gather around his bar and the books shall be opened, and every one judged from the things written thereinwhere then, my beloved people, shall ye be-where, O my soul, wilt thou be! And, where-ye friends, who meet us from abroad to-day, will ye be then! With this momentous question I leave you-offering this one request to him whose Glory must fill the house, or we perish"Lord, where thou art-let thy servants be-henceforth and forevermore.”—Amen. HISTORICAL NOTE. The original town of Braintree was first divided into two precincts, called the North, and the South, by an Act of General Court, bearing date Nov. 5, 1708. The object of the division was, the better "upholding of the worship of God." The first regular meeting of the South Precinct, which then embraced the present town of Braintree, was holden January 17, 17089, when Nehemiah Hayden was chosen Moderator, and Joseph Allen, Clerk. The first votes on record, relating to the meeting house, were passed June 20, 1709-in these terms :-" Voted, that Samuel Paine, Ebenezer Thayer, and Samuel White, Jun., be a committee to finish the galleries in the meeting house, two seats round, and lath said house, and do what is absolutely necessary to the seats below. Voted, That our Assessors have power to raise money for the completing of the above said work, and paying the demands due for glass." Peter Hobart, was at this time, Treasurer. At what time the house had been put up, and what were its dimensions, is not known. From the fact that Mr. Hugh Adams had labored here in the ministry at least two years previous to the passing of the above votes, it is inferred that the house had been built, though for some reasons left unfinished. At a Precinct meeting, held April 16, 1711, the privilege was granted to Joseph Allen, Caleb Hobart, Nehemiah Hayden, Samuel French, and Samuel Paine, to build pews in the meeting house; and a Committee was chosen, "to debate the matter with them in that affair, and to agree and conclude on what is convenient and necessary, relating to the Grants aforesaid." This was probably the commencement of private property in the meeting house-it having been previously common stock, and the seats assigned occasionally to each family or individual, by a Parish Committee. 99.66 March 9, 1713-14, "Liberty was granted to the young men to build an upper Gallery, or Galleries,-(on their own cost) provided the light of the upper windows be not too much diminished." On the same day, it was voted, "That twenty-four pounds be raised with speed," to be improved to purchase a bell for the meeting-house."-This money was raised; but at the Annual Meeting of the succeeding year, it was voted that it be appropriated to other uses" In particular, toward the finishing of our meeting-house;" -not a singular instance of losing an object, by too great "speed" in pursuing it—especially when it has more sound than substance. A Bell was soon procured however, and paid for by the Precinct. In 1715-16, further liberty was given for building pews, to those who might desire the privilege, and it was ordered, "that the seats below be run together, in order to make room for the Pews." And the same year, John Wild, John Thayer, and William Hunt were appointed a Committee to "finish the meeting-house.” In 1724, it was attempted to remove the meeting-house farther south-the attempt was resisted, and a Committee raised to countervail the efforts of the southern portion of the Precinct to obtain liberty from his Majesty's Council for a separation. It does not appear that the resistance was violent, but rather that the separation was amicably effected-and productive of mutual benefit. The South Parish thus formed, now constitutes the town of Randolph. March 1st, 1757. It was voted, To build a new meeting-house, 55 feet in length, and 45 feet in breadth, and proportionably high. A Committee of Management was raised, consisting of seven Gentlemen-viz :-Samuel Niles, Esq. Caleb Hobart, John Hayward, Seth Copeland, Lieut. John Hunt, Ebenezer Newcomb, and Capt. Ebenezer Thayer. Hunt and Newcomb subsequently resigned, and six others were added, viz :—Dea. John Holbrook, Lieut. Samuel White, William Penniman, Thomas Faxon, John Curtis, and Isaac Newcomb. It is evident-though the records do not descend to particularsthat there was no inconsiderable opposition in some quarters of the Precinct to the project of taking down an inconvenient and decaying house, that had stood only fifty years, and during most of that time had formed a bone of contention." But good sense and piety prevailed over sinister considerations-and after a patient and somewhat protracted conflict, the house was completed-the glory of the former was eclipsed by the latter-and few, if any, continued to enquire, "What shall we do for the hundred talents?" It is not known at what time in 1759 the house was first occupied for worship-but about the middle of that year, Mr. Niles noted in his records, the baptism of David, son of Uriah Thayer, as the first administration of the ordinance in the new house. The last Sabbath on which it was occupied, June 13, 1830, Charles Coddington, son of C. Dickerman, Eliza Ann and Ebenezer Norton, children of Ebenezer Denton, received the same holy ordinance. As the place where our fathers had worshipped before us, and where we had often met our heavenly Father, we bade it then farewell, in the language of Christ to his disciples, (Matt. xxiv. 1, 2.) "And Jesus went out and departed from the temple; and his disciples came unto him to show him the buildings of the Temple. And Jesus said unto them, see ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be cast down." 1830. The question of repairing the meeting-house was committed to fourteen gentlemen-at the regular annual meeting, March 4, and their report, at the adjournment, held on the 25th, was, that instead of attempting any repairs, it was expedient to rebuild. Committees were appointed to arrange with the proprietors of Pews the extent and liquidation of their claims-to provide for the fair appraisal of the house,—and to obtain proposals for the erection of the new one. The final vote to rebuild, was passed May 14, and the following gentlemen were constituted a committee to carry said vote into effect, viz:-Messrs. Abraham Hobart, Charles French, Ralph Arnold, Samuel Hayden, David Hollis, Samuel V. Arnold, Nathaniel E. Thayer, John Hobart, Jr., Elisha Hobart, Robert Hayden, Solomon Thayer, Nathaniel Hayward, Samuel Capen, Barzillai Penniman, Jonathan Wild, Jr., Charles Hayward, Samuel French, Jr., Barnabas F. Arnold, Charles M. Fogg, and Joseph Hollis, Jr. The gentlemen appointed to appraise the pews, were Lieut. Jonathan Belcher, of Randolph, Col. Benjamin Page, of Quincy, and Mr. Whitcomb Porter, of Weymouth. Their report follows: "We the subscribers having been chosen by the first Parish in Braintree to appraise the pews in the old meeting house of said Parish, were first sworn to the faithful performance of that service by Stephen Thayer, Esq., and then proceeded to view said house; and upon such view, we found it old, and in such a ruinous and decayed state, that it was inexpedient in our opinion for said Parish to repair the same, by reason of the very great cost and charge, which the said Parish must incur in doing it; but being of opinion that said house in its present state would accommodate said Parish five or six years longer for public worship-we appraise the pews thereof in the following manner." The details are omitted. Total, $439,00. JONATHAN BELCHER, BENJAMIN PAGE, WHITCOMB PORTER, Committee. A piece of land adjoining the premises occupied by the old meeting-house, was generously given by Stephen Thayer, Esq. and his heirs for the purpose of greater accommodation, and under the same restrictions stated in the deed of Rev. Mr. Niles, who was the donor of the former site. This donation was gratefully accepted by the Parish, as their Records testify. It was determined to build the house 70 feet long, 46 feet wide, and 24 feet high between joints. Mr. Abraham Hobart, Contractor, Mr. John Hobart, Builder. On the completion of the work, to the satisfaction of the Committee, the Parish appointed Asa French, Esq., Dr. Jonathan Wild, Dea. D. Hollis, Mr. Charles French, Mr. Samuel Capen, Capt. Ralph Arnold, and Dea. N. E. Thayer, a Committee to appraise and sell the pews. They were accordingly appraised, and on the day succeeding the Dedication were sold at an advance of somewhat more than $1700 on the appraisal. Thus, amid much fear and trembling, but with a steady eye to the continued maintenance of divine institutions in the place where "our fathers worshipped," and also to the permanent prosperity of the Parish-this work was undertaken, and carried on to its completion, with a degree of harmony and order never surpassed, inspiring the exclamation on every tongue, "HITHERTO THE LORD HATH HELPED US." And now may the Lord put his name on this people; "The Lord bless thee and keep thee; "The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; "The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." |