USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut. Volume I, 1600-1760 > Part 47
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Douglas, Salmon Wheat, Samuel Parish, Ebenezer Bacon, Ebenezer Cleve- land, William Fitch, Joseph Bacon, Abraham Paine, Jun., JJoseph and Eliza- beth Johnson, all padrousing satificuts from the pastors of divers churches, with consent of the brethren that they were in full communion andregular standing in said churches, and being recommended to ye watch and care of this church, it was voted. ' That they may be admitted to all church privileges in this church.' Also, 'That the Rev. Mr. Wadsworth, Solomon Paine and Obadiah Johnson be a committee to discors with and examen persons on the grounds of their faith and spirital experences that manafest their desire of joining to this or nabring churches, that belong to this society, and also to take care that proper means be taken to reclaim those that may fall into and continue in open and scandalous sin or sins, that do or may belong to this church.'"
The rights of the church as paramount to those of the society were next asserted by the progressive Revivalists. Hitherto, they had merely objected to candidates selected by the society-the society retorting by locking the meeting-house against their favorite exhorters- now they claimed the right to take the initiative, choose, call and settle a minister. Benajah Douglas, one of the newly-admitted mem- bers, was exceedingly earnest and zealous. He, with Solomon Paine, Obadiah Johnson and others, in view of "the great difficulties and disadvantages the church had long labored under for want of a spiritual pastor, and that all indeavors in conjunction with the society had proved abortive," humbly prayed-that there might be a meeting of the brethren in full communion, properly warned, "that after asking counsel of the Wonderful Counsellor, they may, by direction of his blessed Word and Spirit, consider what may be done, and proceed in that affair as they shall find it their duty, in order to procure a pastor to take the oversight of said church, who is a man after God's own heart."
In compliance with this request, a church meeting for the object specified, was duly warned by lawful authority. This bold assumption of the right of independent church government greatly alarmed the conservative party in Canterbury, and they rallied in full strength to oppose it. The meeting was held, May 5, 1743, and largely attended by both parties. Colonel Dyer, as leader of the opposition, attempted to forestall all action " by beginning to bring arguments and raise objections, and assuring the church they were wrong in what they were going to do." The moderator desired him to forbear till after prayer. One of the brethren mnoved, "That the church should join to ask counsel of God, in the first place, according to the warning," where- . upon Colonel Dyer, with a loud voice, bade him " Hold his tongue till he had done, for the meeting was so disorderly and for contention that he would not join in prayer, and when the moderator spake to the church to join in prayer, he, in a hasty manner, went out." Returning after a time, he found the church debating the proper steps to procure a pastor, objected to their proceedings and declined to vote, but pointed
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at those who did, saying, " See what a small number there is, and some of them have no freehold estate and do they think to come begging to the society for that power, and can anybody think that the society shall hear them !" A brother replied, " That they were not about to beg the society's power, and cited a text to prove the church's power." "I wonder," said the angry Colonel, " that you are not ashamed to talk so." "Be careful," was the reply, "how you speak against it, for it is Scripture." "Silence ! you sorry fellow !" roared the Colonel. "I will have no exhortiug here," and "when entreated to forbear, went out without asking leave."
Colonel Dyer's remonstrances were so far effectual that a committee was appointed, "to draw up something to lay before the society, in desiring that they would be willing that the church might nominate some meet person to preach in said society upon probation, in order to be the pastor of that church." This request, if preferred, was not granted, the society having already invited Mr. Strong to preach for three months, by the advice of the County Association. The church continuing its efforts, at an adjourned meeting, May 9, voted :-
" I. That we set apart Wednesday, 18 of this instant, for fasting and prayer, to humble ourselves before ye Lord, to seek a right way to obtain a faithful gospel minister.
II. That we send to the Rev. Messrs. Williams of Lebanon, Benj. Lord of Norwich, Hezekiah Lord of Preston, Mosely, Wheelock and White of Wind- ham, to come to our assistance.
III. That Captain Johnson and Solomon Paine wate upon the Rev'd jentel- mean, to desier their presents and assistance.
IV. That Capt. Johnson and Solomon Paine waite upon the society's committee for the keys to open the meeting-house to assemble in upon the fast.
V. That Deacon Beacons, Capt. Johnson, Josiah Cleveland, Solomon Paine and Benajah Douglas wate upon the fore-named rev'd ministers after public service to ask their advice in respect to our resetelment.
VI. That Stephen Gates be received under the watch and to ye church privi- leges of this church."
Whether meeting-house was procured and fast held is not reported. Mr. Strong arrived, was heard and condemned. At a church-meeting, May 26, it was put to vote :-
"I. Whether they would improve Mr. Thomas Strong on probation, in order to be pastor of this church, and it passed in the negative.
II. Whether this church concur with the society in improving Mr. Samuel Hopkins in supplying the pulpit according to ye late vote of said society, provided Mr. Strong don't come and supply ye pulpit ye hull term of time exprest in said society vote, and it passed in the affirmative."
The society probably refused to concur with the church in improving Mr. Hopkins, and retained Mr. Strong for the time specified. Mr. Adams, next procured, was equally unsatisfactory. The church called a meeting to consider his preaching, and appointed a committee to
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show him his errors. Their report is subjoined as a specimen of the inquisatorial spirit of the day, and the requirements of the Revivalists :
" CANTERBURY, Sep. 7, 1743.
To the Church of Christ now met by adjournment :-
Dearly Beloved : According to your order, we, the subscribers, waited upon Mr. Adams, informed him that the church was dissatisfied, and gave liim a copy of the church's vote concerning his sermons, I. Cor. x : 31, and in answer to what the church saith of the general run of said sermons (in that they imply that man hath a power to glorify God, not implying that the new birth is necessary) he saith, 'That he was preaching to Christians, and they had passed through the new birth, and therefore it was not needful to show the necessity of it.' We asked him, ' Whether he thought that all who lieard him were such ?'
ADAMS. ' No! but all that I directed my discourse to were.'
COM. 'It did not appear so by the terms used in addressing them.'
A. 'In opening the text, I did show that the Apostle writ to the Christians at Corinth, and that showed that I was preaching to Christians. Is not that true ? '
C. 'It is true the Apostle did as you say, but in your doctrine, the founda- tion of your discourse, you address them under the general denomination of men, which is not peculiar to Christians, but when it is used by way of dis- tinction it denotes men in their natural estate.'
A. ' Women heard me, too, and you may say I did not preach to them because I did not call them women.'
C. 'Preaching up duty and works as terms of life is dangerous.'
A. 'I did not say they were terms of life but what Christians ought to do because they were redeemed, which I laid down as an obligation to obedience, and also showed that I was showing Christians their duty, and ought they not to do those duties that I laid down? '
C. 'Many of them were duties that ought to be done, and the doing of them to be pressed upon Christians, but you did not show that faith in Jesus Christ and the love of God in the soul were absolutely necessary in order to glorify God in doing them.'
A. ' I did mention faitli and love, with several other things, as necessary.'
C. 'But inasmuch as you put them with several other things, and then said that all or some of them were necessary, you so left it in your sermon that people might take the other and leave out faith and love, as not being so abso- lutely necessary.'
A. 'I could not help that, and nobody would take my sermons as the church . hath represented, except they were prejudiced against me.'
C. 'Some that like your preaching have taken it so, and say they are of opinion that if a man doth what he can he shall be accepted.'
A. 'You need not fear it hurting you, knowing you are converted as you say.'
C. 'Our hearts are so apt to deceive us on that point, we earnestly desire to have the Word divided aright after we have been enlightened and sanctified in part, but we look upon it most dangerous for those poor souls that are dead in sins, for they know of no other way but to do and live. One of us was discoursing with a man in this town concerning that point, and the man said, " That God doth not require anything of any man but what he hath given power to do."'
A. 'It is true that God hath given him power to do all that he requires of him.'
COM. 'Has God given every man power to believe ?'
A. 'Was any man ever lost who did what he could to save himself, or towards his own salvation ? '
When we had heard what he, as above-written, saith to the general expres- sion the church had taken, we then discoursed of the particulars that were in themselves contrary to sound doctrine, viz., that it is not necessary in every particular to [illegible] the Glory of God, and he, to rectifie that point asked, ' Whether perfect sinless obedience was required under the Gospel?'
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COM. 'Nothing but a perfect righteousness would be accepted.'
A. 'We are not under the Law, but under Grace.'
COM. 'Shall we continue in sin because we are not under the Law ?'
A. 'No. But would you have me preach that man must have a perfect sinless obedience ?'
COM. 'They must aim at and endeavor after it, but it is in their aims that you have left such room, and that makes it the more dangerous, and in your saying that it matters not much whether a man knows precisely whether the reward of happiness or the glory of God be the chief motive to put him upon doing, &c., we look upon it to be the more dangerous, because we are of opinion that that is the most necessary and most difficult point to know in self-examination.'
A. ' What goes before and follows after in my sermon guards against this danger.'
COM. 'You have not said anything in your sermons that implied that there were any that were in danger of perishing in the state they were in.'
A. 'I did, in showing how they should come to God, imply that as plainly as if I had said it in plain words.'
COM. 'But you did not tell them they had no legs nor power to come, and they were dead.'
A. . Christians have legs, and such I was preaching to.'
We informed him that the church would meet on this day, and we desired him to be present at this meeting. He said he was, going out of town. We asked him what answer we should give the church on the premises. He said, he cared not what, and left us.
SOLOMON PAINE. THOMAS BRADFORD. BENAJAH DOUGLAS."
The church, on receiving this report, manifested by vote their dis- like of Mr. Adams' doctrines, and adjourned their meeting to September 12, " that ye light may be made manifest to all in that respect," requesting the presence of the offending candidate and all the brethren of the church. Mr. Adams not appearing, the church voted, "That they were still dissatisfied with what he had delivered in his sermons," and requested Solomon Paine and others, "To draw up something in the name of the church, to be publicly communicated at ye next public lecture, to show their dislike and resentment of such preaching.". Wednesday, October 12, was again set apart for a day "of solemn fasting and prayer to Almighty God, that he would revive his work among us, and show us wherefore it is that he hath frowned upon our former endeavors for the settlement of the Gospel in this place, and bless us in our present endeavors for that end." Another important matter also engaged the attention of the church. At the meeting called to consider Mr. Adams' doctrines and to take some proper steps for the obtaining of a spiritual pastor, a paper was presented, signed by Colonel Dyer, Captain Cobb, Edward Raynsford, Stephen Frost, Solo- mon Adams, David Munroe and others, protesting against the pro- ceedings of the church, declaring "That they did it to make themselves strong, and were still fond of their own wills, and had put the society to great charge by their illegal acts." It being a sudden thing, the church was at first too much overcome to consider whether these
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brethren were chargeable with a fault in what they had done, but soon recovered itself sufficiently to warn a meeting expressly to consider the protest, and nearly all the protesters being present, spent a whole afternoon and evening in "discoursing on the premises on both sides." Colonel Dyer and his supporters were unable to show any just grounds for the charges alleged, only their own opinions and doubts; declined to own themselves in the wrong, take the opinion of the learned, or confer privately with particular persons. Another meeting was then appointed, "to see what their fault was, in order to tell them their fault, in order to restore them." At the appointed time, Novem- ber 4, the protesters were still of the same mind, whereupon, the church proceeded to tell them that in the opinion of the " church, "they were guilty of evil surmising, irregular and un- christian treatment and disorderly behavior towards the church." The brethren refusing to explain, retract, or acknowledge themselves in fault, after much discussion, the church ordered, " That a letter of admonition be sent to them as matter of conviction." The admonition was prepared and publicly administered, but failed to bring the refractory brethren to submission.
The church, after condemning Mr. Adams, invited Rev. Samuel Buell to preach on probation, but were unable to make any permanent or satisfactory arrangements under the circumstances. A majority in the society opposed the Revival party. Major Fitch, it will be remembered, had admitted some " vagabond fellows " among the early inhabitants of Canterbury, and an unusually large proportion of its population was without the church, and indifferent or hostile to religion. The bold denunciations of the Revival preachers and exhorters had aroused the hostility of this irreligious class, and they gladly co-operated with Colonel Dyer in enforcing the laws and resisting the encroach- ments of the church. Finding that all attempts at mutual accommo- dation were fruitless, that the breach was continually widening, and no legal settlement of a minister possible, both parties were driven to seek relief from abroad. The disturbed condition of affairs in Canterbury had greatly scandalized both friends and enemies of the Revival, and neighboring ministers gladly availed themselves of the invitation to aid and advise in effecting a settlement. A minority of the church, representing a majority of the society, summoned the Windham County Consociation to hear and judge of the subsisting difficulties, and invited Deacon Backus, Obadiah Johnson, Solomon Paine and others differing from them in opinion, " as brethering aggrieved, to join them in laying the whole matters of difficulty before this body. The majority of the church, having formally accepted Cambridge Platform, could not recog- nize the authority of a body constituted by Saybrook form of discipline,
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and declined to accept the offer, but invited a number of ministers favoring the Revival, with messengers from their respective churches, to meet in council and "judge respecting the difficulties caused by a number of ye brethren causing divisions in the church by their conduct." Mr. Elisha Paine, who had been itinerating through the summer but was now in Canterbury, was appointed "to represent ye church in laying the matter before said council, and also to advise with said council respecting ye resetelment of a gospel minister over us."
Both bodies met in Canterbury, December 12, 1743-a goodly number of ministers and messengers, friends and opponents of the Revival, all deeply anxious to restore peace and harmony to this ยป distracted people and settle a gospel minister over them. The conven- tions of the Consociation were held at the meeting-house. The ministers present were Messrs. Ebenezer Williams, Coit, Eliot, Cabot, Avery, Devotion and Bass; the messengers, Samuel Nightingale, William Marsh, Gershom Clark, David Hamilton, William Larned, Joseph Holland, Joseph Davison, John Bass and Josiah Bugbee. After humble supplication for direction and assistance, Messrs. Dyer, Raynsford, Brown, Frost and Smith, as committee in behalf of a number of the Canterbury church, laid before them a paper containing the following matters of grievance with certain members of the church :-
" 1. Their admitting members into the church without a pastor.
2. Trying and judging points of doctrine by a major vote.
3. Their challenging it to be their right to choose a minister for ye society.
4. Their voting that Mr. Strong should not be called upon probation for their pastor, notwithstanding ye Association advised him and far the greatest part of ye society were for obtaining him.
5. Their judging and condemning Mr. Adams' doctrine by a vote
6. And when a great number of ye brethren show their dislike to several of these acts by giving their reasons, (though in soft terms), they were judged and condemned for evil surmisings, irregular and unchristian treatment and disorderly behavior and warrants sent out for them to come before them to receive conviction, and did proceed publicly to admonish some in their inceting, and Captain Johnson and Solomon Paine went about to admonish others in ye name of ye Lord Jesus Christ."
Copies of the citation sent to the offending members, and their refusal to appear, were also laid before the Consociation. A formal invitation was now sent to them by the elders and messengers, to which the committee replied, "That we cannot answer your request to appear before you as a Consociation in the name of our church, they being a Congregational Church according to Saybrook Platform, and according thereto have called a council, consisting of elders and messengers sent by ye neigliboring churches, that are now sitting at the house of Captain Wadsworth as an open council ; free for any person to hear that desires light, and we have no power from the church to confer or advise with any other council or persons." The Consociation, upon this
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refusal, proceeded to hear and consider the evidences and pleas made and given by the aggrieved brethren and " came into ye following resolves and judgments :-
" Query. Whether it appears to ye Council that ye said church in Canter- bury, from ye beginning of it, has been Congregational according to Cam - bridge Platform ?
Resolved unanimously : That it does not by any explicit act of theirs, but on ve contrary, it is manifest by their practice that they have always acted agreeable to the Constitution of this Colony, as was evident to us by a great variety of instances and especially by one since the removal of their late pastor- in sending Mr. Elisha Paine to a cousociation at Windham, and he acting therewith and being by them made choice of as a delegate to ye Gen. Con- sociation at Guilford, and there voluntarily acting as a member of said Consociation.
2. Whether a vote of a number of the brethren of ye church, made Jan. 27, 1743, doth denominate them to be a Congregational church according to Cam- bridge Platform? Resolved, unanimously, in ye negative. Inasmuch as it appears to us that ye brethren had not sufficient notice given them that ye meeting was for that purpose and part of them were not present at said meeting, and others who voted did not sufficiently understand ye vote, nor by any means designed to recede from the Ecclesiastical Constitution of the Government Furthermore, we are of opinion, that althoughi ye brethren had been regularly warned, it would have been an infringement on ye natural rights and liberties of mankind for any number of them, without the consent of the rest, to hold them to any constitution they were not before under and did not consent to. And therefore we judge that the first church in Canterbury still remains a church agreeable to ye Ecclesiastic Constitution of this Colony, and not a Congregational Church according to Cambridge Plat- forni. And this church not being Congregational had no right-nor could it be expedient had they been under the Constitution they pretended they were- to admit members into ye church withouta pastor; nor to judge and determine by a major vote as in ye case of Mr. Adams; nor to supersede ye vote of ye society for a candidate to preach among them as in ye case of Mr. Strong; nor to judge, condemn and formally to admonish a number of their brethren, and especially for those things in their protest which appear to us (although some of them rash and unadvisable) not to be censurable and although these unprecedented acts are invalid and might be thought under some circumstances to deserve a censure ; yet, considering ye great tempta- tions which this people are laboring under by reason of ye dissentions in those matters where men's consciences may be concerned we judge : That the brethren of this church should mutually forgive each other their hard speeches and nucharitable conduct and for the future should act in conformity unto and in conjunction with each other Wherefore, we beseech you brethren, let all bitterness and wrath and clamor and evil-speaking be put away from you with all malice We desire the church and con- gregation (as soon as may be) to call a number of neighboring ministers, viz., the Rev. Mr. Lord of Preston, Mr. Mosely, Mr. Avery, Mr. Devotion, to join with and assist, them in keeping a day of solemn fasting and prayer to God on ye account of their broken and unsettled and lamentable circumstances. We also advise the people to apply to Mr. Lee or Mr. Cogswell of Lebanon, and in case they don't succeed with them, to Mr. Wells, now keeping school at Hartford, to preach among them on probation."
The council of ministers and messengers-the Reverends Joseph Meacham, Hezekiah Lord, Joseph Fish, Benjamin Pomeroy and David Jewett, Deacons Samuel Parker, Nathaniel Brown and Joshua Ray- mond, and Messrs. Jonathan White, Daniel Fitch and Joseph Lee- was sitting meanwhile at the house of Captain Joseph Wadsworth, near the meeting-house. The protest of the aggrieved brethren and
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the consequent action of the church, were first laid before it, but as all the light that seemed needful could not be obtained for want of a greater freedom between the church and dissenting brethren, the council was laid " under some incapacity to give a compleat judgment in ye case." It noticed " with great grief a want of mutual forbearance and charity, found harsh and uncharitable expressions in ye brethren's paper, and was very sorry that the church was so rash and precipitate in some measures they had taken with said brethren, particularly in the solemn admonition read to them, and therefore advised both parties to serious self-reflections and mutual confessions, forgiveness and charity." With respect to the grievous difficulty they had so long labored under for want of a pastor, it offered the following " sentiments and advice :-
"1. That every religious society hath a right (being destitute) to nominate and call a candidate or probationer for ye gospel ministry, according to ye custom of God's visible people.
2. That it belongs to ye church to call ye pastor to office, so that,
3. No tyranny or unjust imputation either of ye society over ye church or of ye church over ye society, may be exercised.
4. That their mutual interests being thus blended together, they ought always to endeavor as much as in them lies to act in concord and mutual agreement in such important affairs. Hence,
5. No society may be hasty, rash or precipitant in censuring or publicly blaming ye conduct of ye church, although they should from time to time, con- scientiously negative ye choice of a candidate for ye ministry ; but must exercise great patience and condescension, endeavoring by Scripture and reason with incekness and gentleness to convince them wherein they think them out of the way-and no less are ye obligations of ye church towards ye society in like cases. And now, in order to your happy agreement in calling and settling a pastor, we can think of no better expedient, than-
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