USA > Connecticut > Windham County > History of Windham County, Connecticut, Volume II, 1760-1880 > Part 8
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69
With a new minister, Scotland aspired to a new meeting-house. After having been compelled "to mend the glass when much broken, by taking from other windows and boarding them up where least useful"-it was voted, Nov. 9, 1772, to build a meeting-house for the public worship of God, and there were ninety-eight yeas and twenty nays. Elisha Lillie, Captain Joseph Ginnings, Seth Palmer, Experience and Reuben Robinson, were chosen "to draw a plan of bigness of meeting-house." It was agreed to give Mr. Elisha Lillie £750, for building the house, walls clapboarded with rived pine clap- boards, and colored with a decent color; but it was not till June, 1774, that a committee was chosen to procure the necessary rigging and help, together with suitable provisions for raising the frame. The opposition of the Separates was one cause of this delay. Find- ing that they were about to be taxed heavily for this new house of worship, they appealed to the General Assembly, showing :-
" That in 1749, believing in good conscience that the principles and articles and some of the doctrines adhered to by the Scotland church and people, were not agreeable to the gospel, and as they or most of them hoped they were enlightened by the light of God's countenance, and found by repeated trials that they could not profit by the ministrations of Mr. Devotion, and in 1749, confederated together separate from said minister and people, and set up a religious worship according to the dictates of their own consciences, and called Mr. John Palmer as elder or teacher, who was ordained over them and has continued preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments to your memorialists, and they have freely contributed to his support, and built a comfortable house to necommodate those who join with them in divine service, and all this time have been forced to pay for the support of Mr. Devotion and Mr. Cogswell, and repairing the meeting-house, and other society charges, although they have earnestly requested relief in vain,- wherein they beg you to consider if it is agreeable to the laws of Christ or consonant to the rules of equity for your memorialists and their children, to have their effects by force of law taken from them to support a minister with whom they never did nor can join in worship, and support their own
57
WINDHAM'S SECOND SOCIETY, ETC.
minister too, and pray you to take their distressing case into your considera- tion and enaet that they be made a distinct society.
Zacheus Waldo. John Walden.
John Silsbury.
Zebulon IIebard. Stephen Webb.
Timothy Allen.
Lemnel Bingham. Israel Hale.
Samuel Baker, Jun.
Ebenezer Webb.
William Perkins.
Jedidiah Bingham.
John Palmer.
Joseph Allen, Jun.
Henry Bass.
Benjamin Cleveland.
Jonathan Brewster.
Moses Cleveland.
Joseph Allen. Ebenezer Bass.
Windham, April 5, 1773."
This reasonable request obtained a favorable hearing, and Bruns- wiek church was at last released from its heavy burden. The stand- ing society was greatly aggrieved at this curtailment of their powers and privileges, and bitterly bemoaned this "aet of Assembly, taking a number of inhabitants, and discharging them from paying taxes." At a society meeting called to consider how to make up the deficit, it was voted to lay a tax for that purpose. " All inhabitants over ten years old" were ordered to be listed, and a rate of twelve-pence of the pound found needful. The school-house seeming likely to endanger the meeting-house by fire, was moved a suitable distance. Pews were built as ordered, and the meeting-house seated by a com- petent committee in December, 1778, and in the succeeding May, it was formally accepted "as built by Elisha Lillie." The old house then " put upon sail," brought back seventeen pounds.
V.
WINDHAM'S SECOND SOCIETY. PEW DISPUTE. SCHOOL DIS- TRICTS SET OUT. CONTROVERSY WITH REV. SAMUEL MOSELY. VOLUNTOWN.
C YANADA Parish continued to increase and prosper though sub- jected to the usual secular and ministerial controversies. The venerable Deacon Thomas Stedman generally presided at society meet- ings ; Stephen Durkee served as clerk ; Captain John Howard of How- ard's Valley, David Fuller and Joseph Burnham as society committee ; Jeremiah Durkee and Jacob Simmons, collectors ; Ichabod Downing, Capt. William Durkee and Lieut. Jonathan Kingsbury, school commit- tee. Ten pounds were added in 1762 to the salary of Rev. Samuel Mosely. The congregation and community were much disturbed at this date by a difficulty in seating the new and elegant meeting-house. The persons entrusted with this delicate office had not exercised due judgment. Not only did they seat six grown persons in one pew- and persons grown in this goodly neighborhood attained capacious 8
A
58
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
dimensions-but they allowed "men of little or no estate to sit very forward and in high pews," while others of good estate and high in public esteem were compelled with shame to take a lower seat. Gal- leries and body-seats were left very thin compared to these coveted pews, and the galleries were so given over to light-minded youth that the tithing-men were obliged to leave their seats below to keep them in order. This state of things created much talk and uneasiness espe- cially among the foremost men, that they should be so crowded and misplaced in order to get men into the pews that never paid enough for the meeting-house to build one pew, and after enduring this griev- ance several years a meeting was called, Dee. 9, 1762, to rectify it. William Bennett was chosen moderator, and it was voted by a great majority, "To sell the pews at public vendue, no man to buy no more than one, and no man ont of the society to buy one ; Capt. Robert Dur- kee to serve as vendne master." This action greatly increased the pub- lic excitement. The older members of the society were at once aroused to the inexpediency and danger of allowing private individuals to select their own seats in the house of worship, and become proprietors of a part of the sacred edifice. In spite of remonstrance and opposition the vote was carried ont, and the valiant Captain who had served so bravely in the French and Indian war, now sold the pews in the face of the opposing enemy. Twenty-five pews on the floor of the house were assigned to the following purchasers, at prices ranging from fourteen pounds to three, viz .: Jeremiah Utley, John Fuller, Hezekiah Ham- mond, Stephen Durkee, Timothy Pearl, Zebediah Farnham, Ebenezer Hovey, Capt. John Howard, Dea. Ebenezer Griffin, Henry Durkee, Daniel Farnham, Thomas Stedman, Jun., Isaac Bennett, Jephthah Ut- ley, William Farnham, Joseph Burnham, John Hammond, Benjamin Cheddle, Stephen Arnold, John Sessions, Jonathan Clark, Samuel Ful- ler, John Smith, Gideon Martin, Isaac Clark. Although many of these purchasers were the leading, solid men of the society, the elamor was not in the least abated. Some with no families, but single persons- " bachelors, who had never paid rates for more than one head and a horse," and some not qualified voters had presumed to bid off pews and gain possession of an uppermost seat in the synagogue, "whereby the society was thrown into the most unhappy contention." Another meeting was called, and Lient. Kingsbury appointed agent, "to take advice concerning the diffienlty concerning pews," who straightway laid the case before Colonel Dyer, Major Elderkin and Major Griswold. By their advice another society meeting was held April 21, 1763, the vote for selling the pews was set aside by a large majority, and Jacob Simmons deputized to represent the affair to the General Assembly and secure confirmation of their proceedings. The purchasers of the pews
59
WINDHAM'S SECOND SOCIETY, ETC.
attempted to show that the vote to sell the pews was not suddenly passed ; that no open objections were made till after the sale : that only five of them were young men without families, and that nine societies in Windham County already held pews as private property. These representations were ineffectual, and the famous pew vote of December 9, and proceedings thereupon, were made null and void by Act of As- senibly. The society resumed possession of its much valued pews, ap- pointing Abiel Abbott, Joseph Marsh and Ebenezer Hovey to seat the congregation therein with the requisite order and formality. Sundry residents of Canterbury, viz. : Jethro Rogers, James Bidlack, Aaron Fuller and Zebediah Farnham were now admitted to society privileges in Canada. Captain William Durkee was directed " to search after the right (if any we have) to the lot of land called the Ministerial Lot in Windham ;" the society committee " to distribute the books called Say- brook Platform sent to the society by Government ;" and Robert Holt " to bring and take care of the christening basin as occasion shall re- quire."
In 1763, Captain William Durkee, Lieut. Kingsbury, Nathaniel Ford, Zebediah Farnham, Abiel Abbott, John Sessions and Joseph Burnham were appointed a committee to set out school districts, which was accomplished within two years. The First or Central district be- gan very properly by "taking in the Rev. Mr. Mosely and ranging so as to take in Mr. Joseph Sessions, and from thence west to Burnt Cedar Swamp, and then following the main stream of Cedar Swamp Brook till it comes to the road below Benjamin Burgess', and from thence to said Mosely's." Number Two extended " from old Mr. John Perkins' to Mr. Joseph Burnham's, and all east and south of Cedar Swamp Brook." Number Three ran " from Jonathan Holt's, taking in Holt's house, and north, taking in all the inhabitants situated on the road to Mr. Joseph Marsh's, taking in said Marsh's house, and from thence tak- ing in Mr. William Alworth's and James Alworth's house, and ranging north to the easternmost extent of the society." Number Four took in " Mr. Stephen Clark's house, and then south all the inhabitants west of Cedar Swamp, and so far as to take in Mr. Jonathan Fish's and Mr. David Canada's houses, and so south and west to the extent of the society." School-house sites were affixed by William Osgood and Seth Paine of Pomfret, and Benajah Cary of Windham, viz. : one in the northeast district near Deacon Griffin's house, and two in the north- west or fourth district, one nine rods south of William Holt's; another eight rods west of John Fuller's. "Eleven months schooling by a master, to be kept in each district according to its list," was thought sufficient for the whole society in the winter, and school-dames were engaged for the little ones in the summer. Upon the humble petition
60
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
of Joseph Durkee, Jonathan and David Fish, Benjamin Flint, Edward and Samuel Coburn, Jonathan Holt, William Neff and Joseph Utley, a fifth district was set off' in 1774, in the northeast section, known as Appaquage.
Efforts were now made to secure greater local privileges. Connec- tion with Windham was in many respects burdensome and inconveni- ent. The distance was great, and town and parish had few interests in common. In 1767 it was voted, "That this society is desirous to be made into a district, to be allowed all the powers and privileges of a town, except choosing our own deputies and other business of freemen's meeting." Jacob Simmons, Ebenezer Hovey and Abiel Abbott were chosen to apply to the selectmen of Windham, and to endeavor to ob- tain consent of town, and to consult with counsel and procure neces- sary preparations in order to obtain our request. Captain John How- ard was also empowered to aid them in preparing a petition. This proving fruitless in the following year it was further voted, "That this society is desirous to be made into an entire and distinct town, and will apply to the General Assembly." Captain Jonathan Kingsbury was ap- pointed agent in their behalf, but his pleas though repeatedly urged were unsuccessful.
In 1768 the society voted to repair and new color the meeting-house. Captain Kingsbury, Abiel Abbott and Thomas Fuller were appointed a committee to color said meeting-house as aforesaid, and-in order to be in the highest style of fashion-they were farther ordered, " To color the same something like the color of Pomfret meeting-house." Captain John Howard was added to this committee in 1771, in place of Capt. Kingsbury, deceased.
The prosperity of Canada Parish was somewhat checked during these years, by a very unpleasant controversy with Mr. Mosely. Pos- sessing a strong will and very positive opinions, he had assumed with advancing years more and more authority over his people, and by excessive use of the negative power allowed by Saybrook Platform was able to exercise supreme control in all church affairs. A large majority of the church were opposed to Saybrook Platform, and especially the ministerial negative derived from it, but, esteeming their pastor an eminently holy and godly minister, silently acquiesced in his administration. A few of the leading men, warmly imbued with the revolutionary spirit of the times, resented this infringement of their religious rights and resolved to resist it. The original covenant of the church by which they simply took the Scriptures for their guide, allowed, they thought, too great latitude to the pastor. A more explicit covenant and plan of discipline were suggested, and also " a body of ruling elders " to balance the power of "the teaching elder,"
61
WINDHAM'S SECOND SOCIETY, ETC.
but as Mr. Mosely was much opposed to any innovation and would only warn church meetings at his own pleasure they found it very difficult to bring the matter before the church. They therefore requested Mr. Mosely to call a church meeting, " to learn the mind of the church about dealing with baptized persons, and abont choosing some of the fathers to assist therein." At this meeting, Feb. 9, 1769, the church unanimously voted, to proceed to deal with baptized, i. e., " Half-covenant " members, but when the second article was proposed " one and another went off from it and spoke for a Platform and ruling elders," to which Mr. Mosely replied, that they were settled on the Word of God for their Platform, that with their different sentiments they should not agree on any Platform of human com- posure, that if agreed in the great essential things to bear down sin and promote holiness they must exercise mutual forbearance in their different sentiments about lesser matters; that he was thankful to God they were so well agreed in said important articles and thought he should sin if he indulged in debate about Platforms,-and " being innch overcome with cold," straightway dismissed the church. Thus debarred from discussion or opportunity of further action, the indig- nant brethren appointed five prominent church members, viz. : Wil- liam Durkee, Jonathan Kingsbury, Jonathan Burnap, George Martin and William Foster, to remonstrate the matter with their pastor, who entreated him as a father to look into the subject, and consider the expediency of having an explicit model or Platform of church discipline deduced from Scripture and introduced peaceably as soon as might be into their church, according to the commendable example of the best Reformed churches in Christendom. They also entreated him to satisfy them and the church they represented, by what anthori- ty, divine or human, his claim and exercise of a supreme and sole power over the church of Christ met in his name was warranted. "This exertion of the teaching elder's power and authority, in opposi- tion to almost every other church in New England, abundantly con- vinced them of the necessity of having other office bearers in the church, viz. : ruling elders-joined in ruling and governing the church with the elder that labors in word and doctrine. The brethren of the church had usurped no authority, nor encroached in the least upon the prerogative, office or dignity of the pastor, but in a modest and peaceable manner moved to confer upon the duty and expediency of a Platform without pretending to say upon what model it should be formed; whereupon the pastor did dissolve the meeting, contrary to the duty of a moderator in all meetings civil or religious, contrary to the law of the Colony which prohibits their adjournment without consent of the majority ; much less to dissolve the meeting without such consent."
62
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
" We entreat you." continued the remonstrants. "to consider whether this alarming exertion of anthority doth not carry in it some appearance of lord- ing it over God's heritage. so detested by our fathers that it drove New Eng- land out of Old, to avoid a yoke that neither we nor our fathers could bear. . We entreat you, timely to consider, that if after such an unprece- dented dissolution of the church meeting, you are pleased to take advantage thereof, and refuse to be entreated by us because you have disabled the church to appear by a legal representation, and will no more warn a church meeting to treat with them upon the premises. Sir. your triumph upon a victory so gained will be short. Can you think, sir, in this day of struggle iu defence of civil liberties and rights in America, this church will tamely submit to be deprived of their divine and sacred privileges, so preferable to all our inheritance besides, and give such an example of slavery and depend- ency as to submit to such a supreme authority in the ministry over the church. Was the church made for ministers or ministers for the church ? Think you there are none who will appear on the Lord's side in this case, and all other sidings we detest and hold in contempt. Are not all the constitutional clergy and churches and cloud of witnesses in New England and throughout the Reformed Protestant churches listed under this banner, whose footsteps we are essaying to trace out. Would you have us stand still and be robbed of those sacred liberties and privileges that have flowed to the church in the blood of Christ, the Supreme Head thereof. Sir, the Lord forbid that we should give the inheritance of our fathers unto thee. Shall not we possess what the Lord our God hath given us to possess. Finally, sir, we entreat you to let us, and the church by us know, what we are to expect from you for the future in this matter, and if upon cool reflection you find . . . you have unadvisedly dissolved said church meeting, you would be pleased with- out loss of time upon better advisement to warn another meeting for the purpose and end aforesaid, wherein we desire you to go before us in the good work aforesaid, according to the duty set forth by the prophet Ezekiel. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, and shew them the form of the house.'
Windham, Feb. 20, 1769."
. Mr. Mosely thereupon called and held a church meeting. March 3, to consider these matters, and so "terrified " the weaker brethren by representing to them that they would have to support their ruling as well as teaching elder, and might have to settle a new minister and pay damages to the old one by insisting upon a church Platform, that a majority voted against the proposed changes. The minority there- upon drew np a paper far more inflammatory and bitter than the previous "remonstrance." in which they alleged various specific charges against the pastor, as follows :-
" 1. The power and right you claim in negativing the church we deny, and say the key of discipline was given to the church by Christ . . . and can find no rule in Scripture for your prerogative power except you take it from Diotrephes, who loved to have preeminence . . . and the apostle saith he wrote to the church there, and that his evil example ant to be followed.
2. Your dissolving church meetings in the midst of business without the consent of the church we say is an error, and there is no scripture warrant for such a prerogative power.
3. We think you exert unreasonable and unscriptural power in confining the church in their meetings to what you have put in the warning, and your taking the power of putting in what you pleased. in this you are more arbi- trary than any of our civil powers . . . Sir. we do think the church ought to enjoy as great a privilege in their meetings as towns and societies do, for if we may believe Christ and the apostles, no men on earth have greater liberty than the church of Christ.
4. We think, Sir, that you err much as moderator in our church meetings, for you will have the chief of the talk, and so lay your plau and scheme and
63
WINDHAM'S SECOND SOCIETY, ETC.
pursue the same in the church that we think such plans and schemes laid and pursued in the church resemble deceit more than honesty.
9. We think you very much err in opening the door so wide into the church as to admit members without some satisfying account of a work of grace on their hearts, and without the consent of the church, merely because they say they are a mind to come. We think, sir, it is the right way to let Anti-Christ into the church full breast, for certain unclean persons and hypocrites have no right in Christ's church.
10. Sir, your taking the key of the meeting-house and holding it, we say is contrary to God's word, and you have no right to it, and not content with that, you rob us of the key of the whole society. Sir, we are bold to say Christ never gave you them keys nor no other man on earth, for he knew how full the world always was and would be of false prophets and teachers that would turn the key against his disciples. Pray, sir, to what purpose had it a ben for our Saviour to have sent out the apostles as he did to preach the gospel to every creature, if these keys had been given to the ministers? Why they must truly have turned back without preaching to any creature, with this complaint, Lord, thou sent us out to preach the gospel to every creature bnt had given the keys of every city, town and house to the ministers, and they for- bid us. Sir, are you wiser than Christ ? Do you know how to manage the keys better than Christ ? He never gave them to you. For God's sake give them up, for thou hast nothing to do with them. Can you think, sir, that such a power as you claim is from Christ ? No, assuredly you can't unless you make this addition-ANTI-for darkness and light are as near alike as your power and the spirit of Christ-and do consider, Sir, your ingratitude to a people that maintains and supports you; that you should chastize us with scorpions and rule us with a rod of iron and put such chains and bonds on us that we nor our fathers were not able to bear. 'Tell it not in Gath !'
11. Sir, we take it hard that the case of Mrs. Keyes was not brought be- fore the church when so many requested it.
12. Sir, we should be glad to know the reason of your parting Cuff and his wife, and as she was a sister in ye church and in regular standing as far as we know, yet we understand that you did deny her partaking with us.
13. And there are others who have withdrawn from the church these many years and hant been called to no account, and we know not the cause of such a separation. Pray, sir, if you think the key of discipline belongs to you we think you have much neglected your duty. Sir, for you to rob us of ye keys and not use them can't be right.
14. We think you are much to blame in denying people copies of the church record when the church has been a dealing with them . . . . and unless you reform we think it duty for this church to appoint some other man to hold the records.
16. We think, sir, you are very partial in your visits for some houses you visit not for years, others you visit much. Pray remember Christ and his Apostles' commands, and do nothing by partiality, for God is not a respecter of persons.
17. Sir, we desire the church records may be read in this church, even as far back as your ordination, that we may search after the Achan that troubles us, and who can tell but that God will discover it to us, and save us, as he did Israel by Phinehas, or as he did the nation of the Jews by means of the King's hearing the Book read . ... On that night could not the King sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of the Chronicles, and they were read before the King.'"
This paper, embodying the principal charges against Mr. Mosely, was read before a number of brethren of the church, but as some thought the charges laid too high it was not formally adopted, but kept to aid in preparing something that might be suitable to lay before church and minister in due season. The report of its existence and private circulation greatly exasperated Mr. Mosely, who attempted " to deal " with the chief offenders both publicly and privately. As usual
64
HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY.
in such affairs many hard things were said on both sides, and charges of misrepresentation and lying were freely interchanged. Each party acensed the other of promising copies of votes and doenments, and then withholding them. William Foster, who was especially zealous in defending the church against ministerial usurpation, not only affirmed openly, " that Mr. Mosely had lied and he could prove it," but, when reproved by him, replied, "That he saw the Pope's horns begin to bud some years ago, and now they were grown out." Mr. Mosely's method of dealing with these offending brethren was certainly not un- papal. After bickering through the summer, they called a council of ministers and delegates in October, which agreed " That the aggrieved brethren might rationally expect from an undoubted right founded on reason and the Word of God, and agreeable to the general sense and practice of churches in New England, a ehnreh meeting for a full, free and open conversation respecting the introduction of some platform of ecclesiastical discipline and government into the church in which it had been too long deficient." But when in accordance with the advice of this council, the aggrieved brethren in a decent and becoming man- ner, without heat or bitterness, earnestly and unitedly besought and entreated their pastor to call a church meeting for a conference upon this important subject, they were answered by a summons to appear before the church for trial :-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.