Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-09-23


el above the minister was affixed a large and
elegant ev ergreen device, in the center of which
was blazoned in everlasting flowers the motto,
"l763." On the wall on either side of the
pulpit were the portraits of Reverend Messrs.
McCarty, Goodrich Hull Miller and James,
former pastors of the church. The only por-
trait wanting. was that of the Rev. DR.. Aus
tin.
After voluntary on the organ by II. l..
Ainsworth, Hon. Ira NJ. Barton, the presi-
dent Of the day, made some very interesting
Introductory remarks. He said the Old South
Church was erected in 1868 by the town of
Worcester in whichthere was but one parish.
In 1881 second parish was formed, and the
possession of the church remained with the
old parish as the successors of the town
The committee who had been intrusted with
the arrangements for the celebration had
taken into consideration the fact that the
house was originally built by the whole town,
and therefore they had invited the attendance
OF various gentlemen who did not belong to
the congregation. Various alterations in the
structure were noticed. Attention was called
to the diagram hanging against the east gallery,
which represented the pews and their holders
as they were when the house was built. The
pews were then the od.fashioned square
pews, and the usual reservation for poor and
INDECENT persons was made. The pulpit was
originally on the east side of the church.
,,f
who was among the most prominent minis
tiers OF the colony, and for whose portrait the
committee was indebted to Mrs. II. X. New
comb, granddaughter of Mr. McCarty, Mr..
Barton gave the names of the building COM
mittee, and historical incidents connected
with each Among them were John Chand-
Ter, Jr., an ancestor of our fellow citizen,
DIR. Chandler, Joshua Bigelow, member of
the provincial assembly, Josiah Brewer,
John Curtis, James Putnam, an eminent law
yer, and instructor Of the elder Adams, Dan
iel Boynton, James Goodwin, David Hemen
way, Daniel Mower, Elisha Smith, and 9TH
ers, one of whom was delegate to the eonstitu-
uonal convention with the first Gov. Lincoln.
w HSD lile DululllB ILe committee
were instructed to make their arrangement
without including any entertainment. But
when the church was dedicated the sum of
flO Is. Cd. was appropriated and expended in
a manner which will not bear the scrutiny of
the present time. The speaker then referred
to the diagram, and described the building
with its original surroundings, the cemetery,
the old stone wall, and the ancient trees, be-
fore the Town Hall was erected, and before
the cemetery ceased to be used. The late
I-I1- st,v uIAvI iIau lIau
many an interesting conversation, had given
him many incidents and little histories The
address was one of rare historical interest, and
our report, made hastily during its delivery,
does it but little justice.
Further exercises in the church were direct
ed by the new pastor, Rev. M. Walker. First
came chant by select choir, directed by
Edward Hamilton, esq, who gave the 46th
Psalm in the manner of the most ancient
church, A. u. 800. And after invocation by
the pastor, Psalm l03, from the New England
Psalm and Hymn Book, of the edition of
1762, was sung by the choir and congregation
in the ''usual way" OF those old days. 1t
was ''deaconed" by Dea. Allen Harris, and
the large choir responded in ''Dundees wild
warbling measures" The following was the
sixth and closing stanza AZ
6. Yea, all his works in places all
OF his do .min-i.on,
Bless ye Jehovah: Oh my soul
Jehovah bless alone,
Prayer followed by Rev. DIR. Sweetser,
when the choir gave version of Psalm A,
with violin and bass viol accompaniment. af-
ter the style of 1900. The tune was NORTH
field" and was given with JUNCTION. In the
choir we recognized large portion of the
musical talent of our city. Several church
choirs were represented, and the orchestral
music was played by the well-known instru-
mentalists, Messrs. Burt, Stearns Sumner.
and Collier.
The discourse was delivered by Rev. Leon
ard Bacon, d. D., of New Haven. He COM
menced by allusion to the unchanging char.
acter of nature. While there was to-day in
our city but little to remind us of that day one
hundred years ago, when the workmen on the
Worcester meeting house measured out the
months, the same deep sky, the same ex
haustless flood of splendor, the same moons
were tor us as for our forefathers. There
was in nature no new thing The new things
the progress, was to be found in the apnlics.
ton Of the sciences. But history has to do
with something more than the uniformity of
the laws of nature. 1t relates to mans nro.
gress, and the conflicts of right with wrong
1t relates to changes, decay, and new growth.
to generations going and coming
The congregation which assembled in the
church on the 9Th of December, 1853, with its
quaint peculiarities of dress and pronuncia-
ton, was painted with a skillful hand. The
advent among them of one dressed in the mod
ern style would doubtless have moved much
in those days Of earnest and severe worship,
the gravity of the people. In the hun
dred years which have elapsed since its build
ing, the history of the church has been made
up OF many changes. The customs, cos
tunes, modes Of worship, &c, have changed.
-. Inc speaker then entered extensively into
tle history OF the country, during the past
century; The states were then the colonies of
Nneianu' The Puritan commonwealth of
N eM England We're bound to the government
VI Hneiahu oy the ties OF dependence. of lam
guaSe, laws, rights and manners Tbis IL
uon involved them in the yVars 80 10.
mother country, and the great sayoO IN, s"e
war, which had terminated with tho tra.y.e
Paris, had taught them their nower IN, VI