilded wooden Indian which so long stood upon the top of the " Province House," and also the weather vane which has so long surmounted the dome of historic Faneuil Hall. This vane, which is of large size when seen at close range, is a reproduction of a grass- hopper, and lias become somewhat tarnished and shab- by-looking. It is probable that the work of regilding will be done soon. The last time that it was taken down and regilded was many years ago, and at that time there was found on the inside of the vane a paper bearing this legend :
Shem Drowne Made itt, May 25, 1742. To my Brethern and Fellow Grasshoppers. I Fell in ye year 1753, Nov. 18th, early in ye morning by a great earthquake . . . by my old Master above. Again Like to have met with my Utter Ruin by Fire but hopping Timely from my Public Situation came of with Broken bones & much Bruised . . . cured and fixed by my Old Master's son, Thomas Drowne, June 28, 1768, and Though I will promise to hang . . . Discharge my office and I shall vary as ye winds may blow.
He was also the cunning artificer of the famous bronze cock which gave the name of the "Cockerel Church " to the New Brick Church, and which stood at the summit of its spire as its weather vane for one hundred and forty-eight years. This cock could be seen far out at sea and was a notable landınark in old Boston. It now stands at the summit of the spire of the Shepard Memorial Church in Cambridge. Dea-
206
con Drowne's shop was in Anne Street. He died in 1774 at the age of ninety-one. For more than sixty years lie was a faitlıful, active, and influential mem- ber of this church. He served it as deacon for fifty- three years, which is a longer period of service than any other deacon has given to the church.
"April 2ª. 1721. It was voted by the Church that on days of fasting & thanksgiving their should be a Collection for the poor of ye Church."' This was the beginning of stated offerings for the poor.
" May 5th 1721 Voted at a Church Meeting that if providence at any time prevents our Elder or Pastor from coming forth on the Sacrament day that then his father proceed to administer the ordinance as formerly." 1 Pastor Callender had a feeble constitu- tion, and his manifold labors often prostrated him. It was fortunate that his father, now a venerable man, was closely associated with him.
The extraordinary exhibition of fraternal relations at the recent ordination greatly pleased the English Baptists, and a correspondence sprang up between Mr. Callender and Thomas and John Hollis, mer- chants, of London. The latter were wealthy and devout Baptists, whose liberal benefactor', were widely known in their own city. They now pro- posed to show their appreciation of the treatment of their brethren in Boston by a liberal donation to Harvard College. Accordingly, Thomas Hollis founded the Hollis Chair of Divinity, with a salary of eighty pounds per annum attached. He also gave 1 "an exhibition of ten pounds apiece per annum to
1 " Church Record."
207
ten scholars of good character, four of whom should be Baptists, if any such were there," ten pounds to the college treasurer for his trouble, and ten pounds to supply losses or to increase the number of stu- dents.1 This was the largest benefaction which the college had yet received from one individual, and remained its largest gift until recent years. In 1726 Mr. Hollis founded a Chair of Mathematics and Ex- perimental Philosophy, with a salary of eighty pounds attached. He also sent apparatus at an expense of one hundred and fifty pounds, and added many books to the library. He expressed the desire that his friend, Rev. Elisha Callender, should be appointed one of the overseers of the college. By the charter of that time the ministers of Boston were constituted the overseers, and they would not consent to liis admission among them, and the request of Mr. Hollis was refused. Mr. Hollis supposed that he had suffi- ciently guarded his theological foundation so that orthodox instruction upon it was forever guaranteed. Later events have not justified his hope or expecta- tion. The total amount of the benefactions of the Hollis family "exceeded six thousand pounds cur- rency of Massachusetts, which, considering the value of money at that time, and the disinterested spirit by which their charities were prompted, constitutes one of the most remarkable instances of continued benevo- lence on record." 2
The church also had correspondence with Mr. Hol- lis on its own account, as the following letters show :
1 Neal's " Hist. of N. E.," pp. 220-I.
2 Quincy, "Hist. of Harvard College."
208
The Coppy of A Letter sent unto M' Thomas & John Hollis of London dated March the second 1722. Boston. Hon'ed Srs.
According to y' Expectacon, we should have sent you some accompt of our proceeding Relateing to our meeting house, but ye generall Calamity In which we have had A Share (viz) the small pox has p'vented us till now : We chose our three brethren who have signed the Accompt, and after some generall directions, left them to Manadg, In the most prudent maner, and we are fully Sattisfyed, that they Acted with prudence and good contrivance, and this there Accompt which we send you, is to our satisfaction. We desired to be sensible of our obligations, and as before, soe now againe we send you our hearty thanks. Our howse is now much Warmer, and far more comfortable, to carry on the Worshipp of god, than itt was before. May the great god Accept ye good designes, and owne us In Seeking the Advancement of his king- dome. This is and shall be our desire & prayer to him, who is ye god of all grace, to whome we commend each of you, wishing you An Abundant Entrance Into the Kingdome of our glorious Redeemer.
Yr oblidged Brethren & fellow servants In the Service of Jesus Christ.
Signed att A Church Meeting March 2ª 1722
ELISHA CALLEND' ELLIS CALLENDER LEONARD DROWN BENJa LANDON 1
In 1721 the small-pox raged virulently in Boston, and out of a population of about twenty thousand between eight and nine hundred died. Soon after " the practise of innoculation was set up . .. . and Dr. Zabdiel Boylston was the chief actor in it."
A Coppy of a Letter Sent to Mr Jnº & Thomas Hollis of Lon- don for thirty pounds N : England money sent us to Plaister & whitewash our meeting house.
1 " Church Record."
209
Honed & Belovd in our Lord Jesus Christ
We are glad that our accounts of your money in the Repair of our meeting house have been approved by you and now send again our hearty thanks for your Repeated bounty & liberality : Mr Tyler was ready to Comply with your note & the money we have Improved in plaistering our house & whiting it ; As we are persuaded you aim chiefly at ye glory of god so we shall make it our prayer that god would accept you in this and all your endeav- our to advance & promote the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. We wish each of you Grace & peace & Love from ye god of all Grace & from our Lord Jesus Christ, and then according to ye Apostle you have Sowed so bountifully may Reap also bountifully.
We commend Each of you to the word of god and the good Spirit of god to be an Earnest of your Inheriting the Kingdom of heaven, and may that good Spirit guide & lead you till you shall be brought to glory & O that we may all at last appear compleat in the Lord Jesus Christ at his Second Coming.
We Subscribe yr Obliged friends and Brethren ELLIS CALLENDER ELISHA CALLENDER SHEM DROWNE JOSIAS BYLES JAMES PITSON, &c : 1
The first gift of the Hollises was one hundred and five pounds two shillings, and the Committee on Re- pairs was Deacons Byles and Drowne and Mr. David Landon. The second gift "for the plaistering and whiting of the Meeting house "1 was thirty pounds.
Their gifts did not stop with these, for the following letter appears in our Records (about 1724):
A Coppy of a letter sent to M' John & Thomas Hollis in Lon- don, Merchants, for sixty pounds New England money sent to make Conveniences for the administration of Baptism.
1 " Church Record."
210
Honored & beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ :
Your Repeated Bounty & Charity Calls for our Repeated thanks & we take this opportunity to send them. We can make you no other Return than that of our humble prayers to god that he would Reward you & we hope we shall never fail of this. We joyne with you in your wishes that we may have many ocasions to use the garments you have sent us. When the Season of ye year will allow us, we shall build two Small apartments for ye convenient administration of Baptism. The Cold weather being so far ad- vanced that it cannot be done this winter. We shall use all Pru- dence & send you word when finished & hope what you have sent is Enough. We wish each of you grace & peace from our Lord Jesus Christ while you are Labouring to promote his Kingdom & his Ordinances & we wish Each of you at last the Reward of wise & faithfull Stewards & that you may Receive the Sentence of well Done, good & faithfull Servants : So pray your obliged friends & Brethren in Gospell Bonds.
Signed in behalf of ye whole
ELISHA CALLENDER ELLIS CALLENDER JOSIAS BYLES. 1
It has been suggested that the first meeting-house was built near the water for convenience in baptizing. There is no evidence whatever of any such motive. The house was built on private grounds belonging to Philip Squire, a member of the church, and was paid for by him jointly with Ellis Callender. A country lane led up to it, through his garden, from the high- way which ran from Boston to Charlestown, by the side of the mill pond. It was a wooden structure, fashioned more after the style of a dwelling-house than of a church, so that it might excite as little as possible of animosity on the part of the ministers and govern-
1 " Church Record."
21I
ment. The conveniences for baptism were duly made at the rear of the lot, beside the wharf, and immedi- ately behind the meeting-house. This wharf was built out into the ancient mill pond, which was a salt water basin opening out from the harbor. The tides kept the waters of the mill pond sweet and clean. It has been filled in, and long since built over with blocks of houses. The first meeting-house, built in 1679-80, was used until 1737, when the increasing prosperity of the church compelled its enlargement.
Att a Church Meeting Jany 13 1724, voted that Such of the members of ye Church as are disposed and appear within three months time to build Pews in the meeting house for their Conve- nience may have leave to do so under the Limitations and Re- strictions which follow :
I That any of ye members of ye Church at any time have free leave to goe into ye pews & and it shall not be taken amiss by them that have built them.
2 That every person who has a pew shall hold it by ye vote of the Church, and whenever any one pew or more become vacant, or when any sees Cause to leave his pew, the Church paying him what he gave for the seting it up, the pew shall fall into the hands of ye Church & be wholly at their Disposal.
Each pewholder must build his own pew and furnish it according to his notion. The custom of letting every pewowner build his pew after his own notion resulted often in great diversity of form and furnishing. The pews were box shaped, but very irregular in form. Some were sumptuously furnished, and some were little more than bare wooden benches.
The church was now greatly prospered. Many new members were received. Many persons of education and standing were attracted to the preach-
212
ing of the cultivated pastor. He was highly esteeined by all classes for his learning, his discretion, and his fervid evangelical zeal. John Comer was baptized January 31, 1727. He was educated at Cambridge and New Haven, but became converted to Baptist views. He soon began to preach and finally became pastor of the Newport (R. I.) Church. He kept a "Diary " of events, both secular and ecclesiastical. He planned a careful history of the Baptists in America, and traveled extensively, collecting facts in furtherance of the plan, but he died at an early age before his work was consummated. John Callender, a nephew of the pastor, was baptized June 4, 1727. He graduated from Harvard College in 1723. He was educated on the Hollis foundation. He became the distinguished pastor of the Newport Church, and had a career of great usefulness until his early death in ,1748. His "Century Historical Discourse" in 1738 is the only reliable basis for the early history of the colony of Rhode Island, and has a priceless value. Jeremiah Condy, Jr., was baptized March 29, 1730. He graduated from Harvard College in 1726, and. afterward became pastor of this church. Rev. Elisha Callender seems to have been peculiarly attrac- tive to young college-bred men, and was the means of introducing into the Baptist ministry numbers of such men at a time when educated men were com- paratively rare among us.
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.