History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

450 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
ficiency in liis studies. He was settled in the
ministry at Boxted, in Essex, when persecution
drove him to New England, where his wife died
soon after their arrival. Mr. Phillips was an able
controversialist, and was familiar with the original
languages of the Scriptures, which he is said to
have read through six times every year. Johnson
says, " He was mighty in the Scriptures, and very
diligent to search out the mind of Christ therein
contained." His views of the Congregational or-
der and discipline, soon universally adopted by that
cliurch, were for a time regarded as novel and ex-
treme, and met with much opposition. Possessing
great independence and firmness, he was conscien-
tious in forming and fearless in maintaining his
opinions. His opposition, with that of Richard
Browne, to a tax levied by the governor and assist-
ants, produced a result no less important than the
institution of a representative body in the government
of the colony. He died July 1, 16M, at the
age of fifty-one. There is a tradition that he lived
in the house, yet standing, opposite the old bury-
ing-ground. This old house, whose solid oaken
frame is said to have been brought over by Sir
R. Saltonstall, has a projecting second story, partly
concealed by a modern pia/za, and stands well back
from the street. Externally there is nothing to indicate
great age, but its interior retains many marks
of antiquity. It formerly had three porticos, which
have been removed from its front, and a steep roof,
which has given place to one of much less altitude.
Mr. Phillips' first residence was burnt in 1630,
and this was perhaps the second house built on the
parsonage lot. Mr. Phillips's son Samuel was the
minister of Rowley. Most of the name in New
England are believed to have descended from
the minister of Watertown ; among them William
Phillips, Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts,
Samuel and John, founders of the academies of
Andover and Kxctcr, Juliii, the lirst mayor of
Boston, and Wendell Phillips, the philantiimpist
and orator.
Rev. John Knowlcs, who was a native of Lin-
colnshire, became a stmlciil at Magilalcii College,
Candjridgc, and was chosen a fellow of Katliarine
Hall in 1025. He had here at one time forty
])U|)ils, many of whom were sidjsecpiently distin-
giiislicil as inciidiers of piirliaincnt or as luvnchcrs.
Aftrruards, when a i.-clMivr at C(,lchcst,T, he
incurred the eiunity of Archbishop l/iiul, wlio
revoked his liecTise, and in 16."5!) he cam(^ to New
England. Governor Winthrop, speaking of his
ordination, and referring to the strict independency
of the Watertown church, says: "The church of
Watertown ordained Mr. Knowles, a good man
and a prime scholar pastor, and so they had now
two pastors and no teacher, differing from the
practice of the other churches, as also they did in
their privacy, not giving notice thereof to the neighboring
churches, nor to the magistrates, as the common
practice was." xVfter a pastorate of about ten
years Mr. Knowles returned to England, and
preached in the cathedral at Bristol until silenced
in 1662 by the Act of Uniformity. From Octo-
ber, 1642, to June, 1643, he had performed mis-
sionary labor in Virginia. He was privately
preaching in London when the plague broke out
in 1665, and rendered great service in that terrible
exigency. In 1672 he became colleague to Rev.
Thomas Kentish, at St. Katharine's, and died
April 10, 1685, at an advanced age.
Few of our early divines were so eminently dis-
tinguished for intellectual gifts and Chrisrian graces
as the Rev. John Sherman, born in Dedham, Essex,
England, December 26, 1613. His deep religions
impressions were derived from the ministry of
Rev. John Rogers. Educated at Trinity College,
Cambridge, he came, in 1634, to New England,
where he acquired a very high reputation, his elo-
quence earning for him the title of "the goldenmouthed
preacher." Mather says that on a
Thanksgiving day, in Watertown, Mr. Sherman
preached his first sermon as an assistant to Mr.
Phillips, in the prcsnue (if many other divines,
who " wondered exci riliiii:l\ " at this early display
of his ability. Alter two or three years' service
as a magistrate of New Haven colony, he became
Mr. Knowles' colleague in 1647, and was sole
pastor from 1650 until his death, August 8, 16S5.
After his settlement he was chosen a fellow of Har-
vard College, and for thirty years gave lectures
once a fortnight, which were attended by the stu-
dents, who walked from Cambridge to hear him.
His favorite studies were astronomy and mathe-
matics, in which he was the foremost man of his
time in this country. For many years he ])ub-
lislied an almanac, to which he added pious reflec-
tions. He was one of the moderators of the
Hdorming Synod at Hoston, in September, r67'J,
and in 1682 preached beloiv the convention of
ministers in Massachusetts, Mr. Sliernian is said
to have had twenty-six ehildren, tHvnty of whom
were by his second uile, a graiuldaughti'r of the
Earl of Rivers.