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 26
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6 Page 221.
* From page 220 10 392, to the close of the first part of his book.
+ Page 533, 334, 350.
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In his third part, he complains of instances in which Book II. those who had appeared against the disorders prevailing in the land, had been injuriously treated. He makes some Dr. Chaun- remarks on Mr. Edwards' thoughts on religion ; pleads for ceyagainst the religi- using history and philosophy in judging with respect to ous appea- religion, and represents that those who had opposed the rances. religious appearances, had shown the greatest veneration for the scriptures. He complains of Mr. Edwards as 'be- ing uncharitable in reprobating those who did not think of the work as he did. He condemns that censorious spirit by which they were denounced as Arminians, Pela- gians, &c. ; yet he falls into the same error himself, and terms the favourers of the work, false prophets, deceitful workers, and represents men as transforming themselves, like satan, into ministers of righteousness ; as having the same spirit as the enthusiasts at the reformation, &c. "I am sensible (says he) that this work has been carried on by the weak and foolish. I am sensible also that the mi- nisters who have been chiefly employed, some of them, have been mere babes in years and standing:" and it the severity of his remarks spares neither ministers nor people ; though there was not one minister in Connecticut, nor one of the stending churches, that favoured these er- rors, but unitedly spake and preached against them. Mr. Edwards lamented this censorious spirit, and utterly con- demned it, at the same time stating who might be termed opposers, but named no man as such, nor gave the least. intimation with respect to any particular person. This spirit of detraction prevailed only among the separates, who, in comparison with the great numbers who were ap- parently born of GOD, were indeed very few.
The Doctor apologizes for the harsh words in some of the papers he had occasion to use, and says they should have been altered had it been in his power. In his pre- face, p. 29, he says, " I have endeavored to write so as to give no just occasion of offence to any gentleman with whom I have thought it needful to concern myself." Yet. the Doctor said these hard things, and made these injuri- ous representations, with respect to great numbers of his brethren in the ministry, and probably thousands of good people, who were truly subjects of Divine grace, and had proved their faith and love by lives of strict piety, right- cousness and temperance in all things. How could the Doctor conceive that he gave no just occasion of offence to those gentlemen in the ministry, whom he had publish- ed to the world as being quakers in their youth, and as since acting under the influence of those principles, when
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Book Il. they had been examined and approved by associations and ordaining councils, had been a number of years in
1747. the ministry, and were of good report, not only among the people with whom they laboured, but among their breth- ren in the ministry ? Another thing is very remarkable : In his preface, p. 29, he says, " As to facts, I have pub- lished none but such as I really believe myself, and, as I think, upon sufficient evidence :" and further states, that
Observa- tions on he had been a circuit of more than three hundred miles, Dr.Chaun- and had conversed with most of the ministers, and many cey'sbook. other gentlemen in the country, and settled a correspond- ence with several of them, with a particular view to as- certain the truth of things upon better evidence than mere hearsay ; when he had not probably conversed with one minister, nor settled a correspondence with any, but those who thought unfavorably of the work; and when he had condescended repeatedly to take his accounts from the newspapers. And further, in answer to Mr. Edwards' observation, that the instruments of the work had been too much, and in many instances unreasonably blamed, by others, he says, "So far were they from magnifying real errors, that I scruple not to say, they have never set them in their full light : Nay, as to some of thy disorders of the times, I do not think it is in the power of the worst oppos- er of them all, to describe them to the life." (p. 391.) Did Dr. Chauncey really believe all that party and prejudiced men said, and all the anonymous pieces in the newspapers ? Was he so unacquainted with the nature of facts as to ima- gine that newspaper publications, especially when parties ran high, were sufficient evidence ? Could he suppose that representations of one party only, when their names werc generally concealed, without hearing the evidence on the other side, were sufficient proof ? If such was the case, or. if he was influenced by prejudice to credit unsubstantial facts, it must very greatly invalidate the Doctor's history of those times.
How widely he differed from a great body of his breth- ren, will appear from the public declarations of a very great number of ministers, in all parts of the country. About ninety ministers, on previous notice, met at Boston, on the 7th of July, 1743, and after consultation, came to the following result, viz :
" If it is the duty of every one, capable of obversation and reflection, to take a constant religious notice of what occurs, in the daily course of common providence ; how much more is it expected that those events in the divine economy, wherein there is a signal display of the power,
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grace and mercy of Gon in behalf of the church, should be Book II. observed with sacred wonder, pleasure, and gratitude ?- Nor should the people of Gop content themselves with a Testimony and advice silent notice, but publish with the voice of thanksgiving, of an as- and tell of all his wondrous works.
sembly of
" More particularly, when CHRIST is pleased to come in- pastors of to his church in a plentiful effusion of his holy Spirit, by churches whose powerful influences the ministration of his word is in New- England. attended with uncommon success, salvation work carried on in an eminent manner, and his kingdom which is in men, and consists in righteousness and peace, and joy in the HOLY GHOST, is notably advanced. This is an event, which above all others invites the notice, and bespeaks the praises of the Lord's people, and should be declared abroad for a memorial of the divine grace ; as it tends to confirm the divinity of a despised gospel, and manifests the work of the Holy Spirit in the application of redemp- tion, which too many are ready to reproach ; as it may have a happy effect, by the divine blessing, for the revival of religion in other places, and the enlargement of the kingdom of CHRIST in the world ; and as it tends to enliv- en the prayers, strengthen the faith, and raise the hopes, of such as are waiting for the kingdom of GOD, and the com- ing on of the glory of the latter days.
"But if this is justly expected of all who profess them- selves the disciples of Christ, that they should openly ac- knowledge and rejoice in a work of this nature, wherein the honor of their divine master is so much concerned ; how much more is it to be looked for from those employed in the ministry of the Lord Jesus, and so stand in a special relation to him, as servants of his household, and officers in his kingdom ? These stand as watchmen upon the walls of his Jerusalem ; and it is their business, not only to give the alarm of war, when the enemy is approaching, but to sound the trumpet of praise when the King of Zion cometh. in meek triumph, having salvation.
"For these and other reasons, we, whose names are hereunto annexed, pastors of churches in New-England, met together in Boston, July 7th, 1743, think it our indis- pensable duty, (without judging or censuring such of our brethren, as cannot at present see things in the same light with us,) in this open and conjunct manner, to declare, to the glory of sovereign grace, our full persuasion, either from what we have seen ourselves, or received upon credi- ble testimony, that there has been a happy and remarkable revival of religion in many parts of this land, through an uncommon divine influence, after a long time of great de-
G 2
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Book II. cay and deadness, and a sensible and very awful withdrawal of the Holy Spirit from his sanctuary among us.
1743. Though the work of grace wrought in the hearts of men, The testi- meny of the pastors by the word and spirit, of God, and which has more or less been carried on from the beginning, is always the same for of church- substance, and agrees, at one time and another, as to the es, &c. main strokes and lineaments of it, yet the present work appears to be remarkable and extraordinary, on account. of the numbers wrought upon. We never before saw so many brought under soul concern, and with distress, making the inquiry, What shall we do to be saved ? and these, persons of all characters and all ages. With regard to the suddenness and quick progress of it, many persons and places were surprised with the gracious visit, together, or near about the same time; and the heavenly influence diffused itself far and wide, like the light of the morning. Also, in respect to the degree of operation, both in a way of terror and in a way of consolation ; attended in many with unusual bodily effects.
" Not that all who were accounted the subjects of the present work, have had these extraordinary degrees of previous distress and subsequent joy ; but many, and we suppose the greatest number, have been wrought on in a more gentle and silent way, and without any other appear- ances than are common and usual at other times, when per- sons have been awakened to a solemn concern about sal- vation, and have been thought to have passed out of a state of nature into a state of grace.
" As to those whose inward concern has occasioned ex- traordinary outward distresses, the most of them when we came to converse with them, were able to give, what ap- peared to us, a rational account of what affected their minds, viz. a quick sense of their guilt, misery and dan® ger ; and they would often mention the passages in the sermons they heard, or particular texts of scripture which were set home upon them with such powerful impression. And as to such whose joys have carried them into trans- ports and extacies, they, in like manner, have accounted for them, from a lively sense of the danger they hoped they were freed from, and the happiness they were now possessed of; such clear views of divine and heavenly things, and particularly of the excellences and loveliness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and such sweet tastes of redeem- ing love, as they never had before. The instances were very few, in which we had reason to think these affections were produced by visionary or sensible representations, or any other images, than such as the scripture itself presents to us.
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" And here we think it not amiss to declare, that in Book II. dealing with these persons, we have been careful to in- form them that the nature of conversion does not consist 1743. in such passionate feelings, and to warn them not to look The testi- upon their state safe, because they have passed out of mony of deep distress into high joys, unless they experience a of the renovation of nature, followed with a change of life and a churches, course of vital holiness. Nor have we gone into such an &c. opinion of the bodily effects with which this work has been attended in some of its subjects, as to judge them any signs that persons who have been so affected, were then under a saving work of the spirit of God. No, we never so much as called these bodily seizures, convictions ; or spake of them as the immediate work of the Holy Spirit. Yet we do not think them inconsistent with a work of God upon the soul at that very time ; but judge that those in- ward impressions, which come from the spirit of God, those terrors and consolations which he is the author of, may, according to the natural frame and constitution which some persons are of, occasion such bodily effects. And therefore, that those extraordinary outward symptoms, are not an argument that the work is delusive, or from the influence and agency of the evil spirit.
" With respect to numbers of those who have been under the impressions of the present day, we must declare there 'is good ground to conclude they are become real chris- tians ; the account they give of their conviction and conso- lation, agreeing with the standard of the holy scriptures, and corresponding with the experiences of the saints, and evidenced by the external fruits of holiness in their lives : so that they appear to those who have the nearest access to them, as so many epistles of Christ, written, not with ink, but by the spirit of the living God, attesting to the genuineness of the present operation, and representing the excellency of it.
" Indeed, many who appeared to be under convictions, and were much altered in their external behaviour when this work began, and while it was most flourishing, have lost their impressions, and are relapsed into their former manner of life : Yet of those who were judged hopefully converted, and made a public profession of religion, there have been fewer instances of scandal and apostacy than might be expected. So that, as far as we are able to form a judgment, the face of religion is lately changed much for the better, in many of our towns and congregations ; and together with a reformation observable in divers instan- ces, there appears more experimental godliness, and live-
the pastors
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Book II. ly christianity, than the most of us can remember we have ever seen before.
" Thus we have freely declared our thoughts as to the work of God, so remarkably revived in many parts of this land. And now, we desire to bow the knee in thanksgiv- ing to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that our eyes have seen and our ears have heard such things. And while these are our sentiments, we must necessarily be grieved at any accounts sent abroad, representing this work as all enthusiasm, delusion and disorder. Indeed it is not to be denied, that in some places, many irregulari- ties and extravagances have been permitted to accompa- ny it, which we would deeply lament and bewail before GOD, and look upon ourselves obliged for the honor of the Holy Spirit, and his blessed operations on the souls of men, to bear a public and faithful testimony against, though at the same time, it is to be acknowledged, that in other places where the work has greatly flourished, there have been few, if any of these disorders and excesses. But who can wonder if, at such a time as this, satan should inter- mingle himself, to hinder and blemish a work so directly contrary to the interests of his kingdom ? Or if, while so much good seed is sowing, the enemy should be busy to sow tares ? We would therefore, in the bowels of Jesus, beseech such as have been partakers of this work, and are zealous to promote it, that they be not ignorant of satan's devices ; that they watch and pray against errors and mis- conduct of every kind, lest they blemish and hinder that which they desire to honor and advance.
" Particularly,
" That they do not make secret impulses on their minds, without a due regard to the written word, the rule of their duty ; a very dangerous mistake, which we apprehend some in these times have gone into .- That, to avoid Ar- minianism, they do not verge to the opposite side of Anti- nomianism; while we would have others take heed to themselves, lest they be, by some, led into, or fixed in Ar- minian tenets, under the pretence of opposing Antinomian errors : That laymen do not invade the ministerial office, and, under a pretence of exhorting, set up preaching ; which is very contrary to gospel order, and tends to intro- duce errors and confusion into the church : That ministers do not invade the province of others, and, in ordinary ca- ses, preach in another's parish, without his knowledge, and against his consent ; nor encourage raw and indiscreet candidates, in rushing into particular places, and preach- ing publicly or privately, as some have done, to the no
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small disrepute and damage of the work, in places where Book II. it once promised well. Though, at the same time, we would have ministers shew a regard to the spiritual wel- The testi- fare of their people, by suffering them to partake of the mony and gifts and graces of able, sound and zealous preachers, as the pastors advice of GOD, in his providence, may give opportunity therefor ; of the being persuaded Gon has, in this day, remarkably blest churches, the labours of some of his servants, who have travelled, in &c. 1743, preaching the gospel of CHRIST : That people beware of entertaining prejudices against their own pastors, and do not run into unscriptural separations : That they do not indulge a disputatious spirit, which has been attended with mischievous effects ; nor discover a spirit of censorious- ness, uncharitableness, and rash judging the state of others ; than which scarce any thing has more blemished the work of GOD amongst us. And while we would meekly exhort both ministers and christians, so far as it is consistent with truth and holiness, to follow the things which make for peace ; we would most earnestly warn all sorts of persons not to despise those outpourings of the Spirit, lest a holy GoD be provoked to withhold them, and instead thereof, to pour out upon this people the vials of his wrath, in tem- poral judgments and spiritual plagues ; and would call up- on every one to improve this remarkable season of grace, and put in for a share of the heavenly blessing so liberally dispensed.
" Finally,
"We exhort the children of GOD to continue instant in prayer, that He, with whom is the residue of the Spirit, would grant us fresh, more plentiful and extensive effusions, that so this wilderness, in all the parts of it, may become a fruitful field : That the present appearances may be an earnest of the glorious things promised to the church in the latter days, when she shall shine with the glory of the LORD risen upon her, so as to dazzle the eyes of behold- ers, confound and put to shame all her enemies, rejoice the hearts of her solicitous and now saddened friends, and have a strong influence and resplendency throughout the earth. AMEN.
" Even so come, Lord Jesus ; come quickly."*
" After solemn and repeated prayers, free inquiry and debate, and serious deliberation, the above testimony and advice was signed"' by about seventy ministers. Forty- three, either at that time, or soon after, sent in their testi- mony to the work, as a glorious work of GOD, making in the whole about one hundred and ten. Among these, WC. e.
* Prince's Christ, History, vol. i. from page 156 to 164.
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Book II. nine ministers of the congregational churches in Boston, and the Rev. Mr. Moorhead, of the presbyterian congrega- tion in Boston. Dr. Chauncey was almost alone in his opposition to the work, among the ministers in Boston. Most of the hundred and fifteen ministers mentioned above belonged to the province of Massachusetts. Besides these, there were a considerable number of others, who after- wards sent in their testimonial to the work ; some in Mas- sachusetts, some in New-Hampshire, and one or two in Rhode-Island.
Testimony isters in Connecti- cut, 1743.
In Connecticut, two associations bore witness to it, as a of the min- glorious work of God : the whole association of Windham county, in their letter to the churches under their pastoral care : and the association of the eastern district of Fair- field county, in a letter to Mr. Prince, in 1743 .* Twelve ministers convened at Norwich, June 23d, 1743.1 The association in Fairfield county, in their attestation say, " We look upon ourselves and all the ministers and peo- ple of God throughout the land, under infinite obligations for ever to admire and adore rich, free and sovereign grace, so amazingly displayed in visiting a professing people, in a day of such general security, indolence and formality ; causing so great an awakening of all sorts of persons, con- vincing so many of sin, righteousness and judgment, and bringing such numbers of different ages, hopefully to close savingly with the dear Jesus, on the self denying terms of the gospel, so as that it far exceeded even any hopes or expectation of ours, as well as any thing of this nature we ever saw in our day.
"We cannot but be sensibly touched with sorrow, to see that there are many, who (not duly distinguishing be- tween the blessed work, and some evils that have attended it, by the misconduct both of some of the instruments and subjects,) stumble and are in hazard of falling : as well as to find reason to fear, that in some places, the work itself is opposed.
" To conclude, we cannot omit giving in our public tes- timony, from our own happy experience and observation, that the frequent interchange of ministerial labors, has been remarkably owned and blessed of God to the hopeful awakening of many souls ; and could heartily wish that ministerial communion, and an hearty reception, as well as joyful improvement of each others ministerial gifts, and oc- casional labors might still be encouraged and maintained among gospel ministers throughout the land.
ANTHONY STODDARD, of Woodbury, first society.
+ Prince's Christian History, vol. ii. p. 311, 312. t Vol. i, p. 195, 196.
CHAP. VIII.
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Воок II.
SAMUEL COOK, of Stratfield.
JOHN GRAHAM, of Woodbury, second society. HEZEKIAH GOLD, of Stratford, first society. JEDEDIAH MILLS, of Ripton, in Stratford,
ELISHA KENT.
EBENEZER WHITE. of Danbury.
BENAJAH CASE, of New-Fairfield.
JOSEPH BELLAMY, of Woodbury, third society.
DAVID JUDSON, of Newtown.
REUBEN JUDD, of Woodbury, fourth society.
In the attestation of the Rev. gentlemen in the ministry, convened at Norwich, there is the following declaration, viz. " We are abundantly satisfied, that there has of late, for about three years past, been a great and wonderful re- vival of religion in the several places to which we minister, and in divers others which we are acquainted with ; where- in through the mighty power and grace of GOD, great num- bers of persons of all sorts, but especially young people, have been greatly awakened and convinced of sin ; and many, as far as we can judge, upon careful observation and examination, truly humbled at the foot of a sovereign and righteous GOD, and savingly brought to believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST for everlasting life ; and have since lived so as to give credit and confirmation to their preten- sions ; and do now adorn their profession in an humble and holy life and christian conversation; walking in the fear and love of GOD, and bringing forth fruits meet for repen- tance in the exercise of the graces and virtues of the Chris- tian life."
" Although many who have made profession of christian- ity and conversion have run into imprudent things, and discovered much spiritual pride by rash censorious judg- ings, hasty separations from their ministers and brethren, and some have embraced wrong notions and principles in religion : (though there has been little of that in the places where we live :) yet we know of great numbers who have been happily preserved from such falls and failings, and: who carry themselves like the meek and humble disciples of the blessed JESUS ; and some who have been led astray through the subtlety of satan, have by grace been recov- ered in a great measure, convinced of those follies and mistakes, and humbled for the pride and haughtiness of their hearts. And all of a bad nature and tendency, that we have seen, does not give us any reason to think that there has not been a great and glorious work of divine , grace carried on among us, and a great reformation and re- . vival of religion ; for which we desire to praise and adore the sovereign mercy of GOD,
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BOOK II.
" Thus much we thought ourselves obliged to say to the praise of divine grace, and the glory of Him who is the au- thor of all good, to whom bt all glory, &c."
We are your brethren, &c.
JOSEPH MEACHAM, pastor of a church in Coventry.
BENJAMIN LORD, pastor of the first church in Norwich: HEZEKIAH LORD, pastor of a church in Preston.
SOLOMON WILLIAMS, pastor of the first church in Lcb- anon.
DANIEL KIRTLAND, pastor of a church in Norwich. JABEZ WRIGHT, pastor of a church in Norwich. JOHN OWEN, pastor of the first church in Groton. SAMUEL MOSELY, pastor of a church in Windham. JONATHAN PARSONS, pastor of the first church in Lyme. ELEAZAR WHEELOCK, pastor of a church in Lebanon. BENJAMIN POMEROY, pastor of the church in Hebron. DAVID JEWETT, pastor of the second church in New- London
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