Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

2o8 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
fusing things, political and social, came a common faith in self-gov-
ernment. One can find ground high enough in Springfield during
the first cjuarter of the eighteenth century to look straight into the
revolutionary war.
But it would be uncandid to neglect to say that many in Spring-
field in Breck's time deplored the liberality he encouraged. It prob-
ably soon drove some from the parish. And we have at least one,
Joseph Ashley, who absented himself permanently from divine ser-
vice. When the church demanded his reasons, he i-eplied that he
'" look'd upon the Chh as no chh of Christ, and the g''ter Part of the
members of it to be carnal — Being ask'd tlie reasons of his enter-
taining such concerning the chh. He said that most of the Discourse
of most of the memliers was upon worldly matters, and that he apprehended
such Discourse was mostly delightfull to them. And
further he objected against the manner of admission of members
praclic'd in this Chh, because they did not require a pticular ace'
of their Experiences, but accepted of a Profession of dedicating
themselves to God, and a Life and Conversation corresponding
thereto." The church lost no time in voting that Ashley had left its
connnuuiou for reasons which had not been substantiated.
The increase of church-membership that attended Mr. Breck's
ministry was remarkable beyond the fact that the church seems to
have avoided special religious excitement. The congregation gath-
ering on S[)ringtield ^lountains drew heavily from the F'irst Parish,
more being dismissed to Springfield Mountains than any place else
for some years.
When we say that not a third of the Springfield inhabitants were
full communicants, we do not say that the churches were empty on
the Sabbath. Every 1 tody went to church, as a rule, and the meetings
on lecture days were largely attended, and at night, when the nine-
o'clock bell sounded, the village-folk prejjared for bed. The routine
(if their daily life was indeed correct, but the spirit of the pioneers
had gone, and the new life dawning upon the people was destined to