Josiah Flint, 1645-1680, Harvard class of 1664, minister at First Parish Church
no. 23765 The Flint tomb in the Dorchester Old North Burying Ground is the brick tomb in the middle of the illustration.
Rev. Josiah Flint (or Flynt) as written by himself, M. A., of Dorchester, born 24 August, 1645, was eldest son of the Reverend Henry Flynt, of the part of Braintree now Quincy, Massachusetts. whose wife was Margery, sister of President Hoar, H. U. 1650.
After his father’s decease, 27 April, 1668, he declined an invitation to preach at Cambridge village. He preached some time to the society in Braintree, and was charged by certain of the brethren of Braintree church with uttering “divers dangerous heterodoxies, delivered, and that without caution, in his public preaching.” The matter was referred to several highly respectable individuals, who vindicated him.
In August, 1670, the church at Dorchester gave him, as a candidate for the ministry, more votes than Benjamin Eliot, H. U. 1665, or Henry Butler, H. U. 1651, then in Old England ; and 17 April, 1671, on the question whether the inhabitants would have him “preach the word to the whole Town, there was not a man against it.” In the autumn the church sent to him “to stir him up” and hasten his removal to the town. December 3 he gave an answer accepting the call, and was ordained as successor of Richard Mather 27 December, 1671. In 1673 his salary was ninety pounds, one quarter in money. In 1675 he was assisted by Ammi Ruhamah Corlet, H. U. 167o. March 5,1676-7, “there was a solemn recognition of the Covenant by the Members of the Church; and on the 18th of April following a formal ;”public renewal.” In 1679 his salary was one hundred pounds, sixty of it in money and forty in “current pay,” and he was to provide what help he wanted.
From the interruptions in his ministry it is supposed he suffered considerably from ill health. In June, 1680, the town “voted that if Mr. Minot [H. U. 1675] can be procured to preach once a fortnight (his year beginning in January last and to end next January) that he should have twenty pounds, half money and half other pay.”
The inscription upon his monument : –
” HERE LYES INTERRED Ye CORPSE OF
Mr JOSIAH FLINT
LATE PASTOR TO Ye CHURCH IN
DORCHESTER AGED 35 YEARS DEC
SEPTr . Ye 15 16 8o
A MAN OF GOD HE WAS, SO GREAT, SO GOOD,
HIS HIGHEST WORTH WAS HARDLY UNDERSTOOD
SO MUCH OF GOD & CHRIST IN HIM DID DWELL.
IN GRACE & HOLYNESS HE DID EXCELL.
AN HONOR & AN ORNAMENT THEREBY
BOTH TO Ye CHURCH & Ye MINISTRY.
MOST ZEALOUS IN Ye WORK OF REFORMATION
To SAVE THIS SELF DESTROYING GENERATION
WITH COURAGE STROVE GAINST ALL THIS PEOPLES SIN
HE SPENT HIS STRENGTH HIS LIFE HIS SOUL THEREIN
CONSUMD WHT HOLY ZEAL FOR GOD FOR WHOME
HE LIVD & DY.D A KIND OF MARTYRDOME
IF MEN WIL NOT LAMENT THEIR HEARTS NOT BREAKE
NO WONDER THIS LAMENTING STONE DOTH SPEAKE
HIS TOMB STONE CRYS REPENT & SOULS TO SAVE
DOTH PRACH REPENTANCE FROM HIS VERY GRAVE
GAINST SINNERS DOTH AS LASTING RECORD LYE
THIS MONUMENT TO HIS BLESD MEMORY.
PSAL. IIx6 PROv. I0. 7.”
He died on 16, though his monument states 15, September, 1680. He was succeeded by John Danforth, H. U. 1677.