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 THE 
 
 CELEBRATED CENTURY SERMON, 
 
 OP THE 
 
 REV. NATHANAEL HOWE 
 
 OF 
 
 HOPKINTON, MASS. 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE, 
 
 BY ELIAS NASON, A. M.
 
 CENTURY SERMON, 
 
 DELIVEKED IN HOPKINTON, MASS. 
 
 LORD'S DAY, DECEMBER 24, 1815 
 
 NATHANAEL HOWE, A.M. 
 
 PASTOR OF TUB CUURCH. 
 
 "Yea, I THIHK IT MEET, AS LONG AS I AM IN THIS TABER!TACLE, 
 TO STIR YOU UP, BY PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE." 
 
 The Jipostle Peter. 
 
 rOTJRTH EDITION. 
 WITH A MEMOIB OF THE AUTHOR AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, 
 
 BY ELIAS NASON, A.M. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JOHN P. JEWETT & CO. 
 17 AND 19 CORNHILL. 
 
 1851. 
 
 /
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by 
 
 Elias Nason and John Fitch, 
 in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 
 
 andoter: j. d. flagq, 
 
 aTCREOTTFER AMD PRINTER. 
 
 r,r»»*' "
 
 MEMOIR 
 
 REV. NATHANIEL HOWE, 
 
 OF HOPKINTON, MASS. 
 
 " Mark thk perfect man, and behold the upright ; for the end of 
 
 THAT man is peace." Dcivid. 
 
 The subject of this Memoir was a remarkable man. The cast of his mind 
 was original and severe. The bent of his genius was to be useful to his 
 fellow-men ; and the leading features in his compact and massive character 
 stood forth in such distinct relief, as to leave an indelible impress on the 
 moral aspect of the community in wliich he lived. 
 
 He was one among a class of di\ines now rapidly passing away, who have 
 magnified their office ; who 
 
 " Ne'er have changed, nor wished to change their place," 
 
 but whose names are identified with the names of the towns where they 
 reside ; and this brief notice of his life, though destitute of stiiking inci- 
 dent, will, it is hoped, prove acceptable, not only to those who knew him, 
 and who hold his memory dear ; but also to those young clergjTncn who are 
 rising up to fill the places of " the great and good " of other days. 
 
 Mr. Howe was born in Linebrook parish, in Ipswich, Mass., on the 6th 
 of October, 1764. 
 
 He was the third son of Captain Abraham and Lucy (Appleton) Howe, 
 from whom he received a sound physical constitution, and that early moral 
 culture which was to give shape and direction to liis whole life. 
 
 Although diflideot and bashful in his boyhood, he was noted for liis con- 
 scientious regard for truth ; and his parents, discovering in him an unusual
 
 aptitude to leam, sent him to Dummer Academy^ at Byfield, then under 
 the care of Mr. Samuel Moody, to prepare for college. 
 
 On leaving this place, he studied for a while with the Rev. Mr. Leslie of 
 Linebrook ; and then with the Rev. Mr. E. Bradford of Ipswich, with a 
 view to fit himself to enter college two classes in advance. 
 
 It was under the faithful instruction of this latter gentleman, for whom he 
 always entertained the kindest regard, that his mind was impressed with a 
 deep sense of his condition as a sinner, and of his obligations to God ; and 
 was brought, through penitence and faith in Christ, to entertain that " hope 
 which maketh not ashamed." 
 
 He soon after made a public profession of religion, and united with Mr. 
 Bradford's church, at Ipswich. 
 
 In September, 1784, he entered, by the advice and recommendation of 
 Mr. Bradford, the junior class at Nassau Hall, in Princeton, N. J., of which 
 the celebrated Dr. Witherspoon from Scotland, was then president. 
 
 Having remained at Princeton one year, he asked and obtained, an hon- 
 orable dismission ; and then entered the senior class of Harvard University, 
 Avhere he was graduated in 1786. His standing in college as a scholar was 
 respectable, and his moral character without reproach. 
 
 Although his residence at Nassau Hall was brief, he seems to have pro- 
 fited much by the eloquent and impressive religious instruction of Dr. With- 
 erspoon, and to have made great advancement in the divine life. 
 
 He was always very fond of quoting from Dr. Witherspoon ; and one of 
 his sayings : " Never begin to speak until you have something to say, and 
 leave off when you have done," he fairly carried into practice through his 
 whole life. 
 
 On leaving college, ]VIi\ Howe spent some time in teaching school in his 
 native town ; and then entered on his course of theological study, under the 
 tuition of Dr. Hart, of Connecticut ; which he, however, completed under 
 the direction of Dr. Euunons, of FrankUn, Mass. From this distinguished 
 divine, who continued his intimate friend through life, he received, not only 
 a clear elucidation of the Calvinistic system of divinity ; but also, in part, 
 that severe style of thought and expression which sometimes bordered upon 
 eccentricity. He was not an imitator ; and yet, in his close intimacy with 
 Dr. Emmons, who was the oracle of theological students of that day, he no 
 doubt, unconsciously, imbibed of him many of those peculiar mental habits, 
 for which both were so remarkable. 
 
 On becoming a licenciate, he preached at Londonderry and Francistown, 
 N. H., at Hampton, Conn., and at Grafton, Mass. He received a call to 
 settle over the church of this latter place, which he judged it prudent to 
 decline. 
 
 1 Two large pear-trees, which he planted while a member of Dummer, now overshadow 
 with their branches the ancient house al Linebrook, where he was born.
 
 In January, 1791, he began to preach at Hopkinton as a candidate ; and 
 in May following, received a unanimous call from the church to settle as its 
 pastor. The citizens of the town desired, however, that he should admit 
 children to baptism whose parents were in the " half-way-covenant : " (for 
 an account of which, see his " Century Sermon ; ") but finding him opposed to 
 it, they finally united in the call of the church, and he vras settled as min- 
 ister for life, October 5, 1791, with a salary of £70; ' together with " the 
 improvement (i e. use) of the ministerial land." 2 £200 were also allowed 
 hun as a " settlement." 
 
 In answer to the call, Mr. Howe says : " At my first coming to this town, 
 things appeared gloomy, but as I became acquainted with the people, that 
 gloom vanished, and the town appeared more agreeable. When I consider 
 the harmony of the church, the unanimity of the town, their generosity in 
 respect to my support, added to that spirit of candor which seemed to pre- 
 vail in our public conference-meeting, I am induced to accept your invi- 
 tation." 
 
 The ordination sermon was preached by his venerated instructor, the Rev. 
 Mr. Bradford of Ipswich. • 
 
 About three months after his settlement, Mr. Howe was married to Olive, 
 the sLsth daughter of Col. John Jones -^ of Hopkinton, by whom he had the 
 follo\ving children, namely : Appletox, ^ born November 26, 1792, and now 
 a distinguished physician of Weymouth, Mass. ; Eliza, born June 4, 1794, 
 and died of consumption, December 27, 1815 ; Mary Jones, born Feb- 
 ruary 2, 1802, was married to the Rev. Samuel Russell of Boylston, and 
 died November 26, 1836 ; and Lucy Ann, born August 27, 1805, and was 
 married to Mr. John Fitch, son of Deacon Elijah Fitch, of whom honorable 
 mention is made in the " Century Sermon." 
 
 1 This salary, though it afterwards depreciated in actual value about one half, was never 
 changed. It was a narrow-minded policy on the part of the town thus to withhold from its 
 minister a fair support. It compelled him, in his own quaint and severe language, " to do their 
 business, and neglect his own ; " for, continues he, " What is your business .' Your business is 
 to support your minister ; and that is what I have been doing for more than twenty years. And 
 what is mij business ? My business is to preach, and in this I have never abounded." Had the 
 town requited him justly for his services, it would have received the full benefit of the powers 
 of a mind, unusually strong and vigorous, devoted exclusively to its spiritual welfare. 
 
 It was fortunate, however, in having a minister who had the wit to write a couple of sermons 
 of a Saturday afternoon ; and who knew how to draw blood without disturbing the temper of 
 the patient. It is doing better now. 
 
 2 This consisted of 100 acres ; together with the same quantity of" common land," given by 
 the Trustees of Hopkins's donation in 1711, for the support of the " ministry " in Hopkinton. 
 
 3 He was the third son of Col. John Jones, who came from Boston to Hopkinton, and was 
 admitted " a member in full communion " to the church, December 10, 1727, and died February 
 7, 1773, aged 82 years. 
 
 4 He was graduated at Cambridge, in 1815, and studied medicine with Drs. Warren and Jack- 
 son of Boston. He has been twice elected State senator ; and also to the office of Major-general 
 of the first division of the Massachusetts militia. His character, in some respects, resembles 
 that of his father. Like him, he possesses that manly independence which is sure to make 
 strong friends, as well as enemies ; and to command the respect of both.
 
 6 
 
 Soon after his marriage, Mr. Howe purchased of Deacon S. Kinsman, the 
 house and farm,' distant about half a mile from the meeting-house, and near 
 the " ministerial land," where he was to spend the remainder of his hfe. 
 
 He had married into an influential family, his pecuniary circumstances 
 were easy, his health good, and his church flourisliing. His prospects of use- 
 fulness were unclouded ; and, buoyant with hope, he dedicated all his ener- 
 gies to the work before him. 
 
 His time was now for several successive years divided between his pasto- 
 ral duties, the composition and delivery of sermons, and the reading of Bax- 
 ter, Bunyan, Saurin, South, Hopkins, Witherspoon, and Emmons ; who 
 continued to be his favorite, and almost liis only authors, to the end of 
 life. 
 
 The times, however, did not long remain so easy. Finding after a while 
 the expenses of his family rapidly increasing, and his salary, from the depre- 
 ciation in the value of money, becoming altogether inadequate to its support, 
 he began to relinquish, in some degree, his literary and theological pursuits, and 
 to labor with his own hands upon his farm, in order that he might " provide 
 tilings honest in the sight of all men," for the maintenance of his household. 
 
 Adopting, as the times demanded, a rigid, though not a mean, economy 
 in his domestic affairs, and toiling vigorously with the axe in winter, with 
 the plough in sjiring, and the scythe in summer, he was enabled to eke out 
 his scanty salary of £70 in such a manner, as to maintain his family, to give 
 his children a good education, and to make his charities and almsgiving felt 
 throughout the town. 
 
 " We have a good soil," says he to the people in a discourse deUvered in 
 1830; "rough indeed, and rocky; but when well cultivated, it produces a 
 rich crop, and amply pays for the labor ; I speak from exjierience ; / Jiave 
 tried it." 
 
 In liis earnest efforts to induce the town to make up to him the depreciation 
 in his salary, so quaintly set forth in his " Century Sermon," he seems to have 
 acted from a profound and innate sense of justice ; and his biting and oft- 
 repeated reproofs to his people for their delinquency in respect to his sup- 
 port, appear to have been administered " more in sorrow than in anger." 
 Mr. Howe loved his people ; and they respected him. The bonds that 
 united him to them were cemented in honor and integrity ; nor did he ever 
 dream of breaking them without the full and free consent of both the church 
 and town. 
 
 A man of sterling probity, he thought correctly, and said what he thought ; 
 and though his people disregarded his remonstrances, they had the good sense 
 to perceive that he was in the right, and the patience to endure the shai-p 
 rebukes they so well merited. 
 
 1 Now in the possession of Mr. John Fitch.
 
 He did not fail to improve, to the end of his life, all suitable occasions for 
 reminding the town of its injustice in regard to his suppoi-t. 
 
 In his sermon preached at the dedication of the new church, in 1830, 
 which forms a very good counterpart to his " Century Sermon," he says : 
 " To the male inhabitants of the parish, it is no part of my intention to-day 
 to make any complaint for any lack of justice, or equity, or mercy in your 
 treatment of me in respect to my support ; that must be left to God and your 
 own consciences and a future day of retribution." 
 
 It was a maxim often repeated by Mr. Howe, that " the second vice is 
 lying ; the first, is running in debt," and the fear of incurring liabilities which 
 he could not meet, often led him into doubts and anxieties, wliich seemed to 
 indicate the want of a suitable trust in the divine beneficence. Of his firm 
 reliance on the goodness of God, however, there can be no doubt ; he looked 
 upon himself only as the steward and almoner of his bounty ; he labored with 
 his hands; he pi-actised self-denial; he sought for justice from his fellow- 
 men ; — not for the sake of hoarding money ; not for the sake of benefiting him- 
 self alone ; but in order that he might " owe no man anything but love ;" in 
 order that he might have something to relieve the wants of the distressed. 
 
 Owing to the rise in the value of his real estate, to legacies from deceased 
 relatives, and to his persevering and well-directed industry, he was enabled 
 to leave property amounting to between four and five thousand dollars. 
 This was, however, not one tliird of what the legacies themselves, had they 
 remained on interest, would have been. 
 
 It would be domg injustice not to mention that while the parish, as such, 
 remained indiflferent to the claims of its minister, many of the citizens of the 
 town extended to him their sympathies and contributed something to make 
 up the deficiency in his salary. 
 
 In 1811, the ladies of the parish presented him an elegant surplice ; and 
 on the very day after the delivery of his " Century Sermon," which " cut the 
 consciences of his people to the quick," a subscription-paper was started for 
 the purpose of raising money to purchase him a suit of clothes. The caption 
 of this paper, on which I find between forty and fifty names, is alike honor- 
 able to himself and to his friends. 
 
 " December 25, 1815. 
 
 " "We, the subscribers, feeling sensible of our obligations to support a min- 
 ister, and being perfectly acquainted with the many persecutions which the 
 Rev. Nathanael Howe has suffered ; viewing the distressful and unhappy situ- 
 ation of his family ; feeling it a duty incumbent on us as citizens of the town 
 and friends of good order ; being conscious that the regular and exemplary 
 life which our much-respected minister has ever led, has tended greatly to 
 the happiness of his people, and knowing that the pecuniary aid rendered 
 him by the town is quite insufficient for his support ; agree to pay the several 
 sums affixed to our names, for the purpose of purchasing him a mourning 
 suit, which in all probability in a few days he must be called to wea r."
 
 The whole amount subscribed was $65, of which Elizabeth Price' and 
 Mai-y riildretli fjave $5 each ; Joseph Valentine $3, Arba Thayer, Samuel 
 Goddard, Mr. Ilcrrick, Mr. Valentine, W. Rockwood, E. Fairbanks, J. Bur- 
 nap, 11. Smith, Samuel Valentine, F. Ilohnes, and Benjamin Adams, $2 
 each ; and all the others, $1 each. 
 
 This " mourning suit " was hardly done, when Mr. Howe was called upon, 
 as anticipated in the heading of the subscription-list, to put it on and wear it 
 at the funeral of Eliza, his oldest daughter, who died on the 27th of this, 
 " the gloomiest December " he had ever seen. 
 
 He seemed to have had that same intense affection for tliis chUd which 
 Ednunid Burke felt for his son ; her death fiUed his mind with the keenest 
 anguish, and to it may be attributed, in a great degree, that remarkable 
 " depression of spirit," wliich came upon him at intervals through the remain- 
 der of his life. 
 
 In poUtics, Mr. Howe was a conservative and a consistent advocate of the 
 leading measures of the whig party. He thought it the duty of every min- 
 ister of the gospel to make his political principles distinctly known ; and he 
 therefore sometimes spoke with undue severity against the measures of the 
 popular party in Hopkinton. The native independence of his character led 
 him to despise every kind of political artifice ; and notliing could ever 
 prevent him from proclaiming freely the honest con\'ictions of his mind upon 
 all those subjects of national, state, and town policy, with which he was in 
 any way conversant. 
 
 He defined his political position in early life, and his opponents always 
 found htm zealously maintaining it with his front directed towards them to 
 the last. 
 
 Not long after the delivery of his " Century Sermon," and while suffering 
 under great depression of spirits, he preached a discourse from the text, 
 " Finally, brethren, pray for us," which gave great offence to his congrega- 
 tion. Among other severe things, he said that he had reason to believe " that 
 the day of his funeral would be a day of as great joy to this people as the day 
 of his ordination." This discourse occasioned several meetings of the church ; 
 but it was finally concluded that the objectionable remarks were as well- 
 meant as they were justly merited ; and the whole matter was dropped. 
 Mr. Howe called the church " a minister's lifeguard ; " and " what should you 
 think," said he to his people in reference to his own peculiar position, " what 
 should you think of the situation of a general, whom his own lifeguard should 
 threaten to shoot for fear of his being destroyed by the enemy." It may be 
 here observed, that many of his illustrations of this nature are Inimitable and 
 perfectly to the point. 
 
 At one time during his ministry, the singers all took offence and left the 
 
 1 Daughter of the Rev. Roger Price, Rector of King's Chapel, Boston.
 
 9 
 
 choir. On the next Sabbath, he related the following dream, which had tlie 
 desired effect, of restoring them to their places. He dreamed that a spirit 
 from the other world appeared before liim, and informed him that there was 
 singing enough in heaven, but none in hell ; and that one of the most essen- 
 tial distinctions between angels and devils consists in this, that the former 
 delight in singing, while the latter have no inclination to engage in this 
 heavenly employment. 
 
 The angels (continued the spirit) were all crcateil in holiness ; but in pro- 
 cess of time a part of them became tired of emploj-ing their faculties in sing- 
 ing the songs of heaven. When these were urged to use all their talents in 
 the service of God, they said they had no encouragement to sing, or, in other 
 "words, no pay ! They would not trust the Lord to reward them, but must 
 be paid by their fellow-servants. The Almighty, therefore, prepared them 
 a different place and name. 
 
 I awoke, (said Mr. Howe,) and lay musing on the subject for sometime, and 
 then fell asleep ; my thoughts turned to my former dream ; departed spirits 
 appeared to me, and their conversation was audible. At length, one of them 
 stood forth to interpi'Ct the dream, and said it had respect to the people of 
 Hopkintou. Your last year's singers (observed the interpreter) are all dead. 
 I saw them go to heaven's gate and knock for admission. Whereupon 
 Gabriel opened the gate and said, " Who are you ? Can you sing ? " 
 " No ! " " Then you cannot be admitted here." " We did sing for a time," 
 replied they, " but were discouraged." " He that putteth his hand to the 
 plough," answered Gabnel, " and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of 
 God ; you cannot be admitted here." " We would have sung, if there had 
 been suitable encouragement." " Those who ivill not sing on earth," returned 
 the angel, " shall not sing in heaven. You can't be admitted here : Depart, 
 depart!" Upon this, the gulf opened and swallowed them up.. Then I 
 awoke, (said Mr. Howe,) and " behold it was a dream ; but the tiling was 
 certain, and the interpretation thereof, sure." 
 
 The only " tune " which Mr. Howe is ever known to have learned to sing 
 is " Islington ; " but though he had no musical powers in himself, he appre- 
 ciated them higlily in others ; and sometimes " boarded " the singing-master 
 gratuitously, in order that he might have music in his family, and improve the 
 style of it in his church. In his dedication sermon, 1830, he says, " I feel 
 myself under more obligation to them (the singers) than to any other class of 
 the parish." 
 
 To his efforts and encouragement may be attributed in part that lively 
 interest in sacred music which has so long prevailed in Hopkinton, and which 
 continues unabated to the present time. 
 
 In the education of the young, he took a special interest. He was in the 
 habit, so long as the state of his health permitted, of visiting all the pubUc 
 schools in town once or twice a year, for the purpose of catechizing the 
 
 9
 
 10 
 
 children, of giving them pious counsel, and of encouraging them in the pursuit 
 of useful knowledge. He was very fond of children ; and had a rare faculty 
 of interesting them in what he said, and of winning their affection and 
 respect. He never left a school without uniting with it in prayer •, without 
 impressing some striking thought upon the minds of all. 
 
 " How much pleasure I feel," said he on a certain occasion, " when I see 
 a good master, or a good mistress and a good school, in good order, with 
 their bright eyes and ivory teeth, trying to learn. It keeps coming into my 
 mind. The world is indeed growing better ! " 
 
 The most highly-valued present which the writer of this has ever received 
 is a " Bible," given him by the Rev. Mr. Howe, as " a reward of merit," 
 ivhen a boy at school. 
 
 Several young men were led, by Mr. Howe's advice and pecuniary assist- 
 ance, to obtain a liberal education ; and two of them are now distinguished 
 clergj'men, one in this, and another in an adjoining State. 
 
 In common with many ministers of his time, Mr. Howe was in the habit of 
 using moderately stimulating drink ; which he thought essential to the support 
 of his constitution under the severe manual labor in which he engaged. 
 
 It is related of him, that while on a journey to Boston with a load of ship- 
 timber on one bitter cold day in winter, he stopped at a tavern and called 
 for a glass of brandy ; but the tavern-keeper, not recognizing in his cus- 
 tomer the minister of Hopkinton, and noticing the tremuloiis motion in his 
 limbs (wliich was habitual with him), refused to accommodate him, on the 
 ground that he had drunk enough already. Mr. Howe very good-naturedly 
 desired him to treat every applicant for brandy in the same manner, and 
 went on his way, philosophising, no doubt, upon the best means of making 
 the town of Hopkinton support its minister. 
 
 When-the temperance reformation begun, however, he was one of the first to 
 engage in a society for the promotion of the cause ; yet he was slow to believe 
 that temperance meant " total abstinence from all which intoxicates." In 
 his dealings with his feUow-men he was open-handed and above-board, and 
 he desired the same kind of treatment in return. The following letter, 
 written near the close of his life, illustrates this trait in his character, and 
 shows how he stood in respect to the temperance cause. It will sufficiently 
 explain itself. 
 
 " To the Managers of the Temperance Society in Hopkinton. 
 " Gentlemen : The language and spirit of your letter to me, dated Feb. 19, 
 1836, have merited and received my attention ; the result of which I will com- 
 municate to you. Seeing you are grieved at my using of gin, at different 
 times and places, not privately, but publicly, under the direction and advice 
 of a temperate physician, which is agreeable to your own by-laws, for a 
 complaint which has attended me for years, and sometimes seriously threat-
 
 11 
 
 ened my life, I am led to conclude it is best for me to resign my office as 
 president of your society, and require that my name should be erased from 
 the number of its members ; not from any disregard or disaffection to the 
 temperance cause, which ought to be sustained by every member of the 
 community ; but from your disrespect to me as your president, in calhng 
 and holding a meeting •vrithout my knowledge or consent, to do business 
 which was more interesting to me than any other member. This, gentle- 
 men, I receive unkindly. This reason I consider sufficient for requiiing 
 that my name should be erased from your body, and from this time I shall 
 consider my connection with the temperance society in Hopkinton dissolved. 
 Let me say, I have the present week joined the county temperance society 
 in Charlestown, and hope to avoid whatever will be injurious to its progress. 
 It is my intention to harbor no unfriendly feelings to your number on 
 account of anything said or done with respect to this matter. With senti- 
 ments of respect, I am yours, etc. etc. Nathanael Howe. 
 "February, 25, 1836." 
 
 In February, 1827, Mr. Howe's second daughter, Mary Jones, was mar- 
 ried to the Rev. JNIr. Russell, then minister of Boylston, Mass. She had 
 embraced religion some ten years previous, and her union with an efficient 
 minister of the Cross gave hopes — too soon, alas ! to be blasted — of a long 
 career of usefulness and of happiness to come. 
 
 In this year, ]VIr. Howe was made a life-member of the American Education 
 Society, by the ladies of his parish. He had been made a life-member of 
 the American Bible Society, in 1822. 
 
 In the year 1828, his health began to dechne, and the church and some 
 of the parish thought the time had come to have a new minister. A meet- 
 ing was therefore held, and a joint committee of the church and parish 
 appointed, to agree with liim on the tenns of his dismission. It was proposed 
 and accepted, that they should give him a thousand dollars, to be paid in 
 ten annual instalments, without interest ; and in case he should not live ten 
 years, it was to be secured to liis family. A mutual council was immediately 
 called, of which Dr. Kellogg Avas moderator, which voted to dissolve the 
 connection between Mr. Howe and his people, provided they should fulfil 
 their agreement with him. Four days after this, the parish held another 
 meeting, and rescinded the vote to dismiss their pastor, by a majority of 66 
 to 42 ; but made no provision to relieve him from the expense of the council, 
 which had been mutually called for his dismission. Of this injustice, he was 
 never heard to complain. 
 
 He hoped the old meeting-house, which was built in 1725, with square, 
 uncomfortable pews, and with a huge " sounding-board " above the towering 
 pulpit, " would last as long as he did ; " but when the parish had decided to 
 build another house, he rendered it all the assistance in his power.
 
 12 
 
 Preacliing one day to bis people, before they had fully determined to 
 erect a new house, and perceiving them to be in a somewhat lethargic state, 
 he stopped suddenly in the midst of his discourse, and casting his eyes 
 around him, remarked that they were talking about building another meet- 
 ing-house, but he did not know as it was worth while, as the timbers 
 appeared to be in a pretty good condition, and he was sure " the sleepers 
 were sound." 
 
 His most intimate clerical tnends were Dr. Emmons of Franklin, for 
 whose theological opinions he entertained the most profound respect ; Dr. 
 Ide of Medway, Mr. Rockwood of Westboro', Mr. Wood of Upton, and 
 Mr. Long of Milford. Of the latter gentleman, he once observed, on intro- 
 ducing him to an association of clergymen, " He is a man who has but one 
 fault ; he never agrees with me in opinion, only when he thinks I 'm right." 
 With these ministers his " pulpit exchanges " were usually made ; in their 
 society his social qualities shone forth in all their lustre, and by their counsel 
 and advice he was the better enabled to fulfil the arduous duties of his vo- 
 cation. In referring to liis intercourse Avitli INIr. Howe, one of the above- 
 mentioned clergymen remarks : — 
 
 " At the first interview, I received the impression, that unaffected affa- 
 bility was a prominent trait in his character. That first impression was 
 never afterwards effaced, but, on the contrary, was strengthened by long and 
 intimate acquaintance. Another trait in his character was open-hearted 
 sincerity. Deception had no place in his composition. In his intercourse 
 with his friends, he was perfectly transparent. When we heard him speak, 
 we knew what he meant. We never found him on any other ground than 
 that which he professed to occupy, unless, on a review, he was convinced of 
 incorrectness, and in that case he was always ingenuous to admit and to 
 express such conviction ; for truth seemed ever to be his prime object. 
 
 " He generally possessed a flow of cheerful spirits, and in his intercourse 
 with confidential friends, when he had no apprehension of ill effects, he 
 would sometimes indulge in flashes of wit which they were not prepared to 
 anticipate. Yet, notwithstanding the general maxim, that ' ready wit and 
 sound judgment are seldom found to meet in the same person,' his opinions 
 in matters of weight and Importance were often sought, and always respected, 
 both by his people and by ministers around him. He possessed a quickness 
 of apprehension and perspicuity of expression which rendered his communi- 
 cations acceptable and useful." 
 
 As a matter of conscience, he confined his " exchanges " to ministers of his 
 own denomination ; and when, on a certain occasion, some disaflTected 
 members of the parish obtained the use of the church, and employed a 
 Unitarian clergjTuan to preach at a third service, Mr. Howe himself 
 attended, and, as soon as the speaker had finished his discourse, went up 
 into the pulpit, invited him and the audience to remain, and then, taking for
 
 13 
 
 his text the passage, " How then mmt this Scripture be ful^lled, that thus it 
 must be" handled his subject in a most masterly manner, and by thia 
 manoeuvre, " put an end," as some one expresses it, " to Unitarian preaching 
 in Hopkinton to this day." 
 
 Though he believed that Unitarians were laboring under a great and 
 fundamental error, he nevertheless always exercised a spirit of tolerance 
 with regard to them. He was no bigot. " Who cannot see," he exclaims in 
 one of his discourses, " that we are all upon a level, as it respects reUgious 
 freedom," — just where the Constitution of the State places us ? — just where 
 the God of nature has placed us ? — and just where we may be ha^ipy, if we 
 will only put away ill-nature, backbiting, and slander ? " 
 
 Erroneous denominations are to be put down, he continues, not by cal- 
 umny, " but by doing better than they do ; by rising above them by dint of 
 merit." 
 
 In January, 1830, the new meeting-house in Hopkinton was dedicated, — 
 Mr. Howe preacliing a memorable sermon on the occasion, — and in April, 
 of the same year, it was proposed to him, that, in consequence of his increas- 
 ing infirmities, a colleague should be appointed to assist him in the work of 
 the ministry. In his charactei-istic reply to tliis proposal, he says : " To this 
 (the appointment of a colleague) I freely consent ; because, should I in 
 any measure recover my health, it is not to be expected at my period of 
 life, and with my infirmities, that I could do what you need to have done in 
 my profession. As I have been your minister for upwards of 38 years ; as 
 I am unable to support myself by labor ; as my wife has been lame for more 
 than ten years ; as my Avorldly circumstances are far less favorable than are 
 generally supposed ; as I stand in as much need of my full salary as at any 
 former period ; as I was settled for hfe, and as the legislature have enacted 
 a law, that ministers shall be subject to taxation, which was not expected, 
 either by you or by me, at the time of my settlement ; it would seem as 
 though you would not wish me to reUnquish any part of my salary. 
 
 " But for the good of the parish, if they will settle a colleague pastor, I 
 will relinquish one hundred dollars of my salary annually, on and after the 
 day of his ordination, and also all the ministerial wood-land ; all the pasture- 
 land north of the meeting-house, and all the meadow-land, amounting to 
 sixty acres, reserving only for myself $133 38 of my annual salary, and also 
 the forty-acre lot of land, near to my house, during my natural life." 
 
 When Mr. Howe, in former times, had asked the town for more salary, he 
 was met by the reply, that " a bargain is a bargain," and, if he had made a 
 poor one, he must stand by it ; but now, when he is called on to relinquish a 
 portion of his income, which he might legally retain, instead of replying, that 
 " a bargain is a bargain," he cheerfully accedes to the proposal of the town, 
 and remits to it a large part of what was actually his due. This was noble ; 
 and it goes to show that, in all his conflicts with the ' town, the good of the 
 people was the dearest object of his heart.
 
 14 
 
 The Rev. Amos Phelps was ordained as colleague with him, on the 14th 
 of September, 1830, and continued to labor with him, until May 1, 1832, 
 ■when, by his dismission, Mr. Howe became again the sole pastor of the 
 church, and received again his full salary.^ His health, however, continuing 
 feeble, the Rev. Jeifries Hall was ordained as colleague with him, in 1833.2 
 
 Acting in accordance with his favorite maxim, that " it is better to wear 
 out than to rust out," he now continued, though suflFering from the inroads of 
 disease, to visit his parishioners, to dispense his charities among the poor, to 
 look after the concerns of his farm, and to preach occasionally, for several 
 successive years. He lived on the most friendly terms with his colleagues ; 
 and, sustained by those great truths which he had so faithfully promulgated, 
 he passed quietly down the vale of life ; dispensing, like a fine setting sun, 
 his most hallowed radiance, as he left the world. His last sermon was 
 preached at Franklin, December 25, 1836, from Gal. 1 : 10, " For if I yet 
 pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ ; " and his last public 
 service was the prayer, remarkable for its fervency and appropriateness, at 
 the installation of the Rev. Mr. Brigham at Framingham. His mind was 
 tranquil and composed during his last sickness, which was very distressful 
 and severe. His death occurred on the 15th of February, 1837, in the 73d 
 year of his age, and in the 46th year of his ministry .3 His funeral sermon 
 was preached by the Rev. Dr. Ide of Medway. 
 
 The publications of Mr. Howe ai-e as follows, namely : — 
 
 1. " A Sermon preached at Hopkinton, on Lord's day, Feb. 28, 1808, 
 occasioned by the death of three persons the week preceding its delivery." 
 
 2. "A Century Sermon, delivered in Hojikinton, Mass., on Lord's day, 
 Dec. 24, 1815." This is an original production ; a diamond of the first water. 
 It is an honest transcript of what an honest man thought ; and is the best 
 biography wliich can ever be written of him. It was very favorably noticed, 
 on its first appearance, by the North American Review, and by the news- 
 papers generally. It has passed through several editions, and has been 
 translated into foreign languages. Perhaps no semion ever published in New 
 
 1 Mr. Howe, at this time, relinquished to tlie town, for $30 per annum, his right to the sixty 
 acres of" ministerial land,-' which had again come into his possession. 
 
 2 M:-. Hall was dismissed, May 22, 1838, and the Rev. John C. Webster, the present efficient 
 pastor, was installed in December of the same year. 
 
 3 His wife, a lady every way qualified for the duties of her station, died on the 10th of Decem- 
 ber, 1843. One of her intimate acquaintances thus speaks of her ; and all who knew her will 
 acknowledge the description just; — 
 
 " I ever viewed lier as a person of superior mind, quick perception, peculiar energy, and 
 unconquerable fortitude and resolution. She was as distinguished as her husband, for unaf- 
 fected affability, unwavering and affectionate friendship, as well as for correct thinking, keen 
 penetration, and sound judgment. Her judicious management in her domestic concerns often 
 prevented the family, with its limited support, from being plunged into embarrassment. 
 
 " But tlie brightest trait in her cliaracter was her unoslentatious piety. She was decidedly 
 averse to all Pharisaical display in religion ; but she was always ready to unite, with deep inter- 
 est, in conversation with Christian friends on the subject ; and was feelingly alive to the impor- 
 tance of possessing as well as professing true piety."
 
 15 
 
 England, is more generally known. Many of its expressions have become 
 pi'overbial ; many of its pages as familiar to the ear as " household words." 
 
 3. " A Sermon on the Design of Jolm's Baptism, delivered at Foxborough, 
 before the Mendon Association, Oct. 6, 1819." 
 
 4. " An Attempt to prove that John's Baptism was not Gospel Baptism ; 
 being a Reply to Dr. Baldwin's Essay on the same subject." Printed by 
 Flagg and Gould, at Andover, 1820. 
 
 5. " A Catechism, extracted chiefly from the Assembly's Catechism. To 
 which are added Miscellaneous Questions, concisely answered, and a Chapter 
 of Proverbs for common Ufe, for the Children under his pastoral care." 
 Boston, Perkins and Marvin, 1834. 
 
 In these questions and proverbs, ]\Ir. Howe has pithily expressed a good 
 deal of that practical wisdom by which his life was guided. The following 
 may be taken as a fair specimen of them : — 
 
 Question. " "\Yho are wise ? " 
 
 Answer. " None but such as are determined to be vnser still." 
 
 Q. " What is the reason that man is so unhappy in his faniily ? " 
 
 A. " Because he keeps a bottle of rum in his house." 
 
 Q. " What hurt does that do ? " 
 
 A. " No hurt at all, if he would let it alone." 
 
 Q. " What has the rich man more than the poor ? " 
 
 A. " Nothing, but what God has given him." 
 
 Q. " What reason has he, then, to exult over the poor ? " 
 
 A. " No reason at all." 
 
 Q. " Who are the rich ? " 
 
 A. " AU such as have health, peace, and liberty, and none to make them 
 afraid." 
 
 Q. " What is the reason that man is more prosperous than his neighbor ? " 
 
 A. " Because he always takes care of little things ; he lets nothing be lost, 
 strikes when the iron is hot, and keeps his dish right-side up." 
 
 Of the proverbs, the following are quite characteristic. 
 
 " To do nothing, is the way to he nothing." 
 " Leisure is time for doing something useful." 
 " The careless man is seldom fortunate." 
 
 " Would you have a faithful servant, and one that suits you, serve yourself." 
 " If you will not hear reason, she -will rap your knuckles." 
 " A dead fish can swim with the stream, but a li\ing one only can swim 
 against it." 
 
 " He who marries for money, buys money too dear." 
 
 " Great minds are always candid." 
 
 " Common sense is the best sense in the world." 
 
 *' Many things can be proved by facts, that never happened."
 
 16 
 
 " Whoever does not feel himself to be a sinner, cannot be a Christian." 
 " We can enjoy nothing but what God is pleased to give us." 
 " We can lose notliing but what he sees fit to take away." 
 " We can suffer nothing but wliat he lays upon us." 
 
 " Finally : Dr. Witherspoon said, in the conclusion of one of his sermons, 
 delivered in the summer of 1785, in my hecwinff, to the best of my recollection : 
 ' Almost to hit the mark, is really to miss it. Almost to be a saint, is to be an 
 unconverted sinner ; and almost to obtain salvation, is to drop into hell and 
 be miserable forever.' " 
 
 It was a frequent saying of Mr. Howe, that two crimes are invariably fol- 
 lowed by the curse of God in this life, namely ; that of " deceiving, in the 
 promise of marriage ; and that of treating parents cruelly, when poor, old, 
 and feeble." 
 
 The church of Hopkinton remained united in doctrine during his ministry ; 
 and " always governed," as he quaintly remarked, " its members ; and not 
 the individual members, the church." The whole number of persons admitted 
 to it, under him, was 245; and the number excommunicated, 13. It was 
 a maxim with him, that churches are more in danger of becoming too large, 
 than too small ; and he therefore always exercised great caution and dis- 
 crimination in regard to the admission of new members. 
 
 As a preacher, Mr. Howe was unaffected, plain, and impressive. His 
 sermons were often composed during the toil of the day, and committed to 
 paper after his family had retired to rest at night ; and though, for tliis reason, 
 sometimes wanting in respect to style, they always contained important 
 thought and sound divinity, and were so constructed as to be easily retained 
 in memory. He never aspired to be eloquent or fine, but to be useful ; he 
 knew his " vein," and had the wit to follow it. Though not what in fashion- 
 able language would be called a " great preacher," he was certainly an 
 original and effective one. Li prayer, his language was remarkably fervent 
 and appropriate to the occasion. He was, indeed, in the words of Cowper, in 
 all the business of his sacred office, 
 
 " simple, grave, sincere ; 
 
 In doctrine uncorrupt ; in language plain, 
 
 And plain in manner ; decent, solemn, chaste, 
 
 And natural in gesture ; much impressed • 
 
 Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, 
 
 And anxious mainly that the flock he fed 
 
 Might feel it too ; affeclionate in look, 
 
 And tender in address, as well becomes 
 
 A messenger of grace to guilty men." 
 
 His system of religious faith is given in his " Century Sermon ;" and cor- 
 responds in general with that of Dr. Emmons and of the other members of 
 the Mendon Association of ministers of his day. He was decidedly opposed
 
 17 
 
 to all " new measures" and innovations in theology, as being at variance with 
 the spirit and simplicity of the gospel. Nothing answered to his ideas of true 
 religion but such affections of the heart as resulted in a good life. 
 
 Perhaps no man ever practised more scrupulously what he taught, than 
 Mr. Howe. His life was a running comment on his doctrine, flowing from it 
 as a river from its fountain-head. 
 
 " He was a man among the few, 
 Sincere on Virtue's side ; 
 And all liis strength from Scripture drew, 
 To hourly use applied." 
 
 He was frequent in his visits to the widow, the fatherless, and the unfor- 
 tunate ; and he usually took with him, as he went, some substantial tokens of 
 his sympathy. 
 
 His charities were bestowed discriminately, and in such a manner as to 
 fulfil the gospel injunction, " Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
 doeth." He is known to have risen and carried provision to the poor by 
 night, in order that he might " not be seen of men." 
 
 Passing the house of a parishioner one day, who had been reduced from 
 affluence to poverty, and seeing but one stick of wood at the door, he went 
 immediately to his wood-lot and returned with a load of wood, wliich he told 
 the woman he had come to sell to her. " I have no money," said she, " to 
 pay for it." " I do not ask but one cent for it," replied Mr. Howe ; and 
 exacting this, he unloaded the wood at her door and departed. 
 
 Many and many a time has the sick man, whose means of support had been 
 exhausted, and who knew not whence the next dinner for his " little ones" 
 was to come, had his eye moistened, and his heart cheered, by a timely visit 
 from Mr. Howe and his excellent lady, bringing with them various articles of 
 food and raiment to replenish his empty store. 
 
 After supplying a poor family with two loads of wood one winter, he 
 brought a third, and leaving it at some distance from the house, desired them 
 to use it, if they needed it, but if not, to let it remain. Seeing at length that 
 it was not taken, he came and removed it to the door of another family who 
 were in greater want of it. By acts like these, many more of which I 
 might relate, he " improved " his " ministerial land," his " people," and his 
 own heart. 
 
 But wliile he was thus beneficent towards the meritorious poor, he was 
 equally severe in reproving the wayward and the indolent. 
 
 It is related, that a pig was once given him on condition that he should tell 
 the donor all his faults. He continued from time to time to do so, until the 
 giver was more than satisfied, and thinking to pay back something in the same 
 coin, began to tell Mr. Howe what he had done wrong. " Stop, stop," said 
 his pastor, " you are too fast ; you must wait till / have given you a pig, and 
 then you may tell me my faults." 
 
 3
 
 18 
 
 As a citizen, he was punctual in the fulfilment of all his engagements, and 
 ready at all times to boar his full proportion of the burdens of the town. To 
 his public spirit and liberal-minded policy all will testify ; the public good, 
 was his good ; the prosperity of the people, his chief delight. 
 
 As a husband and father, he was uniformly kind and aifectionate. He 
 trained his foniily up in the " nurture and admonition of the Lord ;" and, by 
 the well-ordered and systematic arrangements of liis household, exerted a 
 most benign influence upon the other families of the town. 
 
 He was constant in his friendships, social and amiable in his disposition, 
 and a lover of good men, especially of ministers of the gospel. " He received 
 them," says one of them, " with great cordiality at his house, and made them 
 welcome to its hospitalities. They will never forget the attachment which 
 he has manifested to them, and the affectionate kindness with which he has 
 uniformly treated them." But the crowning excellence in his character was 
 his sacred regard for truth. He seemed, in the words of Bishop Berkeley, 
 " to dedicate his age, as well as youth, — the latter growth, as well as the first- 
 fruits, — at the altar of Truth." Of this noble trait in his character, an intimate 
 acquaintance thus speaks : " Truth was precious in his eyes. He always felt 
 himself under obligation to answer every expectation which he designedly 
 raised. Everything like equivocation, deception, or falsehood, he seemed 
 intuitively to abhor. He was rightly named " Nathanael," for he was " an 
 Israelite indeed, in whom there was no gude." He loved the truth, more than 
 he feared the face of man. He would declare the truth with as little reserve, 
 and with as much apparent readiness when he saw its disclosure was against 
 Mm, as when he knew it would favor his interest. I have known but veiy 
 few men who at aU times, both in words and actions, adhered so strictly to 
 simple verity, as Mr. Howe. If he made an appointment, you might depend 
 upon seeing him at the place, and at the time, unless a special providence 
 prevented. When he made a statement of facts, you might rest assured 
 that there was no intentional exaggeration, or concealment. If he made a 
 contract with you, or gave you his word on any subject whatever, you might 
 depend upon its timely and faithful fulfilment. Every body that knew him, 
 knew that he would do and say what he thought would be right, whether it 
 was advantageous or disadvantageous to himself; pleasing or disjjleasing to 
 others. This is as great as it is a rare excellence of character. Whatever 
 may be thought or said of Mr. Howe in other respects, his love of truth and 
 uniform integrity of character will never be forgotten, and never cease to be 
 respected." 
 
 Such was the life and character of the Kev. Nathanael Howe. That he 
 had imperfections, cannot be denied ; but few men ever had less of them. 
 He spoke forth his " word" for God and humanity without fear ; he carried that 
 " word" into practice in his life ; he died in the hope of glory, and left a charac- 
 ter behind him, which will shine the brighter as men shall examine it the more.
 
 CENTURY SERMON,
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 The author had no reason to expect, when he wrote and delivered this Sermon, 
 that it would be requested for the press. However, as it has been requested, he 
 consents it should be made public : with this impression full upon his mind, that no 
 person will think he has aimed at anything more than truth, impartiality, perspicuity, 
 and precision. As it may occasion unpleasant feelings in the minds of some of his 
 people, he requests them to consider, that it is as suitable to discover engagedness 
 for the cause of truth, as to go to law for the sake of justice, or take physic for the 
 sake of health. 
 
 The author, therefore, dedicates this Discourse to the people of his charge, with his 
 best wishes for their peace, prosperity, and eternal happiness. 
 
 N. B. The author consents to a second edition of his Century Sermon, to gratify 
 some friends; to counteract the mistakes of the reviewer in the Evening Gazette; 
 and to credit his people for an unusual instance of liberality in giving him an elegant 
 suit of clothes,' immediately after the Sermon was delivered. 
 
 KP^'The public are presented with a third edition of this Sermon, because it has 
 been out of print for years : and has been more frequently inquired for lately than 
 formerly. 
 
 As the North American Review has been pleased to take some notice of it, and to 
 make some extracts from it ; the author deems it no more than equitable that he 
 makes some extracts from that Eeview. 
 
 In the North American Review, November No. 1816, we read as follows : — 
 
 " It has been our lot to read more polished Sermons than the present, but never 
 one half so abounding in plainness and originality. It is a unique specimen, and be- 
 yond all price. That it should have been delivered is remarkable, — that it should 
 have been printed still more so ; particularly as it was printed by request and ded- 
 icated to the parish, with affectionate ' wishes for their peace, prosperity, and eternal 
 happiness.' The text taken for the motto in the title-page, which is not that of the 
 Discourse, is admirably chosen. We shall make some extracts, but almost every 
 page of it will reward a perusal." — H. 
 
 iThe amount subscribed for the " suit of clothes," was $67. — N.
 
 SERMON. 
 
 ECCLESIASTES 1 : 4. 
 
 One generation passeth aw at, and another generation cometh: but 
 the earth abideth forever. 
 
 We live in a changing world ; this truth is evident 
 from our text, from our observation, and from our 
 experience. 
 
 We have no need of going to the Bible to discover, 
 that one generation passeth away, and another genera- 
 tion cometh ; we know it by our own observation. 
 Where are the people who were old, twenty-five years 
 ago? They are dead, with only one exception. I 
 remember that Mr. Joseph Cody ^ was an old man 
 when I first saw him. All the rest are dead ! 
 
 Where are those who were twenty-five years ago 
 in the midst of Ufe, active, useful, and promising? All 
 who are living, have now become old, and are draw- 
 ing toward the grave ; for the grey hairs are growing 
 thick upon their heads. 
 
 Where are those who were young twenty-five years 
 ago ? They have come forward to the midst of life, 
 
 * Mr. Joseph Cody, son of Isaac Cody aud Hannah Caryl, who were among the 
 earliest settlers of Hopkinton, was horn in 1736, and was consequently fifty-five 
 years old at the time of Mr. Howe's settlement in 1791. — N.
 
 22 
 
 and fill the most active, honorable, and useful stations. 
 Some of them are deacons of the church ; magis- 
 trates of the commonwealth ; selectmen of the town ; 
 military officers of various grades ; and others in 
 more private stations, acting in different town offices ; 
 members of civil society ; heads of families, etc. 
 
 And what shall I say more ? Shall I say that more 
 than half our inhabitants have been born within that 
 time? 
 
 It now lacks less than twenty-five days of twenty- 
 five years, since my first coming to this place, to preach 
 to this people. At that time, I had only arrived to a 
 state of manhood ; I had youth, activity, and a consid- 
 erable share of sprightliness on my side ; I am now 
 old. I have lived to see more than half a century ; 
 the grey hairs are growing upon my head ; the grind- 
 ers cease because they are few ; the keepers of the 
 house tremble ; my infirmities indicate, that I have 
 but a few more years, or months, or days to live ! 
 
 Is it not evident, then, that we live in a changing 
 world ? Is it not evident that one generation passeth 
 away, and another generation cometh : but the earth 
 abideth forever ? 
 
 If we appeal to our own experience, we shall find 
 that we live in a changing world. The seasons of the 
 year are changing. Our circumstances are changing. 
 Our relations are changing. The inhabitants of the 
 world are changing. One generation passeth away, 
 and another generation cometh : but the earth abideth 
 forever. 
 
 There was formerly a man living in the kingdom of 
 Great Britain, whose name was Edward Hopkins.^ 
 
 ' Edward Hopkins, in honor of whom the town of Hopkinton received its name, 
 was born in Shrewsbury, England, a. d. 1600. 
 He was bred a merchant, and married the daughter of Theophilus Eaton, Esq.,
 
 23 
 
 This man was not one of those ignorant, selfish, nar- 
 row-contracted souls, who could think of nothing but 
 himself] his family, and friends. He could think of 
 America ; an infant country, though it was three 
 thousand miles distant. He could think of the bene- 
 fits of education. His enlarged mind took into view 
 the difficulties of educating youth, in an infant coun- 
 try, to fill important stations in church and state. 
 
 In the year 1636, the General Court granted £400 
 to erect a college within the commonwealth. The 
 next year they voted that the college should be erected 
 in that part of Newtown, which is now Cambridge. 
 The year following they decreed that the college 
 should be called Harvard College, in honor of the 
 Rev. John Harvard, who had bequeathed his library 
 and upwards of £700 for the benefit of the college. 
 
 In the year 1642, the General Court established a 
 Board of Overseers. In 1650, the charter of the 
 corporation was granted. And in the year 1657, 
 Edward Hopkins, Esq. made his will. 
 
 The Father of spirits had not only endowed 'Squire 
 
 with whom-he removed to New England, in 1637. He was made governor of Con- 
 necticut every other year, from 1640 to 1654; after which he returned to England, 
 and was chosen commissioner of the admiralty, and navy ; and also member of 
 parliament. 
 
 He died at London, in 16.57, leaving a will, in which he ordered that £500 of his 
 estate in England should be remitted to New England, within six months after the 
 death of his wife, Anna; and which, as he expresses it, "is in the simplicity of my 
 heart for the upholding and promoting of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in those 
 parts." 
 
 Anna Hopkins, died in December, 1G98, and the donation of £500, together with 
 the interest thereon, was by a decree in chancery (1710) ordered to be laid out in a 
 purchase of land in New England. 
 
 Pursuant to this decree, the trustees of the donation laid out £800 in the purchase 
 of the land which now. for the most part, constitutes the towns of Hopkinton and 
 Ashland. 
 
 The tract of land formerly occupied by the " praying Lidians," and called " 'Ma- 
 gunco," embraced, according to an old chart, 1,152 acres, and was purchased of the 
 Indians in 1710 or 1711. The remainder of the town was obtained by grant of the 
 •roneral court- — N.
 
 24 
 
 Hopkins with an enlarged mind, but he had given him 
 a great estate ; and what was of vastly more impor- 
 tance, he had given him a benevolent heart. 
 
 'Squire Hopkins was a man of great weaUh ; his 
 estate was estimated at d£20,000 sterling ; equal in 
 vakie to $88,888 88. Eight hundred pounds sterling 
 of this property was given to be laid out in lands, three 
 fourths for the benefit of the college, and one fourth 
 for the benefit of the Grammar school in Cambridge. 
 That is to say, $2,666 66 were given to the college, 
 and $888 88 to the Grammar school in Cambridge. 
 This was given "for the breeding up of youth in the 
 way of learning, for the pubUc service of the country 
 in future times." — " For the upholding and propagat- 
 ing of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ." These 
 are expressions taken from the will of Edward Hop- 
 kins, Esq. In the year 1710, it was ordered that this 
 money should be laid out in lands. This donation of 
 'Squire Hopkins to Harvard College was the money 
 which first purchased Hopkinton, which in its original 
 state contained what is now called Hopkinton, about 
 three thousand acres of Upton, and five hundred 
 acres of Holliston. The lands began to be settled 
 between 1710, and 1712.' On the 13th day of Decem- 
 
 • Although the act of incorporation was passed in 1715, the inhabitants did not 
 late upon themselves the " powers and privileges " of a town, until Maich 25, 
 1724, 0. S., when the government was organized by the choice of the following 
 officers, namely, John How, John Wood, Henry Mellen, Joseph Haven, and James 
 Collar, Selectmen; John How, Town Clerk; Elnathan Allen, Treasurer; Samuel 
 Watkins and Benjamin Burnap, Constables. 
 
 The town was first represented in General Court by Captain (afterwards Col- 
 onel) John Jones, in 1735, who continued to be sent as representative until 1767, 
 when Captain Joseph Mellen was elected. 
 
 A plantation eastward of " Magunco Hill," containing 631 acres, surveyed for 
 Savill Simpson, cordwainer, Boston, in 1689, (the original plat of which is in my 
 possession,) is probably the first tract of land taken up and occupied as a farm in 
 the town. 
 
 This land afterwards came into the possession of Colonel John Jones, who mar- 
 ried Hannah, daughter of Savill Simpson, and thence into the hands of their son,
 
 25 
 
 ber, (old style,) which, according to the present mode 
 of reckoning, brings it to the 24th day of December, 
 1715, this town was incorporated. This day, there- 
 fore, is the beginning of a new century to the inhabi- 
 tants of this place. 
 
 As the town was purchased by the donation of 
 'Squire Hopkins to Harvard College, the lands were 
 to be leased out to tenants, at one penny sterling per 
 acre, to be paid annually to the college to the year 
 1823, and threepence of like money afterwards. 
 Twelve thousand five hundred acres were to be leased 
 out to tenants ; the residue to be common land,^ to be 
 divided among the tenants to enable them the better 
 to pay the quitrents ; and moreover, the tenants were 
 to pay a province tax, for what they were worth, 
 above the rents reserved. 
 
 It is natural to suppose these considerations would 
 lead many people in indigent circumstances to come, 
 and to settle here ; the town, therefore, increased 
 rapidly in population for a number of years. 
 
 May 21, 1723. The town " voted to have preaching 
 constantly on the Sabbath." May 20, 1724, they voted 
 to give Mr. Barrett " sixty pounds, in day-labor, oxen's 
 work, boards, shingles, clapboards, shtwork, and other 
 materials to build him a house,2 and if not paid in 
 those articles to be paid in money." The same day 
 they voted to give Mr. Barrett ^£35, in addition to the 
 cutting and carting his firewood for three years ; and 
 £70 afterwards, with the cutting and carting his fire- 
 
 Col. John Jones, one of whose daughters was the wife of the Eev. Mr. Howe. It is 
 believed that " White Hall " and " Rockwood's Farm " were the next places occu- 
 pied. — N. 
 
 1 The " common land " was then estimated at about 10,000 acres, exclusive of the 
 " cedar swamps," and was to be divided among the tenants in proportion to the num- 
 ber of acres each had rented. — N. 
 
 " June 30, 1724. The trustees of Hopkins's donation voted £30 to Mr. Barrett, 
 " towards building his house upon his own land." — N. 
 
 4
 
 26 
 
 wood, to be his annual salary during his ministry. On 
 the 2d day of September following, a Congregational 
 church ^ was gathered, consisting of fifteen members. 
 Their names were, Samuel Barrett, Samuel Wadkins, 
 William Montgomery, Robert Hamilton, Samuel 
 Wark, Benjamin Burnap, Robert Cook, Elnathan 
 'Allen, John Wood, Joseph Haven, Robert Huston, 
 WiUiam Dunaghoi, Patrick Hamilton, Obediah Allen, 
 and Jacob Gibbs. These were the only members of 
 the church when it was formed. The same day, the 
 Rev. Samuel Barrett, a native of Boston, who grad- 
 uated at Harvard College in 1721, was ordained 
 pastor of said church. This was at a period of our 
 
 ^ The meetings of the Church were held at the house of Mr. John How, at which 
 place Mr. Barrett was ordained, and continued to preach, until " the meeting-house " 
 was erected. 
 
 Those who have with the writer, occupied " seats " in that venerable " meeting- 
 house," will pardon him for introducing here a few extracts from the town record, 
 touching the history of a building, around which his " earliest, fondest, memories 
 cling." 
 
 Immediately after the formation of the Church, measures were taken by the town 
 to provide a suitable place for public worship, and at a meeting held January 5, 
 1724-.5 (old style), a committee was chosen "to provide ye timber for ye meeting- 
 house, and to frame it, improving ye people of ye town, to work out their rates." It 
 was also voted, that " the house shall be 48 feet long, 38 feet wide, and 20 feet 
 between the joists." 
 
 In June, 1725, three places were selected, upon which " to set ye meeting-house," 
 and, casting lots thereupon, " it fell upon that place south of ye burying-ground." 
 
 November 29th, of the same year, it was voted " to raise ye meeting-house with 
 spike-poles," and .£10 were granted for the purpose. 
 
 In May, 1727, it was voted, that " Mr. John Jones' pew may be 7i feet long, and 
 5 feet wide, and that there should be a ' ministerial pew,' on the north side of the 
 west door." 
 
 February 1, 1727-8, voted " to build two bodies of seats on ye floor of ye meet- 
 ing-house, one for men, and ye other for women." 
 
 September 25, 1 732. It was voted " to seat ye meeting-house by this year's and 
 last year's rate," and that " it is esteemed, ye fore seats below to be ye highest in 
 dignity; and ye second seat below and ye fore seat in ye front gallery, equal," &c. 
 
 November 1, 1751. It was voted " to make a seat between ye deacon seat and ye 
 pulpit, for persons hard of hearing to set in." 
 
 November 9, 1759. Voted "to sundry young Avomen, liberty to build a pew 
 behind the hind seat, the whole length of the women's gallery." 
 
 This " meeting-house " was used for public worship, town meetings, &c., until 
 1829, when the present handsome and commodious building was erected. — N.
 
 27 
 
 country when ministers were respected, public wor- 
 ship attended, family religion and family government 
 were maintained, morality and piety prevailed. 
 
 But in the course of a few years a dissension took 
 place ; a large number had been admitted to commun- 
 ion ; some of whom proved themselves unworthy of 
 their Christian standing. 
 
 It appears on record, that on the ninth day of April, 
 1731, the church voted to comply with the Cambridge 
 Platform of church discipline. This gave great offence. 
 James Montgomery and his mother, Robert Cook and 
 his wife, William Hinry, Walter Stewart, Robert 
 Huston and his wife, John Hamilton, Robert Barrett, 
 and the widow Hamilton, and others, absented them- 
 selves from communion. The elders, therefore, were 
 sent by the church to inquire of these delinquents, the 
 reasons of their absenting themselves from the Lord's 
 supper : They replied, they had laid the matter before 
 ministers, and if their advice was such as they could 
 not comply with, they meant to leave the town. 
 
 When the church insisted on knowing their reasons, 
 it was replied, that the church had altered their mode 
 of government ; that they had received members from 
 Framingham without a dismission ; and that they 
 were not under obligations to keep covenant with 
 such a church.^ 
 
 On June 14, 1732, Joseph Bixby and Joseph Haven 
 were ordained to the office of ruling elders in the 
 church. Also Benjamin Burnap and Henry Mellen 
 were ordained deacons. On this occasion, the Rev. 
 Thomas Prince, and the Rev. John Webb, both pas- 
 
 * Robert Cook said " that he desired no dismission from ye church; but that ye 
 church ought to ask a dismission from him." Robert Barrett, and wife, together 
 •with several others, who had been disaffected, gave " satisfaction," and returned to 
 the church in January 7, 1735. — N.
 
 28 
 
 tors of churches in the town of Boston, were present 
 and assisted. 
 
 This, with the other causes before mentioned, led' 
 part of the members of the church to separate, and 
 absent themselves from communion. These offended 
 brethren formed a society, built a meeting-house,^ and 
 maintained their separation for a number of years. 
 There is no account that they ever had a minister. 
 It is more than probable, that they met together, sung, 
 prayed, and exhorted one another. But in process of 
 time, their zeal abated, their society dwindled, their 
 meeting-house decayed, some died, others sold and 
 removed ; and a number of years after they had been 
 admonished and suspended by the church, those who 
 remained in town returned, made concessions to the 
 church, and were restored to their former standing, 
 and admitted to communion. 
 
 Thus we see that this society, formed by prejudice 
 and passion, when the fever of the moment had 
 abated, sunk and disappeared. 
 
 This difficulty, however, which originated in the 
 year 1731, was not completely settled till the year 
 1738. 
 
 As the Rev. Samuel Barrett's ministry was lengthy, 
 honorable, and successful, I shall divide it into five 
 different periods of ten years each, except the last, 
 which was about eight years and three months. 
 
 In the first ten years of his ministry, there were 
 146 admitted to full communion ; ^ 58 owned the cov- 
 enant ; 206 received the ordinance of baptism ; and 
 41 couples were joined in marriage. 
 
 ' This meeting-house stood near the dwelling-house of Walter McFarland, 
 Esq. — N. 
 
 * The first person admitted into full communion with the church, was Mrs. 
 Martha Gibbs, October 25, 1724. She died April 29, 1747, aged 43. — N.
 
 29 
 
 In the second ten years of his ministry there was 
 a difficulty existing between this church and the 
 churches of Framingham and Shrewsbury, respecting 
 the admission of members from those churches who 
 had not been regularly recommended and dismissed. 
 After repeated exertions to settle it, a council was 
 called, consisting of the Rev. Mr. Cheever of Rumney- 
 3Iarsh,^ Rev. Mr. Moody of York, Rev. Mr. Wise of 
 Berwick, Rev. Mr. White of Gloucester, Rev. Messrs. 
 Thatcher, Webb, Dr. Sewall, Prince, Gee, and Mather, 
 pastors of churches in the town of Boston, with their 
 delegates. 
 
 The 25th day of June, 1735, was appointed for the 
 council to meet. When it was ascertained that this 
 large, learned, and venerable ecclesiastical council 
 could not be convened, on account of the distance, 
 season of the year, etc. the church voted to strike out 
 Mr. Moody, Mr. White, and Mr. Wise, and send to 
 the church in Sudbury ; but the council were provi- 
 dentially detained from meeting. The church then 
 voted to send again to the same council, with the 
 addition of the church in Berwick. Voted, That the 
 third Wednesday of September be the time for the 
 council to meet. Voted, also, to add Mr. Moody, and 
 his son from York, to the council. 
 
 This ecclesiastical council convened at the time 
 and place, and after mature consideration of the sub- 
 ject, they resulted in favor of the doings of this church. 
 The church voted thanks to the council, requested the 
 Rev. Mr. Gee of Boston to be present at the reading 
 of the result, and voted to comply with the result of 
 the council. 
 
 In this period, that is, from Sept. 2, 1734 to Sept. 
 
 'Now Chelsea. — H.
 
 30 
 
 2, 1744, there were 90 admitted to full communion, 
 42 owned the covenant, 289 were baptized, and 44 
 couples were joined in marriage. 
 
 In the third period of ten years of the Rev. Mr. 
 Barrett's ministry, there were troublous times. Mr. 
 Wliitefield,' Buel, Tennant, and other ministers were 
 travelUng through the country, and preaching with 
 uncommon animation and success. No doubt, by 
 their doctrines, zeal, and oratory, they did vast good ; 
 but like all other human beings, they were imperfect, 
 and sometimes indiscreet. Mr. Wliitefield acknowl- 
 edged very freely, the last time^ he travelled through 
 the country, that he had done ivrong, in speaking 
 against the standing order of ministers as he had done 
 formerly ; that he should not have done it, had he 
 been more acquainted with them. These animated, 
 ardent preachers, drew away the affections of many 
 people from their own ministers. 
 
 At this time Mr. Barrett, for a season, lost the confi- 
 dence and aflections of some of the most serious and 
 pious people in town. The late Deacon Moses Haven 
 and others, absented themselves from Mr. Barrett's 
 ministry, and joined with the Rev. Mr. Reed's society 
 in Framingham ; sometimes hearing him, and some- 
 times the Rev. Mr. Frost of Milford : but when the 
 fervor of their affection abated, they returned to this 
 Society, respected Mr. Barrett, lived under his minis- 
 try, and were edified. About this time the Rev. Roger 
 Price,^ a clergyman of the Episcopalian order, came to 
 
 * Mr. Whitefield preached once in Hopkinton, in the autumn of 1740, on the 
 common, in the open air; and in allusion to Mr. Barrett, whom he held in great 
 contempt, he prayed, that " that dumb dog might have power to bark." — N. 
 
 "In 1769.— N. 
 
 ^ The llev. Roger Price, commissary of the Bishop of London, was appointed 
 rector of King's Chapel, Boston, in 1729; which oflSce he held until 1747, when he 
 returned to England in the " Mermaid man-of-war." Sir Henry Trankland, whose
 
 31 
 
 this town, purchased a large tract of land, built a 
 church, and endowed it with a glebe containing one 
 hundred and seventy acres ; preached here about three 
 years, and returned to England. Soon after this, he 
 sent the Rev. Mr. Troutbeck,' who officiated here for 
 some time, and then removed. Since his removal, 
 there have been only a few solitary instances of that 
 mode of worship for nearly sixty years.^ I have never 
 heard but what the Rev. Mr. Barrett and the Rev. Mr. 
 Price lived in great harmony, though they were of dif- 
 ferent religious denominations, and lived within a few 
 rods of each other. And we have the more reason to 
 believe this, from the circumstance, that the descend- 
 ants of the Rev. Mr. Price have been unusually kind 
 and beneficent to the descendants of the Rev. Mr. 
 Barrett. During this period, that is, from Sept. 2, 
 1744 to Sept. 2, 1754, 26 were admitted to full com- 
 numion, 43 owned the covenant, 288 were baptized, 
 and 44 couples were joined in marriage. 
 
 In the fourth period of ten years of the Rev. Mr. 
 Barrett's ministry, that is, from Sept. 2, 1754 to Sept. 
 2, 1764, the state of this people was more tranquil 
 and happy. Mr. Barrett's character was established, 
 his wisdom had been manifested, and his stability was 
 undoubted. He had sustained the office of a gospel 
 minister for thirty years. He had stood firm and un- 
 shaken through times of violence, intrigue, and faction. 
 Neither contention, nor division, nor separation, could 
 divert him from his course. Mr. Barrett was not an 
 
 romantic history would make an entertaining volume, built a Manor-house in Hop- 
 kinton, about tlie middle of the last century : and, together with a few other church- 
 men, sustained the Rev. Mr. Price in his endeavors to establish an Episcopal church 
 in the town. — N. 
 
 ' Appointed assistant rector of King's Chapel in 1755, which office he held until 
 1776. Vide Greenwood's History of King's Chapel. — N. 
 
 ^ Some years since, a new church was erected, and public worship is attended 
 some part of the time. — H.
 
 32 
 
 animated preacher, but he was sensible, orthodox, and 
 exemplary. The Historical Society of Massachusetts 
 have published his character as follows : " He was a 
 pious, good Christian, a man of great candor, and good- 
 nature." This appears to me, in some measure, to 
 fall short of his real excellence ; they might have 
 added, a man of great stability and perseverance. i 
 
 In this period, he admitted 31 persons to full com- 
 munion, 72 owned the covenant, 337 were baptized, 
 and 70 couples were joined in marriage. 
 
 In the last period of the Eev. Mr. Barrett's ministry, 
 which consisted of eight years and three months, his 
 activity abated ; his faculties were diminished ; but in 
 this period he admitted 15 persons to full communion, 
 32 owned the covenant, 193 were baptized, 52 couples 
 were joined in marriage, but we have no account of 
 deaths. 
 
 Mr. Barrett called a church meeting, Dec. 2, 1771, 
 for the purpose of choosing a colleague pastor to assist 
 him in the decline of life. But "by reason of age and 
 infirmity," as the records state, he was unable to pre- 
 side at said meeting; however, the church proceeded, 
 and unanimously made choice of Mr. Elijah Fitch for 
 a colleague pastor. On the 15th day of January 1772, 
 the Rev. Elijah Fitch was ordained ; and on the 11th 
 
 'The Rev. Samuel Barrett was born in Boston, a. t>. 1700, and died Dec. 11, 
 1772, aged 72. His wife, Anna, died Oct. 19, 1771, aged 69. Samuel, tlieir only 
 child, was born in 1726, was married to Mary Caswell, Feb. 9, 1758, and died, March 
 10, 1800, leaving two children, John, born 1759, and Anna, in 1761. Anna was 
 married to Thomas Freeland, Jr., in 1781. John was a good classical scholar, and 
 was by pi'ofession what might be termed an " itinerating schoolmaster." Although 
 wayward and eccentric in his habits, his skill as a teacher was such as to procure 
 him pupils wherever he went. He is the author of an English grammai-. which 
 has at least the merit of originality. There is a very humorous "critique," by Ed- 
 ward Everett, on this grammar, in one of the early numbers of the North American 
 Review. 
 
 Mr. John Barrett died April 4, 1821, aged 62, leaving two children, Orlando 
 and Clarissa, both of whom are still living. — N.
 
 33 
 
 of the December following, the Rev. Samuel Barrett 
 died, in the seventy-second year of his age, and the 
 forty-ninth year of his ministry. Thus he died, like 
 God's ancient and faithful servant Job, "being old and 
 full of days." 
 
 As the trustees of Hopkins's donation to Harvard 
 College gave Mr. Barrett one hundred acres of land, 
 adjoining this meeting-house, for his own personal use 
 and behoof forever, because he was the first minister ; 
 so also they gave him another hundred acres of land, 
 which was given to him, his heirs, assigns, and suc- 
 cessors; which is called the ministerial land,i and is 
 now in my possession. As Mr. Barrett lived at a time 
 when black people were slaves,^ and had them for 
 servants ; and besides this, had in Boston wealthy and 
 benevolent connections, by whose liberality he was 
 furnished with such things as he needed ; and in 
 addition to this, had £70, with the cutting and carting 
 his firewood, for his annual salary ; we have reason 
 to believe he had a comfortable support, though the 
 people were generally poor. The Rev. Mr. Barrett left 
 but one child, a son, who departed this life March 10, 
 1800, who was exemplary, industrious, and inoffensive. 
 
 The Rev. Ehjah Fitch was ordained, as we have 
 before said, on the 15th day of January, 1772; almost 
 eleven months before the death of the Rev. Mr. Bar- 
 rett. Mr. Fitch was a native of Connecticut ; born in 
 the town of Windham ; educated at Yale College ; 
 
 ' The original vote of the trustees stands recorded thus : — 
 
 Feb. 5, 1711, Voted, " To lay out 100 acres of land for the ministry in such con- 
 venient place and manner as they shall find most suitable for that use." Voted 
 " that a hundred acres of land shall be laid out for the first minister that shall be or- 
 dained and settled in the town, to be for him and his heirs for the term of 99 years 
 from the 25th of March Uist past, free from pay in"; any rent," and ''also that 100 
 acres shall be laid out for the school, for a training-field, and burying-yard." — N. 
 
 ^The whole number of negro slaves in Hopkinton, in the year 1755, sixteen years 
 of age and upwards, was fifteen- — N. 
 
 5
 
 34 
 
 graduated in the year 1765. He was a man of great 
 powers of mind. He possessed a sound judgment. 
 He was somewliat reserved in mixed companies, but 
 in the pulpit he was remarkably eloquent. He was 
 unassuming; a man of meekness and candor; a man 
 of humility and benevolence; he was patient, indus- 
 trious, and persevering. His life was spent in one 
 continual series of exertion for the good of his church, 
 people, and family. Perhaps no man, with his advan- 
 tages and income, could have left his family in better 
 circumstances than he did. 
 
 Mr. Fitch was not rigid in his rehgious opinions ; he 
 was considered a moderate Calvinist. He was re- 
 spected by his own people, and esteemed by the neigh- 
 boring religious societies. During his ministry, which 
 lacked one month of seventeen years, he admitted 37 
 persons to full communion, 100 owned the covenant, 
 422 were baptized, 189 couples were joined in mar- 
 riage, and in this time there were 316 deaths. In the 
 first year of Mr. Fitch's ministry there were 39 deaths; 
 20 of them were occasioned by the canker. 
 
 In the year 1775, when the army lay in and about 
 Cambridge, there were 45 deaths ; 29 of these were 
 occasioned by the dysentery. This was probably the 
 greatest mortality that has taken place in any one 
 year since the town was settled. In the year 1788 
 there were only ten deaths; the Rev. Elijah Fitch 
 was the last of that number. 
 
 When the town voted to concur with the church in 
 giving Mr. Fitch a call to settle with them in the min- 
 istry, they gave him $ 444,44 for his settlement, and 
 $200 annually for his salary. This was at a time 
 when provisions were low, land was cheap, labor 
 easily obtained, and at a moderate price. Within 
 three years of this time, paper money was emitted,
 
 35 
 
 and it depreciated from one degree to another, till Mr. 
 Fitch's salary, for a year, would only pay a common 
 hired man for six months' labor. The Rev. Mr. Fitch 
 was liberally educated, — regularly introduced into the 
 ministry, — necessitated to keep an horse to enable 
 him to discharge the duties of his office, to attend fu- 
 nerals, visit the sick, etc., to board his hired man, and 
 himself, and then his whole salary, for a year, would 
 only pay a hired man for six months' labor! ! 
 
 Are there no bounds to oppression, injustice, and 
 cruelty? I confess for myself I know of none. This 
 was in the time of the revolutionary war, when our 
 liberties were in danger, and our country in distress; 
 but after the peace, the town had so much sense of 
 honor and duty, as to raise Mr. Fitch's salary from 
 £60 to £70 lawful money, and that continued to be 
 his salary while he lived. 
 
 But after Mr. Fitch's death, the town had so little 
 compassion on the widow and fatherless, that they 
 took the ministerial land into their own hands, without 
 any lawful right, and applied the profits of that to their 
 own use, which was given by the trustees of Hopkins's 
 donation to Harvard College, "to the Rev. Samuel 
 Barrett and his successors in the ministry." 
 
 However, Mr. Fitch was not only an industrious 
 man himself, but he had an industrious family. He 
 left an amiable and pious widow,^ and five children. 
 The eldest daughter, who had professed and practised 
 religion while she was well, sickened and died about 
 five years after her father. The eldest son is the Rev. 
 John Fitch of Danville, in the State of Vermont, who 
 has been minister of that town for more than twenty 
 
 * Since dead. Her maiden name was Hannah Fuller. She died Feb. 7,1824, 
 at the a":e of 80. — N.
 
 36 
 
 years, and is now one of the most respectable minis- 
 ters in that State.i 
 
 The eldest daughter, now living, is with her mother, 
 and well known to the generality of this assembly. 
 The youngest son is Deacon Elijah Fitch, chosen to 
 that office by an uncommon unanimity, having had 
 all the votes except his own, or all but one except his 
 own. And the youngest daughter is Mrs. Betsey 
 Rawson, the wife of the Rev. Nathanael Rawson of 
 Hardwick, in the State of Vermont.^ 
 
 All amiable characters, all professors of religion, all 
 of one denomination, adorning their profession by a 
 pious life. 
 
 Whose descendants can vie with the descendants 
 of the Rev. Elijah Fitch? 
 
 It is true, the family were never wealthy, but they 
 have always been respected. Such was the rise, prog- 
 ress, character, and success, and such the descendants, 
 of the Rev. Elijah Fitch. 
 
 In the former part of his ministry he enjoyed good 
 health, and an uncommon share of activity ; but two 
 years before his death, he was unwell and unable to 
 preach through the winter. In the spring, he recov- 
 ered partially, was able and continued to preach till 
 the April preceding his death. The Rev. Elijah Fitch 
 lived beloved and died lamented by his numerous 
 acquaintance and friends. He departed this life Dec. 
 16, 1788, in the forty-third year of his age, and seven- 
 teenth year of his ministry.^ 
 
 Thus we see " one generation passeth away, and 
 
 ' He has since been dismissed. — H. 
 
 ^ Since dead. — H. 
 
 ^ " No man, " says a writer speaking of Mr. Fitch, in the Mass. Hist. Coll., " ever 
 more feelingly participated in the happiness or misery of his fellow-men, than he; or 
 better filled the several offices of pastor, husband, parent, friend, neighbor, and towns- 
 man." 
 
 Mr. ritch was a fine scholar and a poet. He left a poem of several cantos in blank
 
 37 
 
 another generation cometh;" and passeth away, "but 
 the earth abideth forever." 
 
 Not only the ministers, but the people have been 
 dying from year to year. In the 40 years last past 
 there have been not less than 700 deaths ; and is it not 
 reasonable to suppose that in the 60 years preceding 
 there were as many deaths as there have been in the 
 40 years following? Admitting this to be a reasonable 
 calculation, we may conclude there have been since 
 the incorporation of the town, 1,400 deaths; which is 
 equal to the number of our present inhabitants. After 
 the funeral of the Rev. Mr. Fitch, the bearers supplied 
 for a considerable time, and then candidates were 
 employed. 
 
 The Rev. Solomon Adams late of Middleton, de- 
 ceased, was your first candidate. Rev. Joshua Cush- 
 man late of Winslow, Rev. Stephen Baxter late of 
 Western, Rev. Pearson Thurston late of Somers- 
 worth, Rev. Alden Bradford, formerly of Wiscasset, 
 now Secretary of State for this Commonwealth,^ Rev. 
 Gordon Dorrance of Windsor, and a Mr. Stone of 
 Shrewsbury, who preached here four Sabbaths, the 
 two last in December 1790 and the two first in Jan- 
 uary 1791. The weather was unfavorable, and the 
 travelling bad, and in no one of those Sabbaths were 
 there so many as thirty persons assembled in this 
 house to worship God ! ^ 
 
 At this time your present minister was engaged to 
 come and preach to this people as a candidate. He 
 
 verse, entitled the "Beauties of Religion," which contains passages of considerable 
 poetic merit. He also published an eloquent sermon on the war, which breathes forth 
 the true spirit of religious and civil liberty. 
 
 The favorite amusements of Mr. Fitch were angling and the chase, in which 
 exercises Dr Wilson, Maj. Price, and other gentlemen of that day, used often to 
 engage with him. — N. 
 
 ' Late Secretary of State for this Commonwealth. — H. 
 
 *The town at this time contained 1,317 inhabitants. — N.
 
 38 
 
 was employed by a committee consisting of Squire 
 M'Farland, Mr. Henry Mellen, and Dr. Stimson, Esq. 
 After preaching here for three months, from the third 
 Sabbath in January, then being absent a few weeks to 
 fulfil a former engagement, he returned to preach to 
 this people, and on the May following, received a 
 unanimous call from the church to settle as their 
 pastor. On May 19th the town " voted to concur with 
 the church, provided Mr. Howe consents to admit 
 children to baptism, whose parents are in the half-way 
 covenant, so called." 
 
 The half-way covenant was a scheme devised by 
 our forefathers, assembled in synod, 1662, to determine 
 who were the proper subjects of baptism ; and they 
 decided, " that church members, who were admitted 
 in minority, understanding the doctrine of faith, and 
 publicly professing their assent thereto, not scandalous 
 in life, and solemnly owning the covenant before the 
 church, wherein they give up themselves and children 
 to the Lord, and subject themselves to the govern- 
 ment of Christ in his church, their children are to be 
 baptized." 
 
 This scheme inclined persons, who had no reason 
 to think themselves qualified to partake of the Lord's 
 supper, to make this kind of profession and have their 
 children baptized. At this time, there were probably 
 more than twice the number who belonged to the 
 half-way covenant, than there were who belonged to 
 the church in full communion; for my reverend pre- 
 decessor had admitted 100 to that covenant, and only 
 37 to full communion, during his ministry. This call 
 of the town was presented by a large and respectable 
 committee, consisting of Dea. Moses Haven, Mr. Jacob 
 Gibbs, Col. John Jones, Dea. Stephen Kinsman, Mr. 
 Barachias Morse, Col. Nathan Perry, and Maj. Wilham
 
 39 
 
 Price. When the call was presented and read, I took 
 occasion to observe to the committee, that I had never 
 been convinced that the half-way covenant could be 
 supported by Scripture, and I could not consent to 
 baptize in that way, till I was convinced ; and if that 
 was a fixed condition in the minds of the town, I could 
 give them an answer at that time as well as any other. 
 Mr. Morse inquired if that was the only objection I 
 had to settling here? to which I answered, it appeared 
 to be the greatest. Upon which it was proj^osed to 
 have another town meeting, and see what compro- 
 mise could be made. 
 
 When the town assembled, I attended, and when 
 caUed upon stated, " That no difierence in sentiment 
 respecting the half-way covenant, so called, should 
 prevent me from exchanging with any of the regular 
 gospel ministers in this neighborhood ; and ahhough 
 it does not appear to me right, to administer the ordi- 
 nance of baptism in that way, — and I cannot consist- 
 ently do it before I am convinced it is right, — yet I 
 think I feel myself disposed to give other people the 
 same liberty, with respect to religion, I take for myself 
 
 "Therefore, whenever I exchange, if the minister 
 with whom I exchange thinks he can conscientiously 
 baptize children by the half-way covenant, and those 
 who are in that covenant think they can conscien- 
 tionsly offer their children, I shall not feel myself 
 Tinder obligation to object against their doing what 
 appears to them to be right. 
 
 "And that every man may see that I am disposed 
 to be fair and plain, and that no difficulty may ever 
 arise concerning this matter, I say further, that, not- 
 withstanding I am opposed to that practice ; yet, if the 
 church and the minister with whom I exchange think 
 proper to take any more into the half-way covenant, I
 
 40 
 
 shall treat them in the same manner I do those who 
 are ah'eady in that covenant." 
 
 This town meeting was on July 18, 1791, at which 
 time the town voted "to concur with the church in 
 giving Mr. Nathanael Howe a call to be their gospel 
 minister, upon the proposals Mr. Howe has now of- 
 fered." 
 
 Also, " voted to ratify the doings of the town on the 
 19th of May last, respecting Mr. Howe's settlement 
 and salary ;" that was, to give de200 settlement, and 
 £70^ salary, in addition to the improvement of the 
 ministerial land. 
 
 Our pious forefathers, with good intent, no doubt, 
 devised the half-way covenant. Being alarmed at the 
 declining numbers of the church, and the correspond- 
 ing increase of the unbaptized, depending on human 
 wisdom and distrusting the divine faithfulness, this 
 plan was devised and adopted: and when it was 
 introduced into the churches, it occasioned contentions, 
 divisions, and separations ; as you may see by reading 
 Mather's Magnalia. When it was discovered that its 
 tendency was to destroy the church; — for if every 
 person joined in that way, there would be no church; 
 — when it was discovered that its tendency was to 
 injure the persons received, by making them think 
 they had done their duty, when they had not ; and to 
 pervert the ordinance of baptism, by administering it 
 to unsuitable subjects; — it was opposed both by min- 
 isters and churches. And it occasioned as much 
 contention and opposition to lay it aside, as to intro- 
 duce it. That erroneous practice is now dead ; only 
 14 have been baptized by that covenant since my 
 ordination; none within 15 years last past; and none 
 have been admitted since my induction to office. 
 
 » £70 = $233,33. — N.
 
 41 
 
 In the first year of my ministry, I leased a part of 
 the ministerial common^ to Maj. Burnap, during my 
 ministry ; the said Burnap was to clear the land, fence 
 it, subdue the bushes, and keep the fences in good 
 repair; on these conditions I believed it would be as 
 valuable to my successor, as to myself This, how- 
 ever, p^ave great offence. It occasioned a town meet- 
 ing, which I attended ; but previous to the town meet- 
 ing, I had agreed with Maj. Burnap to rescind the 
 bargain. 
 
 The town complained that I was making an unsuit- 
 able use of the ministerial common ; to which I 
 rephed, that the land was lawfully mine, during my 
 ministry, for it was not given to the town, but to "the 
 Rev. Samuel Barrett and his successors." I then com- 
 plained that the town had been inattentive in their 
 obligations to me ; not having paid the salary they 
 promised. For on Nov. 2, 1792, they granted my first 
 year's salary, which was almost a month after the first 
 year expired. And not one cent of the first year's sal- 
 ary had been granted, assessed, or paid; and at that 
 time I owed no man in town a single shilling. This 
 difficulty was settled on Jan. 14, 1793, by my offering 
 to relinquish my right to the ministerial common, on 
 the condition, the town would pay the salary on the 
 day they promised, or put it on interest. This was a 
 good bargain both for me and the town, for it secured 
 to me my salary, at the time appointed, which has 
 been a great benefit ; and it secured to the town the 
 ministerial common land, without any expense, pro- 
 vided they punctually fulfilled their obligations to me.a 
 
 ' Land originally taken up by virtue of possessing the '' ministerial," which was 
 " qiiiirenl land." See ])a<ie 25 — N. 
 
 - No people in Massachusetts, or Ne\v England, have been more punctual in pay- 
 ing their minister's salary, for more than twenty years last past, than the people of 
 Hopkinton. — H. 
 
 6
 
 42 
 
 About this lime, 'Squire McFarlnnd and Mr. Henry 
 Mellen. two of our principal men, left this Society and 
 joined the Methodists, because they were dissatisfied 
 with the doctrines here delivered. But not finding 
 themselves so ag^reeably situated as they expected, 
 they returned to this Society. Mr. Mellen is since 
 dead; and 'Squire McFarland' has manifested his 
 regard to the Sabbath, and pubUc worship, by attend- 
 ing very constantly, thou<i^h he has never approved of 
 my religious or political sentiments.2 
 
 At this time, a brother of the church left our com- 
 munion, and joined the Methodists : the church dealt 
 with him as an offender, and seeing he did not reform, 
 excommunicated him. 
 
 The church passed a vote May 13, 1790, the year 
 before I came to town, that if any should omit praying 
 with their families, or omit public worship, or commu- 
 nion, or be found from time to time disguised with 
 strong drink, they should be under the immediate 
 admonition of the church. It was found that one 
 brother did not pray with his family ; he was dealt 
 with as an offender, and seeing he did not reform, was 
 excommunicated. 
 
 AVhen the public took sides upon politics, your min- 
 ister was a Federalist, though he was sensible a very 
 great majority of the town were of different senti- 
 ments. He believed then, as he believes now, that he 
 ought to have more regard to his country, than to any 
 particular part of it : and when he has occasionally 
 
 ' Walter McFarland, Esq., was a gentleman of distincruishcd abilities, and took a 
 Tery active part in the cause of liberty during the struggle for our national indepen- 
 dence. He was in the army at Ticonderoga in 1776, was elected senator to the 
 General Court, in 1787, and died Aug. 5, 1829, at the advanced age of 85. His 
 father attained the age of 100 years. — N. 
 
 '^ 'S luire MeFarland is at present an Episcopalian, and a professed friend to all 
 religions. — H.
 
 43 
 
 preached political sermons, they have repeatedly occa- 
 sioned uncomfortable feelings/ 
 
 Another difficulty your minister has had to encoun- 
 ter, was the want of support. Avast change has taken 
 place, in the expenses of dressing and living since my 
 ordination, and yet no addition has been made to my 
 salary.'^ 
 
 When a candidate, I determined I would never set- 
 tle, till I saw a reasonable prospect of a comfortable 
 support ; and when settled, that I would never com- 
 plain of my salary. I remained of this mind, till I 
 had been your minister for fifteen years. 
 
 Borne down with the fatigues of manual labor, 
 pressed into the woods in the winter, to the plough in 
 the spring, and into the meadow in the summer, to 
 support my family comfortably, and fulfil my promises, 
 I felt the business of the ministry was greatly neg- 
 lected ; — that it was impossible for me to do what 
 ought to be done in my profession, unless the people 
 did more toward my support. 
 
 I committed my thoughts to paper, then communi- 
 cated them to four brethren of the church, then to the 
 church as a body, and afterward to the town. 
 
 As there has been much misunderstanding, and 
 many misrepresentations upon this matter, •! will read 
 it again, and tlien the doings of the town thereon. 
 
 " To the Brethren of the Church of Christ in Hopkinton. 
 " Beloved Brethren : — 
 
 " When you gave me a call to settle with you in the gospel ministrj', and 
 the town had concurred and made their proposals, I took the matter under 
 
 ' The Author commenced his political career, wiien Gov. Sumner was chosen to 
 fill tlie ciiuir of state [in 1797. — N.]. and was one of seven in tlie town of Hopkin- 
 ton. who gave him their votes, namely, Col Jones, Maj. Price, Ur. Stimson, Dr. 
 Wilson, Mr. Barachias Morse, Mr. Sui rat;e, and himself. — H. 
 
 ^ No addition has been made to my salary, even to this day, though it has been 
 often attempted, without my instrumentality. — H.
 
 44 
 
 serious consideration. I considered the unanimity of the ehurch and town, 
 as favorable circumstances, and the j^roposals that were made with respect to 
 my support, as reasonable, though not large. The ministerial land I was 
 sensible was good, though the state of cultivation was very bad, and the fences 
 extremely poor. It then appeared to me, if I should be favored with pros- 
 perity, with the knowledge I thought I had of agriculture, that I should be 
 able to support a family. AVith those views I gave my answer in the affirma- 
 tive, was ordained, and soon had a family. At this time every article of 
 provision was low, labor was cheap, and my income Avas sufficient for my sup- 
 port. But within two years from my ordination, money began to depreciate, 
 and the pince of labor to rise ; my salary has continued depreciating and labor 
 rising, till it is not worth more than half what it was, when I was settled. 
 
 " I have always been sensible of the difficulty of transacting money busi- 
 ness with any people ; and from tliis Impression have labored Avith my hands, 
 to make proA^ision for my family, and fulfil my promises : I have scarcely eA^er 
 suffered myself to make any complaints ; but I find at present, that my 
 expenses are Increasing, and my income decreasing. This has led me into 
 considerable perplexity with respect to my duty. If I ask a dismission and 
 remove, it must be with considerable loss of property. If I remain as I am, I 
 see no reason to expect any better times. If I exert myself more in laboring 
 with my hands, it must be disadvantageous both to you, and me ; for then I 
 must neglect my professional business. If I advertise my house and land for 
 sale, it will appear precipitate. If I propose to the town to purchase it for 
 the next minister, and ask them to dismiss me, I know not hoAv this will ope- 
 rate. I do not wish to leave the ministry ; but if I should ever remove, it is 
 full time, for I have probably spent the best part of my life among you. 
 Fifteen years ago, the expense of candidate preaching was four or five dollars 
 a Sabbath ; now it is eight or ten. Then the members of our General Court 
 had one dollar per day, now they have two dollars per day. A common 
 laborer at th^t time, had $55, or $G0 per year ; now they have $130, $140, 
 and some $150 a year. 
 
 " Is it reasonable, then, for ministers to be satisfied with the nominal'sum, 
 when it is not Avorth more than half its original value ? I make no pretence 
 to any lawful claim ; but in point of equity, is it not reasonable ? I grant 
 that when two parties have made an agreement, that one cannot dissolve it 
 •without the consent of the other. I am sensible it is very difficult for us to 
 know many things except what we know by experience ; and, therefore, it is 
 very difficult for any people to feel for their minister, because they are not 
 in his circumstances. Brethren, we have lived in a good degree of harmony 
 for years past, Avhich I hope will never be interrupted. This Society, per- 
 haps, enjoys as much harmony at present, as at any former period : and are 
 abundantly able to make up the depreciation on my salary, if they are so 
 disposed : but tliis must depend entirely on their choice.
 
 45 
 
 " In these circumstances, brethren, request your advice. Shall I ask a 
 dismission ? Or, shall I ask to have the depreciation made up on my salary ? 
 Shall I ask the town to purchase my house and land ? Or sliall I advertise 
 it in a public paper ? Or ought I to remain satisfied as I am ? 
 
 "It costs me this year $150 for one man's labor, who cannot do my 
 business either -winter or summer ; and if I add to this sum the reasonable 
 expense of his board, it will amount to as much as the town pay to my sup- 
 port. It will be said that the ministerial land is much more productive than 
 formerly : this is true ; but how comes it to pass ? Is it not in consequence 
 of the labor and expense I have been at, to cultivate and fence it ? Some 
 years I have expended as much on the land, as the whole of the income. 
 
 " If it should be said I have other income, I ask : Is it right for me to 
 spend the property that was lefl to my wife, by her parents, while I am 
 preacliing to a people well able to support me ? When, perhaps, by and by, 
 she may be left in poverty and distress ? 
 
 " If a farm be let out at the halves, the buildings and fences will soon be 
 out of repair, and the land impoverished. If all the labor be hired to carry 
 on a farm, and pay the other expenses, the income to the owner wiU be but 
 small. I say these things to show you my situation, and to convince you that, 
 should I ask a dismission in a few months, you ought not to think it unreason- 
 able. If any should be disposed to make an addition to my salary, on account 
 of the depreciation, this will be likely to make difficulty ; the people will not 
 be agreed in it, and beside, no addition would be satisfactory, except it be 
 granted to continue, till such times as labor and provisions fall in their prices 
 as low as when I was ordained ; then I would relinquish it : and if they ever 
 fall below what they were then, I Avill consent to take less than £70 for my 
 salary. I do not say these things, because I think the town would be willing 
 to make up the depreciation in full, perhaps, not in part. If they made up 
 what I thought was equal to half the depreciation, I should rest satisfied. As 
 the relation between pastor and church is quite distinct from the relation 
 between minister and people, I have thought it my duty to make tliis state- 
 ment to you, before anything be said to the town, and to request your opinion 
 and advice upon it. It is not my expectation, that anything should be done 
 for the fifteen years that are past : and if the town would now state my salary, 
 on labor, corn, rye, cider, butter and cheese, beef and pork, at the price they 
 bore on the day of my ordination, I would consent to take £60 for my salary. 
 If any should think it disadvantageous to the town for me to be dismissed 
 and remove, they must know, on the least reflection, that it will probably be 
 attended with more loss to me, than to any other person. 
 
 " With the hope and expectation that you, brethren, will be enabled and 
 disposed to advise me in this case to what will be wisest, and best, I subscribe 
 myself your friend and pastor, in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. 
 
 " Nathanael Howe."
 
 46 
 
 Oct. 20, 1806. This was read to Dea. Joseph Walker, and three other 
 brethren, namely, Benjamin Adams, I. Burnap, and Moses Chamberlain. 
 
 Nov. 10, 1806. The church met at the request of their pastor, to give him 
 their advice what he ought to do, in the present depreciated state of his 
 salary, and they advised him to ask to have the depreciation made up. And 
 he observed to them, that if that was their advice, he would thank them to 
 carry it into cfTcct. They then voted to request the selectmen (a majority 
 of whom were present, and members of the church) to call a town meeting 
 witliin five weeks, to see if the town will add fifty per cent, to the salary, till 
 such time as labor and provisions fall in their prices as low as when he was 
 ordained. 
 
 The town met on Dec. 15, 1806. Mr. Howe was called upon to read to 
 the town the communication he had made to the church. Upon which the 
 vote was put, " To see if the town will (on account of the depreciation of 
 money) add $116,67' to the yearly salary of the Rev. Nathanael Howe, till 
 such time as labor and provisions fall in their prices as low as when he was 
 ordained." This passed in the negative by a large majority. 
 
 Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town would add $116,67 till such 
 time as the members of our General Court receive less than $2 per day for 
 their services. This was negatived by a large majority. 
 
 Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will add $116,67 for seven 
 years, from the first day of January next. This passed in the negative by a 
 large majority. 
 
 Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will make up one half the 
 depreciation on his salary from this time while he continues their minister. 
 This passed in the negative by a large majority. 
 
 Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will in future give him $200 
 for his annual salary, and average it on labor, corn, rye, cider, butter and 
 cheese, beef and pork, at the prices they bore on the day of his ordination. 
 This passed in the negative by a large majority. 
 
 Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will purchase his house and 
 land and keep it for the next minister. This passed in the negative by a 
 large majority. 
 
 Then INIr. Howe proposed to see if the town will request the church by a 
 vote to grant him a dismission. This passed in the negative by a large 
 majority. 
 
 Then ]\Ir. Howe said he had but one proposition more to make ; which 
 was to see if the town were willing he should publish the communication he 
 had made to the church, and read to the town this day, and all the doings of 
 the town thereon. And this also passed in the negative by a large majority. 
 Attest, Ephraim Eead, Town Clerk. 
 
 1 This is fifty per cent, of £70. — N.
 
 47 
 
 AVhen my communication was read to Dea. Joseph 
 Walker, Maj. Burnap, Mr. Benjamin Adams, and 
 'Squire Cliamberlain, they lamented the circumstance, 
 but thought it proper to lay the matter before the 
 church for their advice. 
 
 When it was read to the church, sixteen brethren 
 were present; fourteen of whom advised me to ask 
 the town for an addition to my salary, and two were 
 opposed to it. And in town meeting there were only 
 three of the fourteen, who advised me to ask it, who 
 held up their hands in favor of it ; namely, Dea. Joseph 
 Walker, Major Isaac Burnap, and Mr. Benjamin 
 Adams; and only three of the town; namely, 'Squire 
 Stimson, Col. J.Valentine, and Mr. Samuel Goddard.' 
 
 The reason of my fixing on that sum, and not being 
 willing- to accept of less, was because a less sum would 
 do me no good. If I had an addition to my salary, I 
 must pay more attention to the ministry; and if not, I 
 must continue to supply the wants of my family by 
 the labor of my hands. It was plain the town were 
 unwilling to make that addition, ahhough it was only 
 one half of what justice and equity required them to 
 do; and it has always afforded me pleasure, to think 
 I had opportunity to show, I did not value an hundred 
 dollars, as much as the people generally did an hun- 
 dred cents : for but few would have had more than 
 one dollar annually to have paid, above the nominal 
 sum, to have furnished me with as much as I needed. 
 Some have supposed that the town did nothing that 
 day, because they granted no money ; but in this they 
 were greatly deceived ; for they convinced me, I could 
 place no dependence on their justice and equity; and 
 
 > The Reviewer in the Evening Gazette made a mistake, in stating that the 
 "author attacked, by name, the persons who voted against an increase of his salary." 
 Oa the contrary, he gave credit, by name, to all who voted in favor of it. — H.
 
 48 
 
 that I rnnst take care of myself, or perish. This 
 opened my eyes in every direction, and employed my 
 hands every day. 
 
 As it has been frequently said, that the town would 
 have done something handsome, had I not stipulated 
 the sum which they must grant, or nothing, they have 
 had reason since to think, that in this also they were 
 greatly deceived ; for when the town had a meeting 
 the next year, through the instrumentality of Dea. 
 Fisk, to show their benevolence, and their regard to 
 justice and equity, there was a tie ; — the Moderator, 
 the late Col. Eames, could not determine the vote: the 
 meeting was adjourned for two weeks, and at the 
 expiration of that time there was a handsome majority 
 in favor of doing nothing.^ 
 
 You are sensible that my health has sometimes 
 been poor, and my mind greatly depressed : poverty 
 has stared me in the face. 
 
 My brethren, may I ask a question ; a plain, 
 simple question ? How shall I obtain your consent ? 
 Shall I take silence for consent? Your countenances 
 discover a willingness. 
 
 The question is this: Do you know by what means 
 I have become so rich, as to have a great house, fin- 
 ished and furnished ; a farm, a herd of cattle, a flock 
 
 ' I find amotif^ Mr. Howe's loose papers the following memoranda, drawn up in 
 1808, with the view of bringing the town to an issue in respect to his salary. 
 
 " The salary is no reasonable compensation for the services, though the services 
 are poor. 
 
 " If you can be united in any one of the three following propositions, I will remain 
 your minister. 
 
 " If not. I will take a dismission, provided a majority of the church and town will 
 consent to it. 
 
 " 1. I will remain your minister, and give you old sermons for the old salary. 
 
 " 2. Or I will attend more to the business of my piofcssion and cease in a measure 
 from manual labor, if you will add 50 per cent, to my salary, or, 
 
 " 3. If you will double the salary, I will apply myself wholly to my professional 
 business : and if it be in the power of my life, 1 will do as well by you, as I have 
 done by the ministerial land." — N.
 
 49 
 
 of sheep, horses, and money at interest ? I say nothing 
 about my debts to-day.i 
 
 Shall I answer the question ? The principal reason 
 is this : because I have been doing your business, and 
 neglecting my own. What is your business? Your 
 business is to support your minister ; and that is what 
 I have been. doing, for more than twenty years. And 
 what is my business ? My business is to study, and 
 preach ; and in this I have never abounded. It is true 
 I have been absent from public worship not more than 
 four or five Sabbaths, for twenty-five years ; but I 
 have frequently been present, and attempted to preach, 
 when it has been mortifying to me, and could not 
 have been edifying to you. I have sometimes admin- 
 istered reproof, both to the church and the society, in 
 a manner that has been thought to discover some 
 degree of severity : but in these cases you have always 
 had good sense enough to know, you richly deserved it. 
 
 My object in preaching has been to explain, defend, 
 and enforce, what have appeared to me the true doc- 
 trines of the gospel, God^s decrees ; for it must be glad 
 tidings of great joy to all people, that God governs the 
 world; — that his government is not only perfect, but 
 universal, and lays the only solid foundation for fore- 
 knowledge ; for nothing can be certainly foreknown^ 
 that is not fixed in the Divine decree. 
 
 The divinity of Christ. This lays the only sohd 
 foundation for the sufliciency of the atonement made 
 for all mankind, 
 
 ' The way for a people to make their minister rich, is not, to give him a reason- 
 able salary, one sufficient for his support ; but a scanty salary, and try to starve him 
 out ; that will open his eyes, and employ his hands. 
 
 Solomon says, " The hand of the diligent maketh rich." But if a people wish to 
 have a good minister, and faithful to them, tfcey must be faithful to him. 
 
 It is granted, that our cats and dogs are good for nothing, except they are kept 
 short. But our horses, cows, and oxen must be kept weli to do honor, and be 
 profitable to their owners. 
 7
 
 50 
 
 The doctrine of petsonal election from eternity to 
 everlasting life, as the only doctrine that makes it 
 absolutely certain that any of our sinful race will be 
 saved. 
 
 The doctrine of total depravity, as laying the only 
 solid foundation for regeneration. 
 
 Regeneration hy the agency of the Spirit of God, as 
 laying the foundation for all holy exercises in the 
 hearts of men. 
 
 Justification hy faith alone, which is the same thing 
 as divine forgiveness. 
 
 The certain and final perseverance of the saints, 
 "through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the 
 truth ;" the eternity of hell torments, and the duties of 
 tnorality. I have always believed and always preached, 
 that a good life is the best evidence of a good heart. 
 
 I have aimed to persuade you to follow Christ ; but 
 not in his circumcision, nor in his keeping the passover, 
 nor in his baptism; for that was "to fulfil all right- 
 eousness," — "to manifest Christ to Israel," and intro- 
 duce him into the ministry. If you follow Christ in 
 his baptism, you must be baptized without professing 
 either faith or repentance. An innocent person cannot 
 repent ; — Christ professed no repentance ; and it 
 would be absurd to suppose he professed faith in him- 
 self The New Testament dispensation began, when 
 the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first 
 day of the week. " For where a testament is, there 
 must also of necessity be the death of the testator." 
 The death of Christ ratified the New Testament, and 
 introduced the gospel dispensation. My object has 
 been to persuade you to follow Christ in his patience, 
 in his meekness, in his humility, in his self-denial, in 
 his forgiveness of injuries, in his piety to his Father, 
 and benevolence to all mankind.
 
 51 
 
 During my ministry among you, 84 persons have 
 been admitted to full communion. There have been 
 172 baptisms, 235 couples have been joined in mar- 
 riage, 467 deaths, 27 members of this church have 
 been recommended to the watch and fellowship of 
 other churches, and 8 have been excommunicated.' 
 
 Those gentlemen of this Society, who have some 
 years past extended the hand of charity, in equity, for 
 my relief, will receive my gratitude. 
 
 Those ladies, who four years ago presented me 
 with an elegant and costly surplice,^ will accept my 
 grateful acknowledgments. But my obligation for 
 that favor, great as it was, bears no comparison with 
 the gratitude I feel to those, who have expressed, by 
 their practice, peculiar kindness and attention to Eliza,^ 
 in her lengthy and distressing illness ; such kindnesses 
 cannot be described, nor repaid; — may God reward 
 them. If any have injured me, whether in word, or 
 deed, they will accept my forgiveness. And if I have 
 injured any, I have only to say, in the language of our 
 Saviour : " When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have 
 aught against any ; that your Father also, who is in 
 heaven, may forgive you your trespasses." 
 
 The Rev. Nathanael Howe was born in that part of 
 the town of Ipswich which belongs to Linebrook 
 parish, Oct. 6, 1764 ; graduated at Harvard College 
 1786 ; ordained pastor of the church in this town, Oct. 
 5, 1791 ; and has continued in the ministry for more 
 than twenty-four years.^ 
 
 'July 20, 1825. Admissions 117, Baptisms 231, Marriages 325, Deaths 673 
 recommended to other churches 38, Excommunicated 9. — H. 
 
 ^1811. The amount subscribed for the surplice was $36,58. — N. 
 
 'Eliza, was the author's eldest daughter, who had been sick of a consumption for 
 more than two years, and died the Wednesday following the delivery of this sermon, 
 in the 22d year of her age. — H. 
 
 * Continued in the ministry for upward of 33 years. — H.
 
 52 
 
 As I have given you an account of the pastors of 
 this church, from the time it was formed; of the 
 number of admissions, amounting in the whole to 
 444 ; of the baptisms, amounting to 1,907 ; I will give 
 you an account of the deacons. 
 
 * Dea. Benjamin Burnap, 
 
 * Dea. Joseph Haven, 
 
 * Dea. Ebenezer Kimball, 
 
 * Dea. Joseph Bixby, 
 
 * Dea. Henry Mellen, 
 
 * Dea. Jason Walker, 
 
 * Dea. Moses Haven, 
 
 * Dea. Stephen Kinsman, 
 
 * Dea. Joseph Walker, 
 
 * Dea. Abel Fisk, 
 Dea. Samuel Walker,' 
 Dea. Elijah Fitch,2 
 Dea. James Freeland.3 
 
 Those gentlemen who have received a liberal edu- 
 cation from this town are : — 
 
 Rev. Ellas Haven,4 
 
 graduated 
 
 at Harvard University 
 
 in 1733 
 
 Rev. John MeUen,^ 
 
 u 
 
 u u 
 
 1741 
 
 Dr. John Wilson, 
 
 (( 
 
 u <; 
 
 1741 
 
 Rev. Benjamin Caryl,^ 
 
 (( 
 
 (( (( 
 
 1761 
 
 Rev. Moses Adams,' 
 
 (( 
 
 (( (( 
 
 1771 
 
 Dr. Jonathan Eames,^ 
 
 u 
 
 (( u 
 
 1775 
 
 Rev. John Fitch,9 
 
 <( 
 
 Brovm University, 
 
 1790 
 
 Dr. Gilbert Dench,'" 
 
 a 
 
 (( (( 
 
 1793 
 
 Leonard MeUen, Esq.ii 
 
 u 
 
 Harvard University, 
 
 1797 
 
 Rev. Daniel Loring,i2 
 
 u 
 
 Brown University, 
 
 1800 
 
 Rev. Josiah Moulton,i3 
 
 
 
 1802 
 
 Dr. Jeremy Stimson,'^ 
 
 u 
 
 Harvard University, 
 
 1804 
 
 Rev. Isaac Jones, 
 
 (( 
 
 "WiUiams College, 
 
 1810 
 
 Appleton Howe, A. b.i5 
 
 (( 
 
 Harvard University, 
 
 1815 
 
 ' Dismissed March 8, 1818. =* Died April 27, 1847, aged 68. 
 
 ' Resigned Nov. 14, 1830. Samuel Morse, M. L. Buck, and Isaac V. Adams, 
 have since been chosen. 
 '' Originally settled in Franklin, Mass. 
 
 * Settled in Sterling, Mass., and subsequently in Hanover, Mass. 
 
 * Minister of Dover, Mass. '' Was settled in Acton, Mass. 
 ^ Tutor at Cambridge, and afterwards physician in HoUiston, Mass. 
 
 ^ Settled in Danville, Vt. '" Of Boston. 
 
 " A lawyer at Waterloo, N. Y. ^^ Originally settled iit Foxboro', Mass. 
 
 " Settled at Oxford, Mass. " Of Dedham, Mass. 
 
 1* Physician of Weymouth, Mass. 
 
 The names of those gentlemen of Hopkinton who have since received a liberal
 
 Such has been the town, church, ministers, deacons, 
 graduates, and such the state of society, for an hun- 
 dred years. 
 
 What now remains is to conclude the subject with 
 some reflections on what has been said, and some 
 advice in the choice and treatment of another min- 
 ister. 
 
 " One generation passeth away, and another gener- 
 ation Cometh : but the earth abideth forever." 
 
 Your habits are so firmly fixed, that no reformation 
 is to be expected during my ministry ; and, indeed, it 
 would require more power in the Deity to effect it, 
 than it did to create the world. For when he created 
 the world, he had only to say : " Let there be light, 
 and there was fight." He had no opposition. But to 
 bring you to a sense of justice and equity, he must 
 overcome your private, personal attachment to your 
 own supposed woildly interest ; and that would require 
 more power than it did to create the world ! 
 
 And beside, my life is so far spent, that, should you 
 reform, it is doubtful whether it would produce any 
 very beneficial effects on my labors. I mean to tell 
 the whole truth without partiality, or respect of per- 
 sons. 
 
 I. Then, we see from this subject, that when a peo- 
 ple are unjust to their minister, they do not know 
 where they are going, any more than the man who 
 goes to the tavern, into company, to the gambling- 
 table, to intemperance, family quarrelling, poverty, 
 sickness, death and hell ! Such persons frequently 
 think they are walking at liberty, when they are, in 
 
 education are as follows: Mellen Chamberlain, B. U., 1827; Elias Nason, B. U^ 
 1835; Benj. S. Corbett, B. U., 1837 ; Leonard Fitch, Burlington; James M. Phipps, 
 B. U. 1842. — N.
 
 54 
 
 reality, bringing themselves under the severest of all 
 masters. 
 
 Just so, quarrels, divisions, contentions, separations, 
 meeting-houses, lawsuits, are the consequences of 
 injustice to ministers. 
 
 When a people begin to step on the devil's ground, 
 they do not know when they shall stop. 
 
 II. We see from this subject the meaning of that 
 part of the second commandment, which speaks " of 
 visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, 
 to the third and fourth generation." The injustice of 
 the fathers to their minister, falls on their children, in 
 the loss of that religious order, instruction, and disci- 
 pUne, which they would have received, had the fathers 
 been just and equitable; and it descends to the third 
 and fourth generation, in contentions, divisions, and 
 every evil work. 
 
 III. We may see from this subject, what abundant 
 gratitude ive ought to feel, to the creator and governor 
 of the world, that we can live in so much harmony, 
 when we have had so many things to disturb our 
 peace. The half-way covenant, — religious sentiments, 
 — politics, — church discipline ; — and the want of 
 justice and equity, in the support of the gospel ! ! 
 
 All which now remains is, to give you some advice 
 in your choice and treatment of another minister. 
 " One generation passeth away, and another genera- 
 tion cometh : but the earth abideth forever." In a 
 little time more, this sacred desk will be left vacant by 
 my dismission or death. This countenance you will 
 see no more, in the land of the living ; the tongue 
 which now speaks will be silent; and these eyes 
 closed in death. Then, you will need another minis- 
 ter. Will you receive the word of exhortation, from
 
 55 
 
 one who has had some experience in the gospel min- 
 istry, and who thinks he wishes your temporal and 
 spiritual good ? 
 
 Look out a man of good natural understanding, of 
 a good education, and a pious heart: and this you 
 must learn, not so much from his profession, as prac- 
 tice. For when men talk very freely of their own 
 piety, we have reason to doubt their sincerity. " Empty 
 vessels sound the loudest." 
 
 When you have found a man of good natural abili- 
 ties, of a good education, and pious heart ; settle him. 
 Give him a generous and honorable support, and pay 
 him punctually, as you have paid me. This you must 
 do as a duty you owe to God, to yourselves, and your 
 children. To enable him to apply himself to the work 
 of the ministry, if his salary depreciate ten per cent, 
 make it good ; if fifty per cent., make it good : if it 
 depreciates to half its original value, double it : this 
 you must do to convince him you mean to be honest ; 
 and that he has no occasion to be troubled about 
 worldly things. 
 
 Attend on his ministry constantly : you build school- 
 houses, and support schoolmasters ; but of what con- 
 sequence is this, unless you send your children to 
 school ? Just so it is with respect to a minister. You 
 may have a minister and pay him ^£70 salary, or 
 seventy times seven, but if you do not attend on his 
 ministry, it is all lost. 
 
 Pray for him sincerely and piously ; this will bring 
 you to the house of God in a suitable frame : this will 
 prepare you to receive the gospel from his lips, and 
 to be savingly benefited by its blessed effects. 
 
 And one thing more. Live in peace among your- 
 selves. Eph. 4:31, 32. " Let all bitterness, and wrath,
 
 56 
 
 and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking be put away 
 from you, with all malice." — " And be ye kind one to 
 another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as 
 God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." 
 
 If ye do these things, prosperity will attend you on 
 earth, and heaven will be your eternal portion.
 
 3 1205 02528 6426 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
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 Series 9482