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The Protestant churches of Cambridge.
Whoever writes the early history of
Cambridge must write of the first churches which were here, and the continuance of the history must include the churches, which have had a goodly part in making the town and the city.
The founders of the town were men of the church.
The first settlers in these parts had come from a land where the church and the state were closely united, and they intended to keep their places in both while they found homes in this new world.
They were loyal to the institutions under which they had been born.
Their thought proved impracticable.
The first churches in
Massachusetts Bay soon severed their connection with the English Church, as the men of
Plymouth had done before they left
England.
Afterwards, the colonies declared themselves independent of the government also.
The original plan, to make the town here the metropolis of the province, was abandoned.
Still, the settlement was highly respectable.
It was one of the best towns in
New England, and it is reported that most of the inhabitants were very rich.
In
England, many of them had been under the ministry of
Rev. Thomas Hooker, who was driven from them; whereupon, they sought a new home across the sea, which they trusted he would share with them.
They began to make their settlement at
Mount Wollaston, and the
Court ordered them to come to the
New Town.
In 1632 a meeting-house was built, and in 1633
Mr. Hooker and
Rev. Samuel Stone were made the ministers of the new church.
This was the eighth church in the
Massachusetts Colony.
But in 1636 the ministers and most of the church and congregation left
New Town for
Connecticut.
Some families, eleven or more, remained here.
Fortunately for them, another company of about sixty persons had come from
England, having
Thomas Shepard as their leader.
On a mural tablet in the church which bears his name
