The town also concluded to have a contribution each Sunday, and thus pay the minister at the end of the day; and voted that each person should previously write down, on a rate-bill, what he will contribute each Sunday. The persons who gathered these contributions were appointed from among the most trustworthy of the congregation. The great watchfulness of our fathers in these money-matters is seen in a vote passed at this period (1709). It is as follows:

"Voted to call Mr. John Whitmore to an account by what order he held out the contribution-box, and how he disposed of the money that was put therein."

March 6, 1710: Voted to apply to Mr. John Whiting, Fellow of Harvard College, to preach for three months. This gentleman refused; and Mr. John Tufts was engaged for six months. At the end of this time, July 17, 1710, he engaged to supply the pulpit six months longer. The town now proposed a "free contribution," in connection with a "subscription," for the support of public worship.

There is a bewildering queerness in the following vote, passed by the town April 19, 1710:

"Put to vote, whether the town will allow Francis Whitmore six shillings for dining the minister four days. Voted in the negative."

Our fathers had a new source of alarm in the attempt to introduce English Episcopacy. They had not forgotten the persecutions of Archbishop Laud; and they feared every thing from a church that was "a tool of the king." Excited, suspicious, unforgiving, and intolerant in this matter, they called the Episcopalian clergymen "Baal's priests; "the unvarying service, "travelling round life-long in the same deep ruts;" and the set prayers, "leeks, garlick, and trash."

In the Medford church, though there were differing opinions concerning particular preachers and concerning worldly prudentials, there was a true and steady purpose in all hearts to have a settled pastor and teacher; and they all united piously to hold a town-fast on the last Wednesday of April, 1712. The record speaks of the day as one "to be solemnized as a day of fasting and prayer, to humble ourselves before God for those divisions and contentions that hath been so long prevailing among us, and obstructed the peaceable

enjoyment of gospel ordinances." They agreed to meet immediately after the religious exercises of the fast, and to ask each man to bring, on a piece of paper, the name of the gentleman he should prefer as his minister, and, out of the three who had the highest number, to select one as the pastor. It proved that Mr. Amos Cheever, Mr. John Tufts, and Mr. Aaron Porter, were the candidates.

The lot finally fell on the last-named gentleman. How long he preached as a candidate, we do not know. The time must have been short; for, on the 19th of May, 1712, the town voted, with most hopeful unanimity, to invite Mr. Aaron Porter to become their minister. His salary was to be fifty-five pounds, and to be increased two pounds annually until it reached seventy pounds. To this was added the strangers' money; twenty cords of wood, or seven pounds. It was further provided, that if a part of Charlestown that lies next to Medford be annexed, then Mr. Porter's salary be raised ten pounds. It was further provided, that "the rates for Mr. Aaron Porter's salary be levied on polls and ratable estate, according to the rate of raising and levying the county tax."

Mr. Porter accepted this invitation, but demanded "one hundred pounds as a settlement." The gift of such a sum to a new pastor was customary, and the Medford church acceded. Not being rich, the town voted to ask the aid of sister churches in paying this sum, which we trust was cheerfully granted. At the same meeting, they passed the following vote:

"That the Representative draw and prefer a petition to the General Court for some help as to maintenance and support of the ministry amongst us."

"Voted to clear with Mr. Porter once in six months; that is, to pay up in full.

The questions concerning congregationalism had elicited long discussion, and kindled some fire. Whether it meant a right in every church to elect and ordain its own officers, manage its own affairs, and maintain a pure worship; or whether it meant that the State was the proper head of the church, and therefore should regulate faith and punish heresy, our fathers took the first view, and declared for a free "independency," and acted accordingly.

The ordination was voted to take place on the 11th of

February, 1713; and the town provided a "place for entertaining the reverend elders, messengers, ministers, and scholars who should be present on the occasion." The whole cost of the ordination was about sixteen pounds.

The law authorizing taxes on ratable inhabitants for the support of public worship bears date 1677. The early Independent or Congregational churches distinguished between pastor and teacher. The Cambridge platform of 1648 confines the pastor to exhortation, and the teacher to doctrine. Mr. Wilson, who owned land in Mistick, was pastor of the first church in Boston, while Mr. Cotton was its teacher. "Ruling elder" was an officer different from a pastor or teacher or deacon. His duty was "to attend to the admission of members, to ordain officers chosen by the church, to excommunicate obstinate offenders renounced by the church, and to restore penitents forgiven by the church," &c. The deacon's duty was "limited to the care of the temporal things of the church, the contribution of the saints," &c. In Medford, the useless distinction between pastor and teacher was laid aside, as was also the office of ruling elder. The earliest churches ordained the deacons; and church-membership was an indispensable qualification for the freedom of the colony and the right of franchise. In the choice of a minister, the church nominated; and then the society, without respect to church-membership, elected him on the republican principle of a majority-vote.

REV. AARON PORTER.

This gentleman was born, July 19, 1689, in Hadley, Massachusetts. His great-grandfather was John Porter, of Windsor, Connecticut. His grandfather, son of John, was Samuel Porter, who was one of the first settlers of Hadley, in 1659, and died in 1689, leaving seven children. His father was Samuel Porter, Esq., eldest son of the abovenamed Samuel. He was born in 1660; married Joanna, daughter of Aaron Cook, Esq., of Hadley; was a gentleman of wealth and influence, extensively engaged in trade, and at one time High-Sheriff of the County. He died in the summer of 1722, aged sixty-two, leaving three sons and four daughters, all of whom are mentioned in his will. At the time he executed his will, Jan. 30, 1722, he knew not of the

death of his son, Rev. Aaron Porter, though he had then been dead a week; a striking proof of the difficulty of communicating intelligence.

The minister of Medford was the second son and the third child of the above Samuel, and was named Aaron, in honor of his grandfather Cook. He was graduated at Harvard College, 1708; previously to which he had joined himself to a society formed at college, May, 1706, that met weekly "for prayer and spiritual discourse."

Of his ordination at Medford, Chief Justice Samuel Sewall gives the following account in his diary. After mentioning a vehement, drifting storm of snow the day preceding, he writes:

"Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1713: Mr. Aaron Porter is ordained pastor of the church at Meadford. Mr. Angier, of Watertown, gave the charge; Mr. Hancock, of Lexington, the right hand of fellowship. The storm foregoing hindered my son Joseph (settled the same year over the Old South Church in Boston) from being there. Were many more people there than the meeting-house could hold."

In the autumn of the same year, Mr. Porter married Susanna, daughter of Major Stephen Sewall, Esq., of Salem, and a sister of Stephen Sewall (H. C., 1721), afterwards Chief Justice. Judge Samuel, her uncle, gives the following 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 Danvers), 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."

ancestors.

We may say a word, in passing, of these customs of our 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 "turkeyleather 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.

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Mr. and Mrs. Porter came to Medford immediately after their marriage, and lived happily together. They were highly esteemed by their uncle, Judge Sewall, who frequently called on them when going to Salem and Newbury. 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 12s. 2d. I carried her three oranges. Gave the nurse 2s., maid 1s. Hannah gave the nurse 1s. 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, February 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.