Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-03
NORTH HAVEN ANNALS.

! Government OmcEaA8 ESA4u1fe0 4nHs 1 How she FOrefathers GraPPleG With Moral and Social MatteFs-Th, Pounding of the First North HaveE l Church.
 1 At the May session of the General Assem- 1 bly 1714 the members thereof "Taking in l to this serious consideration the many evi dent tokens that the glory is departed iron us, the providence of God are plainly tellinl us that our ways do not please Him - l- and to encourage piety ant virtue, do pray the Honorable the Governor \ to recomend to the reverend elders of tn General Association at their next meeting 1 that they give direction that the state o religion be strictly inquired into in ever. parish throughout this government, ant whether there be 8 suitable number of Bible ! in the various families in their respectiy parishes, and also if there be found in any O 1 our parishes any persons that neglect atten l dance upon the public worship on Lordl l days, etc., etc." Such abridged trife ant | orthographically corrected, was their view o ! the religious situation of the colony. | At the October session in the year follow | ing the General Association of the churche | in accordance with the foregoing reques l made to the assembly report of their in 1 inquiries as follows
 1. "A want of bibles in particular fani lies.
 9 Remissness and great neglect of atten ! dance on the publick worship of God upol l sabbath dayes and other seasons.
 8. Catechizing, too much neglected il sundry places.
 A. Great deficiency in domesticsl govern ment.
 6. Talebearing and defamation.
 8. And Intemperance with several othel things mentioned"
 The effect of this report was as 8 trumpet call to the representatives and deputies as' sembled. Forthwith they enacted "Tha the selectmen make dilegent enquiry of al householders within their respective towns how they are stored with bibles; and upon such enquiry any such householdeIs be found
 without one bible at least, that then the said
 selectmen shall warn the said householders
 forthwith to procure one bible at least for
 the use and benefit of the said family"
 It is to be regretted that space will no.
 allow further recital of the way they pur-
 posed to grapple with "the deville;" but the
 outcome was that the constables and grand
 jurymen in the respective towns were to
 make diligent search after all branches of
 the laws of morality and religion, and were
 to be especially vigilant and nimble about
 the "Act to prevent, Unreasonable Meetings
 of Young People in the Evening after the
 Sabbath Days and other times, and it was
 further made their duty "In the evenings
 mentioned in said law, to walk the streets
 and search all places suspected for harbour
 ing or entertaining any people or persons as-
 ssmbling contrary to said Act" And as 8
 final clincher to ther intent to unearth and
 exterminate all these evils, it was enjoined
 at all public meetings for the choice of town
 officers that the foregoing report and acts be
 read land that the said meeting be careful
 in the choice of their said constables and
 grand jurymen; that they choose men of
 known abilities, integrity and good resolu-
 tion.h
 Viewed In the light of the foregoing, is it
 too much to think that the searching exami-
 nation made throughout this colony was not
 without good results to the North Village' D
 Some of the settlers had been here twenty,
 thirty, forty years, and in this time had no
 nearer church privileges than New Haven.
 Many had faithfully attended worship there
 all this time, and many likewise had been deprived by distanee and circumstance; others we fear had neglected it from choice.
 But the time was coming, and late events were hastsniDg it on, when the gospel might be proclaimed in larger measure to all the
 flock growing up in the settlement We must read between the lines and understand that the project of having 8 church of their own was in process of specialization, two, three, perhaps more, years before it assumed shape. In deliberations of this nature, our fathers moved cautiously, and 50 did the colony authorities. We can determine to certainty who would be the strongest advo- cates for Q church, and see Yale, Ives, Gran miss. Todd, Sanford, Heaton, Blakeslee, Tut tie, Frost, in consultation long before the following found it's way to Hartford in 1716:
 Upon the petition of farmers on the north east part of the towne of New Haven to bee Parish or Society; This Assembly allows the founders of the Parish petitioned for, L granted, (with that proviaoe that the inhabi- tants of the Old Society that have and doe improve lands within the limits of the new. while they live in the old shall pay to the Old Society," and as to the addition of twelve families, 1t is referred to the General Assem- bly, to be held at New Haven in October next then too bee further considered" See colo nial Records, May session, 1716
 This was the beginning of the present Ec- clesiastical society. At the following Octo- ber sessions of the assembly they were pres snt again, and secured the following:
 The petition of the northeast parish in New Haven to have twelve families of the town adjoyning to them added to their parish is granted with this proviso, that what act or acts about setting the meeting house and settling 0 minister already passed among them, be void. And provided also that if the deputy governor Nathan Gold, Esq and the Reverend Samuel Andrews be ODCa1lou 10 AQV1S0 1elAElDR to these 6udlrs, and if they can't bring them to an agreement that they then shal have power to determine all difficulties that may arise in providing for the settling of worthy minister among them and tbe place for building a meeting house. "
 The granting of this prayer reveals an nn- dertow common to the founding of almost every church in New England. Wherever the waves of settlement flowed in sufficient strength to throw up deposit strong enough to build on, just co certainly arose the vexing question of the location of the church build ing, and in scattered settlements where there was really little or no nucleus, the con- .ests of the little factions for such centre, assumed alarming proportions and endan- yered the calm of many a community. Hence t was that the General Assembly records are filed with appointments and reports of com- nittees of arbitration on ministers and all through the colony. Such a ceiling was snouldering here.
 The first recorded action of the parish as Iuch, (though from the answer to their peti- | ion it is apparent previous meetings had | oeen held) opens in this wise:
 "At a meeting of ye north society in New Haven November ye 2d 1716 the neighbers Did then by full house thankfully Except ,f what the General Court have Done with | Respect to ye addition of twelve families | Granted to them-Mr. Nathaniel Yale was ! chosen moderator, Joseph Ives was chosen ,lerk. A Com'tee was chosen; namely: MT. | Nathaniel Yale-James Bishop, Samuel rodd-Willism Tuttle-John Sanford, Jo- l ,eph Ives. Then agreed on ye society that ! 7e com'tee should make their application to ! 7e Rev. MT. Andrews for his advice in order | o haveing a minister among them as soon as night be conveniently" |
 Two weeks later they met again and ''Then | lgree on by ye society that ye oom'tee should ! make their application to ye Hon. Deputy l Governor and to the Rev. MT. Andrews for ! heir advice according to ye act of ye Gen. | ,rall Courts, and 90 act upon their advice | with Respect to bringing 8 minister among hem as soon as may be conveniently" Four ! weeks passed and another meeting(Dec. 19th) l vas held at which ''Then agreed on by ye l ociety that they will send to ye gentlemen i ,e court have appointed to Beside ye Differ l nee amongst them concerning planning their | meeting house."
 If the above committee ever offered re- ,ort, mo allusion is made to it in the minutes, | nd year passed without any visible ac- i ion. Then November 18th, 1717, with l uddenness which takes our breath away, hey vote. "ARreed on by Ye society to zoe bout building meeting (house) as soon as nav be convenientlv said house to he huilt