The type of religious experience, even in the most religious, was very somber, dull and gloomy-little of the cheerful, hopeful, happy piety of more recent times. The most experienced Christians were sadly in bondage to fear. When talking of spiritual things it was common for them to remark—“ O, if I only knew I had a spark of grace I should be so happy." Some of the churches voted that no person should be required to make a relation of his religious experience when admitted to the Church, and in some, "no assent to the covenant" was required.

Outwardly the people, especially in New England, were more religious one hundred years ago than now. They all supported religious institutions, taxing themselves for that purpose. The mass of the population was more generally found in the sanctuary on the Sabbath than now, but aside from the Sabbath services there were few religious meetings. Even if they had been disposed to gather for extra services, their scattered condition, poor roads, scarcity of bridges, etc., would have been hinderances. They thought more of being members of the Church and having their children baptized than now; but the reasons for these things were semi-political, and church attendance was not voluntary, but enforced under heavy penalties. In respect to the formalities of religion, that age was in marked contrast with the present. People were more reverent of God, of His Church, of the Bible, of ministers and magistrates, and more solemn and devout in worship. Devout, solemn airs, whining tones, and long faces commanded a high premium. But there were less than ten years of good average spirituality in the whole century.

The effect of the half-way covenant upon the theology of the Churches will be developed in the chapter on Diverse Currents.

HE parish minister was a conspicuous personage in the colonial times. In the very earliest years of the settlement of New England each of the larger churches had two ministers, one of whom was the "teacher" and the other the pastor; but this custom did not long continue. The minister was known by his dress. His powdered wig was surmounted with a three-cornered clerical hat, usually of beaver. A ministerial coat, single-breasted, with an ample curve on each side, and a vest of enormous length, with large pockets and lappets, covered his body. He wore short pants, met at the knees by long, smooth silk or worsted stockings, and soft calf or deer-skin shoes, fastened together by shining silver buckles. He was a grave man, of imperturbable dignity, and of great importance in all the town, and "his person was sometimes made a bug-bear to frighten refractory children into obedience." So greatly was he revered that the people usually took off their hats and bowed to him as he passed. It has been jocosely said that men passing the parsonage with teams always put the best wheel on the end of the axle nearest the parson's house.

now.

In New England the minister was "the parson," which meant the person, in the parish-a much more important personage than He was consulted concerning the enactment of laws and questions of civil administration. To speak against him or his preaching was punished by fine, whipping, banishment, or cutting off ears. Every person was obliged to contribute for his support, usually, however, by tax; all were required to hear him preach on the Sabbath, Fast and Thanksgiving days, or pay a fine of five shillings for every absence; and all were expected to keep awake dur

ing the sermon. Marriages were, however, performed by magistrates, and, in the earlier period, the dead were buried without prayer, lest that should bring in papal customs. At this early time the term Reverend was not applied to the parson, but on portraits and pamphlets the name was followed by V. D. M. (Verbi Dei Minister). Among the Dutch in New York he was called the "Dominie."

The salary of the minister at Danvers, Mass., in 1713, was £60 a year and 15 cords of wood while single, and £75 when married. In Schenectady, in 1700, the allowance was £100 New York currency (about $250), house and garden rent free, pasturage for two cows and a horse, 60 cords of wood delivered at the parsonage, and traveling expenses from Holland. Generally the salary was paid in money, but often, in part, in country produce. The Plymouth Legislature decreed that a portion of any whales "in God's providence" cast upon the shore should be set apart for "the encouragement of an able, godly minister among them."

Much is said of the narrow-mindedness and sectarianism of the ministers of that period, but we should not forget that all through the colonial era there was progress, and the minister of 1750-1775 was far in advance of those of 1630-1660 in respect to toleration and breadth of ideas. There was a constant general advance, farsighted men leading the van and obtuse ones following far behind. As a whole, the ministers of those times were the leaders in public . sentiment. There were no lyceum lectures, concerts, plays or amusements, outside of a very few large towns, and the sermons. were the events of the week. In New England the sermons were often strongly tinged with philosophy, and varied with discussions of obscure points in science and metaphysics, which afforded new topics for conversation among the people. Crude as some of those discussions now seem, they were then the skirmish lines beyond which the intellect of this age has passed, only to be superseded by the generations to follow us. Such is the progress of ideas. The minister's influence was felt in every hamlet, but the lawyers and the physicians owed more to the parson than any other class of persons. The long sermons, often dealing in abstruse metaphysical questions, afforded the professional and educated men intellectual occupation and amusement. The pulpit served for the stage and the circulating library, and the sermons heard on Sunday were thought over and discussed during the week.

* In 1784 it was advanced to £140 ($350), in 1796, £200.

INFLUENTIAL MINISTRY.

The Influence of the Minister.

155

Five reasons have been given why ministers had so great influence in the colonial times. 1. Religion, in the earlier period, at least, was regarded by the people as a very serious business, the subject on which their lives and destinies turned, and the parish minister was both the Moses and the Aaron of their hopes. 2. He was really an important officer in the theocracy, the ecclesiastical order being the power behind magistrates and courts. 3. The superior learning of the clergy, they being the learned men of the settlements. 4. The simplicity of colonial life afforded them rare opportunities for personal influence. The complexity and expansion of society, with its great interests developing able men in their departments, now every-where surrounding us, was then unknown. The parson was a natural center of influence, as he cannot be now. He was often the physician and surgeon, and the more advanced schools were under his roof, where young men fitted for college and the ministry. There were few college graduates outside of the ministry in the first century of our colonial history, and few lawyers, educators, editors and financiers. Managers of manufactories, railroads, etc., etc., were unknown. And there were no newspapers. 5. The length of the pastorates was also favorable to the growth of influence.

Long Pastorates.

In 1782 Rev. Timothy Walker died at Concord, N. H., after a settlement of fifty-two years as pastor of that church. Among his contemporaries in that State were thirteen ministers all of whom had long pastorates; namely:

Years.

Rev. Ebenezer Flagg, of Chester... 60 Rev. Jeremy Fogg, of Kensington..

John Wilson (Presbyterian), of

"

William Davidson, of London

Years.

52

Ministers were settled for life. Of 271 pastors in Massachusetts in 1776, 223 retained their pastorates until death; and only 48 were terminated by dismission or resignation. One had a ministry in the

* Congregational Quarterly, July, 1873, pp. 362, 363.

same parish over 70 years; 21, between 60 and 70 years; 51, between 50 and 60 years; 66, between 40 and 50 years; 62, between 30 and 40 years; 24, between 20 and 30 years; 32, between 10 and 20 years; 14, under 10 years.

A small farm was attached to the parsonage in most towns, and the parson was often a skillful farmer. Sometimes he became very worldly and secular, neglecting study, and his sermons became stale. An eminent New England divine, himself a son of a Puritan clergyman, used to relate that, when a boy, he heard the deacons in his father's house discussing the merits of their respective ministers. After many had spoken an old deacon said: "Wa'al, our minister gives so much attention to his farm and orchard that we get pretty poor sermons, but he is mighty movin' in prayer in caterpillar and cankerworm time."

Section 2.-The Meeting-Houses.

When the legions of Rome attempted to conquer the AngloSaxons they found the tribes bound together by a league they had nowhere else encountered-the league of the tuns. Each village was a tun, independent, managing its own affairs, each householder having the right of suffrage on all questions affecting the welfare of the tun. Every village had its moot, or meeting-house, where the inhabitants met to discuss all questions in tun meeting. Each tun managed its own affairs, and each united with its neighboring tun to repulse invaders. Rome could not conquer this people. The term moot (moot-question, moot-court, etc.), signifying debate, gave character to the buildings used for mooting, and the mooting-house in the course of time was called a meeting-house. The first settlers at Plymouth Rock were a tun, the beginning of a State-a Republic. In the wilderness they reared their moot-the meeting-house-where on Sundays religious questions were mooted, and where, on other days, they mooted the affairs of the tun, elected tun officers, etc., every voter mooting his opinions upon all subjects relating to the tun, money for roads, schools, bounties on foxes and wolves, down to the question of putting yokes upon geese and wires in the snouts of swine. The meeting-house was the legislative house of the miniature commonwealth, as well as a sanctuary where spiritual and eternal things were considered. The town meetings held in New England meeting-houses have become poter factors in the nation. In the meeting-houses troops were raised to fight the Pequots. From the