Morning journal and courier., 1889-06-19

This was the fire brand sent through the standing corn of the Congregationalists.
 President Woolsey in his discourse com memorating the 150th anniversary of his college alludes to it and characteristically says, :'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, avow their belief in Tran subssantiation and pray to theVirgin Mary" Of the signers of this declaration it is be-
 lieved the Rev. Samuel Whittlesey of Wal lingford was as active as any and exercised considerable influence over the North Haven pulpit. Davis says 8 packet of books was sent over from the mother country by some friend of the Church of England, and that 1t was customary from time to time for num- Der of the clergy to gather in the college library and examine them. Here then is the clue and a possible answer to the question of the time of MT. Wetmon's defection:
 GNote-Of the seven signers three remain-
 ed in the Congregational faith, and four
 received Episcopal orders.
 Returning now to the parish, the annual
 meeting was held four weeks later than the issuance of the remonstrance in question. At this meeting they voted "to call a civil coun- oil of ministers and messengers to here cen slider and determine the differences between our pastor and ourselves" They were not all agreed in this course, however, for Simon Tuttle (previously mentioned), Joshua Ray and Abram Blskeslee entered their dis sent from such action, nevertheless Nathan iel Yale, John Sanford, Joseph Ives, Ser geant Moses Blaksly and Joseph Bradley
 "were chosen com'tee to wait Aon ys Rev. erend Gentlemen ment in ye above vote."
 We must suppose this council was con- yened at once. The charge was serious one. Consternation was felt in all the colo ny and it was not without alarm and painful anxiety that the watchers on the walls of Zion
 T " Is 1kr, r,,-l,x nkAc boldly throw down the gage of battle and challenge the enemy in their midst It was reserved for the little parishes of Waliing- ford and North Haven to claim the distinc tion of being the first battle grounds in the New Haven colony whereon such an issue. was fought. Paradoxical as it may seem both sides secured victory. The check to Episcopacy was but temporary, and it's an- tagonist from fighting it, in short time came to grant it extreme favors.
 - Of the proceedings of the Council, no minutes exist to the writers knowledge, and no judgment is entered on the records of the society. The sole evidence of the result of the conference appears in the minutes of 8 special society meeting held at the house of MT. Yale, January 10th, 1723, where it was 'agreed by ye society that they will take up with ye sum of fifty pounds as Refundment from NIT. Wetmore, on ye &C., count of ye hundred and fifty pounds paid
 
 among them, provided he desist from his offs amongst them" But evidently there was some counter action to this, for they changed it at the same meeting and made him the following proposition. Agreed on by ye society that they are willing MT. James Wetmore their late pastor, leave them upon these tearms: That he return to them ye sum of forty five pounds in this way: that he discharge them of twen- ty pounds of his arrearages and render to them twenty-five pounds. more within ye tearm of eighteen months from this date or before ye expiration of ye tearm provided he sell his house sooner; he giving security for ye above said twenty five pounds"
 Either one or both parties proved refracto- ry, for a long period elapsed and it was not till little after the annual meeting in Dec, 1723, or something over a year from the first of the trouble, that the terms of the settlement were made mutually satisfac- tory Then they settled in this wise: ''Agreed on by ye society that they will pay to MT. Wetmore ye sum of ten pounds upon the following conditions, namely, if he dis | charge all of ye bills that are now in ye hands of ye treasurer and if he gives ye soci- l sty full discharge" Thus their financial | relations were balanced and the separation ! became complete.
 It must be borne in mind through all this | unhappy controversy that there appears a | singular freedom from such demoralizing ! agencies as frequently ia later days attend | differences between pastor and people. Ex- cept for the vigorous unequivocsl language of the Protest, there is not a line of passion | or acrimony in all the known proceedings. Neither were they overwhelmed by these ex- | perieuces. On the contrary, new life and | vigor seems to have been born of their trial. 1 They were not idle, not discouraged. The ink was scarcely dry in the quill that wrote | the Protest and 30 dismissed MT. Wetmore, fhary haa or7k inc lfI 8 new minister. They bought "the house, | barn and living" of their ex-pastor. They increased the "settlement" and raised the ! salary of his successor. They multiplied in I numbers; they grew in strength till the vine l that was SO feebly planted but @ few years | before, extended it's branches through all | their borders to the grateful shading of the | people.
 So much interest attaches to the part | borne by the Yale family in shaping the set | clement of the town, that by special request | ! more extended mention of two of it's mem- | oers is here presented.
 NATHANIEL YALE.
 The name of Yale is of Welch derivation, | md was originally spelled Yall or Yell. In l 614 David Yale married Ann Morton, ,daugh- l CT of Edmund Bonner, bishop of London in .538. They were the progenitors of the Yale amily in America. MT. Yale died within ew years after their marriage, leaving his | wife with little family, David, Ann and Thomas. She married Theophilus Eaton | afterwards the famous governor) and came with him and her three children to New Haven, April, 163S. Thomas, one ,f the sons, married Mary Turner of | New Haven in 1645. They had nine chil- | dren among whom were Elihu, Mary and | Nathaniel. Elihu became the founder of ! Yale college. Mary married Capt. Joseph l Ives of this parish (see references) Nathaniel |