WE

TOWN MEETINGS.

E have no record of any action by the church in 1768, except in its dealing with two cases of discipline.

At a meeting of the South Church in Boston February 29th 1768. It was Voted, That a Committee be chosen to inquire into several matters of complaint against some of their Brethren that had been laid before them; and that said Committee make report of what evidences they can ascertain of the truth of such offensive conduct as had been respectively laid to their charge.

The Church appointed a committee accordingly, consisting of their Pastors and Deacons.

This committee, on the 28th of July, reported serious charges made and sustained against two brethren, and at an adjourned meeting on Monday, August 1, they were sentenced to public excommunication on the next Lord's Day. From the marked severity with which these cases, involving a violation of the laws of morality, were dealt with, as compared with others which came before the church several months later, involving a departure in certain particulars from the doctrinal standards of the time, it will be seen that character rather than creed was the test in determining the qualifications for good and regular standing in the membership.

The Rev. Samuel Checkley, pastor of the Second Church, died March 19, after a ministry of twenty-one years. On the

THE REV. JOHN LATHROP.

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18th of May next following, Mr. John Lathrop, who had been fixed upon as his colleague, was ordained as his successor. Mr. Lathrop was born in Norwich, Connecticut, in 1740, and graduated at Princeton in 1763. To guard against the danger of departure from the "doctrines of grace, and the old form of faith and discipline adopted in the New England churches," he was desired to appear before the church, and at its request Mr. Pemberton asked him a variety of questions concerning his sentiments "upon many of the great doctrines of the gospel." This examination of a candidate for ordination, in the presence of a church which was thinking of calling him, by its request, and probably in private session, by a neighboring minister invited for the purpose, was an altogether different thing from the crossexamination in public of a pastor-elect, in reference to whose personal standing and doctrinal position a church has already satisfied itself, by a company of men who assume as the representatives of neighboring churches, to decide whether or not this church shall settle the man of its choice. In the first instance we have an illustration of pure Congregationalism; in the second, we have something of a nondescript nature in church polity, answering more nearly than anything else perhaps to oligarchical power in the state.

The Second Church, in true Congregational form, passed upon Mr. Lathrop's answers, and declared itself entirely satisfied. At a subsequent meeting, Mr. Pemberton presented a confession of faith drawn up by Mr. Lathrop, and a certificate from a number of ministers in Windham County, Connecticut, recommending him to any church that might think of calling him. These papers also were declared satisfactory, and the church then gave him an unanimous call. He preached his own ordination sermon, from Philippians i. 17; Dr. Sewall, who was moderator, offered prayer; Mr. Pemberton gave the charge, and Dr. Mather Byles the right hand of fellowship.1

Some time during the year 1768 the Rev. Samuel Hopkins, then of Great Barrington, preached his celebrated sermon at the Old South, on "the Importance and Necessity of Christians considering Jesus Christ in the Extent of his high and glorious Character." His text was Hebrews iii. 1: "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." The sermon was published at the desire of many of the hearers, and the preacher wrote concerning it: "It was composed with a design to preach it in Boston, as I expected soon to go there, under a conviction that the doctrine of the divinity of Christ was much neglected, if not disbelieved, by a number of the ministers in Boston." 1

On the 14th of June, the first of those great popular meetings was held in the Old South meeting-house which have made its walls famous in the annals of civil liberty. An English frigate had recently arrived in the harbor, for the enforcement of the new revenue laws, and a vessel belonging to John Hancock had been seized for an alleged infraction of them. Men also had been impressed for service in the royal navy. The public excitement and indignation were intense, and a town meeting was called for, to give orderly expression and emphatic utterance to the popular feeling. Such a meeting was convened by the selectmen in Faneuil Hall, "but the hall not being large enough to contain one half of those who attended, they adjourned to the Old South meeting house." James Otis, one of the idols of the hour, was chosen moderator, and made one of his stirring and effective speeches. A petition to Governor Bernard was adopted, and a committee appointed to carry it to him at his country seat in Jamaica Plain. The meeting was then adjourned

should not. As soon as it was passed, one of the Convention declared his most earnest hope that the matter might never be laid before the Convention again. However, he need not have showed himself in that manner, for if it should be while the Convention consists of minis ters now upon the stage, there is no manner of prospect that a vote can be obtained to bring creeds and confessions into use."- Sprague's Annals of the Am. Unit. Pulpit, p. 71.

1 Mr. Hopkins was dismissed from his charge at Great Barrington January 18,

1769, after a pastorate there of twenty-
five years.
Dr. Sprague says: "In
April and May succeeding, he preached
several Sabbaths at the Old South
Church, Boston, and a portion of the
congregation would gladly have retained
him as a colleague with Dr. Sewall, but
the majority opposed the measure."
There is nothing in the church records to
this effect. Mr. Blair had not yet given
any intimation of his purpose to resign,
but Dr. Sewall was evidently near his end,
and some may have thought of Mr. Hop-
kins as a successor to him.

A TOWN MEETING.

93

to the next day, but before the citizens dispersed Mr. Otis addressed to them the following significant language: "The grievance the people labor under may in time be removed; if not, and we are called on to defend our liberty and privileges, I hope and believe we shall, one and all, resist unto blood; but, at the same time, I pray Almighty God it may never so happen." On the following day a letter of reply was presented from the governor, and Mr. Otis reported that His Excellency had received. the committee with courtesy, and had manifested a disposition to do what he could to fulfil the demands of the people.

Of this town meeting it has been said: "It was in harmony, in principle and in object, with the views of a great people. It was an illustration of an intelligent American opinion, appearing as an actor on the public stage. And hence it indicated, not a mere ripple on the top of shallow waters, but a groundswell of an ocean-tide of irresistible and providential power." A large majority of the regular attendants at the Old South were in sympathy with it, and with others like it which followed, and they cordially consented to this political use of their house of worship. Dr. Sewall, too, was in full accord with the popular movement. In an obituary notice which appeared at the time of his death we read:

He was greatly alarmed with every motion to introduce the Hierarchy into these Colonies, whose predecessors had, at the peril of every earthly comfort, fled from the face of ecclesiastical tyranny. Nor was he less jealous of the attempts made to deprive us of our civil rights and privileges. Though he warmly press'd submission to the powers that be, while they are the ministers of God for good to their subjects, yet he was greatly affected with the encroachments lately made upon us, and could not think a people were to be blamed for adhering to liberties that had been purchased at so dear a rate. These things lay with weight on his mind as long as he lived, he spake with freedom, and some degree of warmth, on this interesting topic, and often addressed heaven to interpose for our relief. His prayers, we trust, have been heard and will be graciously answered.1

The citizens of Boston not only listened for the bell in the Old South steeple to summon them to their patriotic assemblies, but they selected the same steeple as the most central and conspicuous place for the erection of a public clock. The following memorial, signed by Gawen Brown, a celebrated clockmaker of the time, explains itself:2

1 [Boston Evening Post, July 3, 1769.] into our possession. Children of Gawen 2 This memorial has recently come and Mary Brown were baptized at the

To the Society Meeting in the South Church in Boston.

Gentlemen

Having made a Clock suitable for publick Use a Number of the Inhabitants of the Town are desirous to purchase the same by a Voluntary subscription, provided it may be put Up on the Steeple of your Church, that being the most Convenient scituation for s'd purpose on many Accounts.

These are therefore humbly to Request your consent thereto, and that you would give your Petitioner Liberty to put up the same accordingly, and I Promise and Engage provided said Permission is granted, that the same shall be put Up and continued there forever, free of Charge to the Society.

Your Humble Servant

GAWEN BROWN.

BOSTON, July 23d 1768. The records are silent on the subject, but the request of the petitioner was, no doubt, readily granted. There seems to have been some delay in carrying out the plan, owing, perhaps, to a difficulty in obtaining subscriptions, for, after all, the cost of the clock was paid by the town, in 1774.1 In the Boston Gazette, April 16, 1770, it is said :—

The Great Clock at Dr. Sewall's Meeting-House, made by Gawen Brown of this Town, goes with such Regularity and Exactness, that for this fourteen weeks it has not lost but two minutes of Time. The Hon. John Osborne died on the 27th of August. He had been a member of the church since 1721, and was the treasurer of the society at the time of his death.

At a meeting of the Brethren of the Society under the Pastoral care of the Rev. Dr. Sewall and Mr. Samuel Blair, Oct. 31. 1768.

The meeting was opened with prayer by the Revd. Mr. Blair. The Hon. Andrew Oliver Esq. was chosen Moderator, but desired to be excused, as he was obliged to retire upon some special business. Thomas Cushing was then chosen Moderator.

Upon a motion made and seconded it was voted to proceed to the choice of a Treasurer.

The Votes being brought in and sorted it appeared that the Hon. Thomas Hubbard Esq. was chosen.

Col. Marshall and Capt. Thomas Dawes were appointed a Committee to wait upon the Hon Thomas Hubbard Esq. and to acquaint

South Church in 1757 and 1758; and
Gawen Brown, son of John and Sarah
Newman, was baptized there March 26,
1769.

1 At a Town Meeting, March 30, 1774,

the Town chose a committee to purchase the Clock of Gawen Brown, and to have the same fixed on the Old South Meeting House. Boston Gazette, April 4, 1774. It cost £80 lawful money.