The Ordination of the Minister.
The minister's ordination was, of course, an important social as well as
spiritual event in such a religious community as was a New England colonial
town. It was always celebrated by a great gathering of people from far and
near, including all the ministers from every town for many miles around;
and though a deeply serious service, was also an excuse for much
merriment. In Connecticut, and by tradition also in Massachusetts, an
"ordination-ball" was frequently given. It is popularly supposed that at
this ball the ministers did not dance, nor even appear, nor to it in any
way give their countenance; that it was only a ball given at the time of
the ordination because so many people would then be in the town to take
part in the festivity. That this was not always the case is proved by
a letter of invitation still in existence written by Reverend Timothy
Edwards, who was ordained in Windsor in 1694; it was written to Mr. and
Mrs. Stoughton, asking them to attend the ordination-ball which was to be
given in his, the minister's house. But whether the parsons approved and
attended, or whether they strongly discountenanced it, the ordination-ball
was always a great success. It is recorded that at one in Danvers a young
man danced so vigorously and long on the sanded floor that he entirely wore
out a new pair of shoes. The fashion of giving ordination-balls did not die
out with colonial times. In Federal days it still continued, a specially
gay ball being given in the town of Wolcott at an ordination in 1811.
There was always given an ordination supper,--a plentiful feast, at which
visiting ministers and the new pastor were always present and partook with
true clerical appetite. This ordination feast consisted of all kinds of New
England fare, all the mysterious compounds and concoctions of Indian corn
and "pompions," all sorts of roast meats, "turces" cooked in various ways,
gingerbread and "cacks," and--an inevitable feature at the time of every
gathering of people, from a corn-husking or apple-bee to a funeral--a
liberal amount of cider, punch, and grog was also supplied, which latter
compound beverages were often mixed on the meeting-house green or even in
punch-bowls on the very door-steps of the church. Beer, too, was specially
brewed to honor the feast. Rev. Mr. Thatcher, of Boston, wrote in his diary
on the twentieth of May, 1681, "This daye the Ordination Beare was brewed."
Portable bars were sometimes established at the church-door, and strong
drinks were distributed free of charge to the entire assemblage. As late
as 1825, at the installation of Dr. Leonard Bacon over the First
Congregational Church in New Haven, free drinks were furnished at an
adjacent bar to all who chose to order them, and were "settled for" by the
generous and hospitable society. In considering the extravagant amount of
moneys often recorded as having been paid out for liquor at ordinations,
one must not fail to remember that the seemingly large sums were often
spent in Revolutionary times during the great depreciation of Continental
money. Six hundred and sixty-six dollars were disbursed for the
entertainment of the council at the ordination of Mr. Kilbourn, of
Chesterfield; but the items were really few and the total amount of liquor
was not great,--thirty-eight mugs of flip at twelve dollars per mug; eleven
gills of rum bitters at six dollars per gill, and two mugs of sling at
twenty-four dollars per mug. The church in one town sent the Continental
money in payment for the drinks of the church-council in a wheelbarrow to
the tavern-keeper, and he was not very well paid either.
It gives one a strange sense of the customs and habits of the olden times
to read an "ordination-bill" from a tavern-keeper which is thus endorsed,
"This all Paid for exsept the Minister's Rum." To give some idea of the
expense of "keeping the ministers" at an ordination in Hartford in 1784,
let me give the items of the bill:--
£ s. d.
To keeping Ministers 0 2 4
2 Mugs tody 0 5 10
5 Segars 0 3 0
1 Pint wine 0 0 9
3 lodgings 0 9 0
3 bitters 0 0 9
3 breakfasts 0 3 6
15 boles Punch 1 10 0
24 dinners 1 16 0
11 bottles wine 0 3 6
5 mugs flip 0 5 10
3 boles punch 0 6 0
3 boles tody 0 3 6
One might say with Falstaff, "O monstrous! but one half-pennyworth of bread
to this intolerable deal of sack!" I sadly fear me that at that Hartford
ordination our parson ancestors got grievsously "gilded," to use a choice
"red-lattice phrase."
Many accounts of gay ordination parties have been preserved in diaries for
us. Reverend Mr. Smith, who was settled in Portland in the early part of
the eighteenth century, wrote thus in his journal of an ordination which
he attended: "Mr. Foxcroft ordained at New Gloucester. We had a pleasant
journey home. Mr. L. was alert and kept us all merry. A _jolly ordination_.
We lost all sight of decorum." The Mr. L. referred to was Mr. Stephen
Longfellow, greatgrandfather of the poet.
Bills for ordination-expenses abound in items of barrels of rum and cider
and metheglin, of bowls of flip and punch and toddy, of boxes of lemons and
loaves of sugar, in punches, and sometimes broken punchbowls, and in one
case a large amount of Malaga and Canary wine, spices and "ross water,"
from which was brewed doubtless an appetizing ordination-cup which may have
rivalled Josselyn's New England nectar of "cyder, Maligo raisins, spices,
and sirup of clove-gillyflowers."
In Massachusetts, in January, 1759, the subject of the frequent disorders
and irregularities in connection with ordination-services, especially in
country towns, came before the council of the province, who referred
its consideration to a convention of ministers. The ministers at that
convention were recommended to each give instruction, exhortation, and
advice against excesses to the members of his congregation whenever an
ordination was about to take place in the vicinity of his church. In this
way it was hoped that the reformation would be aided, and temperance,
order, and decorum established. The newspapers were free in their
condemnation of the feasting and roistering at ordination-services. When
Dr. Cummings was ordained over the Old South Church of Boston in February,
1761, a feast took place at the Rev. Dr. Sewall's house which occasioned
much comment. A four-column letter of criticism appeared in the Boston
Gazette of March 9, 1761, over the signature of "Countryman," which
provoked several answers and much newspaper controversy. As Dr. Sewall had
been moderator of the meeting of ministers held only two years previously
with the hope, and for the purpose of abolishing ordination revelries, it
is not strange that the circumstance of the feast being given in his house
should cause public comment and criticism.
"Countryman" complained that "the price of provisions was raised a quarter
cart in Boston for several days before the instalment by reason of the
great preparations therefor, and the readiness of the ecclesiastical
caterers to give almost any price that was demanded. Many Boston people
complained the town had, by this means, in a few days lost a large sum of
money; which was, as it were, levied on and extorted from them. If the
poor were the _better for what remained of so plentiful and splendid a
feast_ I am very glad but yet think it is a pity the charity were not
better timed." He reprovingly enumerates, "There were six tables that held
one with another eighteen persons each, upon each table a good rich plumb
pudding, a dish of boil'd pork and fowls, and a corn'd leg of pork with
sauce proper for it, a leg of bacon, a piece of alamode beef, a leg of
mutton with caper sauce, a roast line of veal, a roast turkey, a venison
pastee, besides chess cakes and tarts, cheese and butter. Half a dozen
cooks were employed upon this occasion, upwards of twenty tenders to wait
upon the tables; they had the best of old cyder, one barrel of Lisbon wine,
punch in plenty before and after dinner, made of old Barbados spirit. The
cost of this moderate dinner was upwards of fifty pounds lawful money."
This special ordination-feast, even as detailed by the complaining
"Countryman," does not seem to me very reprehensible. The standing of the
church, the wealth of the congregation, the character of the guests (among
whom were the Governor and the judges of the Superior Court) all make
this repast appear neither ostentatious nor extravagant. Fifty pounds was
certainly not an enormous sum to spend for a dinner with wine for over one
hundred persons, and such a good dinner too. Nor is it probable that a city
as large as was Boston at that date could through that dinner have been
swept of provisions to such an extent that prices would be raised a quarter
part. I suspect some personal malice caused "Countryman's" attacks, for he
certainly could have found in other towns more flagrant cases to complain
of and condemn.
Though no record exists to prove that "the poor were the better for
what remained" after this Boston feast, in other towns letters
and church-entries show that any fragments remaining after the
ordination-dinner were well disposed of. Sometimes they furnished forth the
new minister's table. In one case they were given to "a widowed family"
("widowed" here being used in the old tender sense of bereaved). In
Killingly "the overplush of provisions" was sold to help pay the arrearages
of the salary of the outgoing minister, thus showing a laudable desire to
"settle up and start square."
If the church were dedicated at the time of the ordination, that would
naturally be cause for additional gayety. A very interesting and graphic
account of the feast at the dedication of the Old Tunnel Meeting-House of
Lynn in the year 1682 has been preserved. It thus describes the scene:--
"Ye Deddication Dinner was had in ye greate barne of Mr. Hoode which by
reason of its goodly size was deemed ye most fit place. It was neatly
adorned with green bows and other hangings and made very faire to look
upon, ye wreaths being mostly wrought by ye young folk, they meeting
together, both maides and young men, and having a merry time in doing ye
work. Ye rough stalls and unbowed posts being gaily begirt and all ye
corners and cubbies being clean swept and well aired, it truly did appear
a meet banquetting hall. Ye scaffolds too from which ye provinder had been
removed were swept cleane as broome could make them. Some seats were put up
on ye scaffoldes whereon might sitt such of ye antient women as would see &
ye maides and children. Ye greate floor was all held for ye company which
was to partake of ye feast of fat things, none others being admitted there
save them that were to wait upon ye same. Ye kine that were wont to be
there were forced to keep holiday in the field."
Then follows a minute account of how the fowls persisted in flying in
and roosting over the table, scattering feathers and hay on the parsons
beneath.
"Mr. Shepard's face did turn very red and he catched up an apple and hurled
it at ye birds. But he thereby made a bad matter worse for ye fruit being
well aimed it hit ye legs of a fowl and brought him floundering and
flopping down on ye table, scattering gravy, sauce and divers things upon
our garments and in our faces. But this did not well please some, yet with
most it was a happening that made great merryment. Dainty meats were on ye
table in great plenty, bear-stake, deer-meat, rabbit, and fowle, both wild
and from ye barnyard. Luscious puddings we likewise had in abundance,
mostly apple and berry, but some of corn meal with small bits of sewet
baked therein; also pyes and tarts. We had some pleasant fruits, as apples,
nuts and wild grapes, and to crown all, we had plenty of good cider and ye
inspiring Barbadoes drink. Mr. Shepard and most of ye ministers were
grave and prudent at table, discoursing much upon ye great points of ye
deddication sermon and in silence laboring upon ye food before them. But I
will not risque to say on which they dwelt with most relish, ye discourse
or ye dinner. Most of ye young members of ye Council would fain make a
jolly time of it. Mr. Gerrish, ye Wenham minister, tho prudent in his
meat and drinks, was yet in right merry mood. And he did once grievously
scandalize Mr. Shepard, who on suddenly looking up from his dish did spy
him, as he thot, winking in an unbecoming way to one of ye pretty damsels
on ye scaffold. And thereupon bidding ye godly Mr. Rogers to labor with him
aside for his misbehavior, it turned out that ye winking was occasioned by
some of ye hay seeds that were blowing about, lodging in his eye; whereat
Mr. Shepard felt greatly releaved.
"Ye new Meeting house was much discoursed upon at ye table. And most thot
it as comely a house of worship as can be found in the whole Collony save
only three or four. Mr. Gerrish was in such merry mood that he kept ye end
of ye table whereby he sat in right jovial humour. Some did loudly laugh
and clap their hands. But in ye middest of ye merryment a strange disaster
did happen unto him. Not having his thots about him he endeavored ye
dangerous performance of gaping and laughing at the same time which he must
now feel is not so easy or safe a thing. In doing this he set his jaws open
in such wise that it was beyond all his power to bring them together again.
His agonie was very great, and his joyful laugh soon turned to grievous
gioaning. Ye women in ye scaffolds became much distressed for him. We did
our utmost to stay ye anguish of Mr. Gerrish, but could make out little
till Mr. Rogers who knoweth somewhat of anatomy did bid ye sufferer to sit
down on ye floor, which being done Mr. Rogers took ye head atween his legs,
turning ye face as much upward as possible and then gave a powerful blow
and then sudden press which brot ye jaws into working order. But Mr.
Geirish did not gape or laugh much more on that occasion, neither did he
talk much for that matter.
"No other weighty mishap occurred save that one of ye Salem delegates, in
boastfully essaying to crack a walnut atween his teeth did crack, instead
of ye nut, a most usefull double tooth and was thereby forced to appear at
ye evening with a bandaged face."
This ended this most amusing chapter of disasters to the ministers, though
the banquet was diversified by interrupting crows from invading roosters,
fierce and undignified counter-attacks with nuts and apples by the
clergymen, a few mortifyingly "mawdlin songs and much roistering laughter,"
and the account ends, "so noble and savoury a banquet was never before
spread in this noble town, God be praised." What a picture of the good old
times! Different times make different manners; the early Puritan ministers
did not, as a rule, drink to excess, any more than do our modern clergymen;
but it is not strange that though they were of Puritan blood and belief,
they should have fallen into the universal custom of the day, and should
have "gone to their graves full of years, honor, simplicity, and rum." The
only wonder is, when the ministers had the best places at every table, at
every feast, at every merry-making in New England, that stories of their
roistering excesses should not have come down to us as there have of the
intemperate clergy of Virginia.
The ordination services within the meeting-houses were not always decorous
and quiet scenes. In spite of the reverence which our forefathers had for
their church and their ministers, it did not prevent them from bitterly
opposing the settlement of an unwished-for clergyman over them, and many
towns were racked and divided, then as now, over the important question.
As years passed on the church members grew bold enough to dare to offer
personal and bodily opposition. At the ordination of the Rev. Peter
Thatcher in the New North Church in Boston, in 1720, there were two
parties. The members who did not wish him to be settled over the church
went into the meeting-house and made a great disorder and clamor. They
forbade the proceedings, and went into the gallery, and threw from thence
water and missiles on the friends of the clergymen who were gathered around
him at the altar. Perhaps they obtained courage for these sacrilegious acts
from the barrels of rum and the bowls of strong punch. And this was in
Puritanical Boston, in the year of the hundredth anniversary of the landing
of the Mayflower. Thus had one century changed the absolute reverence and
affectionate regard of the Pilgrims for their church, their ministers,
and their meeting-houses, to irreverent and obstinate desire for personal
satisfaction. No wonder that the ministers at that date preached and
believed that Satan was making fresh and increasing efforts to destroy the
Puritan church. The hour was ready for Whitefield, for Edwards, for any
new awakening; and was above all fast approaching for the sadly needed
temperance reform.
In the seventeenth century a minister was ordained and re-ordained at
each church over which he had charge; but after some years the name of
installation was given to each appointment after the first ordination, and
the ceremony was correspondingly changed.