USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > Thirteen historical discourses, on the completion of two hundred years : from the beginning of the First Church in New Haven, with an appendix > Part 14
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justice. To have failed in such an attempt had been glori- ous. Their glory is that they succeeded.
In founding their commonwealths, their highest aim was the glory of God in " the common welfare of all." Never before, save when God brought Israel out of Egypt, had any government been instituted with such an aim. They had no model before them, and no guidance save the principles of truth and righteousness embodied in the word of God, and the wisdom which he giveth liberally to them that ask him. They thought that their end, " the common welfare of all," was to be secured by founding pure and free Churches, by providing the means of universal education, and by laws maintaining perfect justice, which is the only perfect lib- erty. "The common welfare of all," said Davenport, is that " whereunto all men are bound principally to attend in laying the foundation of a commonwealth, lest posterity rue the first miscarriages when it will be too late to redress them. They that are skillful in architecture observe, that the breaking or yielding of a stone in the groundwork of a building, but the breadth of the back of a knife, will make a cleft of more than half a foot in the fabric aloft. So im- portant, saith mine author, are fundamental errors. The Lord awaken us to look to it in time, and send us his light and truth to lead us into the safest ways in these begin- nings."*
Not in vain did that prayer go up to heaven. Light and truth were sent; and posterity has had no occasion to rue the miscarriages of those who laid the " groundwork" of New England. On their foundations has arisen a holy structure. Prayers, toils, tears, sacrifices, and precious blood, have hal- lowed it. No unseemly fissures, deforming "the fabric aloft," dishonor its founders. Convulsions that have rocked the world, have not moved it. When terror has seized the nations, and the faces of kings have turned pale at the foot- steps of Almighty wrath, peace has been within its walls,
* Discourse upon Civil Government, 14.
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and still the pure incense has been fragrant at its altar. Wise master-builders were they who laid the foundations. They built for eternity.
Among those truly noble men, it is not easy to name one more strongly marked with bright endowments, and brighter virtues, or more worthy to be had in everlasting remembrance, than he for whom the quaint historian has proposed as his fit epitaph,
VIVUS, NOV-ANGLIE AC ECCLESIA ORNAMENTUM, ET
MORTUUS, UTRIUSQUE TRISTE DESIDERIUM.
* Several letters from Mr. Davenport to Gov. Winthrop, heretofore un- published, will be found in the appendix No. XI. The catalogue of Da- venport's published works, and some other particulars of information con- cerning him, will also be found in the same place.
DISCOURSE VIII.
NICHOLAS STREET .- THE FIRST GENERATION PASSING AWAY .- THE ERA OF THE WAR WITH KING PHILIP.
ECCLESIASTES, i, 4 .- One generation passeth away, and another genera- tion cometh.
WHEN Mr. Davenport removed to Boston, he did not leave this Church destitute of the stated ministry of the word. His colleague, who has already been named as sustaining the office of teacher, was the Rev. Nicholas Street. Mr. Street received his education in England ; but at which of the uni- versities, if at either, I am unable to ascertain. Nor does it appear in what year he came into this country. He was set- tled at Taunton, in the Plymouth colony, as colleague with Mr. Hooke, at the first organization of the Church there, about the year 1638. There was a period in the history of the Plymouth colony-" an hour of temptation," as Mather describes it, " when the fondness of the people for the proph- esyings of the brethren, as they called those exercises, that is to say the preachments of those whom they called gifted brethren, produced those discouragements to their ministers, that almost all their ministers left the colony, apprehending themselves driven away by the insupportable neglect and contempt with which the people treated them."* At the commencement, as I suppose, of " that dark hour of eclipse," Mr. Hooke relinquished the office of pastor in the Church at Taunton, and accepted that of teacher in the Church at New Haven. Twelve years afterwards, when the "eclipse" in Plymouth colony was probably the darkest, the office of teacher in this Church became vacant again by Mr. Hooke's
* Magn. I, 14. Samuel Newman, of Rehoboth, " was almost the only min- ister whose invincible patience held out under the scandalous neglect and contempt of the ministry which the whole colony of Plymouth was for a while bewitched into."-Ibid. III, 114.
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return to England ; and it may be presumed that it was by Mr. Hooke's friendly influence that his old colleague at Taunton became his successor here. The Church did not proceed on that occasion as Churches now proceed when they call a min- ister away from his settlement. They did not place him over them as their minister, merely because of his general repu- tation, or because somebody recommended him. Mr. Street left Taunton, removed his family to New Haven, took up his residence here, and afterwards, when he had become ac- quainted with the people and the people with him, he was elected and ordained teacher of this Church. The date of his ordination stands upon our church records, " the 26th of the 9th, 1659."*
For eight or nine years, he was associated here with Mr. Davenport. After the removal of his colleague, he continued the only minister in the Church till his death, which took place on the 22d of April, 1674. Since that time, there has been no distinction attempted in this Church between the the office of teacher and that of pastor.
Of the character of Mr. Street, as of his life, we know but little. He appears to have been a pious, judicious, modest man. His "Considerations upon the Seven Propositions con- cluded by the Synod," published as an appendix to Mr. Dav-
" The Rev. Richard Blinman appears to have preached to this Church for a short time after Mr. Hooke went away, and before Mr. Street was intro- duced into the vacancy. According to Winthrop, (II, 64,) who characteri- zes him as " a godly and able man," he came over from Wales in 1642. He labored a few months at Marshfield ; then he and his friends removed from that place to Cape Ann, and founded Gloucester. In 1648, he was the first minister at New London. It is not improbable that he was brought to New Haven by the friendly offices of Governor Winthrop. The only instance in which his name appears on our records is on the first of July, 1658, when at a town meeting, " Deacon Miles informed that Mr. Blinman was like to want corn and other provisions within a short time, which he desired might be considered, how he may be supplied." From New Haven he went to Newfoundland, and thence to England. Mather (Magn. III, 13) says, that he " concluded his life at the city of Bristol, where one of the last things he did was to defend in print the cause of infant-baptism." He had been min- ister at Chepstow, near Bristol .- Non-conformist's Meinorial, (Palmer's ed.,) III, 177. See Allen's Biographical Dictionary .
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enport's more elaborate book on the same subject, sliows great clearness of thought, and some pungency of style. That he was no inferior preacher, may be inferred from the fact that he was found worthy to succeed Mr. Hooke, and that he maintained his standing as the colleague of Mr. Davenport. The whole course of his ministry here, was about sixteen years and a half.
Most of the incidents of his ministry have been commem- orated in our notices of Mr. Davenport. Yet one proceeding of the Church and people, which does not appear to have been consummated till after Mr. Davenport's removal, ought not to be omitted here. In the year 1665, on the day of the anniversary thanksgiving, a contribution was " given in" for "the saints that were in want in England." This was at the time when, in that country, so many ministers, ejected from their places of settlement, were, by a succession of enact- ments, studiously cut off from all means of obtaining bread for themselves and their wives and children. The contribu- tion was made, as almost all payments of debts or of taxes were made at that period, in grain and other commodities ; there being no money in circulation, and no banks by which credit could be converted into currency. It was paid over to the deacons in the February following. We, to whom it is so easy, in the present state of commerce, to remit the value of any contribution to almost any part of the world, cannot easily imagine the circuitous process by which that contribu- tion reached the " poor saints " whom it was intended to re- lieve. By the deacons the articles contributed were probably first exchanged, to some extent, for other commodities more suitable for exportation. Then the amount was sent to Bar- badoes, with which island the merchants of this place had intercourse, and was exchanged for sugars, which were thence sent to England, to the care of four individuals, two of whom were Mr. Hooke and Mr. Newman, the former teacher and ruling elder of this Church. In 1671, Mr. Hooke, in a letter to the Church, said, " Mr. Caryl, Mr. Barker, Mr. Newman and myself have received sugars from Barbadoes to the value
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of about £90, and have disposed of it to several poor minis- ters and ministers' widows. And this fruit of your bounty is very thankfully received and acknowledged by us. And the good Lord make all grace to abound towards you, &c. 2 Cor. ix, 8-12."*
The death of Mr. Street was followed by a period of ten years in which the Church was without an elder to labor in word and doctrine. During this long interval, the work of the ministry, so far as it was performed at all, was performed by a succession of candidates, whose occasional and tem- porary labors could accomplish but little for the cause of re- ligion. Of these preachers, the most distinguished, and indeed the only one of whom any thing is now known with certainty, was Mr. John Harriman, afterwards pastor at Eliz- abethtown, in New Jersey. Mr. Harriman was a native of New Haven. His father was for many years a respected member of the Church, and was long the keeper of the ordi- nary, or house of public entertainment in this town. The son, having been fitted for college in the grammar school here, under the eye of Mr. Davenport, was educated at Har- vard College, where he graduated in 1667. For about twenty years, he resided in this place ; and during that period, he preached as a candidate for the ministry here, at Walling- ford, and at East Haven.
Another of the preachers here during the same period, was a Mr. Taylor, whom I suppose to be the Joseph Taylor who graduated at Harvard College in 1669, who was a fellow or tutor in that institution, who was ordained pastor of South-
* Town records. The words of Paul referred to by Mr. Hooke, are these : " And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work : (as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad ; he hath given to the poor; his right- eousness remaineth for ever. Now, he that ministereth seed to the sower, both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness :) being enriched in every thing to all boun- tifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the adminis- tration of this service not only supplieth the wants of the saints, but is abun- dant also by many thanksgivings unto God."
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ampton, on Long Island, in March, 1680, and who died in April, 1682, aged 31 .* He appears to have been preaching here before the death of Mr. Street; and he continued to perform that work till the spring of 1679; and after that, in September, it was not yet certain that he would not return.
Mr. Harriman's service in the Church began in July, 1676. In March, 1678, he was desired by the Church " to go on in his work." His labors here continued till the year 1682. Mr. Taylor, at least, seems to have been at one time called by the Church to a permanent settlement. +
While these two men were employed by the Church as preachers, there arose much difficulty and contention, the precise nature of which I have not been able to ascertain. Tradition says, that the contention was between the adhe- rents of the rival candidates, and that the two parties were known by the names of the two preachers; but nothing of this kind appears on any of the records, and it is quite as likely that the division was upon the great question of the day, the question about " the halfway covenant." It is cer- tain, however, that there were difficulties ; that the Church and the town were much divided ; and that religion greatly declined, while many things were done which were after- wards repented of with public humiliation.
* Farmer, Geneal. Reg. Dr. Dana, probably by mistake, says that Mr. Taylor's name was John.
t These particulars are gleaned partly from the records of the town, and partly from those of the Church. Mr. Taylor was doubtless the person in- dicated by the initials " J. T." in the following anecdote, which Mather (Magn. VII, 34,) copies from the letter of " an excellent and ingenious per- son," probably Mr. Pierpont.
" E. F. sometimes of Salem, coming to New Haven on Saturday even, be- ing cloathed in black, was taken for a minister, and was able to ape one, and humored the mistake like him that said, Si vult populus decipi decipiatur. Word being carried to Mr. J. T. that a minister was come to town, he im- mediately procured him to preach bothi parts of the day. The first was to acceptation ; but in the last exercise he plentifully showed himself to be a whimsical opinionist, and besides, railed like Rabshakeh, and reviled the ma- gistrates, ministers and churches at such a rate, that the people were ready to pull him out of the pulpit."
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On the 5th of February, 1678, a council from the Churches of Milford and Guilford met here "to be helpful" to this Church "with light and counsel touching the difficulties" which then existed. As the proceedings which ensued serve to give some idea of the state of the Church at that time, some account of them is proper. Eight days after the meet- ing of the council, namely, on Wednesday, the 12th of Feb- ruary, the Church met " to read and consider what advice was left by the honored and reverend council." In compli- ance with the advice given, Mr. William Jones and Capt. John Nash, "were by vote called and desired to assist the deacon in molding and moderating matters for the Church ;" and a day of fasting and prayer was agreed upon to be kept on Wednesday of the following week. Mr. Jones and Capt. Nash were requested to draw up in writing a statement of the grounds on which the Church was to unite in public humili- ation. The statement thus prepared was submitted to the Church on the Sabbath day, and was approved and assented to. The day appointed was duly observed as a day of hu- miliation, fasting and prayer, the public exercises " being car- ried on, the former part of the day by Deacon Peck and Mr. Harriman, and the latter part by Mr. William Jones and Capt. John Nash, with appearance of the gracious presence and as- sistance of God, to the refreshing and comfort of all that were present."*
After the close of Mr. Harriman's services in the year 1682, the Church and town enjoyed for one year the labors of a Mr. Wilson, who came to this place from " the Bay ;" but of whom nothing farther is now known.+
During this period, a great change took place in the mode of supporting public worship. The original method of de- fraying ecclesiastical expenses from the church treasury in the keeping of the deacons, and of supplying the church treasury by voluntary contributions only, was maintained till Mr. Davenport and Mr. Street were both gone. But in
* Church Records.
t Town Records.
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March, 1677, a proposition was presented in writing from the Church to a town meeting, by Deacon Peck, upon which, " after debate, the town, for the encouragement of those that preach the word of God unto us, according as had been pro- pounded, did by vote order and appoint, that for the ensuing year there shall be levied and paid from the inhabitants two rates and a half," that is, a tax of two and a half pence in the pound. But the change was not complete. No man was appointed to collect this tax ; it seems to have been sup- posed that every man would pay his part at his own conve- nience, either to the ministers or to the church treasury. And when at the next town meeting, "John Thompson pro- pounded that some might be appointed to receive the minis- ter's rates," " it was answered that it was not of necessity at this time." And when the same man, supposing that it now belonged to the town to employ and dismiss ministers as well as to pay them, " further propounded that the town would appoint a committee to treat with the ministers, and that it was according to law ; the law was read, and he was told that the law speaks of no such thing. Then he said it was ac- cording to Christianity ; but he was answered, that neither our law nor Christian rules required it of us, and the town had other occasions to attend at this time, which they were come together to perform." Yet at another town meeting, in December of the same year, " Mr. Jones informed the town that one occasion of calling them together was respect- ing the ministers. The townsmen had heard that there were not necessary supplies brought in for their subsistence, which was not well among such a people." And accordingly, " the town by vote did make choice of and appoint Deacon Will- iam Peck and John Chidsey to make up the rate and appoint the delivery of it to the ministers, and to prosecute such as fail in the payment."* Thus the change was completed. The support of the ministry was transferred to the town. The change seems to indicate, not only that the ministers
* Town Records.
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then serving in the pulpit had a much lower place in the affections of the people than Mr. Davenport and his colleagues had possessed ; but also that the power of religion itself in the community was declining. The change shows the growth of selfish and narrow feelings, and the decay of pub- lic spirit. It shows that one generation was passing away, and that another was coming.
The period of this protracted vacancy in the pastoral office here, included the times of the memorable war of the New England colonies with the Indians combined under King Philip. I may not stop to tell the story of that war, during which the very existence of New England was in question. Philip, of Mount Hope, a high-spirited savage, of great en- terprise, bravery and military genius, jealous of the constant growth of the English settlements, hating their religion, des- pising those of his own countrymen who embraced the wor- ship and cultivated the manners of the white men, and feeling strong in that acquaintance with the arms of civilized war- fare which the Indians had so extensively acquired, united the savage tribes of Massachusetts and Rhode Island in a last desperate effort to exterminate the English. The conflict lasted about two years ; and it was a conflict, the details of which show more of heroism in action and in suffering, than can be found in the history of almost any other war, ancient or modern. During that war, so crowded with disasters and horrors that fill the traditions of all the old towns of Massa- chusetts, New Haven, and indeed every other settlement within the bounds of Connecticut, was mercifully preserved from the presence of the enemy. No village was swept away by the storm of war. No rural sanctuary was laid in ruins. No laborer, shot by the ambushed savage, fell in the furrow. No father returning to his house, found all desolate, the calcined bones of his children mingled with the ashes of his dwelling. No mother, torn from her sick bed, saw her babe dashed in pieces against her own hearth-stone. Such things there were in other parts of New England ; but they were not in Connecticut. Yet here were alarms and watch-
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ings-here were levies of soldiers-here every storehouse, every dwelling, yielded its supplies to feed the army-here was that sad sight, the young, the brave, the hope of gray- haired sires, the strength and pride of the plantation, march- ing away from the homes that looked to them for protection. Here were dreadful tidings from the camp and the battle.
In the records of proceedings here at that time, there is so much of freshness and vividness, so much to illustrate the character and condition of the people, that I may be excused in transcribing a few passages.
At a town meeting, the 2d of July, 1675, just twelve days after Philip's first act of hostility, " Mr. Jones acquainted the town, that the occasion of calling the meeting so suddenly was concerning the rising and outrage of the Indians in Plymouth colony at Seakonk and Swansy, which was in- formed by letters sent from the Narragansett country to the Governor, the copies of which were sent to us that we con- sider and prepare in time against the common danger." Af- ter the reading of the letters, " it was moved that every per- son now would be quickened to have his arms ready by him for his use and defense. And it was advised that those who live abroad at the farms be careful not to straggle abroad into the woods, at least not yet, till we have further intelligence of the Indians' motions, and that they keep watch in the night to discover danger, and upon intelligence of danger to get together to stand for their defense at the farms, or else to come to the town." "Mr. Jones further informed that Philip the Indian was a bloody man, and hath been ready formerly to break out against the English, but had been hitherto re- strained. But now war was broke forth, and it is likely must be prosecuted." " The town was also informed that the ma- gistrates had had speech with our Indians, and they denied any knowledge of Philip's motions, neither did they like them, and also said that they had no men gone that way, and would give us any intelligence they meet with, and that if any strange Indians come to them, they will inform us and not harbor them. The town ordered that an account be ta-
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ken of the Indians, how many men they are and where they are ; and Matthew Moulthrop, who now took the constable's oath, was to warn them and look after them." Arrangements were also made for " a military watch at the town ;" and a committee of safety was appointed.
At a meeting in September, a committee was appointed to superintend the erection of fortifications at the meeting house, "and also at any other place or places about town, as they or the major part of them shall agree." Capt. Roswell was appointed " to prepare the great guns, or so many of them as is necessary, to be fit for service." And finally, " the town considering the present circumstances, and our danger, by vote appointed (whilst these exercises are on us) that all the inhabitants bring their arms and ammunition to the meet- ings upon the Sabbaths and other public days."
On the 12th of October, there was "a meeting of the dwellers in the town, the farms not being warned," at which " Mr. Jones acquainted the town, that the cause of calling the town together was the sad tidings that was come to us, of the burning of Springfield, and some persons slain by the Indians." It was immediately agreed that besides the forti- fication on the green, palisadoes should be erected at the ends of the streets and at the angles of the town, such as should be a shelter against the shot of an enemy. It was also ordered that all small wood, brush and underwood within half a mile of the town plot should be cut down and cleared away, that it might not afford shelter to Indians to creep in a skulking manner near the town.
So again on the 18th of October, Mr. Jones acquainted the town that intelligence had come " that there is a strong con- federacy among the Indians in these parts against the Eng- lish, and that our pretended friends are in the plot, and that this light moon they did intend to attack Hartford and some other places as far as Greenwich." He also gave informa- tion on the authority of some communication from Major Treat, "that the Narragansetts are in great preparation for war." The General Court too, he told them, and the Coun-
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cil " do advise all the plantations to fortify themselves in the best way they can against the common enemy." 'The busi- ness of enclosing the town with fortifications was urged for- ward; and it was determined that while that work was in progress, some particular houses should be garrisoned.
Twelve days afterwards, (30th October,) there was another meeting, and farther arrangements were made for hastening the fortifications. "The Deputy Governor [Leete] being present in the meeting, spoke much to the encouragement and advising of the inhabitants to go on with the work, and to do it with unanimity, seeking the safety of the whole, as far as may be, but especially as in the natural body the hands and all the members seek the securing of the heart."
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