Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-09-29
Clear day though cold. Exercises as usual. Visit to Mrs. Quincy. Evening at the Mansion.
After my regular lesson with Louisa, I attended divine service as usual but upon rather an uncommon occasion. This was selected as the day of Anniversary of the second century since the gathering of the Church, and Mr. Lunt seized the occasion to deliver in his two discourses an interesting account of our church experiences.
His text in the morning was from 8 Deuteronomy 7.9.10. 11.12.14.17. Rather too long to insert. In the Afternoon John 4. 20 “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain.” The subject was somewhat dry but he enlivened it by eloquent passages thrown in here and there very neatly and very adroitly. His notice of my grandfather af-302fected me to tears. I am unable to give any satisfactory abstract of the discourses and hope to see them printed in order to keep me in the recollection.1 The house was full all day and the attention was flattering. Mr. Lunt is one of that class of men who are not appreciated by their generation. He has done more than many who have twice his reputation.
I dined at my father’s with I. P. Davis who was there. After service went down with the ladies to see Mrs. Quincy the elder and her daughters who were at her son’s for the day. Evening at the Mansion.
Mr. Lunt’s sermons were printed as Two Discourses, delivered September 29, 1839, on Occasion of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Gathering of the First Congregational Church, Quincy, Boston, 1840. The events of 1636–1639, centering upon the theological controversy involving Rev. John Wheelwright at Mount Wollaston, are the subject of the first sermon. The second undertakes the history from 17 Sept. 1639 (O.S.), the date of the gathering of a distinct and independent church at Mount Wollaston under pastors William Tompson and Henry Flynt. The journal entry in JQA’s Diary provides a somewhat fuller account of the occasion than does CFA’s.
1839-09-30
Fog and rain. At home. Evening at the house below. Visiters.
I passed all my morning in copying or comparing the copies already made with my Wife who gave me her assistance today. This made me omit German, and I was interrupted also by visiters, Mrs. Quincy with Mrs. Edmund and Miss Susan being here before dinner, Mrs. H. and G. Dawes for a short time and Sidney Brooks with his Wife to tea. I therefore finished only a few sections of the Life of Agricola.
As Mrs. Adams had just gone to ride when her brother came, I was obliged to entertain them alone for some time. Sidney left with me a letter to C. A. Davis from Mr. Horsley Palmer which is a curious manifestation of the course of human affairs.1 They left us shortly after six and we spent the evening at the Mansion.
The allusion escapes the editors.