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��THE FIRST CHURCH IN DOVER, AND ITS PASTOR.
��made " Governor," by the voice of the people.
But Knollys succeeded in organizing a church " of some of the best minded," which, written by a Puritan, meant Pu- ritan. Burdett, whose letters to Laud, still existing in the Public Record office in London, told altogether too much truth as to Massachusetts policy to suit Massachusetts, became guilty of misde- meanors, or at least a Massachusetts his- torian said so, and went to Agamenticus, where he became Governor again. For two years, Knollys remained in peace, with Capt. John Underhill, an old sol- dier of Count Maurice in the Low Coun- tries, and at this period Governor of Do- ver, as his main coadjutor.
But in 1640, came hither Rev. Thomas Larkham, also a graduate of Cambridge. The Puritan historian has thrown oblo- quy on his name, but a careful student of New Hampshire history soon learns to distrust such accounts, when Massachu- setts policy was concerned. Larkham was, in spirit, still t in sympathy with the English church. It was an age of relig- ious confusions, and of yet unsettled con- ditions. The people of Dover cast aside Knollys, and received Larkham. This is easily understood, by remembering that the prelatical party was in existence. Then came dissensions. " The more re- ligious," Winthrop says, adhered to Knollys ; which in his mind meant the Puritan element. Larkham received to the church "the notoriously scandalous and ignorant, so they would promise amendment;" which meant, in Puritan minds, the practice of the Church of England. " These two fell out," says Lechford, " about baptizing children, re- ceiving of members, and burial of the dead," which means that the Puritan buried the dead without scripture, prayer, psalm or word; while the prelatist buried with the forms of the English church. Two parties finally appeared in arms. The magistrates supported Larkham ; got help from the Episcopal settlements at Portsmouth and across in Maine, and gave Larkham the supremacy.
Then Massachusetts sent men ostensi- bly to mediate, but really to pave the way for annexation. The existence of a
��free colony on the northern border was irksome. Tired of strugglings, the peo- ple, after considerable delay, and exact- ing terms which guarded their liberties, finally consented to come under Massa- chusetts authority. Both Knollys and Larkham left, the one in 1641, the other in 1642, and Daniel Maud, in that year, was sent to Dover as minister of the First Church, where he peaceably remained until his death in 1655. And thencefor- ward this church had a peaceful life, even to this day.
We give this more particular account of the real cause of the dissensions here in 1638-'42, — the existence of the irrec- oncilable Puritan and prelatic elements, — because Belknap fails to do so, and be- cause, until some cotemporary hints sug- gested, no such solution, we believe, ev- er appeared.
Knollys and Larkham alike returned to England. Each became eminent in re- ligion and good lives. Knollys became a Baptist, Larkham an Independent. Each suffered greatly from the establish- ed church, and each died in great esteem. It is also remarkable that engraved por- traits of each are still in existence, a copy of that of Knollys being in Dover. It is somewhere stated that Knollys was of the ancient family of that name, and was allowed to visit King Charles I. in his imprisonment.
The line of ministers of the First Par- ish is as follows :
1. William Leverich, 1633-'35. His de- scendants are numerous on Long Island, where he died.
2. George Burdett, 1637-'8.
3. Hanserd Knollys, 1638-'41.
4. Thomas Larkham, 1640-'42.
5. Daniel Maud, 1642-'55.
6. John Reyner, 1655-'69, dying in of- fice.
7. John Reyner, Jr., 1669-71, son of the last preceding, dying in office.
8. John Pike, 1678-1710. dying in office.
9. Nicholas Sever, 1711- , 15. After- wards a Judge in Massachusetts.
10. Jonathan Cushing, 1717-1769, dying in office, and the last minister of this church dying in its pastorate.
11. Jeremy Belknap, D.D., 1767-1786, the faithful historian of New Hampshire.
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