The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

HISTORY OF DORCHESTER. 267
Purchase Capen was accidentally killed by the firing
of a gun, Sept. 9th.
This year the town chose a committee to seat people in the meeting-house.
The 22d of February, a letter was read from the
Church in Medfield, desiring messengers to assist in
a Council to be held there. The proceedings of said
Council were subsequently reported to the Church
in Dorchester, and are written out quite fully on
the Records. It is presumed that these Records,
which were formerly kept by Elder John Wiswell,
and afterwards by Capt. John Capen, were at this
time in the hands of Rev. Mr. Danforth, as the remarks therein respecting this Council appear to have
been written by him. It appears that out of 60 persons in the town of Medfield, who were voters, " 50
and odd" voted for Mr. Baxter, the minister, and 20
or 21 out of 25 of the members of the Church; yet
the opposition were active. Their reasons for opposing the settlement of Mr. B., according to the report,
were " some of them weak, silly and unreasonable,
and some of them ungodly and pernicious." "One
reason was that he was but a young man; another
that he had not so loud a voice as some others." The
report contains certainly one democratic doctrine, viz.,
" The light of nature shows that the majority should
sway."
The Church in Dorchester voted, this year, that
the Elders should signify to the General Court, that
they apprehended one tavern, besides Mr. Billings's
and Mr. White's, to be enough for the town, and
that none but persons of improved integrity be
licensed.