USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Medford > History of the town of Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, from its first settlement in 1630 to 1855 > Part 23
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Against witchcraft, Mr. Turell wrote some pointed and very sensible things ; among which was the following, found in the introduction to a pamphlet of his : -
"Although I am as far as any one from holding or maintaining the doctrine of the Sadducees, and firmly believe the existence of spirits, an invisible world, and particularly the agency of Satan and his instru- ments in afflicting and tormenting the children of men (when permitted by God); yet I fear the world has been wretchedly imposed upon by relations of such matters. Tricks and legerdemain have been fathered upon Satan, and others falsely reputed as being in covenant with him, by ignorant and designing people, in which they were not so immedi- ately concerned. Many things have been dubbed witchcraft, and called the works of the Devil, which were nothing more than the con-
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trivances of the children of men, who are wise to do evil, and who, upon strict examination, might have been detected. There are some books in the world, filled with stories of witchcrafts, apparitions, haunted houses, &c., to which we owe no more faith than to the tales of fairies and other idle romances.
When I consider this, and what every one owes to his own generation and to posterity, I reckon myself obliged to offer a story, full of remarkable circumstances, which was the subject of much dis- course and debate in the day of it, and has lately, by the wonderful providence of God and his most powerful mercy, been brought to light, and unfolded. I trust it may be of some service to the world, and therefore commend it to the divine blessing."
The story was of two sisters, who, strange to say, wished to be considered witches, and who were sufficiently suc- cessful in feints and falsehoods to gain general credence of their claim. They lived at Littleton, and after being discovered, refuted, and exposed, came to Medford. Here they conducted well, and all witchery was over. Sept. 14, 1728, the eldest, E-h, asked admission to the church. Her history was not known, and she was "propounded." The next Sunday Mr. Turell preached on lying; and so graphically did he depict her former habits in this respect, that she was conscience-smitten, and came to him immedi- ately, and made confession of the whole. Her narrative is very interesting, and her penitence seemed to be sincere. Mr. Turell required her to make public confession of her sin before the church, and then to refer her case to the brethren. She made the public confession, assuring them of her sincere repentance, and her resolution to walk worth- ily of the holy vocation she now promised to adopt. The church believed in her sincerity ; and she was admitted to full communion, and proved herself a humble, devout, and accepted follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
At the close of the pamphlet, Mr. Turell gave two pages of excellent counsel to the churches, to parents and chil- dren, and to all very susceptible temperaments. Among other things, he said, -
"Truth is the food of an immortal soul. Feed not any longer on the fabulous husks of falsehood. Never use any of the Devil's play- things. The horse-shoe is a vain thing, and has no natural tendency to keep off witches or evil spirits. Be warned against all such trading with the Devil."
From 1730 to 1750, there were, on an average, from twenty-five to thirty baptisms in each year, and from ten to twenty persons annually joined the church.
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On one occasion Mr. Turell was preaching on the sin of selfishness ; and after designating certain people, he said, with more directness than rhetorical polish, "They are so selfish, that, if their neighbor's barn was on fire, they would not lift a finger to extinguish the flames, if they could only roast their own apples."
It was said that he enjoyed in many social gatherings the following anecdote, in which he was personally in- terested : -
" It was reported that Mr. Whitefield was to preach in Medford the next sabbath. A man from Malden came, and took his seat in the meeting-house. He thought he was listening to the wonderful preacher, and went into corresponding raptures. For a week he praised 'the unparalleled,' and then learned that he had listened to Mr. Turell."
Mr. Turell greatly disliked the religious methods and manners of Mr. Whitefield ; and when that preacher died, he gave a sermon in regard to him from the text, "Verily every man, at his best estate, is altogether vanity."
In 1772, age and infirmities having shown themselves in growing weakness, the town voted £50 to supply the pulpit a portion of the time; and in 1773 it was voted unanimously to give him as salary £66. 13s. 4d. annually while he should remain in town, regardless of his ability to perform the functions of his office. In 1774 he had a colleague, on whom the burden of pastoral work devolved ; and Dec. 5, 1778, he passed to his immortality. He was buried on the 8th of the same month; and in the report then made of the proceedings at the funeral, we learn that "Mr. Lawrence prayed; the president of Harvard College, Rev. Mr. Cushing, Rev. Mr. Clark, and Rev. Mr. Woodward bore the pall." The following Sunday Mr. Osgood preached a funeral sermon to a large congregation, in which the many excellent qualities of the deceased were clearly set forth.I
The system of "exchanges," by which neighboring min- isters preached in each other's pulpits, was in full activity during Mr. Turell's ministry ; and the Medford church was instructed occasionally by Rev. Messrs. Colman, Cooper, Gardner, and Byles of Boston ; Prince, Warren, and Clapp of Cambridge; Stimson of Charlestown; Coolidge of Watertown ; Flagg of Woburn ; Lowell and Tufts of
I A fine portrait of Mr. Turell, in the flowing wig so usually worn by elderly ministers, is now in the possession of the First Church, and may be seen in the vestry.
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Newbury ; Parkman of Westbury ; Parsons of Bradford ; and many more. This wide connection in ministerial brotherhood shows Mr. Turell to have enjoyed the respect and esteem of the clergy, as well as the approbation and confidence of the churches. President Allen, in his Bio- graphical Dictionary, speaks of him thus : -
"He was an eminent preacher, of a ready invention, a correct judgment, and fervent devotion, who delivered divine truth with ani- mation, and maintained discipline in his church with boldness tempered by prudence."
During his ministry in Medford he baptized 1,037 per- sons, married 220 couples, and admitted to the church 323 communicants.
His ministry gave contentment, joy, and satisfaction to his people ; and its epochs came, ripened, and passed by like the seasons, which leave behind them growth, blos- soms, and fruitage.
His printed compositions are few. We have seen his biographical notice of his first wife, Mrs. Jane Colman Turell ; and it gives evidence of his just appreciation of a most interesting woman in the family, and a pious member of the church. His sketch of his father-in-law, Dr. Col- man, is a labored and successful eulogy of every quality in the deceased which could ornament a man, or sanctify a preacher.
SETTLEMENT OF REV. DAVID OSGOOD.
The third minister of Medford was born in the south- west part of Andover, within half a mile of the Tewksbury line. His father, Capt. Isaac Osgood, who lived to an advanced age, was born upon and occupied the same farm which had been owned and cultivated by his father before him, Mr. Stephen Osgood, who belonged originally to the North Parish in Andover. David, the oldest of Capt. Isaac Osgood's four sons, was born October, 1747. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Flint, and she was the daughter of a respectable farmer in the neighboring town of Reading. David worked on the farm with his father till he was nineteen years old. He taught school to obtain the means wherewith to enter college, which he did at Harvard when he was twenty. He sustained a high rank in his class. His predilections for the ministry had alway been dominant ; and, immediately after his gradua-
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tion, he commenced the study of divinity, residing part of his time in Cambridge, and part in Andover.
On March 10, 1774, the town of Medford voted to hear him as a candidate for settlement as colleague pastor with Rev. Mr. Turell then living. His preaching pleased them ; and on the 18th of April he was called to that position, by a vote of sixty yeas and six nays.
Those who voted nay, holding Arminian views, did not like his Calvinistic interpretation, and manfully wrote to him, explaining the cause of their opposition.
Young Mr. Osgood wisely considered the gravity of the situation, and wrote to the church, saying, "The quality and rank of my opposers, and the great weight of their objections, cause me to hesitate in accepting the invita- tion."
In his letter he re-asserted the doctrine of "the total corruption of the human heart by nature, previous to renovating grace, as a cardinal point in revealed religion." This made the opposition of the six Arminian brethren still stronger; for they said that his proposition repre- sented "an infinitely holy God as the cause of all sin in his children."
The town did not resign the hope of settling their favor- ite candidate. They chose a committee to consult with the six dissentients ; and the committee performed their duty kindly and faithfully, but without much success. June 9, 1774, the church and town renew their invitation to Mr. Osgood. Yeas, sixty-seven ; nays, five. Salary, eighty pounds (lawful money) during Mr. Turell's life, and ninety pounds afterwards. This call was accepted ; and at a church-meeting, held Aug. 16, it was decided to proceed with the ordination, and to invite nine churches to partici- pate in the same. The day fixed upon was the second Wednesday in September, and they voted that it should " be kept as a fast."
But the opposition did not end there.
Sept. 5, 1774, the dissatisfied brethren send a long com- munication to the pastor-elect, in which they apprise him that they have resolved to oppose his ordination ; and they send him a copy of statements which they intend to make.
On the morning of the 14th of September, 1774, the ordaining council assembled, and organized in full num- bers : Rev. Dr. Appleton, moderator ; and Rev. Mr. Searl, scribe. After the usual preliminary exercises, the four dis-
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sentients - Thomas Brooks, jun., Edward Brooks, Samuel Angier, and Joshua Simonds - presented themselves be- fore the council, and asked to be heard. They stated that they had grave reasons for opposing the ordination of Mr. David Osgood, and requested permission to state those reasons. They presented a paper to the council ; and the consequence was, that the entire day was painfully occu- pied in debating the vexed questions. It was finally voted by the council to listen to a sermon from Mr. Osgood upon the doctrine to which objection had been made ; and after hearing it, a vote of approval was had. Mr. Osgood then read his confession of faith, which concludes as follows : -
"In a word, I apprehend that those doctrines specified in the Assembly's Catechism are, in the main, consonant to those revealed in the sacred oracles as fundamentals in the gospel scheme, which doctrines, as a Christian, I am bound to profess, and, as a preacher, to teach and inculcate.
The council expressed unanimous satisfaction with the soundness of the candidate. The church then and there renewed their call, which was again accepted; and the ordination went forward. The order of services was as follows : Introductory prayer, by Rev. Mr. Willis of Mal- den; sermon, by Rev. Mr. French of Andover; ordaining prayer, and charge, by Rev. Dr. Appleton of Cambridge ; right hand of fellowship, by Rev. Mr. Cook of Cambridge ; concluding prayer, by Rev. Mr. Searl of Stoneham.
It was, indeed, a high compliment to the "quality and rank of the opposers," that they induced Mr. Osgood to hesitate in accepting the call, as it first came to him ; and it appears from all the documents that the aggrieved party were sincere and reluctant opposers of their fellow-com- municants. They deemed loyalty to truth, and obedience to Christ, paramount to all earthly and personal considera- tions ; and, however many, all along the years, may have differed from their opinions, we at this day must accord to them a conscientious desire to promote the glory of God and the good of the church. A proof of their love of peace is found in the fact, that, on the morning after the ordination, three of the opposers of it waited together upon the new pastor; when Thomas Brooks, jun., Esq., addressed him thus : -
" Reverend sir, we opposed the giving you a call, and we opposed
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your ordination. We did thus from our deepest convictions of duty to Christ and his church ; but as we have failed in all our efforts, and you are now to begin your ministry among us, we have come here to tell you that our opposition to you ceases, and that you will find us constant attendants on your ministrations, and ready to aid you in your holy work."
The good pastor, years afterwards, gave cheerful and positive testimony that those gentlemen continued to be reconciled to the condition of things around them, and were among his most constant and attentive hearers.
Mr. Osgood was a true patriot, as well as a learned and effective preacher. He commenced his pastorate just as the Revolutionary earthquake began to terrify the Colonies, and when politics seemed to devour all other topics. He early took side with the friends of freedom ; and, for many years during his unmarried state, did not press the town for his salary. The uncertain value of the old Continental money caused some embarrassment a few years later, but he bore with cheerfulness his share of the common public burdens.
Mr. Osgood, as a citizen, was a lover of peace, and an early advocate of temperance societies. His love of coun- try showed itself prominently during our difficulties with Great Britain in 1812. His sermon at the annual election in 1809, that before the students of Harvard College in 1810, and his "Solemn Protest " in 1812, prove that the fear of man was not before his eyes. As a Federalist of the old school, he felt bound to thunder his anathemas against the new doctrines of the national administration ; nevertheless, many of his friends saw clearly that his offer- ings on the altar of patriotism burned brightly.
As a preacher, the mind of Rev. Mr. Osgood, at a later period in his ministry, was not so rapid, inventive, and poetic in its processes, as it was clear, metaphysical, and practical. It was ardent, but not glowing ; free, but al- ways reverent ; and it excelled in illustrating and enfor- cing moral truth.
To sterling Anglo-Saxon sense he added a vast mental industry ; and, had he been a poet, his power as a preacher would have been well-nigh doubled. Pithy and senten- tious apothegms were not common with him. His writings were not clusters of maxims; but consecutive thought, expressed in pure, plain English. During the first part of his ministry, it seemed to be his leading aim to convince
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his people of the truth of his creed; and this immersed him in the acute metaphysics of Edwards. In a discrimi- nating notice of him, written immediately after his death, there is the following : -
" As a preacher he was very distinguished. His matter was copi- ous and sensible, and drawn, for the most part, from the moral pre- cepts and the undisputed doctrines of the gospel. His style was animated and forcible, and his manner one of the most striking which we have ever witnessed. His looks, his gesture, and the tones of his voice, were altogether peculiar to himself. Without being at all like those which we are accustomed to find in what is called a finished speaker, they were so energetic, so full of meaning, so truly eloquent, that they arrested and enchained the most profound and delighted attention. We shall never forget his patriarchal appearance in the pulpit."
Another writer at the same time says, -
" Dr. Osgood's singular excellence was in the energetic, impas- sioned expression of religious sentiment. When urging an important practical truth, his mind seemed all on fire with his theme. His tones, his gesture, his enthusiasm, - his inspiration, I had almost said, - were peculiarly his own. Hence, if he did not always satisfy by an argument, he seldom failed to overpower by an appeal."
During the latter part of his life, his aim seemed rather to touch the hearts of his hearers with a warm piety, and to lead them trustingly to a divine Saviour. This change, however, in him was gradual. He found the noonday sun shining upon him at a different angle from the morning ray, and his own mind and heart were softer and sweeter than in his early ministry.
His appearance in the sacred desk was singularly im- posing, especially after age had whitened his locks. He had a well-developed frame, a strongly marked face, a powerful voice, and sometimes a very animated delivery. Most of the sermons in the volume published after his death were delivered memoriter; and, as these added graces cannot be found in the printed page, those ser- mons will not justify to after-generations the eulogy we have passed upon him as a preacher.
His opinions were not stereotyped. His constant study and patient reflection extended his views of God and of Christ, of man and of truth. At the time of his settle- ment, the doctrines of Arminius, Calvin, and Hopkins unequally divided this community. He inclined with deep- est conviction to the school of the learned Genevan.
He was strongly attached to the Protestant, Congrega-
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tional order of church government, and had little love for Episcopacy. His " Plea for Infant Baptism " was consid- ered one of his ablest works. Though early biassed in favor of Calvinism, he would not allow himself to be a slave to other men's decisions. He would judge of the Bible for himself. We should like to have seen him in the situation of Rev. Marmaduke Mathews, the first min- ister of Malden, in 1650, who was accused of free thinking and free talking; and "the General Court ordered Gov- ernor Endicott, in its name, to admonish him." We think the General Court and Governor, before they had got Dr. Osgood under their spiritual duress, would have been glad to say, "Go thy way for this time : when we have a more convenient season we will call for thee."
A gentleman who was on intimate terms with his daughter, the late Miss Lucy Osgood, states that she told him, some twenty years ago, that she heard her father say, in the latter part of his ministry, that if he could believe that from all eternity God had foreseen that a large por- tion of the human beings whom he created and brought into the world should go on sinning against him, and should go down to endless agony; and, foreseeing all this, should continue to call into existence for thousands of years new human beings to suffer this fate, he could not conceive what worse business God could have been en- gaged in.
On the evening of that day when he had taken a most decisive stand in the stormy debates which arose in the council, before the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Wisner over the Old South Church in Boston (1819), he proposed the following easy question : "Why will Mr. Wisner's creed be like a lighted candle ?" Answer. - "The longer it lives, the shorter it will be." His catholicism was pro- verbial ; and he maintained until his death the friendly interchange of pulpits with both parties, after the Trini- tarian controversy of 1810 had commenced. He ever classed himself among those called "orthodox," - that is, Calvinistic, - and was consistent with his profession. He was tolerant without religious indifference, and candid without forgetting his rebuke of sin.
An anecdote relating to the same ordination will illus- trate the gradual change of opinion which took place with him in his later years. After the others of the council had questioned the candidate to their satisfaction, and got
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from him a full expression of his views, Dr. Osgood said! to him, "Young man, do you believe all this that you have. been saying ?"-"Most certainly," was the reply. "Well,. well," said Dr. Osgood, "if you live to be as old as I am, you won't believe more than half of it."
To silence heretics by burning them was as repugnant to Dr. Osgood's judgment as it was abhorrent to his feel- ings ; yet his catholicism was discriminating. He had no taste for human appendages and fanciful theories in reli- gion. Less sympathy still had he with those who phi- lologize Jesus Christ out of the Old Testament, and philosophize him out of the New. He was a steady ad- vocate of the doctrines of grace. He was neither for Aristotle nor Plato, neither for Paul nor Apollos, but for Christ. His faith in the divine authority of the Bible was peculiarly strong ; and he preached " Christ crucified, yea, RISEN AGAIN," with all the power he possessed. To state exactly the latitude and longitude of his theological opin- ions, is perhaps impossible. The nearest approach to any exactness may be found in a conversation he had with a friend in 1819. He asked, "How far is it from here to Andover Institution ?" and was answered, " About seven- teen miles." - "How far is it from here to the Cambridge Theological Institution ?" - " About four miles." - "Well," said he, "I have been thinking that is just about my theological position with regard to the two schools."
He emphatically forbade the publication of any of his. controversial sermons ; and in the later part of his life he had so modified his views of the doctrine of total deprav -. ity, that he used in private conversation to relate a dream, the meaning of which may be summed up thus :: " Men are wicked enough, but not totally depraved. Dev -. ils only are totally evil. In hell there are no barbers' shops ; no devil there dare trust his throat with another :: whereas men on earth do so trust each other safely." His principles of Christian toleration cannot be so well ex- pressed as in his own words. They are as follows : -
"Far be it from me to censure any of my brethren, who, after an equally honest and impartial inquiry, think in some respects different from me. Conscious of my liability to err, -from the infirmities of nature, the prejudices of education, and the acknowledged difficulty, on various questions, of ascertaining the true sense of Scripture, - I hope never to withhold that charity from others which I claim for myself. 'Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind,' clearly implies the right of every man to read and understand the Scriptures
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for himself, with no other responsibility than to God and his own conscience. Each of us ought to think and judge for himself, using 'the reason which God has given us in searching and studying his :revealed will. A mind thus independent, an understanding thus unfettered and unawed by uninspired names, is honorary to a Chris- itian, especially to a minister of Christ."
As a pastor, Dr. Osgood was less among his flock than some others ; but his labors, prayers, and life were for the spiritual good of his people. There are those yet living who remember his kindness in seasons of sorrow; who have seen him enter their dwelling with looks of sympathy, and with words that showed the wish, if not the power, to comfort ; yes, they have seen one, who to strangers. ap- peared stern and unbending, melt into tenderness of look, of voice, and of manner, in the presence of bereavement.
Dr. Osgood suffered less from illness than most men ; and never was a pulpit more uninterruptedly supplied by its occupant than his. He labored to the last week of his life. His dread of death was unaccountably great ; and through life he seemed subject to the bondage of this fear. But the angel came during a season of apparent insensi- bility, and life ceased Dec. 12, 1822. Thus, at the age of seventy-five, closed his ministry of more than forty-eight years. He baptized 853 persons; married 359 couples ; admitted to the church 304 communicants ; and officiated at 990 funerals.
The funeral services were on Saturday, Dec. 14. The prayer was offered by President Kirkland, and the sermon preached by Dr. Abiel Holmes from 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7. The pall-bearers were the Rev. Drs. Kirkland and Holmes of Cambridge, Ripley of Concord, Foster of Brighton, Fiske of West Cambridge, and Homer of Newton.
The incidents in the history of Dr. Osgood, not men- tioned in the memoir, are few and unimportant. Among those of historic interest are the following : -
" March 15, 1782 : At a meeting of the brethren of the church this day, the pastor proposed an alteration in the form of the covenant used at the admission of members; to which they gave their unani- mous consent. The form adopted is as follows : -
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