History of Fitchburg Part 46 Rufus Torrey 1st Printing 1836


ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY: The history of the eccesiastical
affairs of Lunenburg, previous to the incorporation of
Fitchburg, has not been kept distinct form the other affairs
of the town.  It will be recollected that Fitchburg was
incorporated after the death of Ref. Samuel Payson and
previous to the settlement of Rev. Zabdiel Adams.  Whil the
people of Fitchburg were unable "to provide preaching among
themselves," they attended meeting at Lunenburg.

In the winter of 1764-65, they haad preaching for six weeks.
Having no meeting-house, they were wont to assemble in the
tavern of Samuel Junt, where they listened to the teachings
of Rev. Peter Whitney.  Mr. Whitney, author of "The History
of Worcester County," was a graduate of Harvard University,
1762, and was for a long period minister of Northboro',
Mass.  Rev. Peter Whitney, of Quincy, is his son, and
Rev. George Whitney, of Boxbury, his grandson.

In the year 1766, there was no preaching in the town.  In
1767, application was made to Rev. Messrs. Whitney, Samuel
Angier and John Payson to come and preach.  Mr. Angier,
(Harvard University, 1763) gave great satisfaction, and was
invited to settle.  The invitation was declined partly, if
not wholly on account of some difficulty between him and
Dea. Amos Kimball.

In May, 1767, the town appointed "a day of fasting and
prayer in order to ask Divine assistance in giving some
gentleman a call to settle in the gospel ministry in this
town."

Rev. John Payson was preaching during the summer of this
year, and in November he consented to become the settled
minister of the place.  His ordination took place January
27th, 1768.  The Church was enbodied on the 9th of the same
month.  Mr. Payson was a son of Rev. Phillips Payson, of
Chelsea, and was graduated at Harvard University in 1764.
He was a brother of Rev. Samuel Payson the young and much
lamented minster of Lunenburg, who died in 1763.
Rev. Dr. Seth Payson, of Rindge, N.H. was his half-brother.

Mr. Payson appears to have been a man of respectable
talents, of a peaceful disposition, and of devoted piety.
He was fortunate in haveing secure, for a long period, the
love and respect of his people.  Fond of the peaceful walks
of his profession, he knew but little of the affairs of the
world,and was ill calculated to sustain its buffets.  The
latter years of his ministy were embittered by the inroads
made among his people by the Methodists, Baptists and
Universalists.  These circumstances, together with a
constitutional infirmity of mind, caused a great depression
of spirits, which finally settled in confirmed insanity.
Lucid intervals occasionally intervined.  Yet he continued
to preach for several years.  He would go through with the
public services on the sabbath with perfiect propriety, when
freqauently there did not occur another lucid interval
during the week.  He discontinued preaching for a period in
the spring and summer of 1792, but resumed his pastoral
duties in the autumn.  His infirmity increasing upon him in
the summer of 1793, both the church and town united in
calling a concil to take in consideration their
ecclesiastical affairs.  This council was unable to effect a
reconciliation -- the town refusing to accede to Mr.
Payson's propositions.

In April, 1794, all parties agreed to reassemble the former
council, and to abide by its decision.  The concil decided
that the town should pay Mr.  Payson the sum of $530, and
that his pastoral relations should cease.  This proposition
was accepted by the town on the 2nd day of May, 1794; and
Mr.  Payson's connections with the twon were then dissolved.

He continued to reside here without any alleviation of his
unfortuante infirmity, till May, 1804, when, being on a
visit at the house of his brother-in-law, in Leominster, he
put a period to his existence by first taking poison, and
cutting his throat immediately after.  In a lucid interval
before his death, he expressed the most poigant grief for
the act which he had committed.  He died in the 59th year of
his age, and in the 36th of his ministry.

For about one year after this period, Rev John Kimball was
emplyed to preach, and was invited to become the minister of
the place, but the invitation was declined.

In December, 1795, an invitation given to Rev. John Miles,
to "settle," was declined by him.  In April, 1797, the
church proposed to give Rev. Mr. Noyes a "call" but the town
declined, and immediately proposed, by a vote of 43 to 24,
Rev. Samuel Worcester.  The church concurred, and
Mr. Worcester was ordained in Sept. 1797.  He received a
"settlement" of $333.33 the first year, and the same amount
the second.  His salary was $333.33 per annum, with the
improvement of the town's land.  When either party wished to
give up the contract, it was stipulated that it might be
done by a mutual conucil.  A majority of the people became
dissatisfied with him in 1801, and the town was divided into
three societies.  The time which each should occupy the
meeting-house was determined by the proportion of taxes
which they paid.  By this rule, the society in the east part
of the town occupied it 24 sabbaths, Mr. Worcesters's
society 17 sabbaths, the society in the west 8 sabbaths, and
the Methodists and Baptists 3 sabbaths.  In May, 1801,
Mr. Worcester expressed a desire to be dismissed; but he and
the church claimed the sole right of appointing the council
-- which claim the town considered to be a violation of the
contract of settlement.  Accordingly, in August, the town
voted that they considered Mr. Worcester to be dismissed,
and the conract null and void.  By their order, the doors of
the meeting-house were closed, and could not be opened
except by order of the selectmen.  In June, 1802, Mr
Worcester was dimissed by the sanction of a regularly
convened council, and his pastoral relations ceased in the
following September.

At this time the two parties into which the town was
divided, were much imbittered against each other, and the
parochial powers of the town were soon dissolved.  In the
spring of 1804, Rev. Titus Theodore Barton was installed as
pastor over the one society, and shortly after,
Rev. Wm. Bascom became the paster of the other.

(to be continued -- I have lost the last two parts of this
series. I will see if I can recreate them. Ken Jones)

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