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

112 History of Swansea
the church. " The widow of Russell Mason long survived him,
and (in accordance with a vote of the church after her husband's
decease) continued to occupy the parsonage until her
death.
Benjamin, grandson of deacon Isaac, like his brother
Nathan, already mentioned, became a minister. In 1784 he
was ordained to assist his cousin Russell, and at his senior's
death succeeded him. He died in 1813, at the age of eightythree
years. It will be noticed that the posterity of the sturdy
soldier evinced by their longevity the possession of some of his
characteristics. For more than a century the successive
pastors bore his name, and the one who died youngest attained
the age of eighty years.
Increasing infirmities prevented Mr. Mason from preaching
statedly for several years, although he frequently participated
in the services when his colleague preached. An aged member
of the church, deceased, (1883) could recall but one, and that
the last occasion on which he addressed the people of his charge.
The venerable man, after alluding to that feeling of loneliness
which sometimes oppresses the aged pastor when he realizes
the changes wrought by death, as he misses so many of the
attendants on his early ministry, and to his consciousness of
the decay of his own powers, preached on "The Perpetuity of
Faith, Hope, and Love" from the text, "Now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three."
In 1801, Phihp Slade (ordained as an evangelist fourteen
years before) became assistant minister; after Mr. Mason's
death he sustained the relation of pastor until the close of 1819.
He had been unable, however, to perform all the duties of that
position for several years, even the Sunday service being
frequently omitted. For some time the church obtained
transient "supplies" for the pulpit. Afterward, with Mr.
Blade's approbation, Benjamin Taylor, then pastor of the
North Christian Church in New Bedford, was engaged to
preach at a special service on Sunday afternoons, the pastor
continuing the stated meeting in the morning. But the great
congregations which assembled to hear Mr. Taylor so contrasted
with the meagre attendance at the forenoon service
that Mr. Slade, who was not aware of the failure of his own
mental faculties, became much dissatisfied. Eventually the
church, by vote, decided to dissolve the pastoral relation, as
the "beloved elder is out of health both in body and mind.
Although this action was taken with much unanimity, at
least two members, both deacons, sympathized so much with
Mr. Slade that they withdrew from the church. Some others
followed their example, but the strength of the parish was not
"