USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > Mount Carmel > The old Mount Carmel parish, origins & outgrowths > Part 8
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There were manifest advantages in having the church started. Even if it was without a pastor, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper could be administered by visitation from ministers in the neighboring parishes. It be-
82
The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
came a distinct body also, affiliated with the churches of the commonwealth, and in a way to be profited by their counsel and fellowship. The hope might well be entertained that in course of time the disadvantages of its beginning might be outgrown and forgotten in a genuine prosperity.
The church, however, did not supersede the Society. That body continued to be responsible for parish business and for employing ministers to conduct public worship; only it now became a foregone conclusion that in case of an ordination it would be under the Consociation. But the Society meetings, as before, were not marked with unanimity of thought. About four months after the church was formed, mention was made of a Mr. Royce as having conducted the worship, and a question was raised as to whether he should continue longer; on which forty-four voted in the affirmative and twenty-seven in the negative. Naturally in the face of so large an opposition, he did not continue. In the following spring, April 19, 1765, a special meeting was held at which a committee of twelve was chosen "to confer together and devise some way for accommodation." Two weeks later, it was voted "to desire three Rev'd gentlemen in the District of New Haven, Robbins of Branford, Goodrich of Durham, and Fowler of Guilford, to repair to the society, look into the state of the parish and advise some method of union." Robbins and Fowler were pastors of churches not belonging to any consociation, which might make their voice of especial weight to the people who were dissatisfied. We are not told what was the advice of these gentlemen, nor what were the results of their visit.
During the three years that followed, a succession of eli- gible candidates, Yale graduates and most of them men of distinction in college, were heard in the pulpit; Theodore Hinsdale,* after whom the town of Hinsdale, Massachu- setts, was named; Thomas W. Bray;} John Foot,} who afterward had a pastorate of forty-six years in Cheshire;
* Yale Biographies, Second Series, pp. 749-750.
+ Third Series, pp. 97-99.
# Ibid., pp. 120-122.
83
Parish and Church.
Austin Punderson, who was also heard by churches in Nor- wich, Newport, and Montreal, and eventually had a school in Albany; Ebenezer Baldwin,* who became pastor of the church in Danbury and died as a chaplain in the Revolution- ary Army; and Samuel Camp,t who had a pastorate of thirty-six years at Ridgefield.
Such was the story of ten years. Then came a refreshing change with the visit of the Reverend Nathaniel Sherman; who was received with universal satisfaction and tendered a hearty call to become pastor of the Mount Carmel Church. He in turn accepted the call, and on May 18, 1768, was duly installed according to the rules and usages of the Consocia- tion; the question of "Congregational principles" having ceased to be of interest.
Mr. Sherman was a younger brother of Roger Sherman, the statesman. The early death of their father brought upon Roger an unusual burden of responsibility for the younger children in the family, which was large. It is said that he showed particular interest in their education and gave his two brothers, Nathaniel and Josiah, personal assistance which enabled them to have a course in college, a privilege which he himself had not enjoyed. Nathaniel was graduated at Princeton in 1752. Josiah also was a graduate of Prince- ton. Both studied theology and became ministers of neigh- boring churches in Massachusetts, Nathaniel at Bedford and Josiah at Woburn. Nathaniel continued at Bedford twelve years, having a fruitful and honored ministry.
It is not surprising that the Mount Carmel people re- sponded favorably to the opportunity of obtaining such a man for their pastor. The previous candidates had been young men recently in college, Yale men, too, all of one par- ticular type. Here was one who had been through a different training. He was also mature, with experience which gave him knowledge of men and things, invaluable qualifications. Moreover, he was from a distance and had not been in any way mixed up with the New Haven Association or the Con-
* Yale Biographies, Third Series, pp. 4-8.
t Ibid., pp. 63-65.
84
The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
sociation. Besides, he was a brother of Roger Sherman, who had lived in New Haven for six or seven years and was widely known for his wisdom and ability. No doubt there was a general feeling among the people and their well-wish- ers in neighboring parishes that, at length, after so long a period of turbulence and disappointment, new conditions were at hand, in which the community would be happily united in a prosperous church.
Appendix. Roll of Officers of the Mount Carmel Ecclesiastical Society.
A LIST of names has been compiled from the old record book of the Mount Carmel Ecclesiastical Society, beginning in 1758, and end- ing in 1827. The dates immediately following a name, which have been gathered from other sources, give the year of birth and that of death. The number of sons and daughters in a family is also shown at the end of the line. The letters after the dates show the official positions to which the person was chosen by the Society: A, presiding officer; C, clerk; X, standing committee; F, financial committee; B, building committee; D, collector ; E, school committee; M, mu- sic committee; L, committee to visit the legislature; P, committee on pulpit supply; S, special committee; T, treasurer. The list does not cover the whole membership, but only those elected to office. The date preceding a name indicates the first Society meeting at which the name is mentioned.
Sons Daughters
Jan. 31, 1758. Samuel Atwater, 1718-1793. Capt. C X FESPM 9 4
Jan. 31, 1758. Daniel Bradley, 1706-1773. Capt. Dea- con. ALSEBDF
5 I
Jan. 31, 1758. Andrew Goodyear, 1702-1781. XE BS 2 4
Jan. 31, 1758. Samuel Dickerman, 1716-1760. X BD S Jan. 31, 1758. Ithamar Todd, 1712-1800. X SA
5 6
5 4
Jan. 31, 1758. Jonathan Alling, 1716-1771. SBPXL 5 2
Jan. 31, 1758. Samuel Bellamy, 1721-1760. S 2 6
85
Parish and Church.
Sons Daughters
Jan. 31, 1758. Jonathan Ives, 1716-1792. Capt. D LE SPXFM
4
4
March 10, 1758. Jason Bradley, 1708-1768. Capt. LA BSEM
O O
Nov. 9, 1758. Joel Munson, 1702-1775? EDPLS
3 4
Nov. 9, 1758. Jonathan Dickerman, 1719-1795. Lieut. PXSDEM
5
2
Dec. 27, 1758. Stephen Cooper 1712-1791. BFS
3
2
Jan. 10, 1759. Noah Woolcut, 1701-1785. B
3 3
Jan. 10, 1759. Elisha Bradley, 1732-1815. BSDEXL
6
5
Jan. 10, 1759. Jesse Blaksley, 1710-1772. Lieut. B A
4
3
Jan. 10, 1759. Solomon Doolittle, 1713- . B
3
2
Dec. 5, 1759. Amos Bradley, 1712-1775. Lieut. X SPD June 6, 1760. Daniel Bradley, Jr., 1728-1821. BDXS CAF
5
2
Dec. 23, 1760. Wait Chatterton, 1709-1793. E S
4
5
Jan. 14, 1761. Benjamin Pardee, 1719-1776. DE
3
7
June 29, 1761. Stephen Goodyear, 1729-1803. Dea D SPXM
6
7
Jan. 25, 1763. Theophilus Goodyear, 1731-1793. D X ESL
8
2
May 5, 1763. James Ives, 1718-1804. Sergt. A
4
4
May 5, 1763. Jacob Atwater, 1721-1799. ESDBM
6
5
May 5, 1763. Dan Carrington, 1730-1772. E
3
5
May 19, 1763. Daniel Sperry, 1698-1768. D
3
8
May 19, 1763. Joseph Johnson, 1725-1803. D
3
9
May 19, 1763. Benjamin Hotchkiss, 1730-1803.
3
4
May 19, 1763. Ebenezer Beach, 1728-1799.
O
2
May 19, 1763. Joseph Ives, 1740-1768. Sergt. E
O
4
May 19, 1763. Jabez Bradley, 1737-1793. ED X
3
7
May 19, 1763. Joel Bradley, 1738-1801. XE
6
3
May 19, 1763. John Munson, 1731-1808.
5
2
May 19, 1763. Isaac Dickerman, 1740-1801. DEXSF
7
2
May 19, 1763. Elisha Mallory, 1736-1812.
5
6
May 19, 1763. John Hitchcock, 1709-1764. SPE
5
5
Dec. 4, 1764. Abraham Gilbert, 1720-1798. E
2
O
Dec. 4, 1764. David Sperry, 1741-before 1804. EXD
8
4
Apr. 19, 1765. Asa Goodyear, 1733-1811. SEXD
I
3
Apr. 19, 1765. Amos Peck, 1713-1783. SX
5
7
Dec. 3, 1765. David Alling, 1724-1794. S X
4
4
Dec. 2, 1766. Alvan Bradley, 1734-1810. DMSE
5
5
Jan. 30, 1767. Samuel Hitchcock, 1713-1785. D
4
4
May 5, 1767. Baszel Munson, 1730-1803. FSXLDA
4
3
3
6
May 5, 1763. Simeon Bristol, 1739-1805. SPXFA
4
2
86
The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
Sons Daughters
May 5, 1767. Abner Todd, 1738-1805. DS X
4
5
June 30, 1767. James Alling, 1702-1784.
2
2
June 30, 1767. Daniel Rexford, 1711-1799.
3
2
June 30, 1767. Gamaliel Bradley, 1733-1803. DE
4
5
June 30, 1767. Jeremiah Ives, 1738-1825. E
2
4
June 30, 1767. Daniel Rexford, Jr., 1742-
6
4
June 30, 1767. Ezra Ives, 1744-1825. DXEF
4
4
Feb. 2, 1768. Samuel Lee, Dr. S
Dec. 5, 1769. Jesse Goodyear, 1735-1817. Capt. D S X
3
3
Dec. 4, 1770. Thomas Pardee, 1726-1802. D
2
I
Dec. 1, 1772. Nathan Alling, 1729-1812. SXD
7
I
May 16, 1774. Caleb Andrews, 1749-1830. M
I
7
May 16, 1774. Enos Dickerman, 1743-1776. M May 16, 1774. Eliakim Mallory, 1748-1817. M Dec. 5, 1775. Hezekiah Warner, 1741-1814. DES
6
2
Dec. 5, 1775. Timothy Goodyear, 1740-1806. E
6
7
Dec. 5, 1775. John Goodyear, 1755-1776. M
O
I
Dec. 5, 1775. Jesse Dickerman, 1752-1821. M
3
I
Oct. 13, 1776. Jason Bradley, 1740-1819. ME
5
3
Nov. 6, 1776. Hezekiah Bassett, 1746-1825. Capt. D M EXSB
4
4
Nov. 6, 1776. Noah Woolcot, 1737-1803. M
7
4
Dec. 3, 1776. Abraham Chatterton, 1739-1816. D
2
2
Dec. 16, 1777. Samuel Hitchcock, Jr., 1743-1816. E
3
3
Dec. 1, 1778. Chauncey Dickerman, 1750-1820. EXD
5
6
Dec. 1, 1778. Job Munson, 1752-1828. D
3
3
Dec. 1, 1778. Jona Brooks, 1743-1803. M
5
2
Aug. 13, 1779. Levi Pardee, 1752- . D
O
4
Aug. 13, 1779. Amos Peck, Jr., 1749-1838. E
3
3
Dec. 7, 1779. Alling Cooper, 1740-1805. E
2
I
Dec. 7, 1779. Samuel Dickerman, 1745-1789. EX
3
4
Dec. 7, 1779. Titus Goodyear, 1746-1798. D
3
2
Oct. 11, 1780. Elisha Chapman, Dr. S X
2
0
Dec. 5, 1780. Hezekiah Dickerman, 1754-1814. D X
7
4
Dec. 4, 1781. Samuel Bellamy, 1757-1839. E
O
O
Dec. 4, 1781. Amos Alling, 1734-1784. E
2
3
Dec. 3, 1782. James Dickerman, 1747-1811. E
2
2
Dec. 24, 1782. Aaron Bradley, 1757-1828. MDEX SB
2
3
Dec. 24, 1782. Jonathan Dickerman, 1747-1821. SE
2
5
Dec. 24, 1782. Jesse Thomas, 1735- . E
I
0
Dec. 2, 1783. Stephen Pardee, 1747-1796. E
4
3
Dec. 2, 1783. Joseph Gilbert, 1747-1821. E
I
4
2
3
2
3
June 19, 1781. Job Todd, 1744-after 1815. D
8
4
Parish and Church.
87
Sons Daughters
Dec. 7, 1784. Amos Bradley, 1746-1819. DE
3
Dec. 6, 1785. Joel Hough, 1757-1843. EXCSF
8
4
Dec. 6, 1785. Simeon Miles, 1764- . M
Dec. 6, 1785. Chauncey Goodyear, 1764-1845. M
3
4
Dec. 6, 1785. Nathan Alling, Jr., 1759-1835. MDE XF
6
2
Dec. 6, 1785. Elias Austin, 1766-1850. M
4 3
Dec. 4, 1787. Jotham Tuttle, 1752-1817. E
3 2
Dec. 4, 1787. Samuel Atwater, Jr., 1754-1820. ESX FB
3
5
Dec. 2, 1788. Eli Alling, 1758-1836. E
I 2
Dec. 1, 1789. Alling Ives, 1753- . Capt. X S
O
I
Dec. 22, 1789. Moses Peck, 1753-1837. E .
O
3
Apr. 20, 1789. Amos Dickerman, 1759-1822. Ens. DE XSFA
3
5
Dec. 7, 1790. Elisha Perkins, 1748- . E
2
4
Apr. 5, 1791. Enos Bradley, 1759-1819. M
3
2
Apr. 5, 1791. Joseph Goodyear, 1768-1833. M
7
3
Apr. 5, 1791. Jared Cooper, 1768- . Capt. M
O
2
Dec. 6, 1791. Titus Munson, 1755-1809. E
O
6
Dec. 6, 1791. Enos Atwater, 1750-1802. E
2
4
Dec. 6, 1791. Eli Goodyear, 1766-1841. MD
6
2
Dec. 6, 1791. Asa Atwater, 1764-1814. D
I
I
Dec. 4, 1792. George A. Bristol, 1762-1813. EX F 6
6
4
Dec. 4, 1792. Joseph Mansfield, 1737-1821. M
7
2
Dec. 4, 1792. Elias Hotchkiss, 1772-1830. M S
I
4
Dec. 3, 1793. Joseph Peck, 1762-1845. E
I
5
Dec. 3, 1793. Jesse Ives, 1774-1843. MBFXS
4
5 0
Dec. 3, 1793. Elam Ives, 1761-1846. DXSFCBT
9
4
Dec. 3, 1793. Timothy Bassett, 1758-1820. E
2
I
Dec. 3, 1793. Amasa Bradley, 1762-1827. E
2
O
Nov. 17, 1795. Josiah Root, Dr. 1752-1841. CSF
4
4
Nov. 15, 1796. Asa Dickerman, 1773-1810. M
I
I
Nov. 15, 1796. Joel Cooper, 1749-1840. DXFS
O
0
Nov. 26, 1798. Benjamin Gaylord, Jr., 1753- .D
4
4
Nov. 26, 1798. Hezekiah Brockett, Jr., 1769-1850. M XFSA
4
I
Nov. 19, 1799. Dimon Roberts, 1775- . MS
3
4
Nov. 18, 1800. Samuel Goodyear, 1778-1827. M
I
5
Nov. 17, 1801. Elam Dickerman, 1782-1825. M
2
I
Nov. 17, 1801. Leveret Dickerman, 1779-1861. M
3
2
.
5
Dec. 4, 1792. Usal Mansfield, 1744-1817. E
Dec. 3, 1793. Jesse Munson, 1771-1803. M
3
6
Dec. 6, 1785. David Granniss. E
88
The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
Sons Daughters
Nov. 16, 1802. Jared Ives, 1781-1857. MSFTA Apr. 6, 1803. Jesse Tuttle, 1759-1848. SX
5
O
Nov. 20, 1804. Hezekiah Bassett, Jr., 1774-1850. CS
3
5
Nov. 20, 1804. Simeon Goodyear, 1765-1815. FSA
4 2
Nov. 20, 1804. Enos Dickerman, 1775-1854. X F
3
2
Nov. 18, 1806. Lewis Goodyear, 1788-1840. M
2
4
Dec. 2, 1806. Ambrose Tuttle, 1784-1865. SX
2
3
Dec. 2, 1806. Obed Blakesley, 1777-1860. S
2
2
Nov. 1, 1809. Russell Ives, 1784-1855. DS
4
2
Nov. 20, 1810. Jeremiah Peck, 1773- . S
4
I
Nov. 20, 1810. Zadoc Allen, 1774-1827. SFX
2
4
Nov. 20, 1810. Lyman Bradley, 1769-1853. SFDX
3
2
Nov. 19, 1811. Parsons Ives, 1791-1850. M
I
I
Nov. 17, 1812. Jeremiah Gilbert, 1781-1844. D S
Nov. 16, 1813. Jason Dickerman, 1786-1870. CF
5
I
Nov. 16, 1813. Allen Dickerman, 1781-1856. FXSC
3
4
Nov. 21, 1815. Alvan Bradley, 1778-1860. D S
2
I
Nov. 21, 1815. Lyman Goodyear, 1786-1873. MCDS
2
I
Nov. 19, 1816. Arba Dickerman, 1795-1861. X CS
4
O
Nov. 18, 1817. Levi Dickerman, 1774-1842. D
5
2
Nov. 17, 1818. Jared Atwater, 1780-1850. D
I
6
Nov. 16, 1819. Elam Ives, Jr., 1802-1864. M
I
4
Jan. 17, 1820. Amos Dickerman, Jr., 1792-1850. D S
O
3
Nov. 21, 1820. Amos W. Sanford, 1785-1849. F S
6
2
Nov. 20, 1821. Horace Goodyear, 1793-1866. D
O
I
Nov. 19, 1822. Ezra Dickerman, 1799-1860. M CSF
6
3
May 21, 1823. Elijah Hart, 1759-1837. AS
4
O
May 21, 1823. Lyman Tuttle, 1779-1842. S
6
6
Nov. 16, 1824. William Ives, 1804-1874. M
O
I
Nov. 15, 1825. Jesse F. Goodyear, 1798-1856. DBX F
3
I
Nov. 24, 1826. Amos Peck, Jr., 1795-1866. B S
2
I
Nov. 21, 1826. Amos Parsons.
I
2
Nov. 21, 1826. Mark Ives, 1801-1884.
3
I
Nov. 21, 1826. Jared Dickerman, 1798-1891.
2
7
March 5, 1827. Uri Todd, 1800-1860. S
I
7
March 5, 1827. Elihu Dickerman, 1802-1893. S
2
I
March 15, 1827. Samuel Goodyear, 1778-1827.
I
5
March 15, 1827. Henry Peck, 1804-1861.
3
I
March 15, 1827. Leverett Hitchcock, 1803-1881.
2
2
Nov. 20, 1827. Austin Munson, 1791-1859. S
4
2
3
O
Dec. 2, 1806. Job L. Munson, 1789-1864. B F
4
7
Nov. 19, 1822. Giles C. Dunbar, 1784-1845. SDF
May 21, 1823. Joseph Hough, 1791- . D
X. The Ministry and the People.
I T was evidently taken for granted that Mr. Sherman's pastorate would be permanent, as was the usual practice in those times. Soon after the installation, he took steps toward building a house. At first he chose a spot about half a mile south of the meeting-house, adjacent to the home- stead of Captain Jonathan Ives, and bought five acres of land on the west side of the street and a smaller tract on the east side. But before he had begun to build, another lot be- came available just south of the meeting-house and close by, which he decided was a better place. So he bought this also and proceeded to put up a substantial dwelling on it, which is still standing in good preservation.
The satisfaction of the people generally with the new turn of events is seen in a large accession to the membership of the church, sixteen men and twenty-two women becoming members within a few months. Families that had held off in disapproval of previous proceedings promptly came forward to take their places and bear their share in the work to be undertaken.
An entry in the Diary of the Reverend Ezra Stiles, who was then at Newport, Rhode Island, is interesting at this point. He was a native of North Haven; his wife was a daughter of Dr. Hubbard of New Haven; one half-sister was Mrs. Baszel Munson and another, Mrs. Lemuel Brad- ley, both in the Mount Carmel Parish; and, since his fath- er's death, his mother had made her home with one or the other of these daughters. Writing in September, 1770, he tells of a visit to his mother, and of preaching for Mr. Sher- man on Sunday to a congregation of two hundred and eighty or three hundred persons .* This was in the second year of Mr. Sherman's pastorate and indicates that things were go- ing prosperously.
* Stiles, Diary, Vol. I, pp. 68-69.
90
The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
Not long after, however, trouble arose, and in the follow- ing March a question was raised as to whether steps should not be taken to bring about the dismission of their pastor. The disaffection was serious and, when a vote was taken, it was found that an overwhelming majority were in favor of calling a Council to consider what should be done. A Council was called and recommended that pastor and people should make up their differences and continue in peace. This proved unavailing and complaint was made to the Association with request to call the Consociation for a hearing. The final re- sult was that the pastor made a confession of faults, which was accepted by the Consociation as showing a Christian spirit; but it was felt that his imprudence and misconduct had fixed such deep impressions of uneasiness among the people as to impair his usefulness, and so it was decided to proceed with his dismission .*
Stiles's Diary contains a reference to the action as showing a singular division of the Consociation.} All the lay dele- gates and just half the ministers were for dismission. It was contended by some of the ministers that this was not decisive, because the Saybrook Platform specified that there must be a majority of the ministers to make a vote. This was resented
* The charges laid before the Consociation were as follows:
I. Mr. Sherman has violated the votes of the Church.
2. He did not take the minds of the brethren when requested in an important matter.
3. He has charged people with lying and then denied it.
4. He has said that Mr. Trumbull told him Capt. Ives went about telling lies about Mr. Sherman.
5. He has converted others' property to his own use.
6. He has used independent aand unbecoming expressions.
To these charges the Pastor sent in a written reply, but failed to satisfy the Consociation, which formulated its conclusions on the several com- plaints in the following specifications:
I. He has betrayed carelessness.
2. His refusal is a violation of the rights of the Church.
3. Substantially proved except the last part.
4. May be a mistake.
5. Mr. Sherman had no felonious design.
6. His behavior was unbecoming.
+ Op. cit., Vol. I, p. 172.
91
The Ministry and the People.
by the lay delegates, particularly by Joshua Chandler of North Haven, a Yale graduate and a lawyer of eminence,* who declared that if such was to be the ruling, he would never go to the Consociation again, no matter if the church did send him. The other delegates all acquiesced in this view. Then three of the ministers, Goodrich, Waterman, and Woodbridge, sided with them and took the ground that delegates had as much power in the Councils as pastors, to which some of the other ministers assented. So the vote fi- nally proved to be for dismission.
But the contention was not to end there. Mr. Sherman thought that he was greatly wronged. He claimed that the dismission was hasty and that the contract of his settlement, involving maintenance, was still valid. He had removed with all his belongings one hundred sixty miles, had built a house at a cost of £600, expending all his means and running in debt, with the expectation of spending his life there. No compensation was allowed him for his loss and the Society refused to make any. He carried his case to court, and, fail- ing to gain a hearing there, he made petition to the General Assembly. He fared little better before this tribunal, but persisted in his pleas, session after session, for many years. In the lower house, he found almost no encouragement and was uniformly defeated. The upper chamber, however, was usually more kindly disposed in regard to vested privileges; besides, Roger Sherman was one of the most influential members, which probably was no disadvantage to the peti- tioner. At any rate, the bills in his behalf were carried in the upper house time after time, only to be lost by reason of op- position in the lower house.
Mr. Sherman, having a home and small farm of his own at Mount Carmel, seems to have continued to live there af- ter his dismission. He had a wife and several children, two of whom were probably born there, as the records mention the baptism of a daughter, Sarah, January 12, 1772, by the Reverend Naphtali Daggett, and of a son, Thaddeus, Sep- tember 14, 1774, by the Reverend Benjamin Trumbull. In
* Yale Biographies, Second Series, pp. 108-110.
92
The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
February, 1778, the property was sold to Joel Goodyear and Mary Bristol, and from this time on his home was in East Windsor, Connecticut. This was over six years after his dis- mission, and the removal must have afforded no little relief to him and his family, as well as to the people implicated in his troubles.
Meanwhile, other questions were filling people's minds. The independence of the American Colonies had been de- clared and the war with the mother country had begun. Lines were sharply drawn between those who favored independ- ence and those against it. Joshua Chandler was bitterly against it and eventually fled to Nova Scotia and suffered the confiscation of his property. Lemuel Bradley of Mount Carmel had a similar experience. Most of the Mount Car- mel people, however, were ardent supporters of the Conti- nental Congress, and sent many volunteers to the American Army. Mr. Sherman, also, was devoted to the Colonial cause and proved his devotion by an act that cost him dearly. Congress was in straits for funds. He had the money for which he had sold his homestead and he took most of it, the sum of £600, and loaned it to the government. He believed it to be a safe investment, so great was his confidence in the triumph of popular principles, and he was sure that he would receive the interest as it became due. He was disap- pointed; the government could not pay anything for a long period of years, and this entailed on him grinding poverty and hardship.
It is not surprising, therefore, that his claim against the Mount Carmel Society came to be looked upon in a more kindly way. So it came to pass that the General Assembly of 178 I granted the demands of his petition and ordered execu- tion against the Parish for their payment. Apparently the old opposition among the people' had also finally disappeared and the indemnity was readily paid.
Ten years had passed between the close of Mr. Sherman's pastorate and the satisfactory settlement of his claims; and, after that event, two more years went by before another pas- tor was agreed upon to take the place left vacant. Thus, for
93
The Ministry and the People.
a period of twelve years, the church was without a settled minister. Nevertheless, community life seems to have gone on very well; the Ecclesiastical Society held its meetings to choose officers and transact other necessary business at ap- pointed times, and the ordinances of the church were main- tained with some regularity. This is shown in the number of baptisms recorded, one hundred and seven during this in- terim between pastorates, baptisms of children whose parents were most of them members of this church.
This record of baptisms speaks of happy fraternal rela- tions subsisting with other churches and their ministers in the neighborhood around. It may seem that the ministers be- longing to the New Haven Association were rather harsh at times in their official proceedings; but in their more personal dealings with the Mount Carmel people, we find them to have been delightfully generous and helpful. These pastor- less people had to look to them for numberless services, the administration of the Lord's Supper as well as baptism, visi- tation of the sick, burial of the dead, and comforting words to those in sorrow; for which the call might come at almost any hour and often so as to interfere with other duties.
Such errands involved long journeys on horseback over rough roads, in winter and summer, through storm and sun- shine. Noah Williston of West Haven was at Mount Car- mel to perform baptisms on six different occasions, which, for him, meant a jaunt of twenty miles in going and returning. East Haven is about the same distance away, and Nicholas Street of that place is recorded as taking his turn in adminis- tering the sacrament. Stonington is much further away, but we find that Joseph Fish came from there. Andrew Storrs came from Northbury, the old name for Plymouth. Alex- ander Gillett was from Framingbury, which is now known as Wolcott. Simon Waterman of Wallingford is named twice; so, also, John Foot of Cheshire and Stephen Hawley of Bethany; while Benjamin Trumbull of North Haven is recorded seven times. The ministers at the center of New Haven are often spoken of, President Daggett on four occa- sions; Allyn Mather, Chauncey Whittlesey, Samuel Bird,
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The Old Mount Carmel Parish.
and Jonathan Edwards, each at three services of baptism. The name of Jesse Ives is in the list, for a day in November, and we can imagine that he had come with his family to the Bellamy home for Thanksgiving. One of Hawley's visits was also in November, when he doubtless visited the same old home with his family for a like occasion. How great was the influence of these occasional visits from ministers who were known and beloved throughout the parish, we can easily imagine. We can understand, too, that services of wor- ship, and particularly sacramental occasions, conducted by President Daggett, or Dr. Edwards, Mr. Whittlesey, or Dr. Trumbull made a deep impression on the congregations that shared in them and did much to keep up their interest in re- ligious concerns. Under the watchful eye of such earnest friends, the people could not wholly lose heart.
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