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 26
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For the sake of the authentic and lively pictures of that age, which the two records above referred to exhibit, I transcribe the most ma- terial parts of the former, and the whole of the latter.
"A brief story of Church proceedings with Mrs. Eaton the Gover- nor's wife,* for divers scandalous offenses which she gave to sundry out of the Church.
" Matters being prepared, they were propounded to the Church by the ruling elder, in the public assembly, the fourteenth day of the sixth month, 1644, after the contribution on the Lord's day, as fol- loweth :
" The elders have understood by divers of the brethren that they do wait for, and expect to hear, what issue the business that con- cerns Mrs. Eaton is brought to. The elders have not neglected the looking after it, but have now prepared matters for the hearing of the Church. If the brethren be willing that she shall be now called
* He who reads Mather's Life of Eaton carefully, cannot but observe the emphasis with which the biographer speaks of the happiness of Eaton with his first wife. Mather doubtless knew that the second Mrs. Eaton, though a bishop's daughter, was not a comfortable mate.
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forth, they have the particulars to read unto you. And if they said nothing against it, they should take their silence for their consent.
" And after a little pause, the brethren being silent, the ruling elder called Mrs. Eaton forth. Then our pastor, Mr. Davenport, stood up and spoke as followeth :
" Brethren you do, I suppose, expect some account from the elders, of the issue of all the pains and patience which hath been exercised by the Church towards our sister, Mrs. Eaton. I am sorry that we cannot give in such a return as might answer all our desires. The public offense which she knows is grievous to us, she still continueth in, departing from the assembly whensoever baptism is administered, or else absenting herself from the sermon and from all public worship in the congregation, though she knoweth that it is an offense to the whole Church. How she fell into this error, you partly know. Her will was gained to it before her judgment, and therefore she sought some arguments or other against the baptizing of infants, and to that end spake with the Lady Moodey,* and importuned her to lend her a book made by A. R. ; which having gotten into her hands she read secretly, and as secretly engaged hier spirit in that way. For she neither asked her husband at home, according to the rule 1 Cor. xiv, 35, (whose faitlifulness and sufficiency to have held forth light to her according to God, we all know,) nor did slie seek for any light or help from her pastor according to the rule Mala. ii, 7, though in other cases she hath come freely to him, and departed from him not without fruit ; nor did she seek help from the body whereof slie is a member, nor from any members of this body, save that she showed her book with the charge of secrecy to one or two whom she hoped to gain to her party, and so to have made way for a further spread of her infection in the body. The first discovery of her per- emptory engagement was by her departing from the assembly after the morning sermon when the Lord's supper was administered, and the same afternoon, after sermon, when baptism was administered, judging herself not capable of the former, because she conceited her- self to be not baptized, nor durst she be present at the latter, ima- gining that pædobaptism is unlawful. In a meeting of the Church among themselves on the third day following, some of the brethren
* For some account of this lady, who was excommunicated from the Church in Salem, 1643, and " to avoid further trouble" in Massachusetts " removed to the Dutch" and settled at Gravesend on Long Island ; and who probably stopped here in her migration, see Savage's Winthrop, II, 123, 136.
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desired that Mrs. Eaton would declare her reasons whereupon she thus did and held. She professed her inability to speak, but told us of a book she had, which had taken her off from the grounds of her former practice ; for she formerly thought that baptism had come in the room of circumcision and therefore might lawfully be adminis- tered unto infants as that was. Hereupon I asked her whether if that point were cleared she should be satisfied ? She seemed to as- sent. Then I undertook (with the help of Christ) to examine her whole book, and the next third day to begin to speak to the first part of it in the meeting of the Church among themselves, and the next Lord's day to begin to preach out of Col. ii, 11, 12, thence to prove that baptism is come in the place of circumcision and is to be admin- istered unto infants, and so to answer the second part of the book ; which as you know hath been done, with a blessing from God for the recovery of some from this error, and for the establishment of others in truth. Only Mrs. Eaton [received] no benefit by all, but continued as before. Which when I perceived, thinking that there might be some defect in her understanding what was spoken, or in her memory, I put myself voluntarily to a further task for her good; and wrote out what I spoke in the Church alone in answer to the former part of the book, and what I preached in public to the next assembly on the Lord's day, and got them to be wrote out in a fair hand, and sent them to her husband for her use, with this request, that it would please him to join with himself Mr. Gregson and Mr. Hooke, to whom probably she would give ear sooner than to others, and let one read A. R. and the other read my answer, by several portions, that she might understand what was read and have liberty to object for her satisfaction while things were in her mind. This they did, though she showed much backwardness and unwillingness thereunto ; and when they had read to a period and prayed her to speak if she had any thing to say, she neither would object nor yield to the truth, but behaved herself with such contemptuous carriages that they were discouraged in the beginning. But at my desire they returned to it again, and continued thus reading till they had gone through the book, and then left with her both A. R. and the Answer. After this I waited to see if her own private reading would have any better success. When I saw that she continued still as she was, nor did propound any question, I marvelled at the hand of God herein, which to me seemed dreadful, fearing that, as before she would not seek light, so now God would not give her an heart to receive light.
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Whilst I was thus sadly exercised, divers rumors were spread up and down the town of her scandalous walking in her family, which were in the mouths of many before they came to my knowledge, being al- most continually in my study and family except some public work or private duty call me fortlı. At last I with two or three of the breth- ren who had also heard of this common fame, considered what we were called to do, and concluded that it being a thing commonly and scandalously reported, the rule requireth that we should inquire, make search, and ask diligently whether it were true,-Deut. xvii, 13, 14, by proportion. Accordingly Mr. Gregson, Mr. Hooke, and myself, went to Mr. Eaton, told him what we heard commonly re- ported, and prayed him to certify us whether the things were so or not. He desired us to speak with his wife, which accordingly we did. She desired us to ask her mother and daughter and servants, they both being present, and calling the forenamed into the room where we all were. Upon inquiry it appeared the reports were true, and more evils were discovered than we had heard of. We now be- gan to see that God took us off from treating with hier any further about the error of her judgment, till we might help forward by the will of God her repentance for these evils in life, believing that else these evils would by the just judgment of God hinder [her] from re- ceiving light, and that repentance for these would further light and receiving the truth,-according to John vii, 17. We therefore agreed to deal with her in a private way. . To that end, because the matter was past the first step, or degree of one with one, being known to us all, we went together to speak with Mrs. Eaton, and held forth the particulars and the rules broken by them, and left it with her, exhort- ing her to repent. And having waited a convenient time, but with- out any fruit saving a discovery of her hardness of heart and im- penitency, we told her that we must acquaint the Church with this matter,-and labored with her to prevent it in part at least, by tak- ing up the matter in private, by holding forth her repentance pri- vately for such particulars as were not commonly reported ; for we were unwilling to bring forth such things into public ; and some of them were of a smaller kind or degree of evil than some other evils, and therefore might more easily be ended if it pleased her,-and be- gan to read some of them to her. She refused to give any private satisfaction for any,-told us that these also were common talk, and that she herself had met with reports of them in other houses. We answered that, nevertheless, seeing that we had not heard of them,
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we were not bound to take notice of them in public, nor would, if the Lord would help her to see the evil of them, and to hold it forth in private. She utterly refused, and told us we labored with her in vain, and should have no other answer, and wondered that the Church did not proceed. Thus we are compelled to bring sundry particulars of which she was privately admonished unto the public notice of the Church, because she refused to hear us in a private way,-according to the rule in Matt. xviii, 17. There were almost as many more which we leave out (nor did privately admonish her of) because they are not sufficiently proved by two witnesses as these are, and these such witnesses as herself hath not excepted against their testimony, though she hath been often desired to object or an- swer, what she pleased. The elder will now read the particulars to you.
" The several facts for which the Church censured Mrs. Eaton.
" 1. That Mrs. Eaton one day sitting at dinner with Mr. Eaton and old Mrs. Eaton,* Mrs. Eaton struck old Mrs. Eaton twice on the face with the back of her hand, which Mrs. Eaton saith she felt three days after ; and Mr. Eaton sitting at table held his wife's hands, and whilst Mr. Eaton held his wife's hands she cried out with such vehemency of spirit, 'I am afflicted! I am afflicted,' as her mother saith she thought she might be heard over to Mr. Davenport's. Wit- ness, old Mrs. Eaton, and -. Herein is broken the fifth com- mandment in breaking the rules of her relation to her mother; and also the sixth commandment is broken in her sinful rage and pas- sion, and in striking her mother.
"2. Mrs. Mary Eatont being knitting a pair of gloves, and when she had knit a piece of a glove, her mother said she had knit a glove and a piece, which Mrs. Mary denied, and said she had not knit so much. Her mother upon this grew outrageous, struck her, pinched her, so that the signs of it appeared upon her, and knocked her head against the dresser, which made her nose bleed much. Besides others who were present, this was done before four Indians, who were then in the kitchen. Witnessed by old Mrs. Eaton, and Mrs.
* See p. 112.
t Mary was the daughter of Gov. Eaton by his first wife. She afterwards was married to Valentine Hill, who in 1658 was of Piscataway, but at an earlier period had been a deacon in the First Church of Boston.
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Mary, and Elizabeth Browning, who saith, though she was not in the kitchen when this was done, yet she was above in the chamber, and heard Mrs. Mary cry, and heard the blows up into the chamber, and when she came down she saw Mrs. Mary's nose bleed very much ; she asked what was the matter, and they told her Mrs. Eaton had beat Mrs. Mary. This is a breach of the fifth command in breaking the rules of her relation, and so contrary to the rule of the Apostle, Eph. vi, 4; Col. iii, 21. And likewise she hath herein broken the sixth commandment, contrary to Matt. v, 21,-contrary to the rule of the Apostle, Eph. iv, 31. Likewise it is a breach of the sixth commandment, as it is a just offense to the Indians and so a means of the murder of their souls, and so contrary to the rule of the Apostle, 1 Cor. x, 32.
"3. That Mrs. Eaton hath unjustly charged Mrs. Mary, saying," &c. [Mrs. Mary denies the imputation. Mary Launce* confirms the denial.] "Sister Maudline saith that she living in the house about half a year, never saw any light carriage in her that might give any suspicion to ground any such charge ; and she took the more notice of her carriage, because old Mrs. Eaton had often asked her about Mrs. Mary's carriage, because she had heard her mother had spoken many suspicious words concerning Mrs. Mary. Brother Lupton saith he never saw any thing in Mrs. Mary but comely and well. Brother Broadly saith for light carriage in Mrs. Mary with any man, he never saw any in the least, nor had cause for any such thought ; and Brother Lupton saith the same. Mrs. Eaton being de- manded by Mr. Gregson, Mr. Davenport and Mr. Hooke, why she charged Mrs. Mary with such things, she answered that she said it to her to set it more upon her to prevent it, because she observed her temper and carriage, (saying her carriage was wanton.) Being earnestly pressed to give an instance of any of these charges upon her, she then could give none. This charge is confessed in the answer Mrs. Eaton gives. This is a breach of the ninth command, as it is a slander and that of a high nature; and concerning the rea- son she gives why she laid this charge upon her daughter, it is con- trary to Rom. iii, 8.
" 4. Mrs. Eaton charged Mrs. Mary to be the cause of the ruin of the souls of many that came into the house, especially of Mary
* Mary Launce was the second wife of Rev. John Sherman of Watertown. See p. 56. She was still living when Mather published his Magnalia,
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Launce, but showed not wherein. Witness, Mrs. Mary, and Mary Launce. This is a sin against the ninth commandment, and con- trary to Psal. xv, 3."
The specifications are seventeen in number, and are all of the same kind with the preceding ; all showing a violent ungoverned temper, venting itself in the most abusive words towards all in the family, from her husband down to "Anthony the neager,"* and sometimes impelling her to blows.\ In these days, doubts would be
* Who Anthony was, and what was his relation to Gov. Eaton's family, may be learned from the record of " a court the 7th day of December, 1647. " The Governor acquainted the Court that he heard that Anthony the ne- gro, his servant, got some strong water, and he heard that he was drunk. Therefore because it was openly known, he thought it necessary the matter should be heard in the Court, whereas, had it been kept within the compass of his own family he might have given him family correction for it.
" Anthony saith he did go to Mr. Evance's house for some sugar, and Matthew his negro asked him to drink. He did not refuse it; and Mr. Evance's negro poured somewhat out of a runlet, and gave it him, and went away ; and he drank, not knowing what it was. And after he had drunk, le was light in his head after he came abroad.
" Mr. Evance's negro saith, Anthony coming to their house, he asked him to drink, and poured out some strong water which was in the bottom of a runlet into a pint pot and drank to him. It was asked him how many times Anthony drank. He said but once ; but as he conceiveth, at once he drank about the quantity of two wine glasses. It was asked him whether he gave it him for beer, or told him what it was; or whether Anthony knew that it was strong water. He said he could not tell.
" The Court considering that it is the first time they have heard any thing of Anthony this way; and possibly he might not know what he drank till afterwards, it being given him in such a vessel as is used to drink beer out of; and hoping it will be a warning to him for time to come, thought it fit and agreed not to inflict any public corporal punishment for this time ; but as the Governor's zeal and faithfulness hath appeared (not conniving at sin in his own family,) so they leave it to him to give that correction which he in his wisdom shall judge meet."
If I were a historical painter, I should be tempted to take for a subject, the trial of Anthony the negro.
t The fifteenth particular differs slightly from the others. "When Mr. Davenport was in preaching, and speaking something against Anabaptism, Mrs. Eaton said, as she sat in her seat, ' It is not so.' And when Mr. Dav- enport said he would be brief, she said, 'I would you would,' or ' I pray be so.' Anna Eaton heard her mother speak this, and told her brother, and he told his mother. Old Mrs. Eaton saith, that Theophilus telling his mother of it, she said it was not so. Anna Eaton saith that her mother did deny that she said so. But Mrs. Eaton since hath acknowledged she did speak to that purpose. This is contrary to Isa. xxx, 8-10."
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raised as to the sanity of such an offender. The wife of Gov. Hop- kins, who was Mrs. Eaton's daughter by her former husband, was for many years the victim of mental derangement. The paper was concluded with some testimony of a general nature, from "Sister Preston," Mary Launce, Elizabeth Browning, "Brother Lupton," and " Brother Broadly." "Brother Lupton saith that it was usual when he came home, the maids would complain to him of Mrs. Ea- ton's unquietness with them ; and he did speak with Mrs. Eaton, and wish her to live in love and peace. She did lay the fault on her maids, and he spake to them not to provoke their mistress; and they wished him to pray for them that they might not provoke her, Mrs. Mary professing it was the desire of her heart to give her mother content and not willingly provoke her. Brother Broadly saith he never knew any cause given by the maids to provoke Mrs. Eaton, but that they had great provocations from her ; for they could do almost nothing to give her content, which did discourage them, and many times made them careless. He further saith he hath ob- served Mrs. Eaton's way to be very unquiet, unstable and self-willed, and more of late than formerly.
" After that the ruling elder had read these several facts, he pro- pounded to Mrs. Eaton if she had any thing to object against these facts that were charged upon her. She sat down and said nothing. After this was done, it was propounded to the brethren whether the facts that were read and charged upon Mrs. Eaton were not suffi- ciently proved by those witnesses; and they gave their vote that they were sufficiently proved. Then it was propounded to the brethren, that they having heard the several rules that was charged upon Mrs. Eaton to be broken by her, whether they were rightly applied to the several facts ; if they were satisfied therein they should declare it by lifting up their hands, which accordingly they did. After this was done it was again propounded to the brethren that they having heard the several facts charged and proved, and the rules she had broken thereby, they should take it into their consideration whether she was presently to be cast out for these facts, or whether it would admit of an admonition only at this time. Then the brethren freely spake their apprehensions. Then our pastor stood up and spake to the Church and held forth light unto them, shewing that those facts were not of that nature that they called for a present cutting off; but he rather inclined to give a public solemn admonition ; for though the charges were many and great, yet [it was to be considered] whether
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they could be proved to proceed from a habitual frame of sinning in her, so as that she may not be counted a visible saint. And he also showed that though some sins could not admit of an admonition if they were public scandals, as those in 1 Cor. v, yet whether any of these facts amounted so high was not clear. After our pastor had done speaking, and a little pause, it was propounded to the brethren whether they would have Mrs. Eaton at that time only admonished, and they that were of that mind should declare it by holding up of hands ; and the brethren with one consent declared by their vote that at that time they would have her admonished. After the vote was passed, Mrs. Eaton stood up and spake to the Church, desiring that at that time there might be no censure passed upon her. Then our pastor stood up and answered her that seeing the matter was brought into the public, such evils could not pass without the Church's rebuke, the rule being they that sin openly must be re- buked openly, and she must hear the Church. Then our pastor proceeded and passed the sentence of admonition upon her. The form of the admonition was thus, that 'In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and with the consent of this Church, I do charge thee, Mrs. Eaton, to attend unto the several rules that you have broken, and to judge yourself by them, and to hold forth your repentance according to God, as you will answer it at the great day of Jesus Christ.'
"After this admonition, the Church waited, expecting the fruit of it. But they found by clear and credible information, that she did con- tinue offensive in her way, both in her carriage in her family and oth- erwise. And in this time, whilst her carriage was offensive, she sent a writing to the ruling elder, which when the elders had considered, and found that it neither came up to the acknowledging the particu- lars for which she was admonished, nor held forth repentance accor- ding to God, and that her spirit was wholly under the former distem- pers, the elders agreed to speak with her, that they might encourage her, and draw her further on to repentance. In all mildness they told her what was defective in this note, and what further would be required [according] to God for the Church's satisfaction, to wit, three things,-1, that she should acknowledge the facts according to the evidence in the particulars, and fall under the rules she had transgressed by those facts as appeared in the admonition,-2, that she should [hold] forth her repentance, confess her sins, and judge herself for them,-3, that because there was a tract and course of
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scandalous miscarriages, she should hold forth such reformation as might be testified to the Church's satisfaction according to God by some that ordinarily conversed with her. This advice she seemed to receive thankfully, and to purpose to apply herself thereunto.
" But after about three quarters of a year waiting, no fruit of re- pentance appeared, so that sundry of the Church showed themselves unsatisfied at these delays. From sundry other Churches also in the Bay and at Connecticut, being made acquainted with the proceed- ings of the Church in this matter, we saw that the Church was thought to be defective by their slowness to use the last remedy which Christ hath appointed for recovery in this case. Hereupon [the elders] went to her in private, and told her, that though it had been her duty to have sought reconciliation with the Church, whom she had offended, and knew they were yet unsatisfied, yet seeing slie neglected, the elders came to her to see what fruit yet might appear of the public, solemn admonition, to 'the end they might give some account thereof to the Church. She answered, she confessed it was her duty so to have done, but she [was] hindered by not finding in herself repentance to her own satisfaction. Being then pressed to know what hindered her repentance, and told that it must be either something charged upon her in way of fact whereof she was not guilty, or else some rule was not rightly applied to her conviction; if she had any such thing to alledge, they said, ' We are here to inform your judgment.' She answered, she had nothing to say against the admonition. Being then further pressed to speak if any such objec- tion stuck with her, or else they could not see but she hardened her- self and slighted the admonition, then she said she was not convin- ced of the breach of the fifth commandment in the first fact charged, for she did not acknowledge her husband's mother to be her mother. The elders answered, they conceived that was sufficiently cleared before, that she had broken the fifth commandment, and therefore referred to the admonition ;- and finding that she continued obsti- nate, parted from her with these expressions, that we must give an account to the Church of what we found, and did bewail the hard- ness of her heart, and should mourn for her in secret.
"Between this and the time she was to give her answer to the Church, she sent another writing to the ruling elder, which when the elders read they found it to be far short of holding forth that re- pentance the rule required, and [far short] of the first writing which yet when she wrote she was under the power of distemper as before.
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