"In the Pilgrim Way" by Linda Ashley, A
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In the Pilgrim Way The First Congregational Church, Marshfield, Massachusetts 1640-2000 Linda Ramsey Ashley Marshfield, Massachusetts 2001 BIBLIO-tec Cataloging in Publication Ashley, Linda Ramsey [1941-] In the pilgrim way: history of the First Congregational Church, Marshfield, MA. Bibliography Includes index. 1. Marshfield, Massachusetts – history – churches. I. Ashley, Linda R. F74. 2001 974.44 Manufactured in the United States. First Edition. © Linda R. Ashley, Marshfield, MA 2001 Printing and binding by Powderhorn Press, Plymouth, MA ii Table of Contents The 1600’s 1 Plimoth Colony 3 Establishment of Green’s Harbor 4 Establishment of First Parish Church 5 Ministry of Richard Blinman 8 Ministry of Edward Bulkley 10 Ministry of Samuel Arnold 14 Ministry of Edward Tompson 20 The 1700’s 27 Ministry of James Gardner 27 Ministry of Samuel Hill 29 Ministry of Joseph Green 31 Ministry of Thomas Brown 34 Ministry of William Shaw 37 The 1800’s 43 Ministry of Martin Parris 43 Ministry of Seneca White 46 Ministry of Ebenezer Alden 54 Ministry of Richard Whidden 61 Ministry of Isaac Prior 63 Ministry of Frederic Manning 64 The 1900’s 67 Ministry of Burton Lucas 67 Ministry of Daniel Gross 68 Ministry of Charles Peck 69 Ministry of Walter Squires 71 Ministry of J. Sherman Gove 72 Ministry of George W. Zartman 73 Ministry of William L. Halladay 74 Ministry of J. Stanley Bellinger 75 Ministry of Edwin C. Field 76 Ministry of George D. Hallowell 77 Ministry of Vaughn Shedd 82 Ministry of William J. Cox 85 Ministry of Robert H. Jackson 87 Other Topics Colonial Churches of New England 92 United Church of Christ 93 Church Buildings or Meetinghouses 96 The Parsonages 114 Organizations 123 Sunday School and Youth 129 Music 134 Current Officers, Board, & Committees 139 Gifts to the Church 141 Memorial Funds 143 iii The Centuries The centuries look down from snowy heights Upon the plains below, While man looks upward toward those beacon lights Of long ago. Through all the changing cycle of the years One mighty hand is seen, Which builds up empires from our toil and tears Of what hath been. It tenderly enwraps each sun and star, Warmly enfolds each soul, And all the years are one that seem afar, And earth with man and heaven make up the whole. From What Saxon! and Other Poems By Rev. Daniel Irving Gross Minister 1908-1911 Picture on the cover: (from postcard) Broughton, George Henry, Pilgrims Going to Church. 1867. Original Oil on Linen 24” x 52” Owned by the New York Historical Society, Henry Luce Center for the Study of American Culture. iv Oh, Beautiful for Pilgrim Feet Whose stern impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness. The 1600's – Pilgrim Landing and Establishment of New England Background in England and Holland To understand the history of the church in Marshfield, one must begin in England, then move on to Holland, and then cross the ocean on the ship Mayflower . We will not go into the roots of Protestantism, beginning with Wycliffe in the 14 th century, the reformation brought about by Martin Luther John Calvin, and others. But the Reformation Movement is at the heart of what we now call the Congregational Church 1, and the origins of this particular congregation in Marshfield, Massachusetts. We will not detail the events that brought Henry VIII to separate the church in England from the Roman Catholic Church. But we do know that during his reign and in succeeding years persecution and execution was visited on both the Catholic and the Protestant Churches, and their devout followers, depending upon who was on the throne and which church was currently in favor. Henry’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, in an attempt to satisfy both sides to some extent, established the official Church of England, or Anglican Church. But for many Protestants, the Anglican Church was still too close to Catholicism. These people, called generally the Puritans (though there were many different groups and no central leadership at this time), wanted to “purify” the Church of England by scrapping the Prayer Book in favor of the Bible, simplifying the ritual, and observing the Sabbath strictly. They also wanted to change the hierarchy of church governance, giving more power to the local congregations, but keeping a central church government. Under the broader term “Puritans,” there was a more radical group known as the Congregationalists, who wanted completely self-governing churches, each church formed by a solemn covenant entered into by the “visible saints” (those who confessed their faith and swore to the covenant.) The Congregationalists let each congregation choose its own pastor and officers, but both the Puritans and the Congregationalists still professed membership in the Anglican Church. Within the Congregationalists was an even smaller and more radical group known as the Separatists who wanted to make a clean break with the Anglican Church and form a new and separate church. Obviously, in a time when to take a religious stand was also to take a political position, the Separatists were unacceptable, almost to the point of treason, since the King or Queen was the head of the Anglican Church. It is interesting that these people were not all in the same place, but were found all across England, apparently having come to the same conclusions from the teachings of pastors coming out of colleges, particularly Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where the faculty taught the Separatist views. Small groups found warrant for these “gathered churches” in Matthew 1 For a discussion of these roots, see Cutler, Ralph H., Jr. “Sublights on the Puritans and Pilgrims,” Mayflower Quarterly, Nov. 1984, pp.161-169. 18:20, “for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” One of these churches was gathered by covenant in the village of Scrooby in 1606. They met on Sundays in the home of the postmaster, William Brewster, for Bible study and prayer, led by the pastor, John Robinson King James, who took the throne in 1603 upon the death of Queen Elizabeth I, and whose name is now revered with the King James Bible 2, said of the dissidents, “I will make them conform, or I will harry them out of the land!” Therefore, after many trials, both literal and figurative, the little band removed to Holland, and eventually to the town of Leiden. There they found relative religious freedom. However, some found it hard to make a living, they were concerned that their children were losing the English language and customs, and they feared that if Spain captured Holland the inquisition might be visited upon them. The little group was able to find financing I persuade myself, never people from “merchant adventurers” – we would call upon earth lived more lovingly, and parted them venture capitalists today – to back a colony more sweetly than we, the Church at Leyden, did. Not rashly, in a distracted humor; but, in the New World. With the money, they arranged upon joint and serious deliberation, often for two ships to take them across the ocean. But seeking the mind of God, by fasting and after leaving England and enduring the miseries of prayer: whose gracious presence we not only two weeks, the smaller ship, the Speedwell ,was found with us; but his blessing upon us from close to sinking, and they had to turn back. When that time to this instant: to the indignation of our adversaries, the admiration of strangers, they finally set sail again, on the Mayflower , some and the exceeding consolation of ourselves people had to be left behind, though some of them eventually came to Plymouth on later vessels. Edward Winslow Aboard ship were 102 passengers, but only fifty-one of them were Separatists. They called themselves “Saints.” The other half were “Strangers,” – hired hands, indentured servants, and others who came for their own reasons. None of them called themselves “Pilgrims,” a term found in Bradford’s History, “They knew they were pilgrims,” but not popularized until almost two hundred years later. They knew they were travelers for a religious cause, but neither they nor anyone else referred to them that way. …So they left the goodly and pleasant city, which had been their resting place near twelve years; but they knew they were pilgrims, and looked not much on those things, but lifted up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits. William Bradford, Of Plimoth Plantation 2 It should be noted that the Separatists, in total opposition to King James, did not accept the King James Version of the Bible. They used the Geneva Bible, published in Switzerland. 2 Plimoth Colony The name Plymouth was not given to this place by these colonists, but had appeared earlier on a map drawn by John Smith, better known for his association with Jamestown, Virginia. Whether or not Cape Cod and Plymouth were the intended destination of the Mayflower passengers has been debated, but Plymouth was where they chose to establish their Colony, in December 1620. Upon arrival at Cape Cod, their number was still 102, but one man had died and one child, Oceanus Hopkins, had been born. While they were anchored at Cape Cod, another baby was born, Peregrine White. He is credited with being the first child of European descent born in New England. 3 His family was among those who settled Marshfield and he eventually became a member of this church. During the first horrible winter, half the passengers and half the crew died. By spring, only five grown women were left, with the help of some teenaged girls, to care for the many children in the colony.