Way Down East, or, Portraitures of Yankee Life/Chapter VII

Chapter VII Seating the Parish

So thought the good people of the old town of Brookhaven, about a hundred and forty years ago, when they enacted the law for for seating the parish at church. Do any of our distant readers want information as to the locality and geography of Brookhaven? We may as well premise in the outset, that it is on Long island, some sixty miles or so from the city of New York, and is the largest town in territory in Suffolk County, containing more than a hundred thousand acres, and stretching across the whole width of the island. It contains seven or eight thousand inhabitants, who are distributed in several villages along the shores of the Sound and the Atlantic, while the middle portions of the town still remain covered with pine forests, abounding with deer and other wild game.

The early settlers of this part of Long Island were mostly from New England, and the inhabitants still retain much of the primitive Puritan character of their forefathers. A company from Boston and its vicinity, commenced a settlement in Brookhaven as early as sixteen hundred and fifty-five; and in ten years the settlement had increased so much, that they called a minister of the gospel to come and reside among them. Their choice of pastor was, of course, from the good old Pilgrim stock; for where else could they go? There was no other race among men or under heaven, according to their ideas, "whereby they could be saved." Accordingly, they settled as their first minister, Rev. Nathan Brewster, a grandson of Elder William Brewster, who came over in the May Flower.

Thus having proved the origin of the good people of Brookhaven, it follows as a matter of course, that they were not only a pious people, a church-going people, but also great lovers of order and decorum. Happily, so important a conclusion does not rest for its authority on mere inference alone; it is sustained by ample and positive proof in the shape of duly authenticated records.

Like most new and remote settlements, the town might, for some time, be regarded as a sort of independent democracy. The people met together in a body, and adopted rules, and made laws, and elected magistrates and other officers, to see the laws properly executed. Their attendance at church, also, was, for many years, conducted very much on the democratic principle. Indeed this is most usually the case with churches in all new settlements. The meeting-house, as well as the nation, experiences its revolutions, and in the progress of society, passes through all the regular forms of government.

It has its period of pure democracy; when the temple is a humble, unfinished structure, with open doors and windows, and the people come and go at all times during the hours of worship, as best suits their pleasure. Then it is, that the congregation sit on stout longitudinal planks supported by blocks of wood, and on transverse boards resting on the aforesaid planks. These planks and boards being common property, vested in the body politic, the respective seats, on the Sabbath, are seized and rightfully held, like a newly discovered country, by the first occupant; thus affording a practical illustration at the same time both of their political and religious faith, viz.:---that the people of the parish are all equal, and that God is no respecter of persons.

In progress of time, the meeting-house glides naturally into the aristocratic form of government. Wealth has begun to make distinctions in society. A better building is erected, or the old one repaired and put in a condition more suitable to the times. Permanent fixtures take the place of the loose planks and boards, and low partition walls divide the floor into distinct compartments. This revolution has been brought on and carried out by the wealth of the few who had the means to sustain it, and they in return receive the honors and distinctions usually bestowed on the successful leaders of a revolution. The many look up to them with reverence, and stand back and give place to them whenever they appear. The affairs of the meeting-house are now principally under their management and control, and having taken possession of the most honorable seats, and provided that the most respectable among the mass should take the seats of the next highest grade, the remainder of the house is left free for promiscuous occupation.

Years pass on; and by the diffusion of wealth and knowledge, and the increase of numbers, the society becomes ripe for another revolution. Then perhaps comes on a sort of constitutional government, not unlike that of our great Republican Union. A tasteful and costly church is erected, and the snug and elegant family pew succeeds to the former rude compartments. Each pew, like a sovereign and independent State, is governed by the head of the family, who has entire control over all matters of its internal police, subject, however, at all times, to the general and common laws of the society.

The illustration of our subject, drawn from the history of the good old town of Brookhaven, is derived from that period when the meeting-house was undergoing a change from a democratic to an aristocratic form of government. The building had been much improved, mainly by the generous liberality of Colonel Smith, who had poured out his treasure like water, to accomplish so laudable an object. By the thorough renovation it underwent at this time, including the applications of yellow ochre and oil, and the change of loose planks and boards for permanent seats, the meeting-house was much modernized, and exhibited a very respectable appearance. In front of the pulpit stood a large table of about twelve feet by four, around which, on communion days, the church gathered to partake of the supper. At the regular Sabbath services, the upper members of the parish, including, of course, Colonel Smith and his family, seated themselves at the table, as being the most honorable seat, on account of its vicinity to the pulpit, and the convenience it afforded as a resting-place for psalm-books and psalters. The rest of the floor of the meeting-house was divided into fifteen different apartments, of an oblong, bed-room sort of size and shape, which were denominated pews.

But it is hard to bring the mass of community to adopt great changes or innovations in government, or the habits of society. When our excellent federal Constitution was framed, it was a long time before a majority of the people of all the States could be induced to fall in with it, and receive it as their form of government. So it was with the parish of Brookhaven. They had been accustomed, from time immemorial, to sit promiscuously in all parts of the meeting-house wherever they pleased, and there seemed to be but little disposition on the part of the mass of the parish, to break over the old habit. The society had become numerous, and contained many noisy and roguish boys, and not a few thoughtless and frolicking young men. Scenes of indecorum and confusion occurred almost every Sabbath, greatly to the annoyance of the more sober part of the congregation, and sometimes to the interruption of the ceremonial of worship.

At last good Parson Phillips had to stop short one day in the midst of his sermon. He stood silent for the space of a minute, looking sternly at pews number four and six, and then, shaking his finger solemnly in that direction, he said:

"If the boys in pew number four will stop that crowding and shuffling their feet, and the young men in pew number six will cease their whispering with the young women, the sermon can go on; if not, not."

The whole congregation looked thunderstruck. The old men turned their heads towards the two pews and then towards the minister, and then towards the pews again. Deacon Jones, coloring with indignation, rose on his feet, and glanced round with a look of awful rebuke upon pew number six; and Mr. Wigglesworth, who was seated at the table, went directly into pew number four, and seizing two of the boys by the shoulders in the thickest of the crowd, dragged them out of the pew, and set them down at the foot of the pulpit stairs. These decided demonstrations in favor of good order were not without their influence, and the services again proceeded without any material interruption till the close. When Parson Phillips was about to pronounce the benediction, Deacon Jones was observed to rise sooner than he was accustomed to do, and before any of the rest of the congregation; and he was observed, also, to stand during that ceremony, with his back to the minister, and looking round upon the audience, a thing which he was never seen to do before. The congregation, therefore, were prepared to expect something out of the usual course, from Deacon Jones. As soon as the amen had dropped from the minister's lips, the deacon stretched out his hand, and began to address the audience.

"I think," said he, "the scenes we have witnessed here to-day, as well as on several Sabbaths heretofore, admonish us that we have a duty to perform which has been too long neglected. If we have any regard for our character, as an orderly and wellbehaved people; if we have any respect for the house of God, and the holy religion we profess, I think it is high time we took a decided stand, and adopted some strong measures to secure order and decorum during the hours of public worship. I feel impelled by a sense of duty to invite a general meeting to be held at this place to-morrow, to take the subject into consideration. And I hope that all the heads of families in town, and all who vote and pay taxes, will meet here to-morrow at ten o'clock for this purpose."

Colonel Smith spoke, and said he approved of the suggestion of Deacon Jones, and hoped there would be a general attendance. The congregation then dispersed, some moving silently and thoughtfully homeward, and some loitering by the way and leaning over the fences, in companies of three or four together, and discussing earnestly the events of the day, and proposing plans to be presented at the meeting to-morrow.

Punctually at ten o'clock, the next day, there was a very general gathering of the inhabitants at the meeting-house. On motion of Deacon Jones, Colonel Smith was unanimously appointed "moderator," or chairman of the meeting, and on assuming the chair, he stated in a few pertinent remarks, the general object of the meeting, and said they were now ready to hear any observations or suggestions on the subject. A minute or two passed in perfect silence, and no one seemed disposed to rise. At last, the chairman said, perhaps Squire Tallmadge would favor the meeting with his views of the matter. The eyes of all were now turned toward Squire Tallmadge, who after a little pause, rose slowly, and addressed the chair as follows.

"For one, Mr. Moderator, I feel the importance of the subject upon which we are met; and for one, I am prepared to go into strong measures to remedy the evil, which has been so common of late. The evil is great, and must be corrected. We had a specimen yesterday of the noise and indecorum which sometimes interrupts the course of worship. And that is not all, nor the worst of it. The young men and the boys have got in the habit of going in early sometimes, before services begin, and crowding into the best seats, and occupying the chairs round the table; so that the older people, the pillars of the church, and those who bear most of the expense of supporting the gospel, have to go into the back seats or stow themselves round in the corners, wherever they can find a chance. This is the difficulty, and it seems to me the remedy would lie in some entirely new arrangement for seating the parish. I think the inhabitants should be properly divided into classes, and each class assigned to a different pew, having reference to the rank and respectability of each class, and the respective proportions they contribute to the support of the gospel."

As Squire Tallmadge sat down, Mr. Wigglesworth and Doctor Wetmore rose nearly at the same time. The chair finally decided that Mr. Wigglesworth had the floor, whereupon Mr. Wigglesworth made the following remarks.

"Mr. Moderator; I agree with all that Squire Tallmadge has said, exactly; only I don't think he's stated the audacious conduct half strong enough. I think, if the young men have courting to do, they should do it at home and not in church. Why, Mr. Moderator, I've seen a young man, that I won't call by name, now, though he's here in this meeting, set with his arm round the girl that sot next to him half sermon time." Here the heads of the audience were turned in various directions, 'till their eyes rested on four or five young men, who, with unusual modesty, had taken some of the back seats, and one of whom was observed to color deeply.

"I think," continued Mr. Wigglesworth, "the people at church ought to be sifted out, and divided, each sort by itself. What's the use of having these 'ere pews, if it aint to divide the people into them according to their sorts? I have a calf-pen and a sheep-pen in my barn-yard, and I put the calves into one, and the sheep into 'tother, and then I put the bars up, and don't let 'em run back and forth into each other's pen, jest as they are a mind to. I've no more to say, Mr. Moderator, only I hope now we've begun, we shall make thorough work of it."

Doctor Wetmore then rose, and made a few remarks. He fully agreed with the suggestions thrown out by Squire Tallmadge. He had witnessed the evils complained of, and had been mortified by them a good many times; and he believed the proper remedy would be, as Squire Tallmadge suggested, in some thorough change and some regular system, with regard to seating the parish at church. He would move therefore, that the subject be referred to the trustees, or selectmen of the town, and that they be requested to draw up an ordinance, to be adopted as a town law for seating the people in a proper and orderly manner at church, according to their proper rank, and also having special reference to the sums contributed by each for the support of the gospel.

Mr. Wigglesworth seconded the motion, and it was put and carried unanimously. Deacon Jones then moved that the trustees be requested to give thorough attention to the work the present week, and bring their ordinance in the next Sabbath morning, and have it read from the pulpit, and go into immediate operation. This motion was also seconded and carried, and the meeting adjourned.

This week was an anxious week at Brookhaven, and one on which an unusual amount of talking was done. The subject was canvassed and discussed in every possible shape by all classes and in all families. The old ladies were rejoicing at the prospect of more quiet and orderly meetings, and the young ladies were in fidgets to know where they were to sit. Several persons came forward with surprising liberality during this week, and added ten, fifteen, and some as high as twenty shillings, to their annual subscription, for the support of the ministry.

At last, the important Sunday morning came round. It was a pleasant morning, and the people went uncommonly early to church, and the meeting-house was fuller than it had been seen for many months before. None, however, seemed disposed to take seats as they entered, and all were standing, when Parson Phillips came in. When the Reverend gentleman came up to the pulpit, the chairman of the trustees handed him the ordinance, and requested him to read it from the pulpit, in order that the parish might be seated accordingly before the services commenced. Parson Phillips accordingly ascended the pulpit, and unfolded the paper, and while the whole congregation stood in profound silence, with their eyes fixed on the speaker, he read as follows.

"At a meeting of the Trustees of Brookhaven, August 6, one thousand seven hundred and three: Whereas, there hath been several rude actions of late happened in our church by reason of people not being seated, which is much to the dishonor of God and the discouragement of virtue; For preventing the like again, it is ordered, that the inhabitants be seated after the manner and form following: All freeholders that have or shall subscribe within a month to pay forty shillings to Mr. Phillips towards his salary shall be seated at the table, and that no women are permitted to set there, except Colonel Smith's lady, nor any woman kind; And that the President for the time being shall sit in the right-hand seat under the pulpit, and the clerk on the left; the trustees in the front seat, and the Justices that are inhabitants of the town are to be seated at the table, whether they pay forty shillings or less. And the pew number one, all such persons as have or shall subscribe twenty shillings; and the pew number two, such as subscribe to pay fifteen shillings; in pew number three, such as subscribe to pay ten shillings; number four, eight shillings; number five, twelve shillings; number six, nine shillings; number seven, for the young men; number eight, for the boys; number nine, for ministers' widows and wives; and for those women whose husbands pay forty shillings, to sit according to their age; number eleven, for those men's wives that pay from twenty to fifteen shillings. The alley fronting the pews to be for such maids whose parents or selves shall subscribe, for two, six shillings; number twelve, for those men's wives who pay from ten to fifteen shillings; number thirteen, for maids; number fourteen, for girls; and number fifteen, for any. Captain Clark and Joseph Tooker to settle the inhabitants according to the above orders." '*

When the reading was finished, Captain Clark and Mr. Tooker entered upon the duties of their office; and after about an hour's marching and counter-marching, and whispering, and pulling and hauling, and referring to the parish subscription books, the congregation was seated, quiet was restored, and the services of the day were performed without interruption. The next Sabbath, each one knew his own place, and the new order of things was found to work well, and answered a good purpose for many long years after that, 'till in the progress of human events the parish became ripe for another reform.

'* True extract from old records.