USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Woodbury > History of ancient Woodbury, Connecticut : from the first Indian dead in 1659 to 1854 > Part 13
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6th That though our differences be not about fundamentals, and essentials of faith and Christian religion, yet it reacheth to the fundamentals of order in church adinmistrations, which are styled Ezck. 44 .. 5. The comings in and the gomgs forth of the sanctuary ; how each party therfore can comfortably enjoy his own persuasion with edification (we all agreeing to meet in one place) at present we see not.
7th That we desire to retain and maintain those dispensations which we have so dearly bought and so long enjoyed withont interruption should we not possesse what the Lord our God hath given us to possesse as they said in another case : should we therefore consent to and be instrumental in the parting of these out of our hands. We fear it would be a great dishonour and provocation to the Iloly one of Israel : seeing that for the peaceable
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enjoyment of the truth that we now professe and praetise some of us, among many others of the Lords servants have put our lives in our hands, and have said to our fathers, we have not seen them neither have we acknowledged our brethren or kindred that we might keep the word of the Lord, and the covenant of our God. Deut. 33 6. Finally, at present as there are many difficulties in our way that forbid our consent to your motion, soe we cannot but declare that for you to force the attendance of your motion, we fear it will be a means to widen our differences and (as we judge) will be esteemed no less than opposition and disturbance. Now the very God of truth and peace guide us and you all, in his ways, that so the glory of his great name together with the comfort peace and edification one of another may still be aimed by us all.
" Voted as an answer to our Neibours.
" Nov. 11. 0S."
Uniting their meetings was evidently not the best way of obtaining the end desired. Although their differences might not be " funda- mental," as admitted in this communication, yet their opinions being so diverse in regard to church membership, they could hardly have been much " edified," in being obliged to listen to the defense of what they did not believe. It would be not unlike the mingling of the wor- ship of the various religious denominations of the present day. While the ministers might have confined themselves to points upon which all agreed. they would be in danger of treading, at times, on forbidden ground. It seems there had been some further explanation of their desires, before they received the following :
"Hond and truly Respected.
" We have with all seriousnesse, weighed, prayed over, counselled upon the question that was left to our consideration, and the answer that is with us at present is as followeth.
" The question (as we tooke it up) that was left to our consideration, was,
Q. Whether we could not consent to have Mr Walker preach in a transient way one part of the Sabbath untill the next Gen" Court ?
Ans. We the Church of x' at Stratford answer negatively, viz : we cannot consent, and that this our answer is not irrational, these few words further may be seriously weighed.
1st For neither can we hear in a transient way nor Mr Walker so preach, because he is not, (as our Neibours say ) a transient man, but hired accom- modated and settled, and in all respects equally priviledged with Mr Chaun- cy, and preaching part of his worke for which hired, therefore if we should ever admit him in such a way, our Neibours might begin to conclude settle- ment.
2ly Our Agreement in intention, and as we understand it in termes also for- bids oar consent, diseources also at the agreement making will help ye Inter- pretation so to your understanding.
3ly The Court order forbids it : it being in opposition to the present settled?
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approved minister, consent also of Neibour Churches not being yet obtained : If it be said that Law is Null to us by virtue of the Courts confirmation of our agreement, then what hinders our neibours, but that they may meet by themselves.
4ly We reason from our Neibours themselves, who are different in their per- suasions, and cannot carry on to satisfaction with us, which (as it hath ap- peared many wayes) so by the already withdrawing of some of them from us, propounding to themselves and us different administrations, now how each minister can vindicate his own persuasion, and differend Administra- tions be carryed on together, and no disturbance each to other, but peace preserved, we see not.
5ly Rule forbids ns, which gives a church power to choose her own feeders. Mr Walker was never chosen by us to be our feeder.
6ly As to Edification, which will be much hindred a reason fell from some of your worships, if different persuasions and different administrations be at- tended in one place.
7ly We Query whether it can be judged rational or ruleable that a church should consent to silence their settled officer one part of every Sabbath, which we judge we shall doe in consenting to ye motion propounded.
Lastly. Much more we might have added but with this at present we con- clude, that we shall not admit any further consideration in this matter, untill our Neibours (whose worke it is and long ago was) have procured the appro- bation of the Genll Court and the consent of Neibour Churches. And we hum- bly conceive Mr. Walker cannot account himself silenced, while your worships shall maintain Churches priviledges, untill such time as he have liberty to preach orderly ; and we must needs crave leave to leave this further with your worship, that we rather tremble to thinke that we should deviate from any rule of xt and our ancient patterns and undervalue our ancient Lawes and Law-makers, tlren as some tremble to thinke what will be the end of sep- aration ; nor shall we dare to join where our consciences are persuaded xt would have us separate, having no farther at present we rest.
Yours to serve and obey to our power, Israel Chauncey, Phillip Graue.
Stratford, 7th (10th) 68.1
In the name and with the consent of the Church of xt at Stratford.
The Church's answer to Mr. Gold's proposition or Qu."
In this answer of Mr. Chauncey to the proposition of Mr. Walker's party, made, as it seems, by Maj. Gold, of another town, for the pur- pose of reconciliation, he appears for the moment to have the best of the argument, but Mr. Walker was a man of decided abilities, and rejoins with effect, as will be seen by the following answer.
" Beloved Neighbours,
" Wee have deliberately and wee hope duely weighed wt you were pleased to present unto us, relating to or former differences, & agreement and present trans-
1 Dec. 7, 1668.
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actions & intentions, in answer wherennto wee doo declare yt wee have been (at y' least) sharers wth you in y' afflicting senee of ye soe predudieiall incon- veniences of former differences ; neither are wee willing without thankfullness to ye Supream dissposer to remind wt agreement his divine providence hath directed us unto, which was (as wee hope) on all hands designed to bee a totall abolition of those uncomfortable contentions yt had bin too long amongst us, and a provision for each part, to injoy their own persuasion without mutuall dis- turbanee. But whereas you are pleased further to addc yt it was ye conclusion of ye generallitye of yourselves y' a seperate meeting was intended by all, and y' as a necessary meanes to of mutuall and undisturbed injoyment of ye ordi- nanecs of God according to of different persuasions, and thereuppon yt you have an incessant admiration at or motion concerning meeting together, as be- ing disserepant from yº expectations, & also (as you judge) predudieiall to or own edification. To y' wee answer y' wee have much more cause of admi- ration, yt you should soe far forgett yourselves as to disown yt which hath bin soe plainely and fully coneluded amongst us at least as wee have alwayes un- derstood it : viz : y' motion of or joynt meeting, which wee doc affirm had your - selves (if not for its first parents yet at least) for its most careful nurses, being (if not first started) yet at least strongly urged by yourselves, before it was con- sented to by some of us, soe much wee hope may be a sufficient reply to your preface. As for wt you are farther pleased in sundry pertieulers to declare unto us in your writing, wee further answer. First, as to your first perticular where- in you are pleased to intimate your desire not to deviate in the least from ye true sence of or former agreement ; wee say no more but this, y' wee are as reall in these desires as yourselves can bee.
" As to ye second whierein you affirm y' in your agreement you had still an. eye at meeting in distinet places wee have in part answered it already, wee shall onely adde this yt if your intentions were different from your expressions ye blame of any mistake thereby occassioned is yours, and not ours, on ye other hand if at or former agreement your expressions and intentions were agreed, wee cannott but deelare ourselves muel dissatisfyed with your present assertion having soe little affinity with truth according to our understanding of our agreement. And for your third perticular which is an expression of your re- spect to Mr. Walker, wee onely say this, yt it will hardly bee thought by indif- ferent judges, yt hee truly respeets any minister as such, y' is unwilling to hear lrim preael.
" As for your 4th, viz : your professed ignorance how too (though Godly) es- pecially ministers can walk together except they are agreed ; wee answer y' if by walking together you understand meeting or sitting together in ye same house or seat ; (which is our present question) and if by agreement you intend thier conjunction in affection, wee hope thier neither is, nor will bee in ye persons intended in y' your proposition any such mutuall dissaffection as may prejudice such an accomplishment of our desires. If by agreement you intend ye concur- rent apprehensions of ye partys intended in all matters controversall, and then conelude yt persons in yt sence not agreed, eannott sitt or meet togetlier wee doe declare yt wee cannott understand ye reason of any such conclusion, being mindefull of y' exhortation onee given to Christians, (yt know but in part ; & yt not in like measure but as God was pleased to distribute severally to each of
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thein according to his own will) y' they should not forsake ye assembling of themselves together.
" 5th. As to your 5th wherein you acquaint us with yr sence of an obligation uppon you obleiging you to attend yt order and dispensation of ye worship of God formerlye practised and attended in this and other Churches, & that there- fore you can doe nothing against the truth, but for the truth. Wee answer y' it is far from us to desire to disturb yt your order or hinder your most religious respect to any such obligation, as (in reason) you can intend, much less doe wee desire y' you should doe anything against the truth, but for the truth & yt (if God may incline your hearts) more ya hitherto you have done ; wee know nothing in our propositions or actions, yt hath any look or tendency to your prejudice in such respects ; but by the way wee think it but rationall to desire y' wee may with like freedome from disturbance (at least in respect of you) an- swer these obligations of conscience y' are alike upon ourselves.
"6. As for the sixth, if ye comeings in and goings forth of the Sanctuary in Ezek. 44, 5, intend as yourselves expound, not ye improvement of ye place of worship, but ecclesiasticall administrations y' attended wee cannott see y' this hath the least show of an argument : against wtwee desire ; w' is there in this y' can intimate any unsutableness or inconveniency in meeting in ye same place uppon a joynt agreement, soe to doe (as yourselves propound itt) seeing y' yourselves say yt ye place alleadged speakes not of the place, but of the form of worship.
" 7. As to yr 7th perticular, viz : y' you desire to retayn and maintayn these dispensations, you have soe derely bought, and soe long injoyed without inter- ruption, wee say y' wee desire not y' prejudice herein, but withall wee adde y wee also desire to attayne those gosspell priviledges, y' many of us have as derely bought and hitherto longed to injoy without opposition. As for your inquiry in ye words of Jeptha, should wee not possesse what the Lord our God hath given us to possess? we answer yt wee neither desire to hinder you, nor are wee willing in ye like respects to bee hindred by you, to which wee may adde alnost in your own words y' should wee therefore consent to, or bee in- strumentall in, ye parting with such gospell priviledges out of our hands, wee feare it would bee a great dishonor and provocation to ye holy one of Israell ; seeing y' for ye peaceable injoyment of ye truth yt wee have professed & doe profess, and desire to practice ; some of us amongst many others whether of ye same or different persuasions, have adventured upon as great hardships, dangers & difficultyes as any or most in these parts, whose adventures and en- deavours in such respects have hitherto been more successfull than ours.
" Lastly, you declare that there are many difficultyes in ye way forbidding your consent unto our motion, to which wee say that wee know not any difficul- ty attending you y' will justifye your diverting from your rationall agreement ; a righteous man ingageth sometimes to his hurt ; yet changeth not but your case is easier then soe And whereas you adde y' for us to force the attendance of our motion will (as you feare) bee a meanes to widen our difference, wee doe de- clare yt we are assured & yt (as wee are persuaded) uppon far better grounds, yt for you to oppose ye attendance of our motion (being no other but ye accom- plishinent of our ancient agreement) will evidence to all indifferent judges y' you were never reall in y' agreement ; and whereas for a conclusion you say
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y'ye prosecution of our motion will (as you judge) bee accounted no less yn op- position and disturbance, we answer y' wee cannott see how either yourselves, or others y'are wise, uppon a serious perusal of ye former agreement, can soe judge, and for ye censures of those y' will judge a matter before they understand it ; we see as little reason to vallew ym.
This (as we esteem) may suffice, for an answer to what you were pleased to present to our consideration. To which we shall farther adde this yt there being nothing therein by you proposed of any vallidity to dissuade us from proceeding according to our formerly declared intention we doe purpose and resolve ye next Sabbath, (God willing) to begin with the execution of ye sd intention viz : to hear our own minister viz. (Mr Walker) one part of day, and yt in ye place ordinarily used for such purposes and doe therefore desire yt wee may bee without disturbance in soe doeing, and for ye part of ye day you may please to intimate which you choose for your own performances and we shall take the other, (if not we doe purpose to take the latter part of the day.) No more at ye present but to desire the God of peace to guide both us, and you to what may bee for our mutuall peace and comfort.
" Strattford ye 13th November 1668.
" An answer to Mr Chancy's particulars The Second."
By this answer it seems that Mr. Walker's party was becoming somewhat ineensed at the disposition shown by the other party. A question of veracity is raised between them, and we begin to see how really good men, as the individuals composing both these parties undoubtedly were, may forget themselves, and do things unworthy of their position and character. Some of the men of these two parties were among the leading men in the Colony, and none were more frequently appointed by the General Court to aet on committees for composing similar differences elsewhere, than they. At the close of the communication, it will be seen that they gave notice of their intention of occupying their joint property, the meeting-house, on the next Sabbath. This design was not carried into execution, but the matter was compromised by allowing Mr. Walker two hours in which to hold his services in the meeting-house on the Sabbath, in the mid- dle of the day, between the two services of Mr. Chauney, till the meeting of the General Court in May, 1669.
In May, 1669, both parties petitioned the General Court, and Mr. Walker's party were directed to furnish a bill of partieulars, or list of their demands. In compliance with this order we find the fol- lowing :
"This honoured court having required us to bring in the grounds of our desires in writing respecting our joint improvement of our meeting-house y' is to hear our own minister one part of each Sabbath as well as Mr Chancy the
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WOODBURY.
other part : we humbly request that the following particulars may be duely considered :-
1. That our agreement among ourselves did lead us to ye expectation of such an order in our proceeding.
2. That such our agreement being presented to ye honoured Gen: Court, did receive y" approbation, & confirmation & wee yn granted & allowed to pro- cure a minister upon such an account, which our agreement as the ground of such proceedings in ye court hath been proved by testimony given in upon oath before ye honoured generall court.
3. That we have at least an equall interest in ye publick meeting house, with our present opposities & desire no other improvement of it than what religion, & law alloweth us.
4. That our above said agreement having been allowed, & our desires therein granted by ye highest authority in this colony, we shall not be so ungratefull to authority as to relinquish ye said grant,-but do humbly conceive we may improve it as our own, and do request your countenance and protection therein.
JOSEPH JUDSON,
in ye name of the rest concerned with him.
" Hartford May 18, 1669."
By this it appears that their principal difficulty continued to be in regard to the manner in which they should "enjoy the meeting house." Without reflecting upon the matter, one might say that the simplest way of arranging the difficulty would have been to have built another church. But it is to be borne in mind, that the country was new, and the inhabitants poor. It was a great undertaking to erect a suitable building, and heavy taxes for years were necessary to be laid to complete it.
The petition of the first church, which follows, is indefinite, simply asking the General Court to take the case into consideration, and do something :
" To the Hond Gen" Court assembled at Hartford May 14, 1669.
" The petition of the church of Christ at Stratford with many of the inhabit- ants, humbly sheweth. That uncomfortable differences have too long bin, and yet remain amongst us in Stratford, to our no small affliction, and to the greife of many of our freinds, and that many of your Worships have bin ac- quainted with, and some of you (which we cannot but thankfully acknowledge) with great seriousnesse have travelled in, to your no small trouble ; and seeing differences still remain notwithstanding some essayes for redresse, we cannot but account it our duty to be humbly and solicitously urgent with this Hond court at this time, that you will please to looke upon our condition and see our state and be pleased to hear us with patience, for to whom should we come but to your Worships, as such under Christ appointed for that end by him to releive the oppressed, and such we take ourselves to bee, and therefore again beseech you to hear and take our matters into your judicious consideration, and doe
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something for our settlement, and you will thereby (we hope) give us occasion to glorify God in you, and shall not cease to pray that the wonderful counsellonr may be still with you, and the spirit of counsel upon you in the great and weighty affaires that are under your hands, and that you may be repairers of the breach, and restorers of paths to dwell in.
" Stratford 7th (3ª) 69.
Your unworthy Petitioners
Israel Chauncey
John Curtis
Phillip Graue
John Birdseye Sen'
Richard Boothe
Jolın Peatte Sent
William Curtis
Adam Hurd
Joseph Hawley
Henry Tomlinson
Isaack Niccolls
John Peacoke
John Brinsmead Sen
Joseph Beardsly
Moses Wheeler
Nathaniel Porter
Thomas Kymberlye
Thomas Fayrechild Jun
Francis Hill
Samuell Beardsly
John Willcoekson
Benjamin Beach
John Pickitt Sen"
Stephen Berritt
Jolın Beach
Tho. Berritt
John Hurd Jun
Jolın Brinsmead Jun
James Blakman
Jonas Tomlinson
Jehiell Preston
Daniell Beardsly
Timothy Wilcockson
Daniell Brendsmed
James Clarke
John Pickitt Junr
John Fuller
James Pickitt
Benjamin Peat
Eliasaph Preston
Jabez Hargar
John Birdseye Jun"
Israel Curtis
Jolın Bostick
John Peat Jun"
" Mr Chancy and the Church of Stratford's petition May 14, 69."
The Court took the case into consideration, as desired, confirmed their choice of Mr. Chauney, advised both parties to choose " some indifferent persons of piety and learning to compose their differences," and gave Mr. Walker liberty to occupy the church three hours each Sabbath, in the middle of the day, between Mr. Chauney's two ser- vices, till the October session. Previous to this session, several attempts were made by the parties to carry out the advice of the Court to submit their differences to arbitration, and several extended and learned communications passed between them. They however resulted in no definite action, as they could not agree upon the points to be submitted to the arbitrators.
At the October session the matter was again before the Court, which passed a resolution advising the first church to comply with the desire of Mr. Walker's party, to have union services, allowing
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Mr. Walker to preach one part of each Sabbath. Some communi- eations passed between the parties in relation to this advice, but the first church, instead of granting them this privilege, which they had so long sought, excluded them from the house entirely. After suffering this indignity, they only addressed a letter to the first church, complaining of the injustice done them, and proposed to divide the town into two parts, that they might go and live by them- selves, and have no more dissension. They further inform them that they shall ask the same of the General Court :
" To the Elders of the church of Stratford with any others of our neighbours joyning with you.
" Beloved neighbours, if the true intent of most solemn covenants and ingag- ments made betwixt you and us in the presence of him who must shortly be our judge and entered on, (at least on your part) with many serious pro- testations as we then esteemed you might have been accounted any obligation unto consciense and acordingly liave been atended in practise we had not beene such eausless sufferers, as now we are; nor had we had such an ocasion of making propositions to yourselves, or had our sufferings beene such as had terminated in ourselves, had not the house of God and religion suffered as well as we ; we might have exeused ourselves in a silent sufering [An erasure] of our present injuries, but our case being as it is and that by your meanes we are nesesiated to present yon with the following propositions
1. The first, and that which we chiefly desire is : that you would so far be- thinke yourselves what injury you have done unto us in excluding us from the place of publiek worship wherein you know our right to be as good as yours, and how unwillingly yourselves would have beene to be so dealt with as to suffer us withont any molestation or disturbance to return to the injoy- ment of that our right in the meeting house therein to have the improvement of our minister one part of eael Sabbatli
2. Or Secondly, if you still wished to oppose and resist so rationall and just a proposition as this we then propose that for prevention of the continu- ance of seperate meetings in Stratford you would either allow to us that part of Stratford land contayned in the following limits : viz: from the place where the river commonly caled the saw mill River falls into the great river, to the head of the westermost branch of the said river and straight from thence to the head of Stratford bounds, and soe all that land that is in Stratford bounds betwixt that line and the great river that then we may setle ourselves in a distinet village or Township or else that with the like allow- anee from us you will remove tluther for the same end : that so by the removall of one party, there may at lengthi be a cessation of those so long lasting troubles that have been amongst us.
3. Thirdly, that whether you or we shall so injoy the said land as above sayd, that both parties joyntly shalle be at the charge of clearing it from any other clayme, that may be made onto it. These propositions we desire you seri- ously to consider and seasonably to answer withall informing you that we
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