The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-16
Second Parish Does
Honor to First
Two Pastors.
DR.. GARVER'S SERMON.
Their Early Ministry Ideal
in its Christian
Harmony.
DR.. GARVER'S SERMON.

Al OA LAOIJ
The morning service in the Second
Parish church yesterday was in com
memoration of the lives and acts Of the
two first ministers of the church, whose
life work has been so intimately asso-
ciated with the life of the church.
Rev. DR.. A. S. Carver preached an in
teresung sermon in commemoration of
the placing on the walls of the church
tablets to the memories of the first two
ministers, Aaron Bancroft, 1855 to 1885,
and Alonzo Hill, 1927 to 1871. His text
was taken from Psalms, Xiv, l: we
have heard with our ears, o God, our
fathers have told us, what work thou
didst in their days, in times of old"
Rev. DR. Carver said: We have
placed on the walls of our church and
have before US for the first time these
beautiful tablets to the first two minis
tiers of this parish. AS an expression
Of the love and veneration in which
they are held we write their names in
gold that our children and children's
children to the latest day, may learn
to speak them with reverence, affection
and gratitude.
There are still few persons among
u.s. five or six, who have personal recol-
lections of DIR. Bancroft, and can re-
call him as he appeared in his old age.
Many more are they to whom DR.. Hill
is still a living memory; but the space
of generation has interviewed since
his death, so that to the younger por-
ton of our congregation even he is but
a name. Among our most precious
treasures are the traditions and exam
pies that have come down to us from
the past. We cannot allow "envious
time" to sweep them into oblivion. 1t
is duty we owe to those who come af-
ter us, to keep them in mind of the en-
deavors and sacrifices of the men who
have bequeathed them so rich an in
heritance. The first minister of the
parish, Aaron Bancroft, served it for So
years, June, 1885, till his death, at the
age of IS, in 1889. For Al years he was
the sole pastor, and during the remain
ing IL, although he had the assistance
of colleague, his interest in people
never waned. His long pastorate is it.
self claim on our regard, but years
We're not required to show the spirit
which he possessed. The circumstances
attending his coming to Worcester
bring into relief those qualities which
marked his whole life.
IN THE LONG AGO.
Worcester was then a quiet village
of about 1000 inhabitants. Although
there were only three families who were
not ongregationalists, there was not
the utmost harmony in the community.
John Adams says in letter: "Ye town
was a scene of disputes all the time
lived there" This was some time be-
fore Bancroft's coming. 1t was to the
one church of the town that he was
nrst asked to preach as a candidate,
he then being young man under 80.
There was a new and free note in his
preaching, which displeased one por-
ton of his hearers, as much as it
pleased another portion, and as a result,
after prolonged discussion that was not
without bitterness, minority Of the
congregation young people for the
most part, decided to withdraw from
the mother church, and form a new or
ganiZation. The difficulties in the way
of such a step were almost innumerable.
and men less bold and determined than
they would have shrunk from the at
tempt.
We must remember that this was in
the days of established church in Mas
sachusetts, when it was mans polit-
ical duty to support the church, and
when he was assessed for it as he was
for the public institutions. There was
no law by which he could be released
from this obligation. If he wished to
pave church of his own, he must paw
for that as for any other luxury. 1t
was in the face of such obstacles that
the Second Parish was formed.
1t must have been the character of
the men engaged in the movement that
prevailed with him in the decision to
stay in Worcester. In the precious
names of that early time, we find the
names of the Lincolns, the Paines and
Bigelows, and Aliens, Chambers. of
BENJAMIN Flagg, and Edward Barys,
Isaiah Thomas. and other names still
found here in their living descendants,
In 1927 the second minister of the par
ish came and took his place beside the
veteran who was preparing to lay aside
MS armor. For IL years the younger
man labored under the shadow of the
older, and 1t is beautiful to read in the
records left by both of the affectionate
harmony that marked their Citations
from first to last. The society was
then strong and influential. IT had
passed through its days of trial and
was entering on the era of its great
est prosperity. But there were trials Of
a different order that caused the young
preacher the greatest anxiety.
BORN A MINISTER.
If he doubted himself at first his
fears were soon put to rest by his mani
fest fitness for his exacting duties. DR.
Hill was born minister: he received
his call in his mothers arms. His
boyhood and youth predict the man and
his whole life was bound together by
natural piety. There were no breaks
in his development, there was no effort
in his spiritual experience. He but did
that which was always eongenial to his
nature, when he went about doing good
For rs years he served on the school
committee and to him the schools of the
city are more indebted than to any
other single individual He never
thought of himself when there was any
one to be ministered to. But it was
in his own parish that his deepest in
terests We're conferred, and to it his best
energies were unsparingly given. 1t
was his deep concern for the religious
instruction of the children that led him
to organize a Sunday school two
years after he came here. In the
pulpit which he regarded as throne
Of power, he was direct, simple and
effective.
1t is not exaggeration to say that no
minister was more respected by the
community and no pastor more beloved
by his people. Happy in his vocation.
happy In his pastorate which was never
marred even by discord-thrice happv
in his family relations which not only
blessed but sustained and stimulated
his endeavors. Happy, too, in the sue