CHAPTER II. 1758-1767. TWO INSTALLATIONS. POLITICAL DISTURBANCES. IN NDIVIDUALS die, but institutions survive. Ministers and members are promoted from the church militant to the church triumphant and glorified; but God's work on the earth must be carried forward without pause or hindrance. Love for leaders and associates who have been called up to their heavenly reward, as well as loyalty to the Lord and Head of the Church, should impel those who remain below to renewed consecration, and to redoubled effort in the cause still dear to them and evermore dear to Him. The long ministry of Mr. Prince was ended, but the bereaved congregation went on with its work in unbroken routine. Thanksgiving days were observed, collections were taken, and money was disbursed as before. More than this, the vacancy in the pastorate would have to be filled; and new relations would have to be formed, not so much to supersede as to succeed those which had been dissolved by death. The Brethren of the Church and Congregation were stay'd Novr. 12. 1758. Voted, That there be a Collection for Charitable and pious uses on the Anniversary Thanksgiving Novr 23. Instant; And that the Rest of the Congregation be notified the next Lord's Day and desir'd to assist in said collection. Thanksgiving, Novr 23. 1758 To the pious Fund To the Rev Mr. Campbell Mr. Brett. Mr. Crocker To four Widows At large Totall JOSEPH SEWALL. Lord's Day Decr 10. 1758 The Brethren of the Church and Congregation stay'd and Voted, That the unappropriated Part of the last Collection be disposed of to charitable and pious uses, by the Pastor and Deacons of this church according to their best Discretion. JOSEPH SEWall. Anthony Brackett, who joined the South Church January 21, 1727-8, and died in 1758, gave the church a chalice of which we show a cut. Mr. Brackett was the landlord of the Cromwell's Head, in School Street, a somewhat famous hostelry during the provincial period. Here George Washington lodged when, in 1756, he came for the first time to Boston, to confer with Governor Shirley upon business connected with the French war. Jany. 1. 1759 The Brethren of the South Church and Congregation met (by adjournment) and after seeking to God by Prayer, for His Direction and Help under the great Breach He has made upon us in the death of our late Worthy Pastor, the Rev'd Mr. Thomas Prince; by written votes chose the Revd Mr. Alexander Cumming, Mr. Joseph Jackson and Mr. Samuel Locke, to help our Pastor by preaching one part of the Lord's Day, each one for six weeks successively. Voted, That there be allowed to said Persons, ten pounds O. T. pr. Sabbath, or 1. 6. 8 L. M. for their Service. JOSEPH SEWALL. Mr. Cumming was a native of Freehold, New Jersey. He received his academical training chiefly under the direction of his uncle, the Rev. Samuel Blair, of Fogg's Manor, Pennsylvania, a man greatly distinguished for his learning and piety, and he studied theology under the celebrated William Tennent. He had been colleague pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, New York, with the Rev. Mr. Pemberton, at this time pastor of 1 This church consisted of Scotch Presbyterians and Congregationalists from England and New England, and the two elements were more or less at variance with each other. Mr. Pemberton and Mr. Cumming sympathized rather with the latter than with the former. They were complained of by the stricter party in their congregation "for various minor departures from the authorized stand. ards of the church," but were acquitted by the Synod. They then resigned, and although urged to remain persisted in their resignation. Their pulpit was the only one in New York open to Mr. Whitefield on his first visit there. Before his settlement there, Mr. Cumming "labored much in Augusta County, SUPPLIES FOR THE PULPIT. 47 the New Brick Church, Boston, at whose instance, no doubt, he was invited to come to the town. Mr. Jackson graduated at Harvard College in 1753. His family belonged to the South Church, and he became a member of it soon after leaving college. Mr. Locke graduated at Harvard College in 1755, with John Wentworth, David Sewall, Tristram Dalton, and John Adams. He was settled at Sherburn, Massachusetts, November 7, 1759, and, soon after, married the daughter of his predecessor, the Rev. Samuel Porter. In December, 1769, he was called to the presidency of Harvard College as the successor of Mr. Holyoke. The Rev. Andrew Eliot, writing of him to Mr. Thomas Hollis, of Lincoln's Inn, said that he was a clergyman "of fine talents a close thinker - having when at college the character of a first-rate scholar, ― of an excellent spirit, and generous, catholic sentiments- a friend to liberty - his greatest defect, a want of knowledge of the world, having lived in retirement, and perhaps not a general acquaintance with books." His administration at Cambridge was not a success, and at the end of four years he vacated the chair. President Quincy says: "His official relations are marked on the records of the seminary by no act indicating his influence or special agency, and for his resignation, which was sudden and voluntary, they assign no motive, and express no regret." 1 Jany. 7. 1759. The Brethren stayed and Voted, that the same Persons be the Church Committee for this Year whose names are mentioned above. [See December 25, 1757.] JOSEPH SEWALL. At a Meeting of the Brethren of the Church and Congregation, June 5, 1759. Voted; 1. That there be a Committee to provide for further Help for one part of the day the three next Sabbaths. 2. That the Deacons of the Church, with Mr. David Jeffries, Mr. William Phillips and Mr. Thomas Cushing be of this Committee. 3. That there be allowed for the service ten Pounds O. T. or 1. 6. 8. L. M. Virginia, and in North Carolina, and was the first of our ministers who preached in Tennessee."-Webster's Hist. of the Presby. Ch. p. 243. 1 Mr. Locke returned to Sherburn, and died there in 1778, at the age of forty-seven. The Hon. John Welles, who had been his pupil, said of him that he was the most learned man in America; and President John Adams told the Rev. John Pierce, of Brookline, that he considered him the best scholar in his class, with the exception of Moses Hemmenway, and that he excelled in prayer all with whom he had been acquainted. See Genealogy of the Locke Family. Mr. Locke received the degree of S. T. D. from Harvard College in 1773. 4. That one be chosen to collect the sums assign'd to the Pews of such as have been deficient in their Contributions: And that five pr. ct. be allow'd him for his labour: To stand till further Order. Upon counting the Votes it appear'd that Mr. Josiah Torrey was unanimously chosen to this service. 5. That the Committee appointed to Audit the Deacons Accounts May 18. 1756, be desir'd to attend that service till June current, and make their Report as soon as may be. J. SEWALL. At a Meeting of the Brethren of the Church and Congregation June 26 1759, by adjournment. Voted, That the Rev'd Mr. Nathaniel Potter, who, we understand is dismiss'd from his Pastoral Relation to the Church of Christ in Brookline, be desired to help our Pastor six Lords Days after the two next Sabbaths: And that there be allow'd him for his service ten pounds o. Tenour, each sabbath. 2. That the Committee appointed June 5. be continued, and that they be desir'd to acquaint Mr. Potter with the above Vote; and also to provide help for the public Fast this Week, and for the two next Sabbaths: And that the reward above mentioned, be given to the Ministers who shall help us. 3. That with God's leave we purpose to observe this Day fortnight which will be July 10. next as a Day of Prayer with fasting, to humble ourselves under the afflictive Hand of God, in removing from us by death our late worthy Pastor the Revd Mr. Prince; and to ask God's gracious Presence and Direction under our present bereaved Circumstances. JOSEPH SEWALL. N. B. The Day of Prayer was accordingly observ'd July 10. 1759. Mr. Potter had been settled at Brookline less than four years. From the records of that town it would seem that there was a serious misunderstanding between him and his parishioners upon money matters;1 and probably there were other causes of trouble. In the spring of 1758 he wished to join the expedition against Canada, but the town voted against his doing so. He was a very young man; and having been born and educated beyond the limits of New England, he may have been unable to adapt himself to the circumstances in which he found him 1 When Mr. Potter was installed he received £133. 6. 8 as settlement money, and his annual stipend was to be £80. with sixteen cords of wood. At a town meeting in 1759, he asked for an addition of £26. 13. 4. and six cords of wood. The town refused to grant the money, but proposed to make the annual supply of wood twenty cords, and to give him four contributions in the year. This proposition Mr. Potter promptly declined, and sent in his resignation, which was accepted by the town June 13, and by the church on the following Lord's Day evening, June 17. He was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Jackson. PULPIT SUPPLIES. 49 self. That there was nothing radically wrong about him is evident from his being invited by those who must have known all the facts in the case to supply their pulpit for a series of Sundays, which, of course, involved the possibility at least of a permanent settlement.1 At a Meeting of the Brethren Aug't. 19. 1759. Voted, That Mr. William Adams be desir'd to help our Pastor by Preaching six next Sabbaths, and the Allowance above mention'd be continued. J. SEWALL. If we are right in our identification of the gentleman here referred to, he was a descendant of the Rev. William Adams, of Dedham, and a son of the Rev. Eliphalet Adams (Harvard College, 1694), for forty-three years minister of New London, Connecticut. He graduated at Yale College in 1730; he supplied various pulpits in Connecticut from time to time, but was never settled or ordained.2 At a Meeting of the Brethren of the Church and Congregation Octr. 22. 1759. Voted that one be first chosen to preach as an assistant to our Pastor for four months. Upon counting the votes it appear'd that Mr. Joseph Jackson was chosen. Then the Rev'd Mr. Alexander Cumming was also chosen by written votes to preach four months more as an Assistant to our Pastor. The Pastor wrote to Them and, signified that the Reward above mention'd was Voted. JOSEPH SEWALL. From this record it would seem that Mr. Jackson stood first in the preferences of the church; but he accepted a call from Brookline, as successor to Mr. Potter, and he was installed there April 9, 1760.3 The choice of the South Church, as we shall see, finally fell upon Mr. Cumming. 1 From a newspaper correspondence to which we shall shortly refer more particularly, we judge that when the Fast was held in July, 1759, the church had serious thoughts of calling Mr. Potter. An anonymous writer in the Boston Gasette, in March, 1761, speaking of this fast, said: "It was, I am told, near two years ago, when that church were on the point of choosing the famous, and very orthodox Mr. Potter for their pastor, and preparatory to that." 2 President Stiles described him as leading "a retired philosophic life." His name appears among the subscribers to Prince's Chronological History. 8 At the ordination, Mr. Cooper preached the sermon; Mr. Pemberton prayed; Mr. Appleton gave the charge, and Mr. Checkley the right hand of fellowship. Mr. Checkley died soon after this occasion. His son, of the same name, minister of the Old North Church, died in 1768. Mr. Jackson was to receive Mr. Potter died in 1768, aged about the same salary as Mr. Potter, £So. per thirty-five. annum, with twenty cords of wood, and |