CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Anonymous 
 
"''llMliramiMtellNiSte^^^^ New Haven 
 
 olin 
 
 3 1924 029 457 122 
 
The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
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 -i^^ 
 
 >«. 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 koaXH CHURCH IN NEW HAVEN 
 
HISTORY 
 
 NORTH CHURCH IN NEW HAVEN, 
 
 FllOM ITS FORMATION IN MAY, 1742, DURING THE GREAT 
 
 AWAKENING, TO THE COMPLETION OF THE 
 
 CENTURY IN MAY, 1848. 
 
 IN THKEE SERMONS. 
 
 SAMUEL W. S. BUTTON, 
 
 PASTOR OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 NEW HAVEN: 
 
 A. H. MALTBY, GLEBE BUILDING. 
 
 1842. 
 
NEW II A V 
 PRINTED BY E 
 
 L. BAMLEN- 
 
At a meeting of the Church of the United Society, in New Haven, 
 June 26, 1842— 
 
 Resolved, That Deacon Nathan Beers, Deacon Charles Bostwick, 
 Deacon William S. Jarman, Hon. David Daggett, Hon. Simeon Bald- 
 win, and Titus Street, Esq., be and hereby are appointed a Committee 
 to express the thanks of this Church to Rev. S. W. S. Dutton, its pastor, 
 for his valuable discourses on its history, and to request a copy, that 
 they may be printed. 
 
 Reverend and Bear Sir — 
 We, the Committee above named, with great pleasure communi- 
 cate to you the above vote of the Church of the United Society, and in 
 their name thank you for your three discourses, containing the interest- 
 ing history of the Church from its origin to the close of a century, and 
 request a copy thereof for publication. 
 
 Accept, dear sir, the assurances of our great respect and esteem. 
 
 Nathan Beers, 
 Charles Bostwick, 
 William S. Jarman, 
 David Daggett, 
 Simeon Baldwin, 
 TiTTTs Street, 
 Eev. S. W. S. Dutton. 
 
 >■ Committee. 
 
 Dear Brethren — 
 
 I am grateful that my feeble eiforts to illustrate the origin and his- 
 tory of our Church have been so favorably received. I send you a 
 copy of the discourses, according to your request. They contain facts, 
 brought to light, many of them, at some expense of time and labor, a 
 record of which should be made before the knowledge of them is lost. 
 An imperfect record is better than none. I have added much informa- 
 tion in the notes, which for obvious reasons I preferred to introduce in 
 that form rather than in the body of the discourses. The authors from 
 
whom I have derived information, are generally referred to in the notes. 
 In the investigation of matters of which no history has been written, 
 and of many of which it was difficult to find traces in the memory of 
 the living, I have received important assistance from various individu- 
 als, among whom I would gratefully mention Rev. Leonaed Bacon, 
 Prof. KiNGSLEY, and Hon. Simeon Baldwin. 
 
 I send you these discourses, in the hope that they may add one to 
 many memorials of the righteous, and the many illustrations of the care 
 and goodness of God towards his people. 
 
 Very respectfully and affectionately yours, 
 
 S. W. S. Button. 
 
 Deacon Nathan Beers, Deacon Charles Bostwick, 'i 
 
 Deacon William S. Jakman, Hon. David Daggett, > Committee. 
 Hon. Simeon Baldwin, Titus Street, Esq. ) 
 
SERMON I. 
 
 ORIGIN AND FORMATION OF THE CHURCH. 
 
 1 Samuel, xii, 7. — Now, therefore, stand still, that I may reason with 
 you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he 
 did to you and tcf your fathers. 
 
 A HUNDRED years have passed away since the forma- 
 tion of this Christian church, and this is the first Sab- 
 bath in the second century of its existence.* How it 
 had its origin in a wonderful outpouring of the Holy 
 Spirit ; through what trials and difficulties a merciful God 
 carried it forward, making it an evangelical light amid 
 great rehgious declension and defection and formalism ; 
 what instrumentalities He has here employed and blessed 
 from generation to generation to keep alive, on its sacred 
 altar, the incense of prayer and praise, and in the hearts 
 of its members the flame of love and faith and zeal ; how 
 He has increased this church with the increase of God, 
 multiplying its members, and making it a mother of 
 churches ; in short, His gracious acts toward you and 
 your fathers, it is my duty and privilege to declare, and 
 your duty and privilege to hear. 
 
 When men write the biography of an indwidual, they 
 usually give some account of his parents and ancestry. 
 
 * The church was organized on the 7th of May, 1742, (old style.) 
 Adding eleven days for the difference in style, the centennial anniver- 
 sary is the ISth of May, 1842. 
 
In giving a history of this church, I should deem it neces- 
 sary to give some account of its parent, the first church 
 in New Haven, and of the character of those vfho laid, 
 and of those who for a century built upon, the foundations 
 of this community, were it not that I find that labor done 
 to my hand, in the full, accurate, and eloquent historical 
 discourses of the present- pastor of that church, which 
 were delivered four years since, after the two hundredth 
 anniversary of the formation of that church, and for which 
 he deserves the gratitude of every son of the New Eng- 
 land, and especially of the New Haven, Puritans. 
 
 For a century that church, which is coeval with the 
 colony, though in common with most of the churches in 
 New England, it had gradually declined in spiritual pros- 
 perity, had yet enjoyed internal peace under the minis- 
 trations of its three first pastors, Rev. John Davenport, 
 Rev. Nicholas Street, and Rev. James Pierpont, and du- 
 ring the first twenty years of the ministry of Rev. Joseph 
 Noyes. At the close of that period a difficulty arose, 
 which resulted in the formation of this church, and some 
 years after, of this society. Its first public manifestation, 
 so far as the records show, was in December 28th, 1741, 
 when the following memorial was presented at the soci- 
 ety's meeting, signed by thirty eight men. 
 
 " To the First Society in the town of New Haven : — 
 Whereas we, the subscribers, have, by long and sorrow- 
 ful experience, found, that the preaching and conduct of 
 the Rev. Mr. Noyes has been in great measure unprofit- 
 able to us, and that we have also reason to think that 
 he differs from us in some points of faith, we desire, (not 
 as we hope out of any prejudice to the persons of Mr. 
 Noyes and pur brethren and friends of the society, to 
 whom we heartily wish all good,) that they would allow 
 
us, and others that may incline to join with us, to draw 
 off from them in charity, wishing to be a distinct society, 
 that we may put oxirselves under the best advantage to 
 worship God, under such means, as he in his good provi- 
 dence may allow and we hope will bless, for our spiritual 
 good and edification."* 
 
 In order rightly to understand and appreciate the char- 
 acter of this transaction, and of those which followed it 
 on one side and the other till this church was formed, 
 and in short, th^ distinctive character of this church and 
 its founders, we must briefly consider the condition and 
 character of the churches and ministry, and some of the 
 peculiar events, of that period. 
 
 In the beginning of the eighteenth century, from 1700 
 to 1735, we find, that religion in New England was in 
 a very low condition. It had degenerated into lifeless 
 formalism, like a tree whose bark and external form are 
 complete, but whose heart and strength have decayed. 
 The distinction between those who served God and those 
 who served him not, was passing, and had in a great 
 measure passed, away. There were multitudes in the 
 churches, who professed to be, not converted or pos- 
 sessed of experimental religion, but only speculative be- 
 
 * Records of the First Society. This memorial was signed by Gid- 
 eon Andrews, Caleb Tuttle, Joseph Mix, Caleb Bradley, Joseph Bur- 
 roughs, David Austin, Jacob Turner, Caleb Andrews, Enos Tuttle, 
 Obadiah Munaon, Stephen Johnson, Samuel Cook, Timothy Mix, Sam- 
 uel Horton, Thomas Punderson, Junr., Joseph Sackett, Hez. Beecher, 
 Jos. Mix, Junr., Enos Thompson, John Bull, Caleb Hotchkiss, Junr., 
 Benjamin Woodin, Caleb Bull, Timothy Jones, Benjamin Wilmott, Dan- 
 iel Turner, Stephen Austin, Thomas Wilmott, Abraham Thompson, 
 Mercy Ailing, David Punderson, Enos Ailing, Jabez Sherman, Amos 
 Tuttle, Thomas Leek-, Ezekiel Sanford, Timothy Ailing, Amos Peck. 
 
Uevers, or at most to be taking steps preliminary to con- 
 version. The ministry also, though it contained many, 
 who, both in secret and public places, bewailed the prev- 
 alent and growing declension, and earnestly longed and 
 prayed for a refreshing and reformation from the pres- 
 ence of the Lord, yet, by general acknowledgment, in- 
 cluded in its ranks some unconverted men, as will always 
 be the fact when religion has for any length of time the 
 form without the power.* It included also a much 
 greater number, whose preaching, instead of being evan- 
 gelical in sentiment, and plain and pungent in style and 
 manner, was either obscure, or non-committal, or silent, 
 or erroneous upon the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, 
 especially upon the doctrines of human depravity and 
 regeneration by the Spirit of God — preaching, which, 
 instead of unfolding and enforcing the nature and neces- 
 sity, for all men, of conversion, or a radical change in 
 moral character, and addressing all unconverted men as 
 guilty and inexcusable enemies of God, exposed every 
 moment to eternal death, and bound at once to repent 
 and believe in Christ, discoursed chiefly upon topics of 
 a lifeless morality, and conveyed the impression, that men 
 
 * " The door having been, professedly as well as really, opened 
 for persons without piety to enter the church ; as a very natural con- 
 sequence, there soon ceased to be any let or hindrance to their enter- 
 ing the ministry. And there is painful evidence that, previous to 1740, 
 many of this description did enter the ministry. ' They were grave 
 men, in speculation evangelical, or moderately so;, and performed 
 their customary ministerial duties with regularity : but their preaching 
 lacked point, and earnestness, and application ; their devotional ser- 
 vices were without warmth and unction ; their labors were not blessed 
 of the Holy Spirit ; their people slumbered ; the tone of religious feel- 
 ing and sentiment was sinking ; and true godliness seemed fast retiring 
 from the land.' " Wisner's Hist. Old South Church, 
 
who were regular in external conduct, and in attendance 
 upon public worship, were doing on. the whole very well — 
 about all that could be expected, or that they were able 
 to perform. As a natural consequence church discipline 
 was neglected, and loose and immoral practices were fast 
 pervading the community and invadmg the church.* 
 
 This great and general declension from the soundness 
 of faith, the eminence of piety, and the strict and uni- 
 versal morality of the Puritan founders of these New 
 England communities, was not sudden, but the gradual 
 and sure result of causes, the chief of which was in op- 
 eration from the first. 
 
 The venerated men who settled New England, made 
 a great advance upon the civil and religious liberty of 
 their native land, and planted the germs of that entire 
 separation between church and state, in which we now 
 rejoice. Instead of having one consolidated church, gov- 
 erned by a priesthood appointed by the civil government 
 or by patrons, having all its matters of doctrine and dis- 
 cipline determined and established ultimately by the civil 
 power, and having no redress when oppressed or invaded 
 by corruption, they established many churches, independ- 
 ent of each other, electiag their own pastors, and gov- 
 erning themselves in^ matters of doctrine and discipline 
 according to rules determined by representatives of their 
 own choice. That they went so far in sundering church 
 and state, in an age when an entire separation of church 
 and state had never existed, is matter of wonder and 
 
 * Abundant proof of these statements respecting the low state of 
 religion in the country, may be found in Prince's Christian History, 
 Vol. I, 94, and II, 375 ; Trumbull's Hist of Conn., Vol. I, p. 298, and 
 II, p. 135 ; Wisner's History of Old South Church in Boston, pp. 40, 
 41, 42 ; Tracy's Great AwaJcening, pp. 4 — 9. 
 
 2 
 
10 
 
 gratitude. They should be admired for going so far 
 towards liberty, rather than blamed for going no farther. 
 Still, it had been fortunate for their country, had they 
 gone farther. They established a union — a union far less 
 compact and oppressive than existed and now exists in 
 England, but still a real union — ^between church and 
 state. Congregationalism was established by law. All 
 the people were taxed for its support, and in Massachu- 
 setts, and in the colony of New Haven, no man could 
 have any share in the administration of the civil govern- 
 ment or give his vote in any election, unless he was a 
 member of one of the churches.* This, latter provision 
 was most disastrous in its effect upon the purity and 
 power of religion. It made the churches virtually the 
 state, and as the natural result, in the course of a little 
 more than half a century, formalism and worldUness' in 
 a great degree congealed the piety and corrupted the 
 
 * In 1631, at the second General Court held after the commence- 
 ment of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, an order was made, " that 
 for the time to come, none should be admitted to the freedom of the 
 body politic, but such as were church members." " This most extra- 
 ordinary law," says Hutchinson in his History, " was in fact continued 
 in force until the dissolution of the charter government, (which was 
 in 1785,) though it was repealed in appearance after the restoration 
 of king Charles the second." See Wisner's History of the Old South 
 Church in Boston, p. 4. In the colony of New Haven, in June, 1639, 
 this regulation was adopted, " that church members only shall be free 
 burgesses, and that they only shall choose magistrates and officers 
 among themselves, to have power of transacting all the public civil 
 affairs of the plantation ; of making and repealing laws, dividing inher- 
 itances, deciding differences that may arise, and " doing all things and 
 businesses of like nature." See Kingsley's Historical Discourse, p. 25. 
 This regulation continued in force till 1665, when the colony of New 
 Haven was united with the colony of Connecticut : in which latter 
 colony this regulation never existed. 
 
11 
 
 purity of those churches. At the first settlement of the 
 country the gospel rule, of admitting to the churches 
 those only who give evidence of a change of heart, uni- 
 versally prevailed. All those therefore who gave no such 
 evidence were, according to the law, excluded from civil 
 offices, and from the exercise of the elective franchise. 
 These, who at first were few,* as one generation passed 
 away and another came on, rapidly increased and grew 
 very uneasy, desiring the civil privileges and honors of 
 church-members^ and soon there was a strong party who 
 claimed, that all persons baptized in infancy, whether 
 regenerate or not, should be treated as members of the 
 church, (except that they should not be admitted to the 
 Lord's table,) and should be permitted, on owning the 
 the covenant, as it was called,t to offer their children for 
 for baptism and thus introduce them into the privileges 
 of church-members. Some were for receiving all persons 
 of a regular hfe to full communion in the churches, on 
 their making a profession of religion, without any inquiry 
 
 * The number of those, at the first, who were not members of the 
 church, was greater than has been generally supposed. Hutchinson 
 gives evidence, that there were in Massachusetts, "many from the 
 beginning." According to his account, in 1646, sixteen years after 
 the commencement of the Massachusetts colony, the number of those 
 not connected with the churches in Plymouth and Massachusetts was 
 so great, that they petitioned the General Courts of both colonies, and 
 prepared petitions to the British Parliament, praying, as they say, in 
 behalf of " thousands,^'' that Jhe disabilities under which they labored 
 might be removed. See Hutch. I, 145 — 149, and 451. 
 
 t That is, on professing their belief in an evangelical creed, and 
 solemnly promising a formal observance of religious duties. It was 
 generally understood, that this covenanting was merely formal. They 
 who could covenant heartily were admitted to the Lord's supper, ox 
 to " full communion" as it was termed. 
 
12 
 
 as to a change of heart, and some were for going still 
 farther, and insisted that all who had been members of 
 churches in England, or had been members of regular 
 ecclesiastical parishes there, and supported the public 
 worship, should be allowed to enjoy the privileges of 
 members in full communion, in the churches here.* On 
 this subject parties began to be formed, and ran high ; 
 and in June, 1657, about twenty years from the first set- 
 tlement of the country, a general council, composed of 
 delegates from the churches of Massachusetts and Con- 
 necticut, convened by the General Courts of those colo-, 
 nies, decided, that all baptized persons ought to be con- 
 sidered members of the church, under its discipline, 
 and entided to all its privileges, except a participation 
 in the Lord's supper. In 1662, the General Court of 
 Massachusetts appointed a synod of all the ministers of 
 that colony, which, with many dissenting voices, con- 
 firmed the decision of the council. The rule, thus re- 
 commended, though strenuously opposed,t came ere long 
 
 * See Trumbull, I, 297, 298, 299. 
 
 + " This wide and pernicious departure from the primitive gospel 
 discipline of the New England churches," was vigorously opposed by 
 some of their ablest ministers. " The Eev. Charles Chauncey, Presi- 
 dent of Harvard College, Mr. Increase Mather of Boston, Mr. Mather 
 of Northampton, and others, were warmly in the opposition." Presi- 
 dent Chauncey and Mr. Increase Mather, published against the decision 
 of the synod, and so did the Rev. John Davenport, then minister of 
 New Haven, whom the author of the ft^gnalia styles " the greatest of 
 the anti-synodists." Mr. Increase Mather afterwards changed his opin- 
 ion, and published two treatises in favor of the result of the synod. 
 Mr. Davenport, partly on account of his opposition to this innovation, 
 was called, though upwards of seventy years of age, to be pastor of 
 the First Church in Boston. His election and installation was deemed 
 a triumph of the anti-synodists in that church,- and resulted in a seces- 
 
13 
 
 into general practice, and obtained the appropriate name 
 of the Half-way covenant. 
 
 Not many years after, the custom of receiving unregen- 
 erate persons to the Lord^s supper began, and, after the 
 able and excellent Stoddard of Northampton publicly and 
 widely advocated it on the ground that the Lord's sup- 
 per is a converting ordinance, increased rapidly, till it 
 became quite extensive, though never, I believe, as ex- 
 tensive as the half-way covenant practice.* Thus it 
 
 sion of twenty eight brethren, who with others were formed into the 
 church which is now called the Old South. See Wisner's History of 
 Old South Church, p. 6 ; and Bacon's Historical Discourses, p. 140. 
 
 * The practice of admitting unconverted persons to the communion, 
 though not publicly advocated till 1707, was quite extensive for many 
 years previous. Wisner, in his H!istory of the Old South Church, thus 
 ^eaks of its prevalence and effects : " The practical result, every one 
 sees would be, that, if the innovation already made (i. e. the half-way 
 covenant) were not abandoned, another would speedily be introduced. 
 And such was the fact. Correct rporal deportment, with a profession 
 of correct doctrinal opinions, and a desire for regeneration, came to 
 be regarded as the only qualification for admission to the communion. 
 This innovation, though not as yet publicly advocated by any, there is 
 conclusive proof, had become quite extensive in practice previously to 
 1679. The proof is the fact, that one of the measures earnestly re- 
 commended by the " Reforming Synod" in 1679, was a return to the 
 ancient strictness in admitting persons to the Lord's supper. Thus 
 was abandoned, by the New England churches extensively, that prin- 
 ciple, viz. ' that particular churches ought to consist of regenerate per- 
 sons,' — the letting go of which soon after the apostolic age, a distin- 
 guished writer (John Owen) has affirmed and proved ' was the occa- 
 sion and means of introducing all that corruption in doctrine, worship, 
 order and rule, which ensued, and ended in the great apostasy.' And 
 in this instance, the same effects soon began to appear. The churches 
 soon came to consist, very considerably, in many places, of unregen- 
 erate persons — of those who regarded themselves and were regarded 
 by others, as unregenerate. The standard of religious profession was 
 
14 
 
 was, that the formalism, and worldliness, and corruption 
 in doctrine to which I have adverted, took possession of 
 the churchj and permitted corruption in morals and prac- 
 tice to mvade the community. It was because a union 
 of church and state made it necessary for worldly men, in 
 order to obtain civil liberty, to break into the hallowed en- 
 closure of the church of God. Thus disastrous to reli- 
 gious and social welfare, must ever be a union of eccle- 
 siastical and civil power. It casts religion under the feet 
 of popular freedom in her onward and irresistible march. 
 It corrupts and enslaves the church ; and by formaUsm 
 and laxity and defection, makes " the light of the world" 
 almost as dark as the world itself.* 
 
 greatly lowered ; and of course vital religion itself came to be contin- 
 ually less and less regarded ; the close and pungent preaching of the 
 first ministers would not be endured, and it gradually ceased ; and thP 
 sanctifying and converting energy of the Holy Spirit was withdrawn." 
 * The union between church and state existed more extensively, and 
 continued longer, and has therefore proved more disastrous in its re- 
 sults in Massachusetts than in Connecticut. Says Dr. Wisner, in the 
 History of the Old South Church, p. 71 : — " Let us be careful, how- 
 ever, to secure, and diffuse, and transmit to posterity the instructive 
 lesson furnished by the result of their experiment. It was an experi- 
 ment of the influence of a union between church and state, made in 
 circumstances the most favorable for the church that have ever yet ex- 
 isted. The churches of Massachusetts were all originally uncorrupt 
 and scriptural in doctrine and discipline, and composed of eminently 
 pious men, who lived, and were ready to sacrifice every thing, for the 
 kingdom of Christ, and whose wisdom has been the admiration of the 
 candid of all succeeding generations. These wise and holy men es- 
 tablished all our early civil and ecclesiastical institutions, with the ex- 
 press design of making every thing contribute to the preservation and 
 purity and extended influence of the churches. And now in less than 
 two hundred years, what is the result > Not only has a flood of error 
 come in, and desolated the portion of their heritage which our pious 
 fathers cultivated with the greatest care, and made the college which 
 
15 
 
 Another cause of the religious and moral declension of 
 those times, too important to be passed over in silence, 
 and too important also to be noticed so briefly as the 
 limits of the occasion render necessary, was, a kind of 
 theology, which for many years had more and more pre- 
 vailed — a theology, which denies man's natural ability to 
 obey God's command to repent and beUeve in Christ, 
 and consistently with that denial, hesitates to urge upon 
 him immediate reconciliation to God as a practicable duty ; 
 virtually tells him, that he is not to blame for being im- 
 penitent ; and directs him to read the Bible, pray, attend 
 the sanctuary, in fine, do what was then called "using 
 the means of grace," and be orderly and moral in out- 
 ward conduct, as all he can do, or be expected to do. 
 
 •they devoutly consecrated ' to Christ and his church,' the principal 
 instrument of maintaining and diffusing that error, but the churches 
 themselves have been declared, by judicial decisions having all the 
 force of law, to have no legal rights or existence independent of the 
 civil corporations — the towns or parishes with which they are con- 
 nected." " The only circumstance," say these decisions, " which 
 gives a church any legal character, is its connexion viith some regu- 
 larly constituted society.'''' "A church cannot subsist without some 
 religious community to which it is attached." " As to all civil pur- 
 poses, the secession of a whole church from a parish would be an ex- 
 tinction of the church ; and it is competent to the members of the parish 
 to institute a new church, or to engraft one upon the old stock, if any 
 of it should remain ; and this new church would succeed to all the 
 rights of the old in relation to the parish. Mass. Term Eeports, XVI, 
 504. Such is the result of a union between church and state, in cir- 
 cumstances the most favorable for the church that have ever yet ex- 
 isted ! When will the professed followers of Christ learn the full im- 
 port of that declaration, ' My kingdom is not of this world.' When 
 will the churches of Christ learn to rely only on themselves and their 
 king? .Then, and not till then, • will he accomplish for them all that 
 he hath promised." 
 
16 
 
 This sort of theology laid a consistent foundation for the 
 half-way covenant system. For it was plain, that men 
 ought not to be deprived of civil privileges for want of 
 repentance and faith, when repentance and faith were 
 beyond their power. It led also to the conclusion that the 
 Lord's supper was one of the "means of grace" which 
 they were " to use" in order to receive conversion. On 
 the other hand, the half-way covenant system, and its 
 kindred practice of admitting unregenerate persons to the 
 Lord's supper, reacted upon and extended this sort of 
 theology, filling the church with unconverted members, 
 who hked the opiates to conscience of such a theology, 
 and introducing, as there is reason to believe, some un- 
 converted men into the ministry. It was disastrous to 
 religion indirectly, by leading to the practices of admit- 
 tmg unregenerate persons to partial, and fuU, standing in 
 the church, and directly, by leading men to think that 
 they were guiltless — to feel at ease — while living out of 
 Christ and in rebellion against God. 
 
 Another cause of the decline of piety, which I will barely 
 mention, was the frequent warfare of the colonists with the 
 Indians, and the necessity of constant and anxious vigil- 
 ance, in order to keep their dearly bought privileges from 
 the grasp of the rapacious ministers of English tyranny. 
 Such excitement and agitation are unfavorable to religious 
 prosperity. 
 
 It was in a period of such laxity of religious opinion 
 and of ecclesiastical order and discipline, and consequent 
 declension in spirituality and morals, that the Rev. Mr. 
 Noyes, the fourth pastor of the ancient church in New 
 Haven, had been educated, and had formed his style of 
 doctrine and preaching and measures. There is no reason, 
 that I can find, to question — what some of his warmest 
 
17 
 
 opposers denied — his piety. There is also no reason to 
 doubt, that his preaching, both as to doctrine and style and 
 manner, was such as does not tend, in any high degree, to 
 the conviction and conversion of sinners, or the edification 
 and spirituality of Christians. Dr. Trumbull, a historian of 
 undoubted credit, whose sympathies however, it should 
 be remarked, were with those who opposed Mr. Noyes, 
 says of him, "though he had the gift of prayer, and was 
 edifying in that part of worship, yet he was unanimating and 
 unpopular in hie preaching. His zealous and Calvinistic 
 hearers did not consider him, as so faithfully and plainly 
 preaching the doctrines of human depravity, of regenera- 
 tion by the supernatural influences of the divine Spirit, and 
 of its absolute necessity that men might be saved, of 
 effectual calling and justification by faith only, as a minister 
 of the gospel ought by all means to do. They did not 
 conceive him, as making proper distinctions between true 
 and false religion, and preaching m such a manner, as had 
 a tendency to show to hypocrites and secure sinners their 
 danger and misery. From the manner of his preaching, 
 especially on sacramental occasions, suspicions arose that 
 he did not hold the real divinity of the Savior."* President 
 Clap accused him of being an Arrainian.t Mr. Bacon 
 says of his preaching, "that it was dry in style, dull in 
 delivery, and at the best non-committal in respect to those 
 ever litigated doctrines,' which are the grand objective 
 motives of Christian piety."} The truth, so far as we can 
 
 * Trumbull, II, p. 340. t Bacon's Historical Discourses, p. 233. 
 
 I Bacon's Hist. Disc, p. 229. "The preaching of the pastor, the 
 Rev. Joseph Noyes, was far from being of a popular character ; and 
 besides it was thought to be of doubtful orthodoxy." See sketch of the 
 Histoiy of Yale College, in the American Quarterly Register, by Prof. 
 Kingsley. 
 
 3 
 
18 
 
 now ascertain it, is, that he was dull and dry in style and 
 manner ; that, while he professed a Calvinistic creed, he 
 was very sparing in doctrinal discussion, and when he 
 entered upon it, left his hearers in doubt and suspicion as 
 to his real belief; that he was infected with the errors of 
 that age respecting conversion, exhorting his hearers, not 
 immediately to repent — which he believed they could not 
 do — ^but to outward order and good works and diligent 
 use of the means of grace, in which course of action they 
 might gradually experience a change of heart ; addressing 
 his hearers, not as for God or against him, and applying 
 the searching tests of character to assist them to decide on 
 which side they stood, but in a manner which led them to 
 suppose, that they were in a promising condition, so long 
 as they were regular in outward duties and religious 
 forms ; in fine, a preacher who would not greatly disturb 
 the ease and security of lukewarm Christians or impeni- 
 tent sinners. 
 
 As we look back to the state of that church, and of the 
 churches throughout New England, at that period, it is 
 manifest to us, that nothmg would have saved the churches 
 and ministry from sinking into apostacy, except that won- 
 derful visitation of the reviving Spirit of God, which makes 
 the middle of the last century memorable in the annals 
 of this country, and of the Christian church — the revival 
 of 1740, which has generally been styled "the Great 
 Awakening." 
 
 As this revival, in connexion with the character of Mr. 
 Noyes' ministry, was the cause of the origin of this church 
 it would bei appropriate for me to enter somewhat at length 
 into its nature and history. But the theme is a great one. 
 The limits of these discourses will permit me to speak of 
 
19 
 
 it only so far, as is necessary to elucidate the origin and 
 distinctive character of this church.* 
 
 In the year 1 735, there was a general revival of religion 
 in Northampton, of which Mr., afterwards President 
 Edwards, who was then the minister of that place, has 
 given an account in his " Narrative of Surprising Conver- 
 sions." He says, " Th^re had been, for two or three years, 
 an increasing sobriety and seriousness on the part of the 
 young in that place, but about the commencement of that 
 year, a great and earnest concern about the great things 
 of religion and the eternal world, became universal in all 
 parts of the town, and among persons of all degrees and 
 all ages. From day to day, for many months together, 
 might be seen evident instances of sinners brought out 
 of darkness into marvellous light."t This "refreshing 
 from the presence of the Lord" was not confined to North- 
 ampton, but was manifest in its blessed effects in many 
 towns in Massachusetts and New Jersey, and in still more 
 in Connecticut. Mr. Edwards mentions a revival in New 
 Haven that year, of which he had received an account by 
 letter from Mr. Noyes.J From 1735 to 1740, there was 
 a declension in religion ; but the good fruits of the revival 
 were very manifest. In the year 1740, the Rev. George 
 Whitefield, with whose fame my hearers are familiar, came 
 to this country the second time, having two years before 
 visited the colony of Georgia. He preached in Philadel- 
 phia, New York, and in many places in New Jersey, to 
 the great admiration of listening thousands, and soon 
 passed on to the southern colonies, where he preached for 
 
 * I would refer my readers to the History of the Great Awakening, 
 by Rev. Joseph Tracy — a very able and interesting work. 
 
 t Edwards' Works, Lond. ed., p. 348. J Edwards' Works, p. 349. 
 
20 
 
 several months, amid much excitement, and much opposi- 
 tion from his own denomination, and with great success in 
 the conversion of souls. Having been invited by several 
 eminent ministers and laymen to New England, where a 
 general revival had already commenced, he sailed from 
 Charleston, and arrived in New England on the Sabbath, 
 September 14th. He found the people of New England 
 anxiously awaiting his arrival, and ready to be moved by 
 him. He preached in Newport, where he landed, and in 
 Bristol, and passed on to Boston. He was there received 
 with great attention, and his preaching was to great num- 
 bers, and with great immediate effect, and followed by a 
 general revival in that city, hitherto unaffected in the recent 
 awakening. Having remained in Boston over three weeks, 
 he went on to Northampton, to visit Mr. Edwards, and the 
 scene of the revival of 1735, and thence to New Haven, 
 tarrying a while and preaching with great effect in various 
 towns on the way. He arrived at this place on the 23d 
 of October, having preached that day to thousands at Mid- 
 dletown and Wallingford. Here he was entertained at the 
 house of Mr. James Pierpont, who was afterwards a leader 
 in the formation of this church. As the legislature of the 
 colony was in session, he remained till Sabbath evening, 
 preaching once on Friday afternoon, twice on Saturday, 
 and twice on the Sabbath, besides expounding at his 
 lodgings and conversing with individuals, and had the 
 pleasure of seeing numbers daily impressed. Several min- 
 isters waited on him, with whose pious conversation he 
 was much refreshed. Among these was the Rev. Jedediah 
 Mills of Ripton, " a dear man of God," says Whitefield, 
 "who talked like one who was no novice in divine things." 
 In one of his sermons, "he spoke very closely to the stu- 
 dents of the dreadful ill consequences of an unconverted 
 
21 
 
 ministry. Mills and some other ministers rejoiced in spirit." 
 This Mr. Mills was one, as we shall see hereafter, who 
 favored this church, and of the select council which install- 
 ed its first pastor. Probably this visit was the commence- 
 ment of the revival in this place. While he was here, 
 persons were daily impressed; and four months afterwards, 
 we hear of a " great and general awakening" in the Col- 
 lege, which probably was in connection with a revival in 
 the town.* Trumbull says that Connecticut was more 
 remarkably the seat of the work, than any part of New 
 England or of the American colonies, and that in the years 
 1740^1-2, it had pervaded, m a greater or less degree, 
 every part of the colony. He mentions several "reverend 
 gentlemen who most favored the work, while others op- 
 posed it." But "the most zealous" of which "were the 
 Rev. Messrs. Jedediah Mills, Benjamin Pomeroy, Eleazar 
 Wheelock and Joseph Bellamy ;" all of whom, it is to be 
 remarked by us, were the advisers of this church, preached 
 to it, and were of the council which installed its first pastor. 
 The preaching of Whitefield and these men, insisted 
 chiefly on those great doctrines, on which Mr. Noyes was 
 either non-committal or pointless or en-oneous : especially 
 the doctrines of human depravity; of the necessity of re- 
 generation by the Spirit of God, in order to be in heart 
 or works acceptable to God ; of the obligations of sinners 
 to repent at once, pressing into the kingdom of God; and 
 their abominable character and conduct in the sight of God, 
 and their dreadful danger, while impenitent. The differ- 
 ence between their doctrines and preaching and Mr. 
 Noyes', must have been seen and painfully felt by those 
 who were zealous in religion. It is no wonder, that 
 
 * The materials for this sketch of Whitefield's visit, I find in Tracy's 
 " Great Awakening," and in Trumbull — principally in the former. 
 
22 
 
 Christians in a reviral, who had heard Whitefield and those 
 whom I have mentioned, some of whom were better 
 preachers, in some respects, than Whitefield^* with their 
 hearts full of desire for the conversion of sinners, should 
 have considered preaching so poorly adapted to that end 
 as Mr. Noyes' "unprofitable," and wished and determined 
 to seek for themselves, that of a different character. 
 
 It is probable, also, that Mr. Noyes manifested some of 
 that opposition to the revival and to its zealous promoters, 
 which he exhibited very strongly two years afterwards, 
 when he joined with the ministers of the New Haven As- 
 sociation in thanking the legislature for their persecuting 
 laws against the friends of the revival, and still later, in 
 voting to exclude Whitefield from the pulpits of Connec- 
 ticut, as he did from his own pulpit.t There can be no 
 doubt, that from the time of Whitefield's first visit to this 
 place, if not long before, there was a dissatisfaction with 
 Mr. Noyes, which only needed a favorable opportunity to 
 manifest itself. Such. an opportunity soon occurred. 
 
 In September, 1741, about a year after Whitefield's visit, 
 there came to this place Rev. James Davenport. He was 
 one of the imitators of Whitefield, and like all imitators, 
 especially of such men, more successful in copying his 
 faults than his excellencies. Previous to 1740, he had 
 been esteemed a pious, sound, and faithful minister. But 
 
 * Their preaching was better than Whitefield's for the purposes of 
 instruction — in clear, discriminating and correct views of divine truth • 
 but far inferior for the purposes of popular impression — in fervor of 
 feeling and in attractive and powerful oratory': in which probably, he 
 has never been surpassed. 
 
 t Indeed, Trumbull says, in accounting for the separation, that Mr. 
 Noyes " appeared wholly unfriendly to the religious awakening and 
 concern in the country, and to the zealous and experimental preachers 
 by whom it was promoted." Vol. II, p. 340. 
 
23 
 
 being constitutionally liable to enthusiastic impulses, and 
 affected, as it afterwards appeared, by a disease which in- 
 creases excitability and exposes to insanity under exciting 
 causes, his mind lost its balance, and he commenced an 
 itinerating career through the churches, of extravagance 
 and confusion. His enthusiasm, and that kind of elo-' 
 quence which usually accompanies enthusiasm, his repu- 
 tation for piety, and his great apparent consecration to and 
 communion with God, gave him great power over excita- 
 ble and zealous mifids. "He gave," says Trumbull, "an 
 unrestrained liberty to noise and outcry, both of distress 
 and joy, in time of divine service. He promoted both with 
 all his might, raising his voice to the highest pitch, together 
 with the most violent agitations of body. With his un- 
 natural and violent agitations of body, he united a strange 
 singing tone, which mightily tended to raise the feelings 
 of weak and undiscerning people, and consequently to 
 heighten the confusion among the passionate of his hear- 
 ers. It was his manner, when a number had cried out, 
 and there had been great agitations of body, to pronounce 
 them tokens of divine favor, and what was still worse, he 
 would declare those who were the subjects of those out- 
 cries and agitations, to be converted, or that they had 
 come to Christ. He was further the great encourager, if 
 not the first setter up, of public exhorters, not restricting 
 them according to the gospel rule of brotherly exhortation, 
 but encouraging any who were reputed to be lively, zeal- 
 ous Christians, to exhort publicly, in full assemblies, and 
 with ministerial assurance and authority, though altogether 
 raw and unskillful in the word of righteousness."* In 
 July, 1741, he left his pastoral charge in Southold, Long 
 Island, and came to Stonmgton, where he preached with 
 
 * Vol. II, p. 160. 
 
24 
 
 "great success, one hundred being awakened, as was 
 thought, under his first sermon. He passed through, 
 many towns in the eastern and southern part of Conmec- 
 ticut, preaching with great effect and confusion, and freely 
 examining his brethren in the ministry, and publicly con- 
 demning those who did not manifest^ in his view, right 
 doctrinal opinions and sufficient zeal in the revival, as 
 unconverted men. He arrived at New Haven about the 
 beginning of September. Here, on account of his descent 
 from the venerated founder of the first church. Rev. John 
 Davenport, and his alliance, through his mother, who was 
 a native of New Haven, with several prominent families, 
 and his reputation for uncommon sanctity and usefulness, 
 he was favorably received, and for a time admitted to Mr. 
 Noyes' pulpit. Very soon, however, displeased with Mr. 
 Noyes' ways of thinking and acting with reference to the 
 revival, he began to denounce him, in conversation and 
 public prayer, as an unconverted man, a wolf in sheep's 
 clothing, and a destroyer of souls. Mr. Noyes therefore 
 had a meeting of his friends at his house on the Lord's 
 day, the 21st of September, and desired Mr. Davenport 
 to give the reasons for his abuse of him. Mr. Davenport 
 in reply gave several reasons, which were most of them 
 very frivolous, and none of them any proof against Mr. 
 Noyes' piety. Neither Mr. Noyes nor Mr. Davenport 
 were satisfied, and Mr. Davenport beginning to pray for 
 Mr. Noyes, and Mr. Noyes forbidding him, the meetuig 
 broke up in confusion.* After this, Mr. Noyes forbade 
 him admission to his pulpit, and we hear no more of 
 Mr. Davenport in New Haven. From this time, doubt- 
 less, there began to be an organized opposition to Mr. 
 Noyes, and parties began to be formed, and to run 
 
 * F6r an account of this meeting, see Bacon's Hist. Disc. p. 214. 
 
25 
 
 high, which probably then, and certainly ere long, took 
 the forms, the one of hostility and the other of friendship, 
 to the^evival, and the names of New and Old Lights ; Mr. 
 Noyes and his friends on the one side, and his opposers 
 and their adherents on the other. 
 
 At the next society's meetbg, which was on the 28th 
 of December, about three months after Mr. Davenport's 
 visit, the petition for a division of the society was pre- 
 sented, which I read in the beginnmg of this discourse. 
 
 That Mr. Davenport was not the cause of this division, 
 but that it lay farther back in dissatisfaction with the un- 
 profitable character of Mr. Noyes' ministry — a dissatis- 
 faction excited perhaps, certainly strengthened, by the 
 evangelical and awakening preaching, and the stirring 
 scenes, of the revival, is very evident from the preceding 
 narrative. That a man, whose course was such as that 
 of Davenport, should have been the occasion, or afforded 
 the opportunity, of organizing that dissatisfaction, was un- 
 fortunate for the founders of this church. They were 
 called for a time " Mr. Davenport's party," and some of 
 his ill reputation, perhaps even now in some minds, ad- 
 heres to them. We should however consider, that, till 
 within two or three months before Mr. Davenport came 
 to New Haven, he had been known only as an able and 
 judicious and highly useful minister ; that Whitefield, 
 whom he had seen, greatly admired, and now imitated, 
 had himself freely denounced ministers who did not come 
 up to what he deemed the right standard of doctrme 
 and zeal and measures, as unconverted men, made the 
 dreadful consequences of "an unconverted ministry" a 
 a frequent theme of public discourse, and was known to 
 give heed to religious impulses, and to value, highly 
 "outcries and bodily agitations;" and that Davenport 
 
 4 
 
26 
 
 came hither with the highest recommendations from those 
 whom zealous Christians honored as the most able pro- 
 moters of the revival. " Whitefield had publicly eutegized 
 him," says one of Davenport's apologists,* " and had de- 
 clared in -conversation, that he never knew one keep so 
 close a walk with God as Mr. Davenport. Mr. Tennent 
 (one of the revered names of that memorable period) 
 affirmed Mr. Davenport to be one of the most heavenly 
 men he was ever acquainted with. Mr. Pomeroy, who 
 is well acquainted with both, thinks he doth not come 
 one whit behind Mr. Whitefield, but rather goes beyond 
 him for heavenly communion and fellowship with the 
 Father and with his son Jesus Christ. Mr, Parsons of 
 Lyme, and Mr. Owen of Groton, (worthies of that day,) 
 very highly commend him for holiness. In brief, there 
 is not one minister in all Connecticut, that is zealously 
 affected in the good cause of God at this day, but instead 
 of slighting him is apt to think more highly of him than we 
 ought to think of men, and to receive him almost as if he 
 was an angel from heaven." — " This," says another,! " is 
 the statement of an honest partizan, so far as a partizan 
 can be honest ; not false, but too highly colored. Dav- 
 enport had undoubtedly produced wonderful effects, and 
 collected a large tribute of veneration." We should re- 
 member also that many ministers, at that day, who were 
 esteemed very judicious friends of the revival, approved 
 and rejoiced in " outcries and bodily agitations." Jona- 
 than Edwards, than whose authority none was then, or 
 is now greater, said, "when I see them (outcries and 
 
 * Rev. Andrew Croswell of Boston, in a pamphlet published July 
 16th, 1742. 
 
 t Tracy's Great Awakening, from which, with some abbreviation, 
 I quote the above testimony. 
 
27 
 
 bodily agitations) excited by preaching- the important 
 truths of God's word, I do not scruple to speak of them, 
 and rejoice in them, and to bless God for them, as prob- 
 able tokens of God's presence and the success of preach- 
 ing. I confess that when I see a great crying out in a 
 congregation, in the manner that I have seen it when 
 those things are held forth to them, which are worthy of 
 their being greatly affected by, I rejoice in it more than 
 in an appearance of solemn attention, and a show of af- 
 fection by weepiag ; and that, because when there have 
 been those outcries I have found from time to time a 
 greater and much more ejtcellent effect. To rejoice that 
 the work of God is carried on calmly, is in effect to re- 
 joice that it is carried on with less power, or that there 
 is not so much of the influence of God's Spirit."* Con- 
 sidering these things, we shall not wonder that the early 
 founders of this church were influenced by Davenport, 
 or deem them deserving of severe censure, especially, as 
 it appears, tliat they did not approve of his extreme 
 measures. The writerf who is chiefly relied on for the 
 account of his conduct in New Haven, and who certainly 
 had strong prejudices against the friends of the revival, 
 says, " that few or none of his greatest admirers underr 
 take peremptorily to justify these things ; but they have 
 conceived such an extraordinary opinion of his holiness 
 and success, as that they seem to suppose, that he has 
 some extraordinary assistance, or commission to do that 
 which may not be done by any other man." 
 
 I have now endeavored with fairness, to set before 
 you the means of judging of the motives and conduct , 
 
 * Thoughts on the Revival, p, 394. Lend, edition, 
 t Dr. Chauncey of Boston. 
 
28 
 
 of the thirty eight men, who 'petitioned the society, in 
 very respectful and proper language, for permission to 
 draw off and form a distinct society by themselves. Re- 
 specting this petition, the present pastor of the First 
 Church well remarks: "To uS at this day, it seems per- 
 fectly obvious, that the only wise or reasonable course 
 in regard to such a memorial, and indeed the only course 
 consistent with the principles of religious freedom, was 
 either to take such measures as might conciliate the pe- 
 titioners, and overcome their prejudices, or if that seemed 
 impracticable, to grant them their request at once."* The 
 society however acted otherwise. Their record says, "A 
 question beings proposed to the society, whether they 
 would do any thing with respect to the above memorial, 
 it was resolved in the negative." 
 
 The petitioners since they had, before the presentation 
 of this memorial, had repeated conversations with Mr. 
 Noyes on their grievances, and after much pains to obtain 
 satisfaction, had been unable to obtain any, either in private 
 conversation, or by his preaching in public, drew articles 
 of charge or grievance, and presented them to Mr. Noyes, 
 desiring that they might be communicated to the church 
 and society, and soliciting a mutual council (i. e. a council 
 chosen mutually by the parties) to hear and give advice 
 in their difficulties.f Mr. Noyes told them that the church, 
 having adopted the Saybrook Platform, belonged to the 
 Consociation, and could have no council but the Consocia- 
 tion of the ministers of the county and delegates from their 
 churches. The ministers and churches of the county were 
 almost all opposed to the revival, and of course it was 
 supposed that they would be inclined to favor Mr, Noyes, 
 
 * Bacon's Hist. Disc, p. 218. + TrumbuU, II, p. 340. 
 
29 
 
 rather than his opposers. For this reason,* doubtless, the 
 complainants did not wish to go to the Consociation, whose 
 decision at that time, was considered judicial and fined. 
 For the same reason, doubtless, Mr. Noyes wished that 
 the case should go to the Consociation. The complain- 
 ants declared that the church was originally independent,* 
 had never adopted the Saybrook Platform, was still inde- 
 pendent, and not subject to a judicial body, such as the 
 Consociation had grown to be. The church records were 
 referred to, and »o vote of the church adopting the Say- 
 brook Platform could be found ; and this it was claimed, 
 was decisive proof that the church was still independent. 
 On the other hand, the well known facts, that the former 
 pastor of the church, Mr. Pierpont, was a leading member 
 of the synod that formed the Platform, and indeed the 
 principal author of that instrument; and that the church 
 was present by its pastor and delegate, in the council 
 which had approved the Platform, and formed the Conso- 
 ciation for the county; and had uniformly sent delegates 
 from year to year to the Consociation — these facts were 
 adduced as evidence that the church was not independent, 
 
 * A consociated church, is one which is connected with the Consocia- 
 tion, (a council composed of the pastors and messengers of the churches 
 within certain local limits — in Connecticut within a county or half a 
 county,) to which an appeal may be taken from its decisions, ancf which 
 must be its council, whenever there is occasion for a'council. Whether 
 the decisions of the Consociation ase judicial and Jinal, or only advisory, 
 is a question, respecting which, there has been difference of opinion, 
 and which at different periods, has been differently decided. The gen- 
 eral opinion at the present day is that its decisions are only advisory. 
 
 An independent church, is one which is not connected with, a Conso- 
 ciation, or any standing council ; but may, whenever, according to the 
 customs of Congregational churches, it has occasion for a council, 
 select a council without any regard to geographical limits. 
 
30 
 
 but consociated. The petitioners persisted in their denial, 
 whereupon Mr. Noyes put the question to the church, 
 whether they were consociated, and on taking the vote, 
 excluded the petitioners from voting. Of course, it was 
 decided that the church was consociated. The complain- 
 ants, then, considering their grievances greatly aggravated, 
 and declaring that Mr. Noyes and his friends, by voting in 
 the Saybrook Platform, had "divested them of their ancient 
 ecclesiastical privileges," and formed themselves into 
 another church than that with which they (the complain- 
 ants) were in covenant, drew off, affirming that they were 
 the church on the original foundation : and proceeded to 
 take the benefit of the Act of Toleration, which allowed 
 persons, on qualifying themselves by taking a prescribed 
 oath before a magistrate, to organize themselves as a 
 religious congregation, dissenting from the established wor- 
 ship of the colony ; though it did not free them from 
 taxation by the society from which they dissented.* They 
 then professed their desires to have their grievances heard 
 
 * That Act was passed May, 1708, and is as follows : > 
 
 " An Act for the ease of such as soberly dissent from the way of wor- 
 ship and ministry, established by the laws of this government. 
 
 " It is enacted and ordained by the Governor, Council and Representa- 
 tives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, 
 for the ease of such as soberly dissent from the way of worship and 
 ministry established by the ancient laws of this Government, and still 
 continuing, that if any such persons shall at the County Court of that 
 County they belong to, qualifie themselves according to an Act made 
 in the first year of the late King William and Queen Mary, granting 
 liberty of worshippmg God, in a way separate from that which is by 
 law established, they shall enjoy the same liberty and privilege in any 
 place within this colony, without any let, hindrance and molestation 
 whatever. 
 
 " Provided always, that nothing herein, shall be construed to the pre- 
 judice of the rights and privileges of the churches by law established in 
 
31 
 
 by a mutual councD, i. e. a council mutually agreed on by 
 the parties. But Mr. Noyes would not consent. They 
 therefore called a council of their own, consisting of Rev. 
 Messrs. Samuel Cooke, John Graham, Elisha Kent, and 
 Joseph Bellamy, from the eastern district of Fairfield 
 county. These ministers met in New Haven on the 5th 
 day of May, 1742, at the house of Mr. Samuel Cooke. 
 They took into consideration the request of brethren James 
 Pierpont, Capt. James Talmadge and Lieut. Jos. Mix, 
 ^ ♦ 
 
 this Government, or to the excusing any person from paying any such 
 minister, or town dues, as are now, or shall hereafter be due from 
 them." Acts and Laws of his Majesty's Colony of Connecticut in New 
 England. New London edition, 1715, p. 134. 
 
 The Act of Parliament, to which reference is made in this colonial 
 Act, and on which this colonial Act is founded, is thus spoken of by 
 Blackstone : " The penalties (for dissenting from the wbrship of the 
 church of England) are all of them suspended by the statute 1st of Wm. 
 & Mary, Stat. I, Ch. 18, for exempting their Majesties' protestant sub- 
 jects, dissenting from the church of England, from the penalties of 
 certain laws," commonly called the Toleration Act ; which exempts all 
 dissenters (except papists and such as deny the Trinity) from all penal 
 laws relating to religion, pj-ovided they take the oaths of allegiance and 
 supremacy (or make a similar affirmation, being Qualcers) and subscribe 
 the declaration against popery, and repair to some congregation regis- 
 tered in the Bishop's Court or at the Sessions, the doors whereof must 
 be always open : and dissenting teachers are also to subscribe the thirty- 
 nine articles, except those relating to church government and infant 
 baptism. Thus are all persons who will approve themselves no papists 
 or oppugners of the Trinity, left at full liberty to act as their conscience 
 shall direct them in the matter of religious worship. But by Statute 5, 
 Geo. I, Ch. 4, no mayor or principal magistrate, must appear at any 
 dissenting meeting with the ensigns of his office, on pain of disability to 
 hold that, or any other office : the legislature judging it a matter of pro- 
 priety, that a mode of worship set up in opposition to the national, when 
 allowed to be exercised m peace, should be exercised also with decency, 
 gratitude and humility." ' Blackstone, Comm. Book IV, Chap. 4. ' 
 
32 
 
 asking advice as to their ecclesiastical difficulties, and 
 having searched the records of the church, and deliberated 
 on the questions presented to them, drew up the result to 
 which they arrived, in the form of resolutions;* the amount 
 of which is, that since Mr. Noyes and his friends had, by 
 secluding the complainants, and voting in a conformity with 
 the Saybrook Platform, divested the complainants of their 
 ancient ecclesiastical liberties and privileges, and thus 
 really formed another church, they (the council) would 
 proceed on the next day, publicly and solemnly, not to set 
 apart the complainants as a second church, but to re-estab- 
 lish them as the original church on the original foundation. 
 "Accordingly," here I quote substantially from the church 
 records, "the next day was attended as a day of solemn 
 fasting and prayer. Two sermons were delivered ; one in 
 the forenoon by Mr. Graham, and the other in the afternoon 
 by Mr. Bellamy. At the same time, eighteen brethren and 
 twenty-five sisters, forty-three in the whole,t subscribed 
 the confession of faith and church covenant,! which had 
 been used in the ancient church of New Haven, from the 
 
 * See Chh. Eecords. 
 
 t Their names are as follows : — Brethren. Samuel Thompson, James 
 Pierpont, Gideon Andrews, James Talmadge, Nathaniel Sherman, Caleb 
 Bradley, Joseph Burroughs, Hezekiah Beecher, Stephen Johnson, Phil- 
 ip Rexford, Zuriel Kimberly, Joseph Mix jun., Samuel Horton, Stephen 
 Austin, Enos Ailing, David Punderson, Joseph Mix,, Timothy Mix. 
 
 Sisters. Margaret Mansfield, Sarah Pierpont, HannahTalmadge, Mary 
 Thompson, Anna Eexford, Susannah Cook, Lydia Burroughs, Rebecca 
 Sherman, ^Esther Sherman, Thankful Bradley, Phebe Andrews, Aniia 
 Mix, Damaris Mix, Ruth Mansfield, Thankful Punderson, Mary Mix, 
 Hannah Tuttle, Anna Jones, Elizabeth Dorman, Syble Gilbert, Abigail 
 Horton, Dorothy Tuttle, Sarah Horton, Mary English, Abigail Munson. 
 
 I See a copy of this confession of faith and church covenant in the 
 Appendix. 
 
33 
 
 beginning; and on their being distinctly read, publicly and 
 expressly gave their assent and consent to them. They 
 also publicly declared and covenanted, in the following 
 manner, namely : Whereas, in addition to other grievances 
 too tedious and unnecessary here to enumerate, of which 
 we would not willingly perpetuate the memory, a consid- 
 erable part of the First Church in New Haven have lately, 
 (viz. on the 25th of January last,) under the conduct of 
 their present pastor, voted a conformity to the Saybrook 
 Platform, and in consequence of it, (to show more plainly 
 the design of said vote,) at the same time, by their vote, 
 carried to the standing Consociation of this county a com- 
 plaint against sundry members of said church, thereby 
 owning a judicial and decisive authority in the said stated 
 Consociation, contrary to the known fundamental principle 
 and practice of said church, time out of mind, which has 
 always denied any judicial or decisive authority under 
 Christ, vested in any particular persons or class, over any 
 particular Congregational church, confederated as this ; 
 We the subscribers, members of said church, firmly ad- 
 hering to the Congregational principles and privileges on 
 which the said church was founded, and hath stood un- 
 shaken from the beginning, through successive generations, 
 until the 26th day of January last, being by the said inno- 
 vations hereunto necessitated, apprehend ourselves called 
 of God, in company, to vindicate our ancient rightful 
 powers and privileges, and to put ourselves into a proper 
 capacity for the enjoyment thereof, upon the ancient 
 footing : And for that purpose, do now, under the conduct 
 of Divine Providence, humbly sought, by fastmg and prayer, 
 assume a church state of the gospel, on the ancient basis of 
 that church, whereof we stood members in fact, as well as 
 of right, until the unhappy period above mentioned, wherein 
 
 5 
 
34 
 
 the pastor and a number of the brethren with hinij'^went 
 off from the ancient foundation as aforesaid. ■-■■-.' > 
 
 "And we with all affection, invite others, the members of 
 said church, who do or may see just cause of grievance at 
 said innovations, to join with us in asserting our ancient 
 rightful powers and privileges broken in upon. • 
 
 "We solemnly declare our belief in the Christian religion, 
 as contained in the sacred Scriptures, and with such a view 
 thereof, as the confession of faith hath exhibited, which is 
 hereunto annexed, fully agreeing, in substance, with the 
 confession of faith owned by said church, time out of mind; 
 heartily resolvmg to conform our lives unto the rule thereof, 
 that holy reUgion, as long as we. live in this world. We 
 solemnly renew a religious dedication of ourselves to the 
 Lord Jehovah, who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
 Spirit; and avouch him this' day to be our God, our Father, 
 our Savior, our Leader, and receive Him as our portion 
 forever. We give up ourselves anew to the blessed Jesus, 
 who is the Lord Jehovah, and adhere to Him, as the head 
 of his people in the covenant of grace, and rely on Him as 
 our prophet, priest, and king, to bring us unto eternal 
 blessedness. We renewedly acknowledge our everlasting 
 and indispensable obligations to glorify our God, in all the 
 duties of a godly, sober, and righteous life; and very par- 
 ticularly in the duties of a church state, as a body of people 
 associated for an obedience to Him, in all ordinances of 
 the gospel; and we therefore depend on His gracious 
 assistance, for our faithful discharge of the , duties thus 
 incumbent on us. We desire and intend,, and with de- 
 pendence on His promised and powerful grace, we engage 
 anew to walk together as a church of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ, in the faith and order of the gospel, so far as we 
 shall have the same revealed unto ug, conscientiously 
 
35 
 
 attending the public worship of God, the sacraments of the 
 New Testament, the disciplme of His kingdom, and all His 
 holy institutions in common with one another, and watch- 
 fully avoiding sinful stumbling-blocks and contentions, as 
 becometh a people, whom the Lord hath bound up together 
 m the bundle of life. At the same time, we do also present 
 our offspring with us unto the Lord, purposing with His 
 help, to do our part in the methods of religious education, 
 that they may be the Lord's. And all this we do, flying 
 to the blood of the everlasting covenant for the pardon of 
 our many errors, praying that the glorious I,ord, who is 
 the great Shepherd, would prepare and strengthen us for 
 every good work, to do His will, working in us that which 
 will be well pleasing to Him, to whom be glory, for ever 
 and ever. Amen." ' 
 
 None, I think, can fail to notice the solemnity, the deep, 
 fervent and evangelical piety, and entire consecration to 
 God, which breathe through this covenant. 
 
 "Upon these solemn transactions, the Rev. Mr. Cooke, 
 in his own name, and in the name of the ministers and 
 churches composing the council, owned them as a true 
 church of Christ, and declared his readmess, on the desire 
 of said church, to assist them as such." 
 
 Thus my brethren was this church organized, or, as 
 its first members claimed, re-established. 
 
 After the lapse of a hundred years we can look at this 
 separation impartially ; and thus looking, two things are 
 to us very obvious. 
 
 1. That the ostensible cause of separation, professed 
 in the result of the council, was not the real one, viz. 
 that the church had voted a conformity with the Say- 
 brook Platform. The dissatisfied party had petitioned 
 for hberty to withdraw, and form a distinct society, on 
 
36 
 
 the ground of the unprofitableness to them of Mr. JVoyes' 
 preaching and his difference from them in faith. Besides, 
 it is quite evident, that the church was conformed to 
 the Saybrook Platform. True, there is no record of any 
 vote to that effect. But, considering the imperfection of 
 the records, that fact is not proof to the contrary. On 
 the other hand, the former pastor of the church, Mr. 
 Pierpont, viras the principal author, and warmly in favor 
 of the Platform. The church was represented by its 
 pastor and delegate in the council, which recommended 
 that instrument, and formed the Consociation for this 
 county. The church had uniformly acted as a conso- 
 ciated church, by sending delegates to the Consociation. 
 These facts to an impartial mind are sufficient evidence, 
 that the church had adopted the Saybrook Platform. In 
 denying this, and asserting the contrary, the first foun- 
 ders of this church and their council were undoubtedly 
 mistaken. From the first however there had been two 
 constructions of the Platform, as to the power of the Con- 
 sociation. One, the strict or Presbyterian construction, 
 affirmed, that the Consociation (which was a standing 
 council of ministers and delegates from the churches in 
 a county) was a judicial tribunal, to which all church 
 difficulties might be carried, and from which there was 
 no appeal. The other, the liberal or Congregational con- 
 struction, was, that the Consociation was an advisory 
 body, merely, whose results were binding only by the 
 moral influence of a wise and dignified body.* The 
 
 * " The first Consociation of this county, convened at Branford, 
 April, 1709, (a few months after the Saybrook agreement, at which 
 were present some of the compilers of the articles of discipline,) on 
 the request of some churches present, declared it as their sense, that 
 the articles were no more than a recognition of the obligations which 
 
37 
 
 former, or strict construction, had, in the time of Mr. 
 Noyes, become established in the Consociation of New 
 Haven county. Of this fact, that such was the construc- 
 tion of the power of the Consociation, the members of 
 the church opposed to Mr. Noyes probably had not been 
 distinctly aware ; at least, they had not been distinctly 
 aware of the edge of this construction. They had had 
 no difficulties to settle, and therefore no occasion to know 
 much about Consociation. For a long time, they had 
 been at peace, iind moreover asleep ; and now when they 
 had a difficulty to settle by the Consociation, they awoke, 
 to find that their Congregational liberty had vanished in 
 a construction, and that they were under the power of 
 a stated council, as strict and arbitrary as a presbytery. 
 Still, I must have more confidence m human nature, 
 even when renewed, than I have, did I not believe, that, 
 if the ministers of this Consociation had been m, favor 
 of the revival, and sympathizing Avith the friends of the 
 revival in this place, instead, of being, as they almost all 
 were, opposed to the revival, and therefore in sympathy, 
 not with them, but with Mr. Noyes, they (the first foun- 
 ders of this church) never would have thought of de- 
 nying either the conformity of the church to the Plat- 
 form, or the strict construction of the Platform. Parties, 
 and even religious parties, are apt to be in favor of a 
 strong government when it is on their side, and opposed 
 to it, when against their side. And those, who find ar- 
 bitrary power bearing hard on themselves, are they, who 
 
 the gospel of Christ brings distinct societies of Christians under, to 
 afford each other mutual advice and assistance when desired. Till 
 this explanation was made by the ministers, the delegates from the 
 churches would not consent to receive the Platform." Dr. Dana's Cen- 
 tury Discourse. 
 
38 
 
 are the first to oppose it. This, by the way, is an instruc- 
 tive lesson to men, both in church and statBj as to the 
 usefulness of minorities. 
 
 If the first founders of this church had said, that a con- 
 struction of the Platform had grown into power and prev- 
 alence, which made their form of government widely diflfer- 
 ent from that which they supposed they were under, they 
 would have stated the truth ; and this would have been a 
 valid ground of complaint, though not perhaps oi separation. 
 But to put the cause of their separation, as they did, on the 
 ground that the church had voted in a mode of government 
 to which it had never conformed, was to place their cause 
 on ground which was not accordant with fact, and there- 
 fore indefensible. For the council of ministers to have 
 declared the imperfections of Mr. Noyes' ministry a suffi- 
 cient cause of separation, powerful as was the influence of 
 Mr. Noyes and his friends in the town and county, would 
 have been a proceeding very irritating and unpopular. 
 Under the pressure of this reason, probably, they chose to 
 place the matter (correctly, as they doubtless thought) on 
 a different ground. 
 
 Of the act of Mr. Noyes in excluding his opposers from 
 the vote, on the question whether the church was con- 
 formed to the Saybrook Platform, I need not speak. It 
 speaks for itself. Probably he considered them a party in 
 the case. But on that question no one was on trial. If 
 his opposers were a party in a case, which was to be 
 affected by the decision of that question, so were his 
 friends. And so was he,' who exercised the important 
 power of excluding them in a body from the vote. 
 
 2. It is equally obvious, that the real cause of the 
 separation, was love for the distinguishing doctrines of the 
 gospel, particularly the doctrmes of human depravity, the 
 
39 
 
 necessity of regeneration by the Spirit of God, and jus- 
 tification by faith ; love for plain, earnest, and pungent 
 preaching of those and kindred doctrines ; and love for 
 the revival of religion.* Such was not Mr. Noyes' 
 preaching. He was opposed to the revival and the ex- 
 perimental preachers by whom it was promoted ; and his 
 church were fast uniting with him in that opposition. 
 The first members of this church felt bound, therefore, 
 peaceably and in charity, as they say, to withdraw, and 
 form a distinct society, that they might put themselves un- 
 der better advantages to worship God and secure their 
 own spiritual edification. And who is there at this day, 
 who will not say that they did essentially right 7 Doubt- 
 
 * That I am right in this and the preceding remark will appear from 
 the following extract from the church records. 
 
 Feb. 20, 1758. Voted and agreed. That the platform of church 
 discipline, agreed upon by a synod met at Cambridge, 1648, (i. e. the 
 platform on which the independent churches stand,) as it has been the 
 discipline made use of in this church, be still used as the rule of our 
 discipline ; notwithstanding we are fully of opinion, that different sen- 
 timents, about the conveniency or expediency of such circumstantial 
 forms and modes of discipline, where the Essentials of it are pre- 
 served, and the great doctrines of the gospel and vital piety are main- 
 tained, constitute no just cause of separation, or breach of union in 
 Worship, Ordinances, or Administrations, and we do declare, that if 
 any of us should be called by Divine Providence to settle in any Church 
 under an Association or Presbytery, where all the great doctrines of 
 the gospel, were plainly, powerfully, and generally preached, and vital 
 piety maintained, we should make no division, separation, or difficulty, 
 on account of any circumstantials of discipline ; and we freely de- 
 clare, that the great and principal design which we have had in view 
 in all the transactions peculiar to our Society, has been, and still is, to 
 preserve and maintain the great doctrines of the gospel, and to have 
 them plainly and powerfully preached to, and entertained by us, and 
 our posterity to the latest generation. Passed unanimously in the 
 affirmative. 
 
40 
 
 less they committed errors and extravagances, as did 
 many good men under the preaching of Davenport, and 
 even under that of Whitefield. But they were right in the 
 position which, in the face of great difficulties, and opposi- 
 tion, and burdens, and self-denial, they took and maintamed; 
 and they deserve and will receive the liianks of later gen- 
 erations, who understand better than did that generation, 
 the ways of God's Spirit. They were, in this place, the 
 friends of the revival ; and that, when the ancient church 
 and its pastor, and the faculty and corporation of the col- 
 lege, indeed almost all the influence and power of the 
 place, together with the strong political and ecclesiastical 
 government of the county and colony, were strenuously 
 opposed to that revival. They went hand in hand, as our 
 records show, with Bellamy, and Pomeroy, and Wheelock, 
 and Mills, and others, whose names are embalmed in the 
 history of that wonderful " refreshing from the presence of 
 the Lord," and will ever be fragrant among the churches 
 of Connecticut : and, God being on their side. He that was 
 for them being greater than those who were against them, 
 they ultimately triumphed. 
 
 The foundations of this church, my brethren, are love of 
 evangelical doctrine, of ecclesiastical liberty, of revivals of 
 religion. Such ever be its superstructure. 
 
SERMON II. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS FORMATION 
 TO THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 Psalm Ixxvii, 11, 12, 13. — I will remember the works of the Lord; 
 surely I will reigember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also 
 of all thy works, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in 
 the sanctuary. 
 
 In a previous discourse, I have given an account of 
 the origin of this church, and of the peculiarities of the 
 times in which it had its origin, so far only as seemed 
 necessary to elucidate the distinctive character of itself 
 and its founders. 
 
 The council which formed or re-established the church, 
 left Mr. Graham, one of their number, to preach to them 
 for a time, and advised them to apply to a convention 
 of ministers, who were expected to meet at Wethersfield 
 the next week, for advice as to some suitable person to 
 be improved by them as a preacher. They accordingly 
 applied to this convention, and were advised to the Rev. 
 Mr. Wheelock,* of Lebanon, an able, judicious, and elo- 
 quent friend of the revival, as a suitable person to assist 
 
 • Dr. Trumbull in his history thus characterizes Mr. Wheelock : 
 " Mr., afterwards Doctor and President, Wheelock, was a gentleman 
 of a comely figure, of a mild and winning aspect, his voice smooth 
 and harmonious, the best, by far, that I ever heard. He had the entire 
 command of it. His gesture was natural but not redundant. His 
 preaching and addresses were close and pungent, and yet winning be- 
 
 6 
 
42 
 
 them in their ministerial affairs. Upon this advice, on 
 the 17th of May, by Mr, James Pierpont, their messen- 
 ger, they requested Mr. Wheelock to make them a visit, 
 and employ his m,inisterial labors among them for a time, 
 and vi^ith some aspect to a future fixed improvement 
 there, if Providence should open the v»,y for it. In com- 
 pliance with this request, Mr. Wheelock came on the 3d 
 of June, and continued with them about a month, preach- 
 ing, presidmg in their . meetings, and admitting mem- 
 bers to full communion. But, as he was peaceably set- 
 tled in an important place, and greatly esteemed and 
 beloved by his people, and highly useful in the east- 
 ern part of the State, he thought it his duty to remam 
 there.* 
 
 At this time, about two months from the formation of 
 the church, such additions had been made to it, that the 
 number of its members was between seventy and eighty. 
 After Mr. Wheelock's departure, the church mvited Mr. 
 Graham and Mr. Bellamyt to preach to them by turns. 
 
 yond almost all comparison, so that his audience would be melted even 
 into tears before they were aware of it." Vol. II, p. 158. Dr. Whee- 
 lock was the founder and first president of Dartmouth College. 
 
 * Church records, and Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 344. 
 
 + Dr. Trumbull thus gives the character of Mr. Bellamy as a preacher : 
 "Mr., afterwards Dr. Bellamy, was a large and well built man, of a 
 commanding appearance ; had a smooth strong voice and could fill the 
 largest house without any unnatural elevation. He possessed a truly 
 great mind, generally preached without notes, had some point of doc- 
 trine commonly to establish, and would keep close to his point untilfce 
 had sufficiently illustrated it ; and then in an ingenious, close, and pun- 
 gent manner, he would make the application. When he felt well, and 
 was animated by a large and attentive audience, he would preach in- 
 comparably. Though he paid little attention to language, yet when he 
 became warm and was filled with his subject, he would from the native 
 
43 
 
 At the outset, and for many years, the church had to 
 struggle with great difficulties. The act of toleration, of 
 which they had availed themselves, only gave them the 
 liberty of worshiping by themselves. It did not exempt 
 them from taxation for the support of Mr. Noyes. So 
 that their pecuniary burden was great. This, however, 
 was slight, compared with the violent opposition which 
 they met from the opposers of the revival, the Old Lights, 
 as they were called. These were very numerous, and 
 powerful, in Gennecticut, embracing many of the leading 
 ministers, and generally the magistrates and principal 
 gendemen. They employed all their art and power to 
 suppress the revival, and to keep all ministers from 
 abroad, who favored it, out of the colony, and to confine 
 all, who favored it in the colony, to their own pulpits. 
 The Old Light party was especially strong and active 
 in New Haven county ; and the powerful influence of the 
 First Church and its pastor, and of the President and 
 Corporation of the College,* and of the AsBociationf of 
 
 vigor of his soul, produce the most commanding strokes of eloquence, 
 making his audience alive. There is nothing to be found in his wri- 
 tings, though a sound and great divine, equal to what was to be seen 
 and heard in his preaching. His pulpit talents exceeded all his other 
 gifts. It is difficult for any man, who never heard him, to form a just 
 idea of the force and beauty of his preaching." Vol. II, p. 159. 
 
 * Mr. Cooke was called to account before the corporation, of which 
 he was a member, for assisting in the formation of this church, and 
 found it expedient, such was the feeling against him, to resign his seat. 
 College records. 
 
 + Dr. Trumbull says; " Of all the ministers and churches in the 
 colony, those of the county of New Haven, manifested the greatest 
 opposition to the work, which was carried on in the religious revival, 
 and adopted the nlost severe and tyrannical measures to suppress it" 
 See Vol. II, p. 262. 
 
44 
 
 the county, leagued with the government of the com- 
 monwealth, was brought to bear upon this infant and 
 feeble church.* 
 
 A short time — two or three weeks — after the church 
 was formed, the legislature of the colony, doubtless urged 
 by ecclesiastical influence, especially from this county, 
 passed a law, which would prevent them from employing 
 any mmister, without the consent of the pastor and the 
 majority of the First Society. According to that law, if 
 any ordained or licensed preacher should preach, or ex- 
 hort, within the limits of any parish, without the consent 
 of the pastor and majority of that parish, if he was from 
 without the colony, he was to be arrested, and carried 
 out of the colony as a vagrant. If he was from within 
 the colony, he was to be deprived of his salary, and that 
 without any trial, simply, upon information, whether true 
 or false, lodged by any person with the clerk of his 
 parish. This law also provided, that if any person not 
 licensed to preach, should exhort, within the limits of any 
 parish, without the consent of the pastor and majority 
 of that parish, he might for every such offense be bound 
 to keep the peace, by any assistant or justice of the 
 peace, in the penal sum of one hundred pounds.f 
 
 For this law, the Association of New Haven county, 
 in their meeting in September, 1742, expressed their 
 thanks to the legislature, and prayed that it might con- 
 tinue in force.! 
 
 * See Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 344. 
 
 + See this law in Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 163. 
 
 X See Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 165, note. Dr. Trumbull says that this 
 law, in part at least, had its origin in the Consociatien of New Haven 
 county. 
 
45 
 
 Under this law, a fiiinister, as judicious and distin- 
 guished as Mr. Pomeroy of Hebron, was twice arraigned 
 before the legislature of the colony, and obliged to pay 
 costs of prosecution, and bound to keep the peace in 
 a penal sum of fifty pounds, and deprived of his lawful 
 salary for seven years.* Under this law. Rev. Samuel 
 Finley, afterwards President of Princeton College, and 
 whose name is familiar to all who have read the eloquent 
 contrast by Dr. John Mason, between the death of David 
 Hume and thait of Samuel Finley, was arrested, and 
 carried out of Connecticut as a vagrant, for preaching 
 to a seceding church in Milford.f He returned very 
 soon, and preached to this church ; when he was again 
 arrested, and transported as a vagrant.}: He returned, 
 and preached again to this church ; when the legislature, 
 on representation that he greatly disquieted and disturbed 
 the people, passed an additional act, providing, that every 
 person, transported under the former act, should pay the 
 costs «f his transportationg ' and if he should return again, 
 and offend in the same way, that it should be the duty 
 of any assistant or justice of the peace, to bind him to 
 peaceable behavior in the penal sum of one hundred 
 pounds. § 
 
 * Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 167, and 175. + Ibid, Vol. H, p. 177. 
 
 J See the History of the Great Awakening, by Jos. Tracy, p. 307. 
 I have been informed by one of our citizens, that he has often heard 
 his father say, that Mr. Finley was carried out of town on Monday, and 
 that on the previous Sabbath, he was taken, by the officer of justice to 
 Mr. Noyes' church, and made to sit in the aisle. The object probably 
 was to expose him as an offender against the laws, and to give him the 
 privilege of hearing prayer and preaching, especially designed for his 
 benefit. 
 
 § See Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 174 : also Great Awakening, p. 307. 
 
46 
 
 The Association of New Haven county also, took up 
 the matter of Mr. Finley's preaching in Milford and New 
 Haven, and formally resolved that no member of the 
 Presbytery of New Brunswick (a New Light presbytery) 
 should be admitted into any of their pulpits, till satisfac- 
 tion had been made for Mr. Finley's preaching within 
 their bounds.* 
 
 On the 18th of the next January, as we learn from the 
 records of the County Court, the church applied to that 
 Court through a committee, requesting that Mr. James 
 Sproutf a preacher, might be permitted to take oaths, and 
 make subscription, accordihg to the Act of Toleration, in 
 order that he might be allowed to preach to them, and 
 was refused. This seems to have been the only attempt 
 to have a stated ministry after the enactment of the above 
 law, for five or six years. They knew, probably, that they 
 should be refused the privilege of hearing any man of their 
 choice. 
 
 At the same session at which^bis extraordinary law was 
 enacted, the Assembly advised the faculty of the College, 
 to take all proper care to prevent the students from 
 imbibmg any of the prevailing errors ; and that those who 
 would not be orderly, should be expelled. Accordingly, 
 the students were forbidden to attend the meetings of 
 this chtirch : and it was, partly, for his once disobeying 
 this prohibition, in order to hear Rev. Gilbert Tennent 
 
 * Trumbull, II, p. 263. Great Awakening, p. 308. 
 
 + This Mr. Sprout, was graduated at Yale College, in 1741, and was 
 afterwards settled over the fourth society in Guilford, and then over a 
 Presbyterian church in Philadelphia — a distinguished preacher and a 
 D. D. This refusal was, as it appears to me, contrary to the Act of 
 Toleration — illegal oppression. 
 
47 
 
 of New Jersey, that David Brainerd was expeUed from 
 College.* 
 
 In 1743, the Assembly, "in order to suppress enthu- 
 siasm," as was said, repealed the Act of Toleration of 
 which the founders of this church had availed themselves 
 when they seceded : so that thereafter, no class of men 
 could be permitted to separate from the established 
 churches, and worship according to the dictate of their 
 consciences, unless leave should be granted, by special 
 act of legislature: and moreover, it was intimated in the 
 act of repeal, that congregationalists or presbyterians, who 
 should apply for such leave, would meet with no indul- 
 gence from the Assembly.! 
 
 These persecuting laws, (which were by no means a 
 dead letter,) like oil poured on the fire, increased the 
 extravagance and error, and disorder, which had begun 
 to alloy the blessed effects of the revival — extravagance 
 and error and disorder, resultmg from the previous low 
 state of religion, the prevailmg ignorance as to the distin- 
 guishing traits of genuine and false religious experience, 
 and from the unfortunate encouragement given by some 
 leading friends of the revival, particularly Whitefield and 
 
 * See Edwards' Life of Brainerd. 
 
 t Tracy, in his History of the Great Awakening, in referring to the 
 repeal of this Act, says — "It (the Act of Toleration) provided that 
 such as soberly dissented from the prevailing worship and belief, might, 
 on taking certain oaths required in the English Act of Toleration, be 
 exempt from taxation for the support of the ministers from whom 
 they dissented." This is a mistake — the Act exempted no one from 
 taxation for the support of the established order of worship. It only 
 exempted sober dissenters, on their taking the prescribed oaths, jfrom 
 the penalties of non-conformity — permitted them to worship in their 
 own way. They were still taxed for the support of the ministers from 
 whom they dissented. See the Act itself, note to p. 30. 
 
48 
 
 Edwards, to "outcries and bodily agitations" — extrava- 
 gance and error and disorder, far surpassing any that has 
 been witnessed in modern awakenings, and which were at 
 length so great among a class of people called Separatists;* 
 and so wide-spread and lasting ia their evil effects, that 
 for a half century, sober-mmded people feared and shunned 
 revivals, as only another name for scenes of confusion and 
 evil. That these extravagances ever prevailed to any 
 considerable extent, among the members of this church, 
 I can find no evidence.! 
 
 * For an account of the Separatists and their extravagances, see 
 Trumbull, Vol. II. Some of their churches became Baptist, and yet 
 exist : but most of them soon became extinct. They were most numer- 
 ous in the eastern part of this State. 
 
 + Chauncy in his work on the revival, gives a letter from a friend in 
 New Haven, which speaks of " visions and trances which have befel 
 sundry persons in this place." The letter gives an account of two 
 young women who fell into a trance at " a conference meeting, or pri- 
 vate fast, kept by a member of the New Light party." They were 
 exceedingly filled with zeal, and their affections raised very high — were 
 in some degree deprived of their bodily strength, yet able by turns to 
 pray and speak to the unconverted. They remained thus, that night 
 and the next day. The next evening, as they were walking the street, 
 they were both so overpowered by something or other, that they fell 
 down, unable to walk ; and so continued for some time, lying in the 
 street, like persons dead or asleep. They partially recovered, and 
 were taken into a house, and remained for about a week, " in a sort of 
 extasie" — either lying as though in sleep, or uttering extatic expres- 
 sions of joy, of the love of Christ, of love to Him, of concern for souls 
 and the like ; or praying with great earnestness ; or warning and ex- 
 horting the great numbers who came to see them — making strange 
 declarations, as, that they had heen to Heaven, had seen the look of life, 
 the names of many persons of their acquaintance written in it, had seen 
 the seats of the Messed, and their own seats empty, Sj-c. §ee Chauncy, 
 p. 128. This is the chief record to be found of extravagances among 
 the members of this church. 
 
49 
 
 Another embarrassment of this church, was the want of 
 a suitable place of public worship. Their meetings, for 
 some years, were held in the house of Mr. Timothy Jones.* 
 Early in 1744, they began their preparations to erect a 
 house of worship, upon the lot on the southeast comer of 
 Elm and Church streets, having been refused permission 
 to place it (where the house of the First Society was) on 
 the public square. The alienation and hostility which had 
 grown up between the two churches, and the excitement 
 which agitated ^e community, when it was known that 
 the new meeting house was to be raised, have no parallel 
 in these times.f The First Society sent a committee to 
 remonstrate against the raising of the^ house, declaring it 
 very hurtful to their society and a public nuisance, and 
 
 * This house is now standing on the northwest corner of State and 
 Court streets. 
 
 t The following facts will illustrate this remark. The father of one 
 of the deacons of this church, was deacon of the First Church. The 
 child of the son died. The father in a written note declined to attend 
 the funeral, because the son belonged to the " New Light" church. 
 
 After the frame of the new meeting house was prepared to be raised, 
 the long sticks of timber were cut in two, in the night. They were 
 replaced by others, over which the New Lights kept guard every 
 night. 
 
 The hostility between the two parties was kept alive and aggravated, 
 by the collection, by force of law, of the tax upon the seceders for the 
 support of Mr. Noyes. Many went to gaol rather than pay it — among 
 others, deacon Samuel Bishop and John Mix. 
 
 It is pleasant to note the contrast between the state of feeling tJien^ 
 and now, in the two churches, toward each other. Their fellowship 
 now, could hardly be more complete. Uniting in the service of Sab- 
 bath evening, in sacramental lectures, and the monthly concert of 
 prayer, and in the various benevolent operations of the day, both 
 churches and pastors, see eye to eye, and walk together in beautiful 
 and delightful harmony. 
 
 7 
 
50 
 
 desiring those engaged in it forthwith to desist.* They 
 also appointed a committee to tdie advice, and represent 
 to the honorable General Assembly, the doings of the Sep- 
 aratists, as the members of this church were called, (in 
 case they did not desist,) and to prosecute them in the 
 law, if it should be thought advisable. 
 
 How long it was ere the house was so far completed, as 
 to be ready for public worship, I have been unable to 
 ascertain.! 
 
 From the time Mr. Wheelock left the church in July, 
 1742, to 1761, there were no church records kept; and 
 as no society had as yet been formed, there were of 
 course no society records — my information is derived from 
 other sources. So far as I can learn from these sources, 
 the laws to which I have referred, together with the in- 
 fluence of the magistracy of this place, and the ministry 
 of this place and vicinity, had their designed effect on this 
 
 * When the builders and their assistants were in the act of raising 
 one side of the frame, this remonstrance was read ; the reading so 
 diverted the attention of the men employed, that the part of the frame 
 which they were raising, came down with a great crash : whereupon 
 the Old Lights cried out, that the Lord was evidently against the 
 building of the house. The frame however was raised on that same 
 day. 
 
 f This meeting house stood on the spot now occupied by the block 
 of elegant houses owned by Mr. St. John. Its front was upon Elm street. 
 In 1764, it was enlarged, at the expense of individuals wanting seats. 
 An addition, sixteen feet in width, was built on the westerly side — ^the 
 roof of the addition joining the old part at right angles. A steeple, 
 sixteen feet square, was also built in front of the new part. By this 
 addition, the front of the building. was changed from Elm to Church 
 street ; and the west front was brought, by means of the steeple, out 
 to the street. The steeple indeed encroached on the side walk. 
 From its color it was called " the Blue Meeting House." 
 
51 
 
 church, depriving its members of any such stated preach- 
 ing as would be in accordance with their views. 
 
 Sometime in the spring or summer of 1 746, Whitefield 
 passed through this place, and (in accordance with a 
 recommendation from the General Association of the state, 
 that he be not admitted to the churches,) being excluded 
 from Mr. Noyes' pulpit, he preached from a platform in 
 the street, in front of Mr. James Pierpont's house, to an 
 immense congregation on the green.* 
 
 Three years after this time, in 1748, owing to the great 
 increase of those who were judicious friends of the revival — 
 on the one hand aoknowledgmg and rejoicing in its 
 wide-spread blessings, the renewmg of the churches, 
 and the conversion, as was estimated, of thirty or forty 
 thousand souls in New England alone, and on the 
 other hand, testifying against and restraining its extrava- 
 gances—and owing also to that reaction, which is sure 
 to follow persecution, in a community which enjoys 
 any degree of freedom, the influence of the magistracy 
 and the Assembly, was less hostile to the New Lights. 
 Indeed the New Lights were becoming politically formi- 
 dable. 
 
 Encouraged by this state of things, this church made 
 an attempt, the first for many years, to have a stated 
 minister. In order, the more effectually to provide for his 
 support, as they could not yet hope to procure an incor- 
 poration from the legislature, they formed a society by 
 voluntary compact; embodying themselves, by solemn 
 deed, regularly signed, sealed and attested, as they 
 express it, into "church state and distinct religious society 
 
 * See Bacon's Hist. Disc, p. 223. 
 
52 
 
 and congregation." This compact was signed by sixty 
 men and one woman.* 
 
 On the second Monday in March, about two weeks 
 after the society was formed, they voted as a society, 
 unanimously, "to invite and call the Rev. Mr. John 
 Curtiss, to the pastoral office and work of the ministry 
 among them, correspondent with what the church had 
 some time before done, and also, that they would annually 
 yield an honorable support to the Rev. Mr. John Curtiss, 
 so long as he continued their minister, and they respect- 
 ively continued under his ministry."! 
 
 It does not appear that Mr. Curtiss was ordained as 
 pastor of the church and society. He continued to act 
 as pastor for about two years. All that I can learn of 
 
 * The following is an extract from the compact. " We and our ad- 
 herents having before our eyes, the glory of God, and the advancement 
 of the kingdom of our Lord and only Savior Jesus Christ ; the reforma- 
 tion of religion within ourselves, and our religious society to which we 
 belong, in doctrine, worship, government and discipline, according to 
 the will of God made manifest to us in his holy scriptures, according 
 to the godly in former generations, and according to the laudable ex- 
 ample of our venerable and pious progenitors ; having been embodied 
 into church state, and distinct religious society and congregation among 
 ourselves by mutual consent heretofore : 
 
 " Now for the preservation of said religious society, by voluntary 
 compact, and setting up and maintaining the public worship of God 
 therein, and for the promotion of the godly ends aforesaid : We cov- 
 enant and agree, bind, and firmly oblige ourselves, our heirs &c. to be, 
 and continue to be one society ex pacto in all respects, and to all the 
 good ends that the ecclesiastical societies are, by the laws of the colony 
 enabled to act, by their vote and suffrage." For this compact in full, 
 see Society Records. 
 
 f Which honorable support, was afterwards defined to mean, .£350, 
 old tenor, a dwelling house, forty loads of wood, and the avails of occa- 
 sional contributions. 
 
53 
 
 him, is, that he came from the eastern part of the state, 
 and that he was an acceptable preacher. Of his history, 
 after he left this place, I can learn nothing. 
 
 On the 11th of March, 1751, the committee of the 
 church, having heard that the Rev. Samuel Bird had been 
 dismissed from the church in Dunstable, Mass., by advice 
 of one of the council for his dismission, invited him to visit 
 this church, which he did in the month of May following. 
 Some time in the month of June, he was unanimohsly in- 
 vited by the church, with the unanimous concurrence of the 
 society, to .become their pastor. He gave them encourage- 
 ment', that he would comply with their invitation, provided 
 that their difficulties with the ancient church could be re- 
 moved. Accordingly, for the removal of these difficulties, 
 a council was called, which convened at this place in Sep- 
 tember.* This council having considered the difficulties, 
 said that the request for advice was reasonable; but as 
 their number was small, consisting of the pastors and dele- 
 gates of five churches, they advised to invite additional 
 members, and adjourned to the 15th of October. In the 
 mean time, the members of this church, that there might 
 be no obstacle to reconciliation on their part, sent to Mr. 
 Noyes and the First Church, a confession,t acknowledg- 
 
 * This council consisted of Rev. Messrs. Philemon Robbins, Joseph 
 Bellamy, Eleazar Wheelock, Samuel Hopkins, and Benjamin Pomeroy, 
 with their churches. 
 
 t This confession is as follows : — " To the Rev. Joseph Noyes, pastor 
 of a church of Christ in New Haven. To be communicated. 
 
 Reverend and beloved — We, the subscribers, who, some years since, 
 withdrew from the public preaching of the word and ordinances in said 
 church, for reasons which we then thought to be just, weighty, and rea- 
 sonable, which we delivered in writing to said pastor, to be communi- 
 cated, and which causes we do still think to be just, weighty, and rea- 
 sonable. As to those of you who do not think as we do, we would 
 
54 
 
 ing the informality of their secession, and condemning that 
 informality, together with whatever of heat and bitterness 
 of spirit had appeared in any of them, and asking forgive- 
 ness therefor: which confession, so far as appears, received" 
 no notice. 
 
 On the 15th of October, the council convened again, 
 consisting of the pastors and delegates of thirteen church- 
 es. It included all those of whom Trumbull makes hon- • 
 orable mention, as the most zealous and laborious friends 
 of the revival, and some who are still greatly distinguished 
 as theologians.* 
 
 endeavor to entertain charitable thoughts of, notwithstanding, and desire 
 the same candor from you ; remembering that the great God alone is 
 lord of the conscience ; and that both you and we must stand or fall at 
 his impartial tribunal. Nevertheless, considering the public relation we 
 st09d in with you, our brethren, we should have exhibited to the pastor, 
 in writing, the articles of our grievances, to be published to you, and 
 after waiting a reasonable time, he neglecting his duty, should have 
 complained to some neighboring church or churches for relief, before 
 withdrawing from your fellowship and communion ; which conduct 
 would have been our duty ; neglect whereof we do readily condemn ; 
 together with all heat and bitterness of spirit, that has at any time 
 appeared in any of us toward you, or any of you, as being offensive to 
 God, and unbecoming to Christians, for which we ask your forgiveness ; 
 begging an interest in the prayers of all God's children, that we may 
 behave for the future, as becometh the gospel of Christ. Upon the 
 whole, we think, that afterwards, we used all possible endeavors to 
 bring matters to a proper issue ; but not succeeding, we thought it to 
 be for the glory of God, the peace of our own souls, and for our edifi- 
 cation, to be with others, a distinct society. We conclude, wishing you 
 all needed blessings." 
 
 * The council consisted of the following ministers, with delegates 
 from their churches, viz. John Graham, Jedediah Mills, Philemon Bob- 
 bins, Daniel Humphreys, Ebenezer White, Eleazar Wheelock, Benja- 
 min Pomeroy, Benajah Case, Joseph Bellamy, Samuel Hopkins, James 
 Sprout, Jonathan Lee, and John Searle. 
 
55 
 
 The General Assembly were then in session in New 
 Haven ; and having learned from the growing power of the 
 New Lights, that it was expedient to favor rather than per- 
 secute them, and seeing that the case involved the peace 
 and welfare, not only of New Haven, but of the whole 
 colony, sent to the ecclesiastical council a formal vote, ad- 
 vising that the case should be heard by a mutual council. 
 
 Accordingly, a committee* was appointed to wait on 
 Mr. Noyes, to learn whether he would comply with the 
 advice of the honorable Assembly; but Mr. Noyes, ac- 
 cording to the account of the committee, using several 
 evasions, and refusing to promise, the council proceeded 
 to the examination and installation of Mr. Bird ; advising, 
 however, that the church should always stand ready to 
 join Mr. Noyes and his church, in calling a mutual coun- 
 cil for the settlement of difficulties.! 
 
 * Consisting of Rev. Messrs. Mills, Wheelock, and Bellamy, with 
 several of the delegates. 
 
 t For a more minute account of the transactions of the council, the 
 church, and Mr. Noyes, see Church Records, or Trumbull, II, p. 347, 
 or Bacon's Hist. Disc, p. 225. Mr. Bird's salary was fixed at ^700 
 old tenor ; the value of the pound being settled at 52 shillings to the 
 dollar, making ^£700 equal to $250. The society also voted him 
 i£l,000, old tenor, settlement money. They gave him, moreover, the 
 house and lot which had been returned by Mr. Curtiss, on condition 
 that he should pay for what had been laid out upon it after Mr. Curtiss' 
 departure, amounting to ^1,000. This house is still standing in Elm 
 street, and is owned by Mr. Northrop, grand-son of Mr. Bird. 
 
 It appears by a vote of the society, that in 1755, old tenor had de- 
 preciated to 72 shillings to the dollar. 
 
 On the 1st of October, 1753, the following vote was passed, " That 
 the committee for the time being, shall hereafter have power to call a 
 meeting of this society, by sending a drum about the First Society in 
 New Haven, to make proclamation at the corners, at the least, of the 
 middle square, (the two greens,) that the members of the Tolerated 
 Society in New Haven, are desired to meet," &c. 
 
56 - 
 
 Mr. Bird was bora at Dorchester in Massachusetts, 
 March 27th, 1724; was ordained pastor of a church in 
 Dunstable, on the Merrimack river, some time in 1748, 
 where he continued between two and three years. He 
 was twenty-seven years of age when he was installed 
 over this church. His form and manner were command- 
 ing, his voice powerful, his elocution handsome and im- 
 pressive, his sentiments evangelical. He was of course a 
 popular preacher ; and his settlement greatly accelerated 
 the growth of the church and society. 
 
 About four years after the installation of Mr. Bird, it 
 was apparent that soon the members of Mr. Bird's con- 
 gregation, who had been retained and taxed as members 
 of the First Society, would be a majority in that society.. 
 And the Old Lights, who had refused to let the New 
 Lights go, so long as they could govern them, and tax 
 them for the support of a mmister whom they did not 
 hear, now, when the New Lights were fast becoming the 
 stronger and governing party in the society, began to feel 
 as though they should be very glad to get rid of them. 
 On the other hand, the New Lights, who in the days of 
 their weakness, petitioned for, permission to go out empty- 
 handed, now, in the time of their approaching power, re- 
 fused to go without an equal portion of the property both 
 of the society and the church. 
 
 In February, 1755, the society voted, "humbly to re- 
 quest the General Assembly to disenable the dissenters 
 and their adherents from voting in the society, or to set 
 them off from the society." Against this request, the 
 members of this church and their friends protested, and 
 the request was not granted. 
 
 Two years after, in January, 1757, a request was again 
 sent to the General Assembly, to divide them mto two dis- 
 
67 
 
 tinct societies, and in order that such division might be 
 made according to preferences, that Uberty should be given 
 to all the inhabitants, to enrol themselves under the gen- 
 eral names of Mr. JVoyes' party, and Mr. Bird^s party. 
 Immediately after sending this request, the enrolment was 
 eiFected, and the result of it vpas, that Mr. Noyes' party 
 numbered 111, Mr. Bird's party, 212. 
 
 The request of the society was not acted upon at the 
 May session of the Assembly, but continued tUl the ses- 
 sion in October. -In June, there was an adjourned meet- 
 ing of the society, at which the members of this church 
 and their adherents, being a strong majority, began to ex- 
 ercise their power, at the expense of the Old Lights. In 
 that and two or three successive meetings, they withdrew 
 the request for a division, called Mr. Bird to be the minis- 
 ter of the First Society, appointed the meeting house of 
 this church as the place of public worship for that society 
 on the Sabbath, received Mr. Bird's acceptance, voted him 
 a salary, and for reasons stated, desired Mr. Noyes to de- 
 sist from ministerial labor, and voted to make no farther 
 provision for his support. They also made, in the name of 
 Mr. Bird's adherents, a proposal to the Old Lights to 
 divide the society, on condition of a division of the prop- 
 erty of the church and society, by arbitrators mutually 
 chosen ; which proposal was very properly rejected, they 
 having no just claim to the property of the chwch.* About 
 
 * The proposal to divide in this* manner the property of the society 
 ■merely, would have been entirely fair. The peculiar property of the 
 First Church, as they had left that church, they could hot justly claim. 
 It was not unnatural, however, for them to suppose, that a portion of 
 the little property of the church was a small indemnity for fifteen years 
 of unjust taxation. 
 
 8 
 
58 
 
 a year after these proceedings, the parties mutually agreed 
 to request a division of the society by the Assembly, and to 
 leave all questions of difference to be decided by their 
 wisdom. The Assembly complied with this request, 
 making Mr. Noyes' adherents the "First Society," and 
 Mr. Bird's adherents the "White Haven Society," and 
 dividing the property of the original society between them 
 equally.* 
 
 The distinguished men, who assisted in forming this 
 church, and who, for years, had a watchful eye over it, had 
 taken strong ground, with Edwards, against the half-way 
 covenant. They imparted their principles on this subject 
 to this .church ; which, for the first eighteen years, permitted 
 none to come to the Lord's supper, or to receive baptism 
 for their children, except on profession of savmg faith. 
 But in the records for the year 1760, I find the following: 
 " Voted and determined, by a great majority, that the in- 
 fants of such as own the covenant,t (being civil and moral 
 persons,) shall be admitted to baptism." 
 
 The introduction of this old and corrupt practice, laid 
 the foundation of a future division in the society, as we 
 shall see hereafter. 
 
 In December, 1767, Mr. Bird requested a dismission, 
 on account of his ill health. Accordingly, he was dismissed, 
 by a council, on the 19th of January, 1768, in good and 
 regular standing, and with the expression, by the church 
 and society, of their " grateful sense of his great and emi- 
 nent services." 
 
 * For this Act of Assembly, and the exact terms of division, see Soc. 
 Records. On the 7th of February, 1760, the society proceeded for- 
 mally to settle Mr. Bird. His salary was fixed at ,£90, lawful money, 
 and 20 cords of wood, half walnut and half oak. 
 
 + For this half-way covenant, see Appendix. 
 
59 
 
 Mr. Bird, who was at his dismission forty four years of 
 age, continued to make New Haven the place of his 
 residence ; preaching occasionally, and acting for a time 
 under an appointment as chaplain in the revolutionary 
 army. He died, at the age of sixty years, on the 3d 
 of May, 1784, of inoculation for the small pox, and was 
 buried at midnight.* 
 
 Mr. Bird was a man of sincere and zealous piety, and, 
 as I have already said, of commanding appearance, pow- 
 erful voice, handsome and impressive elocution, and evan- 
 gelical sentiments. He was not educated at college,t and 
 was more distinguished for his popular elocution, and 
 effective exhibition of plain doctrines and practical sub- 
 jects, than for severe study or profound reasoning.^ 
 
 This society was greatly prospered under his ministry, 
 so that it became much the largest in the town, and was 
 under the necessity of enlarging its house of worship, 
 which was done in the year 1764.§ From the forma- 
 tion of the church to the close of Mr. Bird's ministry, a 
 
 * Dr. Stiles' Lit. Diary. 
 
 + The only colleges in the country at the time Mr. Bird entered the 
 ministry were Harvard, William and Mary's, and Yale, and his name 
 does not appear on the catalogues of either of these institutions. 
 
 j: Dr. Trumbull says, Vol. II, p. 350 : " Mr; Bird was a popular 
 man, made a manly appearance, spoke well, and had a very great tal- 
 ent, especially in speaking at the grave on funeral occasions." 
 
 Dr. Stiles in his Lit. Diary, in noting his death, makes this single re- 
 mark, " He was a man of religion." 
 
 Mr. Bird married for his first wife, Mable, daughter of Hon. Jen- 
 
 ner, of Charlestown, Mass., who died early, leaving one child, a son. 
 His second wife was Sarah, daughter of John Prout, Esq., of New 
 Haven, who had twelve children. One of these was the second wife 
 of Deac. Levi Ives, and died in the summer of 1838. Another was 
 the mother of Mr. K. E. Northrop of this place. 
 
 § See note to p. 50. 
 
60 
 
 space of twenty six years, two hundred and three united 
 with the church,> of which, as nearly as I can ascertain 
 from imperfect records, forty three were those who were 
 constituted the church in 1742; seventy eight joined 
 them previous to Mr. Bird's installation, and eighty two 
 during his ministry. 
 
 On the 28th of November, 1768, the society concurred 
 with a vote of the church,* of September 16th, in calling 
 Mr. Jonathan Edwards, who for some time had been 
 preachmg among them, to be their pastor; which call he 
 accepted on the 14th of the next month. 
 
 Mr. Edwards was the siecond son, and ninth child of 
 Jonathan Edwards, of Northampton, one of the brighest 
 names, as to intellectual and moral excellence, in the 
 history of the church. His mother was Sarah Pierpont, 
 the daughter of Rev. James Pierpont, pastor of the First 
 Church in New Haven, and aister of Mr. James Pier-r 
 pont, one of the founders of this church. She is rep- 
 resented as a most beautiful, intelligent, and accomplished 
 lady, and (what was more important in every relation, 
 and especially in relation to her children,) a rare example 
 of early piety, and in after life, as a Christian and Christian 
 mother, as near a perfect model as is often seen on earth.t 
 
 * This is the true Congregational mode. In calling a minister the 
 church acts first, votes the call, and the society concurs. In this society 
 this order has, through inadvertence probably, been inverted. In giv- 
 ing invitations to settle for some years past, the society has acted first 
 and the church concurred. This is not as it should be ; and has by 
 some councils been esteemed an error of such importance, that they 
 have refused to ordain the individual thus called, until it was rectified;; 
 For obvious reasons, the church should have the prominent part in call- 
 ing a minister. 
 
 t Whitefield, during his visit to New England, went to Northampton 
 and spent two days with Mr. Edwards. He says, " he felt wonderful sat- 
 
61 
 
 Under the care of such parents, his childhood must 
 have been moulded by the happiest influences. When 
 he was six years old his father removed with his family* 
 to Stockbridge, as a missionary to the Indians, who were 
 then almost the sole inhabitants of the place. Here he 
 could have few advantages out of his father's family. 
 Constantly asspciating with the Indians, he became very 
 skillful in their language, which he retained through life. 
 When he was in his tenth year, his father sent him, on 
 what was then a 4nost difficult and dangerous journey, 
 to the Six Nations, that he might learn their language, 
 and be qualified for a missionary to them. There he re- 
 mained about a year, till by the dangers of the French 
 war, he was obliged to return, which he did in the 
 depth of winter. The endurance of these early hard- 
 ships evinces great courage and fortitude in one so young, 
 and had, doubtless, an important influence in the forma- 
 tion of his character. 
 
 In January, 1758, his father removed to Princeton, 
 having been appointed President of the College in that 
 place. During the next nine months, both his parents 
 
 isfaction in being at the house of Mr. Edwards. He is a son himself, 
 and hath also a daughter of Abraham for his wife. A sweeter couple 
 I have not yet seen. Their children were dressed, not in silks and 
 satins, but plain, as becomes the children of those who in all things 
 ought to be examples of Christian simplicity. She is a woman adorned 
 with a meek and quiet spirit, and talked so feelingly and solidly of the 
 things of God, and seemed to be such a help-meet to her husband, that 
 she caused me to renew those prayers which for some months I have 
 put up to God, that he would send me a daughter of Abraham to be my 
 wife. I find upon many accounts, it is my duty to marry. Lord, I de- 
 sire to have no choice of my own. Thou knowest my circumstances." 
 Tracy, from whose " Great Awakening" I quote this, adds, " He 
 had not yet learned, if he ever did, that God is not pleased to make 
 such ' sweet couples' out of persons who have no choice of their own." 
 
62 
 
 were removed by death, the father in March, the mother 
 in October. Thus, at the age of twelve, were his earthly 
 prospects clouded by affliction and poverty. But with 
 that firmness and perseverance which had been formed 
 by early hardship, he determined to go forward in ob- 
 taining a liberal education.' Aided somewhat by family 
 friends, he entered Princeton College, and was gradua- 
 ted in September, 1765, at the age of twenty years. 
 
 It was during his college course, and in a time of 
 general awakening in Princeton, in the summer of 1 763, 
 that he was deeply impressed with a sense of his lost 
 condition as a sinner, and his need of salvation through 
 a crucified Redeemer, and obtained hope of reconciliation 
 to God through Jesus Christ. His diary at this time 
 evinces the thoroughness and heartiness of his consecra- 
 tion to God's service. He was awakened, and through 
 divine grace brought to repentance, under the impressive 
 preaching of the Rev. Dr. Finley — the same man who 
 was carried out of the colony of Connecticut as a va- 
 grant, for preaching to this church. 
 
 Soon after leaving college, Mr. Edwards commenced 
 the study of divinity with Rev. Dr. Bellamy, the friend 
 and correspondent of his father, and whose name has 
 been brought to your notice in connexion with the origin 
 and difficulties of this church. In about a year, he was 
 licensed to preach by the Litchfield Association, and soon 
 was appointed a tutor in Princeton College. 
 
 A few months after taking that station, he was ap- 
 pointed professor of languages and logic in the same 
 institution, which appointment he declined. One who 
 knew him well,* speaking of this period of his life, says : 
 
 * Rev. Dr. Yates, Professor in Union College during the presidency 
 of Dr. Edwards. 
 
63 
 
 "The name of Jonathan Edwards was associated with 
 great literary and religious attainments in the estimation 
 of those who in his day had been connected with the 
 college in New Jersey." 
 
 He was a tutor at Princeton for two years. During 
 this time he occasionally preached in his vacations to this 
 society, and, after Mr. Bird's dismission, was employed 
 to supply the pulpit, till he was invited to assume the 
 pastoral office. 
 
 Mr. Edwards, in common with his father, and with 
 those who in that day were called " New Divinity men," 
 was strenuously opposed to the half-way covenant, and 
 probably made its renunciation by the church a condi- 
 tion of his acceptance of their call. It appears from the 
 church records, that after their presentation, and before 
 his acceptance, of their call, the church voted to abolish 
 the half-way covenant practice. On this account, princi- 
 pally, and, partly, on account of dissatisfaction at the 
 dismissal of Mr. Bird,* a protest against Mr. Edwards' 
 ordination was sent in to the council which met for the 
 purpose of inducting him mto office, signed by sixty 
 eight persons. The council, however, after serious de- 
 liberation, proceeded to ordain him on the next day, the 
 5th of January, 1769.t In these days, to settle a pastor 
 
 * Though the only reason given by Mr. Bird for requesting a dis- 
 mission was his ill health, yet it is evident that a considerable part of 
 the society desired his dimission independently of that reason. It is 
 also evident, that a part of the society wished his continuance, and 
 were dissatisfied at his dismission. 
 
 t The salary agreed on at Mr. E.'s settlement was ,£100 lawful 
 money, the use of a dwelling house, and a supply of fire wood. The 
 society purchased for his use the house ncm owned and occupied by 
 Judge Baldwin, in Church street, between Wm and Wall streets. Af- 
 
64 
 
 in the face of so large a minority, would be considered 
 a most hazardous and unwise experiment. Probably it 
 would have been so considered then, in ordinary cir- 
 cumstances. But Mr. Edwards was considered by the 
 members of the council, a man of uncommon talents and 
 promise, and they hoped therefore that when once set- 
 tled, he would unite the congregation. But they did not 
 fully understand independent Congregationalists, who had 
 already taken one lesson in the art of secession. 
 
 During the next eight months, several attempts at re- 
 conciliation,* were made by the parties. The opposition 
 were told to try for a colleague. They proposed Mr. Bird, 
 but Mr. Edwards' friends would not accept this proposal. 
 After hearing Mr. Edwards a few Sabbaths, the opposition 
 were still more dissatisfied, and the two parties appointed 
 committees of conference. The committee of the opposi- 
 tion, proposed Mr. Fish (of Stonington) as colleague. The 
 committee of Mr. Edwards' adherents, refused to accept 
 this proposal, unless Mr. Fish would agree to preach 
 the same doctrines with Mr. Edwards, and they would 
 bind themselves to be content with Mr. Edwards half 
 the time. Nothing, therefore, was accomplished by the 
 conference; and the next month, September 4th, 1769, 
 the opposition at a full meeting, resolved unanimously, 
 to "go off and worship by themselves." They met in 
 the State House, until their new meeting house was 
 finished : which was in December of the following year, 
 about eighteen months after their decision to secede. 
 
 terwards, in 1783, the society conveyed the absolute property of the 
 house to Mr. Edwards, in consideration of £250, and that he would 
 relinquish all legal claim^a greater salary than £100 per annum. 
 * See Records of Fair Haven Society. 
 
65 
 
 That house stood on the ground now occupied by the 
 house in which. we are assembled.* 
 
 In June, 1771, they were constituted a church, with 
 the name of the Fair Haven Church, by the Rev. Jedi- 
 diah Mills and Rev. Benjamin Pomeroy: one of whom 
 was of the council, which formed the White Haven 
 church, and both, of the council which installed Mr. Bird. 
 That church of course adopted the half-way covenant.t 
 
 * I find in Dr. Stiles' Diary and Journal, the following : — " I meas- 
 ured the brick meeting house, 72J feet long and 50 feet wide, so equal 
 to an area of 3600 feet. . I measured Mr. Edwards' (the White 
 Haven,) 60 feet square, 3600 square feet area. Mr. Mather's (the 
 Fair Haven,) said to be of the same dimensions with Mr. Whittlesey's. 
 So all three nearly equal. 
 
 + There is a discrepancy, more apparent 'than real, as to the number 
 of persons who opposed Mr. Edwards, between the Records of the Fair 
 Haven and White Haven churches. The White Haven Records say, 
 " Upon examination of the list of the rateable estate given in to the 
 council, it appeared, so far as we could learn, that of the aggrieved, 
 there were but about twenty five lawful voters, and that the proportion 
 as to interest of all the aggrieved, was less than one fourth of the rate- 
 able estate in said Society." Minutes of the Council. 
 
 On the other hand, the council, which, two years after, constituted 
 the Fair Haven church, say in their minutes, " We, the subscribers, 
 being desired by a number that dissented from the church and society 
 of White Haven, to the number of about seventy male members, 
 mostly heads of families ; considering the character and circumstances 
 of the aggrieved, that there is a comfortable prospect of their maintain- 
 ing the worship and ordinances of Christ among them ; considering 
 also, the encouragement their brethren and the venerable council that 
 ordained the Rev. Mr. Edwards, gave them of setting them ofi", if upon 
 trial they found they could not be edified, or contented under his min- 
 istry, &c. &c., are of opinion that they ought to be set apart as a distinct 
 church and congregation by themselves," &c. 
 
 There must have been in the opposition, nearly seventy men-^this 
 is not contradicted. On the other hand, that only twenty five of these 
 
 9 
 
66 
 
 This secession greatly weakened the White Haven 
 society, and left only eleven male members in the church. 
 Still, however, the society was as large as any in the 
 town,* and by the secession was left in peace.t Mr. 
 
 were lawful vpters, is not contradicted. Perhaps a large part, eis often 
 happens, had neglected the proper measures for being enrolled as 
 voters. 
 
 * In 1782, more than ten years after this, and when the Fair Haven 
 church had greatly increased, Dr. Stiles gives the number of the sev- 
 eral congregations as follows : — Rev. Mr. Whittlesey's 900, Eev. Mr. 
 Edwards' 800, Rev. Mr. Mather's 950, Rev. Mr. Hubbard's (Episcopal) 
 250, Yale College, 220. 
 
 + To show the changes which have been made respecting singing, 
 I copy the following from the White Haven church records : 
 
 Jan. 31, 1771. A proposal was made to the church to introduce 
 the custom of singing in public worship, mihout reading the line as 
 Jias hitherto been the custom. Subject deferred to next sacramental 
 lecture. 
 
 It was also proposed at the same time, that the church would fix 
 upon a number of tunes which should be sung and no other, which was 
 voted, and a committee appointed to report tunes accordingly. At the 
 next lecture, the above proposals were considered and indefinitely 
 postponed. 
 
 In October, of the same year, the following was entered on the 
 society's record : " Voted that those persons who are singers in this 
 congregation, be desired to sit in the gallery together." This probably 
 was the first formation of a regular choir. 
 
 In November of the same year, at the church meeting, the proposal 
 as to the selection of tunes was again made, and a committee appointed 
 to select tunes. At an adjourned meeting, that committee reported 
 thirty five tunes, and were directed to select out of those thirty, and 
 to arrange the said thirty tunes into proper order under six different 
 heads or classes, and it was voted that these tunes be sung hereafter, 
 generally in that order, five on a Sabbath for six Sabbaths, and then 
 to begin again, and so on in continued rotation. j 
 
 The committee reported the following tunes, in the following order : 
 1st Sabbath, Old Savoy, Little Marlboro', Nomure, St. Helena, Bangor; 
 
67 
 
 Edwards labored with unwearied diligence. He confined 
 his labors, however, principally to his study and the 
 pulpit ; thinking, as did his father, that he could be more 
 usefully employed there, than in pastoral visitation : (for 
 which labor, he did not think himself very well qualified.) 
 He was considered, (as undoubtedly he was,) the ablest 
 advocate of what in those times was called, "New 
 Divinity," and which was then as unpleasant in the eyes 
 of the old Calvinists of the stamp of Dr. Stiles, as has 
 been New Divinity or New Haven Theology, in the 
 eyes of many in these latter days.* 
 
 2d Sabbath, Windsor, Bath, Guilford, Plymouth, Wantage ; 3d Sab- 
 bath, Angel's Hymn, Isle of Wight, Bethesda, New York, Worksop ; 
 4th Sabbath, 100 New, Bedford, Southwell, Low Dutch, Wendover ; 
 5th Sabbath, St. Martin's, All Saints, Landaff, 25th Psalm tune, Staf- 
 ford ; 6th Sabbath, Dalston, Winchester, Broomsgrove, New Fiftieth, 
 Putney. 
 
 In January 10, 1773, a joint committee of the church and society 
 was appointed to agree on regulations for singing in public worship ; 
 which reported March 31st, 1774, that the number of tunes should 
 henceforth be twenty five (passed by a great majority) ; and that, 
 according to their opinion, it would be best to go into the practice, 
 which obtains in so many other places, of singing without reading each 
 line of the psalm by itself, (passed in the afiirmative.) 
 
 * Evidence of this is abundant, in Dr. Stiles' Lit. Diary. The 
 following are samples. Speaking of Mr. Timothy Jones, an eminent 
 merchant in this place, and a member of this church, he says, " After 
 the death of Mr. Pierpont, he never was blest with a ministry to his 
 evangelical taste. Dr. Owen, Dr. Doddridge, Dr. Mather, Mr. Pem- 
 berton, and President Edwards, were divines to his taste. He never 
 could abide New Divinity. He loved the Puritan doctrines, without 
 those innovations which make God most holy and blessed, the inten- 
 tional Author of all moral evil, the Devil of the universe." 
 
 " I received a letter from the Rev. Mr. Hopkins, of Newport, 
 wherein he says, speaking of the state of religion, ' Every thing is 
 
68 
 
 After a ministry of more than twenty five years, he 
 was dismissed by an ecclesiastical council at the mutual 
 request of himself and the society. The reason given 
 
 dark and discouraging here with respect to the all-important interest. 
 The people are going on from bad to worse ; — Neither your people or 
 mine, are disposed to attend public worship constantly, except a few 
 individuals. There is but little encouragement to preach where there is 
 so little attention, and so very little concern about any thifag invisible.' 
 " Eemark 1. Very lamentable is the state of religion in Newport, 
 and partly that they will not attend public worship. But, 2. One oc- 
 casion of this negligence, is Brother Hopkins'' New Divinity. He has 
 preached his own congregation almost away, or into indifference. He 
 has fifty or sixty or more families of his own congregation in town, and 
 might easily command a good assembly, if his preaching was as accepta- 
 ble as his moral character. My congregation in town, are seventy or 
 eighty families, and would gladly attend such preaching as Dr. Owen's 
 or Dr. Doddridge's, or preachers of far lower abilities, provided they 
 were ejusdem farina with the first Puritan divines. 3. Although New 
 Divinity preachers collect some large congregations, in some parts, 
 yet their preaching is acceptable not for the new tenets, but for its 
 containing the good old doctrines of grace, on which the New Gen- 
 tlemen are very sound, clear and full- In other parts, where the 
 neighboring ministers generally preach the old Calvinistic doctrines, 
 the people begin to be tired with the incessant inculcation of the unin- 
 telligible and shocking new points, especially that an unconverted 
 man had better be killing his father and mother, than praying for 
 converting grace ; that true repentance implies a willingness and desire 
 to be damned for the glory of God ; that we are to give God thanks, 
 that he has caused Adam to sin, and involved all his posterity in total 
 depravity, and that Judas betrayed, and the Jews crucified Christ ; 
 that the children of none but communicants are to be baptized, &c. ; 
 that the churches and ministers, are so corrupt and Laodicean, and 
 have so intermixt with the world, that the New Divinity, churches and 
 ministers, cannot hold communion with them, but must, and do, recede, 
 and sequester themselves." Frequently in his Journal, he speaks of 
 " the Eurekas of New Divinity." It is evident from the testimony of 
 Dr. Stiles, that the New Divinity men of that day, seriously intended 
 to divide the Congregational churches into two denominations. 
 
69 
 
 by the society was, that they were unable to support 
 their minister. All parties, the church, the society, and 
 the council, united m the most ample testimonials to his 
 faithfulness and his abilities. He left them, earnestly and 
 tenderly commending them in his farewell discourse, to 
 God and the word of his grace. 
 
 During his ministry, ninety six were admitted to the 
 church. This would not be considered good success 
 in ministerial labor in these days ; but those times were 
 peculiar. The* great revival, owing to the wildness and 
 extravagance of its injudicious friends, and still more 
 to the opposition and persecution of its enemies, was 
 followed by a lamentable reaction, and declme of vital 
 piety. Revivals were in discredit, and almost unknown 
 for half a century, and meetings for prayer were disrep- 
 utable. His ministry was, moreover, the period of the 
 excitements, agitations, alarms, anxieties, temptations, and 
 corrupting influences, which preceded, accompanied, 
 and followed the war of the Revolution.* In about nine 
 months after his dismission, Mr. Edwards was again 
 settled in Colebrook in Litchfield county; where he 
 preached to an affectionate and united people, till he 
 was elected, in May, 1799, to the presidency of Union 
 College. 
 
 His presidency was terminated in two years, by his 
 death, which occurred on the 1st of August, 1801. His 
 last words, when the hand of death was on him, were : 
 " It becomes us cheerfully to submit to the will of God. 
 He is wise and gracious. He orders every thing for 
 
 * He was an ardent friend and fearless advocate of the Revolution. 
 See his sermon on " Submission to Rulers." 
 
70 
 
 the best. The blood of Christ is my only ground of 
 hope."* 
 
 My limits forbid any thing more than an outline of his 
 character. 
 
 In person he was slender, erect, and somewhat above 
 the ordinary stature. His complexion was dark ; hisfea- 
 tures, bold and prorament ; his hair, raven black ; and his 
 eye, remarkably keen and intelligent. His Christian char- 
 
 * " His remains were interred in the Scotch Presbyterian church- 
 yard in Schenectady. His funeral, according to his own desire, was 
 conducted with as little parade and expense as was decent, and the ex- 
 penditure which would have been required by custom and fashion, on 
 the occasion, was, by his direction, given to the poor." 
 
 " The year after Dr. Edwards was settled at New Haven, he was 
 married to Miss Mary Porter, daughter of the Hon. Eleazar and Mrs. 
 Sarah Porter, of Hadley, Mass. She was a lady every way worthy of 
 his highest confidence and friendship, and of his warmest affection. 
 By her he had four children, three of whom survived him, and two of 
 whom are still living. (Mrs. Hoyt, of New Haven, and Mrs. Chapin, 
 wife of Rev. Dr. Chapin, of Eocky Hill, Ct.) Mrs. Edwards was 
 drowned in June, 1782. She was out with her husband in a chaise, 
 several inniles from home, when he left her to give direction to some 
 laborers in his employ, at a little distance ; she riding forward alone, 
 and intending on her return to call for him. But on coming back, she 
 allowed the horse to drink at a watering place by the road side, on the 
 margin of a small river ; and he pressing forward into the deep water, 
 drew the chaise suddenly down a steep precipice. (The place" is in 
 what is now called Whitneyville, on the Hamden road, just above the 
 Whitney ville bridge.) Mrs. Edwards was thrown out of the carriage, 
 and remained under water more than an hour, before she was discov- 
 ered. Every effort was made to resuscitate her, but without success. 
 She was universally beloved in life, and lamented in death by all her 
 •acquaintance. The second wife of Dr. Edwards, was Miss Mercy 
 Sabin, daughter of Mr. Hezekiah and Mrs. Mercy Sabin, of New Ha- 
 ven. He was married to her December 18, 1783, and she survived him 
 quite a number of years." Memoir of Dr. E. 
 
71 
 
 acter was marked by humility, simplicity, and great con- 
 scientiousness and firmness. His piety, though he was 
 not stoical, was manifested more in steadfast principle than 
 in emotion. His sympathies for the afflicted and suffering, 
 however, were strong. He took an especial interest in 
 the abused African race. His sermon on the injustice and 
 impolicy of the slave trade and of slavery, would be call- 
 ed by many, in these days, not only abolitionism, but in- 
 cendiarism.* As a student, he was very diligent ; usually 
 rising at four o'clock to commence his studies, and im- 
 proving every moment in study, that was not required for 
 some necessary relaxation or business.! 
 
 * " But after all," says he, in this sermon, which was delivered in 
 1791, and published by request, "this whole objection, (viz. it is not 
 safe to manumit the negroes ; they would cut our throats ; they would 
 endanger the peace and government of the state,) if it were ever so 
 entirely founded on truth ; if the freed negroes would probably rise 
 against their masters or combine against government, rests on the same 
 ground as the apology of the robber, who murders the man he has , 
 robbed. Says the robber to himself, ' I have robbed this man, and now 
 if I let him go he will kill me, or he will complain to authority, and I 
 shall be apprehended and hung : I must therefore kill him. There is 
 no other way of safety for me.' The coincidence of this reasoning, 
 and that of the objection under consideration, must be manifest to all. 
 And if this reasoning of the robber Jae inconclusive ; if the robber 
 have no right on that ground to kill the man whom he hath robbed ; 
 neither have the slaveholders any more right to continue to hold their 
 slaves. If the robber ought to spare the life of the man robbed, take 
 his own chance, and esteem himself happy if he can escape justice ; 
 so the slaveholders ought immediately to let their slaves go free, treat 
 them with the utmost kindness, by such treatment endeavor to pacify 
 them with respect to past injuries, and esteem themselves happy if they 
 can compromise the matter in this manner." — Works of Pres. Edwards 
 the younger, Vol. 11, p. 96. 
 
 + Dr. Edwards was, throughout his life, an accurate and thorough 
 classical scholar. Judge Baldwin informs me, that when he was a tutor 
 
72 
 
 His sermons were plain, direct, often remarkably point- 
 ed, and usually upon doctrinal subjects. Most of them 
 were extemporaneous, their outline only being committed 
 
 in Yale College, the Faculty, as their number was small, used to request 
 the assistance, at their semi-annual examinations, of Dr. Edwards ; 
 which, from his friendship for literature and the college, he was very 
 willing to afford. In these examinations he was quite thorough and 
 strict ; often interposing his " hand recte" (not correct). The students 
 on one occasion, not liking as the college phrase goes, " to he screwed," 
 expressed their dissatisfaction with the Dr.'s mode of examination, by 
 " scraping." " Very well," says he, " young gentlemen, you may take 
 your course, I shall pursue inine ;" and screwed them tighter and 
 tighter, till they concluded that their wisest course was, to be still. 
 They gave him, however, the name of " Old liaud recfe," by which 
 he afterwards went among the students. 
 
 The following anecdote, told me by. one of our aged men, illustrates 
 a trait in the character of Dr. Edwards. President Washington, when 
 passing through this part of the country, spent a Sabbath in New Haven. 
 Appointment was made by or for him, to attend the Episcopal church 
 in the forenoon, and the White Haven church in the afternoon. Some 
 of Dr. Edwards' people who were desirous (as often happens in similar 
 cases) that their minister should do credit to himself and them, by 
 preaching what is flippantly called " a crack sermon," took care that 
 he should know of the appointment. In the afternoon a great multitude 
 followed Washington to the White Haven church. When Dr. Edwards 
 rose to deliver his discourse, much to the disappointment of those who 
 were desirous of a specially great sermon, he gave out this text, " Train 
 up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not de- 
 part from it," and observed — " In speaking from these words I shall 
 direct my remarks principally to the children in the galleries." He 
 had designed that discourse for that afternoon, and doubtless thought 
 that the services of the sanctuary of the King of kings should not be 
 changed on account of the entrance of an earthly magistrate. Probably 
 Washington respected him much more than he did the minister in 
 Rhode Island, who in similar circumstances preached a sermon, the 
 object of which was to compare Washington as the deliverer of his 
 country, with Christ as the Redeemer of the world. 
 
73 
 
 to paper. But so clear was his mind, so full of thought, 
 profound, well defined, digested, and arranged, that he 
 would discuss without hesitation or mistake, and with mas- 
 terly logic, subjects the most intricate and abstruse. His 
 delivery was rather rapid, yet clear and distinct. He ad- 
 dressed himself more to the understanding and con- 
 science, than to the feelings. He had too little imagination, 
 he was too argumentative and philosophical, or metaphysi- 
 cal, and dwelt too largely on controverted points, especial- 
 ly the controverted points of Calvinism, to be emmently 
 popular, or very interesting to the larger part of a congre- 
 gation. As a preacher of profoundly theological sermons, 
 he was almost nnrivalled ; and on occasions of ordination, 
 when such sermons are often expected, no man, probably, 
 of his day, was more frequently sought. 
 
 As a theologian, he stood in the very first rank. He 
 was patient, vigorous, and independent in investigation. 
 He was remarkable for great penetration and clearness, 
 for accurate discrimination and great comprehension. He 
 was profoundly skilled in the philosophy of the mind; and 
 in reasoning, he defined accurately his terms and his posi- 
 tions; assumed premises which were always clear, and 
 generally self-evident, and marched to his conclusions by 
 a logic that was irresistible. In sentiment, he was, in gen- 
 eral, a Calvinist, in particular, a " Hopkinsian ;" indeed, 
 the founder of the Hopkinsian school, more, perhaps, than 
 Hopkins himself. He made very decided improvements on 
 Calvinism ; and ranked himself among the New Divinity 
 men, rather than among the Calvinists.* He was, so far 
 
 * Dr. Stiles says : — " Eev. Mr. Edwards of New Haven, tells me 
 that there are three parties in Connecticut, all pleased with- my eleva- 
 tion to the presidency of Yale College; (this was in 1T77:) viz. Ar- 
 
 10 
 
74 
 
 as I can learn, the first to state and defend those more 
 rational and philosophical, as well as more scriptural views 
 of the Monement, which are now generally adopted 
 through New England, and by a large part of the Presby- 
 terian church in the United States. He strenuously insist- 
 ed on man's complete natural ability to obey the law of 
 God, as a necessary ground of his obligation to such obe- 
 dience; and on this ground, pressed upon sinners the duty 
 of immediately commencing that obedience, by turning to 
 God. Some of his philosophical and theological views are, 
 doubtless, extreme, and have been, and will yet be, improv- 
 ed by others, as those of his predecessors were by him. 
 Still, theology, as a science, is indebted to him for great 
 advances. He superintended, while in Connecticut, the 
 theological studies of a number of young men, some of 
 whom were afterward highly distinguished; and thus, more, 
 perhaps, than by his preaching and writing, contributed to 
 mould the theology of Connecticut and New England.* 
 
 Dr. Edwards has often been compared with his father. 
 President Edwards. (I call the one Dr. and the other 
 President, to distinguish them from each other, though 
 they were both presidents.) " It is seldom that a son has 
 such a father, and it is still more rare that such a father 
 leaves behind him a son so worthy of his Uneage."t 
 
 minians, who he said were a small party ; the New- Divinity Gentle- 
 men, of whom he said he was called one, who were larger, he said, but 
 still small ; and the main body of the ministers, which he said were 
 Cahinistic. 
 
 * Dr. Edwards's works have recently been published in two large 
 octavo volumes, together with a sketch of his life, by his grandson, 
 Eev. Tryon Edwards, of Rochester, for which labor the theological 
 world owe him many thanks. To that sketch I am chiefly indebted 
 for the facts which I have stated in this brief notice. 
 
 t Chris. Spec, for Jan. 1823. 
 
75 
 
 They were alike in the structure of their minds, and in 
 the mode of their intellectual operations. There was also 
 a striking similarity in the actions and events of their lives. 
 "The name, education, and early employments of both 
 were alike. Both were pious in their youth ; were distin- 
 guished scholars ; and were tutors for equal periods in the 
 colleges where they were respectively educated. Both 
 were settled in the ministry as successors to their maternal 
 grandfathers ; both were once dismissed, and again setded 
 in retired places? where they had leisure to study, and pre- 
 pare and publish their works. Both were removed from 
 these stations, to become presidents of colleges ; and both 
 died shortly after their respective inaugurations, the one in 
 the fifty-sixth, the other in the fifty-seventh year of his 
 age ; each having preached on the first Sabbath of the 
 year of his death, on the text, ' This year thou shaJt die.' "* 
 
 As a preacher, the son was undoubtedly inferior to the 
 father. He had little of that powerful imagination, which, 
 united with strong feelings and vigorous intellect, made his 
 father one of the most impressive and efiective preachers 
 that ever spoke the words of life to dying men. 
 
 As a theologian, however, he was, so far as I am capa- 
 ble of judging, fully equal to his father, if not superior. 
 He made some decided improvements on his father's the- 
 ology ; as he ought, standing on his father's shoulders. He 
 was, in discussion, more clear, both in thought and style, 
 and equally acute and logical. Dr. Emmons was accus- 
 tomed to say, that " the senior President had more reason, 
 than his son ; but the son was a better reasoner than his 
 father ;"t and this, perhaps, is near the truth. I have 
 
 * Memoir of Dr. Edwards. 
 
 t Emmons' Works^ Vol. I, p. 135, of Memoir. 
 
76 
 
 dwelt long, considering the limits of these discourses, on 
 the character of Dr. Edwards, because, by this generation, 
 he is not known ; nor, indeed, is he known by the genera- 
 tion that is passing off the stage, by his written works, as 
 he must be, in order to be appreciated. 
 
 We must now go back, from the year 1796, to the other 
 branch, the Fair Haven church, which we left just formed, 
 in the year 1771. 
 
 From the time of their secession, in September, 1769, 
 till February, 1773, they had no settled minister. Their 
 pulpit was supplied, chiefly, by Mr. Bird, their former pas- 
 tor, who, with his family, worshiped with them. 
 
 On the 3d of February, 1773, Mr. Allyn Mather was 
 ordained as their minister. Mr. Mather was born in 
 Windsor, in this state, in the year 1747. He graduated at 
 Yale College, in 1771, in the same class with Henry Dag- 
 gett, afterward one of the leading men in that church. 
 
 As Mr. Mather left no pubhshed works, and no writ- 
 ten notice of his character is to be found, and as the 
 records both of that church and society are very imper- 
 fect, I am dependent for my knowledge of him entirely 
 on the recollections of those few surviving contempora- 
 ries of his who knew him. He was feeble in health, 
 having had an affection of the lungs and a cough from 
 his first settlement. He was devotedly piom, desiring 
 to be spent for the honor of God and the spiritual good 
 of his people. They would often come to him on the 
 Sabbath, I am told, and, on account of his apparent 
 feebleness, urge him not to preach. But he usually de- 
 nied their solicitations, saying, that he wished to proclaim 
 the riches of Christ, and preferred to die in his pulpit. 
 He had few of the graces of oratory, and did not excel 
 in profound investigation, or doctrinal discussion. But he 
 
77 
 
 was plain and practical in his choice of subjects and in 
 his mode of treating them ; earnest, affectionate, tender, 
 and winning in his manner ; and pathetic, touching, and 
 persuasive in his appeals. He excelled in pastoral labor, 
 so far as he was able to perfomi it, and was exceedingly 
 beloved by his people. About eight years after his ordi- 
 nation, he was obliged by the disease of his lungs, to 
 suspend his labors. He went to a southern clime and 
 spent the winter, and came back much improved in 
 health. But the hopes of his friends were raised only 
 to be disappointed. In about a year he was prostrated 
 again. He went to Savannah to spend the winter ; and 
 there died on the 12th of November, 1784, at the age 
 of thirty seven. His memory is still fragrant among the 
 few survivors who knew him. His ministry of eleven 
 years was uncommonly successful for those times. Du- 
 ring that ministry he admitted seventy to the church.* 
 
 For three years the church was without a pastor — till 
 November 9th, 1786, when Mr. Samuel Austin was or- 
 dained its minister. ' 
 
 * I find in Dr. Stiles' Lit. Diary, the following note. — " Dec. 12, 
 Lord's Day, P. M. I preached at Rev. Mr. Mather's meeting, a fune- 
 ral sermo<l(Philippians, i, 21 — For to me to live is Christ, and to die 
 is gain) on the Rev. AUyn Mather, the deceased pastor of that flock, 
 who died in Savannah, Georgia, Nov. 12." Of this sermon I can find 
 no trace. Probably it was not printed. There is a discrepancy be- 
 tween this notice of Mr. Mather, by Dr. Stiles, and that in the com- 
 mencement of our church catalogue. The latter says that he died on 
 the fourth of November, and Dr. Stiles that he died on the twelfth of 
 November. Dr. S.'s notice is probably correct. 
 
 Mr. Mather married Miss Sophia Barnard of Hartford. He left sev- 
 eral children, one of whom is still living in this city. Mrs. Mather 
 afterwards married Mr. Ebenezer Townsend, the father of the late 
 Mrs. Hezekiah Howe, of this place. 
 
78 
 
 Mr. Austin was born in New Haven on the 7th of Oc- 
 tober, 1760 — the son of Samuel and Lydia Austin, and 
 brother of the late William Austin, deacon of this church. 
 He was graduated at Yale College, with the highest 
 honors of his class, in 1783, being then twenty three 
 years of age.* He experienced the renewing grace of 
 God a short time before entering college, and during the 
 first year of his academical course was admitted a mem- 
 ber of the college church. He studied theology with 
 Dr. Edwards ; was licensed to preach in October, 1784, 
 by the Association of New London county ; and preached 
 with great popularity in Norwich and several places in 
 the eastern part of the state. In the autumn of 1785, he 
 received a unanimous invitation to settle in the Middle 
 Dutch church in New York city, as colleague with the 
 late Dr. Livingston. This invitation, though accompanied 
 with most liberal proposals, he declined, because the 
 church practiced, and were disposed to adhere to, the 
 
 * His class consisted of forty two members. Among them were 
 Hon. David Daggett, LL. D., Abiel Holmes, D. D., LL. D., Jedidiah 
 Morse, D. D., and Hon. John Cotton Smith, LL. D. Of this class, 
 thirteen, a larger proportion than usual at that time, became ministers 
 of the gospel. 'i$ 
 
 The following is the testimonial of one of his distinguished class- 
 mates, Hon. David Daggett of New Haven. " He was an assiduous 
 and thorough scholar. Attentive to all the prescribed duties of college, 
 sober and discreet, he sustained an unblemished character. An ex- 
 cellent linguist, he was a Dean scholar. Eegarded always as a very 
 good speaker, he received as the reward of merit, the first appoint- 
 ment in the exercises of the commencement, when he was graduated. 
 His maturity of years, with unremitted attention to his studies, gave 
 him a rank, to say the least, among the first scholars of his class." 
 
 Judge Daggett was a member of Mr. Austin's congregation, when he 
 was settled over the Fair Haven society. 
 
79 
 
 half-way covenant, under which he could not consent to 
 become their pastor. 
 
 In the following autumn, he received and accepted a 
 unanimous invitation to settle in the Fair Haven church 
 m this city, and was ordained on the 9th of November, 
 1786. The sermon on the occasion was preached by 
 Dr. Edwards. This is the first act of communion, so 
 far as I can learn, between the church of White Haven, 
 and its seceding daughter, the church in Fair Haven. 
 The reason of ihis change is obvious. Mr. Austin, the 
 pastor elect, was a favorite pupil of Dr. Edwards, and 
 fully adopted his sentiments, both as to the half-way 
 covenant and the New Divinity. 
 
 Mr. Austin remamed the pastor of that church about 
 three years. Soon after his settlement, a considerable 
 part of the society living in the northern district of the 
 town, drew off and formed the church in East Plains, 
 (now called Hamden East Plains, or Whitneyville.)* 
 This secession greatly weakened the society. There was 
 also some dissatisfaction with Mr. Austin on account of 
 the half-way covenant, (that fruitful source of difficulty,) 
 to which he refused to conform, and against which he 
 earnestly contended.! For these reasons he requested 
 a dismission, havmg received a call from the first so- 
 
 * In the beginning of the first discourse, I spoke of this church as a 
 mother of churches. Besides the church in East Plains, the church 
 in the eastern part of the town, (now the village of Fair Haven,) the 
 church in Westville, and the church in Howe street, were formed prin- 
 cipally from this church. 
 
 t When Mr. Austin was settled, he made a sort of compromise with 
 those in the society who were in favor of the half-way covenant, which 
 at that time was often made in similar circumstances. He consented 
 that those who had already owned the half-way covenant, might con- 
 
80 
 
 ciety in Worcester, Mass., and was accordingly dismis-- 
 sed by an ecclesiastical council on the 19th of Jan- 
 uary, 1790.* 
 
 On the 29th of September of the same year, he was 
 installed at Worcester, where he continued for twenty 
 five years, having great influence, not only in that large 
 town, but throughout the central part of Massachusetts, 
 and indeed throughout the whole state. No mmister at 
 that time, in that commonwealth, was considered abler 
 than he. And none did more than he to restore the 
 churches from that lamentable worldliness and defection, 
 into which they had gradually declined under the influ- 
 ence of the half-way covenant ; and none was an abler 
 champion than he, agamst the great heresy of Unitarian- 
 ism, which, during that period, rolled its pernicious waves 
 over that ancient commonwealth. 
 
 In 1815, Dr. Austinf was called from his important 
 station at Worcester to the presidency of the University 
 of Vermont. He remained there but six years. He felt 
 that out of the ministry he was out of his element, and 
 he panted again to share its labors and enjoymentSi 
 He resigned the presidency of that institution in 1821. 
 Prompted by his benevolence, he took charge of a feeble 
 congregation in Newport, where he remained four years, 
 and then returned to Worcester. There he was soon 
 attacked by a disease, which, together with severe pecu- 
 
 tinue to have their children baptized ; not by himself, but by some min- 
 ister who had no conscientious scruples against the practice, with whom 
 he would exchange, to afford an opportunity for the performance of 
 the rite. 
 
 * The house now occupied by Prof. Goodrich was built by Dr. Austin. 
 
 + He received the degree of doctor of divinity from Williams Col- 
 lege in 1807. 
 
81 
 
 niary difficulties, and a hereditary predisposition ^o de- 
 rangement, threw him into an incurable religious mel- 
 ancholy, that continued, with slight lucid intervals, till 
 his death ; which occurred at the house of his nephew. 
 Rev. Samuel H. Riddel, of Glastenbury, Conn., on the 
 4th of December, 1830, in the seventy first year of his 
 age. The morning of his death he appeared rather more 
 unwell than usual, but was able to be below with the 
 family. Seeming unconscious of the presence of any one, 
 he uttered aloud* the fervent ejaculation, "Blessed Jesus! 
 blessed Jesus ! sanctify me wholly .'" He then lay down 
 on the sofa, and sunk into an apoplectic and fatal sleep. 
 He fell asleep in a mysterious night of despair. He 
 woke, with sweet surprise, in the glorious morning of 
 para:dise, in the presence of the Savior whose grace he 
 had just implored. 
 
 As a Christian, Dr. Austin was conscientious, ardent, 
 and eminently spiritual. As a preacher, be greatly ex- 
 celled. A vivid conception, comprehensive intellect, rapid 
 association of ideas, quickly kindling feelings, and grea:t 
 command of language, made him powerful in the pulpit, 
 especially when he spoke extemporaneously.* He was 
 peculiarly felicitous in prayer. An old parishioner of his, 
 of whom I made inquiry at Worcester, told me, that he 
 never heard a man pray who was so free, appropriate, 
 
 * Says Dr. Tenney, in a sermon delivered at the funeral of Dr. Aus- 
 tin : " As a preacher, he must be ranked among the most able, elo- 
 quent, and popular, of American divines. His manner in the pulpit 
 was solemn, dignified, and commanding. The tones of his voice were 
 full and flexible, and his enunciation free and emphatic. In the de- 
 livery of his sermons, he was always animated, often vehement, and 
 occasionally rose to sti-ains of the most sublime and impassioned elo- 
 quence." 
 
 11 
 
82 
 
 ind eloquent, as Dr. Austin, and who so towered (as he 
 expressed it) toward the mercy-seat. 
 
 As a theologian, he was distinguished, having a com- 
 prehensive, independent, clear, philosophical, and logical 
 mind. He was m sentiment of the Hopkinsian school 
 of Calvinists, partaking of course of the theological ex- 
 tremes, as well as the greater theological improvements 
 of the New Divinity of those times.* 
 
 For six years after Mr. Austin's dismission, the Fair 
 Haven church was without a pastor ; and in five months 
 
 * Dr. Austin's published writings are as follows : — " A View of the 
 Church :" " Letters on Baptism," examining Merrill's Seven Sermons, 
 1805 : " Reply to Merrill's Twelve Letters," 1806 :— The following - 
 sermons : On Disinterested Love, 1790 : A funeral sermon on the 
 death of a Mr. Smith and a Miss Smith of Exeter, N. H., 1790 : On 
 the death of Miss Hannah Blair, 1794: A Thanksgiving Sermon, 
 1797 : At the ordination of Rev. Samuel Worcester, 1798 : Of Rev. 
 Leonard Worcester, 1800 : Before the Massachusetts Missionary Soci- 
 ety, 1803 : Dedication of the meeting-house at Hadley, 1808 : Ordi- 
 nation of Rev. Warren Fay, and of Rev. J. M. Whiton, 1808 : A Fast 
 sermon, 1811 : Two Fast sermons, 1812: Dedication of the meeting- 
 house at Worcester, 1823 : Address at Worcester on the Religious 
 Celebration of the Fourth of July, 1825, and numerous contributions to 
 the periodicals of his time; But the most important of his works was 
 published in 1826, and is entitled " Austin's Dissertations on several 
 Fundamental Articles of Christian Theology." It consists of four dis- 
 sertations, one on God's Ultimate end in Creation, one on the Divine 
 Moral Government, one on the First Apostacy and its consequences, 
 and one on the Atonement — to which is added a sermon on Justifica- 
 tion by Faith. This is as able a work on these important subjects as 
 I am acquainted with. 
 
 Another valuable service which Dr. Austin rendered to the Amer- 
 ican churches, was that of collecting and publishing at Worcester in 
 1808, in a standard edition, the works of President Edwards. 
 
 For a more full account of the life of Dr. Austin, see a Memoir of 
 Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D., by Rev. Samuel H. Riddel, of Glasten- 
 
83 
 
 after Dr. Edwards' dismission, was united with the 
 White Haven church, under the denomination of "the 
 Church of Christ in the United Societies of White Haven 
 and Fair Haven." Thus, on the 27th of November, 1796, 
 a union took place between those, who in 1769 were 
 divided. The two spcieties had been incorporated into 
 one by the Assembly, in the previous October.* As 
 there were two houses of public worship, it was agreed 
 
 bury, Ci., published in the American Quarterly Register for February, 
 1837. To this memoir I am chiefly indebted for the materials of this 
 brief sketch. 
 
 Dr. Austin married on the 14th of Sept. 1788, Miss Jerusha Hopkins, 
 daughter of Rev. Dr. Samuel Hopkins, of Hadley, Mass. Mrs. Aus- 
 tin survived her husband several years. They had no children. 
 
 The family into which Dr. A. married, vifas quite remarkable as a 
 clerical family. Dr. Hopkins, (who was graduated at Yale College, in 
 1749, and died in 1811, after a ministry of fifty six years in Hadley,) 
 married the widow of his predecessor. Rev. Chester Williams, with 
 five small children ; whom, with nine of his own, he educated with 
 happy success for God and the church. Rev. Nehemiah Williams, late 
 pf Brimfield, Mass., was one of the number. Rev. Samuel Austin, 
 D. D. ; Rev. Nathaniel Emmons, D. D. of Franklin ; Rev. Samuel 
 Spring, D. D. of Newburyport ; Rev. Leonard Worcester, of Peacham, 
 Vt., and Rev. William Riddel, formerly of Bristol, Me., took their wives 
 from this family. 
 
 * For the action of the two churches and the two societies respecting 
 union, and for the Act of the Legislature of the state, by which the 
 societies were incorporated into one, by the name of " The United 
 Societies of White Haven and Fair Haven," see Records of Church 
 and of Society for 1796. 
 
 In 1815, the members of the United Societies, finding inconveniences 
 in the length of their corporate name, and that by length of time and 
 a more intimate union, and more especially by uniting in the erection 
 of a meeting house, it was rendered unnecessary to retain longer the 
 names of the ancient societies, petitioned the Legislature to change 
 their name to that of " The United Society'''' — which petition was grant- 
 
84 
 
 to occupy each, on alternate months; which was done 
 till near the time, when the house in which we are now- 
 assembled was finished, which was in November, 1816.* 
 
 ed. This is now the corporate or legal name ; and, strictly speaking, 
 the name of the church is, The Church in the United Society ; but the 
 name in most common use is The North Church. For the Act of Le- 
 gislature referred to, see Records of Society, 1815. 
 
 * In 1807, many complaints were made of the inconvenience of using 
 the two houses — the owners of seats in one finding it difficult to he 
 pleasantly seated in the other. With a view to remedy this inconven- 
 ience, and to raise a fund by the sale of one of them, the houses were 
 released by the societies of White Haven and Fair Haven to the 
 " United Societies of White Haven and Fair Haven." In 1810, noth- 
 ing eifectual having been done, and the discontent increasing, it was 
 proposed to build a new house. But many of the pew owners made 
 such strong opposition, that the project was suffered to rest. In Janvi- 
 ary, 1812, the subject of building was revived, and the society voted 
 in substance, that any individuals of the society might build a new 
 house of such materials and dimensions as they pleased, on or near 
 the spot where the Fair Haven meeting house stood, reserving one 
 fourth of the house for the society, and receiving from the society the 
 two old houses, and the lot on which the White Haven house stood. 
 The First Society, having taken down their house to build a new one, 
 applied, in December of this year, for permission to use one of the 
 houses of the United Societies of White Haven and Fair Haven. The 
 use of the Fair Haven meeting house was granted them. When that 
 house was taken down, the two societies used the same house ; the 
 United Society going in at 9 and 1 o'clock, and the First Society at 
 11 and 3. 
 
 In the month of December, 1812, twenty members oiTered terms for 
 building a new house, which were accepted. The terms were in sub- 
 stance as follows: — The proposers, at their own expense, to build for 
 the society a new brick meeting house, at or near the place where the 
 Fair Haven house stood, (said place to be established according to law,) 
 and of such dimensions and structure as they, and a special committee 
 of the society for that and other purposes, should agree upon ; that 
 not less than one eighth part of the house when completed should be 
 
85 
 
 In November, 1798, just two years after the union, 
 Rev. John Gemmil of Great Valley in the state of Penn- 
 sylvania, was installed pastor of the church and society. 
 
 reserved for the society, the location of said eighth part to be deter- 
 mined by the proposers and said sppcial committee ; that the society 
 should bind themselves to occupy said meeting house, when built, for 
 public worship on the Sabbath. That the two old meeting houses, to- 
 gether with the White Haven lot of land, should be at the disposal of 
 the proposers, it being understood that the White Haven house should 
 remain for the accommodation of the society till the new one should 
 be' completed. That all the new meeting house, except the aforesaid 
 eighth part, should be disposed of under the direction of the proposers 
 and said special committee, or so much thereof as to reimburse the 
 proposers (provided there should be sufficient) for all advances made 
 for building the meeting house, with the interest thereon, together with 
 reasonable compensation to the person or persons appointed to super- 
 intend the building ; and if any property or balance should remain, it 
 should belong to the society ; and that, if the society should not choose 
 to receive an eighth part of the pews as a compensation for their old 
 houses and lot of land, the proposers should give the society for them 
 #2500 in pews, the value and location of which to be determined as 
 aforesaid. The persons who made this liberal proposal were Thomas 
 Punderson, Increase Cooke, Hervey Mulford, Timothy Dwight, Jun., 
 Jared Bradley, James Henry, Abel Burritt, Jun., William Stanley, Le- 
 man Dunning, William H. Elliott, Hezekiah Howe, Ebenezer John- 
 son, Jun., William Dougal, Eeuben Rice, Nathan Peck, Eleazar Fos- 
 ter, Charles Sherman, Samuel Punderson, Eli Hotchkiss, Luther 
 Bradley. 
 
 Immediately after the proposals were accepted, the contractors em- 
 ployed Mr. David Hoadley as builder, who immediately commenced 
 building. It was now in the midst of the war with Great Britain, and 
 the lumber for building having been purchased at Middletown, applica- ' 
 tion was made to Commodore Hardy, then blockading New London, 
 for a permit for the safe transport of the lumber to New Haven by way 
 of Connecticut River, which was immediately granted. The house 
 was finished and accepted by the society, November 29, 1815, two of 
 the twenty contractors, during the time of building, having been re- 
 
86 
 
 In the summer of 1795, Mr. Gemmil came on to 
 Connecticut, as a delegate from the General Assembly 
 of the Presbyterian church, to the General Association of 
 this state. After hearing him preach twice, the White 
 Haven church and society, m August, invited him to 
 settle over them, which invitation he dechned. During 
 the next month, he was elected Professor of Divinity m 
 Yale College, and declined the office. Three years 
 afterward, when the White Haven and Fair Haven 
 churches and societies were united, he received a second 
 call, which he accepted. He remained three years, apd 
 w^as dismissed, at his own request, and to the great 
 satisfaction of the society, in November, 1801, Of his 
 subsequent history, I have been able only to learn, that 
 he resided in the state of Pennsylvania, where he entered 
 with zeal into political life, for which indeed he showed 
 great partiality during his ministry, and for which, from 
 all I can learn, he was better fitted than for the sacred 
 office. He deceased some years since. He was a man 
 of brilliant talents, and a popular speaker.* 
 
 After an interval of four years, the church and society 
 called Mr. Samuel Merwin to be their pastor. He was 
 
 moved to worship God, as was hoped, in a building not made with 
 hands, eternal in the heavens. The whole expense of the house, in- 
 cluding chandeliers, was $32,724 58. The sale of the pews produced, 
 after reserving one eighth of the property for the society, $5,491 97 
 over and above the cost of the house. This sum was funded for the 
 support of the gospel ministry in the society. 
 
 The house was planned entirely by Mr. Ebenezer Johnson, (now a 
 member of this church and society,) and is, especially its interior, hon- 
 orable proof of his genius and taste in architecture. 
 
 * I find on the society's records the following vote : — May 12, 1798. 
 " That incase Mr. Gemmil should settle in this society as their minis- 
 
87 
 
 ordained on the 13th of February, 1805.* He was 
 dismissed at his own request, and with ample testimo- 
 nials of his fidelity and success from the church and 
 society, on the 29th of December, 1831,. after a mmistry 
 of twenty six years.f He now resides in this city, 
 holding pleasant intercourse with and performing many 
 acceptable services for the people, for whom he so long 
 labored, and whom he still ardently loves. 
 
 The ministry of Mr. Merwin, was peculiarly blessed 
 by the Great HeaCti of the church. Two years after his 
 settlement, in 1807-8, there was an interestbg revival of 
 religion in this city, which had not been thus visited for 
 nearly seventy years. There was another in 1815-16, 
 another in 1820-21, another in 1827-8, and another in 
 
 ter, it shall be in his discretion to exchange with Dr. Dana, Dr. Dwight, 
 or any of the neighboring ministers, at such limes as he may think 
 proper, and as he may find for the spiritual interest of this society. 
 
 This is the first notice of any disposition on the part of this church 
 to have fellowship with Dr. Dana. Indeed the two churches never, 
 till this vote, had public fellowship of any kind with each other, except 
 for a few years before the death of Mr. Whittelsey, the predecessor of 
 Dr. Dana, when the monthly sacramental , lectures were united, and 
 were preached at the three houses of worship in rotation. Immediately 
 after the installation of Dr. Dana, on account of the laxity and un- 
 soundness of doctrine imputed to him, the White Haven and Fair Ha- 
 ven churches refused to hold communion with him. From the time of 
 the above vote, the harmony and cooperation of the churches have been 
 continually increasing. 
 
 * Mr. Merwin was settled upon a salary of #700. In December, 
 1809, his salary was raised to $800 ; in December, 1813, to $850, and 
 in November, 1815, to $1000. 
 
 t As a testimony of the affection and esteem universally entertained 
 for Mr. Merwin by the church and society, the sum of $2000, one half 
 raised by voluntary subscription, was voted to him. 
 
88 
 
 1831. As a result, chiefly of these five revivals, over 
 eight huhdred w^ere added to this church.* 
 
 For four years again the church and society were 
 destitute of a minister.f The vacancy was supplied by 
 the installation of Rev. Leicester A. Savpyer of Martins- 
 burgh, N. Y., which occurred on the 2d of June, 1835. 
 Mr. Sawyer's ministry continued till November 20th, 
 
 1837, when he was dismissed at his own request. 
 During his ministry, the church was favored with a 
 
 revival, which resulted in the a.ddition of sixty members 
 to the church, t 
 
 The present pastor was ordained on the 26th of June, 
 
 1838. The fourth year of his ministry has nearly expired. 
 
 * In 1824, the society lost by the failure of the Eagle Bank in this 
 city, a large part of its fund, $7,200. The fund, previous to the fail- 
 ure, was a little over $10,000. The tax for many years before that 
 time had been but 2J cents on the dollar. It was then raised to 5 per 
 cent. This circumstance had a very sensible effect on the prosperity 
 of the society. 
 
 Since 1833, the expenses of the society have been paid by an assess- 
 ment on slips and pews and individual members of the congregation ; 
 such an assessment as the persons on whom it is laid voluntarily as- 
 sent to. 
 
 + During this period the church and society were desirous of the 
 blessing of stated pastor, and made several attempts to secure it. In 
 July, 1833, they called Mr. Leverett Griggs, (now Eev. L. Griggs, of 
 North Haven.) In October, 1833, they called Rev. John H. Adams, of 
 Syracuse, N. Y. In March, 1834, they called Mr. Oliver Ellsworth 
 Daggett, (now Rev. O. E. Daggett, of Hartford ;) and in June, 1834, 
 they called Rev. Thomas H. Skinner, D. D., then Professor in the 
 Theological Seminary at Andover. 
 
 X Mr. Sawyer was afterwards installed over the Park street (now 
 Howe street) church in this city — a new church, formed partly by 
 peaceable secession fronn the North church. He remained ovei that 
 church about two years, when he was dismissed at his own request, 
 and went to the state of Ohio. He is now President of Central College 
 in that state. 
 
89 
 
 During these years, the church has been twice refreshed 
 from the presence of the Lord; for which undeserved 
 mercy, we should be unfeignedly grateful. One hundred 
 and twenty nine have been added to the church by pro- 
 fession, and eighty four by letter.* 
 
 I have cause for profound gratitude, that, while laboring 
 in the weakness and inexperience of youth, I have ex- 
 perienced the forbearance, and enjoyed the sympathy 
 and kindness of an affectionate and united people; and 
 I ask a continued interest in their prayers, that my 
 future duties and responsibilities may be discharged and 
 sustained, in the imparted strength of the Lord, and 
 with his abundant blessing. 
 
 * The present pastor was settled on a salary of $1000, which during 
 the next year was raised to $1250. 
 
 12 
 
SERMON III. 
 
 PROGRESS DURING THE CENTURY, AS EVINCED IN 
 THE PRECEDING HISTORY- 
 
 Isaiah, ii, 2. — And it ^hall come to pass in the last days, that the moun- 
 tain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the moun- 
 tains, and shall be exalted above the hills ; and all nations shall flow 
 unto it. 
 
 Isaiah, xi, 6. — The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard 
 shall lie down with the kid ; and the calf, and the young lion, and the 
 fatling together ; and a little child shall lead them. 
 
 Such pictures the Holy Scriptures frequently give us of 
 a future period of universal righteousness, and peace, and 
 joy on earth. They are most delightful to the Christian. 
 To them he often turns his eye, while studying this vporld's 
 history, and his first inquiry, after tracing any portion of 
 that history, is, 
 
 What progress has therein been made toward this bles- 
 sed and glorious consummation? In concludmg the eccle- 
 siastical history of this people, during the century which 
 has just closed, I should do violence to my feelings, and be 
 negligent of my duty, did I not endeavor to answer the 
 inquiry. 
 
 What progress toward this consummation, is manifest 
 
 in THIS HISTORY ? 
 
 You will observe, that the inquiry before us, is not the 
 wnlimited one, what progress toward the future triumphs of 
 philanthropy and religion, is manifest in the history of the 
 loorld, or of JVew England, or of this community, during 
 
91 
 
 the last century 7 but the limited one, what progress toward 
 such a result, is manifest in the history of this church, 
 during the last century ? So connected, however, is the 
 history of this church with the ecclesiastical and moral 
 history of New England, and so eventful has been that 
 history during the last century, that I fear I shall find this 
 limited inquiry too broad for a single discourse. I will en- 
 deavor, however, to answer it, with as much brevity as the 
 nature of the case will permit. I observe then, 
 
 I. That the history of this church during the last cen- 
 tury, manifests great progress in religious liberty. We 
 have seen that this church, in its early years, had to strug- 
 gle under a load of civil and ecclesiastical oppression. 
 
 In the early part of the last century, religion was embar- 
 rassed by its connexion with the civil power — by the 
 union of church and state. JVoio it is wholly unrestramed 
 -by the civil power ; and the church, in its various denomi- 
 nations, though protected by, is entirely dissevered from, 
 the state. Then, too, the ecclesiastical government of the 
 Congregational churches, seriously impaired their liberty. 
 Now, these churches have a form of government, which 
 leaves each entirely free and independent. It may be well 
 on these points to be more particular. 
 
 The rigor of the union between church and state in 
 Connecticut, had been somewhat abated previously to 
 1 742. In 1 708 was passed, by the General Assembly of 
 the state, the .^ct of Toleration, as it was called, by which 
 all persons, who soberly dissented from the worship and 
 ministry by law established, were permitted to enjoy the 
 same liberty of conscience with the dissenters in England, 
 under the act of William and Mary, i. e. they were ex- 
 empt from punishment, for not conforming to the estab- 
 lished religion, though not exempt from taxation, for its 
 
92 
 
 ipport.* All the people in the state, whether dissenters 
 - not, were bound, by law, to contribute to the support of 
 le churches, which accorded in doctrine and government 
 ith the rules of the Saybrook Platform— the ecclesiastical 
 institution of the state. In 1727, Episcopalians, and in 
 729, Quakers and Baptists, were exempted from taxation 
 y the established churches, provided they attended on 
 le worship of God in a tolerated society of their own de- 
 jmination. So that, after 1729, all could worship God 
 icording to the dictates of their consciences, free from 
 jnalties, and free from taxation for the support of the 
 itablished churches, except Congregationalists and Pres- 
 iterians. They, though permitted by the Act of Tolera- 
 3n, to secede and worship by themselves, were not ex- , 
 npt from taxation for the support of the churches and 
 inisters from whom they seceded. The members of 
 is church and their adherents, as we have seen, in addi- 
 )n to their contributions for the support of their own re- 
 ;ious worship, were, for the first seventeen years, taxed 
 r the support of the church they had left. 
 
 At the time of the Great Awakening, the rigor of the 
 ws against the religious freedom of Congregationalists 
 id Presbyterians, was temporarily increased. In 1743, 
 e year after this church was formed, the law was made 
 ore rigorous against seceding Congregationalists and 
 -esbyterians. The Assembly, to suppress enthusiasm, 
 
 they said, repealed the Act of Toleration, so that, there- 
 ter, none could secede from the established churches, 
 id worship by themselves, without punishment, unless 
 ey should ask and obtain special permission from the 
 ^islature; which special permission, it was intimated, 
 ongregationalists and Presbyterians should not have. 
 
 See note to p. 30. 
 
93 
 
 In 1 742, the law was passed, to which I have referred,* 
 forbidding any minister, by specified penalties, to preach 
 within the limits of another minister's parish, or any un- 
 hcensed person to exhort in any parish, without the con- 
 sent of the minister and the major part of that parish. 
 
 But in the course of a few years, the legislature iSfcanged 
 its course, and freely formed applicants, of whatever de- 
 nomination, into ecclesiastical societies; and thus gave 
 them liberty to worship by themselves, free from penal- 
 ties, and free from "taxation by their former societies. 
 
 In the revision of the laws in 1784, after the American 
 Revolution, a great improvement was made in the law re- 
 lating to ecclesiastical affairs. The legal establishment of 
 the Congregational churches assenting to the Saybrook 
 Platform was omitted, and liberty granted to all persons to 
 worship according to their own conscience or inclination, 
 and in such societies as they should choose to join or to form ; 
 such societies being, to all intents and purposes, legal cor- 
 porations. All, however, though they had their choice of 
 societies, were taxed for the support of religion in some 
 society. This provision began, ere long, to be complained 
 of, as unjust to those who did not wish to maintain any 
 religious worship, or, if they did, not by taxation ; and was, 
 moreover, found to be inexpedient, as giving a virtual sup- 
 port to the laxest form of religion ;t and in 1818, when 
 the new constitution was formed, it was repealed, and 
 
 * See p. 44. 
 
 + They, who would support no form of religion unless compelled by- 
 law, if compelled by law, will support that kind of religion which is 
 least troublesome to conscience and the depraved heart. This has been 
 more fully illustrated in Massachusetts than in Connecticut. The 
 repeal of the law in that commonwealth, for the compulsory support of 
 religion, has proved a severe blow to Unitarianism. 
 
94 
 
 religion was left entirely to voluntary support — a support 
 which experience has proved to be altogether the best. 
 
 Our ecclesiastical government also, though much the 
 same in form, is much more free in fact, than during the 
 early years of this church. I have in a former discourse, 
 spokelfrof two constructions, the Presbyterian and Con- 
 gregational, of the Saybrook Articles of Discipline,* and 
 had occasion to show that the former, while the churches 
 were in their long sleep, had become the established 
 construction — a construction, which placed the churches 
 under the jurisdiction of a judicial tribunal, virtually 
 beyond their control, and thus took away their Con- 
 gregational liberty. Moreover, the ruling party in the 
 ministry not only enforced this construction of the Say- 
 brook Articles upon those churches which had adopted 
 them, but also insisted that no new church should be 
 constituted, except by agreement to those Articles.^ But 
 in the course of fifty years, as one church after another, 
 and each party in its turn, was made to feel the appli- 
 cation of the iron construction, that construction was 
 generally rejected, and the Congregational one adopted. 
 So that now, those churches which have, and those 
 
 * See p. 36. 
 
 + The effort to enforce the universal reception of the Saybrook Plat- 
 form, seems to have been vigorous and determined. For instance, a 
 new church was formed at Salisbury, on the Camhridge Platform, (i. e. 
 not consociated,) and the Rev. John Lee was ordained its pastor in 
 1744. The Association of New Haven county reprimanded the church 
 for adopting that Platform, and suspended Messrs. Humphreys of Der- 
 by, Leavenworth of Waterbury, and Todd of Northbury, from the min- 
 istry, for assisting in the ordination. Humphreys was at one time ex- 
 pelled from the Association, for preaching to a Baptist church. See 
 Trumbull. 
 
95 
 
 which have not, adopted the Saybrook Articles, (in other 
 words, become consociated,) are equally free. The first 
 members of this church, having suffered under the 
 Saybrook yoke, were strongly opposed to it, and adopted 
 as the first article in their rules, " This church is free and 
 independent." Their hostility to that yoke was trans- 
 mitted to their descendants, and still exists among us, 
 notwithstanding the yoke has become easy. I trust that 
 from age to age, they who here profess the name of 
 Christ, will remember that this is a Congregational church, 
 and guard its Congregational liberty with a holy vigilance. 
 I observe, 
 
 II. It is manifest from the survey which we have taken, 
 that the churches have made great progress in purity. 
 
 I have had occasion to show, that in the early part of 
 the eighteenth century, the results of a gradual and long 
 declension in piety, were widely and lamentably manifest ; 
 that religion had greatly degenerated into formalism ; 
 that owing proximately to the half-way covenant, and to 
 the doctrine that the Lord's supper vi^as a converting 
 ordinance, and ultimately to the early practice in this 
 colony and in Massachusetts, of making church member- 
 ship a quahfication for the enjoyment of civil privileges, 
 to false notions as to man's competence and obligation 
 to repent, and to a leaven of reliance upon ceremonies 
 and ordinances which survived the Reformation to be 
 purged out by the wondrous displays of God's grace 
 in the middle and latter parts of the eighteenth century — 
 owing to these causes, proximate and ultimate, great 
 numbers had been admitted, some to full, and some to 
 partial, standing in the churches, who confessedly had no 
 piety. Thus the church had become secularized, and 
 full of unworthy members. Thus the deep and broad 
 
96 
 
 distinction between external morality and vital godliness, 
 was in a great measure obliterated. 
 
 To reform the churches from this corruption, the great 
 revival of 1740 was ordered, and exactly fitted, by the 
 Divine wisdom. The great idea, which characterized 
 that revival, which, so far as truth is concerned, was the 
 grand element of power working in it, was the idea of 
 the new birth, or a radical change in moral character by 
 conversion from the world to God, from sin to holiness, 
 as an ascertainable change — a change evinced with more 
 or less of clearness in the consciousness and conduct of 
 its subject. This doctrine of conversion as a self-evinced 
 change, was no where prevalent previous to that revival. 
 It was proclaimed as fundamentally important, and with 
 great power, by the promoters of that revival. It was 
 then, as it must ever be, eminently the sword of the 
 Spirit. It was, of course, embraced by the subjects of 
 the revival. It dictated that mode of addressing the 
 hearers of the gospel, now universal in evangelical 
 churches, viz. addressing them as either penitent or im- 
 penitent, for God or against him, and as those who may 
 ascertain whether they be for God or against him. It 
 led moreover, by irresistible inference, to the position 
 that none ought to be admitted, either to partial or full 
 standing in the church of Christ, except on evidence 
 that they had been born again. 
 
 The leaders in the revival therefore, and their ad- 
 herents, were generally strenuous opposers of the half-way 
 covenant, and of the doctrine that the' Lord's supper is 
 a converting ordinance ; and often made it a condition of 
 their ordination over a church, that the practice upon that 
 covenant and doctrine should be abolished. The strug- 
 gle between the friends and opposers of that revival. 
 
97 
 
 was long and severe. The former, however, gradually 
 and universally triumphed, and placed the half-way 
 covenant, and the kindred doctrine that the Lord'a supper 
 is a converting ordinance, among the things that were; 
 and now among the orthodox Congregational churches 
 of New England, there is not one, which does not require 
 experience of the renewing grace of God, as the qualifica- 
 tion for admission to its communion or any of the privileges 
 of its members. 
 
 Great is the-contrast between the churches of New 
 England in 1742 and 1842, as to purity. 
 
 It is a matter of proper congratulation in this church, 
 that it is the offspring of that great revival, and was or- 
 ganized in conformity with the grand idea of the new 
 birth, as a radical and self-evincbg change; that its 
 founders eschewed the half-way covenant; and that 
 one of its ministers (Dr. Edwards) was one of the ablest 
 advocates in New England, of what may with propriety 
 be called the second Reformation. I observe, 
 
 III. There has been a decided improvement during the 
 last century in the qualifications of the ministry. 
 
 During the great revival, there was much controversy 
 respecting unconverted ministers. There is now no doubt, 
 that some of the leading revivalists acted with great im- 
 propriety, in their hasty and public condemnation of 
 individual ministers as unconverted men. There is no 
 doubt that they supposed that there were more uncon- 
 verted ministers, than there really were. And there can 
 be as little doubt, that there were unconverted men in 
 the mmistry. Such will ever be the fact where religion 
 has, in any considerable degree, degenerated mto formal- 
 ism. The peculiar views and practices of the churches 
 at that time, especially the admission of unconverted 
 
 13 
 
98 
 
 men to the church, in order that they might partake of 
 its ordinances as means of conversion, •coupled with the 
 idea, that conversion is such a gradual, still, and unobser- 
 vable matter, that no one can judge either for himself or 
 others, whether that point has yet been passed, greatly 
 favored the entrance of unconverted men to the ministry. 
 It was at that time a fact admitted by all, that there 
 were unconverted ministers. Stoddard, in his "Appeal 
 to the Learned," took that fact for granted, and argued 
 from it, that unconverted ministers have certain official 
 duties, which they may lawfully perform.* 
 
 There may be unconverted men in the ministry now. 
 But if there are, they have to enter it notwithstanding 
 the universal opinion that an unconverted minister is 
 not to be tolerated, and is at once to be deposed; notwith- 
 standing the clearest light as to what are evidences of 
 conversion; and notwithstanding the close application of 
 numerous and thorough tests of conversion. I am there- 
 fore safe in saying that the number is proportionably 
 much less than it was in 1742. 
 
 But when I speak of improvement in the qualifications 
 of the ministry, I have reference principally to intellectual 
 qualifications, and to the superior educational privileges 
 of the present day. Then our colleges were much 
 more imperfect than they now are. An education at 
 Yale College now, is worth three times what it was in 
 1742. Then, there were not, as now, theological semin- 
 aries, where access may be had to well furnished libraries, 
 and where are our ablest men devoting their whole time 
 to instruction in theology; but, young men pursued 
 their divinity studies with settled ministers, whose paro- 
 chial and pulpit duties were a sufficient employment, 
 
 * See Tracy, 393. 
 
»y 
 
 without the labor of teaching. Then, a few months of 
 theological study was deemed sufficient for entrance on 
 the work of the ministry. Now, three years of theological 
 study are required, added to seven years of academical 
 study. It must be, therefore, that the ministers of the 
 present day are far better furnished intellectually for their 
 work, than were those of a century since. I obser,ve, 
 
 IV. That there has been great improvement during 
 the past century in the exhibition of the system of truth 
 contained in the JScriptures — not in the system of truth itself 
 contained in the Scriptures, but in the exhibition of that 
 system, in other words, improvement in theology as a 
 science. Some men are greatly startled at the idea of 
 improvements in theology. But it is because they mis- 
 apprehend the language. Theology, as it is in the Bible, 
 cannot be improved. To suppose that it can be, is to 
 suppose that God's word can be improved, vi^hich would 
 be impious. But theology as it exists in the understanding 
 and comprehension of men — theology as knoicn — theology 
 as a science, may be indefinitely improved. To say 
 otherwise, would be to make the understanding of men 
 infallible, and absurdly to declare that various conflicting 
 theologies, or theological systems, are alike true. The 
 possibility of improvements in theology as a science, every 
 man virtually admits ; for there is none, who will not admit 
 that the theology of other men, particularly of his oppo- 
 nents, is capable of improvement, vi^hatever he may think 
 of his own. Such improvement has been made during 
 the past century, and such doubtless wiU be, in the 
 century to come. Ancestors are relatively the youth of 
 the world, and posterity its old men. We are older in 
 the world, or rather in an older world, than our ancestors. 
 We stand on their shoulders, and may be expected, if 
 
100 
 
 we improve oUr position, to see farther than they did. 
 "We commence, with the results of all their labor for 
 capital. In like manner, posterity will be older than we; 
 standing on our shoulders, wiU see farther than we; and 
 commencing their intellectual toil with the results of ours, 
 will acquire more intellectual wealth than we.* 
 
 * The fatuity of the doctrine, that no improvements can be made in 
 theology, not as written in the Bills, but as understood and held and 
 expounded ly men, baffles all description. No man ever advanced it 
 without the most palpable and constant self-contradiction. Who is 
 there, who does not hold, that there are various systems of theology, 
 which are capable of improvement i One may think this system per- 
 fect ; another that ; but who is there, who will make the stupid asser- 
 tion, that all the systems of theology, however different. and contradic- 
 tory, which the world has seen, are alike perfect and incapable of im- 
 provement ? Whose theology is it, that cannot be improved } Is it to 
 be found in the works of the fathers, by which it has been said you can 
 " prove almost any thing ?" Is it the theology of Origen, or Cyprian, 
 or Gregory, or Jerome, or Augustine, or Chrysostom } Is it the theol- 
 ogy of Luther, or Calvin, or the Westminster divines ? Is it the theol- 
 ogy of the Congregationalists, or Presbyterians, or Episcopalians, or 
 Methodists, or Baptists, or Unitarians, or Universalists ? All these and 
 many others, are professedly derived from the Bible. Is there some 
 one among the divines of this country, who has taught the unimprova- 
 ble, the infallible theology ? Who is he ? Is he President Edwards 
 senior, or President Edwards the younger.? Dr. Hopkins, or Dr. 
 Dwight .' Dr. Emmons, or Dr. Mason ? Or, to come down to the present 
 time, whose theology in these times is perfect — the exact exhibition of 
 the theology of the Bible ? Is it that of Dr. Taylor, or Dr. Woods, or 
 Dr. Alexander ? Is it that of Bishop Doane, or that of Bishop Griswold } 
 Is it that of Dr. Beecher, or that of Dr.'s Junkin and Wilson ? Where is it, 
 that the infallible theology is taught ? Is it at Andover, or New Haven, 
 or Princeton, or Cincinnati ? Show us the unimprovable theology. 
 
 What the opinion of Dr. Edwards was on this point, is apparent from 
 the title of one of his publications — " Improvements in Theology, made 
 by President Edwards and those who have followed his course of 
 thought." 
 
101 
 
 The revival of 1740, gave a great impulse to theolo- 
 gical investigation. It roused minds to exammation and 
 profound thought. Its grand idea, as I have said, was 
 the doctrine of the new birth. To this central truth in 
 the theological system it called attention. Investigation 
 was -centered, and light was poured, upon that doctrine. 
 Ministers saw more clearly than ever, that the great ob- 
 
 I quote the following very just and pertinent remarks from Arch- 
 bishop Whately. "^nd again if any persons claim for any traditions 
 of the church, an authority, either paramount to Scripture, or equal to 
 Scripture, or concurrent with it — or, which comes to the same thing, 
 decisive as to the interpretation of Scripture, — taking on themselves to 
 decide what is ' the church,' and wJiat tradition is to be thus received, — 
 these persons are plainly called on to establish by miraculous evidence 
 the claims they advance. 
 
 " But to such as reject and protest against all such groundless claims, 
 an interminable field is still open for the application of all the faculties, 
 intellectual and moral, with which God has endowed us, for the fuller 
 understanding and development of the trfiths revealed in his written 
 word. ***** We may advance, and we may lead others to ad- 
 vance, indefinitely, in the full development of gospel truth — of the real 
 character and meaning and design of Christ's religion ; not by seeking 
 to superadd something to the gospel revelation ; but by a more correct 
 and fuller comprehension of it ; — not by increasing, absolutely, the 
 light of the noon-day sun, but by clearing away the mists which obscure 
 our view of it. Christianity itself cannot he improved ; hit men''s views, 
 and estimate, and comprehension of Christianity, may be indefinitely 
 improved." Kingdom of Christ, p. 127. 
 
 This is as good against those in this country, who in the intellectual 
 bondage of implicit faith in articles, confessions of faith, and catechisms, 
 delight in their chains, and cry out against the doctrine of improvement 
 in theology, as it is in England against the Oxford Tractators and Pu- 
 seyites, who contend for implicit faith in the early fathers, and for an- 
 cient Christianity, with all its corruptions, as that from which we may 
 not abate, or to which we may not add, one jot or tittle. The former 
 are first cousins at least to the latter. They are like them in their belit- 
 tleing bondage to fallible and imperfect men. 
 
102 
 
 ject of their mission was to reconcile men to God, by 
 proclaiming to them in their deep depravity and ruin, 
 the truth, " Ye must be horn again." Their preaching 
 was shaped more and more, to suit the purpose of lead- 
 ing men to turn at once from sin to God. This they 
 saw was the object and effect of the apostles' preaching. 
 With this object, they rejected, one after another, those 
 views which were barriers in the way of the consistent 
 enforcement, of what the Bible every where enforces, 
 the duty of immediate repentance. They soon saw, that 
 it must be true, that what a just God commands men 
 as moral agents to do, they can do ; that holmess, which 
 He commands them to exercise, must therefore be what 
 they can exercise, viz. a voluntary affection of the soul ; 
 and^that sin, which He commands th^m to refrain from, 
 must be what they can refrain from, viz. a voluntary 
 affection of the soul ; that the sinfulness of mankind 
 consists therefore, not in a corrupt nature propagated 
 from Adam, ^ but wholly and only in their oicn voluntary 
 opposition to God, and the best interests of His king- 
 dom; that the new heart which God requires sinners 
 to make consists, not in new powers or faculties, not 
 in a new principle distinct from and behind all vol- 
 untary affection, (which thmgs manifestly man cannot 
 make,) but simply in new affections, in a new volun- 
 tary disposition; that therefore sinners were to be ex- 
 horted, not to wait for a new heart in the use of means, 
 such as hearing the word, prayer, and partaking of or- 
 dinances, but at once, under the influence of God's truth 
 and Spirit, to make themselves new hearts, to repent 
 and believe in Christ, and were to be told, that every 
 thing short of this, or not implying this, was but the 
 addition of iniquity to iniquity. They saw, that as this 
 
103 
 
 change was one in the voluntary affections of the soul, it 
 was a change which could be ascertained — which would 
 evince itself in the consciousness and conduct of its sub- 
 ject. They saw moreover, that what is freely offered by 
 God to all must be provided for all, and therefore the 
 provision of salvation by the atonement , of Christ is not 
 limited to the elect, but unlimited — made for the whole 
 human race. It has been seen also and held, that God's 
 decrees, which embrace all events, must be executed, so 
 far as the actians of free agents are concerned, in a 
 mode which, is consistent with their free agency, and 
 therefore not by an irresistible influence ; and as God 
 hates and forbids sin, and loves and commands holiness, 
 He therefore, in every case, prefers holiness to sin. 
 
 The result is, that in the course of the past century 
 great improvements have been made in theology, as be- 
 heved and preached ; the most prominent of which I will 
 briefly mention. 
 
 1. As to the free agency of man. Whereas it was 
 formerly held that man has no natural ability to obey 
 God, or indeed to do any thmg but sin, it is now held 
 that he is an agent complete in his freedom, competent 
 to do or refrain from doing what God requires or forbids. 
 
 2. Whereas, formerly, views of the nature of haliness 
 and sin were indefinite, and implied that there is sin in 
 the constitution of the soul of man — in the work of the 
 Creator: now holmess and sin are well and correctly 
 defined, as free voluntary affections of the soul; holiness 
 as the love of being in general, or a voluntary prefer- 
 ence of God and the interests of his kingdom as the 
 chief good ; and sm as the transgression of God's law — a 
 free choice or preference of the world and worldly good 
 to God and the interests of His kingdom. 
 
104 
 
 3. Whereas it- was formerly held on the subject of 
 native depravity, that there are two sorts of sin, one 
 either committed in Adam or increated, the other vol- 
 untary and committed in life — held by some, that all 
 Adam's posterity were living in him and voluntarily 
 joined in his sin; by others, that his sin is transferred 
 to his posterity so as to become theirs ; and by others 
 still, that a sinful and damnable nature descends to them 
 by propagation ; it is now generally held, that while all 
 Adam's posterity sin as soon as they act morally, in con- 
 sequence of his sin, they yet sin freely, and are and can 
 be guilty of no sin, but their own free voluntary selfish 
 affections. 
 
 4. Whereas it was formerly held, that a new heart 
 consists in new faculties or powers, or in a new prin- 
 ciple implanted by creative and irresistible agency ; and 
 by consequence, that sinners were to be exhorted, not 
 to repent and make themselves new hearts, but in the 
 use of means to wait for the gift of a new heart: now 
 it is held that a new heart consists simply in a new, 
 totally opposite, exercise of powers possessed — in a new, 
 free, voluntary disposition, viz. the supreme love of God 
 and His kingdom; and that sinners are to be exhorted 
 to repent, and thus, according to the Divine direction, 
 make themselves new hearts, at once, as the first and all- 
 comprehending duty.* 
 
 5. The views now entertained of the nature of experi- 
 mental religion are more definite, dear, and distinguish- 
 ing, enabling a person to ascertain with far more satis- 
 faction, whether or not he is a new creature. 
 
 * As to the necessity of the influence of the Holy Spirit in order to 
 the new heart, the divines of that and this day unite in saying, that it 
 is absolute — without that influence this change never takes place. 
 
105 
 
 6. As to the nature and extent of the atonement. It 
 was formerly held that Christ's atonement was the literal 
 payment of a debt, due from the elect. Of course it 
 was an atonement which not only precluded pardon and 
 grace in the sinner's deliverance, but was limited to a 
 portion of mankind, the elect. Now, it is held, that 
 Christ made an atonement for the whole human race, 
 which is equivalent to the punishment of sinners, not in 
 amount of suffering, or as the payment of a debt, but in 
 sustaining the divine law and government, by manifesta- 
 tion of the divine displeasure at sin. 
 
 7. The doctrine of decrees was formerly so held and 
 explamed, as to be inconsistent with human freedom, and 
 with the Divine justice and sincerity in forbidding and 
 punishing and expressing His hatred of sin, in exhorting 
 to repentance, and in offering and commanding to accept 
 salvation : now, it is extensively so held and explained, 
 that, while it secures the certainty of events, it is entirely 
 consistent with human free agency, with God's preference 
 of holiness to sin in all cases, and of course with the 
 Divine justice and sincerity, in all the commands, invita- 
 tions, and exhortations of His word. 
 
 The preaching of the gospel is more direct, more prac- 
 tical, more in accordance with the Holy Scriptures and 
 right reason, more self-consistent, and of course more 
 mighty for the pulling down of strong holds, than it was 
 a hundred years since. I observe, 
 
 V. That great progress has been made during the last 
 century, especially the latter part of it, as to the frequency, 
 and power, and purity of revivals of religion. 
 
 Previous, especially for fifty years previous, to the year 
 1735, revivals of religion were quite infrequent. The re- 
 vival of 1740, or rather from 1735 to 1742, commonly. 
 
 14 
 
106 
 
 called the Great Awakening, was very extensive and pow- 
 erful — a glorious work of the Spirit of God. But it was 
 followed, as in this historical survey has been seen, by a 
 long and lamentable religious declension — a declension 
 owing to the great opposition made to the revival, to the 
 great extravagance of action and opinion which accompa- 
 nied it, and to the peculiar political state of the country. 
 
 For nearly sixty years, revivals were almost unknown in 
 Connecticut, and not only unknown, but feared and shun- 
 ned. About the year 1798, they commenced again in 
 Litchfield and Hartford counties ;* were frequent and pow- 
 - erful, and have been growing more frequent and powerful 
 ever since. In this place, there was a revival in the Col- 
 lege in 1802. But in these churches, as we have seen, 
 there was no revival from 1742 to 1805, a space of more 
 than sixty years. From that time, there have been, in 
 the space of thirty-seven years, ten revivals of religion! 
 Within the last thirty-seven years, there have been more 
 revivals of religion, and more hopeful conversions in New 
 Haven, than between that time and the first settlement of 
 the place, during a space of one hundred and sixty-six 
 
 * I have often heard my honored father say that he well recollects the 
 fear and distrust with which the best ministers at this time looked upon 
 the recurrence of revivals, on account of the confusion and extravagance 
 into which the revival of 1740 degenerated, and the great and sad de- 
 cline of vital piety which followed it. He was then preparing for college 
 with Dr. Backus of Bethlem. He says that when the revivals com- 
 menced in the northern part of Litchfield county, in 1798, it was hard 
 for Dr. Backus to believe that there was any good in them. At length, 
 by invitation of a pastor in whose church there was a revival, he went 
 to see and judge for himself. He went full of fear and distrust, and 
 almost hopeless of any thing good. He came back with his heart 
 melted and overjoyed at the blessed and unexceptionable results of the 
 manifest working of the Holy Spirit. 
 
107 
 
 years! The same remark, I presume, is substantially- 
 true of the rest of the state and New England. Such 
 progress has there been as to the frequency and power of 
 revivals of religion. 
 
 Progress has been made, also, in respect to their jjunfy. 
 There is less confusion and extravagance in action. ' There 
 are, proportionably, iew&v spurious conversions. This is 
 vsrhat -we should expect, from what I have already said. 
 The churches have improved in purity and piety, and of 
 course in preparation for revivals of religion ; the ministry 
 have been better educated ; the word of God has been 
 better understood and preached; the nature of experi- 
 mental religion, and the differences between genuine and 
 false religious experience, have been more generally and 
 clearly apprehended ; and the methods of God's Spirit, in 
 leadmg men to repentance, more extensively observed and 
 regarded. 
 
 As to extravagance and confusion in action and meas- 
 ures, what, among all the extravagant things that have 
 taken place in the Congregational and Presbyterian 
 churches, of late years, will compare with the recorded 
 extravagances of Davenport, Barber, Tennent, Whitefield, 
 and even Jonathan Edwards? The course of no Congre- 
 gational or Presbyterian revivalist, approaches in extrava- 
 gance and confusion, that even of Edwards, and the more 
 judicious revivalists of those days, as to outcries and bodily 
 agitations. 
 
 And as to spurious conversions, hear what Edwards, the 
 great champion of that revival, admits : " There are, im- 
 doubtedly," says he, " very many instances in JSTeto Eng- 
 land, m the whole, of the perseverance of such as were 
 thought to have received the saving benefits of the late 
 revival of religion, and of their continuing to walk m new- 
 
108 
 
 ness of life, as becomes saints — instances which are incon- 
 testible, and which men must be most obstinately blind not 
 to see ; but I believe the proportion here is not so great as 
 in Scotland. I cannot say that the greater part of the sup- 
 posed converts give reason, by their conversation, to sup- 
 pose that they are true converts. The proportion may, 
 perhaps, be more truly represented by the proportion of 
 the blossoms on a tree which abide and come to mature 
 fruit, to the whole number of blossoms in the spring." 
 This he says in 1751, ten years after the revival, in a letter 
 to a gentleman in Scotland, in which he remarks, that "it 
 is fit that the very truth of the case should be known, and 
 that things should be represented neither better nor worse 
 than they are." 
 
 Who among us, will not say, that the proportion of real 
 to supposed conversions, in the revivals which have taken 
 place within his knowledge, is not much greater than this? 
 I observe, 
 
 VI. That progress has been made, as to the employment 
 of those rmasures which are fitted to keep alive the spirit 
 of piety in a church, and to promote revivals of religion. 
 I refer, especially, to meetings during the week, for prayer 
 and mutual exhortation, and for listening to a familiar exhi- 
 bition of divine truth. , Ninety, and even fifty years since, 
 such meetings were almost unknown. Two services on 
 the Sabbath, and a sacramental lecture once in a month or 
 two, were generally the sum of religious services. There 
 are many who hear me, who can recollect the time when 
 evening meetings, and especially evening prayer-meetings, 
 {"night meetings," as they were called,) were deemed 
 irregular and disreputable, and of course were violently 
 opposed. When Mr. Merwin was ordained over this 
 church, in 1805, the only social meeting of a religious 
 
109 
 
 nature, during the week, in this place, was composed of a 
 few pious women, who assembled to converse on religious 
 subjects and sing hymns ; for them to pray together, was 
 deemed, even by themselves, quite beyond the bounds of 
 propriety. Now, a church which does not maintam each 
 week a conference and lecture, to say nothing of more 
 hmited meetings for prayer, would be deemed to live quite 
 below its duties and privileges. I observe, 
 
 VII. There has been progress during the last century, 
 in purity of morals. The first Puritan founders of these 
 New England colonies, beii% a select number of eminently 
 religious men, maintained, doubtless, a higher tone of 
 morals than is now maintained. But from generation to 
 generation it declined, till 1 740. From that time to the 
 present, at least from 1780, soon after the close of the 
 Revolutionary war, to the present time, it has been gradu- 
 ally, though not uniformly, rising. Upon the proof of this 
 assertion I have not time to enter, I refer you to the com- 
 mon sources of statistical information, confident that you 
 will come to the same conclusion. They who consult our 
 civil and ecclesiastical records,* can have no doubt on this 
 subject. To allude to only one point in morals, and yet 
 one connected with almost all others, what wondrous pro- 
 gress has been made in temperance, durmg the last twenty 
 years! 
 
 I wUr mention but one item more, of moral progress 
 during the last century. There has been, 
 
 VIII. Very great progress in benevolent action for the 
 amelioration of the temporal condition, and for the evan- 
 
 * The evidence, for instance, therein furnished, of the frequent, not 
 to say customary violation of the seventh commandment, among all 
 classes of people, is most sui-prising to modern readers. On this point, 
 see Pres. Edwards' sermon on Genesis, xxxix, 12. 
 
110 
 
 gelization of the human race. Within a few years the 
 principle of voluntary association, in the hands of Chris- 
 tians, has been developed with wondrous power and 
 with wide-spread and blessed results. Oh! what has 
 associated Christian benevolence done within the last fifty 
 years for human weal! It has given ears to the deaf, 
 and language to the dumb, and eyes to the blind. It 
 has spoken words of relief and truth to the prisoner, 
 given health to the sick, and almost parental care and 
 kindness to the orphan. It has multiplied Bibles and 
 religious leaves and volumes* by millions, and scattered 
 them broad-cast over the world. It has sent messengers 
 to guilty, lost man, at home, on thes sea, and on heathen 
 shores, with the joyful proclamation of eternal salvation 
 by the name of Jesus. It has indeed ever been the 
 office of Christianity, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, 
 and relieve the varied forms of human woe ; but within 
 the last half century she has fulfilled this henign office 
 with combined and multiplied zeal and power. Chris- 
 tianity has indeed ever had, in a greater or less degree, 
 the spirit of missions ; for the spirit of missions is an 
 essential part of her own spirit. That spirit, however, 
 during the latter part of the eighteenth century, slum- 
 bered. But about the beginning of the nineteenth cen- 
 tury it awoke, and since that time, especially of late, it 
 has had a rapidly progressive development. Sixty years 
 since, there were in New England no associations, and 
 few individuals, engaged in missionary labor. Since then, 
 from time to time. Societies, strong in the strength of uni- 
 ted Christian hearts and energies, have been springing 
 up — the Bible Society, the various Foreign Missionary So- 
 cieties, the Home Missionary Societies, the Tract Society, 
 the Seamen's Friend Society, (not to mention several minor 
 
Ill 
 
 associations,) all bearing on their front the divme com- 
 mand, " Go ye into all the world, and preach, the gospel 
 to every creature." And under their united energies, 
 oh ! how does the work glow, and the light extend ! 
 Sixty years since, and prayers for the conversion of the 
 world were isolated and disheartened petitions, here and 
 there from the closet, the famDy altar, and the pulpit. 
 Since that time, the monthly concert of prayer for the 
 salvation of the world has been established in various 
 denominations ; aad now each month, (as well as daily, 
 hopefully and earnestly from closets and altars,) from 
 thousands of churches, and from tens of thousands of 
 hearts, mingle in their ascent to the throne of God, the 
 petitions, " Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth 
 as in heaven." Sixty years since, and very little was 
 given for the spread of the gospel. Now, the rich man 
 of his abundance, and the poor man of his penury, and 
 the child of his little store, cast in to the treasury of the 
 Lord. Within the last fifty years, contributions for mis- 
 sions have increased five hundred fold. And what is 
 more encouraging, the church, as God blesses her efforts 
 and the work grows on her vision, is feeling more and 
 more, that her past labors have been altogether inadc" 
 quale; and as the tidings reach her ear of here and 
 there a mission established, here and there a soul and 
 here and there a community made gloriously free by the 
 truth and Spirit of the Lord; as her eye beholds the 
 millennial dawn streaking the eastern sky, she raises her 
 cry from crowded city, and hill, and vale, and plain, " So 
 much the more as ye see the day approachmg." Oh! 
 if the prayers and contributions of the church for the 
 worid's conversion, increase in the same proportion for 
 fifty years to come, as they have in fifty years that are 
 
112 
 
 past, the gospel will be preached to every creature, and 
 the prophecy of my text fulfilled, " And it shall come to 
 pass, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be es- 
 tablished in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted 
 above the hills ; and all nations shall flow to it. The wolf 
 also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie 
 down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, 
 and the fatling together ; and a little child shall lead 
 them." 
 
 I will detain you with two or three remarks in con- 
 clusion; and 
 
 First, In view of the history of this church, and 
 especially in view of the moral and religious progress 
 which has been the theme of discourse this evening, I 
 would remark — that we have peculiar reason for grati- 
 tude to God. 
 
 It was the refreshing from His presence a century 
 since, which gave origin and character to this church, 
 and woke the churches of New England from stupidity 
 and formalism, and saved them from apostacy. It was 
 He who watched over this church in the days of her 
 weakness and trial. It was He who gave her deliverance, 
 and to all his churches progressive, and at length com- 
 plete, liberty. It was He who gave her numbers and 
 strength. It is He who, here, from time to time, has 
 renewed and adopted as his sons and daughters a great 
 multitude, and hence has removed them to meet the 
 Lord in paradise. It was He who purified the churches. 
 It is He who has given them a more evangelical and 
 better educated ministry. It is He who has vouchsafed 
 to his ministers and people, a more clear, correct, and 
 consistent understanding of his holy word. It is He who 
 has made revivals of religion more frequent, pure, and 
 
113 
 
 powerful, and multiplied converts as the drops of the 
 morning. It is He who has roused and combined the 
 energies of the church for the salvation of the earth, and 
 united with them the far mightier energies of His Holy 
 Spirit. It is He who has handed down to us the privi- 
 leges, multiplied and improved, which we enjoy to-day. 
 Thanks to His grace. " Great and marvellous are thy 
 works. Lord God Almighty ! who shall not fear thee and 
 glorify thy name." I remark. 
 
 Again, We have reason for confidence in God, that it 
 will be well for Zion, and for man in the future. This 
 we know from Jehovah's promises. We may also argue 
 it from our survey of the past century. He has been 
 our God in years that are past. He shall be our hope 
 for years to come. He made and fulfilled a covenant 
 with our fathers. He will not forget the children. 
 What He has done within the few last generations, 
 indicates that He has great things m store for the future. 
 Widely has He sown the seed. Glorious will be the 
 harvest. A noble foundation has He laid. He will not 
 fail to rear the superstructure in grandeur and beauty, 
 till the top-stone is laid amid universal hosannas and 
 shoutings of "grace, grace unto it." I know, that there 
 are many dark features in the present age, and he who 
 looks exclusively at them may despond. But, oh! how 
 much brighter are its features than those of the ages that 
 are gone ! He who looks at the present, and compares it 
 with the past, surely cannot despond. There has been, 
 there is now, great moral progress. This more than any 
 other since the sun began his race, is an age of progress. 
 The wheels of the chariot of God's providence and 
 grace, mbve onward and not backward. Be not de- 
 spondent then in view of rapid changes, as though the 
 
 15 
 
114 
 
 foundations were - to be destroyed. Be not dismayed at 
 these rapidly succeeding revolutions — these dire convul- 
 sions — this crash of kingdoms. In all this^ there is 
 progress. Jehovah is shaking the nations, that the. desire 
 of all nations may come. What though vvickedness and 
 error widely prevail in the earth ; what though there be 
 distress of the nations with perplexity ; what though the 
 sea and waves are roaring, and men's hearts are failing 
 them for fear of those things that are coming on the 
 earth. Look at the Redeemer's growing kingdom. He 
 is overturning and overturnbg and overturning, that that 
 kingdom may fill the whole earth. Now is the time to 
 lift our heads and sing, for the world's redemption draweth 
 nigh. Know, that in the mediatorial kingdom of Christ 
 on earth, the law is progress. When evil threatens, He 
 will bring good out of evil. When confusion prevails, 
 He will bring order out of confusion. When darkness 
 lowers. He will put light for darkness. When light shines, 
 look for more glorious things, for He will brighten even 
 the day. 
 
 Once morej How great the privilege and the respon- 
 sibility of living in this age and in this community ! How 
 abundant and how eminent are our means of grace ! How 
 is salvation in a thousand modes brought to our very 
 doors! How great are our means of usefulness! Oh! in 
 this day, when the facilities for making the gospel felt 
 at home, and for sending the gospel through the world, 
 are so multiplied, and when God has taught us that by 
 association the rills of benevolence may be combined into 
 one broad stream, yea, into a mighty ocean which shall 
 flow from pole to pole, how much, my brethren in the 
 ministry, how much my brethren in the church, may we 
 do for God! How surely shall we receive the appellation 
 
115 
 
 and condemnation of the wicked and slothful servant, if 
 we fail to do it! And oh! my impenitent friends, what 
 will it be, from amid these free-flowing waters of salva- 
 tion to go unprepared td the bar of God! What will it 
 be, from these favored places to go down to eternal death! 
 
 A century has passed away, since this church was' 
 organized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the 
 Holy Ghost, and assembled — a feeble band — around the 
 table of the Lord. Here, since that time, has been pro- 
 claimed the true g(Tspel. Here, to-day, God is worshipped 
 through Jesus Christ. Still bright, to-day, is the fire 
 kindled a hundred years since upon this altar ; and around 
 this table of the Lord is now gathered a great company. 
 Thanks be to God. 
 
 Another century will come. Then, oh ! then, and when 
 another shall come, and another, and another, till time 
 shall be no longer, may this same gospel be here pro- 
 claimed in its purity ; on this altar may burn bright and 
 brighter this fire of Christian love ; and round this table 
 of the Lord, may there be gathered from age to age 
 thousands and thousands more to partake of the bread 
 and the wine in sweet remembrance of Jesus. 
 
 A century has passed away, since with voices of praise 
 and prayer, this Christian church was set apart for the 
 worship of God. Where now are those voices? Gone. 
 No, not gone. Still they linger, calling us to praise and 
 prayer. But they, whose were those voices — where are 
 they? All gone, and of their children but here and there a 
 solitary one remains. 
 
 Another century will come. Then where shall we be, 
 who now throng this house? In what congregation? Ah! 
 in what quick succession does generation after generation 
 pass to the tribunal of God! Within the four years 
 
116 
 
 that I have been permitted to minister to you in holy 
 things, how many of this beloved people, have I been 
 called to commit to the tomb ! Hovsr soon shall w^e all 
 follow! Who follows next? Who? My dying fellow 
 men! my immortal fellow men! are you ready? ready 
 by repentance for sin — ready by faith in Christ? 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH PROFESSED IN THE FIRST CHXTECH OF CHRIST 
 IN NEW HAVEN, AND PROFESSED, ANEW, BY THE FIRST MEMBERS OF 
 THE WHITE HAVEN CHURCH. 
 
 Concerning God, I believe he is incomprehensible, and that 
 none by searching can find out the Almighty to perfection. Bat 
 in the boolc of creation— in the works of his hands, which we 
 every where behold, may clearly be read the existence and per- 
 fection of a glorious Creator. But in his word, (which he has 
 magnified above all his name,) which I believe was given by 
 Divine inspiration, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for 
 correction, for instruction in righteousness, he hath more fully 
 revealed himself tp be a Spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable, 
 in his being, wisdom, power, hoHness, goodness, and truth. In 
 the Unity of the glorious Godhead there is a Trinity of persons, 
 distinguished in the manner of their subsisting and by their rel- 
 ative properties, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the same in 
 substance, equal in power and glory. 
 
 Concerning the decrees of God, I believe they are his eternal 
 purposes, according to the council of his own will, whereby for 
 his own glory he hath, foreordained whatsoever comes to pass, 
 and that God executeth his decrees in the works of Creation and 
 Providence. The work of creation is God's making all things 
 of nothing by the word of his power, and in space of six days, 
 and all very good. The works of God's providence are his most 
 holy, wise, and powerful, preserving and governing all his crea- 
 tures and all their actions. 
 
 I believe God made man, at the first, male and female, after 
 his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with 
 dominion over his creatures ; and that man being placed in so 
 holy and happy an estate, and advanced in honor above the rest 
 of the lower creation, soon apostatized, and made defection from 
 his glorious and bountiful Creator. The particular prohibition it 
 
118 
 
 pleased God to lay man under for the trial of his obedience, was 
 that he should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, 
 upon pain of death ; which, he being left to l^e freedom of his 
 own will, did most voluntarily offend against, by which act of 
 disobedience, he, standing as the public head and representative 
 for all his progeny, we all became sinners. Through that offence 
 judgment is now come upon all to condemnation ; whereby we 
 have not only lost the image of God and a general corruption 
 overspread our natures, but we expose ourselves to all the mise- 
 ries of this life, to deatll itself, and the pains of hell forever. 
 
 And that God did not deal with the race of sinful Adam upon 
 their fall as with that number of angels which kept not their 
 first station, who for their rebellion were righteously expelled the 
 glorious mansions of heaven, cast down to hell and reserved un- 
 der chains of darkness to the judgment of the great day, was a 
 fruit and effect of his mere good pleasure. He, having from all 
 eternity elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant 
 of grace, to deliver them out of an estate of sin and misery, and 
 to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. The 
 only Redeemer of God's elect, I believe, is the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who, being the eternal Son of God, the brightness of his Father's 
 glory and the express image of his person, became man by taking 
 to himself a true body and a reasonable soul, being conceived by 
 the power of the Holy Ghost in the womb of the Virgin Mary, 
 born of her, and yet without sin. This hypostatical union of 
 the Divine and human natures in the person of our glorious Me- 
 diator, and that he continues to be God and man, (I believe,) and 
 that in two distinct natures and one person forever ; and that as 
 our Redeemer he executeth the threefold office of a prophet, 
 priest, and king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. 
 I believe, as he was delivered for our offences, so he rose again 
 for our justification, that he was dead and is alive, and lives for- 
 ever, ascended up into heaven, sitting at the right hand of the 
 Majesty on high, angels, authorities, and powers being made 
 subject unto him. I believe, that when our blessed Redeemer, 
 being about to leave the world and ascend unto the Father, did, 
 for the consolation of his disciples, promise, that when he should 
 
119 
 
 depart he would send the Comforter, which should reprove the 
 world of sin, of righteousness, and judgment— that Spirit of 
 truth, which should lead them into all truth. So I believe the 
 same Holy Spirit, is, and will be even to the end of the world, 
 sent forth into the hearts of all God's elect, to work in their 
 hearts every saving quahfication. I believe the necessity of a 
 change in the nature of all such as are made heirs of eternal life : 
 they must be born again ; as ever they would see the kingdom 
 of God, they must be made partakers of a new and divine nature, 
 their understanding illuminated, their wills persuaded, and their 
 souls purified, and th§it by the mighty operation of the Spirit. As 
 in their effectual calling I believe that they that have received true 
 grace in their hearts, as a grain of mustard seed, shall never finally 
 perish : where Christ hath shed his love in any soul, he will love 
 even unto the end. Concerning believers at their death, they 
 are perfect in happiness, their souls being united to Christ, their 
 bodies sweetly rest in their graves till the resurrection. Justifi- 
 cation is, I believe, an act of God's free grace, whereby he par- 
 dons all our sins and accepts of us as righteous in his sight, only 
 for the righteousness of Christ, imputed to us, and received by 
 faith alone. Adoption is also an act of God's free grace, whereby 
 we are received into the number, and have right to all the priv- 
 ileges, of the sons of God. Sanctification is a work of God's 
 free grace, whereby we are renewed in the spirit of our minds 
 after the image of God, and we are enabled more and more to 
 die unto sin and live unto righteousness. 
 
 Concerning faith, I believe it is a saving grace, whereby a sin- 
 ner receives and rests alone upon Jesus Christ for salvation as he 
 is offered to us in the gospel. Concerning repentance, evangel- 
 ical repentance is a saving grace, whereby a sinner out of a true 
 sense of his sins and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, 
 doth with grief and hatred of his sins turn from it with purpose 
 of and endeavor after new obedience. Concerning the church, I 
 believe it to be a congregation of saints, joined together in the 
 bond of the covenant to worship the Lord and edify one another 
 in all his holy ordinances. A church of Christ hath power to 
 choose their own officers, to receive in their own members, to 
 
120 
 
 administer discipline upon all offenders according to the rule of 
 Christ either by admonition or excommunication. Concerning, 
 baptism, baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, wherein 
 by washing with water in the name of the Father, Son, and 
 Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our engrafting into Christ and 
 being made partakers of his benefits and our engagement to be 
 the Lord's. The Lord's supper is also a sacrament of the New 
 Testament ; wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine 
 according to Christ's appointment his death is shewed forth, and 
 the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, 
 but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, together with 
 all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. 
 Concerning the resurrection, I believe the resurrection of the just 
 and of the unjust, of small and great, in order to a final judgment, 
 At the sound of the trumpet, all that are in their graves shall 
 arise and appear before the great tribunal, and that then Christ, 
 the righteous Judge, will render to every one according to their 
 deeds done in the body, whether good or evil. The righteous 
 shall be first judged, whom Christ will openly acknowledge and 
 acquit, to whom he will then say, Come, ye blessed of my Fa- 
 ther, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation 
 of the world ; but unto the wicked he will pronounce that tre- 
 mendous and heavy doom, Go, ye cursed into everlasting fire 
 prepared for the devil and his angels. 
 
 CHtJECH COVENANT. 
 
 God having inclined the hearts of the brethren to receive you 
 into the fellowship of this Church covenant, which is this — That 
 through Christ strengthening you, without whom you can do 
 nothing, you, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts and pol- 
 lutions, wherein at any time you have walked ; and that you do 
 give up yourself unto the Lord Jesus Christ, to be taught and 
 governed by him in all your relations, conditions, and conversa- 
 tions, in this world, avouching him to be your only Prophet and 
 Teacher ; your only Priest and Propitiation ; your only King and 
 Lawgiver ; and do further bind yourself, in his strength to walk 
 with this Church in all the ordinances of Christ ; and with the 
 members thereof in memberlike submission according to Christ. 
 
121 
 
 la the year 1776, in the early part of Dr. Edvrards' ministry, 
 this confession of faith, being considered prolix, and in some 
 places obscurely expressed, was laid aside for the following. 
 
 " I believe that there is one only living and true God, a spirit 
 infinite, eternal, unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, ho- 
 liness, justice, goodness, and truth ; and that in the uni.ty of the 
 Godhead there is a trinity of persons, the Father, Son, and Holy 
 Ghost — the same in substance, equal in power and glory. 
 
 " I believe that the Scriptures are the word of God, given by 
 divine inspiration, and are a perfect rule of life and manners, and 
 teach the only way of- eternal salvation. 
 
 " I believe that God by his decrees hath foreordained whatso- 
 ever comes to pass ; and that God in the execution of his decrees 
 made all things out of nothing in six days ; and by his providence 
 preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions. 
 
 " I believe that God made man, at first, after his own image, 
 but that man soon apostatized from God by eating the forbidden 
 fruit : by which act, Adam standing as the public head and rep- 
 resentative of all his progeny, we are all become sinners, have 
 lost the image of God, and a universal and total corruption hath 
 overspread our natures, whereby we are exposed to all the mise- 
 ries of this life, to death itself, and the pains of hell forever. 
 
 "I believe that God, having elected some to everlasting life, 
 did enter into a covenant of grace to save them by a Redeemer ; 
 that this Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of 
 God, who became man and continues to be both God and man 
 in two different natures and one person forever ; that he as our 
 Redeemer executeth the threefold office of a prophet, priest, and 
 king ; and that he was dead and is alive and lives forever, made 
 head over all things to the church. 
 
 " I believe that the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is and will 
 be to the end of the world, sent forth into the hearts of all God's 
 elect, to teach, sanctify, and comfort them. 
 
 " I believe the necessity of a change of nature in all such as 
 shall be made heirs of eternal life ; their understandings must be 
 enlightened, their hearts must be reconciled to God, and their 
 
 16 
 
122 
 
 souls purified by the operation of the divine Spirit ; and that on 
 whomsoever the grace of God is thus bestowed in the smallest 
 degree, they shall never finally perish. 
 
 " I believe that faith is a saving grace, whereby a sinner re- 
 ceives and rests upon Christ alone for salvation ; that evangelical 
 repentance is a saving grace, whereby a sinner out of a true 
 sense of his sins and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, 
 doth with grief and hatred of sin turn from it unto God, with 
 purpose of and endeavors after new obedience ; that all believers 
 are by an act of God's free grace justified only on account of the 
 righteousness of Christ received by faith ; that they are graciously 
 adopted into the number and have a right to all the privileges of 
 the sons of God ; that in sanctification they are renewed in the 
 spirit of their minds after the image of God, and are enabled 
 more and more to die unto sin and to live unto righteousness. 
 
 " I believe a church to be a congregation of saints joined to- 
 gether in the bond of the covenant to worship the Lord and to 
 edify one another in all his holy ordinances. A church of Christ 
 hath power to choose its own ofiicers, to receive its own mem- 
 bers, and to administer discipline upon all oflFenders- according to 
 the rules of Christ, either by admonition or excommunication. 
 
 " I believe the sacraments of the New Testament to be these 
 two, baptism and the Lord's supper ; that baptism signifies and 
 seals our engrafting with Christ, being made partakers of his 
 benefits, and our engagements to be the Lord's ; and that in the 
 Lord's supper the death of Christ is showed forth, and that the 
 worthy receivers of the bread and wine are spiritually by faith 
 made partakers of his body and blood, together with all his ben- 
 efits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace. 
 
 " I believe that the souls of believers, at their death, are made 
 perfect in holiness, and immediately pass into glory ; but their 
 bodies rest in their graves until the resurrection. 
 
 " I believe the resurrection of the just and of the unjust, of 
 small and great, in order to a final judgment, when the righteous 
 shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted, and the wicked 
 shall be sent away into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and 
 his angels." 
 
123 
 
 In 178S, toward the latter part of Dr. Edwards' ministry, the 
 foregoing confession of faith was altered as follows :— 
 
 1. I believe there is one only Hving and true God, infinite, eter- 
 nal, unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, 
 goodness and truth, and that this God exists in three persons, the 
 Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in essence and 
 equal in glory. 
 
 2. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a 
 revelation from God, and a perfect rule to direct how we may 
 glorify and enjoy him. 
 
 3. That God hath foreordained and worketh all things accord- 
 ing to his eternal purpose and the counsel of his own will. 
 
 4. That he created all things, and preserves and governs all 
 creatures and all their actions in a manner consistent with man's 
 free agency, and the use of means, so that the sinfulness of ac- 
 tions is imputable only to creatures and not to God, who is holy 
 in all his works. 
 
 5. That man was at first created holy, in the image of God. 
 
 6. That the first man sinned, and he being the public head of 
 his posterity, they all becapie sinners in consequence of his first 
 transgression, and are while unregenerate Avholly indisposed to 
 that which is spiritually good, and inclined to evil ; from whence 
 proceed actual transgressions ; and on account of sin are justly 
 liable to all the miseries of this life, to death and the pains of 
 hell forever. 
 
 7. That God, of his mere good pleasure, elected some of man- 
 kind to everlasting life, and gave his only begotten Son to assume 
 human nature and die for sinners, that whosoever believeth in 
 him should not perish but have everlasting life, and thereby hath 
 laid a foundation for the ofier of pardon and salvation to all man- 
 kind in the gospel ; and does by his special grace and Holy Spirit 
 regenerate, sanctify, and enable to persevere in holiness, all who 
 shall be saved. 
 
 8. That Jesus Christ, who is God and man in one divine per- 
 son, rose from the dead the third day, and ever lives to make 
 intercession for his people, and governs all things for their good, 
 and by the virtue of his atonement as the only meritorious cause 
 
124 
 
 procures their justification, adoption and final salvation, in conse- 
 quence of their repentance and faith in himself. 
 
 9. I believe that a church is a congregation of Christians pro- 
 fessing faith in Christ and obedience to him, and joined in cove- 
 nant for ordinary communion in all his ordinances ; and that those 
 who are sincere in their profession are real saints. That a church 
 hath power to choose its- own officers, to admit members, and 
 exercise government and discipline according to the rules of the 
 gospel. 
 
 10. I believe that the sacraments of the New Testament, bap- 
 tism and the Lord's Supper, are holy ordinances instituted by 
 Christ ; that baptism is a sign and seal of the believer's faith and 
 union with Christ, and acceptance and participation of his bene- 
 fits ; and of the obligation of the subjects to be the Lord's ; and 
 that the infants of members of the church are to be baptized ; 
 that in the Lord's Supper, Christ's death is shewed forth and 
 commemorated, and the worthy receivers are by faith made par- 
 takers of all his benefits to their growth in grace. 
 
 11. I believe that the souls of believers are at their death made 
 perfectly holy and immediately taken to glory. 
 
 12. That at the end of this world there will be a resurrection 
 of the dead, and a final judgment of all mankind, when the 
 righteous will be publicly acquitted by Christ the Judge, and ad- 
 mitted to everlasting life and glory, and the wicked will be con- 
 demned and go away into everlasting punishment. 
 
 In 1796, when the Fair Haven and White Haven churches 
 were united, the confession of faith and covenant were again 
 abridged and altered as follows : 
 
 PROFESSION OF FAITH. 
 
 You believe that there is one only living and true God, exist- 
 ing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost 
 — the same in essence and equal in glory : That the -Scriptures 
 of the Old and New Testament are given by the inspiration of 
 God, and are a perfect rule of faith and practice : That all man- 
 kind, by nature, are in a lost and ruined state, and, as sinners, 
 stand justly condemned by the law of God, to sufier his wrath 
 
125 
 
 and curse: That the atonement and righteousness of Jesus 
 Christ is the only foundation of hope of life eternal : That the 
 enlightening and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit are 
 absolutely necessary to lead us to a saving knowledge of the 
 truth ; to make us holy, and fit us for the enjoyment of God : 
 That Jesus Christ, who is God and man in one person, arose 
 from the dead on the third day, and ever lives to make interces- 
 sion for his people. 
 
 You believe that the souls of believers are at their death made 
 perfectly holy, and admitted to the enjoyment of God in his 
 heavenly kingdom : That at the end of the world there will be 
 a resurrection of the dead, and final judgment of all mankind, 
 when the righteous shall be publicly acquitted by Christ the 
 Judge, and admitted to everlasting life and glory, and the wicked 
 condemned to everlasting punishment. 
 
 COVENANT. 
 
 And you do this day publicly acknowledge and choose the 
 only living and true God to be your God ; and by the assistance 
 of Divine grace resolve to make his Law the rule of your life, 
 hoping that you do sincerely repent of your sins, and receive the 
 Lord Jesus Christ as your only Savior and Redeemer — trusting 
 in the mercy of God, through his atonement as the only ground 
 of your justification. You also hope you have a cordial love of 
 benevolence for all mankind, sincerely desiring their best good 
 and happiness, and a delight and complacency in those who ap- 
 pear to be real Christians : And through Christ strengthening 
 you, without whom you can do nothing, you resolve to deny all 
 ungodliness and worldly lusts, and give up yourself to the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, to be taught and governed by him : And also bind 
 yourself in his strength, to walk with this church in all the or- 
 dinances of Christ, and with the members thereof as becometh 
 a member according to the requirements of the gospel. Thus 
 you profess and covenant. 
 
 Then doth this church also promise you, that through the 
 help of Christ, without whom we can do nothing, we will walk 
 towards you in all brotheriy helpfulness according to the gospel. 
 
126 
 
 Thus you are admitted a member of this church, and have a 
 right to all the privileges of it. May you have grace to improve 
 them to the glory of God and your own edification. 
 
 The following is the half-way confession and covenant adopt- 
 ed in 1760, 
 
 " You do acknowledge the being of one God, in three persons^ 
 equal in, and of the same essence, possessed of all divine perfec- 
 tions, the glorious Creator of all things. That he powerfully 
 preserves and governs all his creatures, and overrules all their ac- 
 tions for his own glory. You do acknowledge he made men, 
 originally, perfectly agreeable to his own image, in knowledge, 
 righteousness, and holiness. That Adam stood in the place and 
 acted in the capacity of a public covenant head and representa- 
 tive of all his progeny. 
 
 " That he by breaking covenant with God involved himself 
 and his posterity in a state of guilt, corruption, and misery, justly 
 deserving the wrath and curse of God both in this life and that 
 which is to come. That God out of his rich and boundless 
 mercy chose a number of the fallen race of man to everlasting 
 life, and did enter into a covenant with his dear Son to redeem 
 and save them. You acknowledge that there is salvation in 
 none but Christ ; that the only meritorious cause of the justifi- 
 cation of fallen man is the righteousness of Christ, which must 
 be imputed to us and received by faith alone for that end. You 
 do acknowledge the absolute necessity of the regeneration and 
 sanctification of all who shall inherit eternal life ; and that it is 
 the special work of the Holy Spirit to renew and sanctify men. 
 You do acknowledge the immortality of the soul, the general 
 resurrection of the body, and final judgment, and everlasting re- 
 wards and punishments. You do acknowledge that God has 
 appointed means to obtain the blessings of eternal life, and that 
 it is your duty and interest to seek after God in all the duties of 
 his appointment for that end, so far as they are or may be made 
 known to you. And particularly you do covenant and promise 
 that in all your conversations, concerns, and dealings with your 
 ■ fellow men, you will have a strict regard to the rules of honesty, 
 
127 
 
 justice, and uprightness ; that with your fellow men you will 
 shun evil company ; that you will avoid intemperance of every 
 kind, and every lust ; that you will live peaceably, avoiding all 
 needless contentions ; that you will endeavor to perform the du- 
 ties of every relation ; that you will endeavor to promote the 
 worship of God in your family, such as the daily reading some 
 portion of Qod's'holy word contained in what is commonly call- 
 ed the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, given by di- 
 vine inspiration, and the only unerring rule of faith and manners, 
 praying with and for your family ; that you will endeavor to 
 maintain strict family government, and do your endeavor in the 
 method of a rehgious education of your family, that they and 
 you may be the Lord's. You do also subject yourself to the 
 watch, care, government, and discipline of this church. This 
 you do acknowledge, covenant, and promise." 
 
 The number of those who have joined the church, as far as can 
 be ascertained, is as follows : 
 
 Those organized into the White Haven church, . . 43 
 Received previous to the installation of Mr. Bird, . . 78 
 Received during Mr. Bird's ministry, .... 82 
 Received during the interval between the dismission of Mr. 
 
 Bird and the ordination of Mr. Edwards, ... 5 
 
 Received during Mr. Edwards' ministry, ... 96 
 The number received into the Fair Haven church, including 
 
 its founders, 130 
 
 From the union to the installation of Mr. Gemmil, . 31 
 
 During Mr. Gemmil's ministry, 33 
 
 From Mr. Gemmil's dismission to the ordination of Mr. Merwin, 14 
 
 During Mr. Merwin's ministry, 932 
 
 From Mr. Merwin's dismission to the installation of Mr. 
 
 Sawyer, 27 
 
 During Mr. Sawyer's ministry 116 
 
 During the ministry of the present pastor, up to Jan. 1, 1842, 213 
 
 Total, 1812 
 
 Some addition should doubtless be made for omissions in the 
 record which evidently are quite numerous. 
 
128 
 
 DEACONS. 
 
 On account of the imperfection of the records, a full list of the dea- 
 cons of the White Haven and Fair Haven churcljjp cannot be given. 
 So far as they can be ascertained, their names are as follows : — 
 
 WTiite Haven Church. 
 Isaac Dickeeman. He was a deacon in the ancient church, and 
 joining the White Haven church April 2d, 1754, he was desired by that 
 church to exercise his office among them. Joseph Eifggles, chosen 
 April 10th, 1754. David Austin, chosen Dec. 19, 1758. Daniel 
 Lyman, chosen Feb. 20th, 1758. Samuel Bishop, chosen Dec. 9th, 
 1760. 
 
 Fair Haven Church. 
 
 Abraham Augur, chosen probably soon after tliie formation of the 
 church in 1771. James Gilbert, chosen at some time between 1771 
 and 1785. Levi Ives, chosen June 27lh, 1787. 
 
 David Austin, Samuel Bishop, Abraham Augur, James Gilbert, 
 and Levi Ives, were living at the time of the union in 1796, and were 
 received as deacons by the church of the United Societies of White 
 Haven and Fair Haven. 
 
 The Church of the United Society. 
 
 Abel Bueritt, chosen at some time between 1798 and 1804. Na- 
 than Beers, chosen February, 1804. William Austin and Charles 
 BosTWicK, chosen October, 1814. William S. Jarman and Edward. 
 Porter, chosen November, 1826. Sherman Blair, Amasa Porter, 
 Nathaniel Jocelyn and Isaac Thompson, chosen December, 1834. 
 John Merriman and A. Holmes Maltby, chosen February, 1842. 
 
 JfoU. — There is an error on page 77, which was not observed till too late for 
 correction. It occurs in this sentence — " For three years the church was without 
 a pastor — till November 9th, 1787, when Mr. Samuel Austin was ordained its min- 
 ister." It should read thus—" For two years the church was without a pastor — 
 till November 9th, 1786." In most of the copies the error has been in part cor- 
 rected. I was led into the error by the note on the first page of our church cata- 
 logue, and by Mr. Austin's own record. He records his ordination as occurring 
 Nov. 9th, 1787. But Dr. Stiles in his Journal gives an account of the ordination, 
 in which he took a part, giving the charge to the pastor, under this date, Nov. 9th, 
 1786. Dr. Stiles is undoubtedly^ right. For he was a very accurate man in such 
 matters, and kept a record of every day in the year; while Mr. Austin kept his 
 church record very loosely. Whenever a new catalogue is printed, this error 
 should be corrected. 
 

 
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