The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21
Work OF OLDTI.ME CLERGYMAN.
DR.. Hale Describes HIS Position In Town
and His Duties.

DR.. Hale Describes HIS Position In To nn
and His Duties.
It was my fortune in early life to enjoy
the personal friendship of some Of our older
minist els, who pre- s,rved the professional
traditions, writes edward Everett Hale In
the Chr,shdn Register, Times have changed
so that many Of the old saws and custom
cannot be adopted now as rules OF con-
duct. even II men wanted rules from an
other generation, but all Of them give
some indication Of what those days were.
| am speaking to-day especially OF the
lives OF Massachusetts men.
Let 1t be remembered that till 1881 a
settled clergyman In Massachusetts be-
longed to what the late Joseph Allen called,
with great precision, peerage into which
noblemen were received for life. Pre-
csely similar Is the position Of q French
Senator under the French Constitution
OF to-day; that is to say, II a man was set
tied as the minister Of Now England
church. and no special provision was made
to the contrary he was settled for life.
This meant that VII / was considered a
competent salary was assigned to him.
The town had o contract with him for the
annual payment Of that salary. and no
one but council Of the churches could
turn him out. The council could not turn
him out excepting for visible immortality,
to be pro we'd on trial.
or such men who wero ordained before
I hs year 1900 have seen two or three.
and havc heard their stories Of their
early Life. My own grandfathe Enoch
Hale. who died In the year 1887. was one Of
them. He was settled "a minister Of West
hampton In Massachusetts, I think in the
year 1878. He was minister of the same
parish when he died, having been In the
ministry Of that parish ffty-nine years.
do not think that a census Of the town
ever recorded mo re than /. 100 inhabit ants.
The earliest census, that OF 1870, gave
nothing like that population. For those
years practically the Congregational Church
was the only Church. Practically, therefore,
he was the religious and moral supervisor
OF every person who resided in that town. It
was his duty every day to bear In mind more
or less the condition Of every household in
the town. His parish visits from house to
house were. strictly speaking, not simply
friendly call Of one ueighbor upon an
other. do not suppose he thought Of it,
but in point OF fact it was his personal
>'esy ~ WIZ" ~" ceaSb uouscllOl WIS keL-
ting on. For every man who paid tax in
the town OF Westhampton contributed
something toward the salary Of the minis
ter, and it would have boon the minister's
duty. II 1t were not his pleasure, to ac-
quaint himself with every household a. the
year went by.
This made OF what professional men call
parish visiting quito different affair
hat l. k~-. y A.
towns. possibly 10 Boston. the parish visits
were arranged In advance, 80 that notice Of
them could be given from the pulpit Il
shall visit In the south part OF the fifth
school district next Thursday. Friday l
shall visit in the north part OF that district
God permitting Something like this was
eaid in advance from the pulpit. and the
people we're expected to be ready to receive
the minister. Unless something adverse
happened or transpired, he met that APP
pointment as a merchant to-day meets
a note which comes due at the bank
What followed was that he probably
knew by sight certainly BY name every
man, woman and child in the parish. And
as l am fond OF saying. II Jenny Lind were
born in an attic. the minister knew it and
could see that she was rightly trained. II
Tom showed fondness for mathematics.
the minister knew 1t and could see that
TO be throwing himself away with drink
the mini ster knew 1t and could give Nahum
the counsel or other help he needed.
There was another bit OF social order
which has rusted or worn away az the cen
fury wore on. which is, all be same. worth
recollecting. 1t Is. the incoming institution
of the primitive churches. vi ich brought
people toCetl or on Sundays. Here was
large townsf ip: There were perhaps twenty
FIVE square miles In it. Scattered over the
200 or 800 homes: There was not much
to bring the different families together,
unless they lived quite near each other.
III ere was not much, hut there was one
institution nearly infallble-that was the
institution Of Suncay,, or tie LORDS day.
or the Sabbath, and what depended upon it.
On Sunday every household in the town
sent one or more representatives to what
was properly called the meeting house;
=. TIE meeting was not simply for worship
hardly met otherwise. Probably it emptied
three quarters Of the houses OF the town.
Why not? Very likely there was no door
key. There was no need Of one. Everybody
feet and legs on which they could walk.
Even If people had no devout impulse trey |
were glad to go to meeting, because going |
to meeting was going once . week to the
cup. very likely a incoming house was
built for the occasion. Very likely you
carried to meeting with you someth In for
lnnch-tea or coffee or milk. The minister |
knew, as he preached In the morning, that
the very same people would be there In the !
afternoon Perhaps he said in the sermon,
We will return to this subject In the after
noon
In such social conditions I have seen
once and again young mothers who had
carried their babies to church With them.
II the child walked from Q nap and CRIED
the mother went quietly out Of the meet
ing house with him and sat on the front
doorstepe till he went to sleep again. And
when the morning service was over those
! ouse spent the noon hour with them:
those who did not caro- to do this met to-
gether at the incoming house. where was q
fire and hot water and the other oppor-
tn mites for luncheon.