History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

110 History of Swansea
Swansea when the youngest was seventy years old. One of
the sons, Isaac, was the first deacon of this church; another
son, Joseph, succeeded Mr. Barnes as pastor; a third son of
Samson Mason, Peletiah, was the father of three ministers,
Job, Russell, and John,—two of them serving as pastors of
this church, as also did their cousin Benjamin, son of Samson
Mason, Jr., these prophets not being without honor in their
own country and among their own kin.
There is evidence that a considerable part of the increase
in the numerical strength of the church, already mentioned,
occurred in the early part of the ministry of Joseph Mason.
It is assigned as a reason for the ordination of his colleague,
John Pierce, in 1715, that it "had pleased God to increase our
numbers. '*
The first meeting of the voters of the parish of which there
is a record took place in 1719, the congregation concurring
with the church in the election of Joseph Mason as pastor.
He had long served in that capacity, and this action was
taken to avoid legal difficulties. The town of Barrington had
not long before been set off from Swansea, that a Puritan
minister might be supported therein by taxation, repeated
efforts, beginning about the time of the ordination of Mr.
Barnes, having failed to induce or compel the undivided
township to conform to the custom which prevailed elsewhere
throughout the colony. The inhabitants of the remaining
portion of the town dishked both the exclusive spirit of
Puritanism and the system of taxation for the support of
religious institutions. When Mr. Mason was in due form
pronounced the lawful pastor, he publicly declared himself
satisfied with the voluntary contributions of the congregation
for his subsistence, and expressly waived all claim to support
by taxation, while recognizing the duty of all "to uphold and
maintain ye ministry and worship of God in ye severall
churches or congregations where they respectively belong or
assemble," "and not in any other church or congregation."
It was while Joseph Mason was pastor and John Pierce his
assistant that the meeting-house was built (to be described in
a subsequent paragraph), which for more than a century was
occupied for public worship.
Joseph Mason died in 1748, John Pierce in 1750, each
attaining "the great age of about ninety years." They had
"in January, 1737-38" (in January, 1738, "new style"),
requested the church to provide them a colleague, and Job
Mason, a nephew of the senior pastor, was selected. Four
months after the choice was made, in May, 1738, he was
ordained. A few months after the death of Joseph Mason the
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