Samuel Phillips (reverend)


Reverend Samuel Phillips was a minister and the first pastor of the South Church in Andover, Massachusetts. His son, John Phillips, was the founder of Phillips Exeter Academy, and his grandson, Samuel Phillips Jr., was the founder of Phillips Academy Andover and shortly the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.

Early life

Samuel Phillips was born in Salem, Massachusetts on February 17, 1690. Phillips was the second eldest child and eldest son of Samuel Phillips and Mary Emerson and one of eight siblings, including one half-sister:
  1. Patience died young.
  2. Sarah married William White, of Haverhill, in Boston June 12, 1716. Before her marriage, she was probably living with a relative or friend in Boston as she was living with her father Samuel Phillips of Salem. They had eleven children.
  3. Mary married Capt. George Abbot, of Andover, in Salem November 29, 1721.
  4. Ruth married Samuel White, of Haverhill, in 1718 or April 21, 1724 in Ipswich according to the Hamlet Parish Church record, now a part of Hamilton, Massachusetts. They had seven children.
  5. Elizabeth died young.
  6. John was a Boston merchant, bookseller and publisher, deacon of the Brattle Street Church, colonel of the Boston Regiment, and a Justice of the Peace and of the Quorum. He is the grandfather of John Phillips, first mayor of Boston, great-grandfather of Wendell Phillips. He married Mary Buttolph on November 21, 1723 and after she died Abigail Webb of Fairfield, Connecticut.
Child with second wife Sarah Mayfield, married April 27, 1704:
  1. Patience married Rev. David Jewett of New London, Connecticut and had two children. She met Jewitt while he was a theology student at Harvard. Jewitt was ill and she helped bring him back to good health. She also, according to parish records in New London, was born with one hand, but was still able to perform most of the tasks those with two could.
His grandfather was Rev. Samuel Phillips of Rowley and his great-grandfather George Phillips of Watertown, one of the first to settle in Watertown and founder of its First Congregational Church.
Phillips was admitted to Harvard College in July 1704 and graduated in 1708. After about a year of teaching in Chebacco, Massachusetts, he became more focused on preparing for the ministry.

Ministry

Phillips preached in Norton for a short period of time. He had the respect of the parish and was asked to relocate and begin preaching with its new church. He was not ordained however: "The influence of the minister of the old Parish of Taunton was unfavorable."
In 1710 Phillips came to Andover to serve as the pastor of the newly founded South Church. He began preaching on April 30th of that year. On December 12th the Parish voted unanimously in his favor. He declined, however, to officially take on the role immediately after his approval due to his young age. On October 17, 1711, the day of the official organization of the church and at the age of 22, Phillips was ordained as the first pastor of the South Church. He "preached the Sermon himself, from Ezek. 3:17."
While pastor he published a number of works, many of which were written for members of the parish to take as guidance. He preached an Artillery Sermon, an Election Sermon, and a Convention Sermon, suggesting he was highly esteemed. Reverend John Webb, in the preface of Advice to A Child, writes of Phillips:

"The discourses he has published heretofore, have given him this testimony in the consciences of all good Christians who have read them. That he is a well-qualified and faithful minister of Jesus Christ."

Phillips had at least two African American servants, Salem and Rama. After Phillips died, they became servants of Rev. Jonathan French, the next pastor. They had a child named Cyrus and another Titus.
Phillips remained pastor of the church until his death on June 5, 1771, serving nearly sixty years. Jonathan French succeeded him as second pastor.

Marriage and children

Phillips married Hannah White of Haverhill, daughter of John White of Haverhill and Lydia Gilman on January 17, 1712. Together they had five children:
  1. Mary married Samuel Appleton, of Haverhill, on October 12, 1736. She died in childbed at the age of 25, her only child still-born.
  2. Samuel was a teacher, businessman, a deacon of South Church, a Representative to the General Court and the Convention of Deputies, and a member of the Governor's Council. He graduated from Harvard University in 1734. He was a founder of Phillips Academy along with his brother John Phillips and especially his son Judge Samuel Phillips and President of its Board of Trustees from 1778–1790.
  3. Lydia married Dr. Parker Clark, of Newbury, on May 18, 1742. They had four children.
  4. John was a teacher, merchant, judge, and trustee of Dartmouth College. He graduated from Harvard University in 1735. He is also a founder of Phillips Academy and sole founder of Phillips Exeter Academy.
  5. William was a merchant, representative, senator, member of the Constitutional Convention, deacon of the Old South Church in Boston, and trustee of Phillips Academy.
Hannah died on January 7, 1773 at the age of 82.

Death and legacy

Phillips died on June 5, 1771. Over the course of his ministry, he baptised 2143 people including 30 adults and witnessed the parish grow from 35 in 1711 to 573. He is the longest-serving pastor of the church to date. He is buried in the South Church Cemetery, Andover, Massachusetts along with other members of the Phillips family.

Publications

Phillips wrote a number of publications over his lifetime covering a variety of subjects. The following is a complete list of his works:
TitleYear PublishedNotes
Elegy upon the death of Nicholas Noyes and George Curwen1718Reverend Nicholas Noyes was a minister who served as the assistant reverend to Reverend John Higginson during the Salem witch trials in 1692. He was born in Newton to Nicholas Noyes and Mary Cutting and graduated from Harvard College in 1667. Higginson and Noyes were both ministers of the First Church of Salem, serving from 1660 – 1708 and 1683 – 1717 respectively. He may not gave regretted participating in the witch trials given that his signature is not present on related documents asking for forgiveness. He died in Salem of brain hemorrhage.
A word in Season1727
Three plain, practical Discourses1728
Advice to a Child1729Its preface was written by John Webb, friend and classmate of Phillips and pastor of the New North Church, now known as St. Stephen's Church, in Boston.
The History of the Saviour1738
The Orthodox Christian1738
A Minister's Address to his People1739
A Preface to Mr. Barnard's funeral sermon for Mr. Abiel Abbot1739
Artillery Election Sermon1741
Living Water to be had for Asking1750
A Sermon at the General Election1750
A Sermon at the Installation of Rev. Samuel Chandler1751Rev. Samuel Chandler was a clergyman born in Andover. He was ordained in the second parish of York, Maine from January 20, 1742 to 1751 and served as a member of the clergy of Gloucester, Massachusetts from November 13, 1751 until his death.
Sinner's Refusal to come to Christ Reproved1753
The Necessity of God's Drawing, in Order to Man's Coming unto Christ1753Delivered in Boston on June 3, 1753
Convention Sermon1753
Sermon at the Ordination of Nathan Holt1759Nathan Holt was born and baptized in the South Parish of Andover. His father Nicholas Holt and mother were also members of the South Church. He was ordained pastor of the church of Danvers, Massachusetts, on January 3, 1759.
Seasonable Advice to a Neighbor1761
Address to Young People1763
Discourse on Justification1766Delivered in Boston
A Sermon on Suicide1767Given after the death of David Gray