125 



His meeting lioaso was on Essex street, a few rods above 

 Washington street, on the northern side, where the Treadwell 

 building now is. He came to Salem with a great reputation 

 for learning, eloquence and piety, and was able at the very 

 outset to persuade the society to adopt a new and strange form 

 of church government, allied with the Presbyterian, one of the 

 peculiarities of which was, that no church act could be execut- 

 ed without his consent. This made him actual dictator of the 

 church. And having once mounted the saddle he was a skilful 

 rider. He also beguiled them " with fair words and goodly 

 speeches,-' as they afterwards themselves declared, into a novel 

 mode of installation. No clergy assisted on the occasion, but 

 what little ceremony was performed, was done by Timo. Pick- 

 ering, jr., who read the society's letter of invitation, to which 

 the Dr. gave his own reply. The neighboring clergy protested 

 against this innovation, but the popularity of the new minister 

 was a shield against all assaults. . His society increased and 

 flourished, and became the largest in town — probably larger in 

 numbers than any at present in this place. 



But although Dr. Whittaker thus came in on the top wave 

 of popularity, he remained to witness an ebb of the tide ; even 

 more than this, to see the tide all out, and himself high and dry 

 on the flats. His society, the largest in town when he came, 

 was the smallest when he left. It Avas found that his character, 

 at first esteemed so pure and godly, had in it a dash of " the 

 world, the flesh and the devil." He soon entered upon the 

 cares of the temporal as well as of the spiritual kingdom. He 

 became an active man in the worldly concerns of the town, and 

 busied himself generally about so many matters that he dam- 

 aged his standing as a minister. This was particularly so when 

 rumors affectino- his moral character beffan to gain credence. — 

 His old friends then turned against him and deserted him, and 

 Timothy Pickering, jr., who had been his right hand man, 

 dealt him some left hand blows which were more than he could 

 take and live. 



In 1774, a portion of his society withdrew, and were subse- 

 quently organized as the present South church. In October of 

 the same year, the meeting house was destroyed by " the 

 Great Fire." But still undaunted, by a herculean efibrt, Dr. 

 Whittaker raised the means, from Presbyterians in various 

 places, to erect a new house, the late Tabernacle, which he 

 named after his friend Whitefield's Tabernacle in London, of 

 which it was a copy. The conditions of subscription to the 

 building were, that " the Rev. Dr. N. W., shall be the founder 

 of said Tabernacle and proprietor of the lands, * * * * 



