USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Medford > History of the town of Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement in 1630 to 1855 > Part 22
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In the autumn of the same year Mr. Porter married Su- sanna, daughter of Major Stephen Sewall, Esq., of Salem,
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and a sister of Stephen Sewall (H. C, 1721), afterwards; Chief Justice. Judge Samuel, her uncle, gives the follow- ing account of the wedding : -
" 1713, Oct. 22: I go to Salem ; visit Mrs. Epes, Colonel Hathorne. See Mr. Noyes marry Mr. Aaron Porter and Miss Susan Sewall at my brother's. Was a pretty deal of company present. Mr. Hirst and wife, Mr. Blowers (minister of Beverly), Mr. Prescot (minister of Dan- vers), Mr. Tuft, sen. (father of Rev. John Tufts of Newbury), Madame Leverett (lady of Pres. Leverett), Foxcroft, Goff, Kitchen, Mr. Samuel Porter, father of the bridegroom, I should have said before. Many young gentlemen and gentlewomen. Mr. Noyes made a speech : said, Love was the sugar to sweeten every condition in the married relation. Prayed once. Did all very well. After the Sack-Posset (a common article of entertainment at weddings), sung the 45th Psalm from the 8th verse to the end, - five staves. I set it to Windsor tune. I had a very good turkey-leather Psalm-book, which I looked in, while Mr. Noyes read ; and then I gave it to the bridegroom, saying, ' I give you this Psalm-book in order to your perpetuating this song; and I would have you pray that it may be an introduction to our singing with the choir above.' I lodged at Mr. Hirst's."
We may say a word, in passing, of these customs of our ancestors. The psalm-book used on this occasion was the "New-England Version, or Bay Psalm-book." The psalm was "deaconed." The portion sung was ten verses, C. M. The first two lines were :-
" Myrrh, aloes, and cassia's smell All of thy garments had."
The last verse, to which the judge seems to allude in what he said to the bridegroom as he presented the "tur- key-leather psalm-book," read thus : -
" Thy name remembered I will make In generations all ; Therefore, for ever and for aye Thy people praise thee shall."
The tune selected seems to us a singular one for the occasion. "Windsor" is a proper tune for a funeral ; but, for a wedding, how dull! So thought not our ancestors. While they gloried in singing sprightly " York " or "St. David's " on Sunday, solemn " Windsor " or " Low Dutch" (Canterbury) was their frequent choice at weddings and other festal occasions.
Mr. Porter and his wife came to Medford immediately after their marriage, and lived happily together. They were highly esteemed by their uncle, Judge Sewall, who
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frequently called on them when going to Salem and New- Ibury. His diary says : -
" July 28, 1714: According to my promise, I carried my daughter Hannah to Meadford, to visit Cousin Porter. In her mother's name, she presented her cousin with a red coat for her little Aaron, blue facing, for the sleeves galoon. Cost about 125. 2d. I carried her three oranges. Gave the nurse 2s., maid Is. Hannah gave the nurse IS. Got thither about one. Over the ferry before dark. 5s. for the calash. Mr. Porter went to Salem on Monday, and was not come home, though the sun scarce half an hour high, when came away. Laus Deo."
Rev. Aaron Porter was ordained as the first minister of Medford, Feb. 11, 1713. His own record is as follows : -
"May 19, 1712: The town of Medford called me, Aaron Porter, to serve them in the work of the ministry ; which call (after serious and frequent application to the God of all grace) I accepted as a call from God.
"Feb. 11, 1713: This day was set apart as a day of fasting and prayer, in order to separate or ordain me to the sacred office of a iminister of the gospel. The reverend elders sent to assist in this solemn action were these following : scil., the Rev. Mr. Samuel An- gier, of Watertown ; Mr. William Brattle, of Cambridge; Mr. John Hancock, of Lexington; Mr. Simon Bradstreet, of Charlestown ; Mr. John Fox, of Woburn ; and Mr. David Parsons, of Malden : all 'of whom (except the Rev. Mr. Wm. Brattle and Mr. John Fox, who at this time labored under bodily indispositions) were present, with other delegates of the churches.
"The reverend elders and messengers being assembled at the house of Br. John Bradshaw, the first thing they did was the gather- ing a church ; which was done by a number of the brethren's signing to a covenant prepared for that purpose."
The covenant was as follows : -
"We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, apprehending our- selves called of God to join together in church communion (acknowl- edging ourselves unworthy of such a privilege, and our inability to keep covenant with God, or to perform any spiritual duty, unless Christ shall enable thereunto), in humble dependence on free grace for divine assistance and acceptance, we do, in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, freely covenant, and bind ourselves solemnly, in the presence of God himself, his holy angels, and all his servants here present, to serve the God whose name alone is Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the only true and living God; cleaving to him, our chief good, and unto our Lord Jesus Christ, as our only Saviour, Prophet, Priest, and King of our souls in a way of gospel obedience ; avouching the Lord to be our God, and the God of our children, whom we give unto him, counting it as our highest honor that the Lord will accept of us, and our children with us, to be his people. We do also give ourselves one unto another in the Lord, covenanting to walk together as a church of Christ in all the ways of his worship,
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according to the holy rules of his word; promising in brotherly love faithfully to watch over one another's souls, and to submit ourselves to the discipline and power of Christ in the church, and duly to attend the seals and censures, or whatever ordinances Christ has commanded to be observed by his people, so far as the Lord by his word and spirit has or shall reveal unto us to be our duty; beseeching the Lord to own us for his people, and delight to dwell in the midst of us. And, that we may keep our covenant with God, we desire to deny our- selves, and to depend wholly on the free mercy of God, and upon the merits of Jesus Christ ; and wherein we fail to wait upon him for par- don through his name, beseeching the Lord to own us as a church of Christ, and delight to abide in the midst of us.
" JOHN WHITMORE. JOHN WHITMORE. THOMAS HALL. JOHN BRADSHAW.
NATHANIEL PIERCE. EBENEZER BROOKS. JOHN FRANCIS.
STEPHEN HALL.
PERSIVAL HALL.
JONATHAN HALL.
SAMUEL BROOKS.
FRANCIS WHITMORE.
THOMAS WILLIS. STEPHEN WILLIS.
THOMAS WILLIS, jun.
" Signed Feb. 11, 1713.
"This being done, we went to the place of public worship, where the Rev. Mr. Simon Bradstreet began with prayer. Prayer being ended, I preached from those words in First Epistle to the Corinth- ians iv. 2: 'Moreover, it is required of stewards that a man be found faithful.' This being done, the Rev. Mr. Angier proceeded to ordination ; Mr. Hancock, Mr. Bradstreet, and Mr. Parsons joining in the imposition of hands. After this, the Rev. Mr. Hancock gave me the right hand of fellowship. We then sung part of the 132d Psalm ; and so concluded with giving the blessing.
" Thus, through the goodness of our ascended Lord and great Shepherd of his sheep, we see another candlestick of the Lord, and a light set up in it."
" March II : The church being called together, they made choice of Brothers Thomas Willis, sen., and John Whitmore, sen., as deacons in the church; and they accordingly accepted. At the same time, it was determined that the sacrament of the Lord's Supper should be celebrated on the 22d of March following, and continued once in six weeks till otherwise determined. It was likewise agreed upon, at this time, that the ordinance of baptism should be administered, not only to the infants of such as are in full communion, but to the in- fants of such as are baptized, being neither ignorant nor scandalous, upon their owning the covenant publicly ; supposing at the same time that the persons admitted to this privilege with their children are under the care and watch of this church, and subject to the discipline of it; and that the church may and ought at any time to call them to an account in case of scandal."
July 20, 1714, Mr. Porter makes the following record : -
" The church being together, some of them manifested an uneasi- ness, that in time past I had not, at the admission of members, read publicly something of what I had received from them in private; and
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desired that, for time to come, I should make it my practice so to do. In compliance with which desire, I promised to ask it of all such as should offer themselves to us; but could not see any rule to impose it as a necessary term of communion, so as to keep out such as are qualified according to the gospel, merely because they cannot comply with this practice. It being no institution of our Saviour, all that his churches can do is only to desire it as an expedient, but have no power to command it, or, for want of it, to deny the communion to any that are qualified, and regularly seek for it.
" At the same time, I proposed to the church that an handy-vote should not be demanded or expected at the admission of members ; but that (liberty of objecting being first given) their silence should be taken for consent ; with which the church concurred."
At this time it was voted by the church, that, -
"Such members of other churches as come to reside among us, with a desire to continue with us, should be required to obtain a recommendation from the churches they came from, and so put them- selves under the watch of the church in this place; and if they refuse to do so within one year after their coming among us, without giving the church a satisfactory reason for their neglect, they shall be denied the privilege of members here."
Jan. 4, 1714: It was voted "that such persons as shall read the psalm in the meeting-house shall sit in the deacon's seat."
May 17, 1721 : The town passed the following vote : -
"To invite Mr. John Tufts of Charlestown, to sit at the table in our meeting-house ; and also his wife to sit in Captain Tufts's pew, by his consent."
Aug. 2, 1721 : " At a church-meeting, Thomas Willis, jun., was chosen a deacon for this church."
There are no records of marriages or funerals during the ministry of Mr. Porter. He baptized one hundred and twelve persons, and admitted twenty-six to the church.
The ministry of Mr. Porter continued about nine years ; and then, at the age of thirty-three years, he was called to the higher life, Jan. 23, 1722.
There is but little on record with reference to his sick- ness and decease, which is much to be regretted ; but we bring to these pages a few items that are worth preserving.
" 1722, Jan. 23: The reverend minister of Meadford dies, Mr. Porter, which married Unkle Sewall's daughter." - S. Sewall's MS.
" 1722, midweek, Jan. 24: Just about sunset, Mr. Brattle told me that Mr. Aaron Porter, the desirable pastor of the church in Mead- ford, was dead of a fever, which much grieved me." - Fudge Sewall's Journal.
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In the burying-ground is a marble slab with this inscrip- tion : " Sacred to the memory of Rev. Aaron Porter, the first settled minister of Medford."
SETTLEMENT OF REV. EBENEZER TURELL.
June 18, 1722, by the advice of the President and Fel- lows of Harvard College, the town held a fast to seek divine guidance in procuring a minister ; and Rev. Messrs. Colman, Fox, Hancock, Brown, and Appleton were invited to conduct the religious exercises.
But although the inhabitants of Medford took immedi- ate action to settle another minister, their efforts were not at first crowned with success. They made choice of Mr. Leonard, and afterwards of Mr. Dexter ; but they both de- clined to accept, and not until the 17th of June, 1724, did they agree upon a man who was ready to become their pastor. On that day, set apart as a preparatory fast, after a sermon by Rev. Mr. Colman, they proceeded to vote for a pastor, and elected unanimously the Rev. Ebenezer Turell.
His salary was to be ninety pounds a year ; and they were to give him, as a settlement, a hundred pounds. He was also to have paid to him semi-annually the full amount of strangers' money. To this invitation, Mr. Turell re- turned an answer on the 31st of August, 1724, of which the following is the concluding paragraph : -
" And now I commend you all unto the divine grace, conduct, and blessing, entreating that the God of peace and of love would dwell among you ; that his glorious kingdom may be advanced in and by you ; that the Father of lights and of mercy would bestow upon you every good and every perfect gift ; that in this world you may live a life of faith and holiness, and at last stand perfect and complete in the whole will of God, obtaining the reward of your faithful services, even a crown of glory that shall never fade away, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yours to serve, " E. TURELL."
The people felt somewhat straitened by the terms pro- posed by Mr. Turell ; but, knowing his great worth, they did not hesitate. On the 19th of September, 1724, his answer was considered, accepted, and fully complied with by the church and town. Twenty pounds were voted to defray the expenses of the ordination, and ten pounds voted as additional salary, making it one hundred pounds per annum.
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The record of his ordination we have in Mr. Turell's own hand, thus : -
"Nov. 25, 1724: This day was set apart as a day of fasting and prayer, in order to separate and ordain me to the ministerial office. The reverend elders sent to assist in the solemn action were the fol- lowing : viz., the Rev. Dr. Cotton Mather, the Rev. Mr. John Han- cock, the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Colman, the Rev. Mr. Simon Bradstreet, the Rev. Mr. Richard Brown, the Rev. Mr. John Fox, the Rev. Mr. Nathaniel Appleton, the Rev. Mr. William Cooper, the Rev. Mr. Joshua Gee, the Rev. Mr. Joseph Emerson, and the Rev. Mr. Hull Abbot. Four of these reverend elders were absent; scil., the Rev. Dr. C. Mather, the Rev. S. Bradstreet, the Rev. R. Brown, and the Rev. J. Fox. The rest, being present, at the house of brother John Bradshaw, formed themselves into a council, and, having distributed the several parts of the work, went to the place of public worship, where the Rev. Mr. William Cooper began with prayer. Prayer being ended, the Rev. Mr. Benjamin Colman preached an excellent sermon from these words, Second Corinthians iv. I : 'We, then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.' This being done, the Rev. Mr. Hancock proceeded to ordination, - Mr. Colman, Mr. Appleton, and Mr. Cooper joining in the imposition of hands. After this, the Rev. Mr. Appleton gave me the right hand of fellowship. We then sung the first part of the sixty- eighth Psalm ; and so concluded with giving the blessing."
Thus Medford was provided with its second minister ; and all prospects seemed auspicious. Very few events of an extraordinary character occurred in the ministry of Mr. Turell.
In order to procure the privilege of Christian baptism for their children, parents who were not members of the church were required to "own the covenant," as it was called ; that is, they stood up in the midst of the congre- gation, on Sunday, and the minister asked them if they believed the Bible to be the word of God, and would prom- ise to take it as their rule of faith and practice. If they answered affirmatively, then he administered baptism to them or their children. This order, called the half-way covenant, was established in the Medford church in Mr. Porter's ministry, and was re-affirmed Dec. 2, 1724.
"Mr. Thomas Hall was chosen deacon, 1726."
"June 18, 1731 : Mr. Benjamin Willis was chosen dea- con in the room of Brother Thomas Willis, deceased."
It appears from the church records, that some members wished a more definite rule and searching scrutiny respect- ing the admission of communicants, and therefore revived the idea of a "hand-vote" in the church on each case. This was discussed in a special meeting; and the record says : -
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"April 8, 1743: Benjamin Tufts's petition considered, and his request denied for a handy-vote."
Nov. 30, 1744, the subject was again discussed, and a different result reached. The vote of July 20, 1714, abol- ishing the hand-vote, was modified thus : Voted "that the reverend pastor be desired to call for an handy-vote at the admission of members for the future, excepting when the persons to be admitted plead that they are in opinion or judgment for a silential vote."
" May 9, 1755: Brothers Samuel Brooks and Jonathan Bradshaw were chosen deacons, unanimously. Samuel Brooks, Esq., declined ; Brother Bradshaw accepted.
"Aug. 31, 1755 : Received a folio Bible from the Hon. T. Royal, and voted thanks.
" 1759: Voted to read the Scriptures in the congregation."
It would seem from this last-named vote that previously the Scriptures had not been read in church ; a very won- derful thing, in view of what we have learned of the piety of the early settlers of Medford, and their high regard for the Holy Book.
Later, a change was made in hymn-books.
" March 7, 1763 : Deacon Benjamin Willis, Deacon Jonathan Brad- shaw, Deacon Ebenezer Brooks, Dr. Simon Tufts, Captain Caleb Brooks, Stephen Hall, Esq., Samuel Brooks, Esq., Mr. Samuel An- gier, and Mr. Hugh Floyd were chosen a committee to treat with Rev. Mr. Turell, relating to the singing of Tate and Brady's Version of the Psalms in the congregation, instead of the common version now sung, and are to make report at the next May meeting."
This committee report to resign Dunster's version, and to adopt Tate and Brady's.
At the above meeting, a committee was chosen to pre- pare a place for all the singers to sit together in the meet- ing-house ; the chorister choosing the singers, and "the selectmen approbating them."
"Sept. 3, 1767 : At a church meeting, the brethren unanimously agreed to sing Dr. Brady and Mr. Tate's version of the Psalms in the forenoon of the Lord's Day (only), and the New England version in the afternoon, for six months ; and, if no objection shall be made to it, then to sing Dr. Brady and Mr. Tate's version for the future."
" April 17, 1768: No objection being made, we began this day to sing them."
The following facts, gathered from various sources, are interesting, as they show us the ideas and conduct of our fathers.
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April 26, 1730: Mr. Turell preached a sensible and timely discourse in favor of inoculation for the smallpox.
Aug. 7, 1730: Catechism day, Friday, Mr. Turell preached a sermon to the children, after he had questioned each one from the catechism. This annual exercise, or rather annual fright, served to recommend religion to the young much as a dose of medicine foreshadowed health.
"March 5, 1739: Captain Ebenezer Brooks, Mr. John Willis, and Mr. Jonathan Watson, chosen a committee to report what is necessary to be done to Mr. Turell's fences."
When the Rev. George Whitefield of England came to this country as a missionary of the cross, to wake up the dead churches, and pour the breath of life into the clergy, he spoke as one who had authority to blow the trumpet of doom. He returned to England, in 1741, for a visit, but left behind him followers who had neither his wisdom, his eloquence, nor his piety. Against these preachers many good men arrayed themselves, and Mr. Turell among the rest. He published, 1742, a pamphlet called " A Direction to my People in Relation to the Present Times." In this book, he calls on his people to distinguish between the fervors of their excited imaginations and the still small voice of God's effectual grace ; he also cautions them against believing in multitudinous meetings as the best places for true gospel learning and Christian piety ; he furthermore suggests the expediency of not narrating their religious experiences, for fear that spiritual pride will take the place of humility ; he openly blames those preachers who travel about, and, without being asked, go and act the bishop in other men's dioceses. In this pamphlet, Mr. Turell names "thirteen particulars ;" or, in other words, objections to the "new-light movement." The censorious spirit ; the representing assurance to be the essence of saving faith, and that, without this assurance, none should come to the Lord's table ; the false witness of the Spirit ; the insecurity of dreams, spiritual visions, and impulses ; preaching without study ; esteeming unconverted minis- ters as useless ; the preaching and praying of women in public ; the want of decent order in public worship; the over-estimate of sudden light and comfort in the soul ; and the singing of unauthorized hymns in unauthorized places, - all these are spoken of as objectionable features in the Whitefield regenerating processes. Mr. Turell expresses
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an ardent zeal in every true work of God's Spirit, and as jealous a caution against every counterfeit work. It is very clear that the revival times woke up the slumbering energies of the Medford preacher, and caused him to think and write and preach and print better than he had ever done before.
His pamphlet called out a sharp and well-reasoned answer, under this title: "A Letter from the Rev. Mr. Croswell to the Rev. Mr. Turell, in answer to his Direction to his People. Boston, 1742." He takes up the several " particulars " in order, and, in many of them, demolishes Mr. Turell's conclusions ; while, in others, he is mastered by superior force. Where Mr. Turell objects to ministers preaching without notes, Mr. Croswell replies, and says, "The more any of us improve in the divine life, the less paper we shall want in order to preach the gospel." Mr. Croswell concludes his reply with these words :-
" I look upon your little pamphlet to be more infectious and poison- ous than the French prophets, 'the trial of Mr. Whitefield's spirit,' or any other pamphlet of this kind we have been infected with. That God may grant repentance to you for writing it, and to others for spreading it abroad, especially to ministers who have given them about in their own parishes, is the hearty prayer of your well-wisher and humble servant, Andrew Croswell."
This attack and others moved Mr. Turell to further ex- pressions of opinion ; and he published, in 1742, another pamphlet entitled, -
" Mr. Turell's Dialogue between a Minister and his Neighbor about the Times. To which is added, An Answer to Mr. John Lee's Re- marks on a Passage in the Preface of his Direction to his People," etc.
This pamphlet is written with more care than the first, and in a sweeter spirit. The Neighbor is made to ask all the important questions touching the great issues then before the community, and the Minister sets himself to answer methodically every inquiry.
He defines what is a true work of God's grace, and what are the proofs of it, and then contrasts that work with the counterfeit exhibitions. Speaking of the mental agonies of some persons under conviction, he says, "Distraction, or a deprivation of reason, is far from being serviceable to religion."
Speaking of the importance which some, in those times, were attaching to dreams, visions, and impulses, he said, -
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" I have shown my dislike of them, because all such things evi- dently lead us from the word of God, the only rule by which we can judge of this work or of our own state. . .. We are safe while we ad- here to it; but we know not into whose hands we fall when we give heed to fancies and impressions."
Of screamings and rapturous manifestations during wor- ships he said, " Satan gets possession by the senses and passions ; CHRIST, by the understanding."
He wrote in that pamphlet with much warmth against itinerant preachers going, unasked, to hold meetings in other ministers' parishes. Against the public preaching of women, he quotes those emphatic texts of St. Paul ; and against "hymns of human composition " is very severe. He does not speak ill of our poet-laureate of the Church, Dr. Watts ; but thinks that "mere human composures " may introduce heresy. He ends thus :-
" Be not offended at these things, or prejudiced against the genu- ine work of God, from disorders and irregularities that arise among us : be sure to put in for a share of the spiritual blessings, so liberally bestowed at this day. Give yourself to prayer, to reading and hearing the word, to meditation, self-examination ; and let nothing satisfy you short of a whole Christ, and a whole salvation. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you."
Feb. 5, 1743 : Mr. Turell preached a strong sermon against the Separatists, from Isa. xlix. 4. William Hall and wife walked out of the meeting-house during the deliv- ery of the sermon ; whereupon Mr. Turell, before the con- gregation, immediately pronounced Mrs. Hall a Separatist.
This item of history discloses two facts, - first, that there were preachers in those days who were not afraid to speak as they thought ; and secondly, that there were men and women in the pews who did not pin their faith on what the clergyman said, but thought for themselves.
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