January 11, 1745

1745 January 11 (Friday).  The Town met again about my Affairs.  They granted Money at the Rate of £220 per Year for my preaching from June 5 to the 19th of October when the Town was divided into Two Precincts.  Captain Fay and Captain Warrin were the Committee to inform Me, to which I return’d a Written Answer.  And So now I am after these Things to be thrown upon a Precinct, or out of Doors — our old Covenants and Contracts being nullify’d and dissolved — and this without any Consent of mine, or Opportunity from either the Court or the Town to Shew whether I consented or not.  At Eve came Captain Eager, Lieutenant Holloway, Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Livermore, Mr. James Ball, Mr. Jesse Brigham, Mr. Nathaniel Oake and Lieutenant Tainter and several of them had not heard the Paper which I read to the Town on the 7th.  I did not read it for it was nigh Dark and they were Moving; but I gave them the Substance and enquir’d whether any one had a Mind to say anything about the Things which had been offer’d — upon which Mr. Wheeler and I had a long Conference In which I prov’d the Necessity of Order, but especially of Reasonableness in Societys, and that what the Town had done had been opposite to both; and that especially by the breaking up of our Covenant I was become a great Sufferer.  Constable Livermore paid me all.