ministered about this time,' all the information, which Dr. Cooper has left on the records of the Church, is comprised in less than twenty lines. It relates to the dedication of the new meeting-house, to the reception of a letter from the church of Bolton, and to Deacon Storer's resignation of his office. When Dr. Thacher succeeded, he made out such a record of marriages and baptisms as he was able from Dr. Cooper's interleaved almanacks. Of some years, however, (as 1751, 1764, and the years from 1778 to his death,) no record of either remains. The recorded administrations of baptism by Dr. Cooper, during his sole ministry, amount to 918.

In 1777, by the will of Lydia Hancock, the Society came into possession of the house and land in Court Street, since occupied by their ministers. The condition of the gift, which has of late been considerably canvassed, is as follows: that the minister, or eldest minister of said Church, shall constantly reside and dwell in said house during such time as he is minister of said Church; and in case the same is not improved for this use only, I then declare this bequest to be void and of no force, and order, that said house and land then revert to my estate, and I give the same to my said nephew, John Hancock, Esq. and to his heirs forever.' Mrs. Hancock also gave to the Church £100, the income to be annually appropriated to the relief of the poor. The Society voted to receive these pious, charitable, and generous bequests, with great respect and gratitude to the memory of that excellent woman, Madam Lydia Hancock, who was for many years a member of the Church in Brattle Street, an ornament to the Christian profession, and an amiable pattern of piety and virtue.'

6

A separate record of the proceedings of the standing committee has been kept since Aug. 27, 1763, and of the proceedings of the Society since Feb. 16, 1755. At the latter date, the necessary authority having been just given by law, a committee was chosen for the purpose of assessing a tax upon the pews. The standing committee of that year were empowered to use their discretion in making a demand of the taxes on the pews belonging to families gone to decay;' and 'desired to make inquiry after a deed, from Mr. Dassett to this Society, of the privilege of Dassett's Lane, and, when found, (if said deed gives power,) to set up a post with a lock in said lane.'

The committee to manage the temporal affairs of the Church and congregation' generally consisted of seven, eight, or nine persons, (most commonly eight,) besides the treasurer. In 1763, they voted to meet regularly five times in each year.

In 1755, Dr. Cooper's allowance was a provision of rent and fuel, with £2. 8s. a week, (lawful money, I suppose,) and 13s. 4d. a week, 'to procure help.' This was raised at different times (in addition to occasional grants) to £5, lawful money, a week, or an equivalent; which equivalent amounted, in 1780, to £360 a week in continental paper.

December 3, 1781, it was

voted, that the deacons advise with the Rev. Dr. Cooper upon the number of Hymns annexed to Tate and Brady's Psalms, which may be occasionally used by the Society in Brattle Street in publick worship.'

Among the proceedings of the Society, after the death of Dr. Cooper, was the appointment of a committee, of which the late Gov. Sullivan and Judge Lowell were members, to select a volume from his sermons for the press. They were not, however, found in a condition to admit of it. At the funeral, Rev. President Willard, (who made the prayer,) and Rev. Messrs. Howard, Eliot, Eckley, Clark and Wight, of Boston, supported the pall,

(26.) p. 18. THE old church was never painted, within or without, The tower and bell were on the west side, and a door on the south, opposite to the pulpit. The window frames were of iron. Upon the pulpit stood an hour-glass, which is described as having been a foot high, and enclosed in a case, which was either brass or gilt. This was among the articles, which, in the sale of the old house, were 'reserved for the use of the Society; but I do not find, that it was used after the new house was occupied. The old pulpit, bible and bell, were given to Gov. Hancock, on the condition of replacing them with new ones in the new house. Beneath the pulpit were two seats for deacons, which, it seems, were afterwards thrown into one, as, in the record of such an alteration at the New Brick church, it is said to have been made ' as has been lately done at the Old North, and at Mr. Cooper's.' Before it were rows of free seats. The pews were square, and ornamented with the small The railing upon the top, which is still seen in many of our churches. highest number in a list of pews on the floor is 99. In 1766, it was voted, 'that two new pews shall be made in the meeting-house, on the floor, in the room of the two back long seats.' There were two galleries, each of them, probably, fitted with pews, as, in 1723, 'it was recommended to the committee to fill with persons proper the vacant pews in the galleries; that the negroes be directed to leave the back seats of the lower, and go into those of the upper gallery.' Some place seems to have been appropriated to children, as, at the same time, the committee were desired to dismiss Roger from looking after the boys, and provide some fitter person,'

(27.) p. 18. THE building of churches was a less simple operation in those times than the present. This was engaged in as a very serious enterprize. At a meeting of the standing committee at Mr. Bowdoin's, Feb. 6, 1772, John Hancock, Esq. having put in a letter generously offering to contribute largely towards a new meeting-house,' the committee voted to call a meeting of the Society to consider the subject. At this meeting it was unanimously voted to take measures for the erection of a new house

of worship, and committees were appointed to procure subscriptions, and estimates of the cost. Subscriptions to the amount of £3200 having been received within a week, a building committee of twelve was appointed. The committee were ' of opinion, that the land belonging to the Society would not be sufficient to build a commodious house.' Gov. Bowdoin accordingly offered to give the Society his lot at the corner of Howard Street and Pemberton's Hill; but the matter being referred to them, it appeared, that there was a considerable majority for building on the old spot in Brattle Street,' and the offer was respectfully declined. On the last day of meeting in the old house, a contribution was taken, that those who had not subscribed might have an opportunity of giving towards the new building, if they see cause.' The old house was taken down, and the ground cleared, between May 14 and 18. Mr. Copely and Major Dawes presented plans for the new building. The former was rejected on account of the expense. The latter was adopted. June 23, the corner stone was laid by Major Thomas Dawes, the architect, 'in the foundation at the south-west corner of the house, having this inscription;

'June 23d,
1772.

S. COOPER, D. D.
Minister.

'The day after laying the corner stone, some of the committee, taking into consideration what was proper to be done with a stone taken out of the south-east corner of the foundation of the original building, having the inscription BENJAMIN WALKER thereon, ordered the figures 1699 to be added thereto, being the year that the first meeting-house in Brattle Street was founded, and then the stone was laid in the foundation of the south-east corner of the new house.' 'The name of the HON. JOHN HANCOCK, Esa. was inscribed on one of the rustick quoins [of Connecticut stone] at the south-west corner of the new building.'

While the house was erecting, the building committee had their office in the south-east chamber of the house in Brattle Square, then occupied by Mrs. Turell, and now by Deacon Simpkins. By the autumn, they had exhausted their funds, and were largely in debt. A subscription for pews was accordingly opened, each subscriber advancing not less than £30. The house cost £8000. The most valuable pews were appraised at £50. When it was occupied, several remained unsold, and there was still a debt of £750 to the mechanicks, which was not paid off till the ministry of Dr. Thacher. Major Dawes did one half of the masons' work; and William Homer, Benjamin Richardson, and David Bell, the other. One half of the carpenters'

work was done by Benjamin Eustis and

Crafts; one quarter by Benjamin Sumner, jun. and James Sumner; and the other by John Stutson and Nathaniel Call, on an agreement that these two companies should proportionably admit William Flagg, James Robbins, Benjamin Sumner, Joseph Eustis and Appleton to a part of the work at the same rate.' Capt.

John Gore and Mr. Daniel Rae were the painters.

There were seventy-five' free gift' subscribers. The most liberal subscriptions were those of Gov. Hancock and Gov. Bowdoin. The latter gave £200. The former gave £1000, reserving to himself the particular disposition of the sum, and the beginning and completing a mahogany pulpit, with its full furniture, a mahogany deacons' seat, and communion table, under his own direction,' and the providing for the accommodation of poor widows and others, belonging to the Society, who are reputable persons, and unable to furnish themselves with seats, &c.' In addition to this, he gave a bell. A temporary pine pulpit was first erected, that which was engaged by him of Mr. Crafts not being finished when the house was occupied.

Some approximation to an estimate of the size of the Society, at this period, may be made from the circumstance, that eighty-one voters are recorded by name to have been present at a meeting in 1773, and it is added, that there were several others.

In part of the years 1775 and 1776, a regiment or two of British troops were quartered in the church, a sugar-house which stood north of it, and other houses in the neighbourhood. Dr. Cooper was not seldom a subject of their notice in passing into the church at service time, while they were paraded in the square. Divine service continued to be performed till 'April 16, 1775, when, by the cruelty and oppression of an infamous administration, the congregation was dispersed, and the house improved as a barrack for the British soldiery, till, by a most remarkable interposition of Divine Providence, the troops were obliged to evacuate the town on the 17th March, 1776. Gen. Gage had his head quarters in the house opposite the church. He told Mr. Turell, he had no fear of the shot from Cambridge, for his troops, while within such walls. The morning on which the British left the town, Deacon Newell and Mr. Turell went into the church, and quenched the fires, which they had left burning. A shot struck the tower the night before. It was picked up by Mr. Turell, and preserved by his family till the committee for making the late repairs had it fastened in the tower where it had struck.

When the British were about to occupy the church, Deacon Gore and Deacon Newell were permitted to case up the pulpit and columns, and remove the body pews, which were carried to the paint loft of the former. The soldiers defaced the inscription of Gov. Hancock's name, mentioned p. 64, and the stone remains in the condition in which they left it. A

which he said, 'God forbid that I should cease to pray for you, that another Cooper (I mean one like the deceased) be set over you in the Lord; a man of learning, parts, and powers, such as this place so much' wants and calls for.' Mr. Cooper preached once a fortnight, from the time of his invitation till he was ordained. April 1st, 1746, he gave, in a sermon, a confession of his faith, to the general satisfaction of the audience.' The ordaining council consisted of the churches of Boston, Charlestown, and Cambridge. Mr. Webb prayed, Dr. Colman preached from Isaiah vi. 8, Dr. Sewall gave the Charge, and Mr. Prince the Right Hand of Fellowship. A discretion, which has since been understood to belong to the council, was on this occasion exercised by the congregation, who voted, at the request of the reverend pastor, Dr. Colman, that, in case he find himself disabled by the infirmities of age, or bodily weakness, to preside in the proposed ordination, pray, and give the charge, with the imposition of the hands of the presbytery, then that he be desired to request the Rev. Dr. Sewall, in the name of the Church, to preside and lead in that part of the solemnity.' Mr. Prince, however, spoke in his part of the service, of being directed by the reverend pastors and other messengers of the several churches, in council here convened.'

(24.) p. 17. As early as 1754, Dr. Cooper published the Crisis, a spirited and well written pamphlet, against the project of an excise, which was favoured by many of his friends, the Whigs, and, after being adopted by the representatives, met, for a time, an unexpected obstacle in the governour. Before and during the revolutionary struggle, Dr. Cooper contributed largely to the Boston Gazette and the Independent Ledger. He was in constant correspondence with our ambassadors, and other persons of note, in France, and on terms of confidential intimacy with the French officers in this country. In calling him, in the paragraph to which this note refers, 'the leading divine of his country and time,' it was not intended to claim for him a place above such men as Dr. Chauncy and Dr. Mayhew. But the peculiar character of the former, and the prejudices, which existed against the latter on the score of doctrine, prevented them from taking that place among the clergy, which was conceded to Dr. Cooper.

(25.) p. 17. DR. COOPER was born March 28, 1725; baptized April 4th, following; and graduated in 1743, the year of his father's death. He lived at different times in a house on the south side of Cambridge Street, at the entrance of Bowdoin Square, now occupied by Dr. Spooner; in a house at the N. W. corner of Dassett's Alley, into which Dr. Colman had moved from State Street in 1715, and which, in 1769, was bought of Stephen Deblois by the Society for a parsonage, for £566.13.4; in the house in Brattle Square, opposite to the church, now occupied by Mrs.