Alvan Lamson (November 18, 1792 – July 18, 1864) was a minister at
First Church and Parish in Dedham
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
, Massachusetts. His ordination led to a split in the church and eventually a lawsuit, ''
Baker v. Fales'', that helped disestablish the church and state in Massachusetts.
Personal life
Lamson was born on November 18, 1792, in
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, about 15 miles west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.
Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protectio ...
to John and Hannah (née Ayres) Lamson. He grew up on a farm and then attended
Phillips Andover
("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness
, address = 180 Main Street
, city = Andover
, state = Ma ...
. Lamson was graduated from
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, gov ...
in 1817 and received a doctorate of divinity from Harvard in 1837.
He was a great supporter of the
Dedham Public Schools
The Dedham Public School System (Dedham Public Schools) is a PK– 12 graded school district in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is the oldest public school system in the United States.
History
On January 2, 1643, the Town Meeting set aside land for ...
and was instrumental in establishing
Dedham High School. It was said of the 24 year member of the School Committee that "probably no citizen of the town ever took a deeper interest in the schools or worked harder to raise their character and standard." He organized reading circles in the parish library and engaged in editorial pursuits with other Unitarian ministers. He was a member of the
Massachusetts Historical Society and the first president of the
Dedham Historical Society from its establishment in 1859 to his death on July 18, 1864.
Lamson married Frances Fidelia, the daughter of Chief Justice
Artemas Ward Jr. on July 11, 1825.
Appointment
Lamson's appointment as minister came shortly after he was graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
and three months after the resignation of his predecessor,
Joshua Bates. Bates was not popular with the congregation and the church itself was divided by strong religious and other opinions.
On August 31, 1818, at a meeting of the parish, or the inhabitants of the town who were taxed to pay the minister's salary, Lamson was elected by an 81-44 majority. He beat out two other candidates. Members of the church opposed his election by a vote of 18–14, with six members not voting. Those who opposed Lamson did not raise any objections to his moral or professional qualifications.
After Lamson accepted the parish's call without the concurrence of the church, a council of pastors and delegates from 13 other churches was convened on October 28, 1818. The council included
Judge John Davis, Harvard President Rev.
John Kirkland, future Harvard president Rev.
James Walker, Rev.
Henry Ware, Rev.
Charles Lowell, and Rev.
William Ellery Channing
William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was the foremost Unitarian preacher in the United States in the early nineteenth century and, along with Andrews Norton (1786–1853), one of Unitarianism's leading theologians. Channi ...
. The committee selected Channing to serve as moderator and Rev. Ralph Sanger as scribe. Rev. John Reed of Bridgewater, Kirkland, Channing, Lowell, and Davis were selected to report the findings of the council.
The council met at the
Norfolk County Courthouse
The Norfolk County Courthouse, also known as the William D. Delahunt courthouse, is a National Historic Landmark at 650 High Street in Dedham, Massachusetts. It currently houses the Norfolk County Superior Court. It is significant as a well- ...
and heard the argument of
Judge Samuel Haven, who opposed Lamson's appointment. After two days of hearings and deliberations, it prepared a report in favor of Lamson's ordination. Lamson was ordained by
Rev. Henry Ware.
Ministry
Lamson was ordained on October 29, 1818, and served until October 29, 1860, making his the second-longest pastorate in the history of the church.
Lamson attempted to reconcile with those who left and formed a new church, but was largely unsuccessful. When he visited the home of a member of the new Orthodox Church, he was seated under a birdcage. Just as the homeowner asked a difficult question, the bird splashed water on him. Lamson turned his attention to the bird, and was immediately accused of trying to dodge the question.
After the
Allin Congregational Church
Allin Congregational Church is a historic United Church of Christ church in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was built in 1818 by conservative breakaway members of Dedham's First Church and Parish in the Greek Revival style.
History
The preaching of ...
ordained
Ebenezer Burgess
Ebenezer Burgess (April 1, 1790 – December 5, 1870) was the minister of the Allin Congregational Church in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Personal life
Burgess was born on April 1, 1790, in Wareham, Massachusetts. He was graduated from Brown University ...
as minister, Lamson looked at him "with a meloncholy toleration, laying a great deal of his religious xenophobia at the door of an ingrained affection for all that was quaint, unique, and antiquated about the New England species of
Calvinism
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...
." Burgess was openly disdainful of Lamson. Upon the death of Joel Richards, who had served as the town's undertaker, Burgess refused to share the funereal duties with Lamson even though Richards owned pews in both churches.
''Baker vs. Fales''
In the early 19th century, all Massachusetts towns were Constitutionally required to tax their citizens "for the institution of the public worship of God, and for the support and maintenance of public Protestant teachers of piety."
All residents of a town were assessed, as members of the parish, whether or not they were also members of the church. The "previous and long standing practice
as to havethe church vote for the minister and the parish sanction this vote."
In 1818 "Dedham
laimedrights distinct from the church and against the vote of the church."
When the parish installed and ordained Lamson, the more conservative or
orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
members left in 1818 decided to form a new church nearby, today known as the
Allin Congregational Church
Allin Congregational Church is a historic United Church of Christ church in Dedham, Massachusetts. It was built in 1818 by conservative breakaway members of Dedham's First Church and Parish in the Greek Revival style.
History
The preaching of ...
.
During the split, the departing members included Deacon Samuel Fales, who took parish records, funds, and the valuable silver used for
communion with him.
Members of the First Church sued and the case reached the
Supreme Judicial Court. The court ruled that "
atever the usage in settling ministers, the
Bill of Rights of 1780 secures to towns, not to churches, the right to elect the minister, in the last resort."
[Eliphalet Baker and Another v. Samuel Fales, 16 Mass. 403]
The court held that the property had to be returned to First Church, setting a precedent for future congregational splits that would arise as Unitarianism grew. The case was a major milestone in the road towards the
separation of church and state
The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state. Conceptually, the term refers to the creation of a secular sta ...
and led to the Commonwealth formally disestablishing the
Congregational Church
Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...
in 1833.
Notes
References
Works cited
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lamson, Alvan
Clergy from Dedham, Massachusetts
Harvard Divinity School alumni
People from Weston, Massachusetts
Unitarian clergy
1792 births
1864 deaths
19th-century American clergy