Читать книгу The History of Fairfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut: From the Settlement of the Town in 1639 to 1818: Volume 2 - Elizabeth Hubbell Schenck - Страница 7

CHURCH AND STATE

1720. The inhabitants of Green's Farms, or the west parish, had the satisfaction this year of seeing their meeting-house finished. It had previously been a rude structure, but now it was finished with galleries and seats. Ensign Rumsey was invited " to sit under the desk, where he used to sit . . . & that Capt. Samuel Couch, John Lockwood & Lieutenants Nash &: Andrews should sit under the desk on the west side."

A commodious court-house was also erected on the Fairfield Military Green and situated behind the present Town House.

At a meeting of the General Assembly at Hartford, May 12th, Judge Nathan Gold was again elected Deputy Governor and Chief Judge of the Superior Courts in Fairfield County, and Major John Burr and Captain Samuel Couch representatives from Fairfield.

Major John Burr was made one of the public treasury auditors. Judge Peter Burr was chosen Judge of the County Court.

Major John Burr, with four others, was appointed to receive and destroy the old bills of credit which had been returned to the treasury.

An act was passed for forming the lower house or house of representatives to the General Assembly, that when the new State House was finished at Hartford they should meet at eight o'clock in the morning on election day in the chamber set apart for them, and choose a speaker and clerk for the session.

It appears that since the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, there had existed more or less ill-will between the French of Canada and their Indian allies, which caused frequent alarms along the frontier towns of the New England colonies. The English attributed the existing troubles to the influence of one Father Sebastian Ralle and the French Jesuits, while the French Canadians laid all the blame to the ever encroaching spirit of the English in acquiring territory by unlawful means. The Indian depredations became at this time more and more alarming, so that the inhabitants of Danbury made an appeal to the Governor and Council for protection. They represented that Chicken, living in Fairfield County near Danbury, had received two belts of wampum from Indians west of the Hudson, and asking for permission to come and live within the Connecticut colony. Major John Burr, with three other gentlemen, were forthwith ordered to visit " the Potatuck & Wiantinuck & Poquannuck Indians, & cause the said Chicken, to whom the belts & message were sent, to disclose all he & his tribe had learned of the design of their Indian visitors, & to order them to attend the next meeting of the General Assembly." Major Burr was requested " to return home by way of Danbury, & to quiet the inhabitants there & those near them, of their apprehensions of danger from the Indians."

The General Court met October 13th at New Haven, when Deputy Governor Gold, Peter Burr as Assistant, and Captain Joseph Wakeman and Captain Samuel Couch were present.

The alarming increase of intemperance in the colony led to renewed effort to suppress it, and at this time a tax of fifteen pounds was levied on every hogshead of rum imported into the colony, one-tenth part of which should be paid to the naval officers and the remainder to the colony treasurer. Any evasion of this law led to the confiscation of the liquor.

Wednesday, April 19th, was ordered by proclamation to be set apart as a day of public fasting throughout the colony.

At the sitting of this court the Fairfield members were so fortunate as to obtain a patent for their school lands; which land was "to be improved for the use & behoof of a Grammar School to be kept in said town, & for no other use whatsoever." As no particular persons were named to whom the patent should be granted, the Court ordered " that a patent be granted to the Hon. Nathan Gold Esqr., Peter Burr Esqr., Major John Burr, Capt. Joseph Wakeman, Capt. Moses Dimon, & Lieut. Jonathan Sturges, all of Fairfield, & their heirs at the common law, to hold the said six hundred acres of land for the use aforesaid."

It was voted that as a suitable dwelling-house was needed for the use of the rector of Yale College, a collection should be made in July in all the towns in the colony for this purpose, of which Fairfield paid her share.

In order to comprehend the history of the ecclesiastical affairs of Fairfield at this time, we must turn to the earliest records of the colony. One of the first steps taken by a colony in beginning a settlement was to enter into a mutual covenant " in the presence of God, to walk together in all His ways, according as He was pleased to reveal Himself in His blessed word of truth."

Before a company was allowed to enter upon the work of a new settlement, the General Court required that they should prove themselves capable of colonizing a town and maintaining a clergyman. The necessary number to form a church, it was thought, " should be of no greater number than may ordinarily meet together conveniently in one place, nor ordinarily fewer than may conveniently carry on church work." Those who entered into covenant for the maintenance of a church were not admitted as church members, nor allowed the privilege of partaking of the Lord's Supper, or to present their children in baptism until they had made a public profession of a change of heart. Each parish was composed of a body of members independent and separate from all other parishes, which elected and ordained its own officers. The duties of the officers were to admit, govern, censure and expel its members, as well as to make such laws as should be for the benefit of the church. They acknowledged the necessity of synods or general councils in weighty matters, but regarded the discipline of every church to be vested " in the church alone," and not subject to any outside influence. For these reasons they were called Congregationalists.

The earliest parishes generally supported two ministers, one called a pastor and the other a teacher. There were one or more ruling elders, as well as deacons, who shared with the pastor and teacher the government and discipline of the church. " The office of the pastor was to work upon the wills and affections of his people, that his hearers might be led to love & praise the truth; while that of the teacher was to expound the doctrines of Christianity, & particularly to explain the scriptures." The office of the latter was at an early date merged into that of the pastor.

Their ministers were men of education, many of whom were graduates of Oxford and Cambridge in England. Some of them were men of distinction, who were wealthy and gave largely of their means towards the support of their congregations. Voluntary contributions, however, were taken up every Sabbath for some years for the maintenance of ministers. In 1644 the commissioners of the United Colonies met at Hartford and passed a law: "That those who were taught in the word in the several plantations should be called together, that every man voluntarily set down what he is willing to allow to that end, &c., & if any man refuse to pay a meet proportion, that then he be rated by authority in some just & equal way, & if after this any man withhold or delay due payment the civil power is to be exercised as in other just debts."

The ministers were not at first ordained by other ministers, according to the custom of the present day. but by the officers of the congregations by whom they were elected; and when without officers, by private members laying on of hands. Each minister was a layman to all the world but to his congregation. They were not regarded as ministers before their election over a congregation or after their resignation.

The office of the ruling elder was to maintain the discipline of the church, to watch the walk and conversation of its members, to administer to the spiritual and temporal needs of the sick, and in the absence of the pastor to expound the scriptures, and to exhort and pray with the congregation. The deacons conducted the prudential affairs of the church and provided for the poor. All the officers of the church were set apart to their trusts with the most solemn services.

In religious views our ancestors were Calvinists. The doctrines of original sin, total depravity, election and predestination, particular redemption, effectual calling and perseverance of saints, formed the basis of many lengthy and most earnest sermons. They aimed to control society by the discipline of the Mosaic law.

Finding, as they concluded, no scriptural ground for calling a house of worship a church, they adopted the name of Meeting-House instead. And as only church members were allowed to hold civil offices, that they might be controlled by true wisdom and righteousness in all their acts, their public meetings and elections were held in the Meeting House. It was the custom for many years in Fairfield to hold a town meeting immediately after the week-day prayer meeting, which was regularly appointed on Wednesday evening by a vote of the town.

The first churches were necessarily of a rude and simple style of architecture, and for many years were stiff and bare of ornament of any kind. In the place of the high altar of the Romanist overshadowed with cherubims, rose a pulpit which elevated the head of the preacher almost to the ceiling. When in the course of time the Meeting House required more room than the members could conveniently find within its walls, galleries were introduced. And many undoubtedly remember the two boxes in each corner over the main entrance above the galleries, which were set apart for the sons and daughters of Africa. Pews or slips and square sittings with high backs took the place of the first long benches without backs.

It was the custom of Puritan ministers to explain passages in the Bible as they read them to the people. Not to do so was to bring reproach upon their calling, it being regarded as conforming to the old usages of the churches they had forsaken. Their desire was to make plain the word of God to all men. To read a chapter or psalm from the Bible without explanation was called dumb-reading.

The act of exhorting the people was called prophecy. Officers and private members of churches were called upon to prophesy. It was the custom when a neighboring clergyman officiated, after the singing of a psalm, for the ruling elder of the congregation to say: " If this present brother hath any word of exhortation, let him say on." And the exhortation was called prophecy.

Our forefathers believed in early infant baptism. They were not wholly able to shake off the customs of the religion in which they had been trained, consequently they were much more strict than the Congregationalists of the present day. Palfrey says: " Their children were baptized in the meeting-house but a few days after their birth, & sometimes the very day following. If a child was born on the Sabbath it was baptized on that day." Great care was taken of the children of their slaves. The church records in Fairfield, Green's Farms and the neighboring towns offer many interesting proofs of the above statements.

During the communion service the fashion of sitting while receiving the elements was observed. This was thought to be the most fitting posture, and the idea seems to have originated from the custom of the Jews at the Passover feast, and because our Saviour is represented as sitting while he instituted the Sacrament. Another reason for this posture was to do away with eucharistical adoration.

Of forms our ancestors had a real horror. A surplice was to them but the invention of the Evil One. The cross, which but reminds us of the sufferings of the Redeemer of the World, was allowed no place within or without their houses of worship, lest some ignorant soul break the second commandment by bowing down to it, and thus commit the sin of idolatry.

The Lord's Day, or Sabbath, was a day of great solemnity among our ancestors. Their Sabbath commenced at six o'clock on Saturday evening and continued until six o'clock on Sunday evening. The big oven in the kitchen was opened for an array of bread, meats, cakes and pies on Saturday morning to be baked, for no cooking was allowed on the Sabbath until the services of the day were over. A cold lunch was served in the place of a dinner. But upon their return home from the afternoon service they made up for any deficit in that respect by a bountiful hot supper. Those who came from Stratfield, Greenfield and Green's Farms, before those places were incorporated as separate parishes, rode to church on horseback, and carried their lunches in their saddle-bags. The children were taught their Sunday-school lessons on Saturday afternoon. The little ones used the short Assembly Catechism and the older children the long Westminster Assembly Catechism. They were also required to commit to memory one or more passages of scripture, besides a hymn or psalm, as well as to remember the texts on the Sabbath and learn them by heart after church was over.

One of the most pleasing recollections of their Sabbath was the noon gatherings in the summer of neighbors and friends who lived long distances apart, under the shade trees of the Meeting-House Green, where in groups scattered here and there friendly greetings were exchanged and the repose of the Sabbath enjoyed until the roll of the drum called them into the church for the afternoon service. In the winter they gathered in the Sabbath Day house and in the houses of hospitable relatives and friends. ¹

The young men were not allowed to stand at the entrance of the meeting-house to comment on those who came to church, and to make public their want of reverence for the place and for those who entered within. The delinquent, who so far forgot the honor due to the house of God and to his betters, was ordered into church by the sentinels on duty, and if he forgot himself in church he was melted into propriety by the fixed gaze of the minister, the ruling elders and the deacons, as well as the constables, the grand jurors and tithing men, whose duty it was to watch for such offenders.

The effort made by the Church of England in the reign of Edward the Sixth to restore the simple ritual of her ancient church, which her bishops and clergy declared to St. Augustine in the fifth century they had received through Lyons from the Apostle St. John, was the first glimmer of light which preceded the Reformation in England. To restore the old ritual, not to destroy, was the aim of those good men who sacrificed life and fortune in order to throw off the power and errors of the Church of Rome.

The name of Protestant, which originated at the diet of Spires in Germany, when a protest was raised against further innovations on the part of Rome until the convocation of an Ecumenical council could be called, extended to all classes opposed to the new dogmas of the Church of Rome.

In the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Protestants were divided into two parties, those who favored the ritual order of the Church of England, which had been adopted in the reign of Edward the Sixth, and those who desired to cast aside any ritual whatever, in order to carry out what they conceived to be a purer and more simple form of worship. The desire of the latter was not at first to separate from the Church of England, but to gain pre-eminence in ecclesiastical power. In 1567, however, this separation took place, and those who seceded from the church were first called Separatists. The name of Puritan also was given them, from their rigid views in regard to a religious life, as well as to their strict observance of the Sabbath. This name was first applied to those small bodies of Protestants who fled from England to the Continent during the reign of the Bloody Mary. Under the reign of Queen Elizabeth they were treated with great rigor, which but alienated their affections and caused them to cling all the more closely to their religious views. They had hoped for brighter days when King James the First, who had been partly educated under Presbyterian influence, ascended the throne. But this hope faded away under the severity of the persecutions he caused them to endure. The marriage of Charles the First to Henrietta Maria, the beautiful daughter of Henry the Great of France, was an offence in the eyes of the Puritans, and under her influence, and that of Archbishop Laud's mistaken zeal and want of gentleness for the interests of the Church of England, they turned their thoughts towards America. Here they hoped to establish a church in which they might worship their Maker without restraint from king or prelate.

At the present day we must look back upon all ecclesiastical bodies of that age as lacking in those great essentials of Christianity embodied in the new commandment of our Redeemer. " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." The age in which Puritanism had its rise was one of great religious intolerance. Whichever ecclesiastical body was in the ascendancy for the time being was chronicled with such persecutions towards those who differed from them in religious thought as cannot give any one of them an exalted place in history as having been the possessors of those lovable traits which our Saviour left as a guide upon the inspired pages of His Holy Word.

The reign of Bloody Mary was marked with most cruel persecutions towards all who differed from the prescribed views of the Romanists. No less than three hundred Protestants suffered by fire at the stake, among whom were Archbishop Cranmer, Bishops Latimer, Hooker and Ridley.

The reign of Elizabeth, while much more mild than that of Mary towards those who differed with her in religious beliefs, was harsh and intolerant towards the Puritans. Many were imprisoned, some were banished and others were hanged. The Queen declared: "that she would maintain the religion that she was crowned in, & that she was baptized in; & would suppress the Papistical religion that it should not grow; but that she would root out Puritanism, & the favorers thereof." It was during the latter part of her reign that the Rev. John Robinson and his devoted flock fled to Leyden in Holland, and who from the repeated efforts they made to leave England at this time, and in the early part of the reign of James the First, and finally to seek a home in the wilderness of America, have most justly been called The Pilgrim Fathers of New England.

The severity which characterized the reign of James the First, who professed even to hate the name of Puritan, caused many of those who bore this dread name to flee to Holland and finally to America.

The harsh measures pursued by Archbishop Laud in the reign of Charles the First, when the Puritans were fined, whipped, pilloried and imprisoned, is most saddening to contemplate. The barbarities inflicted upon Leighton, and afterwards upon Prynne, Bostwick and Burton, although accused of publishing schismatic and seditious libels, are without excuse.

But when the Puritans gained the ascendancy all righteous souls to this day have felt a chill of horror run through every vein when the mild, vacillating Charles First, through the power of the victorious Cromwell and the Puritans, was brought to the cruel block. Burnet says of this unhappy monarch: " He was much inclined to a middle way between Protestants & Papists, by which he lost the one without gaining the other."

The revenge of the persecuted Prynne, when he gained power over the aged Archbishop Laud, finds no excuse among Christian writers. The banishment of that good man, Roger Williams, who appears to have risen above the persecuting spirit of the age in which he lived, is a blot upon the historic pages of Massachusetts. The banishment also of so afflicted and unfortunate a lady as Mrs. Ann Hutchinson, by which she and her household became the victims of savage rage, was an act of intolerance lamentable in the extreme. The persecutions endured by the Quakers and the Baptists at the hands of our ancestors history cannot overlook.

These instances have been recalled lest some of us attribute to our forefathers a greater degree of Christian charity towards those who differed from them in religious thought, which, in reality, they did not possess. At the same time we must recall the severity of the persecutions they had endured in England, and the age in which they lived.

In contrast to the gay Cavaliers of the court of King Charles, the Puritans assumed an austerity of dress and religious deportment which became a subject of jest among the court attendants. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, " affected a gaiety & freedom of manner inconsistent with Puritanical ideas, & in order to show their contempt of Puritanical austerity, often carried their convivial humor to an indecent excess." The name of Puritan, therefore, became a term of reproach to those bodies of Christians who were called Independents, Presbyterians and Brownists or Congregationalists. The Puritans looked with equal contempt upon the Cavaliers, whom they regarded as an abandoned set of profligates, as many of them in truth were. The Puritans accepted the Bible only as their guide, and established church law and discipline according to the light which they received from its sacred pages. In dress and manners as well as in church decoration they aimed to be the opposite of the Church of Rome and the Church of England. Reform was their watchword, and everything was reformed but the heart of man, which leaves in the history of each century traces of its original father Adam.

There are many who are too much inclined to cavil at the idea that the Pilgrim Fathers and the Puritans sought the shores of New England purely to escape the religious persecutions of the mother country. That there were many adventurers who joined them from time to time, who were often a source of great discomfort as well as detriment in keeping peace at home and with the Indians, is a well-established historical fact. But no one can deny that those of Robinson's congregation, who settled at Plymouth, the Rev. Mr. John Wareham and his congregation, of whom the historian, Trumbull, says, " this was an honorable body," and the congregation of the famous preacher, Thomas Hooker, fled to New England purely and solely that they might escape from the persecutions of the intolerant religious spirit inflicted upon them in England. From these three congregations the earliest settlers of Fairfield separated. Some of them were among that memorable company of about one hundred, men, women and children, who left Cambridge with the Rev. Mr. Hooker and his assistant, Mr. Stone, and who made their way through the trackless wilderness to Wethersfield, Windsor and Hartford with no guide but their compass, no covering but the canopy of heaven and the overshadowing forest, " nor any lodgings but those which simple nature afforded them."

To vigorously maintain their ecclesiastical views the Pilgrim Fathers and those of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were influenced at an early date to make the Congregational Church the established church of those settlements. Connecticut followed their example. Therefore, the foothold gained by the Church of England at Stratford and Fairfield at this period caused great excitement.

1721. The General Assembly met at Hartford May 11th. when the Hon. Nathan Gold was elected Deputy Governor and Chief Judge of the Superior Court, Judge Peter Burr an Assistant, and Major John Burr and Captain Joseph Wakeman representatives from Fairfield. Judge Peter Burr was made one of the treasury auditors and Judge of the Fairfield County Court, and Mr. Richard Osborn Justice of the Peace for the county.

It was thought advisable at this time to make more stringent laws in regard to the observance of the Sabbath, and also to rigorously maintain the worship of the Congregational Church of the colony, as well as to prevent the Church of England or any denomination from gaining a foothold among them. There was a growing tendency, however, towards favoring these services. Therefore the General Assembly proceeded to pass the following laws:

"Be if enacted by the Governor, Council & Representatives, in General Court assembled, & by the authority of the same, That whatsoever person shall not duly attend to the public worship of God on the Lord's day in some congregation by law allowed, unless hindered by sickness or otherwise necessarily detained, & to be therefore convicted before an assistant or Justice of the Peace, either by confession or sufficient witnesses, or being presented to such authority for such neglect, shall not be able to prove to the satisfaction of the said authority that he or she has attended the said worship, shall incur the penalty of five shillings money for every such offence.

"Be it also further enacted by the authority aforesaid. That whatsoever person shall go from his or her place of abode on the Lord's Day, unless to or from the public worship of God, attended or to be attended upon by such person in some place by law allowed for that end, or unless it be on some other work necessary then to be done, & be therefore convicted as aforesaid, shall incur the penalty of five shillings money for every such offence.

"Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whatsoever persons shall on the Lord's day, under any pretence whatsoever, assemble themselves in any of the public meeting houses provided in any town, or parish or society, for the use of the minister & congregation of such town, parish or society, without the leave or allowance of such minister & congregation first had obtained, & be therefore convicted as aforesaid, every such person or persons shall incur the penalty of twenty shillings, money, for every such offence.

"Be it also enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whatsoever persons shall be guilty of any rude & unlawful behavior on the Lord's day, either in word or action, by clamorous discourse, shouting, hallooing, screaming, running, riding, singing, dancing, jumping, winding horns, or the like, in any house or place so near to any public meeting house for divine worship, that those who meet there may be disturbed by such rude & profane behaviour, & being thereof convicted in like manner, shall incur the penalty of forty shillings, money, for every such offence.

"It is further enacted. That whatsoever person shall be present at any unlawful meeting, or be guilty of going from the place of his or her abode, & unlawful behaviour on the Lord's day, contrary to this act, & being therefore convicted & fined as aforesaid, & shall refuse & neglect to pay his or her fine, or tender to the assistant, or justice of the peace, before whom such person shall stand convicted, such security as the said authority shall judge sufficient for the payment of it, within the space of one week after such conviction, such assistant or Justice of the peace shall immediately cause such convicted person to be sent to the house of correction, there to lye at his or her own charge & be employed in labor, not exceeding a month for any one offence, & less as the offence is, at the discretion of the judge; the profit of such labor to be to the town treasury, except paying the charge of prosecuting the delinquents; & the sheriff of the county to see that said delinquent do so labor as aforesaid. 2

At the meeting of the Assembly in New Haven, October 12th, Mr. Jonathan Sturges acted as representative in place of Major John Burr. For further good government of the towns a law was passed:

" That each town at their annual meetings in December shall choose two or more Tything Men in each parish or society for divine worship within said town, who shall forthwith be sworn to a faithful discharge of the work hereby allotted to them, or if they neglect or refuse to take said oath, shall pay a fine of forty shillings to the treasury of said town, to be recovered in a manner as other fines."

It was also made a law:

"That each of the grand-jury-men & the said tithing-men & constables of each town shall carefully inspect the behaviour of all persons on the Sabbath or Lord's Day, especially between the meetings of divine worship on the said day, whether in the place of such public meeting or elsewhere, & due presentment make of any profanation of the worship of God on the Lord's-day, or on any day of public fast or thanksgiving; or breach of Sabbath which they or any of them shall see or discover any person to be guilty of. to the next assistant or justice of the peace; who is hereby impowered, upon such presentment to him made, to cause such offender to be brought before him, & upon due conviction of such offence, to impose a fine upon him to the treasury, not exceeding five shillings in money.''

Each grand-juryman, tything-man or constable was allowed two shilling's per diem, spent in prosecuting such offenders:

— " to be paid for the person offending, or by the parents or master of such person; & upon neglect or refusal of payment thereof, or of other charge of such offenders or delinquents prosecution, such assistant or justice of the peace shall grant execution for the same against such person or his parent or master."

"Provided, That no person prosecuted on this act shall be charged with more th.in for one person prosecuting him for such offence."

" Provided, That all presentments for any of the aforementioned offences be one month after the commission thereof."

" That whensover any person shall be lawfully convicted of any offence against this act, or any other act provided for the punishing of any profanation of the Sabbath, or of any disturbance to any congregation allowed for the worshipping of God, during the time that they are assembling for, & attending on such worship, & shall, being fined for such offence, neglect or refuse to pay the said fine, or present some estate on which execution for said fine may be levyed, such court, or assistant, or justice of peace, before whom such conviction shall be had, are hereby impowered to sentence such offender to be publicly whipped with any number of stripes not exceeding twenty, respect being had to the nature & aggravation of such offence."

" Provided. & it is hereby provided & enacted, That if any children or servants, not of the age of discretion, shall be convicted of any of the offences mentioned in this act, they shall be punished therefore in such manner & way as is provided for their punishment when convicted of lying, & in no other way. And also, that no execution shall be served on any parent or master, by virtue of this act, for the fault of any child or servant, within one month next after such child or servant shall be convicted of such fault."

Ten shillings was the fine required for the first offence of lying, and if the offending party was not able to pay ten shillings, he was obliged to sit in the stocks, at the discretion of the Court or Magistrate, in some place not exceeding three hours. For the second offence a fine of twenty shillings was required, or the delinquent was to receive upon the naked body twenty stripes and no more; for the third offence forty shillings, and if unable to pay this sum, then not more than thirty stripes was to be inflicted upon the naked body. If the habit was generally continued in, the fine was increased ten shillings for each offence, or with five or six stripes more than formerly, the stripes not exceeding forty at any time.

The Assembly at this time levied a tax of fourpence on every gallon of rum imported into the colony, and also passed a law: " That what shall be gained by the imposts on rum for two years next coming shall be applied for the building of a rector's house for Yale College."

The time of holding the Superior Courts in the county towns was changed. The last Tuesday of February and the last Tuesday in August was set apart for holding them annually.

It appears that the berries of Bayberry were used for making tallow candles, and, in consequence, for every peck gathered before they were fully grown and ripe a fine was imposed of 2s. 6d. The 10th of September was set for gathering them.

1722. At the meeting of the General Assembly at Hartford, May 10th, Justice Nathan Gold was re-elected Deputy Governor and Mr. Robert Silliman acted as representative in place of Captains Joseph Wakeman and Moses Dimon.

Captain Joseph Wakeman was made one of a committee to confer with Governor Shute of Massachusetts in regard to the Connecticut militia being called out to assist in suppressing the depredations of the eastern Indians. It was voted that the arms and artillery of the towns should be repaired and made ready for service. And that colonels and lieutenant-colonels should be appointed over the county regiments. It was represented that such store of ammunition as the law required was wanting in the magazines. The majors of each town were requested to inspect the military stores and to take care that such as were needed be supplied.

Mr. Gershom Bulkley of Fairfield was confirmed cornet player and Mr. Thomas Hill quartermaster of the Fairfield cavalry troops. Fairfield was soon after supplied with one barrel of gunpowder for the public service.

The taxable estates of Fairfield were valued at £23,504 3s. 6d.

Mr. Timothy Green was ordered in November to print four thousand pounds of bills of credit,

Wednesday the 10th of April was ordered to be proclaimed a day of public fasting.

This year the Congregational Church of Christ at Fairfield was presented with two silver cups to be used at the Communion. One of these cups was the gift of E. Wyncoop and the other of Jonathan Sturges, Esq.

Yale College had become at this time in every way a flourishing institution with a resident rector, two tutors and about forty scholars. Contributions of books and money from private and public sources had enriched it, so that it was fast acquiring distinction. The Rev. Mr. Cutler was popular and beloved by the students. But to the great surprise and mortification of the trustees and the Congregational Church, he became a convert to the Church of England. In his convictions he was joined by Mr. .Brown, one of the tutors, a Mr. Johnson of West Haven and a Mr. Whetmore of East Haven. It was also found that these gentlemen intended making a voyage to England to receive Episcopal orders.

Those persons who favored the Church of England in Fairfield were this year greatly cheered at the arrival from England of the Rev. George Pigot, who was sent to this country by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. He took up his residence at Stratford, and for the most part divided his time between Stratford and Fairfield.

Dr. Laborie had already taken the first step towards forming a parish, and he was now particularly encouraged by the arrival of a settled clergyman at Stratford.

The condition of the small bands of the Church of England people in these parts was reported by Mr. Pigot to the Secretary of the Society in England soon after his arrival in this country. His first report is dated August 20, 1722, in which he states that the President of Yale College, the Rev. Timothy Cutler, and five more belonging to the college were " determined to declare themselves professors of the Church of England."

In a letter to the Secretary of the Society, dated October 3, 1722, Mr. Pigot wrote:

" I shall before Christmas, according to appointment, preach thrice in Fairfield, which is eight miles distant from my abode — as often at Ripton, at the same distance — in which places I have & shall take care to improve the festivals of our church to such purposes, & where these do not intervene, on other week days.

On the fourth of last month, at the desire of the President, I repaired to the Commencement of Yale College, in New Haven, where in the face of the whole country the aforesaid gentleman, & six others, hereafter named, declared themselves in this wise, that they could not longer keep out of the Communion of the Holy Catholic Church, & that some of them doubted of the validity, & the rest were persuaded of the invalidity of Presbyterian ordination in opposition to Episcopal. The gentlemen fully persuaded thereof are the five following, viz.: Mr. Cutler, president of Yale College; Mr. Brown, tutor to the same; Mr. Elliot, pastor of Killingworth; Mr. Johnson, pastor of West Haven, & Mr. Wetmore. The two gentlemen who seemed to doubt are Mr. Hart, pastor of East Guilford, & Mr. Whittlesy, pastor of Wallingford. These seven gave in their declaration in writing, & at the same time two more, & these pastors of great note gave their assent, of whom the one, Mr. Bulkley of Colchester, declared Episcopacy to be jure divino, & the other, Mr. Whiting, of some remote town, gave his opinion for moderate Episcopacy.

Newtown, Ripton & Fairfield do intend to petition the Honorable Society for Church ministers. I now inform you Sir of what obstructions I met with in my ministry, & they are several, viz.: that of Lieut. Governor Nathan Gold, who is a most inveterate slanderer of our Church, charging her with popery, apostacy, & atheism, — who makes it his business to hinder the conversion of all whom he can, by threatening them with his authority — & who as a judge of the court here, disfranchises men merely for being Churchmen; also that of living under a charter government, in which there is not the least mention of ecclesiastical affairs; so that they have boldly usurped to themselves, & insultingly imposed on the necks of others, the power of taxing & disciplining all persons whatsoever, for the grandeur & support of their self-created ministers; also, that of lying slanders, continually against our Mother, as if she were a persecutress, & gaped for the tenth of the country's increase, & though these deceivers pretend a firm attachment to the illustrious house of Hanover, yet they are frequently oppugning the King's supremacy." ³

In the same letter he asks for Common Prayer Books and Catechisms. From this letter it would appear that the prosperity of the Church of England was advancing, even under all the adverse circumstances against its gaining a foothold in the colony.

Pequonnock on the one side had taken away a large number from the Prime Society, while Green's Farms on the other side had also drawn away a goodly number. The northwest parish, or Greenfield, had begun to show signs of her ability to support a minister of her own, and Lonetown, or Reading, was also whispering in the same strain. No wonder, therefore, independent of the strong prejudices which many entertained against the Church of England, that the Congregational elders and deacons set out with a resolute determination to prevent, if possible, any further drain upon their congregation.

It is not always possible for an historian to do justice to historical facts, especially where differences of religious opinions are to be laid before the public, without incurring displeasure either on one side or the other; nevertheless, such facts as are based upon ungarnished truth can never offend truth seekers. The stormy epoch in the history of Fairfield, which at this time roused bitter feelings and sad misunderstandings, will, therefore, be faithfully and impartially related.

An idea of the state of religious feeling in Fairfield about the time of the Rev. Mr. Pigot's arrival may be gathered from the following letter, written by Mr. Webb to the Rev. Dr. Cotton Mather, and dated October 3, 1722:

" The axe is laid to the root of our civil & sacred enjoyments, & a doleful gap opened for trouble & confusion in our churches. The Churchmen are wonderfully lifted up. It is a very dark day for us, & we need piety, prayers & counsel. We need help of some good arguments used by those who are skilled in controversy, & have acted well therein. They will, I conclude, allege that the ordinations among us were Presbyterian, because several pastors in our colony, in the more ancient days of it, were ordained by laymen, & those pastors so ordained have acted in the latter ordinations among us. This the Churchmen among us improve, by a fling now & then about the ' leather mitten ' that was laid on the head of the Rev. Mr. Chauncey of Stratford, many years since deceased, by one of the brethren acting at his ordination.

What led those eminent men, who first settled this country, to allow laymen to act in such affairs is not for me to say. But what I would say in this case is, how shall we be able to justify ourselves if this article be insisted on by our antagonists? The notion of these ordinations by laymen, I fear, do us more damage than all the arguments that can be brought for the necessity of Episcopal ordination. Our condition I look upon as very deplorable & sad. Please to communicate the contents of my letter to your venerable & honorable father, & to as many of the ministers of Boston, &c., as you may judge meet. And let me [though unworthy] have, as soon as may be, what comfort, light & strength is needed in our sad circumstances, from as many of you, as will please to engage in the cause. Thus desiring an interest in your prayers for us, I subscribe myself. Rev. & honored Sir,

Your humble servant,

Joseph Webb.

In an address delivered by President Woolsey before Yale College on the 14th of August, 1850, he thus speaks of Mr. Cutler and the other ministers who had declared themselves in favor of the Church of England:

" That these gentlemen were honest in their persuasion seems undoubted; & indeed, under the circumstances in which they found themselves, the first champions of an unwelcome theory in the Colony, & dissenters from the church order there established, there was every motive for dishonest or timid men to conceal their opinions. There seems to be little doubt that they studied together the points of difference between the Church of England & other sects which had separated from it, — that books in the library of the college wrought this change in their sentiments. A departure for the first time in the Colony, & of so many at once, from the views of the New England churches, & a return to that church from which the pilgrims had fled into the wilderness, filled the minds of men with apprehension & gloom, — feelings which extended into the neighboring Colony. I suppose that greater alarm would scarcely be awakened now if the Theological Faculty of the College were to declare for the Church of Rome, vow their belief in transubstantiation, & pray to the Virgin Mary."

At a meeting of the trustees in New Haven in October, the following resolutions were passed:

" That the trustees, in faithfulness to the trust reposed in them, do excuse the Rev. Mr. Cutler from all further services as rector of Yale College: That the trustees accept of the resignation which Mr. Brown hath made as tutor. And that all such persons as shall hereafter be elected to the office of rector, or tutor in this college, shall before they accept before the trustees, declare their assent to the confession of faith owned and assented to by the elders & managers of the churches in the Colony of Connecticut, assembled by delegates at Saybrook Sept. 9, 1708: & confirmed by act of General Assembly: &: shall particularly give satisfaction to them, of the soundness of their faith in opposition to Arminian & prelatical corruptions, or of any other dangerous consequence to the purity & peace of our churches."

Soon after the dismission of Mr. Cutler from the College he, with Mr. Brown and Mr. Johnson, went to England to receive Episcopal ordination. They were received by the vice-chancellors of the English universities with marked attention and respect. From both universities Mr. Cutler had conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, and Mr. Johnson that of Master of Arts. Upon their return from England as missionaries from the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, Dr. Cutler settled at Boston and Mr. Samuel Johnson at Stratford and Fairfield. Mr. Brown died not long after he had received orders. Mr. Whetmore also went to England, and after receiving orders settled at Rye, in the province of New York. " These," says Dr. Trumbull, " were the first of the clergy who declared for Episcopacy in Connecticut, & were very much the fathers of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut & New England."

In a letter addressed by Mr. Pigot to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel dated November 6, 1722, he wrote of his missionary work at Stratford and Fairfield and of the valuable services rendered to him by Dr. James Laborie.

Another very interesting letter to the Secretary of the Society has survived the lapse of time. It is so full of interest that Dr. Laborie's own language seems preferable to that of any manipulation from another pen.

Fairfield, New England, March 5, 1723.

" Rev. Sir:

Mr. Pigot hath acquainted the honorable society my circumstances thereof, I shall not be tedious in giving you an account of them. After that I left my own Country, by reason of the persecution raging there, I went to Zurich, & was ordained by Mr. Clinglet Antistes of that Canton, as you may see certified by two enclosed copies. I arrived in England at the time of King William's coronation, & there obtained a license from the Lord Bishop of London for teaching grammar & catechising the parish of Stepney. Sometime afterwards, I was persuaded by my Lord Bellemont to come into America, where he settled me for the work of the ministry in a town called New Oxford, where Mr. Boudet had been before, & gave me a commission to instruct the Indians there, the original thereof I herewith submit to your honorable society. That office I was diligent to perform. &, by the blessing of God, having obtained the lingua of that nation, had so considerable a success that I brought some of them to the capacity of teaching others; but the town being cut off by the Indian enemies, we were forced to forsake the settlement for the security of our lives, & since my abode in the Colony of Connecticut & County of Fairfield, where are many Indians, I have concluded it my duty to continue my labors, though without any prospect of encouragement or salary, for which I propose to apply myself to Gov. Saltonstall, whose original letter of approbation attends upon you, & receiving his encouragement I began, by the enclosed introductory discourse, to prepare both the English & native inhabitants; but having declared myself a member of the Church of England, I was immediately interrupted by the Lieutenant Governor, Nathan Gold, a mortal enemy to the Church, & violently compelled to surcease my endeavours. My commission extended no further than Boston Colony. Since Mr. Pigot's arrival in the Colony I have joined with him, & done my endeavors to assist him. He hath the care of four churches considerably distant from each other, & though no missionary before ever took half the pains that he takes for the propagation of the Church of England, yet the members of his church are scattered, & the enemies thereof so busy to hinder those who are already communicants, & others who are willing to join us, that it is impossible for one man to entertain them all, & to keep them in the bosom of the Church. Therefore making use of that licence I received from Bishop Compton, I visit the well-disposed people to instruct them in the principles of the established Church; & on the Lord's Day, while Mr. Pigot is at Stratford or some other place. T teach at my own house, which I have destined for the services of the Church of England.

I suppose Mr. Pigot will acquaint your honorable body with the persecutions & threatnings we are exposed to having in this town of Fairfield, the Lieut. Governor against us, & the pretended minister of the Independency continually declaiming against the Church, terming her services Popery, the way to hell, & themselves Bishops as regular as the Bishop of London, with many other extravagant expressions. Therefore if your honorable society would favor me with a larger favor than I have, I should be very glad to employ the rest of my days for the propagation of the gospel among the heathen, & instruction of the remoter members of the Church of England, not doubting but that, under the blessing of God, the Church of Fairfield would be in a short time in a flourishing condition, there being many that desire to be instructed in the principles thereof. We are here under great disadvantages by reason of the scarcity of Catechisms, Common Prayer Books, Psalters & many other which are needed for instruction & comfort. We humbly beg the honorable society to procure some (for this town particularly) & I shall ever continue to pray for the prosperity of your glorious body, as at present, he cordially does, who is with the utmost submission,

Your very humble servant & well-wisher,

James Laborie.

From these letters something of the bitter spirit indulged in by Christian bodies, differing in regard to form and church government, is shown. There is, however, one noticeable point for reflection, viz.: that however bitter the animosities exhibited at this time, they were mild when compared with the cruelties practiced in England about one hundred years before.

1723. The Assembly met at Hartford May 9th, when Justice Gold was re-elected Deputy Governor, Judge Burr an Assistant, and Major John Burr and Robert Silliman representatives. Judge Peter Burr was appointed one of the treasury auditors. He was also appointed Chief Judge of the Superior Court and Judge of the County Court of Fairfield.

It was made a law that all nominations of judges and justices should be first made by the lower house, and that the upper house should have power to refuse their nominations, with power to fill up the roll and return it to the lower house, to be by them returned to the upper house for confirmation.

One hundred and twenty acres of land, granted in 1720 to Justice Nathan Gold, which had been granted to his wife from her father's estate, the late Colonel John Talcott of Hartford, was now ordered to be laid out to him in the ungranted lands " lying between Danbury on the north, & Fairfield & Norwalk on the south, adjoining the west side of Unpewaug Hill.

The sum of £5,000 in bills of credit was ordered to be printed by Mr. Timothy Green of New London.

A law was passed that the treasurer of the colony should make out his orders to the constables in the towns, that they should pay the school money due to each committee, or the selectman of each town or parish, from the colony treasury and take a receipt for the same.

The Assembly met, October 10th, at New Haven. For the first time for many years Deputy Governor Nathan Gold's name disappears from the head of the Assembly officials; and it was announced that he had died on the 3rd of October, aged sixty years. His honorable and useful life has been shown in the previous pages of this history. He died a Christian, a statesman and a soldier. Like his father, he was beloved and lamented at home and abroad. He was buried in the old Burial Hill Cemetery of Fairfield, where his tombstone is still to be seen.

Peter Burr was appointed Judge of Probate at Fairfield, and of the County Court. Major John Burr and Mr. Robert Silliman represented Fairfield at this time. Major Burr was chosen Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Captain Moses Dimon Justice of the Peace for Fairfield County.

A tax of threepence on the pound was levied on all taxable estates in the colony to meet the public debts.

The Assembly granted to the heirs of the Hon. Nathan Gold, late Deputy Governor of this colony, " the whole salary for the year, which would have been paid him, if it had pleased God to have spared him longer to us." The treasurer was ordered to pay to " Mr. John Gold, his eldest son, for himself & the other children of that worthy gentleman, the sum of fifty pounds."

The taxable estates at Fairfield were valued at £24,492 13s. 2d.

Major John Burr was made one of a committee to take charge of the several acts of the Assembly, and to see that they were " exactly entered on the records."

During the latter part of this year the Rev. Mr. Pigot gave up his missionary labors at Stratford and Fairfield, and removed to Providence. He was succeeded by the Rev. Samuel Johnson, who was a most welcome pastor to the churchmen of both places. He had been ordained by the Bishop of Norwich, who acted in the place of the Bishop of London, and came back to America vested with the full ecclesiastical dignity of his sacred office. He settled at Stratford, where to the present day his family have been among the most prominent churchmen in that place.

But a short time before leaving Fairfield Mr. Pigot reported to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel that the Church of England in this region was divided into two parties, " the high & the low," and that the Congregationalists ''pretend to hold full communion with the low church party," but regarded the high church brethren " as rank papists."

1724. "In January of 1724 he wrote: Fairfield is well enclosed, & will have as large a communion as Newtown; but Dr. Laborie's industry there takes off the present necessity of a missionary in that town. This last gentleman is an excellent preacher; but by reason of his attachment to our principles is unimproved by the dissenters, as to his practice in physic, unless upon the greatest emergency."

In a report of the Rev. Dr. Johnson's to the Bishop of London at this time, he wrote " that his parishioners in Stratford had lately opened their new church called Christ's Church; & that the churchmen at Fairfield were also vigorously going forward in building a church." At the same time he lamented the want of an Episcopal bishop in America.

From the Stratford Church Records, kept by Mr. Pigot and Mr. Johnson, we learn that Mr. Dougal McKenzie was the first warden of the Church of England at Fairfield. The first vestrymen were James Laborie, Sen., and Benjamin Sturges. Dougal McKenzie, Esq., was one of the most prominent gentlemen in Fairfield, and a very devoted churchman.

Another very interesting letter, written by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson to the Bishop of London, dated January 10, 1724, is well worthy of notice. He wrote:

"The interest of the Church gains ground daily in Fairfield, where they are vigorously going forward in building a church, & fix their expectations on a young gentleman here whom I am preparing for the services of the Church; but his age will not admit of his being ordained this time two or three years, but he promiseth well against that time."

Again, in July of the same year, he wrote:

" I have made all proper & modest application to the government, both privately & publicly; we have yet no abatement of persecution & imprisonment for taxes with sundry people, & those of both sexes have unreasonably suffered since my last; & I fear that if we can't have some relief from the honorable society for orders, people will grow quite discouraged."

The General Assembly met at Hartford, May 14th, when Judge Peter Burr was elected an Assistant, and also Chief Judge of the Fairfield County Court, and Major John Burr and Mr. Robert Silliman representatives and auditors of the public treasury. Major John Burr was chosen Speaker of the Lower House. Judge Peter Burr made one of a committee to receive and assort the bills of credit in the treasurer's hands, so that the defaced ones might be destroyed.

It was resolved by the Assembly: " That the oaths provided by an act of Parliament, instead of the oath of allegiance & supremacy; & the declaration against trans-substantiation & the abjuration of the pretender, shall be made & taken by all the members of the Assembly; & by all persons who are or may be chosen on the annual day of election to the office of governor, deputy governor, assistants, secretary, & all other officers in the colony before they shall be admitted to discharge the service belonging; to their place, office or trust."

At a meeting of the Governor and Council in June Mr. Jonathan Sturges was nominated sheriff of the County of Fairfield.

The unhappy war existing between Massachusetts and the eastern tribes of Indians gave continual cause of alarm along the western borders of the Connecticut settlements, Litchfield, New Milford, Simsbury, Ridgefield and Danbury, were frequently thrown into great distress by Indian hunters, whose guns were often heard in the woods; and as they could not distinguish friends or foe the Assembly resolved that all hunting should be prohibited both by the English and Indians, and that no Indian should be seen in the woods either in the counties of Hartford, New Haven or Fairfield unless in company of an Englishman. Major John Burr and Major Samuel Eells of Milford, with the military officers near them, were ordered to employ fourteen or fifteen friendly Indians, to be accompanied by three or more Englishmen, to scour the woods of western towns " & endeavor to take the scalps of the scalping Indian enemy." The scouts were to be commissioned. For each scalp brought by them into the Assembly a reward of fifty pounds was offered besides their stated wages.

Mr. Jonathan Sturges accepted and was appointed sheriff of Fairfield County and took the oath appointed by the laws, " & he made a declaration against popery." Mr. John Pickett and John Richards of New London became his bondsmen in the sum of two thousand pounds, for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office.

The office of a sheriff in those days was one of importance. " He was the arm of the law, the embodiment of power, to be honored & feared, and a terror to evil-doers.

At the meeting of the General Assembly in New Haven, October 8th, Judge Peter Burr, Captain Joseph Wakeman and Mr. Ebenezer Wakeman were present.

It was resolved that one of the military captains in the counties of Hartford, New Haven and Fairfield should give notice to the Indians in their towns that they might hunt in the woods, " where they used to hunt, provided that for a fortnight they were accompanied by some Englishmen, & carefully wore some white cloth about their heads for a signal that they are friends; " but " they must not go into the Boston government."

Captain Joseph Wakeman was made one of the treasury inspectors of the past and present issue of bills of credit.

The solicitation of Massachusetts for men and arms to help them carry on a war against the eastern Indians, who had committed many depredations and killed several Englishmen and their families, was at this time made a matter of discussion.

Colonel John Stoddard appeared before the Assembly in behalf of Massachusetts. Judge Peter Burr, with five other gentlemen who had been appointed a committee to examine into the necessity of such a war, reported that as Massachusetts had entered into this war without consulting Connecticut, of which they had not fully seen the necessity of declaring, still they were willing to lend help if occasion proved necessary. At the same time they recommended a further investigation, and counselled caution on the part of Massachusetts " lest un-necessary blood be shed."

1725. At a meeting of the Governor and Council held in Hartford, June 16th, it was announced that the Honorable Peter Burr had died but a few days before, December 25th, at Fairfield. He was but fifty-six years of age, and had led a most active and useful life. He was a man of fine legal ability, and figured in many important trusts for the interest of Connecticut. He was made one of a committee upon several occasions for settling the vexed boundary line between New York and Connecticut, one of the Council of War, and Chief Judge of the Superior Court when it was found that Justice Nathan Gold's health no longer allowed him to act in this office. He was yearly appointed one of the Judges of the Superior Court, and was made Judge of the Probate Court of Fairfield, which office he held until his death. Thus, in the full vigor of life and great usefulness, died another honored son of Fairfield. His tombstone is still standing in the old Burial Hill Cemetery.

Upon still further intelligence from Governor Philip Schuyler of Albany that the eastern Indians were making havoc and spreading dismay along the frontiers of New York and the New England frontier towns, the Governor and Council ordered that immediate assistance should be sent to their relief. Major John Burr was forthwith ordered to send out his warrants to the chief commissioned officers of Fairfield, Stratford and Milford, to send " five effective, good able-bodied men, to be detached or impressed from each town," and to send the fifteen said men under the command of a sergeant, whom Major Burr should appoint, " to march to New Milford & there to assist in guarding, scouting, watching & warding that town."

The Assembly met at Hartford May 13th, when Captain Joseph Wakeman was elected an Assistant, and Major John Burr and Mr. Ebenezer Wakeman representatives from Fairfield. Captain Joseph Wakeman was appointed Judge of the Fairfield County Probate Court. Major John Burr was commissioned major of the Fairfield County regiment. Captain Joseph Wakeman was made a commissioner to fix the boundary line between Connecticut and New York; and at a meeting of the Governor and Council on the 20th of March he was chosen one of the Council of War.

A memorial was presented to the Assembly by Thomas Hill and others of the northwest part of Fairfield praying for parish privileges, which was as follows:

To THE Honorable General Assembly, sitting at Hartford the second Thursday of May. 1725. The humble prayer of the inhabitants of Fairfield North Village humbly showeth, that there are about fifty families living north of Fairfield, at a considerable distance from the town, some five or six miles, & the nearest of them about two miles & a half or more, whose lists amount to £4,000, which inhabitants labor under great difficulties on account of their enjoyment of some of the precious means of grace, especially the proclaiming of the word of life, in the ordinary way & means God uses in the conversion & bringing home poor, lost & undone sinners. Not only ourselves are frequently obliged to be absent from divine worship, but our poor children arc under a kind of necessity of perishing for lack of vision, both which are very troublesome to those who arc inquiring what they shall do to be saved, & that are hungering & thirsting after Christ & salvation & righteousness in & through him. The distance of the way, especially in bad weather, utterly incapacitates many persons, old & young, to go to the house of God, which makes us willing rather to expend considerable of our earthly treasure in maintaining the public worship of God among ourselves than to lose our spiritual treasure & undo any of our poor, immortal souls, esteeming each of them better than a one thousand worlds."'

Signed by Thomas Hill, John Bartram, David Williams, Benj. Gilbert, Benjamin Franklin, Thos. Turney, Daniel Adams, Elijah Crane, Ebenezer Hull, & sixty-two others.

The Assembly granted this petition, provided the inhabitants of the northwest parish paid all their dues to the old parish of Fairfield as before, until the Court should take further action in their case. Mr. John Clop of Norwalk, Captain John Hawly and Mr. Edmund Lewis, both of Stratford, were appointed a committee to inspect the circumstances of the northwest parish and make a report to the October session of the Assembly.

At a meeting held November 25th, 1725, with John Hyde for moderator, the northwest parish agreed to call the Rev. John Goodsell to be their minister, and that they would settle upon him an annual salary of one hundred pounds, in bills of credit, so long as he lived as a minister among them; but if through age or inability to attend to his duties, they agreed " to give him an honorable support or maintenance of one hundred pounds of current bills of credit of the colony a year." To this agreement John Goodsell signed his name. The names of Benjamin Banks, John Hyde, George Hull, John Burr, Peter Burr, David Williams and Joseph Banks were signed in behalf of the parish. On the following January it was voted: '' That a suitable tax should be levied to pay the expenses of the parish; & that two sign posts should be set up, one at the meeting house, and one at Hull's Farms (so called) to warn the parish meetings on — all warnings to be nailed to the posts five days before a meeting."

At the same time:

" The Court, taking into consideration the representation of the General Association, met at Hartford on this instant May, respecting the circumstances of the old or first parish in Fairfield, by reason of the infirmities that have a long time attended the Rev. Mr. Joseph Webb, pastor of that church, he being much disabled, & through weakness, & infirmity not able to carry on the work of the gospel ministry amongst his people, to the great grief of the good people in that society; Upon consideration of which, this Court recommends it to said society to agree with some other orthodox minister, as soon as conveniently they can, & call him to the help of Mr. Webb in the work of the ministry."

The town acting upon this liberty, called the Rev. Noah Hobart to act in the capacity of a colleague to Mr. Webb. Mr. Hobart was a grandson of the Rev. Peter Hobart of Hingham, Mass., and as he was a young man of superior ability and accomplishments, he proved most acceptable to the people of the Prime Ancient Society.

Measures were taken to assist in prosecuting the war against the Indians and to carry out the orders given in May, to which was added the following: " That if any number of effectual men or particular persons should equip themselves at their own expense & go forth, upon news of the approach of the enemy, & take any scalps, they should receive the sum of one hundred pounds out of the public treasury of the colony for each scalp brought into the Assembly."

It appears that Captain Samuel Couch, having purchased of the late Hon. Nathan Gold and Major Peter Burr, acting as agents for the Assembly, to sell the county land lying between Danbury and Fairfield, now petitioned that he should receive a patent for one half of this land, which he had purchased. The other half had been previously sold. The Assembly ordered that he should be given a patent of his purchase, " saving always to the Indian Chicken, what he in his deed to the petitioner had reserved and saved to himself & his heirs."

Captain Joseph Wakeman and the Fairfield representatives were present at the opening of the General Assembly in New Haven, October 14th.

The committee to examine into the condition of the North West parish of Fairfield made a favorable report to the Assembly, which granted " that the said parish shall [have] & hath allowed all the privileges & advantages as are allowed by law to other parishes in this government."

At a meeting of the Council of War at this time hostilities between the Indians and the frontier towns having been quieted, the restriction against Indians hunting in the forests was withdrawn; only, they were prohibited from painting, and were to wear a white cloth on their heads " to distinguish them from the enemy."

The 10th of November was appointed as an annual thanksgiving day. The Church of England at Fairfield had been so far completed that on this happy occasion it was opened for the first time for divine worship, and was named Trinity Church. This church Mr. Caner afterwards describes as a wooden structure. The location of this church appears to have been near the late Rev. Dr. Samuel Osgood's residence on the Rocks, above Hyde's Pond, and very near Dr. Laborie's stone house, and the stone powder-house still standing. In the early part of the present century the tombstones of the church burial ground east of the late Jonathan Sturges residence formed a part of the fencing of a lot near which this first Church of England stood. Within a few years they have been reverently gathered and placed in the Burial Hill Cemetery at Fairfield.

Mr. Henry Caner, who was a graduate of Yale College, became the assistant of the Rev. Dr. Samuel Johnson at Stratford and Fairfield, until he went to England for holy orders. This young man was the son of Mr. Henry Caner of Stratford, who had the honor of building the first rector's house of Yale College.

1726. The General Assembly met at Hartford May 12th, when Captain Joseph Wakeman was elected an Assistant, and Major John Burr and Mr. Ebenezer Wakeman representatives from Fairfield. Major John Burr was chosen one of the treasury auditors.

Mr. Greshom Bulkley was confirmed captain, Mr. Moses Ward cornet player and Mr. Thaddeus Burr quartermaster of the Fairfield County troops. Mr. Thomas Hill was confirmed captain, Mr. Moses Dimon, Jr., lieutenant, and Mr. Samuel Wakeman ensign of the train-band of the North West parish of Fairfield.

It was enacted that any person " guilty of profane swearing, cursing, drunkenness or Sabbath breaking," should be judged by the law and punished.

It was represented at this time that the fees of the judges and justices and jurors of the County Courts were too small. It was, therefore, enacted " that the judges of the County Courts should receive seven shillings, justices six shillings & the grand jurors three shillings per diem, the jurors eighteen shillings & a justice of the peace four shillings, for every action tried before them."

The law for admitting strangers to become inhabitants in the towns of the colony was made forcible by the following act:

" That if any person or persons shall, contrary to the intent of this law, entertain, or hire any stranger or transient person, or let any house or land to such stranger, or transient person, without giving good security to the authorities & select men, he should forfeit the sum of twenty shillings per week for every week he shall harbor, entertain or hire any sr.ch person: — that it shall be in the power of the authorities & select men to refuse bonds & securities, unless such strangers had first been given permission to remain in any town. And that no planter or person belonging or living in any of the towns in the colony, should sell or convey land to strangers, contrary to An Act for directing the admission of town inhabitants should for every such offence pay a fine of twenty pounds."

Postmen employed in the public service, or witnesses in civil or criminal causes, were allowed " five pence per mile out for their travelling expenses."

Major John Burr was appointed with John Hooker, Esq., to receive and immediately burn all torn and defaced bills of credit.

The Governor and Council in June appointed Andrew Burr sheriff of the County of Fairfield.

The 18th of May was a glad day among the inhabitants of Fairfield North West parish, who assembled in their meeting and school-house to embody themselves in church state; to receive the covenant, as well as to ordain the Rev. John Goodsell as their minister. The Covenant of the North West parish was the same as that of Green's Farms.

Under this Covenant were subscribed the following names:

John Goodsell John Burr Peter Burr

John Hide Ebenezer Hull Theophilus Hull

George Hull Cornelius Hull Stephen Burr

Daniel Bradley Obadiah Gilburd

The ordination of the Rev. Mr. Goodsell followed.

Samuel Wakeman Esqr. & Moses Dimon Esqr. were made deacons.

The Rev. Mr. Goodsell was a native of Stratford. He was born in 1706, graduated at Yale College in 1724 and was but twenty years of age when he was ordained pastor of the Greenfield church. He married Mary Lewis of Stratford, who became the mother of seven sons and eight daughters.

The law which had been passed some few years previous, allowing the constables and selectmen to receive and pay out the public money for the benefit of schools, proved unwise, as it was found that money was taken where no schools were legally kept. This law was in consequence repealed.

It was voted, at a parish meeting held at Fairfield, October 26th, to maintain a parish school as on the previous year.

As no provision had been made for such societies as had separated from the first society in any of the towns to form themselves into a society, or how to warn the first society meeting after the General Assembly had granted parish privileges, the following law was passed in October:

"That when any society was legally set off in any town, an assistant or justice of the peace, together with three of the principal inhabitants in any such first society, should, by a warrant under the hand of such assistant or justice & three inhabitants aforesaid, warn all the inhabitants in the limits of said society, to meet together at such time and place as they shall appoint, when 81 where they shall first choose a moderator, & then a clerk, who shall by some assistant or justice of peace be sworn to a faithful discharge of his office; which being effected, they may proceed to enact anything lawful & proper for such a society to do, as in case of other societies."

At the sitting of the October Assembly in New Haven, Captain John Wakeman and Mr. John Lockwood represented Fairfield in place of Major John Burr and Mr. Ebenezer Wakeman.

The taxable estates of Fairfield were represented to be £26,880 10s 6d.

At a meeting of the Governor and Council at Hartford, December 29th, the death of Judge Joseph Wakeman was announced. He died in the fifty-sixth year of his age, and lies buried in the Burial Hill Cemetery of Fairfield. Major John Burr was appointed to act in his place as Judge of Probate for Fairfield County.

At a parish meeting held in October at Fairfield North West parish (or Greenfield) it was:

" Voted, That a meeting-house should be built, & be begun the ensuing year; & that the dimensions of said meeting-house shall be 52 ft. in length, 42 ft. in breadth & 24 or 25 ft. between joints— that the meeting-house shall be set or stand half way between Mr. Samuel Whitlock's north-east corner of his home lot, & the meeting-house where we now meet. Thomas Hill, John Burr, Moses Diamond, & Benjamin Banks, were chosen a committee to take care of building the meeting-house & to agree with some person or persons to build the said house."

In the month of September the Rev. Mr. Pigot reported to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel the following:

At Fairfield the number daily increases, & they have erected a small Church, which I opened last fall, & we call it Trinity Church. And Mr. Henry Caner takes a great deal of pains to very good purpose, & will I doubt not prove a very worthy man, but he has a slender support from his people. He designs, about two years hence, to wait on the honorable society for orders & a mission, unless they see cause to forbid it. In the meantime, as he stands in great need of it, so he & the people would be thankful, if the honorable society would be pleased to grant him a small encouragement for the pains he takes in instructing that people & their children in the principles of religion, which he now performs in the quality of a sort of Catechist, omitting everything that is sacerdotal. But not only he, but sundry other very worthy young gentlemen, dreading the thought of so tedious a voyage, wait with great impatience in hopes that possibly, Providence may send us a Bishop, for want of which the Church in these parts is derided & laughed to scorn; while our enemies can take the advantage of immediately fixing teachers whenever they please, in opposition to the Church, & defy us to our faces."

1727. The year of 1727 opened with serious troubles among the good people of Fairfield. It appears that some of our ancestors, even in the Congregational and Presbyterian churches, were as bitterly opposed to the control of church and state in America as their forefathers had been to the same form of government in England. The taxes laid upon the towns for the support of the Established Church of the colony proved most offensive to the people of the Church of England, and some of the gentlemen at Fairfield resolved to resist a law which they deemed to be as unjust as it was unreasonable. They, therefore, refused to pay the tax collector for the support of the Congregational Church of the town, upon the plea that as they did not attend that church and were not allowed to vote at their parish meetings, " it was taxation without representation," in consequence of which they were imprisoned in the jail.

The Rev. Mr. Johnson sent the following account of their condition to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

" Upon their request I came to the prison, & found it full of them, & an insulting mob about them. I administered what comfort I could to them, but I wish your Lordship, or some of your sacred character, could have been by to behold the contempt & indignation which our holy religion suffers among an ungrateful people. I assure your Lordship, the Church here is in a gaping condition, though, indeed, our people bear it with as much meekness & patience as could be expected."

The Rev. Mr. Johnson writes: "that it was their own contrivance to fall into this method."

In April Mr. Henry Caner embarked for England, carrying with him a letter of introduction from the Rev. Mr. Johnson to the Society. The following extract from this letter will give some idea of the comfort Dr. Johnson derived from having this young man associated with him in the Church. After recommending him as in every way worthy of the confidence of the Society, he thus wrote:

" He has already done a great deal of good service at Fairfield for the time he has been among them, in the quality of a catechist & school-teacher, &. will be very acceptable to them as a missionary as appears by their address enclosed, & will likewise be a great comfort to me, in my solitary neighborhood, in conspiring with me to forward the interests of religion in this country, & thereby relieve me of a great part of that burthen that lies upon me, who, besides Fairfield, have five places which I am obliged to visit & administer to as often as I conveniently can."

At the meeting of the General Assembly at Hartford, May 11th, Fairfield was represented by Mr. Robert Silliman and Mr. John Osborn. Major John Burr was appointed Judge of the Fairfield County Court and also Judge of Probate.

The following memorial of Moses Ward and others was offered by the churchmen of Fairfield:

" Upon the prayer of Moses Ward of Fairfield, To the Honorable, the Governor, Assistants & Representatives in General Court assembled this 15, of May 1727, the request of sundry members of the Church of England in Fairfield humbly showeth that.

Whereas, we are by the honorable society in England, & the Bishop of London, laid under obligation to pay the support of the said established church, — having accordingly constantly paid it, — been at a great charge in building a church for the worship of God, we pray this Assembly would, by some act or otherwise, as your wisdom shall think fit, excuse us hereafter from paying to any dissenting minister, or to the building of any dissenting meeting-house. And whereas we were, ten of us, lately imprisoned for our taxes, & had considerable sums of money taken from us by distraint, contrary to his honor the Governor's advice, & notwithstanding solemn promises before given to set down & be concluded thereby in this affair, we pray that those sums of money taken from us be restored again. If these grievances may be redressed, we shall aim at nothing but to live peaceably as becometh Christians among our dissenting brethren; & your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray, &c.

Moses Ward, Samuel Lyons, Church Wardens.

Dougal McKenzie, John Lockwood, Nathan Adams, Benj. Sturges, &c., Vestry

In the name & behalf of all the rest of the brethren."

In response to this petition the General Assembly enacted the following law:

" That all persons who are of the Church of England, & those who are of the churches established by the laws of this government, that live in the bounds of any parish allowed by this Assembly, shall be taxed by the parishioners of said parish by the same rule & in the same proportion, for the support of the ministry in such parish: but if it so happen that there be a society of the Church of England, where there is a person in orders according to the canons of the Church of England settled, & abiding among them, & performing divine service, so near to any person that hath declared himself of the Church of England that he can conveniently & doth attend the public worship there, then the collectors, having first indifferently levied the tax above said, shall deliver the taxes collected of such persons declaring themselves & attending as aforesaid, unto the minister of the church of England living near unto such person; which minister shall have full power to receive & recover the same, in order to his support in the place assigned to him. But if such proportion of taxes be not sufficient in any society of the Church of England, to support the incumbent there, then such society may levy & collect of them who profess & attend as aforesaid, greater taxes at their own discretion for the support of their minister. And the parishioners of the Church of England, attending as aforesaid, are hereby excused from paying any taxes for building meeting-houses for the present established churches of this government."

This Step on the part of our ancestors may be regarded as the first effectual effort taken towards establishing the rights of religious freedom in America. Others in the colony had advocated it, but without success. The struggle was one, however, of years in fully accomplishing, but like almost everything else based upon justice, freedom and righteousness, it prevailed; and we Christians of the present day, in a great measure, enjoy the peace and good-will in our communities which our sturdy forefathers persevered in and accomplished for us.

At the same session of the General Assembly the Fairfield North West parish was given the name of Greenfield, according to the custom of those days in naming a parish set off from other parishes. The first part of the name having been taken from Green's Farms and the latter part from Fairfield, making Green-field.

It appears at this time that certain persons in the colony distilled liquor from molasses, and as it was judged to be very unwholesome a fine of three shillings a gallon was imposed upon such offenders.

The session of the Assembly met at New Haven, October 12th, when Major John Burr and Mr. Andrew Burr were present.

During the sitting of this Court a most interesting scene took place on the College Green at New Haven. King George the Second had succeeded his father on the throne of England, and throughout the English colonies in America he was proclaimed our Sovereign Lord, King George the Second, of Great Britain, etc., with great demonstrations of joy. The Colonial Records give the following account of the proceedings at New Haven:

"According to the orders of this Assembly the regiment of the County being drawn up on the great square before the court-house the Governor & Council &; Representatives, the Reverend Trustees of Yale College, & many of the clergy, with many of the principal planters, & a great concourse of people at the head of the regiment, a proclamation was read to an herald appointed, who proclaimed our Sovereign Lord, King George the Second, according to said proclamation, in the most solemn manner, & was concluded with great demonstrations of joy. Afterwards several of the members of the Assembly, the said reverend trustees, with many of the clergy, & the officers of the said regiment, of all orders, before his Honor — the Governor — & Council, readily & cheerfully took the oaths provided by act of Parliament & appointed to be taken instead of the oaths of allegiance & supremacy, & the oath of abjuration, & also they made the solemn declaration against popery, according to the form & effect of the said Act of Parliament."

" A treat of thirty pounds was ordered to be made for the refreshment of the soldiers; a quarter of a pound of powder to be allowed each sentinel; & a sufficient quantity of powder for discharging three of the great guns on that day."

"It was also ordered that ten pounds of candles should be provided to illuminate the New Haven Court House, & a barrel of good wine be provided for the refreshment of the Assembly."

Thomas Nash was confirmed captain, Mr. Isaac Sherwood lieutenant and Mr. Nathan Morehouse ensign of the Green's Farms train-band.

It appears at this time that the towns in the colony were disturbed with many " evil disposed & dissolute persons, which led the Assembly to resolve:

" That land should be sequestered & a house, or houses of correction erected at Hartford, New Haven & New London, for keeping, correcting & setting to work all rogues, vagabonds, common beggars & other lewd, idle, dissolute & disorderly persons, — that the authorities of each town should watch for & arrest persons using any subtle craft, juggling, or unlawful games or plays, or feigning themselves to have knowledge of physiognomy, palmistry, or pretend they can tell destinies, fortunes, or discover where lost or stolen goods may be found, common pipers, fiddlers, runaways, stubborn servants or children, common drunkards, common night-walkers & pilferers. A suitable master was ordered to be appointed to set all persons sent to his custody to work & labor [if they be able], & to punish them by putting fetters or shackles upon them, by moderate whipping, not to exceed ten stripes at once, (unless by commitment otherwise directed) at their first coming in, & from time to time, if they be stubborn or idle." If this punishment did not bring them to perform their tasks, " they are to be reasonably stinted in food, until they be reduced to better order." Those belonging to any town were ordered to be supported by their families, or the towns from which they were sent; but if not an inhabitant of any town, they were to be supported out of the public treasury. If industrious they were to be allowed out of their earnings two-thirds for their support, unless heads of families, when their earnings, or as much as the county-court thought necessary, should go to the support of their families."

On the night of the 29th of October a heavy earthquake is represented to have shaken the whole American Continent. Dr. Trumbull states:

" That although the preaching of the gospel was not without success at this time, & though there was tolerable peace & order in the churches, yet there was too generally a great decay, as to the life & power of godliness; yet abundant were the lamentations before God on the part of the ministers & people of the Colony, with many days of fasting & prayer kept in the churches, to seek the special influences of the Holy Spirit in the awakening & sanctification of the people.

The terror occasioned by this earthquake produced a temporary conviction of sin in the hearts of many, who had previously neglected the worship of God; but in a majority of cases, it appears to have been more the result of fear, than of genuine repentance. In several places the ministers took advantage of the occasion to preach to their people of that true repentance which springs from a desire to become Christians out of love to God; & the danger of repentance from fear or expediency. But all this was of little avail. The hearts of great numbers became still more hardened in sin. The country was visited with sore sicknesses; epidemics prevailed & great mortality followed. It appeared to them as if the face of God was turned away from them, & that He was laying upon them the punishment of their ungodliness."

Sadly had the third generation departed from that zeal in promoting a strictly conscientious walk before God which had characterized the first generation in the colony. Vices of divers kinds had crept in, and although historians tell us such a thing as a profane oath was never heard, or a man drunk never seen in the early settlements of the colonies, these evils now became the crying sins of the third generation. But as God was ever merciful to our forefathers, in His own good time He sought them out and manifested to them the mercies of His pardoning love.

1728. At a meeting of the Governor and Council in February it was reported that Mr. John Denny of Fairfield and others in the counties of Fairfield and New Haven had been engaged in selling and vending their goods by lottery without license, whereby many innocent persons lost their money. This matter was taken into consideration in January, and a law passed prohibiting any further lotteries, under a heavy penalty. Timothy Green was ordered to print sixty copies of this act, which were to be posted in the county towns of Fairfield, New Haven, Hartford and New London.

It appears that the law passed in May of 1727, releasing the members of the Church of England from being taxed for the support of the Established Church of the colony affected those only who lived near the minister of the Church of England, while those who lived a mile or more from him were taxed in the same way as they had been before this law was enacted.

The Rev. Henry Caner, who had returned in safety from his voyage to England, and been settled as rector of the Church of England at Fairfield, reported soon after his return to the Lord Bishop of London:

" That although the Dissenters had lately passed an act to exempt all professors of the Church from paying taxes to the support of their minister, yet they take the liberty to determine themselves who may be called Churchmen, & interpret that act to comprehend none that live a mile from the Church minister; by which means, not only two thirds of the Church, but of its revenues likewise we are entirely deprived of the benefit of; & the favor they would seem to do us, prove, in reality, but a shadow."

At the same time Mr. Caner wrote to the Secretary the following letter:

" Fairfield, March 15, 1728.

Rev. Sir:

The heavy taxes levied for the support of dissenting ministers, joined with a small & voluntary offering to the Church renders them almost incapable of carrying on the Church, which is not yet finished, nor in any way likely to be so at present. The truth is the people are heartily ready & willing to do their utmost to be as little burdensome to the honorable society as possible; but being generally poor, & Fairfield being the chief seat of the Dissenter's opposition, they are able to contribute but little to the support of that worship, which their consciences urge them to maintain.

Besides Fairfield, which I constantly serve, & the villages contiguous, which belong to that town, as Pequonnock, Green's Farms, & Greenfield, I have several times preached this winter at Norwalk, a town twelve miles distant from Fairfield, & at Stamford, which is twenty miles distant, & at Greenwich, about twenty-seven miles distant from Fairfield, & which is the utmost town within the borders of this government westward. Besides these, there is a village, northward of Fairfield, about eighteen miles, containing twenty families, where there is no minister at all of any denomination whatever; the name of it is Chestnut Ridge, & where I usually preach or lecture once in three weeks. Newtown which is about twenty-two miles northwest of Fairfield; Ridgefield & Danbury, the one seventeen & the other twenty-three miles distant from Fairfield. In most of the above places there are seven, ten or fifteen professing the Church of England, from which places, joined with Fairfield, the taxes strained from members of the Church for the support of dissenting teachers amount to £100, which is about £40, sterling, of which Fairfield pays about half. The taking away of these sums very much hinders the building they are carrying on, as well as of contributions to the support of a minister, for which latter use, they are not able to raise above £10 sterling per annum.

Notwithstanding this discouragement the Church grows & increases very much, four families being added since my coming, one whom was a Jew, whose wife only was before a Christian. This person, besides his excellent skill in Hebrew & Greek, & other Eastern languages, is well studied in Rabbinical learning, & is a very accomplished person upon all accounts; neither is his conversation balanced with any views of interest or friendship, as I can learn, but upon very good & serious principles, he embraces the Christian faith, being baptised with his family very lately.

Besides these, since September last, I have baptised one adult & seventeen infants, one whereof was an ingenious Indian, & have eight new communicants, the whole number of which is now forty-nine. I have further prospects likewise of baptising two other Indians in a short time, of about thirty years of age, who are very seriously disposed, & attend divine worship with some constancy.

Henry Caner."

He also mentions " another Jew, a very sober, sensible young gentleman whom I have been instrumental in bringing over to the Christian faith." This Jew's name was Mr. Mordecai Marks.

In the month of April the Rev. Dr. Johnson of Stratford wrote to the Secretary: " That those who live a mile or more from the Church of England are still persecuted by those who call themselves the Established Church, & treat us as dissenters."

To prevent a practice which had crept into the towns in the colony of warning their training, town meeting, society and proprietor days, on the Sabbath day, the Assembly passed the following act: " That for the future, all such warnings & notifications, on the Lord's Day, except publications of intents or purposes of marriage, shall be deemed illegal, & of none effect."

And it was further enacted:

" That it shall be lawful for any person, & the duty of the grand-jurymen, constables & thything-men in the several towns & societies in this government, to pull down & destroy every written or printed notification or proclamation about secular affairs, that shall or may be fixed upon the door, or any other part of the meeting-house, or house of God, in any of the towns or societies within this Colony on the Sabbath or Lord's day, or on fast or thanksgiving days, & not suffer such notifications or warnings to stand or abide thereon upon the Lord's day.

And every person who shall presume to set up or fix any such written notification, as above said, on the Lord's day, in order to be seen & read on the Lord's day by the people, contrary to this act, being convicted thereof before any one assistant or justice of the peace, shall pay a fine of ten shillings for every such offence to the town treasury of said town, for the use of the poor in said town."

1728. Mr. Robert Silliman and Mr. Samuel Burr represented Fairfield at the meeting of the General Assembly at Hartford on the 9th of May. Major John Burr was appointed Judge of the County Court and of the Probate Court and Justice of the Peace of Fairfield. Mr. Samuel Burr was made one of the treasury auditors.

A Court of Probate was ordered to be held at Stamford for that town and for Greenwich and Ridgefield, but all appeals from that court were to be made to the Superior Court at Fairfield.

As no law existed for the punishment of private lotteries, " which were growing at a prodigious rate," the proclamation which had been made in January and sent particularly to the towns of Fairfield and Norwalk, notwithstanding which John Denny of Fairfield and one Samuel Cluckstone of Norwalk, having held the proclamation and the authorities in contempt, and willfully continued the sale of lottery tickets, the Assembly saw fit to order them both to appear before them. The sheriff of the country was ordered forthwith to bring the said Denny and Cluckstone to answer " for contempt of authority." Accordingly the offenders were in a few days brought before the Assembly, when, upon making due confession of their guilt, and explanation of not having received the printed proclamation until their lottery tickets had been sold, and that since then they had not had any lotteries, but fully observed the law, the Assembly accepted their submission, and upon paying the charges of the prosecution they were dismissed. A law was enacted that all such offenders should be arrested and " their goods, monies by wagers on shooting, or anything whatsoever be forfeited, one half of which should be given to the prosecutor & the other half to the county treasurer.

Mr. John Silliman was confirmed captain of the train-band of Fairfield.

The ecclesiastical affairs of Fairfield appear to have been the chief and most enthusiastic matters of interest at this period.

In October the Rev. Mr. Caner reported to the Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel:

" That the Indians in numbers were very small about Fairfield, by reason of the vicious lives they led, with their excessive drinking, which destroys them apace; & of those few that remain, to the eternal shame of the English in these parts, it must be said, that, although I constantly labor with them, as I find them in my way, yet very seldom conceive hopes of doing them any good, who have taken up an inveterate prejudice against Christianity, grounded on the shamefully wicked lives of us its professors."

In order to evade the law which prevented his parishioners who resided at a distance from paying towards the support of the Congregational Church, he proposed to the Society that instead of being appointed a missionary at Fairfield only he should be sent an instrument, under their common seal, appointing him their missionary, to serve from Fairfield to Byram river, on the borders of the government westward," by which means he would be under obligations to reside sometimes at one of these places and sometimes at another, as the necessity of either might require. In this way he hoped to administer to all who professed the faith of the Church of England, as well as to gain the revenues of the more remote church people.

This step was not, however, thought advisable by the members of the Society, and it was decided that Mr. Caner's plan was not wise, as it could not escape the law.

Three societies had, from time to time, been granted parish privileges and been severed from the old Prime Society. With Pequonnock there had been a serious quarrel indeed. Green's Farms and Greenfield had also bravely maintained their rights to maintain a church and school of their own. Whether experience, the remoteness of Lone-town, the unfortunate condition of its inhabitants in religious privileges or an effort on the part of the Church of England to form a parish in that region induced the good people of Fairfield to part with them with a better grace than they had exhibited towards the other parishes is a matter of some interest. Upon the pages of the town records is to be found the following note:

Dec. 30, 1728. Upon the request of Mr. John Read of Lone-town in ye behalf of Lone-town, Chestnut Ridge & the peculiar, between Fairfield & Danbury, requesting yt. there should be two miles of ye rear end of ye Long Lots of said Fairfield added unto said peculiar in order to make a parish, was voted in the affirmative.

The General Court met at New Haven October 10th, when Major John Burr and Mr. Samuel Burr represented Fairfield.

An act for enlarging the County of Fairfield was passed by a vote: " That all that tract of land called New Fairfield, lying north of Danbury, west of New Milford & east of the government line, shall be annext to the County of Fairfield."

A law was passed that for every wolf killed in any of the towns in the colony a reward of ten shillings should be paid to any person thus engaged, as well as ten shillings out of the town treasury where the wolf was taken.

An act was passed that no person should vote in any society meeting " for the choice of a minister or officers, grants, rates, erecting meeting houses, regulating schools, or any other thing proper to be voted for in a society, unless a freeholder rated at fifty or forty pounds in the common list, or that are persons in full communion with the church"; on penalty of forfeiting ten shillings for every such offence.

1729. At the meeting of the General Assembly, May 8th, at Hartford, Major John Burr and Mr. Samuel Burr represented Fairfield. John Burr, Esq., was chosen an assistant of the General Assembly and also Judge of the Fairfield County Court.

Mr. Samuel Burr was commissioned lieutenant and Mr. Samuel Squire ensign of the first train-band of Fairfield. Mr. Daniel Hubbell was commissioned lieutenant of the train-band of Stratfield.

Upon the memorial of John Read in behalf of himself, & the rest of the inhabitants of Lone Town, Chestnut Ridge, & the Peculiar between Fairfield & Danbury, shewing to this Assembly the great difficulty they labor under in attending on the public worship of God, & the forwardness of the town of Fairfield to encourage them to set up the public worship of God among themselves, by conceding that two miles of the rear end of their long-lots be added to them, in order to make them a parish; & praying this assembly that they may be allowed to be a society for the worship of God, with the privileges granted to such societies or parishes, & that said society or parish may comprize those lands that lie encircled betwixed the townships of Fairfield, Danbury, Newtown & Ridgefield, together with the aforesaid two miles of Fairfield long lots; & that they may have remitted to them their county rate during the pleasure of this Assembly; & that all the lands aforesaid may be taxed by the order of said Assembly; & that said parish be annexed to Fairfield; & that it be named Reading;

This Assembly grants that the said Lone Town, Chestnut Ridge, & the Peculiar thereof, be a society or parish by themselves, & to have all the privileges usually granted to societies or parishes, & that said society or parish shall comprize all those lands, that be encircled betwixt the townships of Fairfield, Danbury, Newtown & Ridgefield, together with the two miles of the rear end of the Fairfield long lots. Furthermore, this Assembly doth remit to them their county rates for four years, excluding those only who decline to joyn with them for what is paid for, of being released of county tax; & that all the laid out unimproved lands, within the limits of said parish, be taxed six shillings a hundred acres per year for four years; & that the money raised thereby be improved for the defraying the ministerial charges among them in that place; & that said parish be named Reading.

The meeting-house was not completed until 1732. It was built in the centre of the public square, a few yards west of the present Methodist church.

The Rev. William Nathaniel Hunn was elected minister of the parish January 31, 1733. Two years afterwards Mr. Hunn was married to Miss Ruth Read by the Rev. Noah Hobart of Fairfield. Miss Read was the daughter of the Hon. John Read, who settled at Lonetown in 1714, and a sister of Colonel John Read of the Read Manor at Reading. At the same time that Reading was made a parish, A Memorial, dated May 26, 1729, of Isaac Brown and the rest of the wardens and vestrymen of the Church of England was presented to the Assembly:

— " praying for redress from taxes & persecution;" & requesting " liberty to manage their own affairs as a society, according to the canons & rubrics of the Church of England;" & expressing their adherence to that Church, " let the difficulties be never so great." This petition was signed by,

Isaac Brown, Benjamin Burt, Vestrymen of Stratford.

Samuel Lyon, Moses Ward, Church wardens of Fairfield.

Moses Knap, Henry James, Nathan Adams, John Lockwood, Vestrymen of Fairfield.

The petition was rejected, and feelings of bitter resentment engendered, which in after years proved most unfortunate.

It appears that the members of the Church of England in New York took a lively interest in the condition of the churchmen of Fairfield, in consequence of which John Rodman, Samuel Bonne and Edward Burling addressed a letter to the General Assembly of Connecticut, desiring them not to imprison their brethren. They wished them to consider " that they were a distinct society of Christian protestants, as well as they were, & have through the mercy of God free toleration for the exercise of their religion, and that they took care to build a meeting-house of their own, and other concerns of their religion, without being burdensome to others — therefore they think it not unreasonable for them to force any of their friends, seeing that we are all dissenters from the maternal church. They recommend that all who go out of their churches to join the Church of England be provided with certificates."

The age of religious toleration was, however, slowly advancing. The glorious dawn of liberty had not yet shed its genial rays of light and blessing upon our beloved country; but, step by step, year by year it was gaining ground, and the long looked and hoped for day was not now far distant when the vast Republic of the United States should offer a home, not only to her own people, but to those who sought her protection from all the kingdoms of the world.

The Assistants of the General Assembly were voted 4d. per mile " for their travel to & fro from the Assembly, & 9s. 6d per diem exclusive of the Sabbath day." The representatives were allowed " 7s. per diem & 3d. per mile for travel."

On the 29th of May, " At a church-meeting in ye old Parish of Fairfield," Mr. Lothrop Lewis was chosen a Deacon of the Congregational Church by a major vote of the Brethren.

Meanwhile the Prime Ancient Society continued to flourish under the ministry of the talented Rev. Mr. Hobart.

" At ye same meeting it was voted that the worshipful Mr. John Gold should set & read the Psalm, & in case he be absent or indisposed that his brother Mr. Samuel Gold should do it."

The Assembly met at New Haven, October 9th, when an important change was made for the benefit of freemen in the several towns. Previously the names of freemen entitled to vote were enrolled in the secretary's office of the colony. As the towns increased in numbers and in population it became difficult to always make quick returns, specially from the remote towns. It was, therefore, enacted that the town clerks in each town should make a list of the freemen, which list " should be made in the open freemen's-meeting, legally assembled, by the direction of the authority & selectmen of the town." It was further enacted: " that none should be made freemen but in a regularly assembled meeting, when they should be lawfully admitted & sworn freemen, & their names enrolled by the town clerk."

An amusing anecdote is related by one of the oldest inhabitants of Fairfield, that upon one occasion when it was suspected that a fair vote had not been rendered a town meeting was summoned, and the opposing voting parties were arranged opposite each other out upon the Military Green and duly counted.

Footnotes:

1 Many comments in both religious and secular publications are made now-a-days about the solemnity of the Puritan .Sabbath; but the wordings of to-day, who know nothing of the peace and happiness of a New England Sabbath are incapable of forming any idea of the happiness of keeping a hallowed Lord's Day, with its sweet communion with God, nature and loved friends. It "hallowed all the week to come," and made life's burdens lighter. There was nothing lost in keeping God's commandment " Thou shalt keep the Sabbath Day holy," but a peace and joy was gained, which comes only in obeying this holy will. — Author.

2 It appears that about this time there arose in the Colony a sect called Rogerenes, so named from one John Rogers of New London, who set out to be something more than a common man. With a party of men and women calling themselves Singing Quakers he went through the Colony singing and dancing, proclaiming " how their lips dropped with myrrh and honey." From the state records the following report is given of them. " It seemed to be their study and delight to violate the Sabbath, insult magistrates and ministers and to trample on all laws and authority human and divine. They would come on the Lord's Day into the most public assemblies nearly quite naked, and in time of public worship in a wild and tumultuous manner, crying out and charging the most venerable minister with lies and false doctrine. They would labor on the Lord's Day, drive carts by places of public worship, and from town to town, apparently on purpose to disturb Christians and Christian assemblies. They seemed to take pains to violate the laws in the presence of officers, that they might be complained of, and have an opportunity to insult the laws, the court and all civil authority."

3 Dr. Trumbull states there exists a tradition that Governor Saltonstall, who well understood the doctrine of the Church of England, became the champion of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches; and that he argued the point of controversy — which appears to have been the validity of Congregational ordination, with Mr. Cutler before the Commencement. It appears that from Gov. Saltonstall's argument two of the gentlemen who had favored the Church of England declared themselves satisfied with their early views. Trumbull's Hist. Conn., Vol. 2, p. 33.