USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Windsor > The history and genealogies of ancient Windsor, Connecticut, Vol. I > Part 104
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During this interval the church sustained Mr. Warham and a colleague; had regular services on the Sabbath and lecture days, received members under the Half- Way Covenant. and baptized children. Mr. Warham, his two deacons, and 22 others of the original members, and about 70 admitted here, were at the close of this period in good and regular standing; and if the omission of the sacrament under these circumstances constitutes an irregularity, it by no means disbanded the church, but tends, when taken in connection with subsequent events, to prove rigid adherence to the principles of the Congregational order, and the practice of uncompromising discipline.
That the old church was not swallowed up in the new we have abundant proof. In January, 1678, a mutual council was called by the two churches. That council ad- vised " that the two congregations reunite, and walk together in the same way and order, and this way of order whereunto they shall meet in their future walk, shall be the known and settled way of the First Church, which we understand to be the C'on- gregational way of Church Order." That " those who were originally members of the First Church be admitted; and those who after the division joined the new Church, be examined, if there was any objection to them, by the Rev. Mr. Rowlandson and Rev. Mr. Hooker," neighboring ministers. The next August the Second Church send a com- munication to the First Church, stating their understanding of the council to be, that they be received in a body. " without any trial of their fitness by the Church." The church voted that " they understood the council's act otherwise, and should wait the council's session for the clearing up of the matter," July 1, 1680. The court of assist- ants "prohibit all distinet meetings on the Sabbath and public days." It appears from that order that the Second Church had complied in part with the advice of the council. And it afterwards appears that part of those who separated From the First Church had returned to her communion. October, 1680, the legislature ordered that the society shall unite with the First on the terms proposed by the council of 1668; both of the former ministers [Mr. Chauncey and Mr. Woodbridge] to be released, and a new one sought." Then the Second Church complain to the legislature that the First Church will not abide by the advice of said council. " Our communicants are not entertained. or objected against [if they had been objected against they could have applied to Messrs. Rowlandson and Hooker for certificates of their Orthodoxy ], neither we or our minister could enjoy communion in sacraments, nay the sacrament was put by, that we might not."
Finally, at the May session of 1682, the legislature, "upon application of the Church of Windsor, respecting the difficulties they met with in the settlement of Mr. Mather [to whom they had given a call], all former orders and endeavors not being effectual to remove the impediment that lies still in the way, that the matter of union may be plainly stated, which is now mainly impedimenting to them, this Court see cause to declare their ready owning the said Church, in the quiet practice of their pro- fessed principles in point of order, and that the forementioned union be carried on in manner following, viz .: That Mr. Mather being in due time called and settled in office by the Church of Windsor, thereupon such of the Second Society as desire fellowship with them in all ordinances (excepting those that were formerly in communion with
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that Church, that are returned, or to return to the same standing in it), address them- selves to Mr. Mather: and having satisfied him about their experimental knowledge. and the grounds of that satisfaction by him declared to the Church to their acceptance, with encouraging testimony given in reference to their conversation, they be thereupon admitted."
Thus ended a sad division which had continued through fifteen years, mainly stim- ulated, I think, by the mistaken sympathy of the civil authority. From that time there needs no citing of authorities to show the continued existence of this church. and that " the ordinances have been regularly administered." Its present Confession of Faith bears internal evidence of its antiquity and its orthodoxy. If I am not in error, the present Congregational Church in Windsor is the oldest evangelical church in America: and, except the Southwark Church, London, the oldest orthodox Congrega tional Church in the world.
We now touch upon one point in the history of the church in Windsor which has been called in question, viz. : Its remoral, with its original organization, from Dorchester, Muss., to Connectient.
The following extract is from the Life of Richard Mather, published with the sanc- tion of his son, Rev. Increase Mather, in 1620, the very year of Mr. Warham's death. and but thirty-five years after the date of the event in question, when there was no lack of living witnesses. There were still living twenty-four members of the church in Windsor, who " were so in Dorchester, and came up here with Mr. [Warham] and still are of us." Captain Roger ('lap, and probably others who came from England with Mr. Warham and his people, and remained in Dorchester, were also living.
" Being thus by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm brought into New Eng- land, motions from sundry towns were soon presented to him, desiring that he would employ the talent which the Lord had enriched him with for the work of the ministry amongst them; at the same time he was desired at Plymouth, Dorchester, and Rox- bury. Being in a great strait in his own mind, which of these incitations to accept of; considering that in difficult cases counsel is an ordinance of God, whereby he is wont to discover his will, he therefore referred himself to the advice of some judicious friends, amongst whom Mr. Cotton and Mr. Hooker were chief, who met to consult this weighty affair; and their advice was, that he should accept of the motion from Dorchester, which, being accordingly accepted of by him, he did (by the help of Christ) set upon that great work of gathering a Church; the Church which was first planted in that place being removed with the Rev. Mr. Warham to Connecticut. There was an essay towards gathering a Church, April 1, 1636; but by reason that the mes- sengers of neighboring churches were not satistied concerning some that were intended members of that foundation, the work was defererd until August 23, when a Church was constituted in Dorchester according to the order of the Gospel by Confession and Profession of Faith; and Mr. Mather was chosen Teacher of that Church."
Blake's Annals of Dorcluster, dated 1750 (the year of the author's death), 115 years after the removal of Mr. Warham and his people to Connecticut, states (p. 13), under (late 1636: " This year made great alteration in ye Town of Dorchester, for Mir. Mather & ye Godly people that came with him from Lancashire wanting a place to Settle in. some of ye People of Dorchester were willing to remoue & make room for them, & so Mr. Warham and that half of ye Church removed to Windsor, in Connecticut Colony. and Mr. Mather and his people came and joined with Mr. Maverick, and that half of ye Church that were left, and from these people so united are ye greatest part of ye pres- ent Inhabitants descended. When these two Companies of people were thus united, they made one Church, having ye sd Rev. Mr. John Maverick, and ye sd Rev. Mr. Richard Mather for their Pastors, and entered into ye following Covenant, viz. " [and then follows the " Dorchester Church Covenant made ye 23d day of 6 Month, 1636]."
This statement, taken in connection with the fact that Mr. Warham and Mr. Maverick were installed pastor and teacher over the old church before they left Eng
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APPENDIX (.
land, has seemed to militate against the evidence presented to sustain the claim that the old church did remove to Connecticut in its organized capacity. But the author of the Annals was certainly in error respecting Mr. Maverick's connection with the new church; for Winthrop shows that he had been dead more than six months when the new church was formed, and I think the author little nearer the truth in the statement that half the old church remained in Dorchester.
In the present state of the question I see no necessity for abandoning the claim that the church in Windsor is the oldest orthodox Congregational Church in America.' 1 regret that in this discussion the church in Windsor had not an able champion. Iam not even a member of the church in Windsor; but a motive for my volunteer efforts may be found in the fact that I am proud to trace iny descent from the first pastor of that church, the deacon, and several of the members " who came up from Dorchester in full communion." Six generations of my ancestors have lived and died in that com munion, and " my friends and kindred " still "inherit the land, and dwell therein." There I made a public profession of my faith in "the God of my Fathers " ; and from thence I consented (though with deep regret) to ask, with others, a letter of dismission and commendation " to the Council to be convened at Windsor Locks, for the purpose of organizing said members into a Church."
At the conclusion of the discussion, the editor of the Recorder summed up as fol Jows :
"THE OLDEST CHURCH.
" Before we made our recent statement as to the church in Lynn being the oldest church, we were aware that the First Church in Hartford - several years younger than that in Lynn - claimed to be, and we supposed was conceded to be, the oldest church in Connecticut. We have not the means of settling the question between Hartford and Windsor. That in Hartford confidently rests in the conclusion that she is the oldest. If her claim is well founded, the priority of Lynn is established. But if gentlemen in Hartford and Windsor, living nearer the sources of original information, cannot settle the question, it would hardly be modest in us to assume to do it.
" Then as to the other point, whether the Windsor Church, removing from Dorches- ter, removed in an organized capacity - that it voted in church meeting to remove as a church - and carried with them their church records, formally dismissing those left behind, and continuing to keep their records as the same church - more light is re- quired. It is true that, both here and at Cambridge, after the removal of some of the first settlers to Connecticut with their ministers, another organization of the church was had. For new immigrants had come in, and purchased the houses and lands of those migrating to Connecticut; and so great was the change of people that there would be occasion for a reconstruction of the church, whether the people who left went in an organized body, or were organized anew in their new field.
" We were led to conclude, from what Cotton Mather says, that they did organize anew in Connecticut. Speaking of those Connecticut transplants, he says, of this and that one, that it ' removed and became a Church in Connecticut. Of the emigrants to Windsor he says, " They removed and became a Church. It was on this authority that we based our former position. But since we have had occasion to examine the matter more critically, we have come to the conclusion that Mather uses a looseness of expression here; not intending to inform us whether the church organization was
'"Two Churches were organized carlier, the Plymouth and the Salem, but both of these have joined the U'nitarians, and left this Windsor Church the oldest Evangelical Church in New England, and the oldest in America, except the Reformed Dutch Church, New York city, organized 1628."
- Dea. J. H. Hayden's Centennial Sketch, etc.
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transferred. Otherwise he would contradict himself; for in one passage he tells us that the Dorchester people moved and became a church in Windsor, and in another that the church planted in Dorchester was transplanted to Windsor. In one place he tells us that Stone and Hooker went as colleagues to Hartford, and in another that Stone was ordained teacher of the church at Hartford. Mather uses such vague- ness of speech about the whole matter that his testimony is of little or no vahie either way.
"As for the evidence produced by Mr. Hayden in his very acceptable article, it proves clearly that another church was organized at Dorchester. Of this we were well aware; but the expression, 'a large part of the old one being gone to Conn.,' would seem to indicate that the church itself did not go. The difficulty about all the docu- ments relating to this subject is that the writers seem to have treated the question as to the preservation of the original organization as a matter of little consequence, while they state the fact of the removal, and so use expressions which may be construed either way. This defect appears in Mr. Hayden's extracts from the mutilated Compi- lation of Records. The writer might have said the things there cited in either case. Still we are not certain that there may not be proofs extant somewhere, which will definitely settle this question; and, if any of our readers know of such proofs, we should be grateful for the communication of them.
" Meanwhile, considering nothing upon these points to be definitely settled, we will, in order to be sure that we tread on no one's toes, for the present modify our position; and say that the church in Lynn is the oldest Orthodox Congregational Church in Massa- chusetts, and the oldest remaining in its position, or place of its planting, of any in the country."
APPENDIX D (Page 98).
THE PRESBYTERIANISM OF THE EARLIER CHURCHES OF NEW ENGLAND.
MIE Presbyterian Quarterly, for January, 1859, in a review of a recent issue of the German press entitled: " The New England Theocracy -a History of Congrega tionalism in New England to the Revivals of 1740. By H. F. Uhden, with a preface by the late Dr. Neander," makes the following remarks:
" As to the constitution of the individual church in the early history of New Eng. land, it was Presbyterian rather than Congregational. This was the case with the mother church of Leyden, of which Robinson was pastor, and Brewster a ruling chler. They seem to have borrowed their ideas of the proper and Scriptural organization of an individual church, with scarce a modification, from the writings of Calvin. In the French Reformed Church, as is well known, the principles of the Genevese Reformer were more perfectly and constantly carried out than in Geneva itself, and it is to the French Reformed churches that the Leyden Church refers as the pattern from which they had drawn. In response to certain honorable members of His Majesty's Privy Council. Robinson and Brewster reply under their own signatures to the effect that ' touching the ecclesiastical ministry, namely of pastors for teaching, elders for ruling. and dencons for distributing the Church contribution, as also for the two sacraments. &c., we do wholly and in all points agree with the French Reformed churches, accord ing to their publie confession of faith.' They add that some small differences were to be found in their practices, but only such as were . in some accidental circumstances,' and ' not at all in the substance of the things." Yet, in specifying these differences, they say: ' We choose none for governing elders but such as are "apt to teach."" 'Their elders are annual, &c., onrs perpetual.' 'Our elders administer their office publicly; theirs more privately.' These are the only matters of difference between themselves and the French Reformed churches, to which they refer in connection with the form of government or the constitution of the individual church.
" That this distinction between the pastor and ruling elder was not one merely of name, is obvious from a variety of evidence. After the branch of the Leyden Church, which had removed to Plymouth, had remained some years without a pastor, waiting the arrival of Mr. Robinson, Brewster, the ruling eller, and a man eminently 'apt to teach,' wished to know or Mr. Robinson whether it were permissible for him to admin ister the sacraments. The reply of Robinson is: 'Now touching the question pro- pounded by you, I judge it not lawful for you, being a ruling elder (as Rom. xii. 2. 8, and 1 Tim., v. 17), opposed to the ellers that teach and exhort and labor in word and doctrine, to which the sacraments are annexed, to administer them, nor convenient if it were lawful.' Again, in his reply to Bernard, he says: 'The contrary to that which you affirm is to be seen of all men in our Confession of Faith, Art. 34, wherein it is held, that " no sacraments are to be administered until pastors or teachers be ordained to their office.". Still again he says: . We believe and confess that the ellers which Christ hath left in His Church are to govern the same in all things, provided always the nature of ecclesiastical government be not exceeded, according to the laws by Him prescribed, and that the brethren are most straitly bound to obey them' And once more to the same purport, he holds that . the flock, both severally and jointly. is to obey them that have the oversite over them."
" In accordance with such views the Leyden Church was constituted. They were. of course, reflected in the constitution of the Plymouth Church in this country. As to the church in Salem, Hubbard says there is no small evidence that they took their
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model from the Plymouth Church. To its constitution and covenant reference was often made. Mr. Cotton's charge at Hampton was that they should take advice of them at Plymouth, and Gov. Winslow wrote of others, 'they will do nothing without our advice." Baillie says the settlers did 'agree to model themselves after Mr. Robin- son's pattern,' and Cotton speaks of 'the Plymouth Church helping the first comers in their theory, by hearing and discovering their practice at Plymouth.' The only point which we find specified in regard to which the other churches diverged from those of Plymouth is that 'they of Massachusetts choose mere ruling elders - that is, as not necessarily "apt to teach"-and gave them authoritative power.' It would seem, therefore, that in the Leyden Church we are to find the recognized model of the carly New England churches.
" The Cambridge Platform (1648) thus recognizes the Presbyterian constitution of the church. It says: ' Of elders, some attend chiefly to the ministry of the Word, as the pastors and teachers; others attend especially unto rule, who are therefore called ruling elders.' Again: 'The ruling elder's office is distinct from the office of pastor and teacher.' His ' work is, to join with the pastor in those acts of spiritual rule which are distinct from the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. Among the specified duties are admission of members: convening the church; 'preparing matters in pri- vate ' for 'more speedy dispatch.' etc.
" The government of the church. moreover, is, according to the platform, vested in 'its Presbytery' of elders. 'The Holy Ghost frequently - yea always - where it mentioned Church rule and Church government, ascribeth it to elders.' This government of the church is ' a mixed government,' but ' in respect of the Presbytery and the power committed unto them, it is an aristocracy."
" In accordance with these principles the greater part of the early New England churches were established. In Plymouth Colony the choice was not, as in Massachu- setts, of mere ruling elders, but of those that were 'apt to teach.' In New Haven sev. (ral of the principal men - called in Scripture phraseology . the seven pillars' -con- stituted an eldership which was the base or nucleus of the church. . It was the opinion of the principal divines who first settled New England and Connecticut,'so Trumbull remarks, 'that in every church completely organized, there was a pastor, teacher, rul- ing elder, and deacons. These distinct offices they imagined were clearly taught in these passages: Rom. xii. 1; 1 Cor. xii 28; 1 Tim. v. 17; and Eph. iv. 11. From this they argued the duty of all churches, which were able, to be thus furnished. In this manner were the churches of Hartford, Windsor, New Haven, and other towns organized. The churches which were not able to support a pastor and teachers, had their ruling elders and deacons. The business of the ruling elder was to assist the pastor in the government of the church. He was particularly set apart to watch over all its members, to prepare and bring forward all cases of discipline,' ete. 'It was the general opinion that elders ought to lay on hands in ordination, if there were a Presbytery in the church, but if there were not, the church might appoint some other elders or brethren to that service.' As late as 1670, upon the organization of the Second church in Hartford, one of the main principles of Congregational Church order is stated to be 'that the power of guidance, or leading, belongs only to the eldership. and the power of judgment. consent, or privilege, belongs to the fraternity of brethren in full communion.' Of the importance of the ellership, Hooker speaks in very em- phatic language: 'The elders must have a Church within a Church, if they would pre- serve the peace of the Church.' Nor would he allow questions to be discussed before the whole body till the proper course had been resolved upon in the Presbytery, or ses- sion of the elders."
In these later days the Congregational churches seem to be tending toward a re- turn to the custom of the earlier church in this respect. Certain churches in the West have elected ruling elders, and the subject is now commanding much attention in the Congregational denomination. - Ed.
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APPENDIX E (Page 278).
RECORDS OF THE "(TH," OR " ATH." OR NORTH SOCIETY OF WINDSOR
(Extracts from Rer. Mr. Hinsdale's Record.)
N the 3d of September, 1761, the following persons were, by act of the Consocia tion of the North District in the County of Hartford, embodied into a church state .
Jonathan Stiles Daniel Bissell Samuel Hayden Abrm Dibble
Josiah Bissell Jabez Bissell Benoni Denslow
The next day " the persons hereafter named were received by said church into Full communion."
Nathaniel Gaylord
Peletialı Allyn Isaac Hayden Joseph Gaylord 1762 Nath'l Hayden
Elizabeth Gaylord Lydia Hoskins
Lydia Hoskins, jr.
Abigail Hayden
Naomi Hayden
Joseph Bissell
1765 Elijah Parker
Joseph Wadsworth
Ralph Bissell
Ab Stoughton
Azubah Strong
Hannah Dibble 1162 Mercy Sheldon
Abigail Pinney
Lucy Denslow
Eunice Hayden
Jemima Ellsworth
Parsons
Thucons. - Nathaniel Hayden, Josiah Bissell, Esq., - chosen Dec. 26, 1768
The Half Way Corenant. - "April 28th, 1776. It having been a usage formerly to admit persons to own the Baptismal Covenant and have baptism for the children, when neither the Covenanters nor the Church looked on them presently meet for and bound to attendance on the Lord's supper, whereas at present we have but one Covenant or Profession for all, the same are admitted who object against themselves and for seruples of their own are tolerated in a non-attendance on the holy supper, though acknowledged as members in complete standing -a question arose whether the covenanters, especially the former sort, should be required to renew their Covenant in order to their coming to the Lord's supper, and to exercise their right to act in matters of discipline, &c.
" This matter having been proposed and before disposed-was this day agreed and passed unanimously in a meeting of the Church as follows :
" That all persons in explicit Covenant with the Church, whether they came in for merly or more latterly, are at liberty if they please to come to all parts of communion with us without renewing the Covenant or Confession.
" However.
" That it would be more agreeable if such especially as owned their Covenant according to the former usage, were to renew their profession before they came to all parts of Communion."
APPENDIX F (Page 460).
NATIVES OR RESIDENTS OF WINDSOR, EAST AND SOUTH WINDSOR, WINDSOR LOCKS, AND BLOOMFIELD, WHO HAVE REPRESENTED CONNECTICUT IN THE UNITED STATES OR IN THE STATE GOV- ERNMENT.
Governorx : Roger Wolcott, 1751-54, three years service. Oliver Wolcott (Sen.) son of the above, was born in Wind- sor, but removed to Litchfield, Ct .; served as Governor 1796 to his death in 1797.
Deputy-Governors: Roger Ludlow, 1639, '42, '48,-3 yrs. John Mason, 1660-9, -9 yrs. Roger Woleott, 1742-51, -9 yrs.
Lieutenant-Gorernor :
Oliver Wolcott, 1786-96. George G. Sill, 1873-76.
Secretaries : Daniel Clark, 1658-64, 1665-67,-8 yrs.
Members of the Continental Congress :
1774 : app'd by the Committee of Correspondence, July and August, any three to attend : Erastus Wolcott.
1778 : app'd by the General Assembly, Oct. sess., Oliver Ellsworth.
1779:
1780 : .. ..
Oct., 1778, " att'd. Jan., 1780, to serve till the first Monday in Nov., Oliver Ells- worth, - attended.
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