History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

ordained Mar 22, 175S,— after an iuterral of five onerous task at that period than such a work would
months. His predecessor, John Conon, was elected be at present. The table around which the family
pastor March 22, 1713: but it was not till Xo- were seated was removed from the honse just as it
rember -3, 1714, more than a year and a half afier- was, and is sriU preserved in the family of Mrs.
wards, that he received orJination. The average Kenrick.
period of the ministry of the first fonr pastors was Daring the ministry of Mr. Meriam and pre-
exactly twenty-seven years ; or, leaving out of the
account Mr. Eliot, who died after only four years,
the average service of the second, third, and fourth
pastors was thiny-foar years and two thirds.
The church controlled everything pertaining to
the public worship. When the choir, ambitions
of exhibiting their musical attainments, had learned
a collection of new tunes, the church voted, November
6, 1770, that "a due proportion only of
die new tunes should be mingled with the old.'"'
It was voted in church meeting. December 11,
1771, to introduce "Tate and Brady's version of
the Psalms, with Hvmns annexed.'" And, by a
similar vote, November 7, 1790, this laner book
of Psalmody was exchanged for the Psalms and
Hymns of Dr. Waits.
While Mr. Meriam was pastor, there were signs
foretoiening the rupture of the union of church
aod state in New England. The independence of
the people began to manifest itself in the tendency
of some to leave the established worship, and found
churches after their own convictions. This sep-
aration was promoted as well as evinced by the
organization of New Light churches here and there.
One of these churches, formed in Xewton, held its
meetings at the house of Nathan Ward, who became
their ordamed leader and pastor. Another
owed its existence to one Mr. Jonathan Hyde, who
Lived in the extreme southeastern pin of Newton,
nearly on the line of its division from Brookhne.
He was ordained pastor of this church January 17,
17-50, and many from Newton attended his min-
istry. The celkr hole of his house is still visible.
The First Baprist Church, including in its number
several of the members of these New light organi-
zations, reconstructed and purified, was formed ,
about one month before the death of Mr. Meriam.
An event very unfommate for history took place
during his ministry; his honse took fire on Sabbath
evening, March -5, 1770, while the family were
at supper, and was wholly consumed, together with
the records of the Fii^t Church. Through the
memory of Mr. Meriam, the deacons and others,
the names of the members, and of inose who had
been baptized in the several lamilies connected
with the church, were mainlv restored. — a less
^
vious to the year 1764, the people ia the west part
of the town had occasional preaching in their own
neighborhood, especially in the winter season. As
the natural ouicome of this arrangement, meetings
for deliberation were held, and a building com-
mittee chosen who were instructed to solicit sub-
scriprions for the building of a meeting-house, and
to commence the work as soon as there was suf-
ficient encouragement. In July, 1764, Phineas
Bond, innholder, conveyed to the building com-
mittee, in considerarion of £ 2 2 #. about eight rods
of land on which to erect a meeting-house, the
land bounding upon the county road, the land of
Isaac Williams and other land of Phineas Bond.
The work of building was commenced in 1764;
but the society was not ripe for the senlement of
a pastor rill seventeen years later.
Three years after the commencement of the
church edifice, Jonathan WiUiams and othei?, in-
habitants of the west pan of Newton, presented a
peririon to the town, requesring that a reasonable
sum of money should be granted by the town to
aid in supporting the preaching of the gospel in
their new meering-house ; this request was refused
by the town. Persevering in spirit, they repeated
their peririon in the years 1770, 1772, 1773, and
1774. Findiag their feflow-townsmen disinclined
to grant them help, they in the mean time peri-
rioned the General Conn for a grant of money out
of the town treasury, for four months' preach in g.
In 177S they peririoned the General Conn to be
set off as a distinct parish. This request was
granted, and the act of incorporation was passed
in October, 1778, the dividing line being described
in the act, and the inhabitants on either side of it
being allowed to belong to either parish they might
choose, provided they should make their election
within six months after the passing of the act.
The society or parish was organized by the choice
of officers in November, 177S, and the next year
the proprietoK of the meeting-house chose Alexander
Shepard, Jr., -Joseph Hyde, and Phineas Bond
to give a title to the pews.
The church t«^s organized October 21, 17 SI,
being composed of tweniy-six members, dismissed
from the First Church, with the exception of one.