USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Taunton > The ministry of Taunton, with incidental notices of other professions > Part 3
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BARNUM'S SERMON IN 1769.
uncommon degrees of grace as you have been permitted to ar- rive to an unusual age. Oh that as you feel the decays of the outer man, so your inner man might grow stronger and stronger through the grace which is in Christ Jesus, -and when the king of terrors shall arrest you, may he serve as a friendly mes- senger to waft you from this dusky twilight to a brighter day, and may the happy influence of your prayers for me appear vis- ible in the success of my ministry when you are sleeping in the dust.
II. Now I would turn myself to you who are commonly call- ed middle-aged. You, my friends, have visited the gayest scenes of life, and are carried clear beyond the days of youth, you have perhaps spent many years in gaining an estate, and let me put the question : - Among all your gettings have you got wisdom and understanding, i. e., to know the fear of the Lord ? A moderate care after the world is laudable, when we keep our consciences void of offence towards God and man. But without a comfortable hope of our reconciliation to God, one would be ready to think a rational creature could not take the comfort in the world he otherwise might : - this will sweeten all and every mercy, and as an ambassador of Christ, I would now pray you above all things else to see to it that you are reconciled to God. See to it, that you love Christ above father, mother, wife or child, and as you would hope to profit under the means of grace dispensed by the instrument you have chosen, let your eyes be constantly turned to God for the preparation of your heart to receive, as mine to give-and the blessing of God to attend my labors in the various distribution of them. And as we hope your former worthy pastor whose memory is, and always will be precious to you, was made an instrument of the conver- sion of any of you, so I may be honoured as an unworthy in- strument for your further progress in grace and holiness. Breth- ren pray for me !
III. I would say a word or two to those who are in the prime and bloom of youth. My young friends, I can say to you of my age, as the Apostle said to those of his nation, my ear- 3
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THE MINISTRY OF TAUNTON.
nest desire and prayer to God is that you may be profited by the means dispensed by me. As you are now in the bloom of youth, and you prosper in life and health-Oh that your souls may above all prosper and that you might remember your Crea- tor. You will by and by be in places of trust and influence, when these seats shall be emptied of our fathers, and they sleep- ing in the grave. Oh, to be qualified by the grace of God. Oh, that we might go hand in hand in religion- that you may grow up all Nazarites in whom there is no guile. Now is a gra- cious opportunity to be reconciled to God through Christ. See that you receive the message by the messenger God has sent you. Be assured that you are my hope for the prosperity of the next generation. Oh, that I may not be deceived. Oh, that God would early sanctify you, that we may see the pleasure of the Lord prospering whenever our fathers are dead and gone. Oh, that our hearts may be knit together like David's and Jon- athan's and we see many happy years together. In order to this, as an ambassador of Christ, and as though God did be- seech you by me, I pray you in Christ's name, be ye reconciled to God.
IV. I would address myself to the little children of the con- gregation. Be assured, dear children, I look on you as no con- temptible part of my charge. You have immortal souls to save or to lose as well as any of us ; and do you know that wicked children must go to hell? and you are all so, and must share this portion, except you come to Christ for life. The great God has sent me to warn and invite you-and see to it, that you obey. Don't rest casy without praying to God for his pardon- ing mercy, and that he would reconcile you to Himself ; and if you don't know how, ask your parents to teach you. They'll gladly embrace the opportunity-so that you may go to heaven. And do you remember always to pray for me, when you pray for yourselves. And you who are of a different complexion from us, I also count as part of my charge, and do now solemn- ly exhort you to be reconciled to God. You are ready to think your lot is hard-but what is it compared to slavery to sin and ignorance !
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BARNUM'S SERMON IN 1775.
I conclude with a word to this whole assembly of sinners. I've come, ye dear people of my charge, as an Ambassador of Christ to you, and would now in his name and stead, pray you to be reconciled to God. We would preach the terrors of the Lord as means suitable to alarm and convince you of your need of a Saviour, and we would set before you the invitations of the Gospel, and the grace, beauties and glories of the Divine Em- manuel, that you through the power and grace of God, may be willing to be reconciled to him through Christ. But be assured if you continue to refuse you must perish. A faithful and true witness has declared with his own mouth, " he that believes not shall be damned." Oh, how can you bear to lie under the dreadful wrath of the great and terrible God in the flames of hell, without one drop of water to cool your scorched tongues ! Then rest not in your present condition, and though you must take all possible pains in religion, read, hear, pray, meditate and strive with all vigor and carnestness-yet don't depend on that, or think that God is obliged in the least to save you on that account- but might justly cast you off forever. Come there- fore as a needy, guilty, perishing beggar to a full, glorious and all-sufficient Christ, who is most ready and willing to save you. If any one thirst, let him come to Christ and drink. Oh, don't delay : Thousands have been ruined that way. Hear the Lord's voice to-day, -submit and be reconciled forever."
NOTE C. Page 5.
ONE of the sermons in my possession, was preached probably not long before Mr. Barnum left Taunton for the field of battle, and after the commencement of hostilities. It is founded on the declaration of Paul to the chief captain, (Acts 22: 28,) " But I was freeborn." Under the head of "Improvement," he remarks :
" 1st. If our civil rights and Privileges are so precious as we have heard, it will then follow, that to be deprived of them, is a very great judgment of Heaven.
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THE MINISTRY OF TAUNTON.
" 2d. Since the Apostle Paul insisted on the enjoyment of those civil rights as a Roman which were infringed upon, we are taught our duty in the like situations." I am tempted to quote what he says on this point. " It is our duty to claim those charter privileges, which have been injuriously diminish- ed. It is matter of joy that the united body of this people have had the resolution and fortitude to enter their elaims and still to keep them up. Tamely and meanly to have crouched to the Burdens would have been undervaluing the Blessings of Prov- idence, and it would have been an affront to the God, who at first gave these rights, and has carefully preserved them to us. What the patriotic Mr. Pitt (now Lord Chatham) said on hear- ing that the Stamp Act was opposed here, is truly memorable and applicable to the present case. 'I rejoice that America has resisted.' But while I say this, justice requires that we condemn the lofty strains of triumph, of menacing-the base inflammatory pieces, which we sometimes hear and read in our newspapers, and the base reflections on the persons and charac- ters of such as deserve well of all, for aught that appears; so irritating and offensive to authority that methinks a sober man must have been sometimes at a loss to conclude whether this good cause of ours suffers most from the weakness, and impru- dence of its friends, or the open attacks, and secret machina- tions of its enemies. There is a sort of dignity and energy in Truth and Right which stand in no need of fraud or injustice to support it, but will of their own native tendency rise superi- or to all opposition. Injustice, scurrility, and abuse always give just suspicion of the goodness of the cause, which they are intended to aid. Moreover to do thus is to be guilty of the self same thing, which we complain of in others. Christianity allows us not to render eril for evil, but good for evil. We had better suffer in a good cause, than take any undue method to extricate ourselves. To do evil that good may come is a maxim abhorrent to the Bible and utterly subversive of all common Native Justice. No sober Christian can consistently with his character admit one single step of Injustice in order to relieve
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BARNUM'S SERMON IN 1775.
from the greatest distresses. Better die than sin; and to oppose Rulers ruling well, and keeping within the bounds of the Con- stitution, is to oppose the ordinance of God. It is a crime of the first magnitude. But to oppose such as violate their trust, is so far from being opposition to the ordinance of God, that it is directly the reverse of it. It is resisting a Violation of the ordinance."
The Preacher proceeds to caution his hearers however against a too keen resentment of the injuries done. He would have their "zcal tempered with prudence." He would have them " take their steps slowly, that they tread the more surely. Rash- ness and precipitaney are frequently attended with disappoint- ment." And he closes his discourse with urging his hearers to think especially of the Precious Liberty of the Gospel which Christ hath obtained for them at an incalculably precious price. I have thus largely quoted from this Discourse, that you might see the prudence and wisdom of this Christian patriot, who at last laid himself upon the altar of his Country's liberty, and became one of the immortal martyrs of the Revolution.
3*
30
THE MINISTRY OF TAUNTON.
CHAPTER II.
REV. ELIAS JONES, THE EIGHTH MINISTER OF TAUNTON.
THE successor of Mr. Barnum, in the ministry of Taun- ton, was Mr. Elias Jones. Mr. Baylies says of him: "he was a young man of prepossessing manners, and address, and fine talents for the pulpit." I have heard some of the aged men remark, that their fathers told them, "Mr. Jones was one of the most able ministers they ever heard preach." The action of the church in giving him a call to settle with them, has recently come to light, as also the proceedings of the ordaining Council.
" Taunton, April 15th, 1777.
At a church meeting duly warned, to know the mind of the brethren with regard to giving Mr. Elias Jones a call to settle with them in the Gospel ministry, the brethren met accordingly, and after looking up to Almighty God for direction, Rev. Mr. Niles of Abington, being Provi- dentially present, the following votes were passed :
1. That Rev. Mr. Niles be Moderator of this meeting.
2. The question was put, whether the brethren be ready to give a call to any gentleman to settle with them in said work ? Passed in the affirmative unanimously.
3. Whether it be the mind of the brethren to elect Mr. Elias Jones to settle with them in said work? Passed in the affirmative unanimously.
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ELIAS JONES.
4. Whether they would choose a Committee to serve Mr. Jones with a copy of the proceedings of said meet- ing? Passed in the affirmative.
5. Voted, that Deacon Williams, Capt. Henry Hodges, and Mr. Mory be said Committee.
6. Whether a Committee be chosen to petition the Se- lectmen to call a Town meeting to see whether they will concur with the vote of the church in the election of Mr. Jones, and to see what encouragement they will give him ? Passed in the affirmative."
It is concluded, that the Town concurred, since the fol- lowing minutes of the Council, called to assist in ordaining Mr. Jones, in the hand-writing of Rev. Dr. Fobes, of Raynham, Scribe of the Council, have recently come into my hands.
"At the request of the Church of Christ in Taunton, the Pastors with the Delegates of seven neighboring churches, convened at the house of Benjamin Williams, Esq., in said Taunton, Oct. 22, 1777, formed into a Coun- cil, and after prayer to God for direction, proceeded to enquire into the conduct of said church, relative to their calling and ordaining Mr. Elias Jones to the work of the Gospel ministry among them. On which occasion, were passed the following votes :
1. That Rev. Mr. Shaw be the Moderator of the Coun- cil.
2. That Peres Fobes be the Scribe of said Council.
3. That Mr. Jones' relation to the church of Christ in Halifax, in Nova Scotia, which could not be transferred, . by a regular dismission and recommendation, as usual, should by reason of the times,* be dispensed with; provid-
It being a time of war.
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THE MINISTRY OF TAUNTON.
ed, the church voted before the Council, his reception as a member of them, and accordingly it was done.
4. That Mr. Jones, upon examination before the Coun- cil, was duly qualified for the work of the Gospel ministry.
5. That Mr. Shaw should give him the Charge.
6. That Rev. Mr. Tobey give the Right Hand of Fel- lowship.
7. That Rev. Messrs. Turner and Williams make the usual prayers upon that occasion. And agreeable to these votes, and determinations of said Council, Mr. Jones was that day ordained over the Church of Christ in Taunton. A Sermon suited to the occasion being first preached by Rev. Mr. Niles of Abington.
True copy by
PERES FOBES, Scribe."
Mr. Jones, it would seem, came from Halifax, in Nova Scotia. There was a graduate of Yale College in 1767, bearing his name, but whether it was the minister of Taunton, I know not. His ministry was short. The only document which sheds light on the time of his leaving Taunton, is the Report* of a Committee appointed by the Town to supply the pulpit after his dismission, which doc- ument renders it probable that it occurred in 1778, the year following his settlement. All that we know concern- ing the cause of that dismission is the brief statement of a writer, supposed to be Mr. Baylies, in a Taunton paper many years since. "He fell into error,fand was con- strained to ask a dismission after a very short residence. His farewell sermon is said to have been written in a style of touching eloquence, and the manner in which he read the Psalm, commencing-
* Note A.
f Some moral delinquency, it has been said.
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ELIAS JONES.
'Have pity, Lord; O Lord, forgive ; Let a repenting sinner live,'
drew tears from every eye."
Nothing is known concerning Mr. Jones, after he left Taunton. It has been reported that he went "up coun- try." And some have said that he turned his course to Virginia.
The brief ministry of the eighth minister of Taunton is not without its profitable lessons. It speaks volumes in praise of a sound, discriminating, truth-loving church, which, the very moment its minister "fell into error" (whatever that "error" may have been) was willing to part with him, although confessedly an amiable, accom- plished, able man, showing thereby a most commendable preference for truth over error, and its fixed determination to put principles before men.
1
APPENDIX TO CHAPTER SECOND.
-
NOTE A. Page 32.
" Taunton, June 26th, 1780.
" The Committee chosen for the purpose of supplying the pul- pit with candidates for the ministry in said Town, since the dis- mission of the Rev. Mr. Elias Jones, ask leave to report in the following manner :
" That sundry persons have been employed by them from the 25th of July,* for and until the Twenty-eighth day of May, 1780. During which time, your Committee have paid and en- gaged to pay said candidates for their services,. boarding, horse- keeping, &c., the sum of Two thousand, five hundred eighty- five pounds, five shillings ; part of which we received of said Town, to wit, Twelve hundred, sixty-six pounds, one shilling. Your Committee further report, that part of the aforesaid sum has been taxed, raised and applyed for the discharge of the debts aforesaid, and said inhabitants are still in arrears, the sum of Thirteen hundred, nineteen pounds, four shillings. And re- port, as their opinion, that the last mentioned sum be voted, and the assessors be ordered to tax the same, agreeable to law, as soon as may be. Above report accepted (or one similar) June 26th, 1780."
Of what year the Committee do not say; but judging from the sum paid for supplies, it was probably 1778.
-
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EPHRAIM JUDSON.
CHAPTER III.
REV. EPHRAIM JUDSON, THE NINTH MINISTER OF TAUNTON.
FOR nearly two years after the removal of Mr. Jones, there was a vacancy in the Pastoral office. Of the "sun- dry persons employed as candidates," to whom the Com- mittee of the Town refer in their Report, appended to the last chapter, none received, or receiving, accepted a call to settle. Rev. Ephraim Judson was Installed, according to Mr. Baylies, in 1780; but in what month of the year, no Records remain to inform us. Mr. Judson was the ninth minister of the town. He was a native of Wood- bury, Conn .; from which town, through the kindness of William Cothren, Esq., I have received the following gen- eological account of the Judson family .*
* In the month of May, I directed a letter to the Town Clerk of Woodbury, Ct., who sent the 17th of June, the following reply :
" DEAR SIR: Yours of the 31st ult. came to me, after being examin- ed by some of our ministers, by due course of mail. Our ancient Rec- ords of Births, Marriages and Deaths have no Index, and were put down promiscuously. It would seem that they were recorded, not as they occurred, but when those concerned happened to think of it, or chose to do it. After examining a few hours, and not coming to any- thing you wanted, I went to William Cothren, Esq., who has gone into an extended examination of these Records, and arranged in some order the different names by themselves, and requested him to give your re- quired answers. I think you can depend on his statement. He is get- ting up an extended account of the Judson name. Yours, &c., ELIJAH SHERMAN."
In the communication from Mr. Cothren, he remarks: "The facts
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THE MINISTRY OF TAUNTON.
William Judson came from Yorkshire, England, in 1634, with his family. He had three sons, viz: Joseph, Jeremiah, and Joshua. He lived four years at Concord, and removed thence to Stratford, where he lived upon the South-west corner of a hill, called "Meeting-house Hill." He did not reside there long, but went thence to New- Haven, where he died in 1660. He probably had a daughter living there.
Joseph, the eldest son of William Judson, was fifteen years of age when his father came to New-England. He lived at Concord four years, removed thence to Stratford, married in 1644, and in his twenty-fifth year, Sarah, daughter of John Porter of Windsor, she being eighteen years of age. They had eleven children, four sons, and seven daughters. The father died Oct. 9th, 1690, and the mother, March 16th, 1696. Their eldest son, John, was born March 10th, 1647. He married in 1673, Eliz- abeth Chapman of Stamford, and was again married, July 5th, 1699, to Mrs. Mary Orton of Farmington. He lived first at Stratford, where his father lived, and had there three children. He thence removed to Woodbury, where he died in 1710. He was the father of thirteen children, eleven sons, and two daughters.
One of his sons bore the name of Jonathan, and was born in Dec. 1684. He married Mary Mitchell, Aug. 22, 1711. This Mary was daughter of Deacon Matthew Mitchell, and was baptized in July, 1687. Jonathan died May 16, 1727, and Mary died Feb. 9, 1743. They had seven children, four sons, and three daughters. Elnathan,
were collected from the Stratford, and Woodbury Records, and from an old geneological list in the possession of David P. Judson of Stratford. The Judson family is very numerous in this vicinity. I am preparing a list of genealogies of the early names of this town ( Woodbury) of which the Judson name is one, and will make quite a book of itself."
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EPHRAIM JUDSON.
the eldest son, was born May 8, 1712, and was baptized the same month. He married Rebecca Minor, June 30, 1736. This Rebecca was daughter of Ephraim and Re- becca Minor, and grand-daughter of Capt. John Minor, first settler of Woodbury, and Indian Interpreter. She was born Jan. 30, 1712. Captain Elnathan Judson died Dec. 14, 1796, aged eighty-four years. They had the following children :
(1) Ephraim, baptized Dec. 11, 1737, born Dec. 5, 1737.
(2) Thaddeus, baptized Oct. 14, 1739.
(3) Mary, baptized Oct. 18, 1741.
(4) Noah, baptized July 15, 1744.
(5) Elisha, baptized July 20, 1746.
(6) Elisha, 2d., baptized Nov. 8, 1747.
(7) Adoniram, baptized July 15, 1750.
The first Elisha died early. The second Elisha left five children, viz: Reuben, David, Sybil, Ruth and Abigail. The only daughter, Mary, married Edward Pond, Nov. 7, 1765. Thaddeus left seven children, viz: Elnathan, Noah, Thaddeus, Pamela, Hannah, Esther, Elihu; the first four of whom, his brother Noah adopted, after Thad- deus' death. Lieut. Noah, had one child, a daughter, besides those of his adoption. Adoniram, was a graduate of Yale College in 1775, received the Honorary Degree of Master of Arts from Harvard University in 1782, and was for many years Pastor of a Church in Plymouth, Mass. His son, Adoniram, graduated at Brown Univer- sity in 1807, and recently died, after having been a faith- ful, and successful Foreign Missionary, for forty years .*
* Rev. Doctor Wayland, President of Brown University, is preparing the memoir of this eminent man. It will be an important addition to the religious literature of the country.
4
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THE MINISTRY OF TAUNTON.
Ephraim, the eldest child of Elnathan* and Rebecca Judson, was the ninth minister of Taunton. He was born, as has been already stated, Dec. 5th, 1737, and, according to primitive New-England usage, was baptized the next Sabbath. He graduated at Yale College, twelve years earlier than his brother Adoniram, that is, in 1763. His first settlement in the ministry, was over the second church in Norwich, Conn., as the successor of Doctor Whittaker. He commenced his labors in Taunton some- time during the year of 1780. These labors for the space of ten years, the period of his settlement, were of a very decided, positive character. In the pulpit, and out of the pulpit, Mr. Judson left the mark of a strong mind upon every thing he touched. His people were never at a loss to know what he believed. He was the very man to make warm friends, and was just as sure to have implacable en- cmies.t His eccentricitiest are remembered by those who have forgotten his excellencies.
* Rev. Charles S. Porter, a successor of Rev. Adoniram Judson in the Pastoral office at Plymouth, in a communication received the 2d of July, '52, relates an interesting incident in the life of the father, (whom he calls "Minor," mistaking the mother's maiden name for her hus- band's) - an incident derived from Miss Abigail Judson, sister of the Missionary : "Mr. Judson, the father of Ephraim, once met with four others, to drink and blaspheme, and called on God, if there was one, to damn them. One soon fell back, and died; then another, the same eve- ning. A third died the following day. Two survived. Mr. Judson was one. A revival of religion soon followed, and he was made a subject of renewing grace, The Parents both lived," adds Mr. Porter, "to an ad- vanced age and were eminently pious."
ยก Note A.
# There are many instances of these eccentricities related, connected with his Sabbath ministrations and his every day intercourse with the people. For example, it is said of him, that one Sabbath he stopped in the midst of a Discourse, when several of the elderly people had fallen asleep, and reprehended some noisy boys in the gallery on this wise : "Boys, boys," said he, " don't make so much noise up there, or you will wake the old folks down below."
On one occasion preaching concerning the architecture of Solomon's Temple, he thus described its length: "It reached," said he, "as far as it is from here to Mr. Abijah Hodges' house - I don't mean young Mr. Abijali's, but old Mr. Abijah's."
39
EPHRAIM JUDSON.
He was stern, and apparently severe, but not without a good degree of moderation and mildness .* He was very precise in all his proceedings .;
He undertook once to reprehend his hearers for their lack of industry, and for their unreasonable repining. After dealing faithfully with the young, he turned towards the old people and said: " And you old men too, will gather in groupes, and leaning on your staves, will complain of ' hard times ! hard times !' But, Sirs, do you go to work ? No-you go to the tavern, and get another mug of grog.
He once accosted a lad on the roof of a house in the following singu- larly abrupt way : "Boy, has your father got 'Common Sense ?' (mean- ing Paine's book so called, which was just published, and he had heard this neighbor had.) "I guess he has as much as you have," was the quick reply ; and no wonder.
But his blunt, uncompromising manner was sometimes serviceable. For example : A man, who had once been a minister, but was deposed for Polygamy, called upon him one Saturday evening, and wanted to preach, supposing his character was unknown to Mr. Judson. Mr. Jud- son merely said " Good evening " to the stranger, and passed out of the room. After a little time he returned, and thus remarked: "Sir, you perceive I treat you rather coolly. Are your two wives both living ?" Nothing more was said about preaching.
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