USA > Connecticut > A complete history of Connecticut, civil and ecclesiastical, from the emigration of its first planters, from England, in the year 1630, to the year 1764; and to the close of the Indian wars > Part 12
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Colebrook was the north township granted to the town Cole- of Windsor. It is bounded north on the colony line, south
P
brook set- tled.
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HISTORY QF
CHAP. VII.
Book II. on New-Hartford, west on Norfolk, and east on Hartland. It contains, by estimation, 13,199 acres. The first and 1762. principal settlers of the town, were Joseph Rockwell, Na- than Bass, and Samuel Rockwell, from East-Windsor; and Joseph Seymour, from Windsor. The settlement began in 1762. To the town, or first society, is added a mile square from the town of Winchester. The church in the town was gathered in the year 1795. On the 31st of De- cember, in the same year, the first pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Edwards, was installed,
'These were all the original towns in the colony. The other towns, of later date, have all been made, in whole or in part, out of the original ones. Thus, in about one hun- dred and thirty years, the whole tract comprised in Con- necticut, east of the line of New-York, became settled, and a vast wilderness, which had not been sown, full of savage beasts, and wild and savage men, was turned into fields, orchards, and gardens ; planted with Protestants, formed into distinct and regular "churches ; and through the whole tract, houses erected, at convenient distances, for the wor- ship of God.
The county of Litchfield was settled in about seventy- five years from the commencement of the settlement of the county town, and the inhabitants of every town had called and settled a minister.
CHAPTER VII.
Separation at Guilford. Rev. Mr. Ruggles was ordained at Guilford, against a large minority, who were in opposition to him. The minority separate from the church and soci- ety. The legislature interpose, and attempt a reconcilia- tion. The minority persist in their separation: Qualify themselves for a distinct ecclesiastical society, by conform- ing to the act of William and Mary. Resolutions of the Consociation of the County of New-Haven respecting them. They refuse to comply with said resolutions. In conse- quence of it, forty-six church members were suspended from the communion, by Mr. Ruggles and the first church in Guilford, from whom they had separated. . Acts of the General Assembly, and councils, concerning them. Great pains were taken, and repeated attempts, for many years, were made to unite the parties, but were all unsuccessful. ·
N "EARLY at the same time when the controversy be- tween the colony and the towns of Hartford and
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Windsor, relative to the western lands, commenced, and Book II. occasioned so much trouble, an unhappy affair, of an ec- clesiastical nature, took place in Guilford, which was the 1799. occasion of much trouble and perplexity, both to the town and colony. Soon after the death of the first Mr. ,Thomas Ruggles, in 1728, the first church and society proceeded to invite his son, Mr. Thomas Ruggles, to preach with them, and finally gave him a call to settle with them in the work of the gospel ministry, and obtained his ordination, against Unhappy a large and respectable minority, who had opposed him ordination from the beginning. They alledged that he was not such ford, " at Guil- a distinguishing; experimental, and animating preacher, as March, they desired ; that they were not edified by him, and could 1728. not choose him as their minister. As the majority of the church and society had not regarded them in the call and ordination of their minister, and as they conscientiously judged that they could not be edified by his preaching, they separated themselves from the first church and socie- Separation ty in Guilford, and set up the public worship of Gon among ford, 1729, at Guil- themselves. They invited a young gentleman, Mr. Ed- mund Ward, to preach for them, who had received an edu- cation at Yale College, been examined by the Association of New-Haven county, and approbated, as a suitable can- didate for the gospel ministry. The separation was large, consisting of nearly fifty members of the church, besides many others who belonged to the society. The minor party rated more than three thousand pounds in the list. They considered themselves as well able to support the gospel ministry and the divine ordinances, among them- selves, and earnestly desired to do it. They declared their disapprobation of the Saybrook Platform, and that they totally renounced it.
At the session of the General Assembly in May, they, May, 17294 therefore, presented their memorial to the legislature, pray- ing to be made a distinct ecclesiastical society, with the same powers and privileges granted to other societies. The assembly rejected their petition, and resolved as fol- lows : "This assembly, observing that the inhabitants of Act of the
" Guilford have lately been at great expense in raising a Assembly. " meeting-house, which stands conveniently, and has ca- " pacity to accommodate the whole society, as it now is, " are thereupon of opinion, that the peace, religion, wealth " and good order of the inhabitants, will be best promoted " in their keeping together in one society, if the present " misunderstandings among the people can be removed ; " which good thing, it is hoped, may be attained by coun- " sel. It is therefore resolved, and this assembly do ap-
General
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Book II. " point the Rev. Mr. Timothy Woodbridge, Mr. Eliaphalet " Adams, and Mr. William Russell, to repair to Guilford, 1729. " and to hear, consider and advise both parties, in that "society, as they shall find there is reason in their case ; " and by all proper means, endeavour to effect an accom- " modation of the divisions that are there ; and bring that " people to unite themselves together in love and peace, in " carrying on the worship of GOD, in the house of prayer " they have built to his name." The gentlemen were di- rected to make their report to the assembly, of their suc- cess, and of what was best further to be done in the case.
The gentlemen appointed to this service, met at Guil- ford, in June, and came to the following result.
" To the Committees of the First Society in Guilford. " BRETHREN,
" We the subscribers, are of opinion with the honourable General Assembly, that the peace, religion, wealth and good order of this society, will be best promoted, in their keeping together in one society; and, having considered the objections made by the dissatisfied party against the Rev. Mr. Ruggles and the other part of the society, and what was offered to support them ; and the replies made on the other side ; we cannot judge from thence, there are any sufficient grounds, why the party that offered them should separate from Mr. Ruggles, or refuse to accept him as their minister: and there being a settlement actually made, though there may have been uncomfortable things, unsuit- able heats and speeches, among divers of the members of the society, in this day of temptation ; yet there appears nothing to us, but that they may, consistent with the rules of the gospel, forgive 'one another, and bury all their con- troversy, and receive one another as brethren, and unite together in one society and church, under the minister or- dained in this place : And it is our advice, and earnest ex- hortation, that they so do.
"T. WOODBRIDGE, "ELIPHALET ADAMS. " WILLIAM RUSSELL.
" Guilford, June 6th, 1729.
Notwithstanding the opinion of the General Assem- bly, and of the gentlemen whom they had appointed to hear the parties, in Guilford, the separating brethren were so fully satisfied, that they could not hear Mr .. Ruggles to their edification, and they were so entirely opposed to the Saybrook platform, as it seemed to be understood, as a law of the colony binding the con ---
Advice to the parties in Guil- ford, June 6th,
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sciences of men, that they could not submit to the ad- Book II. vice so expressly given. They were not satisfied, that the legislature had a right to interpose in ecclesiastical 1799, matters, and to impose councils of their own choosing upon the churches, or that they were under obligations to submit to them. They believed, that they had a right to act according to the dictates of conscience, and that it was their duty, to seek a minister, by whom they and their chil- dren, might be indoctrinated in the distinguishing princi- ples of christianity, and in experimental religion. They were persuaded, that they had a right, as British subjects, to judge for themselves, and to worship together, as a dis- tinct church and society. They therefore, in November, made application to the court at New-Haven, to be quali- fied, according to the act of William and Mary, for the ease of sober consciences, to worship by themselves. But the court, considering it as a new and important affair, deferred it until their next meeting, on the first Tuesday in April. On said Tuesday, April, 1730, divers of the dissenters, viz. 1730. Edmund Ward, Caleb Leete, Joseph Stone, Samuel Nor- ton, Samuel Cruttenden, Pelatiah Leete, Thomas Norton, Ebenezer Stone, Daniel Edwards, Caleb Stone, and John Bishop, appeared before the court, took the oaths, made and subscribed the declaration required by the law : and the said Edmund Ward, preacher, gave his assent to the 39 Articles, and subscribed the same, except the 34th, 35th, and 36th articles, and part of the 20th, in these words, " The church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies, and hath authority in controversies of faith."*
Notwithstanding the doings of the assembly, and the advice given them by the gentlemen, whom they had ap- pointed, the aggrieved party were advised to the measures they adopted, by men of great respectability. The Rev. Mr. Moss, of Derby, in particular, gave it as his decided opinion, that it would be for the peace of the town, and the benefit of both the parties, for the people who had se- parated to be made a distinct ecclesiastical society, and that the legislature ought to hear their petition, and grant them the privilege.t He appears to have draughted their petition to the county court. The minority, having thus qualified themselves according to the act of parliament, and the laws of the colony, considered themselves as having a right to proceed in religious concerns, with- out any further interruption or trouble from others.
At the session of the General Assembly in May, they re- Mav. 1780.
Record of the court for the county of New-Haven.
¿ Letter to Mr. Ward, October 31st, 172 ?.
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Book II. newed their application to the assembly, to release them from paying taxes to the first society, and to make them a. 1730. distinct ecclesiastical society, according to the prayer of Pleas of the minority General Assembly. their petition on file. They pleaded, that they had quali- fied themselves, by act of parliament, and according to before the the statutes of the colony, to worship Gon agreeably to the dictates of their own consciences, and that it was the genuine meaning and design of those statutes to release the people, thus soberly dissenting from any legally esta- blished mode of worship, from all burdens and molesta- tions from others, and was a privilege granted to all de- nominations of christians in the colony ; to the professors of the church of England, to the baptists, and even to the quakers ; and, that they hoped, they were not less deserv- ing of the care of the legislature than those denomina- tions. They pleaded, that the law, imposing taxes on those who conscientiously dissented from the established mode, was not of CHRIST, but of man, that the kingdom of the Messiah was not of this world, that it needed no human aid, and that they humbly conceived, that the civil magis- trate had no right to legislate in matters of conscience, binding christians to any particular mode of worship. They alledged, that the bishop of Bangor preached a sermon in 1717, before his majesty king George the First, from John xviii. 36, in which he demonstrably proved, that as the kingdom of Christ was not of this world, he was king and sole legislator in his own kingdom, and that the civil magistrate liath no right to legislate in ecclesiastical matters, and that the sermon was so acceptable to his ma- jesty, that he gave it his royal approbation.
They also pleaded, that the law binding them to hear a. minister whom they had not chosen, but had been imposed upon them by a majority, and who lorded it over them, was inconsistent with their charter rights. They urged, that the law, obliging them to hear and support a minister im- posed upon them, was contrary to the laws of England.
l'inally, they pleaded, that the law imposed upon them a burden which was never imposed on the necks of their fathers in the first settlement of this country, nor was there then any such burden imposed on their brethren in New-England, in New-York, in the Jersies, nor on their dissenting brethren in England. They urged, that in all those places there was no compulsion, or re- straint, but full liberty for all denominations of protestants, to worship GOD, according to the dictates of their con- sciences. This liberty, they said, the fathers of this coun- try enjoyed for more than thirty years from its first settle- ment without the least interruption.
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The legislature, on this representation, released them Book Il. from paying taxes to the first society ; but declined making them an ecclesiastical society, and still persisted in mea- 1730. sures to reconcile the parties. They appointed a number of gentlemen to meet for that purpose at Guilford, and hear the parties ; but they did not meet. The major party, in the mean time, pretending that the assembly had only re- leased a small number of the minority, whose names were mentioned in the memorial, proceeded to take their rates by execution. Indeed, the major part of the society, appeared to adopt all measures to vex and distress them, both in their civil and religions interests. They therefore petitioned the General Assembly, in October, to declare the meaning of their act in May, and to release all who had separated from Mr. Ruggles and the first so- ciety, or who should separate from them, and join them in supporting the gospel, from all taxes and molestation from the first society.
The legislature, fixed in their design of uniting the par- ties, were slow and reluctant in granting them any privi- leges which they asked ; and, at this time, appointed a large council to meet at Guilford, to hear the parties and judge between them, and make report to the assembly at their session in May.
The Rev. Mr. Moss, of Derby, who had opposed the settlement of Mr. Ruggles from the beginning, judging it unadvisable to ordain a minister over a church, one third of whom were against him, and the opposition constantly increasing, soon after the rising of the assembly, wrote a letter to some of the principal ministers in Boston, stating Letter of the case of the Guilford people, and requesting their opi- Mr. Moss, nion with reference to it. He made the following state- ment : " That, in a little more than a month's time after the death of the Rev. Mr. Thomas Ruggles, of Guilford, that people applied to some of the neighboring ministers, of which he himself was one, for advice, about calling and settling a minister. That after some animadversions on the suddenness of the motion, being so soon after the death of their former pastor, and receiving their justifying replies upon it, they had advice to this purpose, viz. " To apply to Mr. Thomas Ruggles, Jun. son of the deceased, to supply his father's pulpit, as probationer for settlement in the work of the ministry ; if, after trial, he should be ap- proved, and could be settled there with a general view to peace, and according to gospel order and rule : and, if af- ter trial made, he should not suit them, or they him, then to apply to Mr. Benjamin Pierpont, of New-Haven. as a pro-
Nov. 20th, 1730.
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Book H. bationer in like sort as above ; and, ifafter trial, he should not suit for settlement, then to make application to said 1730. advisers for further advice." Upon this advice, the people . applied to Mr. Ruggles, and he entered the pulpit as a probationer. At first, the opposing and uneasy party to his settlement were but twelve, but they were considera- ble men; chief men in the town and church; but in six months time, the uneasy and opposing party were In- creased to upwards of forty, and they making smart op- position to Mr. Ruggles his settlement ; the other party be- ing the major, and having the advantage of the law on their side, and fearing that advantage would not always be in their hands, pushed forward for the ordination, with all violence, and refused to hear the intreaties of their uneasy brethren, to delay the matter a while ; until, at least, the general court could be applied to in this affair : but nor thing of this kind could be obtained. This was perhaps in February ; the beginning of Mr. Ruggles his preaching, as a probationer, being in July before. Though, before this denial of a delay, viz. in December, or January, they had, upon the request made by the uneasy party, voted in full society meeting, that they should have liberty to be a society ecclesiastical by themselves, if the general court would allow it ; and to be freed from paying any rates or taxes, or parish charges with them, when the general court would allow of their being a society by themselves, or words to this purpose, as you will see by the grant in- closed, attested by the clerk.
"Now when this was done, this minor party went no more, or acted no more with their brethren, about settling Mr. Ruggles, either in society meetings or church meet- ings ; but acted by themselves, and got a young man to preach to them in a private house, viz. Mr. Edmund Ward, brought up at Yale College in New-Haven, who had been examined by the ministers of the New-Haven association, and had obtained his recommendatory certificate from them, as a candidate for the ministry. Afterward, when this uneasy party were gone off, by the good will of their brethren, as they took it, the major part now fell to ac- tion, about Mr. Ruggles his settlement, and by their vote grant liim four hundred pounds settlement, and one hun -: dred pounds per annum settlement, and have since forced their uneasy brethren to pay part of it, having the civil law of the government on their side, notwithstanding their former vote, to set them off by themselves, (as you shall see anon in the proper place of it ;) then they drive for- ward the ordination of Mr. Ruggles, which was in March,
CHẤP. VII:
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1728-9, which was about ten months after the death of Book II. old Mr. Ruggles.
" When the time for ordination came, the council of el- 1730. ders and messengers assembled to carry on that affair, were upon the place before the ordination was attended. They sent for the uneasy party, i. c. those of them that were in full communion with the church. There appear- ed twenty nine men, all opposed to the ordination's going forward at that time ; but six of the twenty nine, declared they were not so much against the man, simply consider- ed, but thought it unseasonable to ordain him then, as there was such a feud and contention arisen among them. (The whole number of brethren, or communicants, at that time, being about eighty.) Then the matter was de- bated in council, whether the ordination should be then at- tended, or delayed. It was carried by vote to go forward, by a large majority among the ministry, and by a small ma- jority among the messengers. But two ministers dissented out of nine, of which two dissenting, the minister of Der- by was one, who was the eldest minister present, except one. Upon this, the minister of Derby refused to assist in the ordination ; and gave his reasons for it, which were chiefly in these two points. 1st. It seemed to him to have no likely prospect of future peace in that place, nor like- ly to be for the interest of religion, or the flourishing state of CHRIST's kingdom for the future, in that place. " 2d. Since the design was to settle a pastor over that church in whole, when above one third part of the church never chose him, and declared they were conscience bound in the matter, and could not choose him as their pastor. This seemed to that minister, to be setting up a lord over GOD's heritage, (at least in part) and, as he thought, looked too much toward that prelatical tyranny, from which our fathers fled; it being a yoke of bondage that they were not able to bear; and a breaking in upon the natural liberty which belongs to all churches and chris- tians. However, the ordination went forward by the help of those that were for it. The uneasy part separated from their brethren, and would not sit with them at meeting, in the time of ordination ; and when the church's vote was ta- ken, to call Mr. Ruggles to the pastoral charge, they were separated, and acted not in that call. Yet this council suppose, or at least the greater part who acted in the call, take it so, that he is ordained pastor of that whole church of Guilford, and that all those that opposed his or- dination, are as much bound to submit to him as their pastor, as any of them that acted in the choice.
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Book I1. " After the ordination, viz. in May following, the minor part, yet uneasy, petitioned the General Court, for leave 1730. to be a society by themselves, since things were thus, as above ; and then their brethren opposed them with all ve- hemency, though they had voted them as above, if the said court would allow of it. The General Court referred it to their October session ; and in the mean time, sent some ministers to endeavour a reconciliation of the differ- ing parties ; but they tried in vain. The thing was not at - tainable. When October came, the court considered the matter again; but did nothing for their help; but still appointed another committee of ministers to endeavor to bring both parties together. But they came not to the place, and used no endeavors for it. Then this distressed people saw the country seemed to be against. them, through false rumors, which their enemies spread abroad with great industry, so that they had no hope of gaining any thing in this way ; but remembering that we had a law which gives liberty to dissent from our established discipline, for any of another persuasion, which law refers to an act of parliament, made for dissen- ters, in the first year of king William and queen Mary, for the dissenters qualifying themselves at the quarter sessions, according to the direction of said statute, in order to take benefit thereby, and to set up a separate society for divine worship, &c .: these men also, being fully of the congre- gational persuasion, according to the true meaning of the platform, compiled at Cambridge, by the Synod, in the year 1648, which our established discipline is very wide of, in many essential things : they go to the county court. at New-Haven, and declare their dissent from our estab- lished discipline, and their concurrence with the platform! aforesaid, by which they obtained liberty, under the um- brage of said statute, and act of parliament, for a lawful assembly for divine worship, separate from those that are by our law established ; and so exempted from our established rule of church discipline, and exempted from the penal- ties that our laws laid upon any that maintained separato meetings, in opposition to what is generally practised and allowed by law. Now they were secure in one point from the penalties of the law, but lay open to the law in anoth- er, viz. on the account of rates ; for by our law, they must yet pay their rates to maintain Mr. Ruggles, and to raise his settlement money, which was four hundred pounds ; and their brethren were so far of a persecuting spirit as that they have forced them to pay part of the settlement mon-
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ey, and their part of the salary, until May last, when, up- Book II. on a new petition to the General Court, they freed them from paying rates for the future ; as you may see by a co- 1730. py of their act inclosed. They have left their rights in the meeting-house, and have now built a good new meet- ing-house at their own charge. Yet after all, their breth- ren, and the neighboring ministers, and mostly through the colony, are warmly opposing their settlement in church order, according to the tenor of the said Cam- bridge platform, which is strictly congregational. And so they refuse to assist them in gathering a new church, and in ordaining their minister; and more than so, arc greatly clamoring at and reproaching a few of us that think - well of them, and are inclined to pity and help them. It would therefore be much to their advantage in the present juncture, to have advice and counsel from some of the Rev. ministers of Boston, whose names and characters are highly exalted among us, in Connecticut ; and that upon very justifying reasons ; so that countenancing the affair of their settlement in church order, and ordination of their minister, will very much abate the clamor of their adversaries, and be much of a shelter and security to some of us that probably may be called to assist them in that af- fair. Therefore it is requested, that several of you Rev. gentlemen, would please to resolve these cases hereafter stated, and send to us as soon as may be, the resolution, and in several of your hands,
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