USA > Connecticut > Hartford County > Windsor > The history of ancient Windsor, Connecticut > Part 16
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HISTORY OF ANCIENT WINDSOR.
During the long continuance of this distressing controversy, which we have thus briefly sketched, the Windsor Church, so far as we can learn, enjoyed quiet, although not unaffected by the neighboring turmoil. Yet the leaven of discontent was doubtless at work in her bosom. The minds and prejudices of: her members must, of course, have been variously and deeply agitated on the questions which were claiming so large a por- tion of the public attention. Her pastor was now becoming old and feeble. He was one of the only two survivors of all the pious and gifted ministers who presided over the first churches of Connecticut. Of all that goodly company who solemnly chose him for their pastor, in the New Hospital at Plymouth, who suffered with him in Dorchester; and accompanied him on that wilderness journey to Connecticut, but few were left, and they, like sere and yellow leaves, were quietly dropping away to their graves. The children who filled their places neither inherited their ripe experience, nor, it may be, their strict piety; and mingled with these were many new comers, in whose hearts the world o'erpowered the interests of the Church. The Church, thus weakened by the gradual decay of her pastor, and the loss of those pillars which had so long upheld her, was exposed and rudely shaken by the storm of contention and discord which raged on every side.
Yet it is not until 1664, that we find any allusion to difficulty in the Church at Windsor. In March, of that year, however, the Court Record mentions that:
" The Church of Christ at Windsor complains of James Eno and Michael Humphrey, for several things contained in a paper presented to the Court. Mr. Clark, in behalf of the Church, com- plains of James Eno and Michael Humphrey for a misdemeanor, in offering violence to an established law of this Colony. Mr. Clark withdraws this charge."1
Although the complaint was withdrawn by the church, yet the court saw fit to pass, at the same session, its censure upon the agitators of public peace, as follows:
" This Court having seriously considered the case respecting James Eno and Michael Humphrey, do declare such practices to
1 Col. Rec., 1, 420.
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be offensive, and may prove prejudicial to the welfare of this Colony, and this Court expects they will readily come to the acknowledgement of their error in the paper by them presented to this Church, whereupon, the Court respites and remits the censure due for their offence, provided answerable reformation do follow, expecting that their lenity therein will win up on the spirits of those concerned in this case. And this Court doth approve of the pious and prudent care of Windsor, in seeking out for a supply and help in the ministry, Mr. Warham growing ancient; and do order all persons in the said plantation to allow their proportion towards the competent maintenance of such a supply in the ministry. And the Court desires a friendly cor- respondence may be maintained at Windsor, as if this trouble had never been; this Court declaring their readiness to maintain all the just privileges of all the members of this Corporation."1
In spite of this withdrawal by the Church, and the leniency of the court, the matter was again subsequently agitated by the malcontents in a paper, which though lengthy, is presented ver- batim, in order that the subject may be fully understood. It was drawn up by the skillful hand of William Pitkin, Esq., of Hartford, and was signed by seven persons, four of whom were Windsor men. Indeed it is probable, from the evidence before us, that Eno and Humphrey were the chief movers in the affair, and that the letter was aimed at the Windsor Church.
The humble address and petition of sundry persons of and belonging to the same Corporation, sheweth,
That whereas we whose names are subscribed, being Profess- ors of the Protestant Christian Religion, members of the Church of England, and subjects to our Sovereign Lord Charles the Se- cond, by God's grace, King of England, etc., and under those sacred ties mentioned and maintained in our covenant, sealed with our baptism, having seriously pondered our past and pre- sent want of those ordinances, which to us and our children, as members of Christ's visible church, ought to be administered. Which we apprehend to be to the dishonor of God, and the ob- struction of our own and our children's good (contrary to the pious will of our Lord the King, his main purpose in settling these plantations, as by the Charter and His Majesty's letter to the Bay, June 26, 1662, and thereways is most evidently mani- fested) to our great grief, the sense of our duty towards God, the relation we stand in to our mother the Church, our grateful acceptation of His Majesty's Royal favor, the edification of our own and our children's souls, and many other good Christian
1 Col. Rec., 1, 420.
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and profitable ends (as also at a late session of this honored assembly having received a favorable encouragement from the worshipful Deputy Governor) herennto moving ns, we are bold by his own address to declare our aggreviance and petition for a redress of the same.
Our aggreviance is, that we and ours, are not under the due care of an orthodox ministry, that will in a due manner ad- minister to us those ordinances, that we stand capable of, as the baptising of our children, our being admitted (as we ac- cording to Christ's order may be found meet) to the Lord's Table, and a careful watch over us in our way, and suitable dealing with us as we do well or ill, with all whatsoever bene- fits and advantages, belong to us as members of Christ's visible church, which ought to be dispensed by the officers of the same, of which being destitute, we humbly request, that this Honored Court would take into serious consideration our present state in this respect, that we are thus as sheep scattered, having no shep- herd, and compare it with what we conceive you can not but know, both God and our King would have it different from what it now is, and take some speedy and effectual course for redress therein, and put us in a full and free capability of enjoy- ing those forementioned advantages, which to us as members of Christ's visible church do of right belong, by establishing some wholesome law in this Corporation, by virtue whereof, we may both claim and receive of such officers, as are or shall be by law set over us in the church or churches, where we have our abode or residence, these forementioned privileges and ad- vantages.
Furthermore we humbly request, that for the future, no law in this corporation may be of any force to make us pay or con- tribute the maintenance of any minister or officer of the church that will neglect or refuse to baptise our children & to take care of us, as of such members of the church, as are under his or their charge or care.
This, in hopes that your careful and speedy consideration and issue hereof, will be answerable to the weight of the matter, and our necessities, and that matters of less moment may be omitted till this be issued. We wait for a good answer, and for this Honored Court we shall ever pray, etc."
Oct. 17, 1664. [Signed by ] WILLIAM PITKIN [Hartford], MICHAEL HUMPHREY [Windsor], JOHN STEDMAN [Hartford], JAMES ENO [Windsor], ROBERT REEVE, JOHN MOSES [ Windsor ], JONAS WESTOVER [Windsor].
Stripped of its verbiage, the petition simply amounts to this: Michael Humphrey and James Eno, by virtue of their having
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been in England members of the national church, demanded from the (non-conformning) Church of Windsor, baptism for their children, and admission to full church privileges.
This, of necessity, was declined. Thereupon James Eno and Michael Humphrey, with five others, petition the assembly, in well set phrase " to establish some wholesome law," by virtue of which they "may claim and receive " of such officers "as are or shall be set over us in the churches, where we have our abodes and residences, these forementioned privileges and advantages." And they furthermore request to be relieved from paying the minister's tax, or in any way contributing to the support of any church, whose officers shall see fit to deny them these desired privileges. It was in short, asking the assembly to proscribe the terms of membership for the churches.
There were several other facts which serve to show in a stronger light, if it were necessary, the cool effrontery of this petition. Both Mr. Warham and Mr. Maverick had been regu- larly ordained ministers in the Church of England, and it is well known that the main points of dissent, between Puritans and Episcopalians, were not so much of doctrine, as of forms of church government and discipline. These fathers of the Windsor Church had left their homes, and endured much suffer- ing, that they might establish for themselves and their children after them, a system of church-government which they deemed more in accordance with the New Testament. It was not strange, therefore, that they should hesitate to throw aside or modify that system merely to gratify the wishes of adventurers who had come after them, and who had not " borne the heat and burden of the day." For Michael Humphrey came to Windsor in 1643, and James Eno in 1646. They certainly could not have come to America for religious liberty. If that had been their object, they might better have remained in England where Episcopacy was the rule and not the exception. Nor can we learn that they had any civil cause of complaint. On their coming to Windsor, they had been freely allowed the same privileges as other citizens, and the town had even voted James Eno a plot of ground, already under cultivation, within the palisado, " to barber on." Manifestly then, this petition was
22
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unjust and arrogant in its pretensions, as well as improper in its tone. It revealed the fact that, even in the Church of Windsor, there were some smouldering ashes of discontent, which the surrounding agitation of the times could hardly fail, eventually, to kindle into a consuming blaze.
Ever since the Council of 1657, its opinions concerning bap- tism had been gradually gaining ground, and many of the clergy and people were desirous of carrying them into effect. So general and formidable, however, was the opposition to it, that it could not be effected without a synod. Consequently, the General Court of Massachusetts, convened a synod of all the ministers of that colony, at Boston, in September, 1662. Their answer to the principal question, " Who are the subjects of baptism ?" substantially reaffirmed the decision of the Council of 1657. Their verdict was by no means unanimously received. Many of New England's most learned and able divines, among whom were the Rev. Charles Chauncey, presid- ent of Harvard College, Dr. Increase Mather, Mr. Mather of Northampton, and Mr. Davenport of New Haven, opposed it by word and pen; and the churches were, as a body, more opposed than the clergy.
The General Court of Connecticut, having other important matters on hand, had hitherto taken no official action on the subject. But at their October session, this year (1664), aroused by the lamentable discord which prevailed throughout the coun- try, and especially, it may be presumed, by the tone of the peti- tion which had been presented to them by Messrs. Pitkin, Eno, Humphrey, &c., they passed the following resolve, which was evidently intended to enforce the action of the synod upon the churches of the colony.
" This Court, understanding, by a writing presented to them, from several persons of this Colony, that they are aggrieved, that they are not entertained in church fellowship; this Court, having duly considered the same, desiring that the rules of Christ may be attended, do commend it to the ministers and churches in this Colony, to consider, whether it be not their duty to entertain all such persons, who are of an honest and godly conversation, having a competency of knowledge in the princi- ples of religion, and shall desire to join with them in church fellowship, by an explicit covenant; and that they have their
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children baptized; and that all the children of the church be accepted and accounted real members of the church; and that the church excercise a due christian care and watch over them; and that when they are grown up, being examined by the officer, in the presence of the church, it appear, in the judgment of charity, they are duly qualified to participate in that great ordinance of the Lord's Supper, by their being able to examine themselves and discern the Lord's body, such persons be admit- ted to full communion.
The Court desires that the several officers of the respective churches, would be pleased to consider whether it be not the duty of the Court to order the churches to practice according to the premises, if they do not practice without such an order. If any dissent from the contents of this writing, they are desired to help the Court, with such light as is with them, the next session of this assembly."1
A copy of this order was sent to each church and minister in the colony, by the secretary of the court.
The measure thus proposed was what is best known as the Half-way Covenant. It failed, however, to convince the heart or to satisfy the conscience of the great mass of the people. They felt a natural dread lest such latitudinarianism with respect to baptism and church communion should tend to weaken and sub- vert the very design for which the churches of New England were established. And in spite of the wisdom and influence of councils and synods; the uneasiness of many church members; and the plainly indicated will of the General Court, its intro- duction into the churches of Connecticut, was slow and difficult. Many hesitated for years, and others utterly refused to adopt it into practice.
In the history of the Half-way Covenant, the course of the · Windsor Church was peculiar and exceptional. Mr. Warham, whose views were somewhat more liberal than those of the clergy of that day,2 sympathized with the resolution of the Coun-
1 Col. Rec., 1, 437.
2 This we may justly infer from the following extract from the letter of Fuller, the Plymouth physician to Gov. Bradford, dated June 28, 1630, wherein he says : " I have been at Mattapan, at the request of Mr. Warham (N. B. The Dorchester party had suffered considerably in health from their long voyage, and needed medical treatment). I had conference with them till I was weary. Mr. Warham holds that the visible church may consist of a mixed
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cil of June, 1657, of which he had been a member, 1 and shortly after formally adopted the practice in his own congregation. " And the time which Mr. Warham first began this practice" says the record, 2 " was January 31, 1657[8] and went on in the practice of it until March 19, 1664[5, on] which day he declared to the church that he had met with such arguments against the practice, concerning the baptizing of members' [chi]ldren, that he could not get through at present, and could not go on as he had done without scruples of conscience. Therefore [he] must forbear, until he had weighed arguments and advised with those that were able to give [advice]. Not that he intended to cast off the practice wholly, but only to delay it for a time, till he could be better able to answer his present scruples, for if he should act, and not of faith, Romans 14th [chapter] would be sin in him."
What the arguments were which so sorely troubled the faith- ful and conscientious pastor, we do not know. The fact is evi- dent from the church records, that the Half-Way Covenant was not resumed until the summer of 1668. Then Mr. Chauncey, who was preaching as a supply to the Windsor Church, " set it [the practice] on again," by the following vote of the church. "June 21st, 1668. It was by vote of the Church assented to, that adult persons, be it Husband or Wife, that desired to have their children baptized by Mr. Chauncey, should if they presented themselves to the Elders in private, and de- clared to their satisfaction, their knowledge in the principles, and owned the Father's Covenant, there should nothing be re- quired of them in public, until they presented themselves for
people, godly and openly ungodly, upon which point we all had our conference, to which, I trust, the Lord will give a blessing."
1 By appointment of the Court. See Col. Rec., 1, 288.
2 Trumbull in his Hist. of Conn. (1, 471), says the Half-Way Covenant was first introduced by the Hartford Church (under Mr. Woodbridge) in February, 1696. But Trumbull was not aware of the existence of this Windsor Church record, from which we quote the above. This conclusively entitles the Windsor Church to the honor (?) of being the first church in Connecticut to adopt the Covenant.
3 Old Church Records - which adds that " before this time it had been the practice to call such persons in public to stand forth and answer to questions of catechism propounded to them, and to own the church Covenant."
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full communion."3 Two weeks after, July 5th, the records of baptism under this Covenant, which had been dropped since '64, is again resumed. " So the delay of it, from the 19th of March, '64, was three years and so much [more] as from the 19th of March to the 21st of June, [the time] that Mr. Chauncey set it on again."1
This was only two years before the decease of Mr. Warham, whose failing strength had for some time past incapacitated him from the active duties of the ministry. Whether his scruples had been removed; or whether the Covenant was resumed on the responsibility of the church and Mr. Chauncey, and with his approbation, does not appear. The practice, however, was con- tinued, and the Windsor Church, having been the first to adopt, « was almost the last in the State of Connecticut to relinquish the Half-way Covenant.2
Mr. Warham, the venerable pastor, as we have before inti- mated, was now well stricken in years, and both he and his people, felt the necessity of procuring a suitable colleague to assist him in his duties. They had sent in the summer of 1666 to the pastors of Boston, Dorchester and Cambridge, soliciting their aid in the matter, and received the following reply, recommending Mr. Chauncey:3
To the Reverend Mr. John Warham and Mr. John Witchfield, Elders of the Church of Christ at Windsor; these, Reverend and much beloved in the Lord.
We have received your letter by Brother Filer, and were we as capable of serving you in a matter of so great importance, as we are willing, we hope we should not be wanting to answer your desires. But it is little we can say by reason of our un- acquaintedness (especially most of us) with the persons by you
1 Old Church Records.
2 It was abandoned during the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Rowland, and it is believed that some of the brothers and sisters of our friend Mr. Jabez H. Hay- den, were among the last baptized under its provisions.
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3 NATHANIEL CHAUNCEY, the 4th son of Pres. Charles Chauncey of Harvard College, was born in or about 1639, at Plymouth, Mass., but was baptized at Scituate, 1641. He was a twin brother of Elnathan. Took the first degree at Harvard College, 1661, with his brothers Elnathan and Isaac. There is a tradition that he was a distinguished scholar. He took the degree of A. M. in 1664, and maintained the affirmative of the question : " Utrum detur idea
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named. For Mr. Nath1 Chauncey we have good encouragement by what we hear concerning his learning and steadiness, dili- gence, hopeful piety, grave and peaceable demeanor. As con- cerning his voice, two of us never heard him preach, from the third [of us] you have heard an account formerly. We hear that it was better and more audible the second time he preached at Cambridge, than the first. But we understand he is likely to preach again the next Lord's day, when some of yours [Windsor people] will be present, by whom you may have further informa- tion than we can now give.
For Mr. Chauncey, he is not at present in the Bay [Mass.], but we understand he is likely to be here about a fortnight hence, and some probabilities that he will come free from the place where now he is. We learn that he hath well approved himself for his abilities in preaching, and for piety, having been received into full communion in the church of Ipswich several years since, and carried it commendably among the people where he is. We can not discourage you from either of these two, both of them being persons of good esteem with us, but we dare not take upon us, which of these you should pitch upon, (only that Mr. Chauncey is now free and serviceable to be at- tained at the present). But we suppose the inhabitants of yourselves and people, and the motives of desire propounded, will guide you as to that.
The Lord direct your way before you, with a choice blessing, yea with one, who may come unto you in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ. With dearest express [ions] and desire of mutual prayers, we take leave, and remain
Your loving Brethren in Jesus Christ, JOHN WILSON [Boston], RICHARD MATHER [Dorchester], JONATHAN MITCHEL [Cambridge]. Boston, 7th of the 4th month, 1666 [July 7th].
There was, however, a want of unanimity among the people on the question of giving Mr. Chauncey a call; and the legis-
omnium entium, in prime ente ?" He was afterwards a fellow. On the title page of the New England Almanac for the year 1662, the next after his graduation, his name is placed as the author, with the following motto: "Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas." He was engaged at Windsor during a season of much excitement and discussion, and being a man of great readiness of mind, when a sermon was preached in the pulpit in the forenoon containing doctrines to which he was opposed, he would in the afternoon, preach to the same audience from the same text, a regular logical sermon in confutation of those doctrines. He was invited, Nov. 10, 1679, to Hatfield, where he was settled Jan'y 21, 1680, and died Nov. 4, 1685. (Ext. from Chauncey Genealogy. For family, &c., see Genealogies. )
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lature then in session attempted to settle the difficulty, by the following compulsory order, of October the 10th, 1667:
" This Court doth desire and require the Town of Windsor, to meet on Monday next, at the Meeting House, by sun an hour high in the morning, and all the freemen and householders within the limits of said town and Massaco [Simsbury] are to bring in their votes to Mr. Henry Wolcott; Those that would have Mr. Chauncey to be the settled Minister for Windsor, are to bring in a paper to Mr. Wolcott, a paper with some writing on it, those that are against his continuance are to bring a white paper to Mr. Wolcott. And Mr. Wolcott is desired to take the account of it, and make a report thereof to the General Assembly. And this court doth hereby require and command all and every of the inhabitants of Windsor, that during this meeting they forbear all discourse and agitation of any matter as may provoke or disturb the spirits of each other; and at the issue of the work that they repair to their several occasions [oc- cupations] as they will answer the contrary. If any should object against the vote of any person, Mr. Henry Wolcott is to decide it. This to be published on the sabbath day, after the morning exercise."1
The question produced much excitement and probably called forth the entire strength of the "freemen and householders." One hundred and thirty-six votes were polled, with a result favorable to Mr. Chauncey.
"Mr. Wolcott returns that this day, being the 14th of Octo- ber, the Town hath met, and that there was eighty-six voted for Mr. Chauncey's continuance, and fifty-two voted against it."2
The dissatisfied minority now petitioned the Assembly to authorize them to procure another minister for themselves. This, together with permission to the church to settle Mr. Chauncey, was granted by the following order:
" This Court having duly weighed the case presented by the church at Windsor respecting the uncomfortable connections there in reference to Mr. Chauncey's reception, and the dissatis- faction of a considerable number of the inhabitants as to his settling. Do therefore, upon the earnest solicitation of the dis- senting party, as an expedient to their mutual peace and settle- ment, grant liberty to those inhabitants that are unsatisfied and can not close with Mr. Chauncey, if they see meet, to pro- vide or procure an able orthodox minister, such an one as
1 Col. Rec., II, 73.
2 Ibid.
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the General Assembly shall approve of; and this court leaves the Church at Windsor at liberty for settling Mr. Chauncey and calling him to office; and in the mean time and until an- other be procured and resident in the work of the ministry at Windsor by the aforesaid inhabitants, this court expects and. orders that all persons at Windsor shall contribute according to their proportions to the maintenance of Mr. Chauncey."1
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