USA > Rhode Island > Providence County > Providence > State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations at the end of the century : a history, Volume 2 > Part 21
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RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
THE SWEDENBORGIANS.
There are two or three societies of the Swedenborgian or New Jerusalem Church in the State, the most important one being in Providence. The latter was organized in 1839 with the Rev. T. D. Sturdevant as first pastor and only nine members. For many years the congregation worshiped in a tiny but very pretty Gothic chapel, on Pine street, below Richmond street, but in 1870 to 1872 the society. built a more commodious house of worship on Trinity Square, at the corner of Broad and Linden streets, at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. The membership has arisen above one hundred.
A New Jerusalem Church was organized in Pawtucket in 1854 and one at Lippitt, in Warwick, about the same period, worship at the latter having for some years been suspended.
OTHER RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
Several vigorous and flourishing Swedish Lutheran churches have been founded of late years in Providence, East Greenwich, Pontiac and other places, for the use of that very numerous and useful foreign portion of the community.
There are also several churches belonging to the African Methodist Episcopal body, to the Primitive Methodists, and to the Wesleyan Methodists. As a matter of historical interest, reference should be made to a church of the Moravians or United Brethren, which used to exist in Newport, it having been constituted there as early as 1758. Previously to this date, some of the brethren had come "two and two", in the Scriptural manner, from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, the head- quarters of the order, and held occasionally very welcome services for the preaching of the Word. The first pastor at Newport was the Rev. Richard Utley. The sixth pastor, from 1803 to 1819, was the Rev. Samuel Towle, a man universally beloved by his own people and by the inhabitants in general of the town. The tenth and last pastor, the Rev. Charles F. Seidel, entered upon his position in 1837. Now, for many years, the sheep have been without a shepherd and have become scattered or have entered other folds. But the salutary influ- ence of this most devout and spiritually minded body still lingers in the community.
In the earlier part of the eighteenth century there were not less than sixty families of Jews living in Newport, the leading ones being those of the names of Lopez and Touro. In 1762 they built a syna- gogue, dedicated in the following year to the God of Abraham with great pomp and magnificence. After enjoying a high degree of pros- perity the Jews nearly all left the town during the Revolutionary
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War, which utterly paralyzed the trade of Newport, and the synagogue for many years was elosed. A large fund, however, was left by Abra- ham Touro, who died in Boston, in 1822, for keeping the building in repair and for the care of the Jewish Cemetery near by. After sixty years of disuse the synagogue was reopened in 1850 with services held on the Jewish Sabbath by an eminent rabbi from New York.
Of recent years a large Jewish population has gathered in Provi- denee and spacious synagogues have been built for their use on Orms street, Chalkstone avenue and Friendship street.
CONCLUSION.
The survey just completed of the various religious bodies of Rhode Island shows with how complete an equipment for its entire evangel- ization and reformation the State enters upon the twentieth century.
What is needed for the regeneration of the whole population is not, so mueh, additional machinery as the spirit and energy to evoke the best possible results from that thus seen to be already existing.
There are in the State from three hundred and thirty to three hun- dred and forty places of Protestant worship with about three hun- dred and ninety ordained ministers, fifty-four thousand five hundred members, fifty-one thousand five hundred teachers and seholars in Sunday Sehools, and church property to about the value of $5,390,000. In addition, the Roman Catholics have not far from eighty churches, with rising one hundred priests and more than one hundred and fifty thousand members of the congregations.
Leaving out of view the Roman Catholics, who amply provide for their very large constituency by holding numerous services for differ- ent congregations in each chureh, on Sundays and Festivals, there appears to be a house of worship for about each seven to eight hundred of the Protestant population with, probably, in the aggregate, one hundred and fifty thousand seats for the approximately two hundred and fifty thousand people of that elass Inasmuch as many aged and infirm persons, invalids and children are not able to attend wor- ship, it is likely that the whole Protestant population, who ean attend, could be fairly accommodated with seats at one time in existing sacred buildings, were they evenly distributed according to the population. Even taking into account the faet that quite a number of these houses of worship are situated in sparsely settled communities and are, therefore, not available for their proportion of the aggregate inhabitants of the State, it is still likely that there are ample seating aceommodations for all whom it is praeticable to gather at any one hour. There is, then, more need of stirring up the wills of the neglect-
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ers of religion to recognize the duty of public worship than of mate- rially increasing the buildings devoted to the purpose.
In comparing the religious atmosphere of the present era with that of colonial times or that of even only a half century ago, great changes will be seen to have intervened. While the ancient, inbred passion for soul-liberty continues, as ever, a peculiar distinction of Rhode Island, and while the complementary attitude of individualism sometimes seems almost to draw in its train a certain refractoriness to due eccle- siastical authority and lack of docility under instruction, yet a much lovelier spirit now breathes through the churches than has prevailed in past times.
The days of the old Denominationalism, with its antipathies and rivalries, are happily numbered.
Hardly farther away seem the persecuting ages of Nero and Dio- cletian than the period when it was possible for a sturdy Roger Wil- liams, while deeply imbued with the spirit of religious freedom, to bait a George Fox with such keen zest for religious controversy and to "dig him out of his burrowes" so gleefully, or when, much later, grave deacons could rejoice in the calamities of less orthodox but still Chris- tian neighboring churches and worthy pastors could warn their con- gregations not to attend during their absence the ministrations of saintly men not of their own name. The Christians of Rhode Island appear to be cordially set on dwelling upon the things which unite them rather than upon those which divide. Although union seems as far away as ever, yet unity has approached with rapid strides and is already before the door. Christian charity is no longer conspicuous by reason of its rarity. The clergy of widely differing names are not averse to meeting together in harmony and discussing questions of public interest with good will.
Where, a few years since, the conviction, "I am holier than thou", often forbade those of one denomination to meet as brethren those of another, now the two classes are often found rejoicing together or weeping together in fraternal sympathy. At the great University where, formerly, seldom was a voice heard at chapel worship, except one of a particular religious order, in the latter years those of several different names have been selected to preside for a season over the daily devotions and clergymen of the most different beliefs have been invited to share in the courses of university sermons. Indeed the swing of the ecclesiastical pendulum indicates that the present danger is rather the "Charybdis" of an amiable indifferentism than the old "Scylla" of theological rancor, although most Christians can be trusted to steer the safe middle course.
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If the present rarity of the unction and devoutness of the fathers is to be deplored, it is a source of genuine congratulation that there was never a time when Christianity had so nearly universally perme- ated society and was so generally diffused as it is now, when it had produced so orderly, law abiding and philanthropic a tone in the community, or when the prophet with a message was listened to with a more lively eagerness. If, too, it must be acknowledged that public worship among Protestants is not attended upon so generally as in the past, yet consolation can to some degree be found in the interest with which sermons and religious intelligence in newspapers are welcomed by increasing multitudes of readers, while books on living religious questions, by authors who are themselves alive, meet a ready market. If there may be to-day less religiousness than in the past, it is to be hopefully trusted that there is more religion. Nor are there wanting signs of a great reaction towards attention to the things pertaining to the life of the Spirit. The closing events of the nine- teenth century stimulate the Christians of Rhode Island to nobler achievements in the twentieth, now opening.
In the new century things are not to proceed just as they have done in the old one. There is already to be heard, as of old, "the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees", impelling Christians to bestir themselves. If the church at large is to become set upon the evangelization of the whole earth within a generation, the Christians of Rhode Island will awake to the readiness for the harvest of their own home field and to the splendid outfit with which they are supplied for its reduction to the sway of Christ. At the end of the twentieth century the religious condition of this portion of the vineyard will no more be like the worldly and placid state of the church, now at its beginning, than does the latter resemble the still colder and more unspiritual demoralization of the post-revolutionary period, a hundred years ago. Whether or not the year of our Lord 2000 in Rhode Island, or even some one anterior to that, shall witness the blessed vision of an ideal church in an ideal state, is largely dependent upon the courage and devotion with which the men of to-day face the problems so thickly pressing for solution. The history of the nearly three hundred years, which we have just been considering, is fraught with inspiration to new endeavors and fresh triumphs.
Daniel Goodwin.
Growth of Public Education.
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CHAPTER III.
GROWTH OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
It is difficult for any person who is familiar with the generally satis- factory condition of educational facilities in these modern days, to realize under what adverse circumstances our ancestors of a few gen- erations back labored to obtain the limited book learning necessary to enable them to meet the requirements of their lives. Advancement from the primitive and inefficient schools of early days has been so rapid and the change so great as to be almost incomprehensible except to the careful student of history. This is especially true in the State of Rhode Island, where by far the greater part of this change has been wrought within little more than half a century. In the early condi- tions and later development of her educational system this State dif- fered materially from most others in the Union. In comparison with many other States, encouragement and consequent growth of an ade- quate educational system, embracing free public schools, was in Rhode Island long postponed; this was due, to some extent, to somewhat peculiar conditions of people and circumstances. But when once the first important steps were taken in the right direction, and the people of the Commonwealth became better informed on the subject and better knew what was required of them, progress was so rapid towards the highest goal as to command admiration throughout New England.
Some of the most potent reasons why Rhode Island did not, like Massachusetts and Connecticut, establish a system of public schools soon after the first settlements were made have been clearly set forth by an intelligent writer1 who had familiarized himself with the subject. He noted, among other facts, the lack of homogeneity in the population of the Colony, its inhabitants resembling, in diversity of character- istics, religious preferences, business or professional ambition, etc., the settlers of one of the modern Western States. Driven out of Massa- chusetts, they looked with hostile eyes upon everything they had left
1Hon. E. R. Potter.
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behind. There the clergy had always exercised an active control in the government and in all public affairs. Here, on account of the pre- vailing opposition to a salaried clergy, the salutary influence that such a body of men would have exercised in early years, was to a great ex- tent lost.
Another cause of delay in establishing public schools was that for nearly a century "Rhode Island could not be said to have any settled government".1 The first settlers of the Narragansett country were compelled to defend themselves from attempts by Connecticut to assert jurisdiction over the region. Some of the inhabitants of this State favored the claim of Connecticut, thus stimulating a sort of civil dis- turbance that was detrimental to the general good of the Colony, and prevented earnest effort to establish stable institutions, like schools. This condition was prolonged after the Pequod war, when both Con- necticut and Massachusetts claimed the southwestern part of the State by right of conquest. Such was the case, also, after the Indian war of 1676, when Rhode Island was made the battleground on which Massachusetts and Connecticut struggled for victory, leaving this State the greatest sufferer. After all of this conflict it was not until 1728, nearly a hundred years after the arrival of Roger Williams, that the State boundary was settled as far as related to Narrangansett. At that time great tracts of land in some sections were occupied by squat- ters, while the country along the shores of the bay was permanently settled by families whose rights had not been disturbed. The western part of the State was settled slowly, the population being, during many years, scattered and unprotected. "It would be unreasonable", wrote Mr. Potter, "to expect of a people so situated much progress in the comforts and elegancies of life. Occupied with keeping up a friendly intercourse with the natives on the one side, and defending their lives and property from the attacks and machinations of rival colonies, who regarded and treated them as heretics, rebels, or in- truders, on the other ; it required all their energies to gain a bare sub- sistence. No wonder, therefore, that they did not establish schools and colleges, and that we do not find among them the arts, and the refine- ment of manners, which we could only expect in the older and more settled state of society."
After Roger Williams returned from England in 1654, from a two years' visit, he wrote as follows of some of the tasks he set himself while away :
1E. R. Potter, in Hist. of Public Education in R. I., p. 2.
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"It pleased the Lord to call me for some time, and with some per- sons, to practice the Hebrew, the Greek, Latin, French and Dutch. The secretary of the council (Mr. Milton) for my Dutch I read him, read me many more languages. I taught two young gentle- men, a parliament man's sons, as we teach our children English, by words, phrases, or constant talk."
It need scarcely be said that, with such a man at the head of affairs in this Colony, the education of children would have received prompt and earnest attention, had the conditions been different from what they were. With a population of only 10,000 at the end of that century, there was not much opportunity, excepting in the larger settlements, for establishing a public school system, even if different conditions had existed. Among the larger settlements Newport took the lead in re- spect to schools, as well as in many other directions. Rev. Robert Lenthal, a Church of England minister, left Weymouth, Mass., whither he had been called, and settled in Newport, where he assisted Rev. Dr. Clarke in the ministry. He was admitted a freeman August 6, 1640, and within two years from the foundation of the town he established a school, as shown by the following :
"And August 20, Mr. Lenthal was, by vote, called to keep a public school for the learning of youth, and for his encouragement there was granted to him and his heirs, one hundred acres of land, and four more for an house lot; it was also voted 'that one hundred acres should be laid forth and appropriated for a school, for encouragement of the poorer sort, to train up their youth in learning, and Mr. Robert Len- thal, while he continues to teach school, is to have the benefit thereof.' But this gentleman did not tarry very long; I find him gone to Eng- land the next year but one.''1
It is not clearly established that any community in New England can claim an earlier school record than this .? The school land men- tioned in the foregoing record was allotted in what is now Middletown, but in 1661 it was changed for a tract afterwards known as Newtown, or school land. In 1663 the tract was ordered divided into lots, "to be sold or loaned on condition that the purchasers should pay to the town treasurer an annual rent to constitute a fund for the schooling and educating of poor children, according to the direction of the town council for the time being, who are hereby empowered to direct, regu- late and manage the said charity in behalf of the town, to the best ad- vantage, according to the true intent and meaning thereof".3
"Callender's Discourse; Elton's edition, p. 136.
2Hist. of Public Education in R. I., p. 5.
3Barnard's Journal of R. I. Institute of Instruction, iii, 145.
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The first school house was in existence in 1685, and was falling into decay in 1700, as shown by an entry in the records of a quarter meet- ing, to the effect "that Ebenezer Mann may have some of the lumber that has fallen down abont the old school house, to help build his house". A new school house was ordered built on January 31, 1704-5, but the order was revoked in April, and land was granted to Samuel Cranston and others on which to build a school house there. In Oc- tober, 1706, additional land was granted and ordered to be sold "for finishing the school house in or near the market place in Newport". This building passed to the town, as shown by the following :
"At an adjourned quarter meeting, August 18, 1708 .- Voated, That the town council of Newport are empowered to take ye school house into their hands, to manage all ye pridential affairs belonging to said house, always reserving to ye quarter meeting in said town ye power of choosing ye school masters for said house, always provided that ye freemen of said town assembled in their quarter meeting have power further to alter or order ye above premises and the power always be invested therein."
This building was not wholly finished, with its belfry, until April, 1739, after it had long been in use. Besides Robert Lenthal, there were John Jethro and Thomas Fox, who taught early in that century and were paid for their services from the income of the school lands. Thomas Fox, at one period, had a salary of £2, which seems insignifi- cant; but the entire school lands were let for £8. In the records are numerous negotiations with teachers, of which the following may be taken as an example :
"Quarter meeting, April 17, 1709 .- Mr. William Gilbert being chosen schoolmaster for ye town of Newport, and proposing that upon conditions, the quarter meeting grant him of the benefit of the school land, viz., the chamber and sellar and the profit arising from ye school land in this part of the town, and some conveniency for keeping of fire in the winter season, he is willing to teach school for the year ensuing, and to begin the second Monday in May next, voated and allowed an act of the quarter meeting."
On the 4th of October, 1710, the records show that there was favor- able sentiment in the community towards higher education in the fol- lowing :
"The petition of Mr. Gallaway, for the liberty of teaching a latin school in the two little rooms in the school house of this town, is hereby granted."
7
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Slow progress was made during the next twenty years, and prob- ably the requirements of the inhabitants did not demand much exten- sion in school facilities. In 1729 there were only two teachers em- ployed, at £10 each, "in the woods part of the town". This section was subsequently set off to Middletown (1743), after which, for a period, there was only the central school in Newport.
The first schoolmaster chosen in annual town meeting was John Callender, on June 3, 1746; he was also pastor of the Baptist church and in 1738 delivered a centennial address in commemoration of the first settlement of the town, from which we have quoted. Mr. Callen- der was again appointed in 1747, and died in the following January ; he was succeeded by Terence Donally, an Irishman. In 1763 the fol- lowing vote was passed regarding the school lands :
"Voted, That ye mnonies, arising by sale of said lots and also ye annual quit rents forever, shall be paid to ye town treasurer, for ye time being, and yt ye same shall be a fund for ye schooling and educat- ing of poor children, according to ye discretion of ye town council, for ye time being, who are hereby empowered to direct, regulate and man- age ye said charity in behalf of said town to ye best advantage, accord- ing to ye true intent and meaning thereof."
The town school house was burned in 1774 and during the next half century no school was supported from the income of the school land, thus closing this first experiment at public education in the leading settlement of Rhode Island.
The first public action in behalf of schools in Providence took place in 1663, when a land grant was made for the purpose, as fully de- scribed further on. Meanwhile something was accomplished for educa- tion in other parts of the Colony. A school was established in Barring- ton (then a part of Swansea, Mass.) in 1673, "for the teaching of grammar, rhetoric and arithmetic, and the tongues of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, and also to teach English and to write". In Bristol, in 1680, land was granted "for the common improvement, for the en- couragement and use of an able orthodox minister, and for the use and encouragement of an able school-master in the town". Whatever other efforts were made in the towns to establish schools prior to the Revolu- tion are noticed in later pages. A gift of land was made by Samuel Sewall to Harvard College in 1696, to aid in supplying education to the Indians, of whom there were 985 in this Colony in 1730. The negro population was still more numerous, and steps were taken before the Revolution to give them the means of obtaining education, as seen in
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the following advertisement which appeared in the Newport Mercury of March 29, 1773 :
"Whereas a school was established, several years past, in the town of Newport, by a society of benevolent clergymen of the Church of England, in London, with a handsome fund for a mistress to instruct thirty negro children in reading, sewing, &c. And whereas it has hitherto been found difficult to supply the said school with the num- ber of children required; notice is hereby given, that the said school is now kept by Mrs. Mary Brett, in High street, nearly opposite to judge Johnston's, and is open to all societies in the town, to send their young blacks, to the number of thirty; And, provided, that the number can- not be nearly kept up for the future, the gentlemen to whose care and direction the said school has been entrusted will be obliged to give it up entirely at the expiration of six months".
The same newspaper of April 19, 1773, contains an advertisement of Peleg Barker, jr., announcing his "morning and afternoon school for young misses"; he added to the notice that "he has a likely, well- limbed negro lad, eleven years old", for sale. On October 17, 1774, Francis Vandeleur advertised that he was ready to teach French and Italian to young ladies at their dwellings.
Schools for young ladies were not nearly so numerous in the colonial days as those for boys, from whom they were taught separately even when in charge of the same teacher. In May, 1767, a school was adver- tised in Providence for instructing young ladies in writing and arith- metic, during the hours from 6 to 7:30 a. m., and 4:30 to 6:00 p. m. In Staples's Annals is found the following information, given by Samuel Thurber, regarding carly schools :
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