Mr. Walker continued his service longer than usual. Mr. Chauncey and his people coming to the house and finding that Mr. Walker's exercises were not finished, retired to a private house, and there performed their afternoon devotions. They were, however, so much displeased, that the next day they went over to Fairfield, and exhibited a complaint to major Gould, one of the magistrates, against Mr. Walker. The major, upon hearing the case, advised to pacific measures, and that Mr. Walker should be allowed three hours for the time of his public exercises.

In May, 1669, the general assembly advised the town to grant Mr. Walker full three hours for his exercises, until the next assembly in October. In the mean time, the parties were directed to call an able council to give them advice and assistance, and if possible to reconcile them. All attempts for a reconciliation, however, were unsuccessful. The parties became more fixed in their opposition to each other, and their feelings and conduct more and more unbrotherly. At length, Mr. Chauncey and the majority excluded Mr. Walker and his hearers the meeting house, and they convened and worshipped in a private dwelling.

Governor Winthrop, affected with the unhappy controversy and animosities subsisting in the town, advised, that Mr. Walker and his church and people should remove, and that a tract of land, for the settlement of a new township, should be granted for their encouragement and accommodation. Accordingly, Mr. John Sherman,' Mr. William Curtiss, and their associates, were authorized to begin a plantation at Pomperaug. Consequently, Mr. Walker and his people removed and settled the town of Woodbury, about the years 1673 and 1674. This gave peace to the town of Stratford, and Mr. Walker and his church and congregation walked in harmony among themselves and with their sister churches.

The tradition is, that Mr. Walker and his church were not so independent, in their principles, as the church of Stratford; and that Mr. Walker was a more experimental, pungent preacher, than Mr. Chauncey. Mr. Chauncey was learned and judicious. They both became sensible that their conduct towards each other, during the controversy at Stratford, had not, in all instances, been brotherly, and, after some time, made concessions to each other, became perfectly reconciled, and conducted towards each other with brotherly affection.

During these transactions, those venerable fathers, who had been singularly instrumental in planting, and had long illuminated the churches of Connecticut and New-England, the Rev. John Davenport and the Rev. John Warham, finished their course. Mr. Davenport died at Boston, of an apoplexy, March 15th, 1670, in

1 Mr. Sherman was son of the Rev. John Sherman, of Watertown, he was some years speaker of the lower house, and afterwards one of the magistrates of this colony. He was one of Mr. Walker's principal hearers.

the 73d year of his age. He was born in the city of Coventry, in Warwickshire, 1597. His father was mayor of the city. At about fourteen years of age, he was supposed to become truly pious, and was admitted into Brazen Nose college, in the university at Oxford. When he was nineteen, he became a constant preacher in the city of London. He appears, from his early life, to have been a man of public spirit, planning and attempting to serve the general welfare of the church. About the year 1626, he united with Dr. Gouge, Dr. Sibs, and Mr. Offspring, the lord mayor of London, the king's sergeant at law, and with several other attorneys and citizens, in a design of purchasing impropriations, and, with the profits of them, to maintain a constant, able, and laborious ministry, in those parts of the kingdom, where the poor people were destitute of the word and ordinances, and such a ministry was most needed, and would be of the greatest utility. Such incredible progress was made in this charitable design, that all the church lands, in the hands of laymen, would have been soon honestly recovered to the immediate service of the reformed religion. But Bishop Laud, viewing the undertaking with a jealous eye, lest it might serve the cause of non-conformity, caused a bill to be exhibited in the exchequer chamber, by the king's attorney-general, against the feoffees, who had the management of the affair. By this means, an act of court was procured, condemning the proceedings, as dangerous to the church and state. The feoffments and contrivances made to the charitable design, were declared to be illegal, the company was dissolved, and the money was confiscated to the use of his majesty. But as the affair met with general approbation, and multitudes of wise and devout people extremely resented the conduct of the court, the crime was never prosecuted. Laud, however, watched Mr. Davenport with a jealous eye, and as he soon after discovered inclinations to non-conformity, he marked him out as an object of his vengeance. Mr. Davenport, therefore, to avoid the storm, by the consent of his people, resigned his pastoral charge in Coleman-street. He hoped, by this means, to enjoy a quiet life; but he found his expectations sadly disappointed. He was so constantly harassed by one busy and furious pursuivant after another, that he was obliged to leave the kingdom, and retire into Holland. In 1633, he arrived at Amsterdam, and, at the desire of the people, who met him on his way, became colleague pastor with the aged Mr. Paget. After about two years, finding that he could not conscientiously administer baptism in that loose way, to all sorts of children, practised in the Dutch churches, he desisted from his ministry at Amsterdam. While he was in this city, he received letters from Mr. Cotton, at Boston, acquainting him, that the order of the churches and commonwealth was then so settled, in New-England, by common consent, that it brought into his mind the new heaven and the new

earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. He, therefore, returned to London, and having shipped himself, with a number of pious people, came into New-England; and, as has been related, settled at New-Haven. He was a preacher of the gospel about fifty-four years, nearly thirty of which were spent at New-Haven. He was eminently pious, given to devotion in secret and private; and it was supposed that he was abundant in ejaculatory prayer. He is characterized as a hard student and universal scholar; as a laborious, prudent, exemplary minister; as an excellent preacher, speaking with a gravity, energy, and agreeableness, of which few of his brethren were capable. It is said, he was acquainted with great men, and great things, and was great himself.1

The Rev. John Warham survived Mr. Davenport but a short time. He expired on the 1st of April, 1670. He was about forty years minister in New-England; six at Dorchester, and thirtyfour at Windsor. He was distinguished for piety and the strictest morals; yet, at times, was subject to great gloominess and religious melancholy. Such were his doubts and fears, at some times, that when he administered the Lord's supper to his brethren, he did not participate with them, fearing that the seals of the covenant did not belong to him. It is said, he was the first minister in New-England who used notes in preaching; yet he was applauded by his hearers, as one of the most animated and energetic preachers of his day. He was considered as one of the principal fathers and pillars of the churches of Connecticut.

After the close of the war with Philip and the Narraganset Indians, the general assembly recommended it to the ministers through the colony, to take special pains to instruct the people in the duties of religion, and to stir up and awaken them to repentance, and a general reformation of manners. They, also, appointed a day of solemn fasting and prayer, to supplicate the divine aid, that they might be enabled to repent, and sincerely amend their ways. The same measures were recommended, at the May session, the next year, and the people were called to humiliation and prayer, under a deep sense of the abounding of sin and the dark aspects of Providence.

The general court, about three years after, for the more effectual preservation and propagation of religion to posterity, recommended it to the ministry of this colony, upon the Lord's day, to catechise all the youth in their respective congregations, under twenty years of age, in the assembly of divines, or some other orthodox catechism. To continue and increase unity in religious sentiments among the people, and that they might have the advantage of participating in the variety of ministerial gifts, it was

1 Magnalia, B. III. p. 51-57. He left a respectable family, and his descendants have supported its dignity to the present time. Some of them have been in the ministry, and others magistrates of this colony.

also recommended to the ministers, to attend a weekly lecture in each county, on Wednesday, in such manner as they should judge most subservient to these purposes.1

The religious state of the colony, at this time, is given in an answer to the queries of the lords of trade and plantations. It is to the following effect.

"Our people, in this colony, are some of them strict congregational men, others more large congregational men, and some moderate presbyterians. The congregational men, of both sorts, are the greatest part of the people in the colony. There are four or five seventh day men, and about so many more quakers."

"Great care is taken for the instruction of the people in the christian religion, by ministers catechising of them, and preaching to them twice every sabbath day, and sometimes on lecture days; and by masters of families instructing and catechising their children and servants, which they are required to do by law. In our corporation are twenty-six towns, and twenty-one churches. There is in every town in the colony a settled minister, except in two towns newly begun." In some towns there were two ministers; so that there were, on the whole, then about the same number of ministers as of towns. There was about one minister, upon an average, to every four hundred and sixty persons, or to about ninety families.

While settlements and churches were forming in various parts of the colony, and the English inhabitants were providing for their own instruction, some pains were taken to instruct and christianize the Connecticut Indians. A law was made, obliging those under the protection of the government to keep the christian sabbath. The Rev. Mr. Fitch was particularly desired to teach Uncas and his family christianity. A large bible, printed in the Indian language, was provided and given to the Moheagan sachems, that they might read the scriptures. When the council of ministers met at Hartford, in 1657, the famous Mr. Elliot, hearing of the Podunk Indians, desired that the tribe might be assembled, that he might have an opportunity of offering Christ to them for their Saviour.

By the influence of some principal gentlemen, they were persuaded to come together, at Hartford, and Mr. Elliot preached to them in their own language, and labored to instruct them concerning their CREATOR and REDEEMER. When he had finished his sermon, and explained the matter to them, he desired an answer from them, whether they would accept of Jesus Christ for their Saviour, as he had been offered to them? But their chief men, with great scorn and resentment, utterly refused. They said the English had taken away their lands, and were attempting now to make them servants.

1 Records of the colony.

Mr. Stone and Mr. Newton, before this time, had both been employed, at the desire of the colony, to teach the Indians in Hartford, Windsor, Farmington, and that vicinity; and one John Minor was employed as an interpreter, and was taken into Mr. Stone's family, that he might be further instructed and prepared for that service. Catechisms were prepared by Mr. Elliot and others, in the Indian language, and spread among the Indians. The Rev. Mr. Pierson, it seems, learned the Indian language and preached to the Connecticut Indians. A considerable sum was allowed him by the commissioners of the united colonies; and a sum was also granted by them, for the instruction of the Indians in the county of New-Haven. The ministers of the several towns, where Indians lived, instructed them, as they had opportunity; but all attempts for christianizing the Indians, in Connecticut, were attended with little success. They were engaged, a great part of their time, in such implacable wars among themselves, were so totally ignorant of letters and the English language, and the English ministers, in general, were so entirely ignorant of their dialect, that it was extremely difficult to teach them. Not one Indian church was ever gathered, by the English ministers, in Connecticut. Several Indians, however, in one town and another, became christians, and were baptized and admitted to full communion in the English churches. Some few were admitted into the church at Farmington, and some into the church at Derby. One of the sachems of the Indians at Naugatuck falls, was a member of the church at Derby, and it has been said that he was a sober well conducted man. Some few of the Moheagans have professed christianity, and been, many years since, admitted to full communion in the north church in NewLondon.

The gospel, however, hath had by far the most happy effect upon the Quinibaug, or Plainfield Indians, of any in Connecticut. They ever lived peaceably with the English, and about the year 1745, in the time of the great awakening and reformation in NewEngland, they became greatly affected with the truths of the gospel, professed christianity, and gave the strongest evidence of a real conversion to God. They were filled with the knowledge of salvation, and expressed it to admiration. They were entirely reformed as to their manner of living. They became temperate, and abstained from drinking to excess, which it had before been found utterly impossible to effect by any other means. They held religious meetings, and numbers of them formed into church state and had the sacraments administered to them.3

1 Records of the united colonies.

? There was an Indian school formerly kept in this town, at the expense of the society for propagating christian knowledge among the Indians. The number of Indian scholars was sometimes fifteen or sixteen.

3 Manuscripts from Plainfield. These Indians were numerous at the time when the town was settled, amounting to 4 or 500. ↑