42 History of Hingham. 



been in controversy between you and them, being of a civil nature. 

 Therefore shall be ready to serve you all I can in your religious affairs 

 and interest as a Christian neighbour and Gospel Minister. Tho' I now 

 may not in the particular you have desired as the Messenger of a Church 

 — than whom an Elder in an Ecclesiastical Council is nothing more, — 

 since the important affair before you may be as well managed without as 

 with us, I pray you to be content that this Church should not be active in 

 it, and explicitly encouragiug of it, since they have not sufficient sight 

 therefor. 



I believe it seems hard to you to be refused what you have asked of 

 your mother, . . . but you know it has been a day of temptation and 

 provocation in the town, and angry resentments, whether just or unjust, 

 are not wont soon to be quite laid aside after the strife between contend- 

 ing parties is at an end, and the conquered, when they submit, are not 

 presently so loving friends as afterwards they sometimes prove. 



If you patiently and silently pass over the conduct of the Church to- 

 wards you, I hope there will be a comfortable harmony of affections be- 

 tween you and us. On the walls of a new meeting-house were once 

 engraven these words, "Build not for faction nor a Party, but for pro- 

 moting Faith and Repentance in communion with all that love our Lord 

 Jesus Christ in sincerity.'''' May this be verified in the House you have 

 erected for Divine Worship. I wish you God's presence in it at all times, 

 and especially on the morrow at the Ordination of a Pastor over you, and 

 I pray God to make him a great blessing to you and to your children. 

 I am your sincere and affectionate friend, 



and late unworthy Pastor, 



Hingham, Decern 9, 1746. E - ^ AY - 



To the Third Church of Christ 

 iu Hingham. 



In the face of the facts indicated by the above letter, one can 

 hardly suppress a smile at the very first vote in the records of 

 the first meeting of the church after the ordination of Mr. Shute, 

 on Jan. 13, 1746-7, which is as follows : — 



" That the church will choose a committee to request of the First 

 Church, in Hingham, some part of the furniture of their communion 

 table, provided the Rev d M r Gay shall think proper to advise to it." 



It is almost needless to state that, at a meeting held on the 

 twenty-fifth of the same month, the committee reported " that 

 upon their application to Mr. Gay he did not advise to it." 



The principal facts concerning the formation of the Third 

 Church and Parish, and Dr. Shute's ministry, are contained in an 

 excellent memoir prepared by the father of the writer in 1863. 

 It would be an affectation of an ability not possessed by his son to 

 attempt any improvement upon, or addition to his accurate state- 

 ments relating to the history of affairs in this town, or his esti- 

 mate of its leading men, and it is a pleasure to be able to give his 

 words as prominent a place as possible in this " History of Hing- 

 ham." The accomplishment of such a work was his hope, but 

 that hope, though long entertained, he was not destined to see 

 fulfilled. 



