Dorchester Illustration of the Day no. 2040
The Rev. Jonathan Bowman House was located onPleasant Street, but no-one seems to know where onPleasant Street.
The Rev. Samuel J. Barrows wrote in his chapter “Dorchesterin the Provincial Period” in the second volume of the Memorial History of Boston:
The Rev. Jonathan Bowman, the next pastor, was called, in 1729, to be colleague to Mr. Danforth, about six months before the death of Danforth. Mr. Bowman was a native of Lexington, and, like two of his predecessors, a graduate of Harvard College. His ministry was somewhat disturbed by the arrival of Rev. George Whitefield in Boston, in 1740. Blake, in his Annals, describes the great impression which the revivalist’s preaching made upon Boston and the surrounding towns. He records his opinion “that things are by some Persons carried too far, contrary to ye design of ye Holy Spirit,–as in some places where Laymen go about Exhorting (as they call it), and people crowd in large Assemblies to hear them; and any cry out in ye Assembly, and are so struck (as they call it) that for a time they loose there Senses and Reason, and ye like.” Four years later Blake adds of Whitefield’s second visit: “But Ministers and People were generally Offended with his Conduct and manner of Preaching; but some were most firmly attached to him, and endeavored to defend all that he either said or did, which caused much Writing and Disputing.”
During this excitement seven male members of the church, “for their separation and injurious treatment of the minister, were laid under censure and forbid to come to communion until repentance and reformation.” The disaffected members called for a council. The church consented; the council was held May 19, 1747; Mr. Bowman and the church were sustained, and the dissatisfied brethren were advised to submit and return to the church.
Some twenty-six years later Mr. Bowman came somewhat violently into collision with his parish, largely on account of a personal difficulty which he had with one of his neighbors. A bitter controversy ensued. Another council was called in 1773. It was charged that he refused baptism to a child; that his sermons were too short; that he preached old sermons; and that he did not insist upon the doctrines of original sin and self-denial, and that he acted arbitrarily as moderator of the church meeting.
The unhappy differences resulted in the dismission of Mr. Bowman after a pastorate of forty-three years. During his ministry the fourth meeting-house was built, in 1743, at a cost of 3,300 pounds.
Orcutt, in Good Old Dorchester, described the incident that caused the personal difficulty with Bowman’s neighbor. Bowman’s chickens trespassed on the property of his neighbor, Paul Hall, who executed the chickens. Later when Mr. Hall brought a child for baptism, Mr. Bowman refused to perform the ceremony. In 1772 Mr. Hall preached a personal attack on some members of his congregation. Then a council was called, and he was dismissed as above. He died in 1775.
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