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 55
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HISTORY OF
CHAP. XXV.
Book II. amining, licensing, and recommending candidates for the ministry ; and to agree to use the consociation councils, in 1700. time to come, as the only ordaining councils."* Both these gentlemen wrote in a magisterial manner, as though they were most certainly right, pleading the cause of God and liberty ; and faulting all who differed from them, whether individuals or public bodies. They wrote dis- respectfully of councils, and in a manner calculated to bring them into disrepute, and destroy their influence.t
Mr. Hobart replied to those gentlemen, in a very cool and dispassionate manner, avoiding all personal reflections, and keeping close to his argument. He adduced such au- thorities and facts relative to the opinions and principles of congregationalists, as he imagined proved what he before advanced, so far as any thing could be proved by facts and arguments, and that congregationalists at large, abhorred the independence and liberty for which they pleaded ; and that the principle which they maintained, was that of inde- pendents only. He farther evinced, that the ecclesiastical constitution of the colony knew of no council but that of the consociation of the district. That the compilers of it had carefully avoided so much as giving even the name of council to any other number of men, and that whatever re- lated to the general interest of the churches, in the several districts, of an ecclesiastical nature, was committed to them. As he perceived they laid great stress upon that forced construction which they had put upon the seventh and eighth articles of discipline, he paid a more particu- Jar attention to them, and showed what an unnatural and tortured construction they put upon them, totally foreign' from the design of the compilers, inconsistent with them- selves, and a gross perversion and confounding of lan- guage. He observed, that a minister could not be an of- fending and aggrieved person in their view, as the church could pass no censure upon him, as no act of discipline could be exercised in the church without the consent of the pastor. He could not, therefore, possibly be conceived as an offending party, agreeable to their construction. Be- sides, he observed that it was a gross perversion of lan- guage, and contrary to the common sense and feelings of mankind ; that offending or scandalous persons and ag- grieved, were entirely opposite and different characters ; and that the construction they put upon the articles, was
* Marginal note, p. 40.
+ An appeal for the truth of these representations, is made to the pam- phlets which they wrote. The advocates on that side of the question, wrote rather against the platform and constitution itself, than in answer to Mr. Hobart, as will appear by reading their pieces.
525
CHAP. XXV. - CONNECTICUT.
making the scandalous person, the drunkard and the debau- Book II. chee, the same as the innocent and upright man, who is in- jured and oppressed by the unrighteous judgment, or cru- 1760. elty of his brethren. Nothing could be more absurd than this, nothing more contrary to the common use of lan- guage, and the common sense of mankind.
He also shewed wherein they had evaded and not an- swered his arguments : and, with respect to the liber- ties of the churches, he showed in a strong point of light, that the churches and individuals enjoyed as great, and even greater liberty, and that all their ecclesiastical rights were more amply secured by the Saybrook agreement, ac- cording to his construction of it, than that of his oppo- nents. He represented them as much more free, as the people of Connecticut, under their mild constitution of civil government were, than if they had no constitution, or law to control and govern them.
These gentlemen made no reply to Mr. Hobart. But several other pieces were written against his construction of the ecclesiastical constitution of the colony ; some in fa- vor of Cambridge platform, as preferable to Saybrook agreement, others in the strain of independence, but not meeting the arguments of Mr. Hobart. or in any measure invalidating them. Though there was a considerable party in the colony who were advocates for Mr. Dana and the ordination council, yet the great body of the clergy and the churches in general, put the same construction on the constitution which Mr. Hobart had done. The advice of the general association was very generally adopted by the associations and consociations ; greater attention was paid, both to the morals, qualifications and orthodoxy of candidates for the ministry ; ordinations have generally been attended by the consociations of the several districts in which they have been performed.
The aggrieved members in Wallingford were released from taxes to the support of Mr. Dana, by the General Assembly, in the October session in 1759, and allowed to worship by themselves. The Rev. Simon Waterman was ordained pastor over them, October 7th, 1761. The church members at their beginning were fifty, and at the ordination of their pastor, they were increased to sixty- one. The people were made a distinct society, by the name of WELLS, in May, 1763.
Mr. Dana was a young man at the time of his ordina- tion, and had little acquaintance with the colony, and doubt- less took his measures wholly from the ordaining council. Whatever his sentiments were at the time of his ordination,
526
HISTORY OF
CHAP. XXV.
Book II. he doubtless considerably changed them upon further in- provement and more mature consideration. He made no 1760. secret of it, that he committed numbers of his first sermons to the flames. It is but just to observe, that he was a scho- lar and a gentleman, and a man of very general informa- tion, of hospitality, and irreproachable morals.
The gentlemen of the ordination council never reconcil- ed themselves to their brethren, but died in a state of ex- clusion from associational and consociational communion. It was remarkable that, after they had carried the claims of the association and consociation higher than any other gentlemen in the colony, and had excluded others in an extraordinary manner from communion with the associa- tion and consociation, and from the communion of their churches, they should finally be excluded themselves .* This was the unhappy issue of the ordination at Wallingford ; it divided the town, alienated brethren, effected divisions in the commonwealth and churches, and after all, the arts and struggles of the gentlemen who performed it, to excul- pate themselves, criminate and cast odium upon others, brought dishonor and evil upon themselves. So it often eventually proves that, with what measure men mete it is measured to them again.
* Some of them had excluded numbers from communion in their church- es, of their own mere authority and sovereign pleasure, without any vote or consent of the brethren, for hearing their zealous brethren, though re- gularly ordained, orthodox, and unimpeachable as to their morals. They had shut such men out of their pulpits, contrary to all the rules of the con- stitution.
·
527
CONNECTICUT.
CHAP. XXVI.
CHAPTER XXVI.
A Catalogue of the Congregational and Consociated Ministers of Cons necticut, from the year 1713 to the year 1764, inclusively.
COUNTY OF HARTFORD.
Ministers' Names.
Names of Towns.
When ordained, or installed.
Died, or removed.
Timothy Woodbridge Daniel Wadsworth
Hartford,
Nov. 18,
1685
April 30, 173%
Edward Dorr
church
April 20,
1748
Thomas Buckingham
2d do.
Nov. 29,
1732
3d do.
March 30,
1705
June 9,
1746:
Eliphalet Williams
East-Hartford
March 30,
1758
March 1, 1749
Nathaniel Hooker
west division
Dec. 21,
1757
Jonathan Marsh
Windsor,
June,
1710
Sept. 8,
1747
William Russell
1st church 2d do.
May,
1694
Jan. 27,
1758
Joseph Perry
East-Windsor
June 11,
1755
Ebenezer Mills
Turkey Hills
John Mckinstry*
Installed, 1730|Resigned, 1756)
Ellington
January,
1740
Thomas Potwin
North-Windsor
May,
1754
Stephen Mix
Weathersfield, 1st church
Feb. 28,
1737
Elisha Williams
Oct. 17, 1722 Removed,t 1726
Simon Backus
₡d do.
Dec. 28,
1726
1745
Joshua Belden
Nov. 11,
1747
Daniel Russell
3d do.
June 7,
1727
Sept. 16,
1764
Samuel Whitman Timothy Pitkin
1st church
June, .
1752
William Burnham
Qd do.
July,
1756
Benjamin Chapman
March 17,
1756
Samuel Newell
August,
1747
Ebenezer Bogge
4th do. 5th do.
Nov. 27,
1751
Noadiah Russell
Middletown,
June 1,
1715 |June 12,
1761
Enoch Huntington
1st church
Jan. 6,
1762
Joseph Smith Edward Eells
zd do.
Jan. 5,
1715 Sept. 8,
178€
Sept. 6,
1738
1
1st
Sept. 28,
1732
Nov. 19,
1731
Elnathan Whitman
Samuel Woodbridge
Benjamin Colton
4th do. Hartf.
Feb. 24,
1713
1751
Samuel Tuder
Poquonack
January,
1740
Nehemiah Strong
Nathaniel Huntington Seth Norton
Hezekiah Bissell
Wintonbury
Dec. 10,
1706
1751
Samuel Clarke
Dec. 10,
1712
Sept. 23,
1750
Jeremiah Curtis
Nov. 13,
1728 Dismissed, 1755
3d do.
Oct. 14,
1658 Dec. 13, 1713
William Russell
Farmington,
1694 Aug. 28,
1788
James Lo kwood
July 24,
Timothy Edwards
John Woodbridge
* Mr. Mckinstry was educated at Edinburgh ; died 1757, aged 77,
+ Was chosen rector of Yale College.
598
HISTORY OF
CHAP. XXVÍ.
Ministers' Names.
Names of Towns.
When ordained, or installed.
Died, or removed.
Daniel Newell
Oct. 25,
1721 |Sept. 14,
1731
Moses Bartlett
3
June 6, 1733
Ebenezer Gould
December, 1747
John Norton
Nov. 29,
1748
Benjamin Bowers
Sept. 14,
1740 May 16,
1761
Benjamin Boardman
Jan. 5,
1762
Jeremiah Hobart*
Installed,
1700
1715
Phinehas Fisk
1714
1738
Aaron Cleveland
1749
Dismissed, 1753
Joshua Elderkin
1749 Dismissed, 1753
Eleazar May
1756
Dudley Woodbridge
March 3,
1796
Aug. 3,
1710
Timothy Woodbridge Gideon Mills
Simsbury, 1st church.
September, 1744
August,
1754
Benajah Root
Aug. 10,
1757
Benjamin Ruggles
May,
1698
Sept. 5,
1708
Ebenezer Devotion
June 28,
1710
April 11,
1741
Ebenezer Gay
Jan. 13,
1742
John Graham
2d do.
Oct. 22,
1746
Nathaniel Collins
Enfield
1724
John Southmayd
Waterbury
March,
1740 Aug. 20,
1797
John Trumbull
Westbury
Samuel Todd
Northbury
Timothy Stevens
Glastenbury,
October,
1723|Aug. 16,
1758
Chiliab Brainard
January,
1736 June 1,
1739
Nehemiah Brainard
2d do.
January,
1740 Nov. 9,
1742
Isaac Chalker
Installed,
1744
John Bliss
October,
1717 Dismissed,
1734
Benjamin Pomeroyt
December,
1735
1784
Stephen Steele
February,
1722
1759
Nathan Williams
¡April,
1760
Thomas White
Bolton,
Oct. 26,
1725 Feb. 22,
1763
George Colton
1st church
Nov. 9,
1763
Ebenezer Kellogg
2d do.
November, 1762
COUNTY OF NEW-HAVEN.
Joseph Noyes
New-Haven, 1st church
July 4,
1716|June 14, 1761
Chauncey Whittelsey
March 1, 1758
Jacob Hemingway
East-Haven
Oct. 8, 1755
James Wetmore
Isaac Stiles
North-Haven
Nov. 11,
1724
May 14, 1760
Benjamin Trumbull
Dec. 24,
1760 1720 Dismissed, 1722
Samuel Johnson
Jonathan Arnold
1725 Dismissed, 1734
Timothy Allen
1738 Dismissed, 1742
Nathan Birdseye
October,
1742 Dismissed, 1758 1760
Noah Williston
June,
* Mr. Hobart died in the 85th year of his age, and 15th of his ministry, in Haddam. Mr. Fisk was at college with him about one year.
1 Dr. Pomeroy died in the 81st year of his age, and 49th of his ministry.
# Declared for Episcopacy. § Declared for Episcopacy.
1712
Aug 28,
1742
Suffield,
1st church
Peter Reynolds
Mark Leavenworth
Ashbel Woodbridge John Eells
June 27,
1759
1793 April 14,
1726
1st church
Hebron
Tolland
October, 1711 October,
1754
Nicholas Street
1718 Dismissed,t 1722
West-Haven
-
Middletown, Sd society 4th do. 5th do.
Middle Haddam
Haddam
CHAP. XXVI.
CONNECTICUT.
529
-
Died, or removed.
Benjamin Woodbridge Stephen Hawley
Bethany
Samuel Bird
White-Haven
Inst. Oct.13, 1751
Nov. 18,
1685 Jan. 24,
1738
Dec. 9,
1737
May,
1747
Thomas Ruggles
Guilford,
March,
1729
1st church
June 3,
1758
John Hart
East-Guilford
Oct. 23,
1732
Cohabit, or
June,
1725 January,
1746
Samuel Russell John Richards
North-Guilford
November, 1748 Dismissed, 1765
John Sprout Richard Ely
4th church 5th do.
June 3,
1758
Samuel Russell
Branford,
Probably,
1687 June 25,
1731
Philemon Robbins
1st church
Feb. 7,
1732
1727
Warham Williams
3d do.
Samuel Whittelsey
Wallingford,
April,
1710 April 15,
1752
James Dana
1st church
Oct. 12,
1753
Samuel Hall
Cheshire, 2d do.
December,
1724
Theophilus Hall Joseph Moss
Derby,
About
1706
1731
Daniel Humphreys Jonathan Lyman
Oxford,
October,
1745|Oct. 19,
1763
David Bronson
ed do.
April 25,
1764
1756
Durham
Nov. 24,
17561
COUNTY OF NEW-LONDON.
Eliphalet Adams Mather Byles
New-London, 1st church
February,
1709|April,
1753
Nov. 18,
1757
James Hillhouse
ed do.
Inst. Oct. 3, 1722 Oct. 3, 1739
Dismissed
David Jewett
Thomas Buckingham
Saybrook, 1st church
Nov. 17,
1736
Abraham Nott
2d do.
Stephen Holmes
3d do.
John Devotion Jared Harrison
4th do.
Simeon Stoddard James Noyes
Stonington
September, 1674 Dec. 30,
1719%
Ebenezer Russell Joseph Fish
North society
Dec. 27, 1732
[1731
Nathaniel Eells
East do.
July 14,
1733
John Woodward Benjamin Lordt
Norwich
November, 1717 Died Mar.4, 1784.
After the death of Mr. Noyes, Stonington was divided into two societies. + Dr. Lord died about 90 years of age. He was sole pastor of the church until his $4th year, and died in the 67th year of his ministry. During his ministry, the town was divided into eight ecclesiastical societies.
Ministers' Names.
Names of Towns.
Amity
1742
Samuel Andrew
Samuel Whittelsey
Job Prudden
Milford, 1st church 2d do.
Nov. 20,
1795|Died,
1723
Thomas Ruggles, jun'r Amos Fowler
November, 1687|March,
1732
Jonathan Todd
April 17,
1743
Jonathan Merrick
2d do.
Meriden, 3d do.
Oct. 29,
1729
1st church
1733
Nathaniel Chauncey Elizur Goodrich
Feb.' 7,
Feb. 22,
1727
Died,
May 22,
R 3
When ordained, or installed.
1711 Feb. 1,
Azariah Mather William Hart
530
HISTORY OF
CHAP. XXVI.
Ministers' Names.
Names of Towns.
When ordained, or installed.
Died, or removed.
Henry Willis
Norwich,
Oct. 3,
1718|Dismissed, 1750
John Ellis
@d church
1753
Daniel Kirtland
Dec. 10,
1723
Dismissed
Peter Powers
Dec. 2,
1756
Benjamin Throop
4th do. Bozrah Killingworth
Oct. 26,
1709| April 22,
1763
William Seward
N. Killingworth
Nov. 8,
1704 Died,
1724
Ephraim Woodbridge John Owen
Groton,
Nov. 22,
1727
1758
Samuel Kirtland
1st church
Dec. 19,
1757 |Dismissed, 1758
Jonathan Barber
Nov. 3,
1758
Ebenezer Punderson
2d do.
Dec. 25,
1729 |Dismissed*
Jacob Johnson
3d do.
June,
1748
Moses Noyest
-
Lyme,
Dec. 10,
1724 Drowned,
1725
Stephen Johnson
Dec. 10,
1746
Ebenezer Mack
od do.
George Griswold.
3d do.
Nov. 16,
1698 Res'd, Mar. 1744
March 14,
1744
Nov. 20,
1720 June,
1762
Levi Hart
John Bulkley
Colchester,
December,
1703 June,
1731
Ephraim Little
1st church
Sept. 20,
1732
Joseph Lovett
2d do.
1719 Dismissed, 1745
Judah Lewis
Dec. 17,
1729
Thomas Skinner
3d do. Chester
April,
1742
October,
176₡
Robert Robbins
October,
1764
COUNTY OF FAIRFIELD.
Joseph Webb
Fairfield,
Aug. 15,
1694|Sept. 19,
1732
Noah Hobart
1st church
Feb. 7,
1733
Daniel Chapman
od do.
Oct. 26,
1715|Nov. 28,
1741
Daniel Buckingham John Goodsell
Green Farms
March 19,
1742
3d do.
May 18,
1726
Seth Pomeroy
Greenfield
James Johnson
North-Fairfield 4th do.
March 21,
1733
Died,
1749
Nathaniel Bartlett
Reading
May 23,
1753
Samuel Sherwood
Northfield
Aug. 17,
1757
Timothy Cutler1
Stratford,
June,
1722 Dismissed, 1752
1st church
May,
1753
* He professed episcopacy.
+ Mr. Noyes preached 27 years in Lyme before his ordination, because no church could be formed there till that time.
¿ Mr. Parsons removed to Newburyport, and was considered as a gentleman of very respectable character.
§ Mr. Hunn's widow lived to be a hundred years old.
| Chosen rector of Yale College, 1719. In 1722, was removed from his office in the college, as he had professed episcopacy.
1709
1719
Hezekiah Gould Israhiah Wetmore
Preston,
Asher Rossiter
1st church
Hezekiah Lord
@d do.
Nov. 4,
1762
Jonathan Parsonst
Ist church
1693
Samuel Pierpont
1736 Resigned,
1740
Andrew Croswell
Jan. 3, 1738
Jared Elliott
3d do.
Dec. 14,
1763
Nathaniel Hunne
George Beckwith
Salmon Treat
CHAP. XXVI.
CONNECTICUT.
531
Ministers' Names.
Names of Towns.
When ordained, or installed.
Died, or removed.
Charles Chauncey Samuel Cooke Robert Ross Jedediah Mills Richardson Minor
Stratfield
Ripton
February,
1724
January,
1730 Dismissed, 1742*
James Beebe
Mr. Bostwick
Ebenezer Davenport Robert Morris
Mr. Sackett
1717
1727
Stephen Monson
West-Greenwich May 29,
1728 May,
1730
Abraham Todd
1733
John Davenport Ebenezer Wright Noah Wells
Stamford,
May,
1732
May,
1746
Moses Mather
2d do. Middlesex Canaan
Robert Silliman
Stanwick
June 17,
1735
Norwalk,
Nov. 17,
1697
Resign'd, Feb.24,
Stephen Buckingham Moses Dickinson
1st church
1727
[1727
Robert Sherwood William Gaylord Seth Shove
Danbury,
1696
Oct. 3,
1755
Ebenezer White
1st church
March 10,
1736
'Thomas Brooks Noah Wetmore
3d do. Bethel Newtown
Nov. 25,
1760
David Judson
Ridgefield
Nov. 9,
New-Fairfield
March 29,
1758
North society
Oct. 17,
1751
COUNTY OF WINDHAM.
Samuel Whiting
Nov. 4,
1700|Sept. 27, 1795
Thomas Clap
Windham, 1st church
Aug. 3, 1726 Removed, Dec.
Stephen White
Dee. 24, 1740
[10, 1739;
William Billings Samuel Mosely
od do.
May 15,
1734 July 26,
1791
Ebenezer Devotion Joseph Coit
Ød do.
Oct. 22,
1735
1703|March 16, 1748
David Rowland
March 16, 1748|Dis'd, Ap.23,1761
Samuel Easterbrooks
June 13, 1711 |June 26,
1727
John Wadsworth James Cogswell
Canterbury
March 28,
1729 March 1,
1741
Ebenezer Williams
Mansfield,
Oct. 18,
1710 Sept. 20,
1742
Richard Salter
1st church
June 27, 1744
William Throop
Oct. 11,
1744 June 13,
1746
Daniel Welch
2d do.]
June 29,
17521
1726 Dismissed, 173º
od do. Wilton
Feb. 13,
1732
Od do. Newbury
Sept. 28,
1758
Jonathan Ingersoll
Benajah Case James Taylor Thomas Lewis Elijah Sill
1742 Dismissed, 1758
March 28,
1744
Plainfield
January,
Dec. 28,
1744
* Mr. Minor declared for episcopacy, 1742. He went for orders, and died in Eng- land.
+ Mr. Clap was chosen rector of Yale College, and installed in his office, April 2d, . 1740. He presided over the college with great ability and reputation, for about 27 years. He resigned his office, Sept. 10th, 1764. He died at New-Haven, Jan. 7th, 1767.
North-Stratford
Greenwich, 1st church
1694 February,
1731
1st church
Dec. 31,
1746
Benjamin Strong
July 20,
May 20,
1733
532
HISTORY OF
CHAP. XXVI.
Ministers' Names.
Names of Towns.
When ordained, or installed.
Died, or removed.
James Hale
Nov 26,
1718
October, 174%
John Bass
Ashford
Sept. 7,
1743
1751
Timothy Allen
Oct. 12,
1751
Joseph Parsons
Lebanon, 1st church
Dec. 5,
1710|Dis'd, Dec.4,1722
Solomon Williams
Dec. 5,
1722
Mr. Smith,
William Gager,
ed do.
May 27,
1739
Jacob Elliott
3d do.
1728
Ebenezer Williams
Pomfret,"
Oct. 26,
1715|March 28,
1753
Aaron Putnam
1st church
March 10,
1756
Ephraim Avery
Od do.
Feb. 4,
1756
Josiah Whitney
3d do.
Feb. 21,
1753
Josiah Dwight
--
Woodstock,
May 24,
1727 Sept. 10,
1735
Abel S. Stiles
July 27,
*1737
1760
Abiel Leonard
June 23,
+1763
Stephen Williams
July 27,
1747
Seth Paine
Stafford, 1st church
March 23,
1757
Isaac Foster
od do.
Oct. 31,
1764
Samuel Dorrancet
Voluntown
1723 Nov. 12,
1775
Payley Howe
1st church
1754
Martin Cabot
@d do.
Feb. 5,
1730
April,
1756
Noadiah Russell
since Thompson
¡Nov. 9,
1757
Nehemiah Barker
1746
Samuel Wadsworth
3d do.
1747
Eden Burroughs
1760 Dismissed, 176€
COUNTY OF LITCHFIELD.'
Timothy Collins Judah Champion
Litchfield
June 19,
1793|Dismissed, Oct.
July 4,
1753
[14, 175@
Daniel Boardman
New-Milford
June 29,
1748
Nathaniel Taylor Zachariah Walker
May 5,
1670
1700
Woodbury, 1st church
Oct. 22,
1760
Od do. Southbury Jan. 17,
1733
Sd do. Roxbury
August,
1744
Andrew Bartholomew
Harwinton
About
1737
Jonathan Marsh,
New-Hartford Torrington
October,
1799
Nathaniel Roberts
Elijah Webster Daniel Farrand
Canaan
Aug. 12,
1752
[14, 1752
* On a division of the society, in 1760, Mr. Stiles removed to the north society, where he died, July 25th, 1733, in the 75th year of his age, and 46th of his ministry. { Mr. Leonard came to an untimely end, by laying violent hands upon himself. Mr. Dorrance died in the 47th year of Lis ministry, and in the 90th year of his age.
1741
Oct. 1,
1740 Dismissed, Oct.
Anthony Stoddard Noah Benedict John Graham 'Thomas Canfield
May 27,
1702
Sept. 6, 1760
John Fisk
Killingly,
1715
1741
1746
1759
Aaron Brown
1734 July 20,
1740
Eli Colton
1744 June 8,
1756
John Willard
Sept. 4,
1735|Oct. 20,
1754
David Ripley
1690 Sept. 3,
1726
Amos Throop
1st church
1725 |May, · 1739
Eleazar Wheelock
Nov. 27,
1700
1708
Samuel Wells
1720 May 27,
1725
1716
1744
CHAP. XXVI. -
HISTORY OF
533
Ministers' Names.
- Names of Towns.
When ordained, or installed.
-
Died, or removed.
Mr. Pratt
John Searle Cotton Smith
Sharon
Aug. 28,
1755
1740 Dismissed, 175g
Stephen Heaton Abel Newell
Goshen
1754
Cyrus Marsh
Kent,
May 6,
1741
175%
Joel Bordwell
Ist church
Oct. 8,
1758
Sylvanus Osborn
2d do
Jan. 29,
1757
Jonathan Lee
Salisbury
Nov. 23,
1744
Ammi R. Robbins
Norfolk
October,
1761
Reuben Judd
Parish of Judea
March 1,
1748
New-Preston
1757
-
1742
1747
Daniel Brinsmade Noah Wadhams
534
HISTORY OF
CHAP. XXVII.
BOOK II.
CHAPTER XXVII.
History of the Episcopal church and ministers in Connecti- cut, from 1713 to 1764.
THE episcopal church in Stratford is the oldest of that denomination in the state. Of the origin of this, an account was given in the first volume of this history. But, episcopacy made very little progress in Connecticut, until after the declaration of rector Cutler, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Wetmore and Mr. Brown, for episcopacy, in 1722. Num- bers of Mr. Johnson's and of Mr. Wetmore's hearers pro- fessed episcopacy with them, and set up the worship of God, according to the manner of the church of England, in West and North-Haven. Mr. afterwards Dr. Johnson, was a gentleman distinguished for literature, of popular talents and engaging manners. In 1724, after receiving episcopal ordination in England, he returned to Stratford, and under his ministry, to that and the neighboring church- es of that denomination, they were increased.
About the year 1722, or 1723, public worship, accord- ing to the liturgy of the church of England, was first per- formed in Fairfield, by the Rev. Mr. Picket, then mission- ary at Stratford. There were then six families only, of the denomination of episcopalians in the town. Mr. Johnson, who succeeded Mr. Picket, preached to them occasionally and administered the sacraments. In 1725, they were so increased, that they were able to erect a small house for public worship. Two years after, they purchased a small glebe and parsonage house, and sent an account of their state and proceedings, to the society in England, for propogating the gospel in foreign parts. They desired the society to appoint Mr. Henry Canner to be their priest. They succeeded in their application. Mr. Canner was a man of talents and agreeable manners. He was highly esteemed by his people, and under his ministrations the church increased, so that they found their house of wor- ship too small for their accommodation ; and in 1758, they erected a second house of worship, with a steeple and bell. But, in 1744, Mr. Canner, to the very great grief of his people, was removed to Boston. He officiated in king's chapel until 1775. On the commencement of the revolu- tionary war, he returned to England, and died at a great age, in the land of his nativity.
To Mr. Canner succeeded the Rev. Joseph Lamson; in 1745.
435
CHAP. XXVII. CONNECTICUT.
On the 25th of September, 1725, an episcopal church Book II. was formed in New-London. Their first priest was the Rev. Samuel Seabury, appointed April 10th, 1732. He continued with the people until 1743, when he remov- ed to Hempstead, on Long-Island. To him succeeded the Rev. Matthew Graves, April 26th, 1748.
About the year 1734, episcocapy commenced at He- bron. The Rev. John Bliss, the first minister of the town, having been dismissed from his pastoral labors, in that church and congregation, by an ecclesiastical council, soon after declared for episcopacy, and a number of his warm adherents declared with him. In 1735, they erected a church house. He preached to them and read service for a number of years, but was never in orders.
After his death, Mr. Seabury, of New-London, visited them four or five times a year, preached and administered the sacraments to them, and was allowed ten pounds a year for his services at Hebron.
The Rev. Mr. Dean went to England, and took orders for the church at Hebron, but died at sea, on his return, about the year 1745. The Rev. Mr. Punderson, of Gro- ton, then preached to them and administered the sacra- ments from 1746 to 1752. The people at Hebron, were very unfortunate with respect to the gentlemen who went to England for orders in their behalf. . A Mr. Cotton, in 1752, received orders for them, but he died on his pas- sage for New-England, with the small pox. Mr. Graves, of New-London, served them from 1752 to 1757. In 1757, one Mr. Usher went for orders in their behalf. He was taken by the French on his passage to England, and died in captivity.
The Rev. Samuel Peters was ordained their priest, in August, 1759, and the next year returned to New-Eng- land. He continued priest at Hebron, until the commence- ment of the revolutionary war, soon after which, he left this country for Great-Britain.
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