1744 June 3 (Sunday). On Mat. 12.30, and p.m. Repeated sermon on Ps. 99.5.9 from Exod. 15.11, with Some alterations. N.B. A Packet came from England into Boston yesterday and War was to be proclaim’d in the afternoon and was so about 5 o’clock between England and France. N.B. This proclamation of war immediately follow’d by a terrible Shock of an Earthquake about 10 o’Clock this Morning. N.B. Mr. James Fays wife cry’d out very much as Soon as I was come from the meeting House at Noon — and there was great crying out in the woods where a Number were retir’d at Noon. I Stop’d the Church at Eve at the request of Lieutenant Thomas Forbush to See if the Church would put in another Member to supply the place of Brother Whipple[1] at Upton Council, who is one of the Committee for answering the North Side’s Petition to the general court, but he holding he should not go to Boston as he conceiv’d
[1]Francis Whipple.