The first Church gathered.

69

as the place of their settlement. "Within the Earl of Warwick's patent, 1631, and under the patronage of Lord Say and Seal, to whom the said patent had been assigned, and who held for the settlers both at Connecticut, Saybrook, Quinipioke, and Pequot, and under whom all held who settled within the limits of Lord Say and Seal's (originally the Earl of Warwick's) patent; which, together with Massachusetts and Plymouth, which had passed from the Plymouth Company before 1630, as weil as New Hampshire and Ferdinando Gorges's Province of Maine, were saved from the arbitrary absorption of the surrendry of 1635." Their friends in Massachusetts, sorry to part with so valuable a company, dissuaded then from their purpose. Influenced, however, by the promising prospects which the country afforded, they determined to proceed. Accordingly, in the fall of 1637, they sent four men, who wintered at Quinipioke, and in March, 1638, a body sufficient for three towns removed from Boston, under the leading of Mr. Eaton, and settled at New Haven, and laid the foundation of a flourishing colony, of which Quinipioke, now New Haven, was the chief town. The first public worship in this new plantation was attended on Lord's day, April 18, 1638, under a large spreading oak. The Rev. Mr. Davenport preached from Matt. iii. 1. on the temptations of the wilderness. Both colonies, Connecticut and New Haven, formed themselves into distinct commonwealths, and remained so until their union in 1665.

The first church was gathered in New Haven in 1639, and consisted of seven members. These were chosen by the settlers after Mr. Davenport had preached from the words of Solomou, "Wisdom hath builded her house; she hath hewed out her sevea pillars." These men were indeed the pillars of the church, to whom the rest were added as they became qualified. They were also the court to try all civil actions. Mr. Davenport, a father to this infant colony, was an eminent christian, a learned divine, and a great man. He was born at Coventry, in 1597, of respectable parents, and sent to college at Oxford before he was fourteen years old. Thence he was called to preach in London, at the age of nineteen, where his rare accomplishments, aud his courage in visiting the sick in the time of a terrible plague, soon brought him into notice. By his great industry and midnight studies, he became an universal scholar, and his sermons were distinguished by the labour with which they were prepared. In his delivery he had

70

Sketch of the Rev. Mr. Davenport's Life.

a gravity, an energy, a pleasantness, and engaging eloquence not common among his brethren. His enemies allowed him to be an excellent preacher. Finding himself obnoxious, and in danger from the ruling party in London, he convened the principal people of his charge, desiring their opinion and advice, acknowledging their right to him as their pastor, and declaring that no danger should drive him from any service for their benefit, which they should require or even expect. With a noble disinterestedness of soul, which did them honour, and demonstrated the tenderness of their affection, they relie ved him from his scruples of conscience; they advised him to resign his office for his own safety. Instead of enjoying the quiet he now expected, he found himself more officiously watched then ever. He therefore, in 1633, retired to Holland, where he was immediately invited to be a colleague of Mr. Paget, pastor of a church in Amsterdam. But very soon his objections against their promiscous mode of baptizing children excited formidable opposition, and he early found that he must baptise children where there was no charitable evidence of their belonging to christian parents, or give up his relation to his people; he was too well informed to entertain any doubts; he was too honest to hesitate. In 1635, he retired from his pulpit in Amsterdam, and opened a catechetical exercise at his lodgings, every Lord's day,in the afternoon, an hour after the public services of the city were over. But the popularity of his talents soon collecting considerable numbers, jealousies were indulged, and opposition broke forth. He returned to England, telling his friends, that he thought God had carried him to Holland on purpose to bear witness against that promiscous baptism, which bordered on a profanation of the holy ordinance.' It was an observation of his, that when a reformation of the church had been effected in any age or country, it was seldom that any advance was made afterward beyond the improvements of its first reformers. He observed, that Noah's ark might as easily be removed from Ararat, as people persuaded to proceed beyond the first remove of their leaders. This coincides with a remark of the celebrated Robinson. "The Calvinists," says he, "stick just where that great man left them." He had long been a friend to New England. He was one of those by whom the patent of Massachusetts had been obtained. His purse and his time had been devoted to this country before he went to Holland. This Bow seemed to be the only field in which he could carry his

.

Sketch of the Rev. Mr. Davenport's Life.

66

71

ideas of reformation to their extent. About this time Mr, Cotton, of Boston, wrote to him, that" the order of the churches and the commonwealth was now so settled in New England. that it brought to his mind the new heaven and new earth, in which dwell righteousness." Very soon after, in 1637, Mr. Davenport, with several eminent christians and their families, came over to New England. Among these were Mr. Eaton and Mr. Hopkins, two merchants of London, men of fair estates, and of great esteem for religion and wisdom in outward affairs." When they arrived, they found the colony of Massachusetts agitated with the wickedness and absurdities of antinomian and enthusiastic opinions, the influence of a "bold" woman having shaken the pillars of the government, and threatened the existence of the churches. She held public assemblies at her house, and expounded the Scriptures to them. Mr. Davenport arrived just before the synod met at Cambridge to consider the errors of the day. His influence there was very happy; at the close he declared the result, and preached a sermon from Phil. iii. 15. in which he "shewed the occasion of differences among christians, and with much wisdom and sound argument, persuaded to unity." In March, Mr. Davenport, Mr. Predden, and a brother of Mr. Eaton, all ministers of the gospel, sailed for Quinipioke, and with them many families removed from Massachusetts to settle there, having conceived a high opinion of the soil, and expecting to escape the power of a general governor whom they feared would soon be sent. The people of Massachusetts parted very reluctantly with these valuable brethren. Charlestown made them large offers to induce them to settle there. Newbury generously offered them their whole town; the legislature offered them any place they should choose, which had not already been granted. At his new plantation, afterward called New Haven, Mr. Davenport endeavoured to establish a civil and religious order more strictly according to the word of God than he had seen exhibited in any other part of the world. He was an original genius, and the plan be adopted was his own: and if success be any evidence of merit, he certainly has high claims to the venera tion and gratitude of nations. There the famous church of New Haven, says his biographer, and also the neighbouring towns, enjoyed his ministry, his dicipline, his government, and his universal direction for many years. The holiness, the watchfulness, the usefulness of his ministry, are worthy of remembrance among all those who would have before them an exam

72

Rev. Mr. Davenport's Character.

ple of ministerial excellence His attention and influence extended to all the churches. He was a man of devotion, and it was a saying of his, that ejaculatory prayer was like arrows in the hands of the mighty; happy is the man who hath his quiver full of them. He was scrupulously careful in admitting persons to church communion. Church purity was one of the great objects of his life. It was a fixed principle with him, that no person should be admitted a member of a church, but those who make such a public profession of faith as the church may in discretion judge has salvation promised to it, and "which flesh and blood hath not revealed." He was persuaded there are many rules in the word of God, by which it may be judged who are saints, and by which those who admit others to gospel ordinances are to be guided, so as to separate between the precious and the vile. This is no more than what every sect, and indeed every individual, claims for themselves. The only difference is, they do not all fix on the same standard for admission to their communion. One makes freedom from gross immoralities a test for a good character; another habitual morality; another orthodoxy; and another requires opposi tion to certain things; but all have their limits, beyond which they do not, and will not, pass to receive members to their comnunion. Mr. Davenport had the same right to his terms of communion that other men have to theirs. He thought too much caution could not be used where some persons may think very little is necessary. His own words are---" The officers and brethren of the church are but men, who judge by outward appearance; therefore their judgement is fallible, and hath been deceived, as in the reception of Ananias, Sapphira, and Simon Magus. Their duty is to proceed, as far as men may, by rule, with due moderation and gentleness to try those who offer themselves for fellowship, whether they be believers or not. When they have done all, hypocrites will creep in." He was remarkable for diligence in his studies; this was noticed by the Indians, who used to call him the big study man. Mr. Davenport continued at New Haven till 1067, when such was his vigour, though in his sixty-ninth year, such his fame in the churches, that he was invited to Boston to succeed a Cotton, a Norton and a Wilson. He continued in his new situation only till March 15, 1670, when, by an apoplexy, he was called from his labours in the seventy-second year of.

his age.

The following account of this plantation is from one of our

History of Connecticut.

73

early writers. "The government of New Haven, although the younger sister of the four, yet is she as beautiful as any of this brood of travellers, and most minding the end of her coming hither, to keep close to the rule of Christ both in doctrine and discipline; and it were to be wished her elder sister would follow her example to nurture up all her children accordingly."

CHAP. XI.

History of Connecticut continued-Character of the Rev. Mr. Thomas Hooker.

THE first settlers in New Haven had all things common; all purchases were made in the name and for the use of the whole plantation, and the lands were apportioned out to each family according to their number and original stock. At their first election, in October, 1639, Mr. Theophilus Eaton was chosen governor for the first year. Their elections, by agreement, were to be annual, and the word of God their only rule in conducting the affairs of government in the plantation.

The confederation of the New England colonies, formed and entered into by the four principal colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven, in 1643, continued in force till the time of Sir Edmund Andros, 1686, and were of great utility, both for defence against the aboriginals, and for harmonizing the public councils in church and state. At the time of this confederation the colonies of Connecticut and New Haven consisted of only three towns each. The general court of New Haven this year established it as a fundamental article, that none be admitted as free burgesses but church members, and that none but such should vote at elections. They also ordained, that each town choose from among themselves judges (church members) to be a court, to have cognizance of all civil actions not exceeding twenty pounds; and of criminal cases, where the punishment was, sitting in the stocks, whipping, and fining not exceeding five pounds. There was liberty of appeal from this court to the court of magistrates. The court of magistrates consisted of all the magistrates throughout the colony, who were to meet twice a year at New Haven, for the trial of all capital causes. Six made a quorum. The general court was to consist of the governor, deputy governor, magistrates, and two representatives from each town. The annual election of officers of government was at this time