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Chapter 15: ecclesiastical History.
First meeting-house.
--
Rev. Thomas Hooker and
Rev. Samuel Stone.
-- first Church organized.
-- removal to
Hartford.
--
Rev. Thomas Shepard.
-- another “first Church” organized.
--
Newell's “Church gathering.”
--
McKenzie's “Historical Lectures.”
--
Roger Harlakenden.
--
Shepard's reasons for removing to
New England.
--
Mrs. Shepard's admission to the
Church, and her death.
-- confessions of candidates for Church membership.
-- contributions and expenditures.
--
Rev. John Phillips.
-- death of
Mr. Shepard.
-- Synods at
Cambridge.
-- second meeting-house.
--
Rev. Jonathan Mitchell; in many respects “Matchless.”
--
Sibley's “Harvard Graduates.”
-- Financial records.
-- salary.
-- seating of the meeting-house.
-- reputed heresy of
President Dunster.
-- death of
Mr. Mitchell, and the place of his burial.
-- care of the youth.
-- Parsonage erected, and bill of expenses.
--
Rev. Urian Oakes; expense of his ordination.
-- Almsdeeds of the
Church.
-- labors, trials, and death of
Mr. Oakes.
-- intense political and religious excitement.
-- address by the “Freemen of
Cambridge” to the General Court, against universal toleration.
-- Sermon of
Mr. Oakes on the same subject.
--
Rev. Nathaniel Gookin and Elders
Clark and
Stone ordained, with bill of expenses.
-- quiet ministry and death of
Mr. Gookin.
-- salary of pastors at different periods.
-- Church organized at the
Farms.
-- ordination of
Rev. William Brattle; his ministry and death.
-- Third meeting-house.
-- extraordinary snow-storm.
-- election of
Rev. Nathaniel Appleton.
-- Parsonage rebuilt.
-- enlargement of meeting-house.
-- Church organized at
Menotomy.
-- Fourth meeting-house.
--
Rev. George Whitefield.
-- Church organized on the south side of the river.
-- the prolonged and valuable services of
Dr. Appleton recognized by Harvard College; his death.
-- Installation of
Rev. Timothy Hilliard, and his death, after a short ministry.
-- Installation of
Rev. Abiel Holmes.
-- Theological controversy, resulting in the disruption of the
Church.
-- results of councils.
--
Shepard Congregational Society organized.
-- ordination of
Rev. Nehemiah Adams as colleague pastor.
-- dismission and death of
Dr. Holmes.
-- meeting-house.
-- dismission of
Mr. Adams.
--
Rev. John A. Albro, D. D., and
Rev. Alexander McKenzie.
-- New meeting-house.
-- ordination of
Rev. William Newell; his long and peaceful ministry and resignation.
-- meeting-house.
-- ordination of
Rev. Francis G. Peabody.
-- Ruling Elders.
-- Deacons
As stated more at large in chapter II.,
Cambridge was originally designed to be a fortified town, the seat of government, and the residence of the rulers.
It was agreed, Dec. 28, 1630, that all the Assistants, except two, should build there “the next spring, and to winter there the next year.”
Dudley and his son-in-law,
Bradstreet, were the only Assistants who fully performed what was promised.
Apparently there were very few inhabitants in the town for a year and a half, until Aug. 14, 1632, when “the
Braintree Company,” otherwise called “
Mr. Hooker's company,” were directed by the
Court to remove thither.
Under such circumstances, it is not surprising, that, contrary to the usual custom, a church was not immediately organized, and a house erected and dedicated to the service of God.
There is no evidence within my knowledge that meetings were held in
Cambridge for religious worship, before the arrival of “
Mr. Hooker's company;” and for a whole year afterwards, until
Mr. Hooker himself arrived, this flock probably had no pastor nor stated teacher.
Meantime,
Prince says,
1 on authority of a manuscript letter, that in “this year (1632) is built the first house for public worship at
Newtown (after called
Cambridge) with a bell upon it.”
No notice of the erection of such a house is found on the records of the town; yet the fact that it had been erected seems to be recognized in an agreement made Dec. 24, 1632, “that every person undersubscribed shall meet every first Monday in every month, within the meeting-house
2 in the afternoon, within half an hour after the ringing of the bell.”
The connection between
Mr. Hooker and the “
Braintree company” is related by
Mather, and more concisely by
Dr. Holmes: “The recent settlers of
Newtown had, while in
England, attended the ministry of
the Reverend Thomas Hooker, who, to escape fines ”
