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 2
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19.
CONNECTICUT.
CHAP. I.
ly avoiding the unjustly giving or taking of offence : That Book II. they would be careful to maintain a chaste conversation, watching against all the incentives to uncleanness, espe- cially against keeping vain and disorderly company : That they would mind their own business, and strictly observe the rules of righteousness in commerce and dealings one with another ; heedfully watching against all violations of it, by deceit, oppression, and all unjust and dishonest deal- ing whatsoever : That they would speak the truth one with another, avoiding all lying, slandering, backbiting, revil- ing, and promise breaking."
IT was further recommended that they should covenant, " That they would mutually watch over one another, giv- ing and receiving reproof as became christians : That they would in their several capacities, bear due witness against all profaneness and immorality ; and that they would not withhold their testimony when it might be necessary for the conviction and punishment of offenders : That they would watch against the prevailing of a worldly and cove- tous spirit : against intemperance in the use of lawful things ; particularly against excess in drinking : and that they would not allow themselves in frequenting either public or private drinking houses."* That they might be enabled faithfully to discharge these duties, they were exhorted dili- gently to seek divine assistance.
THIS recommendation was generally read in the several Owning congregations within the district of that Association. It the cove nant at was published in the congregation of the second society In Hartford, Hartford, and proposed to the consideration of the people, Feb. 103, December 30, 1711. Great pains were taken to instruct 1712. them, and remove scandal wherever itmight befound. The names of those who proposed to take the covenant upon them were made public. The way having been thus pre- pared, a day of fasting and prayer was appointed for that purpose, when one hundred persons appeared and owned the covenant. Other churches probably did something of the same nature ; but how generally this was practised does not appear, as few of the churches, at that time, kept any record of their transactions. Many pastors and church- es could not adopt the recommendation at large, as they were persuaded, that the owning of the covenant, as it has been generally called, was entirely anti-scriptural.
No sooner was the war terminated, than the General As- sembly, deeply affected with the apparent decline of chris- Assembly, tian morals, and desirous as far as possible to effect a re- May, formation, at the May session, 1714, came to the following 1714, res-
* Records of the second church in Hartford.
Resolu- tion of the
pecting morals.
CHAP. I.
HISTORY OF
Book Il. resolution, viz. " This Assembly taking into their serious " consideration, the many evident tokens that the glory is " departed from us : That the providences of GOD are " plainly telling us that our ways do not please him. And " knowing the obligations that we are under, not only for " the suppressing of all profaneness and immorality, that " so greatly threatens the ruin of the land, but also to en- " courage piety and virtue, do pray the honourable the " Governour, to recommend to the Reverend Elders of the " General Association, at their next meeting, that they give " direction to each particular association throughout the st government, that the state of religion be strictly enquired "into, in every parish throughout this government; and " particularly how, and whether catechising be duly attend- "ed ? And whether there be a suitable number of bibles " in the various families in the respective parishes ; and "also if there be found, in any of our parishes, any that " neglect attendance upon the public worship on the LORD's " day ? To enquire what means have been used with such " persons to regain them to a compliance with their so ne- " cessary a duty ; that thereby the worship of GOD be duly " encouraged, observed and attended, both in families and "parishes. And likewise, that there be a strict enquiry, " which, and what are the sins and evils that provoke the "just majesty of heaven, to walk contrary unto us in the ways " of his providence ; that thereby all possible means may " be used for our healing and recovery from our degenera- " cy. And it is further recommended to the Reverend El- " ders of the General Association, that they send in to the " honourable, the Governour, what they find."*
Report of the Gene- ral Associ- 1715. The pastors of the churches having made the enquiries which had been recommended by the Assembly, made their ation, Oct. report at the October session, 1715. In this they repre- sent, " That there was a great want of bibles : That there was a great neglect of attending on the public worship upon the Sabbath and at other seasons : That catechising was much neglected in several places : That there was a great deficiency in family government : and that there were vari- ous irregularities with respect to commutative justice. They complain particularly of tale bearing and defama- tion : of calumniating, and contempt of authority and order, both civil and ecclesiastical :" Of intemperance and seve- ral other vices.t
Resolu- THE legislature upon this report, resolved, "We are tions of the fearful that there hatlı been a great neglect of a due execu- tion of those good laws already enacted, for the preventing
Assembly to suppress vice. * Records of the Colony, vol. iv. folio, year 1714, + Folio vol. v. 1715.
21
CONNECTICUT.
CHAP. I.
of such decays in religion." It was therefore enacted, Book II. " That all judges and justices of the peace in the respective " counties, in this colony, be diligent and strict in putting in 1715. "execution all the laws and acts of this Assembly, made " for the suppressing or punishing all or any of the above " mentioned immoralities, or irregularities : and that there- " by the good ends proposed in such acts and laws may be " attained. That the selectmen, constables and grand ju- "rors in the respective towns in this colony shall, from " time to time, strictly observe the following directions, " To the due execution of the law of this colony intitled " CHILDREN TO BE EDUCATED, in all and every the several " parts and paragraphs of the said act. That the select- " men make diligent enquiry of all householders within " their respective towns, how they are stored with bibles ; " and if upon such inquiry any such householder be found " without one bible, at least, that then the said selectmen " shall warn the said householder forthwith to procure one " bible at least, for the use and benefit of such family. And " if the same be neglected, then said selectmen shall make "return thereof to the next authority : and that all those " families which are numerous, and whose circumstances " will admit thereof, shall be supplied with a considerable " number of bibles, according to the number of persons in " such families : and that they see that all such families be " furnished with a suitable number of orthodox catechisms, " and other good books of practical godliness, viz. such as " treat on, encourage and duly prepare for the right at- " tendance on that great duty, the LORD's supper.
" That the constables and grand jurors in the respective " towns in this colony, shall make due search after, and pre- " sentment make, of all breaches of the following laws of " this colony.
1. " Of an act entitled, Children to be educated.
2. " Of the first paragraph of the law entitled Ecclesias- " tical.
3. " Of the two last paragraphs of the law entitled an act " for the better detecting and more effectual punishing of " profaneness and immorality.
4. " Of an act for the better observation and keeping of " the Lord's day.
5. " Of the law, - Title lying.
6. " Of the law against swearing.
7. " Of an act to prevent unseasonable meetings of young " people on the evening after the sabbath day, and at other 64 times.
8. " Of an act to prevent tippling and drunkenness.
22
HISTORY OF
CHAP. I.
Book II. 9. " Of an act to suppress unlicensed houses and for " regulating such as were licensed."*
1716.
The Assembly ordered that these resolutions should be immediately printed, and that they should be published through the colony. It also directed that they should be read publicly in the several towns, at their annual meet- ings, before the choice of their town officers. It was also particularly recommended to all the towns to be very care- ful in the appointment of their officers, to choose men of known ability, integrity and resolution.
As literature and a general diffusion of christian knowl- edge were considered as highly important for the maintain- ing and advancing of religion, as well as for the liberty, dignity and happiness of the commonwealth, the collegiate school attracted the special attention, both of the legisla- ture and clergy. Though generous donations had been made for its encouragement and support, yet the state of it The un- happy College. was far from being flourishing or happy. The students state of the were separated one from another. The senior class were at Milford, under the instruction of Mr. Andrew, the rec- tor pro tempore, and the other classes at Saybrook, under the instruction of two tutors. In this scattered state, the principal part of the school were very little benefitted by the instructions and government of the rector, which were of great importance to its general order and advancement. The books were necessarily divided and exposed to be lost. The same general benefit could not, in this state, be deriv- ed from the library. At the same time the scholars were dissatisfied, both with the place and manner of their in- struction. They judged that Saybrook was not sufficiently. compact for their accommodation. Some of them were obliged to reside more than a mile from the place of their public exercises. They were no better pleased with their instruction and government, as they had no resident rector, and the tutors were often young and inexperienced. The students were not the only persons who complained. From the beginning, there had been a disagreement with respect Divisions ny and a- mong the trustees it. to the place where the college should be fixed. Mens? in the colo- opinions with respect to it were generally governed by thei. interest. They generally chose the place which would best accommodate themselves. This created warm respecting parties in the colony, and even created a division among the trustees. Some were for continuing it at Saybrook, others were zealously engaged to remove it to Hartford or Weathersfield. A third party were not less engaged final- ly to fix it at New-Haven. In this state of things, num- * Colony Records, folio vol. v. October session, 1715.
23
CONNECTICUT.
CHAP. I.
bers of the students became clamorous, and openly mani- Book II. fested their disaffection and disrespect towards their tutors. This made it necessary for the trustees to meet and exam- ine the reasons of their uneasiness and disorder.
They met at Saybrook, April 4th, 1716. When the Trustees scholars came before them, they complained of the insuff- meet April ciency of their instruction and the inconveniences of the 44th, 1716. place, as their principal grievances. Especially, the scholars from Hartford, Weathersfield and the towns in that vicinity, alledged, that it was a hardship to oblige them to reside at Saybrook, when they could be as well instructed and much better accommodated near home. It has been the tradition, that most of these complaints had been suggested to them by others, with a view to foment a general uneasiness, and by these means effect the re- moval of the college.
AFTER a long debate on the circumstances of the school, it appeared that the trustees were no better agreed than the students, and that some of them were governed by mo- tives which they did not choose openly to avow. Some of them so strongly advocated the cause of the Hartford and Weathersfield scholars, that a majority of the trustees condescended to give a toleration to them, and others who were most uneasy, to go to such places of instruction, un- til commencement, as should best suit their inclinations. The consequence was, that the greatest part of them went The eol- to Weathersfield, and put themselves under the instruction lege is bror of the Rev. Elisha Williams, pastor of the church in Newint. Some went to other places, and a number continued at into seve- Saybrook. But the small pox, soon after, breaking out ral places. in the town, these generally removed to East-Guilford, and were under the tuition of the Rev. Mr. Hart and Mr. Rus- sell, till the commencement.
As the collegiate school was in this broken state, and as Subscrip- the trustees were not agreed among themselves, in what the estab-
ken up and scattered
tions for place it should be fixed, the people, in different parts of lishment of the colony, began to subscribe considerable sums for the the College building of a college, that, by these means, they might in- at some duce the trustees to fix it according to their wishes. About 700 pounds sterling was subscribed for the establishment of particular : place. it at New-Haven, 500 pounds for fixing it at Saybrook, and considerable sums, for the same purpose, at Hartford and Weathersfield.
AT the commencement, Sept. 12th, 1716, the trustees Trustees met, at Saybrook, and took into consideration the state and meet at place of the collegiate school, but as they could not agree Sept. 12, with respect to the place in which it should be established, 1716.
Saybrook,
24
HISTORY OF
CHAP. 1.
Book II. they adjourned, until the 17th of October, to meet at New-Haven.
Meet at
New-Ha- ven Oct. 17, 1716, and vote that the College shall be at . that place.
THE trustees; for the first time, met at New-Haven, ac- cording to adjournment. There were present, the Rev. Messrs. Samuel Andrew, Timothy Woodbridge, Joseph Webb, Samuel Russel, Moses Noyes, John Davenport, Thomas Buckingham and Thomas Ruggles. They had now had further time and opportunity to consult the opin- ions and feelings of the people, to obtain the opinion of Governor Saltonstall, and of the General Assembly, and to know what subscriptions had been made for one place and another. Having obtained all the information on the sub- ject which they judged necessary, they voted, " That con- " sidering the difficulties of continuing the collegiate school " at Saybrook, and that New-Haven is a convenient place " for it, for which the most liberal donations are given, the " the trustees agree to remove the said school from Say- " brook to New-Haven, and it is now settled at New-Ha- " ven accordingly."* Five of the trustees present, were in the vote ; Mr. Woodbridge and Mr. Buckingham, were for Weathersfield. Mr. Noyes declared, that he did not see the necessity of removing the school from Saybrook ; but if it must be removed, his mind was to settle it at New- Haven.
THE trustees at this meeting, received 250 pounds ster- ling, which the General Assembly had granted some years before, arising from the sale of the equivalent lands. They had before in the treasury about 125 pounds. These sums, with the large subscriptions which had been made for the building of the college at New-Haven, encouraged the trus- tees to vote that they would build a large, convenient col- lege, and a rector's house at New-Haven : and they ap- pointed a committee to accomplish the work.
They voted, That the Rev. Mr. Andrew should continue rector, pro tempore, until a fixed rector could be obtained. They also appointed two tutors ; and gave orders that all the students, belonging to the school, should repair to New- Haven for instruction and government. At the same time, they appointed Mr. Stephen Buckingham of Norwalk, one of the trustees. The scholars who had been studying at East-Guilford, came to New-Haven, according to the di- rection of the trustees ; but none came from Weathersfield. Such was their obstinacy, and such the countenance and support which others gave them, that they continued their studies there until the next commencement. The trustees sent the record of their doings at this meeting, to the Rev.
* President Clap's History of Yale College, p. 18.
CHAP. I.
CONNECTICUT.
Mr. James Noyes of Stonington, who on the 19th of De- Book II. cember, signed it, and declared his hearty concurrence with every vote.
THE trustees met again at New-Haven, the next April. Trustees At this meeting, seven trustees, the Rev. Messrs. James meet April Noyes, Samuel Andrew, Samuel Russel, Joseph Webb, 5th, 1717. John Davenport, Thomas Ruggles and Stephen Bucking- ham, were present. The acts which had been passed at the preceding meeting, at this were read, voted and sub- scribed by all the members present, except Mr. Stephen Buckingham, who on the account of his relatives and friends at Saybrook, judged it expedient not to act.
WHILE the trustees in general, were fixed in their deter- mination to establish the college at New-Haven, they met with a strong opposition from gentlemen in the northern and eastern parts of the colony. The people in general, were warmly engaged on one side or the other, which oc- casioned the affair several times to be taken up and warm- ly debated in the General Assembly. No act however, had as yet been passed relating to the subject. The trus- Com- tees pursuing their own resolutions with firmness and con- ment at _mence- stancy, held the commencement at New-Haven. Mr. An- New-Ha- drew moderated as rector pro tempore. Four senior so- ven, Sept; phisters came from Saybrook, and received the degree of 11, 1717, Bachelor of Arts, and numbers were admitted to the de- gree of Masters. The number of students was thirty one ; of whom thirteen, the past year, had studied at New-Ha- ven, fourteen at Weathersfield, and four at Saybrook.
SOON after the commencement, the college house was Oct. 8tl), raised at New-Haven. Nevertheless, Messrs. Woodbridge, 1717. Buckingham, and their respective parties, persisted in their opposition to the proceedings of the trustees. They, in the October session, presented a remonstrance to the As- sembly, alledging, That the votes of the trustees to fix the college at New-Haven, in October 17th, 1716, and April gainst the 5th, 1717, were not legal. They insisted, That the major votes of part of them were not in the votes, and that one was not the truse tees. qualified according to law : That in October, 1716, there were, at least, nine existing trustees, and that four of them only were in the vote : That Mr. Ruggles was chosen be- fore he was forty years of age ; and that the choice was therefore null : and that Mr. Noyes' consent to the votes so long after, and at such a distance, could avail nothing to their confirmation. In the acts of April, 1717, they af- firmed that there were five trustees only out of ten.
THE trustees replied, That in October, 1716, there were Reply of but nine trustees : That a vacancy had been made by the trustees,
Remon- strance &
D
28
HISTORY OF
CHAP. I.
Book II. death of Mr. Pierpont, which had not been supplied ; and that Mr. Mather of Windsor, had been bed rid many years, 1717. had resigned his ministry, and could not, in those circum- stances, be considered as a trustee. They pleaded, that if Mr. Ruggles was not forty years of age at the time of his nomination, yet that at the time when the vote was passed, he had arrived to that age; and that the trustees, in con- formity to their previous nomination, admitting him to sit and act, had associated him according to their charter. With respect to Mr. Noyes, they replied, that as they were not limited as to the manner of their acting, he, though ab- sent, at the time of their meeting, might give his consent to said act, by subscribing it at home, some time after, as well as if he had been present. They therefore insisted. that there was a majority of six out of nine : and that in April, 1717, after the choice of Mr. Stephen Buckingham, there was a majority of six out of ten. They further insist- ed, that if Mr. Ruggles should not be reckoned at either of the meetings, nor Mr. Noyes, nor any other of the trustees when absent, that there was a majority of those present, which constituted a legal act.
Resolve of the upper house.
AFTER a full hearing, the upper house resolved, " That the objections against the vote of the trustees, were insuf- ficient." The lower house, after a long debate, resolved nothing relative to the subject. This shows how deeply the colony felt itself interested in this affair, and how un- happily it was divided.
The trus- tees fix the college at New-Ha- vCn.
THE trustees, who were then convened at New-Haven, wishing to remove all occasion of objection for the future, passed a vote, in which they declared Mr. Ruggles to be a trustee, and associated him as such. They also passed a vote, predicated on several former acts, in which they finally fixed the college at New-Haven. To this, for the greater solemnity, seven of the trustees, James Noyes, Moses Noyes, Samuel Andrew, Samuel Russel, Joseph- Webb, John Davenport and Thomas Ruggles, set their hands. The reasons assigned by the trustees for estab- lishing the college at New-Haven, were, the difficulties of keeping it at Saybrook, arising partly from the uneasiness of the students, and partly from the continual attempts of numbers of gentlemen to remove it to Hartford. They judged that to be too far from the sea, and that it would, by no means, accommodate the Western and Southern col- onies, in most of which, at that period, there were no col- leges. They were also of the opinion, that New-Haven, on the account of its commodious situation, the salubrity and agreeableness of its air, and the cheapness of its com-
27
CONNECTICUT.
CHAP. I.
modities, was the best adapted to that purpose. Fur- Book II. ther, the largest donations had been made there, without which they could not defray the expense of building the college house.
In thesc circumstances, the General Assembly, desirous The As- of strengthening the hands of the trustees, and of promoting sembly the interests of the college, before the close of the sessions, in advise them to October, passed the following act : " That under the pres- procerd. " ent circumstances of the collegiate school, the Reverend Oct. 1717, " Trustees be advised to proceed in that affair, and to fin-
" ish the house which they have built in New-Haven for " the entertainment of the scholars belonging to the colle- " giate school." At the same time, the Assembly granted an hundred pounds to be distributed among the instractors of the college .*
NOTWITHSTANDING it seemed as though the college. was May, 1718, - now established at Ncw-Haven, both by the trustees and the General Assembly, there were gentlemen who continued fixed in the plan of establishing it at Weathersfield. They encouraged the students who had been instructed there the last year, who were about fourteen in number, to continue their studies still in the same place. At the session in May following, the house of representatives voted, " to desire " the trustees to consent that the commencement should be " held alternately at Weathersfield and New-Haven, till the " place of the school be fully determined." The upper house were of the opinion, that the place of the " school was fully determined already by the indisputable votes of the trustees, and the subsequent advice of the Assembly thereupon ; and therefore they did not concur. Govern- our Saltonstall was supposed always to favour the estab, lishment of the college at New-Haven, and his influence might be one reason, that the upper house acted more readi- ly and firmly for it than the house of representatives. He was possessed of a considerable landed interest in the eas- tern part of the town, which some imagined was a motive, as it would increase the value of his lands.
ABOUT this time, the college at New-Haven received a Donations number of large and generous donations ; which at this pe- to the col- riod, when the college was struggling under so many difficul- lege.
ties, were peculiarly acceptable. Governour Yale, who in 1714, had sent over 40 volumes in Mr. Dummer's col- lection, sent, to the college, the last year, 300 volumes more. It was computed that both parcels were worth an hundred pounds sterling. This year, 1718, he sent over goods to the amount of two hundred pounds sterling, prime cost,
# Records of Connecticut, folio vol. v. Oct, 1717.
28
HISTORY OF
CHAP. Y.
Book II. with the king's picture and arms. He gave intimations, that he would still add. Three years after, he sent the va- 1718. lue of an hundred pounds more. Mr. Dummer, at the same time, sent seventy six volumes of books, twenty of which were folios. The whole were estimated at 30 pounds ster- ling. Governour Saltonstall and Jahaleel Benton, Esq. of Newport, each of them made to the college a present of fifty pounds sterling. By these and several other large dona- tions, the school experienced a, happy alteration. The college which had been erected the last October, was now so far finished as to be fit for the reception and accommo- dation of all the students. It was an hundred and seventy feet in length, and twenty two feet in breadth. It was three stories high, and made a very handsome appearance. It contained nearly fifty studies in large chambers. It was' furnished with a convenient hall, library and kitchen. The. cost of it was about a thousand pounds sterling.
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