USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Bridgeport > Reports and papers. Fairfield County Historical Society, Bridgeport, Conn. 1882-1896-97 > Part 12
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Our review may properly suggest to us also that organiza- tions for religions ends are valuable not for their own sakes. but for their serviceableness in sustaining and advancing truth and righteousness-valuable for what they enshrine and trans- mit of "the faith once delivered to the saints," and for the aid they furnish to successive generations struggling toward a sanctified life and a realm of purity and peace.
The ark is worth perpetual guarding and severest attention, not because of its curious workmanship of aceasia wood and gold, but because of the sacred tablets within, and the merey- seat above it.
And, onee more, let us accept the view, with its practical bearing upon ourselves-the spiritual elevation, energy and success of the organization, whether like that which occupies our thoughts to-day or the church itself, is dependent upon the measure of sanctifieation attained by the individual mem- ber and the fidelity cach one brings into the service of the Master.
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A motto, then, not unsuitable to us as Christian men and women is that in the poet Goethe's lines, --
Like the star That shines afar, Without haste, And without rest, Let each mau wheel with steady sway, Round the task that rules the day, And do his best!
SUPPLEMENTARY.
NOTE A.
It may be presumed that the records of the Fairfield Con- sociation from its organization in 1709, to the period of the division in 1736, were held and perhaps continued by the Registrars of the Western District, and destroyed with the dwelling house of Rev. Andrew Eliot at the burning of Fair- field in 1779.
Fortunately, however, a complete account of the organiza- tion is preserved in the Records of the Stratfield church, copied therein and attested by Rev. Samuel Cooke, from the original minutes by Rev. Charles Chauncey the Scribe of the body, and is as follows:
"Sigillum At a Consociation or meeting of the Elders and Mes- Consociationis sengers of the County of Fairfield at Stratfield March Fairfieldensis. 16, 1708-9.
Present from ye Chh. of Fairfield
The Revd Mr. Joseph Webb. Messengers. Deacon John Thomson
Mr. Samuel Cobbet.
The Acts of ye Council at Saybrook, September 9, 170S were read the first time as also ye general Assembly's approba. tion and sanction thereof, October 1708. Voted in Council to adjourn till 8 of ye clock in ye morning.
The Consociation being met according to adjournment, after prayer made it was agreed
From ye Chh. of Stratfield. The Revd. Mr. Charles Chauncey
Messenger. Lieut. James Bennet.
The Revd. Mr. John Davenport chosen Moderator. 1 The Revd. Mr. Charles Chauncey Scribe. After Solemn Secking of God for divine guidance, direction and blessings the Council convened.
From ye Chh. of Stratford. ) Messengers. Joseph Curtiss Esqr.
Mr. Samuel Sherman.
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Imps. That all the Chhis, in ye County of Fairfield be one Consociation.
2. That ye Pastors met in our Consoci- ation have power with ye Consent of the Messengers of our Chhs. chosen and attend- ing, Authoritatively Judicially and Deci- sively to determine ecclesiastically affairs
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The Revd. Mr. Jno. Davenport. Messengers. Deacon Samll Hoit
From ye Chl. of Stamford. ) brot to their Cognizance according to the Word of God and that our Pastors with the concurrence and consent of the Messengers of our Chilies to be chosen and that shall attend npon all future occasions, have like Authoritative, Ju-
Mr. Jos. Bishop.
dicial and Decisive power of Determ- From ye Chh. of Danbury. ) ination of affairs ecclesiasticall, and that The Revd Mr. Seth Shove. Messengers. Lient. James Beebee in further and f. Her meetings of two Con- sociations together compliant with the conclusions of ye sd Conneill at Say brook, Mr. James Benedict. there is the like Authoritative, Judiciall J and Decisive power of Determination of Ecclesiastical affairs according to ye word of God.
From ye Chh. of Norwalk. The Revd Mr. Stephen Buckingham. Messenger.
Deacon Zerubbabel Hoit.
From ye Chh. of Woodbury. The Revd. Mr. Anthony Stoddard. Messengers. Deacon John Sherman,
Deacon Matthew Mitchell.
3. That by Elder or Elders of a par- ) ticular Chh in said Saybrook conclusions mentioned in Para- graph ye first is understood only in ye teaching Elder or teaching Elders.
4. That in ye 6th Paragraph of sd conclusions we do not hold ) ourselves obliged in our practice to use ye phrase of ye sentence of Non Communion but in ye stead thereof to use ye phrase of ye sen- tence of Excommunication which may in our judgment be formally applied in ye Cases expressed in said Paragraph.
The Conneill adjourned till half an hour past two oclock in ye after- noon.
5. That to ye orderly begining of a ease before a Councill of our Chhes. ye aggrieved member shall make application unto ye moderator of the Councill or Consociation for ye time being or in case of ye mou- erator's death to ye free Sent Pastor of ye Consociation who upon his desire shall receive attested copies of ye Chihs. proceedings with ye ag- grieved member from their minister and ye sd. Moderator with the two free senr. Pastors of ye Cireuit or in ye Case premised of ye death of ye Moderator ye sd 2 senr. pastors of ye circuit being satisfied there is sufficient cause shall warn ye convening of the Consociation.
6. That a Copy of a Warning to appear before ye Councill the time and place being notified being read in the hearing or left in ye bouse of the ordinary abode of a scandalous member or witness concerning the
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case depending before two members of the designation of the Scribe for ye time being and signed by the sd Scribe be adjudged a regular notification.
7. That a copy of a Warning to appear before ye Pastor or Chh. ye place and time notified being read in ye hearing or left in the ordi- nary abode of an offending member or witness needfull in the case before two members appointed by the pastor and signed by him shall be a fair notification ye neglect whereof unless upon sufficient reason shall be reputed a scandalous contempt in our respective Chhes
8. That all persons that are known to be Baptized shall in ye places where they dwell be subject to ye Censures of admonition and cxcom- munication in case of scandall committed and obstinately persisted in.
9. That the Moderator and Scribe now chosen be accounted to stand in ye same respective capacities for ye time being untill a new regular choice be made, and so for the future.
10. That ye Judgment of ye Consociation or Councill be executed by any Pastor appointed thereto by ye Councill when ye Pastor that hath already dealt in ye case hath not a frecdome of conscience to execute ye same.
The above Acts and Conclusions of the present Consociation unaui- mously Voted March 17, 1708-9.
Signed Charles Chauncey, Scribe.
The above and foregoing is a true Copy of the Originall Compared. pr. Samuel Cooke."
NOTE B.
Since the discourse was delivered the following items from the pen of Rev. B. L. Swan, a former pastor of the Stratford church, repro- duecd in the very interesting and exhaustive Ilistory of the Town of Stratford recently prepared by Rev. Samuel Orcutt, have come under the eye of the author.
The items are as follows: " Mr. Whitefield preached here Monday afternoon October 27. 1710, on his way from New Haven where he preached on Sunday the 26th, and on the three days preceding."
"The sermon by Mr. Whitefield was heard by Mrs. Ann, wife of John Brooks, who herself narrated the matter to Miss Polly Tomlinson who related it to me in 1859, and she was so much inter- ested that with her infant in her arms she went to Fairfield to hear him again the same day."
"A tradition preserved by Mrs. Victory Wetmore * and given * me by her in 1859, represents a Mrs. Burritt who lived on the wood end road below Main street as being in the yard of her dwelling #
* a mile nearly from the meeting house hill, where she distinctly heard Mr. Whitefield name his text from Zechariah 9, 12: 'Turn ye to the
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stronghold ye prisoners of hope.' Hence it is probable that this ser- mon was delivered in the open air."
These statements of Mr. Swan seem to make it evident that Mr. Whitefield preached in response to the invitation both in Stratford and Fairfield and make improbable the tradition referred to of his having preached in Stratfield (Bridgeport) with some fruit of his effort after- ward gathered.
NOTE C.
The " Half Way Covenant " as it stands upon the carly records of the church in Huntington, and was accepted as the bond of fellowship by that church until 1817 when it was discarded, was in these words:
"You do now before God and these witnesses avouch the Lord Jehovah to be your Covenant God and Father, viewing yourself under solemn bonds and obligations to be the Lord's by your baptisin and vows. You do so far as you know your owu heart, make choice of Jesus Christ to be your only Saviour and Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost to be your Sanctifier. Solemnly engaging to serve the Lord and Him only, as He shall by His grace enable you, that you will deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, that you will be careful to keep a conscience void of offense so as to do honor to God, and the re- ligion yon profess; that you will endeavor by strength from God to walk in all His commandments and ordinances blameless, desiring to put yourself under the watch and care of this Church, to be trained up in the school of Christ for flis heavenly kingdom, promising also, that you will give up your children to God in Baptism and to bring them up in the fear of the Lord ; and to attend upon all the ordinances of Christ as administered in this place; also' that it is your full purpose to obey God in the ordi- nance of the Holy Supper as God shall give you light aud show you His will herein. And you covenant and you promise, relying for help aud strength and ability on the Blood of the everlasting Covenant to perform all and every duty to the praise aud glory of God."
To make such professions and bind the life by such vows surely seems an act of sufficient solemnity. In form the instrument does not appear a wide departure from the obligations assumed in truly evan- gelical and orthodox churches.
But the instrument as interpreted by the purpose had in view by those who desired it as a basis of membership, and its practical effect upon church life, is misleading. The form was indeed almost parallel with the vows regarded as evangelical and adopted as conditional to full membership, but that there was a radical defect in the spirit of the instrument, at least in the spirit of those assuming its obligations is evident in the two fold fact, the effect was so disastrous, and when time had made its pernicious influence manifest, the evangelical churches both in Massachusetts and Connectient rejected it. As to the intent and practical working of the scheme, a few extracts from authorship immediately following the period when this Covenant was the open door to the church will make the matter sufficiently obvious.
"According to the provision of this arrangement, persons who cou-
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fessedly had not given their hearts to God, for the purpose of obtain- ing access to the ( in such case ) mere ceremony of baptism for their children * * were permitted and encouraged to come and make in the most solemn circumstances the most solemn of all professions, when they did not regard themselves and those around them did not regard them as having at all in heart given themselves away to God and trusted in Christ and yielded themselves up to be temples of the Holy Ghost. And as to the promises which were annexed, of educa- ting children in the fear of the Lord and submitting to the discipline of the church on the one hand and watchfnl care on the other, they soon came alike to be disregarded both by those who exacted and those who made them; parents did not and soon were not expected to fulfil their engagements, in form so significant and solemn, and churches did not and soon were not expected to fulfil theirs. * * The churches soon came to consist very considerably in may places of unregenerate per-
sons. * * The consequence was that within thirty years after the commencement of the eighteenth century a large proportion of the clergy through the country were either only speculatively correct in their religious opinions, maintaining regularly the forms of religion, but in some instances having well nigh lost, and in others, it is to be feared, having never felt its power."
NOTE D.
The Constitution and Roll of Membership of this Missionary Society are preserved, also the amount subscribed by each member as an an- nual payment for promoting the object had in view.
The sum appended to most of the names is one dollar, which seems to have been regarded at that time as a pretty generous contribution.
An aged clergyman of the state who passed away years ago at an ad- vaneed age, told the author that when he first presented the cause of Foreign Missions to his congregation and felt constrained to head the subscription list with one dollar, his deacons in the evening called to expostulate with him as having set an example of extravagance be- fore the people! The world does move somcechut.
AL NEFORI
ANNUAL REPORT
OF THE
Fairfield County
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
FOR 1889.
Printed for the Society.
HISTO
DEUS ET PATRIA
FAI
SOCIETY.
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CONNE
BRIDGEPORT, CONN. : THE STANDARD ASSOCIATION, PRINTERS. 1889.
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OFFICERS
OF THE
FAIRFIELD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
PRESIDENT, ROWLAND B. LACEY.
VICE PRESIDENTS,
GEORGE C. WALDO, CHARLES BURR TODD. GEN. WILLIAM H. NOBLE.
RECORDING SECRETARY, NATHANIEL E. WORDIN, M. D.
. ASSISTANT RECORDING SECRETARY, ALBERT J. MIDDLEBROOK.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY, LOUIS N. MIDDLEBROOK.
TREASURER AND CURATOR, RICHARD C. AMBLER.
HISTORIAN, GEORGE C. WALDO.
PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS.
In connection with our Annual Report for 1889, we take great pleasure in publishing the admirable paper of Prof. W. G. Andrews on the Life and Times of William Samuel John- son, originally prepared for, and read before this Society.
The past year may be classed as the off year for work of the character of that of our Society. The excitements of the late Presidential canvass and the absorption of time and interest into the political questions uppermost at such a period, have rend- ered it difficult to sustain the monthly meetings and other work with the accustomed degree of interest and efficiency. and we cannot point to so many valuable papers contributed and read as heretofore-yet our society has made progress.
Month by month there has been brought out additions more or less valuable to our Library and Museum : some of them of marked interest. During the two years past we show a large increase in these departments. We cannot exhibit them to the best advantage for want of room, and time and means to make the proper classification and display.
A very important addition to the history of current events is the bound files of our leading daily newspapers from April, 1871, to January 1, 1886, furnished gratuitously by the pub- lishiers to the office of the City Anditor and Clerk, and there preserved for reference and bound in semi-annual volumes.
On the removal of the city offices from Wheeler's Building. on Main street. to their present quarters in the City Hall, it was arranged that these should be turned over to our Society. as their special usefulness for reference there ceased-the city holding the issues of three or four of the most recent years. These files in time will will become very valuable. We are con- stantly receiving newspapers and some files of an older date e. g. the complete files of the Bridgeport Messenger, published
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by the late William S. Pomeroy, in 1831-1832. previous to his connection with the Republican Farmer, and many issues of the early Farmer. Connecticut Courier, ete. The advertise- ments and other contents are of intense interest to our older citizens, and a most excellent study for any student of history. Recently an old citizen whose memory and interest extended back over fifty years, on making a business call to our rooms, was shown some of these old papers, and became so much absorbed in looking them over and noting the persons and events thus revived to his memory, that several hours passed almost uneonseiously, and when obliged to tear himself away he declared he must come again, bring his dinner and spend the day.
The complete issues of the Bridgeport Directory and of the Mudicipal Register, our exchanges with other Historical Soeieties: also, aneient and current Legislative documents. State and National, are an important feature. We have re- eeived numerous books of a miscellaneous character, more or less valuable. During two years past our Library has thus been more than doubled.
Visitors to our rooms are shown the beautiful library set of furniture, of elegantly earved birdseye maple, donated from Waldemere by Hon. P. T. Barnum, the ancient sofa of the elder Governor Jonathan Trumbull ( Brother Jonathan. ) handed down through the family of the late Rev. Nathaniel Hewett. D.D, of which his daughter Mrs. Dr. Bowen says, "we know that Governor Trumbull died upon it :" the ancient wooden plow of the grandfathers, the implements for thrashing and eleaning their grain, hat chels for dressing and preparing the fax for linen fabrics, and the wheels, large and small. for spinning it; also, reels and other appliances. warming pan and foot- stoves such as the grandmothers used before the introduction of stoves for burning wood or coal into the churches. the old bass viol that led the singing, ancient chairs and other furni- ture, the tin oven that cooked the Thanksgiving turkey to " turn before the open wood fire, leather fire-buckets and fire- men's eaps of the olden time, ancient portraits and pictures of old churches, and other articles too numerous to mention,
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with ancient records and documents. These are but speci- mens of what we want and might have in greater variety if our friends would search the atties of the old houses, and be on the alert for us. We still want ancient military equip- ments, as swords, guns and pistols, etc., domestic utensils of wood, pewter, and other metals, illustrating the domestic economy of the early families of New England; also, Indian relies, ancient records and manuscripts, or printed documents of interest. Most of all, we want a host of new members. to help by their countenance and annual dues ; or some one or more patrons who by the contribution of a generous sum could put new life into our efforts in the great and important work before ns.
In the words of another "had organized effort been com- menced and prosecuted immediately after the close of the Rey- olutionary War to gather and preserve facts, traditions, docu- ments, books. pamphlets, manuscripts, memorials, and articles of curiosity illustrating the state of manners, laws and opinions, the treasures of the Society would have been vastly richer, and the student of history might have found in them the means of verifying many points and declarations now in doubt. or at least supported only by vague tradition. The lapse of years bears away everything that lives simply in the memory of man. Recollections fade and become uncertain, if unrecorded. Says Goldsmith, "The fundamental materials for the general lis- tory of a country are the public records. ancient monuments. and original historians of that country; and in proportion as they are slighted by the compiler these venerable originals themselves may fall into neglect and possibly in the end even into irretrievable oblivion; and when they are gone in vain may we look for an enlightening ray to guide us through the darkness of antiquity; we must then be content with the un- certain gleam with which an erroneous or partial leader is pleased to guide us."
Let us be wise and do what we may, to secure and religiously preserve all that remains to us of our early history and impar- tially fix and transinit the current.
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A FUTURE BUILDING.
Since our last published annual, this Society has been the recipient of. and has in its custody, a deed, jointly with the Bridgeport Seientifie Society in equal undivided shares, of a valuable building site, ou the southeast corner of Main and Gilbert streets from
HON. P. T. BARNUMI,
understood to be supplemented by a provision of his will for the erection of a suitable building, for the home and work of these sister Societies.
For anything like adequate work and progress, our first and essential need is a building. ample in size and appointments. and reasonably safe from the devouring elements. This secured and it would speedily become the deposit and home of the in- teresting records, memorials, and relies which illustrate and perpetuate the history and life of the early settlers of our land, and their aboriginal predecessors; and means will be found for their care. display. and use.
We believe that with his characteristic shrewdness and gen- rosity, Mr. Barnum will elect-himself to see and direct the erection of what will be one of the best and most useful mon- uments commemorative of himself, and his remarkable and useful life. So mote it be.
PUTNAM PARK.
One of the very few points of interest illustrating Revolu- tionary history. extant-is Putnam's Winter Quarters in Red- ding. Though neglected more than a century, its special features have remained unobliterated. Recently these Revo- lutionary remains, which have been so interestingly portrayed in the papers, are receiving something of deserved attention, and we take satisfaction in the part our Society has had, in their restoration. and in the improvement of the old quarters and the adjacent grounds acquired in eomsection therewith. By appeals, resolutions, and personal application, individual interest has been enlisted to a landable extent. and State aid has been successfully invoked. To none, more than to one of
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the Vice-Presidents of this Society, is due the inception and successful prosecution of the measures, which have resulted in Putnam Park, with all its historic monuments and memorials.
At our earnest and persistent request the separate houses of the last Congress voted to authorize, but inadvertently failed to provide for, the removal from an obscure grave in a small town in central Poland, of the remains of Joel Barlow, a native of Redding, and one of the most illustrious Revolutionary characters, who laid down his life in that far-off land, in the service of his country. The present Congress will no doubt complete the intended action, and it is now intended that their final resting place shall be in Putnam Park. to be marked and and honored by a suitable monument.
After Putnam and Barlow, no name will be more known and honored in connection with this interesting spot than
CHARLES BURR TODD.
WILLIAM SAMUEL JOHNSON AND THE MAKING OF THE CONSTITUTION."
REV. W. G. ANDREWS, D D.
Mr. Gladstone calls the Federal Constitution "the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man." But this description, however correct it may be as regards the written instrument, becomes a little misleading when appended, by way of contrast, to a deserip- tion of the British constitution as "the most subtile organism which has proceeded from progressive history." Our eonsti- tution, also, is the product of history. The federal system. the combination of central and local government in a strong nation composed of free states, was not constructed in 1787. It was accepted in spite of themselves by men whose greatest merit was that they were wise and patriotic enough to accept it at the expense of cherished theories of their own. The theories gave way in the presence of a great fact, the exis- tence of thirteen political societies already acting as one soci- ety. and yet continuing to act as thirteen. And so those men consented to have the paper which they were drawing up die- tated to them by the voice of history, which said imperatively. E Pluribus Unum. "one ont of many."
It is well-known that Connecticut. through two of her dele- gates to the constitutional convention, Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, bore a leading part in securing the accept- ance of the federal system. And her recent historian, Pro- fessor Jolmston, has pointed out one of her qualifications for such a task in the fact that she had long maintained "a fede-
. Paper read before the Fairfield County Historical Society, on Monday evening, De- cember 12, 1887.
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rative democracy" of her own. 1 Her towns were, even more completely than those of Massachusetts, so many free repub- lies, firmly knit together in a vigorous commonwealth through a legislature in which both towns and commonwealth were represented. For a century and a half Connecticut had been the United States in miniature, But another qualification may be found in the attitude of the colony as a member, albeit a very small one, of the British empire. It was con- spicuous among the colonies at once for its freedom and its loyalty, for the co-existence of large powers of local govern- ment with a generally prompt obedience to a central govern- ment. Its temper was illustrated just a century before its delegates did their great work at Philadelphia, when in the antnmn of 1687, it submitted quietly to a temporary abroga- tion of its marvellously free charter, while that document prob- ably found a safe hiding-place in a hollow tree, the oak which so fitly sheltered our transplanted vine.
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