The Newtown bee., 1880-07-21

HLsrORY or THE COSUREdATIoNAL CHURCH WIT
 sxsrcnEs OF THE OTHER CHURchEs
 IS VIEWPOINT.
 Deut. 4-S2:
 ''For ask now of the days that arc past
 If the days that are past be compare
 with those that are present what wonder
 fnl changes will appear. Imagine tha the Indians who sold this town to its ol iginal pIoprietors, or those original pro prietors themselves should awake fror the sleep Of the centuries and survey thi goodly lnnd what would they see whic they did not see in 100 or 1705? In tn
 place of forests and swamp5 are meadow and cultivated fields. In place Of To huts or wigwams are substantial, and oi ten costly houses; in place of u few re- men ar hardy settlers is q population 0 ovcr four thousand. Who're the Po"ta tuck rolled it's silent way to the "Grea River" are large manufactories whicl supply all parts of the country and tn world with an article then unknown while tho railroad, and telegraph, anC our printing presses would call forth ex elamations of astonishment and man. questions. But must not forget that wt arc assembled to-day, not to be question ed by our predecessors or ancestors, bu' to question them. Ask now, says ou! text. "of the days that are past" Let Us then continue to ask questions of the past. This morning we asked what the past could tell Us of history up tc the time and during the time of the settle ment of this town. It would bo interest ing to recount many more facts and tra- ditions which have come down to Us from colonial times, bat 1t Is impossible, ill such an outline as this, even to allude to them. We, therefore hasten to ask anoGh. CT question, viz:
 What has the past to tell us of the his tory of the town, and especially it's churches from 1700 tor our ecclesiastical history begins almost with the century down to the present time. Here we en- ter upon a broad and almost boundleSs field; we can cull only Il few of the more important facts and join them as links ill Il chaiI binding Us to the past.
 FOUNDATION THE FIRST. on CJsGnEeAT1oNAL
 CHURCH.
 That church was early founded in this town we cannot doubt, and it is probable that u rude church ediIice Was built about 1710. succeeded by better building, 90 X 3G foet, erected in 1717 ut the intersection of Main street and C dane running east nd.west," probably where the liberty pole now stands. But the first allusion to church matters which have been able to discover in the abstract of the Town Records before me is dated Sept. 24, ,l7ll, when at meeting of the proprietors Of Ncwtown 1t was voted to invite Mir. Phin- eas Fisk to preach ono year ''on trial"
 Mfr. Fisk. it seems. declined the call. and so on May 2l. 17l3. or at an adjourn cd meeting held soon after call Was ex- tended to Rev. Thos. Tousey, of Wethers- field, to proach for one year at salary of s3o, afterwards increased to f60, and tho proceeds of some land which the so- cioty agreed to break up. SOW and har- vest.
 THR Frnsr PAsToP REV. THos. ToUsEY.
 1T. HL In 1707. He began his ministry here in or about 1714, and the formal organiza- ton of a church occurred soon after, probably on Oct. r, 1715. An old rec ord states that 30 families were then in- cluded Ill the parish. For Il time there seems to have been harmony and good feeling In the caurch, but i'll 1723 there sppeared signs of restlessness and dissat- isfactIon; some declared that they could not '.sit easy under him." q quote from tho town records) and others shat they ..were of different persuasion" mean Ing, doubtless. that they favored the Church of England. The result was that Mir. Tousey went to England, received a commission as captain in the kings ar my, and on his return resigned the pasto- ral ofiice; he remained in the place, how over, and took on active part in church matters and In town politics until ms death. which occurred March IA, l76l. Ills grave has been identified but have not been able to deeipher the moss-eover- sd epitaph. notice that he was select cd to flx tho boundary between New Mil- ford and Newtown. and also appointed in 1743 to oppose the formation of u new ec- clesiastical society in Newbury, now cal led Brookield. He lived. am told. near the present residence of Mir. c. H. Peck, and was the ancestor of Gov. Tousey (whose father lived at the head of the street where Mir. Charles Morehouse now resides) and of all bearing that name who have at any time lived in our town, and also of many of our citizens bearing oth- or names. He was an eminent man and regret that DO few memories and tradi- fions of him are preserved. In July. 172i, l just 1856 years ago. the society called Rev. | John Beach, of Stratford. giving him in | settlement 123 acres of land and home lot of four acres, house 40 X 20 feet, and a salary of eco. afterwards increased to EIOO.
 FORMATION or EPISCOPAL SOCIETY, WITH or
 REcrons. ETC.
 Rov. Mir. Beach and several of his parish isnsrs soon expressed apreference for the doctrines and polity, of the Church of England and withdrew from the Congrc- gatIonal. tor as 1t was then called Pros bytsrian Church.) Mir. Beach and the others who believed aud acted with him were evidently conscientious in the mat tor and the records relating to the adjust ment of relations between the two socie- ties convey the impression that all con- csrncd acted an honorable and Christian part. Rev. Mir. Beach quit-claimed the land granted him at his settlement back 1 to ths society. and the society generous