SECTION XI. From the ordination of Mr. Bridge, 10 May, 1705, to the death of 1705. ON the tenth of May, 1705, Rev. Thomas Bridget was regularly installed a colleague pastor SECT. XI. with Messrs. Allen and Wadsworth. The church designated the mode of induction, and two of its elders united with the ministers in the imposition of hands.§ "An answer to a vote of the First Church of Christ in Boston from Rev. Mr. Thomas Bridge, dated March 31, 1705." "Dearly beloved," "I have entertained your former invitation, and this also with fear and trembling, being sensible of the greatness of the work, and my manifold infirmities; but I am not my own; and my encouragement is, that the grace of Christ is sufficient for me. I have therefore solemnly, freely, and entirely resigned myself up to his dispose, and find satisfaction therein. I bless his glorious name for the acceptance, my labours have found amongst you, and looking upon it, as his work, that your hearts are inclined to give me this ca. I therefore thankfully and willingly accept it." First Church records, p. 188. At a meeting of the church, 17 April, called to make the necessary arrangements for ordination, after voting to send for the three churches in Boston, and the churches in Roxbury, Dorchester, Charlestown, and Milton, the brethren proceeded to the assignment of particular services. Upon the question, who should give the charge to Mr. Bridge, and lay on hands, at his ordination; Resolved by vote, that our teacher Allen should give the charge, U SECT. XI. 1709. From 1702 to 1709 the church caused its deacons and committees no small trouble in the management of its real estate. The property in question was a house, lately occupied by Mr. William Persons, some land, which, a short time before, had been given by Mr. Richard Taylor, another parcel of land near Fort-hill, and a house and lot of land, on the south side of Summerstreet, called Hollingshead's lot. At a meeting of the brethren, in September, 1702, they determined to sell the first mentioned house, with the land given them by Mr. Taylor, and to retain the Fort-hill land, which had been bargained away, but not paid for, to Mr. Richard Wharton. At a meeting, 7 April, 1709, they agreed to purchase an estate of capt. Balston, in Water-street, at the price of 300%. for the use of the ministry, and, at the same time, voted to make sale of Hollingshead's lot. Towards purchasing the place in Water-street, Mr. Dummer generously assisted them by advancing the specie. But the situation not answering expectation, it was voted, at a subsequent meeting, the next year, to sell it.* At the and have liberty to desire any ancient elders to pray before and after; and that the Rev. Mr. Increase Mather and Mr. Samuel Willard be the persons desired to join with our elders to lay on hands.” "Thursday, 10th of May, 1705, the Rev. Mr. Thomas Bridge was ordained a pastor over the First Church of Christ in Boston. Mr. James Allen, teacher, gave him the charge, and layed on hands with elder Bridgham, and elder Cope, or Cobb." F.C.R. p. 188. *“At a meeting of the church, at the house of the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Wadsworth, Jan. 5th, 1709-10. On consideration of some inconveniences, attending the situation of the house lately purchased, for the use of the ministry, (at the time not foreseen,) which make it unsuitable for the occasion; Voted, that the deacons be 1710. same time, they voted to retain the Hollingshead's SECT. XI. lot, and to apply the proceeds of the forementioned sale to the building of a suitable house for one of the ministers. This lot is the land, since occupied by Chauncy-place, First Church, and the adjoining block of houses in Summer-street belonging to the society; and the house, erected in 1710, was the one, in which Drs. Chauncy and Clarke died, and which was taken down, in 1807. 22 September, 1710, died Rev. James Allen, 22 Sept. the senior pastor of the church. He came to this country, in 1663, recommended by Mr. Goodwin. He had been a minister in England, and a sufferer by the act of uniformity, passed, 24 August, 1662. He was not violently but steadily the friend of ecclesiastical liberty, and resolutely acted on the following opinion; "When the governours of the church impose, as conditions of my communion, things, that are either unlawful in themselves, or that, after due examination, I verily believe, are unlawful, I am bound, in obedience to the authority of Christ, rather to desert desired, and hereby are empowered, to make sale of the said house and land, with the land since added thereto by grant from the town, to the best profit and advantage they can; and to execute a sufficient deed or deeds, in due form of law, for passing and conveying the same. Voted in the affirmative. The said Jan. 5, 1709-10, That the money, which shall be produced and raised by the sale of the said house and land, be employed and laid out for the building a convenient suitable house, for the use of the ministry; to be erected on the church land, known by the name of Hollingshead's lot. Voted in the affirmative, the same time. That the vote lately passed for the disposal of Hollingshead's lot be rescinded and made null. Vo ted in the affirmative, at the same time." F. Church records, P. 100. SECT. XI. that communion, than comply with the terms and conditions of it."+ 1710. This opinion does not seem to have been adopted hastily, nor to have been variable in its influence. He was equally moderate and lenient in his concessions to others, on the score of individual freedom, as he was strenuous for the enjoyment of his own rights. He was willing to render to Cæsar all proper tribute; but he was unwilling, that Cæsar, in the capacity of civil magistrate, should interfere in holy things. The vote of the church, passed, 5 August, 1679,‡ in regard to thursday lecture, verifies this remark. Another vote, in the same year, and likewise penned by Mr. Allen, will serve to show, that he was equally desirous of shielding the church against the power of the clergy, as against that of the civil ruler. There was then, as there commonly is in every period and portion of the church, a number of ministers, who, not contented with the power of doing good, were ambitious of pre-eminence. So synods must be called, and canons ordained for the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs, and wo to that church, which should dare to dispute the hierarchal authority. It is therefore not a little to the honour of this church, and its aged teacher, that, at so early a period, the vote alluded to should appear in the records. Mr. Allen had enjoyed a long, virtuous, and happy life of seventy-eight years, forty-six of which, he had been a member, and forty-two, a vigilant ruler and instructer of the church. His wealth gave him the power, which he used, SECT. XI. as a good bishop, to be hospitable. He published "healthful diet," a sermon ; ← Newengland's choicest blessings," an election sermon, 1679; "serious advice to delivered ones;" "man's self reflection a means to further his recovery from his apostasy from God;" and "two practical discourses."+ His posterity have been respectable in Massachusetts, several of them having been publickly educated, and employed in offices of responsibility. One of them is, at present, a worshipper in First Church. During the six years, ending in 1710, twentyfour men and sixty-six women had been admitted into the church. In the same space, the number of baptisms was two hundred and two, one hundred and thirteen males, and eighty-nine females. † American Biographical Dictionary. 1710. |