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 19
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It is hardly necessary to add of such a man, that he was exceedingly presumptuous and censorious, in pronouncing judgment upon the character and state of all who refused to countenance his proceedings. He not only awakened sus- picion of ministers, by throwing out in his sermons vague and ambiguous insinuations ; but he was wont, in the most per- emptory and solemn manner, to declare this or that particular minister an unconverted man, and to call on the people to avoid that minister's preaching as they would avoid poison.
* Chauncey, Seasonable Thoughts, 99. I know not why Chauncey is not as good authority in such matters as the panic-stricken Doctors of the pres- ent day. There is hardly a sentence in his book which would not read well in some of our most othodox periodicals, theological and literary. His state- ments of matters of fact, bear a wonderful likeness to the reports which were given in to the Reforming Convention of Presbyterians, assembled at Phila- delphia in May, 1837.
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This place appears to have been one of the principal thea- ters of his efforts. The celebrity of his father and of his more illustrious ancestor, and his numerous connections here, his mother being a native of New Haven,* afforded him of course a favorable introduction. He came to this place about the beginning of September, 1741, and immediately com- menced operations. He was not long in forming, or back- ward in expressing, his opinions of Mr. Noyes, whose pulpit he was for a while permitted to enter. In an account writ- ten and published at the time it is said, " Mr. Davenport, in almost every prayer, vents himself against the minister of the place, and often declares him to be an unconverted man, and says that thousands are now cursing him in hell for being the instrument of their damnation. He charges all to pray for his destruction and confusion. He frequently calls him a hypocrite, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and a devil incarnate." "I think," adds the writer, " that few or none of his greatest admirers undertake peremptorily to justify these things; but they have conceived such an extraordinary opinion of his holiness and success, as that they seem to suppose that he has some extraordinary assistance or commission to do that which may not be done by any other man."+
The following statement, which is made not inconsider- ately, but upon the most unquestionable testimony, is valua- ble, not only as showing the nature of Mr. Davenport's opera- tions in this Church, but also as illustrating to some extent the character of Mr. Noyes.
Several brethren of the Church being offended at Mr. Davenport's publicly condemning their pastor as an uncon- verted man, calling him a wolf in sheep's clothing, with many other like opprobrious expressions, came together at the house of Mr. Noyes, on the Lord's day, September 21,
* Rev. John Davenport, of Stamford, was twice married. The children of his first wife were six. His second wife was the widow Elizabeth Maltbie, daughter of John Morris. She was the mother of two sons, Abraham and James. Dodd, East Haven Register, 116.
t Chauncey, 157.
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1741, probably in the evening, and desired Mr. Davenport to give the reasons why he had thus reproached and scandalized their pastor.
Accordingly, Mr. Davenport alledged as his first reason, that a woman told him that she came to Mr. Noyes's under con- viction, and said that she was the greatest sinner in the world, and that Mr. Noyes endeavored to abate her con- victions.
To this Mr. Noyes replied, that he did not remember the instance ; but supposed it might be thus, viz. that he might tell her that she was a very great sinner, and that she ought to be sensible of it, and more sensible of her own sins than of any other person's in the world ; but that he did not sup- pose that she was really the greatest sinner in the world. Upon this, Mr. Davenport declared that this very reply was an additional evidence of his being an unconverted man. Afterwards, in explaining himself upon the word 'evi- dence,' he said, that it gave him reason to believe that it was so.
Mr. Davenport proceeded to alledge as his second reason, that Mr. Noyes assumed an honor to himself in the ministry which did not belong to him ; for a woman told him that, some years ago, she came to Mr. Noyes, and brought a " rela- tion," or narrative of her mental exercises on religious sub- jects, wherein she mentioned the names of several ministers who, she supposed, had been instrumental of her conversion ; and Mr. Noyes asked her if he had not also done something towards her conversion, and asked her why his name was not mentioned. Mr. Davenport added that several other per- sons had told him that Mr. Noyes disliked their "relations," because there were so many names in them besides his.
To this accusation Mr. Noyes replied, that he did not re- member any such thing, and was confident that it was a mis- representation.
A third reason offered by Mr. Davenport in support of his opinion was, that Mr. Noyes was not a friend to the work then going on, and that he did not countenance itinerant
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preachers ; and that several persons had told him that they came to meeting with their affections raised, and that Mr. Noyes's preaching deadened and discouraged them, and ten- ded to stifle their convictions.
To all this Mr. Noyes replied, that his preaching and con- duct in these things were publicly known, and that every one was capable of judging without his saying any thing on the subject.
The fourth argument to prove Mr. Noyes an unconverted man was, that in private conversation with Mr. Davenport, he had said to this effect, that he had been deeply sensible of the vileness and corruption of his own nature, and that every one that turned his thoughts inward might easily have such a sense ; and as Mr. Noyes seemed to suppose that it was an easy thing, the conclusion was that he had never experienced it himself.
Mr. Noyes's reply to this statement was, that he, in the conversation referred to, utterly refused to give Mr. Daven- port any account of his religious experience, but that they had some discourse on doctrinal points. He could not think, however, that Mr. Davenport could reasonably understand him to mean, or intend, that every natural man had a sense of the vileness and corruption of his nature, or that it was an easy thing to have it. Several things were said on this point which could not easily be minuted down; but the sum of it was, "there seemed to be a misunderstanding between them."
The whole ground had now been gone over ; and in view of all that had been said, Mr. Davenport declared that these reasons were sufficient to justify him in censuring and con- demning Mr. Noyes as he had done. Then he said he would make a sort of acknowledgment ; and forthwith, while some in the room were talking loud, and others smoking, and some with their hats on, he began a prayer. There being so much noise in the room, he was hardly heard at first. Many kept on talking ; others exclaimed "stop him ;" Mr. Noyes spoke once or twice, and said, " Mr. Davenport, I forbid your pray-
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ing in my house without my leave." But he went on in the midst of noise, confusion, and consternation, and declared Mr. Noyes an unconverted man, and his people to be as sheep without a shepherd, and prayed that what he had now said, might be a means of his and their conversion ; "or else," said he, "according to thy will let them be confounded." After that manner, he went on nearly a quarter of an hour. When he had done, Mr. Noyes forbade his ever going into his - pulpit again ; and some declared to Mr. Davenport, that his praying in that manner was a taking of the name of God in vain. And so the assembly broke up, in great consternation.
The document from which I have taken this account, is subscribed by Thomas Clap, Rector of Yale College, John Punderson, then a deacon in this Church, John Munson, who afterwards performed the office of a deacon for more than thirty years, and three others,* who unite in certifying, " This is the truth, according to the best of our remem- brance ; and the substance of the conference was minuted down at the time of it, and publicly read to Mr. Davenport, and the rest, immediately after."+
How long after this conference Mr. Davenport continued his operations in this place, does not appear. We find, how- ever, that at the next society meeting, which was on the 28th of December, a paper was presented, signed by thirty eight men, desiring a division of the Society. The subscribers to this memorial alledged that they had, " by long and sorrowful experience, found that the preaching and conduct of the Rev. Mr. Noyes had been in great measure unprofitable to them," and also that they "had reason to think that he differed from them in some points of faith." They professed that they were not influenced by " any prejudice to the persons of Mr. Noyes and their brethren and friends of the Society, to whom they heartily wished all good." They asked that they, with oth- ers who might be inclined to join them, might be allowed to
* The three others were Theoph. Munson, Andrew Tuttle, and Samuel Mix.
t Chauncey, 158, 161.
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draw off and. become a distinct society, so that they might " put themselves under the best advantage to worship God, under such means as he in his good providence might allow," and such as they might hope he would " bless for their spir- . itual good and edification."*
To us at this day, it seems perfectly obvious, that the only wise or reasonable course in regard to such a memorial, and indeed the only course consistent with the principles of reli- gious freedom, was either to take such measures as might conciliate the petitioners, and overcome their prejudices ; or, if that seemed impracticable, to grant them their request at once. The town, as experience soon proved, was large enough for two congregations. In Hartford, there had been two Churches, both recognized in law, for seventy years. A controversy not unlike that which was now breaking out here, had commenced in Guilford twelve years before, and had been adjusted, after several years of confusion, only by the interference of the legislature to erect the minority into « a new society. Yet in the face of the lessons taught by the experience of other places, the people here, when the ques- tion was proposed to the society, whether they would do any thing with respect to the memorial of the dissatisfied party, answered in the negative. . Contention was now of course to be expected.
The next step of the dissatisfied party was, to prefer to the Church articles of complaint against the pastor, expecting, or at least demanding, that the charges should be investigated, according to the strict Congregational discipline, either by the
* Society Records. The names of the memorialists were, Gideon An- drews, Caleb Tuttle, Jos. Mix, Caleb Bradley, Joseph Burroughs, David Austin, Jacob Turner, Caleb Andrews, Enos Tuttle, Obadiah Munson, Ste- phen Johnson, Samuel Cook, Timothy Mix, Samuel Horton, Thomas Pun- derson, Junr., Joseph Sackett, Hez. Beecher, Jos. Mix, Junr., Enos Thom- son, John Bull, Caleb Hotchkiss, Junr., Benjamin Woodin, Caleb Bull, Tim- othy Jones, Benjamin Willmott, Daniel Turner, Stephen Austin, Thomas Willmott, Abraham Thomson, Mercy Alling, David Punderson, Enos Al- ling, Jabez Sherman, Amos Tuttle, Thomas Leek, Ezekiel Sanford, Timo. Alling, Amos Peck.
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Church itself, or by a council agreed upon between the par- ties. In opposition to this demand, it was claimed that the Saybrook articles, which were a part of the ecclesiastical constitution of the colony and of this Church, had provided a different and better way for investigating charges against a pastor. By that rule, the ministers of the county, in their Association, were in the first instance to receive charges against a brother pastor, and if they saw reason, were to di- rect to the calling of a council of the consociated Churches of the county. But such was the standing of Mr. Noyes with the ministers and Churches of the vicinity, that the complainants were unwilling to bring their cause before such a tribunal. The question was therefore raised, whether the Church had ever adopted the Saybrook articles as a rule of discipline ; and though the former pastor of the Church had been not only a leading member of the synod that framed the platform, but even the principal author of that instru- ment ; and though the Church was present by its pastor and delegate, in the council which had approved the plat- form and formed the consociation for the county, and had uniformly acted as one of the confederate Churches of the county ; it was now maintained by the complainants, that inasmuch as there was no written record of any action of the Church formally acceding to the Saybrook constitution, it was still to be considered as under the old rule of strict Con- gregationalism. And when the Church overruled their ob- jection, and adopted a vote declaring that in this Church the Saybrook articles were to be observed, the ground of com- plaint was altered. They now professed to be the aggrieved party ; they professed that they had always considered them- selves as belonging to an unconsociated Church ; and they insisted that Mr. Noyes and his friends had "divested them of their ancient ecclesiastical privileges," and by adopting the Saybrook platform, had formed themselves into another Church than that with which they, the complainants, were in covenant.
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Accordingly, considering their relation as members of this Church to be at an end, they proceeded, without delay, to take the benefit of the act of toleration, and to organize" themselves as a religious congregation dissenting from the established worship of the colony. On Friday, the 7th of May, 1742, they were solemnly constituted a Congrega- tional Church, by four ministers called for the purpose, from " the Eastern District of Fairfield County," namely, Samuel Cooke, John Graham, Elisha Kent, and Joseph Bellamy .* One of the leading men in this secession, at the time when the Church was constituted, and afterwards, was Mr. James Pierpont, the eldest son of the former pastor, and the brother in law of Mr. Noyes,-a circumstance which could hardly fail to add to the sturdiness and stiffness of religious contro- versy, something of the proverbial bitterness of a family quarrel.
While the opponents of Mr. Noyes were making these movements, the Society which they were endeavoring to dis- member had not been entirely idle. At a meeting on the 6th of April, it had been " voted, that a committee be cho- sen to treat with the Rev. Mr. Joseph Noyes, Mr. James Pier- pont and others, what is proper to be done by the Society in this critical day, and report their thoughts at the next meet- ing." Six days afterwards, on the report of that committee, it was voted that the Rev. Mr. Noyes be desired, at the charge of this Society, to call in the assistance of the Rev. Messrs. William Russell of Middletown and Jonathan Ed- wards of Northampton to consult measures to promote peace among us, and to advise the Church and Society in so im- portant an affair. On the first Monday in May, which was two days before the meeting of the ministers who came from Fairfield county to constitute the separating Church, the So- ciety, in compliance with the advice given by Mr. Russell and Mr. Edwards, resolved, " by a full vote," to proceed to the settlement of a colleague pastor; and requested Mr.
Records of White Haven Church.
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Noyes, Deacon Punderson and Capt. John Munson to apply to the Association, at their next meeting, for advice and di- rection with respect to the person that might be suitable to be called as assistant in the work of the ministry. Yet in the face of these proceedings, designed to take away from the complaining party the original and principal ground of their dissatisfaction, the separating Church was solemnly con- stituted, after a day spent in fasting and prayer by them and their officiating ministers. Whether there was any thing in this, suited to mitigate Mr. Noyes's keen sense of the indigni- ties which he supposed he had suffered, or to give him any better opinion of the party opposed to him, we need not in- quire.
On the first Monday in June, the advice of the Association was communicated to the Society, recommending the Rev. Aaron Burr of Newark, as a proper person to be called to be Mr. Noyes's assistant in the ministry. This advice was im- mediately complied with ; and a committee was appointed, with President Clap at the head of it, to go to Newark as soon as might be, and not only to lay this call before Mr. Burr, and to prosecute it before the Presbytery, but also to " treat with the good people of Newark, and obtain their consent to the Rev. Mr. Burr's removal to New Haven."
We know nothing further respecting this application to Mr. Burr, except that it was unsuccessful. In August, Mr. Noyes and Captain John Munson were again requested to apply to the Association for advice respecting an assistant to the pas- tor. The advice being received, the Society in compliance with the direction given them, applied to Mr. Chauncey Whittelsey, then a tutor in Yale College, to render occasional assistance, as might be consistent with his other employ- ments. From this time, the settlement of a colleague was talked of; but for several years, nothing was done. The suspicion went abroad, and obtained extensive currency, that Mr. Noyes was not hearty in the plan of having a colleague. In this way, the separate meeting was continually increasing its numbers.
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Early in 1744, the members of the separate Church began their arrangements for the erection of a house of worship. As soon as it appeared what they were doing, a meeting of ‹ the First Society was held, [18th April,] and " the Society entering upon the consideration of the separate party's raising a meeting house on the corner of Mr. Joseph Burrough's home-lot adjoining to the market place, voted that the same is very grievous to the said Society, and that they esteem it very hurtful to the public peace of said Society ; and that Col. Joseph Whiting, Esq., Dr. John Hubbard, and Mr. Jona- than Mansfield, be a committee from said Society, immedi- ately to represent to said separatists, that their doings herein are unlawful, and hurtful, and esteemed a public nuisance, and to desire them forthwith to desist their work." It was also voted, " that Col. Joseph Whiting, Esq., and Capt. Jona- than Alling, and Dea. John Hitchcock, be agents or attor- neys for said Society, to take advice, and represent to the Hon. General Assembly, the doings of said separatists, in case they do not desist,-and prosecute them in the law, if it be thought advisable." Of course, the separate meeting house went up the more rapidly, after such proceedings were commenced against it .*
In the autumn of 1744, Whitefield visited New England a second time. Many ministers had by this time, become so much alarmed at the progress of the confusion that had en- sued upon the labors of lesser itinerants, Whitefield's imita- tors, that they looked upon his coming with dissatisfaction,
* The stated place of worship for the separates, before they had a meeting house, was the house of Mr. Timothy Jones. Records of County Court. From the records of the court, 18th January, 1743, I copy the following : " Lieut. Joseph Mix and others of the separate meeting in New Haven, with Mr. James Sprout, a preacher, requesting of this court that said Sprout might be admitted to take oaths and make subscription, according to the act of Tole- ration, and agreeable to the law of this colony relating to sober dissenters, this court having [heard] the said Sprout and counsel thereon, and consid- ered thereof, are of opinion that the said James Sprout hath not shown him- self to have any right by said law to what is asked for, and therefore do not see cause to grant the request."
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fearing that it might cause a new outbreak of enthusiasm and disorder. The General Association of Connecticut, in June, 1745, hearing of his intention to pass this way, expres- sed their disapprobation, and advised that he be not invited to preach in any of the Churches. Accordingly, when he passed through this place he was not invited as before, to preach in Mr. Noyes's pulpit. A great crowd, however, as- sembled from this and the neighboring towns to hear him ; and he preached from a platform in the street, before Mr. Pierpont's house, to a congregation on the green which neither of the meeting houses could have contained .*
The act of Toleration, of which the separating party had taken the benefit, did not exempt them from the payment of taxes to the Society from which they had withdrawn. It only gave them the privilege of worshiping by themselves, as dissenters from the order established by law. This of course added to the bitterness of the controversy, and made Mr. Noyes increasingly odious to those who having renounced him as their minister, were still taxed for his support. In December, 1748, a glimpse of better reason appears in one of the Society's votes, by which it was conceded that, in case of the settlement of a colleague pastor by the Society, those of the separate meeting who had taken the benefit of the act of Toleration, should be freed from all taxes for his support. There appears no reason to doubt that at that time, and thenceforward, Mr. Noyes was earnest in his desire to obtain a colleague, if he could have the right man.t
* The vote of the General Association, may be found in Trumbull, II, 190. The fact of Whitefield's preaching here in the open air, was communicated to me in 1825 by the venerable Dr. AEneas Monson, then in his 92d year.
t At the meeting above mentioned Mr. Noyes proposed, " that the Society would settle some worthy person with him in the ministry." So again at a Church meeting, 9th Jan. 1750, " Mr. Noyes, our Rev. Pastor, having repre- sented to this Church that he being in years, &c., wanted help,"-" the Church having sought direction of God in this important affair, and consid- ered the matter, declared by their vote that they would, God willing, pro- ceed to settle some worthy person with their present pastor in the work of the ministry ;- and in order thereunto desired and appointed the Rev. Mr.
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In January, 1750, a committee, chosen promiscuously from both parties, was appointed to consider the state of the Soci- ety with relation to the religious differences, and to propose some scheme for a union, or at least for preventing any fur- ther separation. This committee does not appear to have ac- complished any thing, or to have made any report.
Nine years after the organization of the separate Church, the Rev. Samuel Bird, who had been dismissed from his pas- toral charge in Dunstable, Massachusetts, came by invitation to supply that Church with stated ministrations. He was a man of popular talents ; and the congregation to which he preached was soon united in calling him to a permanent set- tlement.
On the 3d of September, 1751, a council was convened to advise the separate Church in regard to the installation of Mr. Bird as their pastor. The manner in which those who were dissatisfied with Mr. Noyes had withdrawn and set up their separate organization, seems to have been, up to the date now referred to, a serious impediment to their success. Public opinion regarded them as originally in the wrong. Mr. Bird had suspended his acceptance of their call upon the condition that something should be done for the removal of difficulties. If Mr. Noyes and his friends could be put more manifestly in the wrong, a great point would be gained. This council was called to advise in the removal of difficulties. It was smaller than was expected ; and therefore, after spending a part of two days in examining the whole case, the council was ad- journed to the 15th of October, the Church being advised to take measures in the mean time for enlarging the council.
After the adjournment, and probably in compliance with some unrecorded advice of the council, the leading members
Thomas Clap, Dea. Isaac Dickerman, Dea. John Hitchcock, to be their committee, to join with such committee as the Society should appoint, in taking the advice of the Rev. Association of this county with respect to a suitable person or persons, from time to time, as need shall require, and in prosecuting the affair from time to time, by the approbation or direction of our Rev. Pastor, until a colleague be settled, or this Church order and direct otherwise.
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of the separate Church sent to Mr. Noyes and his Church a confession, guarded indeed, and not very humble, but yet a confession which, if it had been received in a right spirit, might have led to a reconciliation .* How that confession was received, does not appear. Probably it passed without notice.
When the council came together again in October, it was greatly enlarged, and included no small part of the strength of the new divinity and new measure party of that age. Bellamy was among them, and Wheelock, and Pomeroy, and Hopkins, as well as some others whose names are now less known, though then they were numbered with the champi- ons of their cause. The legislature of the colony was then in session ; and of course the time was well chosen for the purpose of making a demonstration. The council being or- ganized, Messrs. Bellamy and Hopkins were sent to Mr. Noyes with a letter, signifying the readiness of the council to re- ceive any communications he might choose to make, the next day, at nine o'clock in the morning. Mr. Noyes of course had no communications to make to such a council; and in the morning, the council entered upon its business without him. But in the mean time, the General Assembly, in its watchfulness over all the interests of the commonwealth, considering that the peace, not only of New Haven, but of the whole colony, was involved in these proceedings, and feeling, probably, that the new light party was the growing party, judged that the controversy ought to be heard by a mutual council.
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