USA > Connecticut > Diocese of Connecticut : formative period, 1784-1791 > Part 5
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Dr. Peters' most famous work, though uever formally acknowledged by him, is: "A General History of Connecticut, By a Gentleman of the Province," published originally in London in 1781 and republished in 1829, and in a final edition in 1877 by Samuel Jarvis McCormick. The satirical tone, the sometimes malicious amusement of the writer over the events of Connecticut history, their treatment of all dissenters from Congregational- ism, and his printing of certain alleged laws which he called the Blue Laws, holding some of these up to ridicule, brought upon him much vituperation and abuse. Writers upon Connecticut history even to the pres- ent day speak of it as untruthful, unfair and exaggerated. It has, however, been shown that the "laws" have a resemblance to some which were enacted in the early days of the Colony.
He also published in 1785, a letter to the Rev. John Tyler on the Possi- bility of Eternal Punishment and the Improbability of Universal Salvation; A History of the Rev. Hugh Peters, 1807; besides articles in the English magazines and papers.
Revd. Sir
I place my Confidance on your Goodness to pardon me for offering my Sentiments concerning a Clergyman who is by you to be named your Successor at Halifax-your acquaintance with that People & your Popularity in that Country, your Abilities, long Service & Great Merit were Reasons Sufficient to have made you the Bishop of Nova Scotia in any Periods of time before 1788 and after 1788. The Authors of this neg- lect too late see their Error, and were they not Infidels or
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Dissenters from our excellent Establishment, they would Mourn for folly and for the Ruin of our Church in Nova Scotia under a Redemptioner whose recent Conduct added to his former compleats his character to the Disgrace of the Mitre-Qui vult perdere &c. &c .- seems applicable to the Society as well as the Civil Powers of Great Britain-they spend great sums of money in their Colonies to support the Church & by ever send- ing improper Clergymen & civil Rulers displease the Colonists and turn from the Church & State-nothing appears so absurd in my Opinion, as to consult only three or four leading Men about who shall be the Clergyman of a town-this Conduct will never increase the Church in America & it has almost emptied the Churches in England-The Society have appointed Dr. Byles Missioner at St. John's-& by it have made it necessary for the People to shelter themselves under James & Milton Lady Huntingdon's Chaplains-and the rest, in general, will follow-and Sally Criecy or Mother Plantan cannot prevent, them, nor hinder their Belief in D'. Califfs Reports .-
If you intend (as I believe you do) the Prosperity of the Church in Halifax; you will not be directed by any Individual in that Town, in appointing your Successor-I know your Character well, and that the People there esteem it highly-& I know of no Man that can succeed to you with half the Repu- tation you left, unless it be the Revd. Bela Hubbard of New- haven in Connecticut, whose voice, address, and politeness exceeds all every other Clergyman ever known to me in New England .- His Character is perfectly known to M'. H. Loyd, he is a good Scholar, & is Dean Barkley's Greek Examiner at the University of New Haven-he was invited to succeed Dr. Apthorp at Cambridge, & D'. Cutler at Boston but he refused both-he was a disciple of & a Convert of mine from the Dis- senters-& excelled in perfections the Revd. M. Kneeland- who was known to you-& me -. If any man besides you can unite the People of Halifax as they were when you left them, MT. Hubbard for his own good & that of the Church you have been forty years in building up. He has a large Family & brought up in great politeness in a most delightful Town now
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oppressed with Taxes & Poverty & discontent with Congress- M. Hubbard has been always loyal, and good policy makes his wish on December 27th 1788 worthy of Notice,-his views are not made known in Connecticut yet-If you should think proper to recommend him for your successor at Halifax-he Expects to be a Servant of the Society and not a dean to a Redemptioner-One thing more, M'. Hubbard has a grateful Heart, an Article understood by only few of the Clergy since the Reformation-
I have the honour to be Revd. Sir Your affectionate Friend and Most humble Servant Samuel Peters.
Feby. 3ª. 1789 Revd. Dr. Breynton. To The Revd. Doctor Peters Charlotte Street pimlico London
př Capt.
William Miles
Hubbard Bela
December 27-1788
recª. Feby. 3ª 1789
Brother Abm mutters & drops his lip that he is forgotten by you & says he should write you but has never a private conveyance, have pitty upon Ab™ The Israelite at Derby is as you are wifeless & will continue so,-Your Nephew is a Stu- dent of Law he was with me from the North last week on his way to Hebron he is clever & bids fair to do honour to the Name-Grace remembers you as does Levi, Anna, Caldwell & Clarinda, but I think Clarinda is in a decline and may soon go to heaven-We have been visited in the united States last fall & this spring with the Influenza wch in many Instances proved fatal especially to old people, it carried off my old Clerk Joseph Browne a good old venerable man in his 89th year, if
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Mr. Leavenworth is ye bearer of this he has been to London before perhaps you know him, he is a Lawyer of this Town Son to M'. Leavenworth of Waterbury he is a sensible man, if it is Baldwin I dont know him but suppose he is a good man by ye return of ye one or the other whoever it is pray write me, and believe me as long as I live your sincerely attached friend & obliged humble Servant.
Bela Hubbard.
After folding up my letter I find it is probable that D". Baldwin will be the bearer who tho not a man of much address is esteemed an honest worthy man-he may have some ques- tions to ask you on the business he goes upon he is trusty & clever.
Revª. D': Peters.
Hubbard Bela Revd. 5 July 1790
22 August 1790 Recd.
30 Octobr. Answrd. Dr. Baldwin.
New Haven October 30th 1790.
Dear Sir:
This moment M'. Broome called on me to let me know that he sets out for Norfolk to morrow morning to embark once more for England, and mentions to me the very kind and gentleman like treatment he hath met with from you, & speaks in ye most handsom manner of you in all companies, as do all our folks who visit your World-I wish I had known sooner of this Voige, I would have sent you a New American prayer book the constitutions to wch it pertains I send you with a catologue of Yale College, the president of which tells me that if you will send your signature, or rather the Name of the College in wch, or, from which, you received your Doctorate he will be careful to do you justice-he is more friendly & is sorry I believe that he ever has written any thing against the Ch". in particular-with regard to our ecclesiastical con-
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stitution lately adopted in this & other States I can only say that it is the best we could get for the present-the door being still open for amendments, it may yet be amended and I do believe such as our Church now is it will be increased by large additions from the Congregatiolists who are much pestured by ye Methodists & Baptists who swarm in all parts of this & indeed in most other States & will go near to win them, the consequence will be that the better people who have any wish for order & stability will in their own defence come into the Church-I have been some time since expecting to hear of your appointment to a Bishopriek of a Trait of country in the Kings American dominions not far from Canady-Scovel or Andrews wrote me last Summer some things about it, but I have heard nothing since, wish most heartily that something may turn up worth your accepting that may bring you once more into ye Land of your Nativity-I have dreamed often of seeing you but when I awoke, it was a delusion-I wish it was a reality that you was once more an Inhabitant of this part of it O, I mean I wish so for myself and many many other of your friends :- last week your Nephew M'. Peters Son of Jonathan was at my house from Sharon where he keeps a School & read Law, and thinks of pursuing that Study more effectually either here or at N Haven or Hartford, he is sensible & I think bids fair to do honor to his Family is highly respected of his friends, told me he had a letter from you in August I think-in which if I remember you told him of your going to France, & of ye ill State of a M'. Peters a relation-you have omitted to write me for a great while I am sorry, but will endeavor to provoke you all I can to renew this business, and if you knew how much satisfaction your letters give me Grace & a circle of your friends in this Town I know your good & benevolent heart would lead you to write oftener than you do-Jarvis, complains, bitterly that he is neglected, & says he is incapac- itated to write you by means of his situation, his Church is as it was, but a New Chh is formed at Chatham & is on ye grow- ing Land where, Jarvis christened about one hundred on land-
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ing, adults & Infants at one stand-at present that Chb is connected with Hebron where they have a young man a MT. Brownson educated with your kinsman & put into Orders by BP. Seabury but believe he will not tarry long with them- MT. James Sayre is now at Stratford, in the place of our old Friend D'. I. Leaming, created a Doctor by the president of Columbia College N York last Commencement, Dr. Leaming has with his wife Phebe for ye gratification of her friends in New York viz: Aunt Hannah & others-removed thither Aunt Hannah remains still Aunt Hannah & will continue to remain Aunt Hannah for ever-Jarvis's boy is a fine boy, I mean Isaac ye Son of Father Abraham & Nancy his Consort-whom not
I have seen for some years-Nathaniel of Derby is yet a Nathaniel indeed-a daughter of his is joined with a M". Blakesly in orders at Northhaven in ye neighbourhood of your Friend Trumbull, who boasts & vaunts himself on being a correspondent with Dr. Peters, take care that you do not burst him-Congress you know have left N York for Philadelphia, but wherever ye go, they are not very likely to give much satis- faction to ye good people of ye States, having learned to take care of themselves & forget their constituents the Six Dollars př day wch they have secured to themselves does not give our frugal Farmers much affection for them, or Zeal for their patriotism, from an Aristocracy we may get next a Government more nearly resembling a limited Monarchy, but whatever shall take place it will very little concern me, as I have little further probably to do in this wayward World being now, an old man with many wrinkles a pale face and a consumptive habit- Grace my old fashioned & very good wife is in much Ye same condition,-but I hope she will live yet a good while she is ambitious to be thought well of by you and therefore begs me to thank you, and thank you again for your many & particularly truths I mean
your late favors, forced upon you by M'. Broome & Hillhouse I meant for her gowns &c. &c .- Hillhouse is your everlasting
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friend & ye old Philosopher I Mansfield-Levi & Anna, Cald- well & Clarinda & a number of those old fashioned friends still continue-& still continue your warm hearty & everlasting friends, as do ye present generation in Connecticut-pray did you receive a line from me by ye hands of a brother in law of Mark Leavingsworth Esq". a M' Baldwin-if this reaches you before he leaves England pray let me hear from you- M. T. Green your friend just this moment begs his love to you & begs you to accept a Sketch of ye life of a certain Joseph Mountain & if you can find out after ye reading of his extra- ordinary life that there is any truth in all, or any of the facts recorded in it, that you would let us know it,-The General Assembly now sits in this Town, a bill for a Divorce preferred by I Strong Esquire, of our upper house of Assembly-and likewise a Bill from his wife who was Susanna Wyllys daughter of old Secretary Wyllys, has occasioned me to attend ye house e several days & will take up possibly two or three days more before it will be finished, ye consequence if a Divorce takes place, will be, that both, will remain, without help meats during life, & ye one dropped from all public entrustments, let them pass-I do not wish you such a wife, but if you ever again change your condition, may you have a better, yet I think her far better than her husband-Our business in State Assemblies grow less & less and will finally come to nothing-All your friends here salute you-especially Levi & Anna, & Wm. G. & Elizabeth his wife
Hubbard who was Betsey Douglass, daughter of B. Douglass Esq" .- Grace Nancy Hubbard my Daughter & all my family begging the best love to you & your good daughter, Son in Law own Son &c .- & believe me worthy & dear Sir yours unalterably
Bela Hubbard.
Revd. Dr. Peters
Hubbard Bela 30 Octb 90 recª. Dec". 10-
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New Haven January 9th. 1791
Dear Sir:
I wrote you some time since by Mr. Samuel Broome, and learning this moment that, a Vessel is bound from this port to London I cannot fail writing you, although I have nothing that I can say to you that can afford you satisfaction. I told you before that the Gentlemen from America who have been so fortunate as to be recommended to your acquaintance, all speak, highly of you, as not only a good and benevolent man of a great Stock of Information, but as a warm friend to your Native Country: & I think D'. Stiles begins to think more favorably of you, yet he cannot forgive you for 'writing (as he says you did) the history of Connecticut'-but old Secretary Wyllys who quarters in the Sessions of the Assembly two doors from me will not be a moment without it, he reads it ye last thing when he goes to bed & the first thing when he arises- but few people now are disposed to laugh with us, if they cry not, they have the inclination at least to be serious, the expenses of our Government & the duties with which our trade is sadled are enough to make those furious, who expected our Inde- pendence would be productive of every good-Our general Assembly are now setting at New Haven-& they have per- mitted a Refugee D'. Jos. Clarke late of Stratford but of New-Brunswick to collect his debts in this State so that you see that body begins to be inclined to open the. Eyes to see things as right & just which but a little while ago was other- wise-I think in a letter sent you by Mr. Broome I forwarded our Ecclesiastical constitution, and before this, I presume you have seen our New-common prayer book. I would thank you for your candid opinion both on the one & the other-the book is adopted but not as yet gone into general use but suppose it will-if I can send you one of these books I will-I think the Church in Connecticut is on ye whole gaining reputation old prejudices are daily giving way-and dissenters think more justly of religion-Trumball is your friend, has sent you D". Edwards piece agt Universalism, I think I'zm is not encreasing,
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though Tyler continues to preach it as heretofore and Murray, but few of the Clergy in this Country of any denomination have appeared on its side-but Arianism & Socinianism are I think gaining ground in this Country, both to the Eastward & Westward, our Clergy keep Connecticut to ye old orthodox Doctrines-and we have in our Church a worthy set of young Clergymen coming forward who I hope will make good ye ground of the Old-ones, of these there are Perry of Newtown, Baldwin of Litchfield, Ives of Cheshire, Hull of Branford, Blakesley of Northhaven, Shelton of Fairfield, &c. &c., Foot of Rye, & lately Ogilvie of Norwalk with others, at hebron & Chatham th' is a M'. Tillotson Brunson a Scholar & man of sense but no great preacher-Dr. Walter I hear has left Shelbourn & about to settle at D'. Cutlars Chh. in Boston & Cambrige-a M". Ogden is at Portsmouth an active Clergyman but why do I take up your time in mentioning particular men, we have many in the Country who do well in y' stations-Old Jarvis wishes you would excuse his Indolence, & believe him at bottom your friend, he is in truth an old man and his son & Nancy to take care of-Scovel & Andrews I suppose you hear of now & then who are forever seperated from me-I wish you was on this side the Atlantuk setled as a Bp. in some Northern Sea & when that shall take place, I intend if Grace continues with me & I with her, to do myself the honor to become one of your Presbyters-with her best love in perfect union with mine I subscribe myself dear Sir your very affectionate friend & brother.
Bela Hubbard.
Revª. Dr. Peters.
Reverend Samuel Peters, L. L. D. Grosvenor Place, London.
Favoured by ) Capt. Brooks.)
Hubbard Revd. 9 Jan'. 1791 recª. April 6,-91 Ans. May 2ª-91
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New Haven April 5th. 1795.
Dear Sir,
The bearer of this is Mark Leavenworth Esquire a Lawyer of New Haven who with his wife an agreeable woman goes to London on some business & to return, he has promised to deliver this & the letter that accompanies it to you, and any little Services you can in your way render him I have no doubt you will afford him and his amiable companion he is a sensible man & son of MT. Leavenworth of Waterbury-The occasion of my troubling you now is this, I have lately received a letter from Bishop Inglis inviting me to accept the vacant Mission of Cumberland in N. Scotia-it seems it is an old Mission and worth as he tells me £70 Sterling from Govern- ment and £40 Ster. from the Society, I thought these Missions had a larger allowance, it has likewise he says a good Glebe pertaining to it, but no parsonage house built upon it, the mis- sion is but a little better than my allowance from my present Cure, but I believe I cannot engage the people here to fix a Salary for life, and I think with a numerous family rendered poor from a poor Salary & an expensive situation I ought to acecpt a Certainty for an uncertainty-you know I can obtain from the Bishop & Clergy in this State such Testimonials of my good moral character & diligence in my clerical office as will be fully satisfactory to the Society & the Bishop of Nova Scotia as they may think needful-I have accordingly written to Dr. Morice, and asked his assistance with ye Society to add if the Mission is but £40 to add £10 Ster-to it & bare the expense of removal of my family, or, if they have another Mission in that quarter of the World with a larger allowance, that they would appoint me to it-will you deliver the letter that accompanies this to D'. Morice, and use your influence in my favour, it will be absolutely impossible for me to move to Nova Scotia without the Societies assistance-and if they would be so good as to advance a years salary it would be of great use to me, as I might then lay in a years store of provisions much cheaper here than there, I could have wished
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the vacancy had been in New Brunswick as those Missions have £100 Ster from Government and £50 Ster-from the Society- but believe me my dear Sir, my poverty calls too so strongly upon me to do something for my family better y" I can do for them in this place, that I must I think accept of this Missions but I hope that in consideration of my former long Services for about Twenty years the Society will consider me, and in their wisdom & goodness make the Mission at least equal to any other in that Province, you will much oblige me in urging my necessities which are truly pressing-since the receipt of your letter by Mr. Baldwin, our American papers have announced the Revª. Dr. Peters Bishop of Canada how is it? let me hear from you as soon as may be, your friends salute & greet you well here, & none more heartily than my old companion-accept our best wishes for you, & present our best love to M' and Mrs. Jarvis with our congratulations for her happy addition to her family, and enfold in your arms for me your former image & likeness Birdseye Peters whom God bless and make him good, useful & happy in this World & Eternally blessed in another thus prays your old friend and most obedt. humble Servt.
Bela Hubbard.
N.B. you recollect the Society allowed Scovel Andrews &c. some back Salaries Grace wishes you to hint if it will do something of this for me assist me all you can & God bless you- The Revd. D'. Peters- To The Revª. Dr. S. Peters Grosvenor place or Charlotte Street Pimlico London-
Favour'd by
Mark Leavenworth Esq".
Hubbard Revd. 5th April 1791 recª 26 May-
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JEREMIAH LEAMING.
Jeremiah, a son of Jeremiah and Abigail (Turner) Leaming, was born in Durham, Connecticut, and was baptized by Nathaniel Chauncey, who was the first pastor of the Church of Christ in that town, on May 12, 1717. His father's farm appears to have been near the Middletown line, but the family evidently attended service in the old Congregational Church on Durham Green.
The son probably worked upon the farm in the summer and attended school in the winter as was the custom in New England. He entered Yale College when he was twenty-four and graduated with honor in 1745. Among his classmates was Thomas Bradbury Chandler, afterward one of the most noted of the Colonial Clergy and the pleader for an American Episcopate.
It was while in College that Mr. Leaming conformed to the Church of England as many other young men of ability were then doing. He studied theology under the Rev. Dr. Johnson of Stratford. He became lay reader in St. Paul's Church, Norwalk, very much to the gratification of the Congregation. They were desirous that he should become their minister upon his ordination. But his eminent qualifications as a teacher caused Dr. Johnson to commend him to the Vestry of Trinity Church, Newport, Rhode Island, as a suitable principal for the school founded under the will of Nathaniel Kay and assistant to the Rev. James Honyman.
Mr. Leaming went to England in the spring of 1748. He was made deacon June 5 of that year by Dr. Gilbert, Bishop of Llandaff, and ordained priest June 19, by Dr. Hoadley, Bishop of Winchester.
Upon his return he entered upon his duties in Newport. He was very acceptable and remained for ten years. During a vacancy after the death of Mr. Honyman in 1750, he had full charge of the parish until the arrival of the Rev. Thomas Pollen in 1754. In 1758 he became Rector at Norwalk and missionary in a wide circuit.
To the development of the work in that growing town he gave twenty-one years, in which the parish grew in every way and a new church was built.
The invasion of Norwalk by troops under the British General Tryon, in July, 1779, completed the indignity and suffering he had received from the Sons of Liberty, and the mob masquerading under the name of patriots. He had been confined in a damp room at the jail, compelled to take long midnight journeys to be examined as to his tory principles and endured other outrages.
The disasters of that summer day when General Tryon burned Norwalk were great. The church, rectory, library and nearly all Mr. Leaming's household goods were destroyed. With his family he took refuge in New York City. He officiated in turn with other loyalist clergymen in the City Hall, as St. Paul's Chapel could not hold all the people who desired to attend.
It was during this period that he was offered in April, 1783, by Mr. Jarvis, Secretary of the Convention, which met at Woodbury on March 25,
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the episcopal chair of Connecticut. His infirmities compelled him to decline, for he had contracted a serious hip disease.
At Easter, 1784, Mr. Leaming became Rector of Christ Church, Stratford. In that time of uncertainty while the Bishop designate was seeking con- secration in England his wise counsel and cheering words encouraged his brethren. With Abraham Jarvis, the Secretary of the Convention, he conducted the correspondence with Dr. Seabury. He preached the sermon before the Convention at Middletown on August 3, 1785, when they recog- nized Bishop Seabury.
When the difficulties in the way of a continental union of the Church in the United States seemed insurmountable, he was asked during a meeting of the Convocation at Wallingford to go to Scotland to be made a coadjutor to Bishop Seabury. He again refused for his infirmities had grown greater.
In 1790 he resigned his parish and lived for some time in the city of New York but spent the later years of his life at New Haven in the home of Mr. James A. Hillhouse, an intimate friend of Mr. Leaming.
He died, September 15, 1804, in the eighty-eighth year of his age.
Dr. Leaming married in 1751, while in Newport, a relation to the Kay family, who died a few months after. He married in 1755, Elizabeth Peck of New York. She was the aunt of Hannah (Peck) Farmar, the wife of Bishop Abraham Jarvis. She died after a few years. A life interest in her large estate was left to her husband. It then reverted to the family of the Bishop.
Dr. Leaming was a forcible writer and sustained well his part in a controversy with Noah Welles upon Episcopal government. The letters were published in 1765 and 1770. His Evidences of Christianity and Dis- sertations upon various subjects are of value.
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