USA > Rhode Island > Bristol County > Bristol > Historical sketches of the First Congregational Church, Bristol, R.I., 1689-1872 > Part 5
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To these lands others were subsequently added, the gift of individual citizens, viz. : A twelfth part of sixteen and one-half acres, then improved by Madame Dorothy Paine, after her decease, by Will
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of Charles Church, Esq., dated 1746, November 29th ; A lot on the Neck containing ten acres, by Will of Samuel Viall, Esq., dated 1756, May 3d ; A lot on the Neck containing about five acres, by Will of Joseph Reynolds, Esq., dated 1757, February 16th.
In the original gift by the Proprietors, the Denomi- nation for whose benefit lands were given was not designated, as only one Church was then contempla- ted, and it was obviously intended that these lands should be for the benefit of this Church .* But the donors of the additional lands were careful to state that they were "for and towards the support of the Gospel Ministry in the Presbyterian or Congrega- tional way and for no other use or purpose whatsoever."
The lands thus generously given by the founders and early members of the Church have aided very materially in the support of the Gospel Ministry. They are for the most part leased for periods of va- rious lengths of time, and the rents appropriated in accordance with the will of the donors.
*Respecting the intention of the donors of the original Ministry lands, we have written evidence of decisive char- acter. On the 30th of March, 1724, Nathaniel Byfield, one of the four Proprietors, gave to Nathaniel Cotton, then pastor of this Church, about six and a half acres of land. In the deed conveying this gift, Mr. Byfield refers to the original deed of Ministry lands, and says, they were " intended to be for the Ministry of the holy Gospel as practiced generally in the Churches of Christ in New England, which I understand to be Presbyterian and Con- gregational, which was the design of the four first proprie- tors of the lands of Mount Hope."
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II.
THE BUILDING GOING FORWARD .- 1691-1718.
EFFORTS TO OBTAIN A PASTOR.
After the departure of Mr. Lee, measures were promptly taken to obtain a successor in the Pastoral Office. Consultation with the Elders in Boston led to the introduction of MR. LEVERETT, of Harvard College, as a candidate for settlement, and on the twenty-ninth of July, 1691, with hearty unanimity, a call was voted. He declined, "because his obli- gations to the College would not admit of a present acceptance." The call was renewed, with the prom- ise of waiting until the Spring or Summer, " earn- estly desiring that he would continue to supply the pulpit meanwhile." He continued to supply until August following, when, on being pressed for a definite answer to the call, he gave a negative reply, and negotiations with him ceased.
After this the Pulpit was supplied by various Ministers in succession, fifteen shillings weekly being paid for the service until 1693, July 24th, when a call was voted to the REV. JOHN SPARHAWK, with a yearly salary of sixty pounds ; " five pounds a year additional for firewood, and, after he has a family, ten pounds a year for firewood and the im- provement of the Ministry lands." The call was
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accepted, and he began his labors October 6th fol- lowing. He continued on trial a year when the following vote was adopted by the town :
" We, the Inhabitants of the Town of Bristol, being met together this 19th day of September, 1694, do, for the main- taining of the Public Worship of God amongst us, and for the Love and Honour we bear to the Rev'd John Spar- hawk, and hopes of speedy settlement by him, and for the putting a full and final stop to any further discourse re- lating to the Strangers' Contribution as an overplus to the Minister (here with us,) do agree upon the considerations abovesaid, and do hereby promise to pay to the said Mr. Sparhawk, by weekly contribution or otherways, within the year the sum of 70 pounds per annum whilst he re- mains a single man, and 80 pounds for the year when he comes to keep a family, and this we promise during his continuance in the work of the Ministry with us."
With cordial unanimity he was duly installed the second Pastor of the Church, on the twelfth of June, 1695, nearly four years after their sore bereavement in the death of Mr. Lee.
JOHN SPARHAWK .- SECOND PASTOR.
MR. SPARHAWK was born in 1672, and graduated at Harvard College in 1689, at the youthful age of seventeen years. Respecting his ancestry we have no definite information.
Not long after his settlement in Bristol, he mar- ried PRISCILLA -, and lived in a house on State street, north of the Common, on or near the spot where now stands the house of P. Hammel, Esq. They had two children, JOHN and NATHANIEL, born in 1713 and 1715. The first graduated at Harvard
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College in 1733, was ordained at Salem, Mass., 1736, December 8th, and died 1755, April 30th, in the forty-second year of his age.
He died 1718, April 29th, in the twenty-third year of his Ministry, aged forty-six years, and was buried with the tender laments of his people in the ceme- tery on the Common, near the Sanctuary, where he had faithfully held forth the word of life, being borne to his resting place, from his house, on the shoulders of the office bearers in the Church. His widow survived many years and continued to reside here till her death.
The name of MR. SPARHAWK, as testified by the Rev. Mr. Burt, twenty years after his decease, " re- mained exceedingly dear and precious to his people." He was a good preacher, and a faithful, judicious pastor. Though not so celebrated as his predecessor, and doubtless a less learned man, he did his work well, and fell at his post his harness on, being called by the Master up higher. The records show that during his Ministry one hundred and two persons were added to the membership of the Church, many others " owned the Covenant," and three hundred and seventy-six children and adults were baptized.
Over his grave his afflicted people erected a me- morial stone with the following brief inscription :
" HERE LYETH INTERRED YE BODY OF YE REVEREND MR. JOHN SPARHAWK, MINISTER OF THIS PLACE 23 YEARS LAST PAST. DYED YE 29TH OF APRILL, 1718, IN YE 46TH YEAR OF HIS AGE."
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III. STORM AND PERIL .- 1718-1740.
THE MCSPARRAN DIFFICULTIES.
After the death of MR. SPARHAWK, there was no settled Pastor for nearly four years. A call was ex- tended to the REV. SAMUEL CHECKLEY, who was afterwards the first Pastor of the New South Church in Boston, but he declined it. A call was next voted to JAMES McSPARRAN, a young man who had recently arrived in this country from the north of Ireland as a Licentiate of the Presbytery in Scotland.
" Ye choice of this McSparran," says Mr. Burt. " opened a door to all manner of confusion and disorder. Several scandalous immoralities were soon after reported of him. Dr. Mather, of Boston, and other Ministers, wrote to ye Church by no means to settle him. But ye affections of many towards him for his excellent oratory rendered them slow to believe anything to his disadvantage. Whilst others were as implacably set against him. Two days were set apart for his ordination, but ye Ministers sent for would not lay hands on such a man to separate him to ye work of ye Ministry. But he, being fond of a settlement and hoping to prevail with ye Church, offer'd to submit to a lay ordination. Not long after this it was suspected & yt suspicion was so violent yt, it amounted to little short of proof yt. his credentials from ye Presbytery in Scotland were a counterfeit and a forgery upon wh his opposers were more implacably set against him. October ye 13, 1719, ye Church met at ye motion and desire of Mr.
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McSparran to consider whether they ought to give him a Dismission or otherwise permit him to go to Scotland as ye Minister there to clear up his character and to return again. But after considerable debate his dismission was voted ye Church being unwilling to be under a promise of staying for his Return."
It appears from the official records that the Church voted, on the 16th of December, 1718, to call him to the Pastoral office ; on the 22d of December fol- lowing, the town, by a vote of seventy to three, con- curred in the Church's choice ; on the 19th of April following, arrangements were made to call a Council for his ordination. There is no official record of the doings of Council. On the 25th of May following, the town adopted this minute :
"The accounts lately received from Barnstable and Plymouth in favor of the Rev'd Mr. James McSparran being read in publick Town Meeting together with our own experience of his good conversation during his abode in this Town and his humble Christian deportment under the present afflictive Providence, with his ready acknow- ledgement of his ungaurded conversation in times past, with his earnest desire under his hand which hath been now read to be reconciled to the Church of Christ, demand our Christian compassion in the exercise of that fervent charity which covers the multitude of sins. We do in duty, as well as affection, declare our hearty forgiveness of all his past miscarriages and that we do receive him as our Brother in the Lord, humbly depending upon the boundless mercy and compassion of our most gracious God through the merits of our blessed Redeemer ye Lord Jesus Christ for pardon and acceptance. We most earn- estly desire that all Christian People referring to this our
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dear and Rev'd Brother, Mr. James McSparran, would put on charity which is the bond of perfectness and all these scandalous Reports that have been spread abroad will, as they ought, be buried in oblivion."
" The above writing being distinctly read in the Town meeting, and people being asked whether they had any objection against it or any part of it, it was unanimously voted in ye affirmative as the mind of ye town, no one objecting after ye vote was called except Conll Paine.
Attest : SAMUEL HOWLAND, Town Clerk."
The way now seemed clear for his settlement in regular order. Accordingly, arrangements were made to call a Council for this purpose on Thursday, October 22d, following. Before this day arrived, the new report of forgery of credentials broke out and threw matters into worse confusion' than before. Without waiting for the meeting of Council he pro- posed to withdraw at once if the Church and town would give him an honorable dismission, or to re- turn to Scotland and obtain confirmation of his cre- dentials, if they would grant him leave of absence. As stated by Mr. Burt, the Church voted his dismis- sion, but the town would not concur in this action but adopted the following vote, viz. :
" Voted, that Leave is given by the Town to Mr. James McSparran, our present Minister, to take a voyage to Ireland, in order to procure a confirmation of his creden- tials, the truth of which being by some questioned : and that he return to us again sometime in June next ensuing, and proceed in ye work of the Ministry with us if he pro- cure ye confirmation of ye aforesaid credentials."
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On the 20th of June, 1720, having heard nothing from Mr. McSparran, the Town voted to extend his leave of absence to the 16th of September following. This period also passed without his return, or any report from him, and the town was then ready to cooperate with the Church in securing another Pas- tor.
While the town were thus patiently waiting for their Minister's return, he was abroad taking Orders in the Church of England. On the 21st of August, 1720, he was admitted to Deacon's Orders by the Bishop of London. On the 25th of September following, he was ordained to the Priesthood by the Archbishop of Canterbury. On the 23d of October following, he was commissioned by the Bishop of London ." to discharge the Ministerial Office in the Province of New England in America." Under the patronage of " the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in For- eign Parts," he came back commissioned as a " Mis- sionary to Narragansett in New England, who is to officiate as opportunity shall offer at Bristol, Free- town, Swanzey, and Little Compton, where there are many people, members of the Church of England, destitute of a Minister."
DAY OF PRAYER AND CHOICE OF PASTOR.
· On the 22d of September, 1720, the Church set apart the 1st of October following as a day of fast- ing and prayer, in view of the present unhappy condition of affairs. To assist in the services of the day they invited the Rev. Messrs. Thatcher, of Mil-
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ton ; Danforth, of Freetown ; Wadsworth, of Boston ; White, of Attleborough ; Fisher, of Dighton ; Billings, of Little Compton ; and Clapp, of Newport. The day was one of great spiritual profit, and a fitting preparation for choosing and settling a Pastor, which was not long after accomplished.
On the 22d of December, 1720, the . Centennial Anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply- mouth, the Church, by nearly an unanimous vote, chose the REV, NATHANIEL COTTON for their Pastor, and on the 23d and 30th of January following, the town " by a very considerable majority of votes," gave its concurrence and proposed, for his encourage- ment to settle, one hundred pounds ; also, one hun- dred pounds yearly salary beginning with the 1st of January, and the Strangers' Contribution. Sub- sequently the improvement of the Ministry lands was added. The call was accepted, and on the 31st of August, 1721, he was duly ordained the third in the succession of Pastors of this Ancient Church. The sermon on the occasion was by the REV. JOSEPH BELCHER, of Dedham.
NATHANIEL COTTON .- THIRD PASTOR.
MR. COTTON was a descendant of the distinguished JOHN COTTON who came to Boston from England in 1633, who, being then about forty-eight years of age, of large and varied experience, and eminent for his talents, learning and piety, was soon designated and set apart as Teacher of the First Church, of which the REV. JOHN WILSON was Pastor, whose labors were
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attended with such remarkable blessing that during the first five years a greater number were admitted to his Church than to all the other Churches in the Colony, and who died on the 23d of December, 1652, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, lamented as a public loss in all the Churches in the country.
He was a son of the REV. ROLAND COTTON, of Sandwich, Mass., born in 1698, graduated at Har- vard College in 1717, and was therefore only twenty- three years of age when he assumed the Pastoral Office in Bristol. His father was a grandson of the REV. JOHN COTTON, above mentioned, and one of several Congregational Ministers whom this family produced, all of whom were eminent for their piety and usefulness. His younger brother, JOSIAH, gradu- ated at Harvard in 1722, and was ordained Pastor of the Beneficient Church in Providence, 1728, Octo- ber 23d, which office he held for several years, and was afterwards settled at Woburn, Mass., and Sandown, N. H., and died 1780, May 27, aged seventy-eight years.
Not long after his settlement he married the widow of MR. WILLIAM SANFORD, of Newport, and lived, it is supposed, in the house on State street, which had been previously occupied by Mr. Spar- hawk, and, after his decease, by his widow.
His Ministry was continued under the embarrass- ments which grew out of the McSparran difficulties until his strength failed, and he sank to an early grave 1729, July 3d, in the thirty-first year of his age. But, though troubled and brief, his Ministry
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was fruitful in good results. Many were added to the Church on Profession of Faith, others " owned the Covenant," and over a hundred children and adults were baptized. The House of Worship was also thoroughly repaired and improved, and the cour- age and hope of the church failed not.
The Rev. Mr. Burt says of him, "he was a man of singular prudence, of admirable patience, and for the cause of Truth and Righteousness he was as bold as a lion, and his name continued fresh in the memories and exceeding dear and precious to his people." He made his grave with his beloved flock, and a Memorial stone was erected with the following in- scription :
Here lies the remains of
THE REV. MR. NATHANIEL COTTON, M. A., and Pastor of ye Church in this Town. Born at Sandwich, June ye 16, 1698, 2d son of ye late REV. MR. ROLAND COTTON, and his wife ELIZ., only daughter of ye HON.
NATHANIEL SALLONSTALL, ESQ., of Haverhill. Took his degrees at H. College 1717 and 1720. Ordained here Aug. 30, 1721. Married ye relect of MR. WILLIAM SANFORD, of Newport, By whom he had 4 sons and 4 daughters. Died here July 3d, 1729, Greatly Valued and Lamented.
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BARNABAS TAYLOR .- FOURTH PASTOR.
Shortly after the decease of Mr. Cotton, the Church and Town, with a remarkable degree of unanimity, united in calling the REV. BARNABAS TAY- LOR, voting him two hundred pounds for settle- ment, and a yearly salary of one hundred and forty pounds, together with the use or income of the Ministry lands and the Strangers' Contribution. The call was accepted and he was duly installed the fourth Pastor, 1729, December 25th.
There are no Church records during his Ministry and we have no means of knowing any fruits of his labors. Mr. Burt says, " he was much admired at first ;" but for some cause respecting which the record is silent he failed to give satisfaction, and, by the advice of an Ecclesiastical Council, was dismissed 1740, June 3d.
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IV.
PEACE AND PROSPERITY .- 1740-1775.
JOHN BURT .- FIFTH PASTOR.
Very soon after the dismission of Mr. Taylor, the REV. JOHN BURT was introduced to the Church, and began to preach in July, 1740, as a candidate for settle- ment. On the 17th of November following, he was unanimously chosen to the Pastoral office. On the 5th of January, 1741, the Town voted unanimously to con- cur in the Church's choice, and for his support proposed a yearly salary of two hundred and fifty pounds in silver money, at twenty-eight shillings per ounce or its equivalent in paper currency, the Strangers' Contribution, and the improvement of the Parson- age house and Ministry lands. The call was accepted, and on the 13th of May, 1741, he was duly ordained and installed the fifth Pastor by a Council consisting of the Elders and Messengers of Churches in Boston, Newport, Little Compton, Dighton, Rehoboth, Attle- borough and Providence. The sermon on the occa- sion was preached by himself, from 2d Cor. v. 20. The charge to the Pastor was given by the REV. MR. WEBB, of Boston, who was the Pastor of his child- hood and the Instructor of his riper years. The right hand of fellowship was given by the REV. MR. TURNER, of Rehoboth. And the prayer was offered by the REV. MR. FISHER, of Dighton, the Moderator of the Council.
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MR. BURT was a native of Boston ; born 1716, graduated at Harvard College, 1736, at twenty years of age. After graduation he pursued his studies for the Ministry under the direction of his Pastor. He remained in the Pastorate to the day of his death, 1775, October 7th, in the thirty-fifth year of his Ministry and the fifty-ninth year of his age.
His house was on Hope street, near the present mansion of Mrs. Scott Greene. During the attack of the British on the town, 1777, May 25th, this was the first house which was fired and destroyed.
On taking charge of the Church he gathered what information he could respecting its history and pre- sent condition, and prefaced an account to a book of records which he faithfully kept during his entire ministry, and for neatness of copy and fullness they are much in advance of any kept by his predeces- sors. At the beginning of his Ministry seventy-seven names appear on his record as being at that time members in full communion. Additions were con- tinually made, and, at his death, sixty-five members had been received to full communion, one hundred and eighteen others had "owned Covenant," and five hundred and twenty-six children and adults had been baptized.
His Ministry was eminently successful. A faith- ful, bold and earnest preacher, and a judicious coun- sellor and friend, he won the respect of all classes, and enjoyed, in a marked degree, the confidence and affection of his people. This period was emphati- cally one of peace and prosperity. The bitterness
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of the McSparran controversey had greatly abated ; measures for the support of the Gospel were adopted which were generally satisfactory, and a steady devotion to the cause of Christ produced its fruits of joy and harmony.
In 1746, by Commissioners, the Town of Bristol, with four other towns, was set off from Massachusetts and annexed to Rhode Island. As by the funda- mental law of this State, the support of religious institutions could only be by voluntary contribution, the Church could no longer look to the town for sup- port as formerly, but must rely upon its own special friends and helpers. But, previous to this, an arrangement was made with the town, whereby those who chose to have their Ministry taxes go towards the support of the Ministry of another order could do so by properly signifying their wish to the town authorities.
On the 7th of October, 1775, there passed away from earth this Pastor beloved. Tenderly was his body laid away to rest in the cemetery on the Com- mon, where sleep the mortal remains of Sparhawk and Cotton, and as a tribute to his memory a tablet with the following inscription was erected by his mourning people :
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Sacred to the Memory of the REV. JOHN BURT, A. M., born in Boston, educated at Harvard University ; Ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Bristol, May 13, A. D. 1741. He died aged 59 on the 7th of Oct. 1775, in the evening of the ever memorable Bombardment of this Town by a British Squadron. He was the noble advocate of Civil Liberty and religious Freedom, and a faithful Pastor to his Flock. His Parishioners from a sincere respect for his many virtues, and a just veneration of his excellent character have erected this Monument to his MEMORY.
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V.
HALTING OF THE WORK .- 1775-1785.
THE FLOCK SCATTERED WITHOUT A SHEPHERD.
In 1775, Bristol was a flourishing commercial town with a population which numbered about twelve hundred and fifty. On the breaking out of the Revo- lutionary war, the town took prompt measures to perform its part in the memorable conflict, and its history during this period is one of thrilling interest. " Some time during the summer, a British squadron arrived in Newport, and lay there until the 7th of October, on the morning of which day an express arrived here with the news that the squadron was getting under weigh at Newport, with the intention of sailing to Bristol. This news caused much alarm and confusion throughout the town. The day of the occurrence was unusually pleasant. About three o'clock in the afternoon, the squadron, consisting of three ships of war, named the Rose, the Gaspee, and the Eskew, with a bomb brig and a schooner, was seen standing up the bay in full sail, with a gen- tle breeze to the south. Shortly after sunset they were anchored in our harbor, making a display such as never was seen here before or since. Wallace, in the Rose, took the lead, run up and anchored within a cable's length of Market wharf. The Gaspee next came up and anchored about a cable's length to the
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south. The other attempting to go farther south grounded on the middle ground. The schooner ran up and anchored opposite the bridge. At eight o'clock a royal salute was fired from the flag ship. Shortly after the salute a barge left the flag ship, and was pulled in to the wharf where a large number of the citizens were congregated. The commanding officer having stepped upon the wharf, communicated the fact that Captain James Wallace, commander of the squadron, had sent him with a demand for forty sheep and a pair of oxen ; and if they were refused he should fire upon the town. The Town Council were immediately called together, and the demand of the British was laid before them. After some discussion upon the subject the Council decided that the demand was unreasonable, and that they would not comply with it. 'Is this your final answer?' asked the commander. 'Yes, yes,' shouted many unfaltering voices in reply. The officer immediately jumped into the barge and pulled towards the ship. In a short time after the barge returned, the report of a cannon, fired from the flag ship, was heard. The other ships then commenced firing upon the town, and the flashes of the cannon, the whistling of the balls through the air, the bursting of bombs, was a scene terrible in the extreme. The bomb brig threw carcasses (machines made of iron hoops and filled with all manner of combustibles) to set fire to the town. They were thrown up nearly perpendicular, with a tremendous tail to them, and when they fell to the ground they blazed up several yards high."
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" Horror and dismay were depicted on every coun- tenance, women and children crying and screaming were seen running through the streets in every direc- tion to seek some place of safety. Many of them were removed to the farms and remote parts of the town while the balls were whistling over their heads as they went. The firing continued for about an hour when a citizen standing upon a point of land which made off some distance in the harbor, suc- ceeded in hailing the commander of the squadron, and the firing was suspended. An epidemic was raging in town, which had proved fatal in many cases, and at this time three persons lay dead in their dwellings, while the remains of Governor Bradford's wife had been buried but the day before. Letters were sent on board stating these facts and promising to comply with the demand if they would stop firing. One account says : 'While preparations were being made to send the sheep on board, Captain Martin, of Seekonk, arrived with a company of men and pro- tested they should not be sent. Bringing his field pieces upon a small eminence that commanded the bay, he commenced firing upon the enemy's shipping. Opposed thus unexpectedly and placed now at a dis- advantage to renew the contest, the ships of Wallace made their way back to Newport.' But from the town records it appears that the town paid for sheep furnished by citizens and delivered to Captain Wal- lace ; and an account written by an eye witness says, ' In the morning we returned to our dwellings, and on coming up Main street we saw the British squadron
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