Ralph Hill, Ju"". Henery Jeiffs.
John Baldwin."
*' Also, at a Towne Meeting of y^ iuhabitance, ye 16, 10â„¢., lOGl.
"It is agreed. That whatever charges Mr. AVhiting shall be at, in
makeing his house and land more convenient for his comfortable susistence
and livelyhood amongst vs, in erecting anj' more building, fenceing, or
breakeing of laud, or clearing of meadows, and the like ; That in case the
providence of god so- orders it that afterwards he shall remove from us,
and so (by our former agreement) leave all his acommodations to the use
154 HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
of the Towne, the towne do proniise that what the whole premises shall be
the better, at his leaving it. bj^ reason of liis cost and charges upon it. It
shall at that time be returned to him by the towne. as it sliall be adjudged
by men indifferently chosen."
It speaks well for the courage and faith of these founders of the
town that, numbering only nineteen men, thej' were ready to put
their hands to such an instrument and assume all its responsilnlit}'.
It speaks well for the young Harvard graduate, of good birth and
sterling ability, that he was ready to identifj- himself with the rising
town and make liis home in this wilderness, when not even the little
meeting-house of logs and thatch was yet erected.
Where Mr. Whiting preached for the first two years, we can only
conjecture ; perhaps at John Parker's, where earl}- town meetings
were held ; perhaps in his own house.
A year later, the following vote appears: —
"It Is agreed, bj^ the major prt of the Towne, that Mr. Whiting shall
liave 50 p. for this year, for his maintenance, and caring down corne, and
making a well and hovell for his catell ; which is 10 p. more than o"" agree-
ment for his yerely maintenance ; the caring his corne or other pay do^vTie
to towne and getting his firewood included, to be done at Mr. Whiting's
own charges."
In the accounts of the town, credit is given to John Baldwin,
George Farley, and Ralph Hill, Jr., for "oxen to help fetch Mr.
Whiting"; and to Ralph Hill, Sr., Samuel Kemp, John Marshall,
James Paterson, and John Rogers, "for John for going for Mr.
Whiting." It was no small undertaking to help the minister remove
to Billerica, at that day.
When the earliest families had been five and six 3-ears .in town,
when their number had increased to thirt}' and the}' had secured a
minister, thej- were at length prepared to grapple with the serious
problem of a house of worship.
'•09. 9. 59. it is Agreed by the major prt of the Towne, that there
shall be a meeting house built this winter foiling ; tliirty f oote Longe and.
twenty and f oure foot wide, and twelve foot high ; the studs to be 3 foot
asunder, the Comittee apoyuted to agree with workmen, to bild and finish
the said house, are Ralph Hill, Sen^., George Farley, Jonathan Danforth ;
it is agreed, also, that the sides and ends shall be covered with bords and
the Roof with thatch.''
This primitive meeting-house stood south of the centre of the
present common, having its length east and west. Probably the
i
RELIGIOUS HISTORY. 155
inhabitants contributed labor and lumber liberally to its erection, but
John Parker was the principal builder, as appears from the following :
''le. 10. 61. The town doe apoynte Willâ„¢ Tay, AVill'" Hamblet, &
Jonathan Dauforth, as a Comitee to examine the acontes about y^ bildinge
and finishing the meeting house, and to consider some way to propose to
the towne for satisfying John Parker for his disbursements, what they in
their judgment shall se meet, and in their best understanding shall eonseive
ritasly due to him for the work done/'
"6 : 11 : 61. the comitee abovesaide did meet together with the Towns-
men, and examined the aconts, and they make this return foUowinge : to
the Towne, we doe finde that acordinge to his aconts (which we judg to be
Just and equall) there is due unto him The Just surae of eighteene pounds,
fifteen shillings, three pence, we say, 18 : 15 : 3, and in consideration of the
nature of the pay disbursed by him, exceedinge the quality of the pay
received by him from the Towne, we Aprehend that the Towne may do
well to make up the former sume full Twenty poundes.
•'this was excepted and granted by the Towne."
How Mr. Parker was paid has already appeared, in the account
of the use made b}- the town of the land-grant of four thousand
acres, received from the General Court, in Ma}-, 1661. {_See p. 47.]
No record remains of the completion or dedication of this house ;
but we may be sure that the devout fathers of Billerica did not fail to
consecrate it to the service of God, with due solemnity and rejoicing.
A humble structure, it was in harmony with its surroundings ; and
worship fervent and true went up to God from its lowly walls.
Provision was made soon after for the usual appendage of a New
England meeting-house.
"25, 7. 1660. The towne doe give leave that Ealph Hill, Sen'".. George
Farley, Willâ„¢. French. Ealph Hill, Jun^., and John Parker, and such other
persons as make use of their horses to Ride to y^ meetinge, shall have
liberty to make sum housing or housings to sett up for horses from time to
time, without molestatione ; and to sett up y" saide houseing below the Hill
between the meeting house and Goldinge More's barn, or in sum other
place conv«enient for them."
More's barn was on Paul Hill's land, perhaps as far south as
Deacon Lund's place ; and the sheds were probably near, or just
south of, Mr. Hill's house.
In 1661 the town '^appoint Lieut, ffrench, John Parker, Ralph
Hill, Sen., and Will. Tay, to sett in the Deacon's seat; and also
the town do appoint & impower these four men, joyned with Mr.
Whitinge, to appoint the rest of the inhabitants and proprietors
belonging to the town, there severall places where they shall sitt in
156 HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
the meeting house, acordhige to their best discretion. * * Also,
it is agreed, if any person or persons be agrieved in their being-
seated, and they doe make known their grievance to the persons
above said ; they are to consider of their grievance, and acte as
they in their discretion shall see meete, in seating them elsewhere,"
No church was yet organized, and the citizens of Billerica sought
occasional church privileges with neighboring churches. The Rev.
John Fiske, pastor of Clielmsford,^ mentions such courtes}' to Ralph
Hill and George Farley, and the case of Jonathan Danforth is given
at length. The latter is too interesting an account of the way the
fathers felt and acted on such questions to be abbreviated.
" Jonathan | He. about 7 of 12, '56, proposing himself e to this ch.
Danford. j j.^^. fyUy^ygjiip. jf ^^s concluded to answer him as
follows: Jonathan Danford. his desire being proposed to this ch., ['? 7 of
12], to joyne himself in fellowship w* vs, it was considered of, and
agitated, and in fine determined by joynte assent to returne him tins
answer, in effect as folloM^eth: Namely,
"That in case y^ ch at Cambridge shall graunt him a permission so to
doe, yeelding vp wliat right thej^ have in him vnto this ch, and we shall
receive satisfactione touching his being meetely qualified for y^ enjoj^m' of
all church Priviledges, we shall v.illingly attend his desire to y'' receiving
of him: otherwise we know no Kule of orderly proceeding with him, in
this way ; he being by vertue of his father's covenant vnder the immediate
inspection and charge (as we conceive) of y'' ch. of Cambridge.
•"Afterward, y" Elders of Cambr. Ch., writing to vs as from themselves
their apprehensions as to this effect, they conceived we might, notwith-
.stauding, receive y said Jonathan without offence to that ch."
" vpun 22 of l-^t-j 5G-57. It was returned thus: Jonathan Damford,
his desire being vpon this day a 2"> time proposed to this ch, with L''^ from
ye Elders of Cambr. Ch. The result of our ch. agitation amounted, in
effect, to this, viz: that we, supposing he may be fitt to enjoy all ch.
priviledges, can not otherwise but sympathise w''' him ; and therefore, as
ye case to vs appears at present, we are not apprehensive we are orderly
called as yet to satisfy his desire, for our parts, conceiving he belongetli to
them whose w'e think he is, either plainely to disowne him or to dismisse
him ; and, in case neither of these inaybee, we know no rule or reason
why he may not firstly joyne himself in personall covenant with that ch,
and afterward, as just cause is offered, to be either reconnnended or dis-
missed, or both, vnto vs. Or else, if by reason of his distance fi'om that
ch, this be refused, whereas yet thei-e are, as we suppose, members of y''
1 AfSS. Record, now in possession of Mr. David Pulsifur, at the State House. For
permission to make extracts from tliis Record, I am indebted to the courtesy of Rev. H. M.
J^exter, D. D., wlio has a copy of the obscure origiual, which was made for liim by Mr.
Pulsifer.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY. 157
said ch residing nigher to him than any of ours, he seems called, for his
owne parte, to sit still a while & wayte till God more fully shew vp his
way."
Almost three years pass, and the case is reopened.
''In 7, 59, llâ„¢o, Jonathan Dafford brings L^^ from ye ch of C'ambr..
wherein they resign vp all their right in him vnto vs to proceed with him.
•'After some long agitation, at 3 several times, and divers qu. in poj^nt
of order proposed, y" case at length came to be stated, and ye case, as
touching order vpon several grounds, concluded; and thereupon ye whole
ch. agreed to send a l^ to y"^ Brethren at Billerica, to take off occasion of
offence, and to cleere mor.e fully our way, as foUoweth :
Ye Lr to 1
Billerica. [
To or Beloved Brethren, &c. at Billerica, &c. :
Bel. Bii. Whereas,
"Jo: Danf : an Inhabitant amongst you. hath, for some time since,
proposed himself as desirous to joyne w'^ vs in ch. fellowship, and hath
obteyned Liberty from y« ch at Cambridge so to doe. as by JJ^ to vs from
that ch is manifest to vs. And whereas we have been in some doubt about
it since that time, as being hopefullj^ persuaded that ye longing desires of
their soules, after ye enjojang of ye Ordinances of X. amongst yourselves,
would have set them vpon y'' worke of Gathering a ch and ordeyning an
Officer in y^ place; and that ye experience and observation of ye said
Jonathan would have led you to have encouraged him in his desire after
ye Ordin : in taking him amongst you in ye s'' worke and vnto the same :
or otlierwise, in case of personal exception ag^' him, as regularly unmeete
for fellowship, to have cleered yo'selves in the matter. But perceiving
that neither this nor that is attended by you, so as we. for o^ partes,
are readj^ to apprehend, had we been in yo^ case, it had concerned vs;
Therefore, we have thought fitt to write vnto you, to desire you would
speedily and with the first opertvmity ^nforme vs of these two things :
First, whether indeed you bee, or doe intend soone to bee, in hand w"i y®
s^i worke of gathering a ch. and within what space of time tliere is an
intendment or likeljhoode of accomplishing the same? and whether j^ou.
doe intend to accept of ye s<5 Jonathan amongst you vnto the worke? and,
if not this or not that, then, if we maybe so far in yo'' favor, we should
look at it as an act of Brotherly Love, to be enformed from you, of the
grounds w'^^', if we may apprehend Just, you shall have vs (thro' y^ grace
of Christ) in a readiness to strengthen yo"^ hands in what maj' concern vs.
If otherwise, we shall desire to act o"" owne apprehensions as in what we
shall conceive o^ duty, and in particular in reference to s*! Jonathan, with-
out just cause of offense to you, in case you doe not lay before us grounds
of conviction to the contrary. How meete we ma}^ find liim for Fellowship,
we can not yet determine. To rob you of him, in case meete, far be it
from vs. To receive hiin, you regularly judging liim unmeet, and so to
retayne him to vs, when once you have a ch amongst you, be it as far from
vs as ye other. Testimony from amongst you. we doe (in part at least)
158 HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
expect; and on y^ other side, as you will approve yo'selves faithful to
Jesus X., and to the soule of y^ s<^ Jonathan, we doe looke you should, and
hope you will, orderly remove matters of just offence, if any there be, or
I seasonably and regularly enforme us.
"Seriously we doe desire you would not slight (as we dare not con-
clude you will) this, o^' Addresse vnto you, by a silent Answer, or by
retarding a returne to vs from you, but that you would let us, within a
short time, heare from you. and for the interim we commend you to y'=
Guidance of y good Spirit of God and rest, Yo''* &c.
''Chelmsfoud, 29 of 11, '59."
"â– 12 of 2, '61. Also about Jon: Daford: when voted that we should
proceed to tryal witli him, in order to his joining. A Testimony vnder
Mr. Whiting's. W'". French. Jam : Parker's hand being Eedd." A month
later. "12 of ;J, '(51. On this day Jonath. Daftbrd joyned in covenant with
this ch. promising to attend y" IJule & order of y** Gospel, as touching
joyning tlie ch at Billerlca, if once gathered, or else to remove his station
to this or sonje other Towne where a church shall bee." Mr. Danforth
kept his promise and took letters of dismission to the church in Billerica.
"1.5:11:65."
The formation of a church was felt b}' the fathers of New Eng-
land to be serious business, not to be lightly or hastily undertaken :
and the importance of membership was viewed in the same light.
We can not read this record between the lines without suspecting
some difference of opinion among these Billerica men, and that the
dela}- of the church organization is partially explained by that fact.
To the valuable record of the Chelmsford pastor we are indebted for
fuller light on this subject. The church in Billerica was organized,
1(563, November 11 ; but the accounts of the town treasurer^ inti-
mate the pi'esence of a council here in the April previous. Of this
hitherto mysterious council, its object and result, IMr. Fiske fortu-
_ nately gives us the full ^tor3'. His record brings out the fact that
Billerica was agitated by the question, so serioush' disturbing the
churches of the day, respecting the relation of baptized children to
the church, and whether they could acquire, b}' infant baptism alone,
the rights of citizenship in the State.
The Chelmsford record is as follows : —
" Billerica's case.
"On 12 of 2'^ 63, Ave received let^ fro M'' Whiting & ye Breth" for ye
Pastor & Bi-ethren to joj^ne with y*" other messengers of X^ in counsell to
be given y"' about y''^ proceeding to X'^ state. Bro. Burge being chosen
with ye pasf. Attendance was accordingly thr given on 27'ii of 2^, as
appoynted, whr met us the messengers of ye X of Ooburne : but Cambr
2 See ante, p. TO.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY. 150
& Watertowne messengers ea not, being as seemd by L>'s Hindred by Prvd.
The messengers of y^ 2 s'' X^ befoi-esfi. being p^sent, were desired by y«
Breth of Billericay, notwithstanding, to hr y« case & if possibl.y to help
yn ; Accordingly, it was Attended upon tlie desire. & on the 2d daj% being
the sitting day. Mr. Whiting & the rest, on both apprelieusions. met. But
we could not co to state y"^ qu between them till the Afternoon. So after we
had made many assaies with them togethr & ap^te. At length finding:
1. That yf was a willingness & desire on both p^tes, to joyne together
in ye worke of gathering a X & carrying on of y^ ordin : amongst them,
notwithstanding y^ ditterance of y'' Appi'hensions aboute Children's state in
y'' X concerning y^ [?] 2. That ye dissenting brethren to Mr. AVhiting's
p'te had declared thereof :
'•1. That y childr of parents in full colon were to be Baptized.
"2. yes children, being baptized, are vnder the care of ye Church, w<=''
is to see to y^ pious [nurture?] in ye heart & feare of God, & to be cate-
chized. &c. Onely so' of y'" would not have yâ„¢ vnder ye pow'' of ye X to
be censured, tho so' of y'" yielded it y' [?] now members, & might be *ex-
co'icated if desei'ving. only )'« could not convej' any right of membersh to
y'' Childr. nor could thr childr be i-eputed meuibrs, vnless y'^' Imediate piits
were in full colon vpon this account. The following question being drawne
vp & p posed, was consented to, on all hands, to be The Question."
"The Copy of ye qu: & Answer given by ye Counsel to the Billericay
Brethren is as follows : 28 of 2'', 03, Billei'icy.
"Qu. Suppose an equall number of persons differing in thr opinions
aboute childrens intereste in the Church (both Infants &, Adult) & both
willing to practice their Opinion: How may such psons Joyne together
according to a Rule & live together in church state according to a Eule?
"A. We conceive as followeth :
" 1. That the two dissenting parties doe each of them choose equality
(su])pose fower). each of y'" of y"^ owne App'hensions, to be the matter of
ye foundation. 2. That these all mutually & joyntly doe take & give
satisfaction, each to other, touching there meetnes vnto this greafee worke.
as in all other Respt^. 3. That if there app any just cause of laying by any
one of these vpon the fores^^i account, that then One othr pson be chosen,
according to ye first fposal, in his Roome : 4. That each trouble not the
Other as to the nuitter of there appf'hension aboute the question betweene
them, othrwise than by a Meeke, Brotherly & modest reasoning out the
case of difterence by the Word of God. as occasion is offered, for the mutual
help one of another. 5. That the matter of difterence as to the case of
children simply beco no barr or lett to anj% othrwise fitt to be received
in, or added to them.
"Postscr. And we doe hope, thro the Lord's help, that if you can
thus joyne in all Brotherly love & goe on together in the due exercise of
the same Love, forbearance & Tenderness: you may longe continew to-
gether with the Lord's blessed p'sence in the I'nidst of you, cleering up his
will & way more fully to you in his owne season : wh'^'i we shall pray for
on yo'' Behalves.
••Subscribed: Jo: ffiske.
Tho : Carter.
Edw. Johnson.
Jo". BURGK."
The men who were interested Iq and moved bj- such questions
as these had mental powers of no mean order. It is not eas}' for
us fully to understand their position, but it does uot become us to
underestimate them or smile at their difficulties. They were dealing
at first hand with fundamental problems of church and state, and
160 HISTORY OF BILLERICA.
they had not the light of two hundred and fifty years' experience
to guide them. This possible church, outlined by the April council,
smacks suspiciously of Presbj^terian eldership and authorit}'. It can
hardl}' be the same as the foundation which was actually' laid six
months later. Again the Chelmsford record aids us : —
•^1 of 9, 03, Billerica.
â– 'Messengers fro y* eh. attended y^ eh. gathering at Billericay where
they all made a Relatio of y^ worke of grace & consented in a written pro-
fession of faith ; & Mr. Whiting ordayned pastor. y« daj'^ comfortable.
The assembling of this council and its proceedings must have
formed a notable day in the lives of the fathers. It will help us
revive the memory of the scene, if we recall the names of those who
were likely to have composed it.
Roxburv was represented certainly- 1\y its junior pastor, Samuel
Danforth. He was the colleague of John Eliot, the devout and
active Indian missionary, whose marvellous translation of the Bible
into the language of the Indians was printed that ver}- year. His
labors among the natives at Wamesit must often have led him
through Billerica, and it is pleasant to think that he also was prob-
abh' present. Lynn must have sent her pastor, Samuel Whiting,
Sen., the father of our candidate. And the mother church at Cam-
bridge would not fail to share with her pastor, Jonathan IMitchel, in
the joys of the day. Chelmsford, which had received as settlers a
church already organized, with its pastor, John Fiske, gave gladly
the hand of fellowship to a nearer sister. Concord, Woburn, and
Andover would complete the circle of neighboring churches, and
their pastors were Peter Bulklc}', the cousin of Mr. Whiting's mother,
Thomas Carter, and Francis Dane. The first minister of Boston,
John Wilson, ma}' have been present with his church; and Thomas
Shepard, who had been Mr. Whiting's classmate at Harvard College,
as pastor of Charlestown. Maiden, Reading, and Watcrtown would
make up twelve churches, and their pastors were Michael Wiggles-
worth, the poet, John Brock, the devout, and John Sherman, the
eminent mathematician.
Whether all these were present or not, it was a grave and rev-
erend council which convened here on that November da}'. Our old
town perhaps never had a more notable assembly. The candidate
was most carefully examined in his doctrine and experience. He
would have occasion to exercise all the logical skill acquired in his
RELIGIOUS HISTORT. 161
Harvard training and displa^-ed in his graduating thesis, on the
question, ''An detur Maximuui et Minimum in Natura." There
was at least one sermon, and the organization of tlie chnreh at the
same time ma^' Iiave required anotlier ; and, if the custom of a hiter
day then obtained, the candidate preached his own ordaining sermon.
The possible duration of these public services is suggested in the
Woburn experience. There, when the church was organized, Mr.
Symmes introduced the services and ''continued in pra^'er and
preaching about the space of four or five hours." What would
follow such an introduction wc may imagine ! Whatever the order
or length of the services, that litde thatched m?eting-honse was well
filled In- a congregation too much interested, as well as too devout,
to betray weariness or to thank their descendants for sympathy.
It is due to this first and eminent pastor of Billerica that we
glance at the home and influences which had aided in moukUng his
character. The}' will help us to understand better, not onl}' this
man himself, but others of his charge, fathers of the town. Rev.
Samuel Whiting, of Lynn, was the father of our Samuel. Like
John Cotton, of Boston, he gave the name of the English towh in
which he was first pastor to his New England home. His father,
John Whiting, and two of his brothers were mayors of the English
Boston, and warm friends of their pastor, John Cotton, in whose
Puritan convictions the}' shared. Samuel Whiting was born, 1597,
November 20, and took the degrees of A. B. and A. M. at Emanuel
College, Cambridge, 1G16 and 1620. Receiving orders, he was
three years a famil}- chaplain, and then installed at Lynn R-'gis, in
Norfolk. Here, after three years, his earnestness and iijdependence
made him obnoxious to the Bishop of Norwich, and charges of non-
conformity were made against him. But tlie d.'ath of King James
relieved him, and ""the Bishop v.-as willing to promise his friend the
Earl of Lincoln, who interceded for him, that he would no furth.^r
worry him, in case he would begone out of his diocese where he
could not reach him." He therefore removed to Skii'beck, near
Boston his old home. Here he labored for some years, not less
faithful to his non-conformist pi'inciples on account of persecution,
until the pressure of the times under Charles drove him forth, as it
did Cotton, Hooker, and so man}* of the noblest and best men and
women of England, in search of peace and "freedom to worship
God," in America.
While living at Skirbeck Mr. Whiting married, 1629, August 6,
162 HISTOKY OF EILLERICA.
his second wife, Elizabeth St. John, and here our Samuel, her eldest
child, was born, 1G33, March 25. His mother was of a family still
older and more notable. She was the daughter of the Riglit Hon.
Oliver St. John, a member of Parliament. Her brother Oliver
married a cousin of Oliver Cromwell, and was one of the first
law3-ers and most progressive men of Ei^gland. He defended John
Hampden in the great case in which he resisted the King, on the
question of the payment of ship money, and made that name immortal
among the defenders of liberty. Later he became, under Cromwell,
the Lord Chief Justice of England.
His sister, Mrs. Whiting, added grace to her name by tlie beauty
of her person and the worth of her character. Her noble and gentle
blood proved its true quality, by the faithfulness with which she
performed . the dnt^' and bore the hardships of her 'position as the
wife of the humble country minister. Her rank and w^ealth did not
bind any fetters around the freedom of their religious convictions ;