Morning journal and courier., 1889-08-02
NORTH HAVEN ANNALS.

NORTH HAVEN ANNALS. The Dana Controversy - Features of
 the History of che Congregational
 Church in che Town A Striking
 Controversy That Caused Deep gisa-
 ton.
 The "Dana controversy" was leading in- cident in the life of the Rev. Isaac Stiles. Directly, neither this nor the events de- scribed in the last paper concern this history; they are introduced as mirrors to reflect the light of the time in which he lived and ena- bled us to determine what kind of man Mir. Stiles was in his generation.
 The Rev. Samuel Whittlssey of Walling- ford died In 1752. His church, from divided opinions, was unable to agree upon his suc- oessor, and for six years, more or less, they listened to "candidates." In 175S e majority of the hearers had fixed on the Rev. Samuel Whittlesey, his son, as a suitable preacher; but the large minority was SO much opposed to him that 1t was not thought prudent to settle him. An advisory council was called and they recommended that application be made to three nonresident ministers-Hol- yoke and Appleton of Cambridge, Mass, and Chauney of Boston-for advice. The two former gentlemeD mentioned Mir. James Dana of Cambridge as growing young man for the Wsllingford church. MT. Dana came and preached to such satisfaction that sos ciety meeting was held June 23, and 1t ap- peared as if his "call" was unanimous; at least, says Trumbull, "none appeared in op- position, though some, and two or three of tho committee, were not in the vote." The fear of those who maintained neutrality was that MT. Dana was unsound in doctrine, and to allay or confirm any such suspicion one of the committee very informally attempted to catechize him. MT. Dana, 1t appears, did not relish this private cross-examination and plainly told the committee man so. Other gentlemen likewise sought information on sundry points, but were rather cavalierly treated and generally retired discomfited This attitude of MT. Dana's somewhat changed the feeling of the people toward him, and at the adjourned meeting of the society @ week later @ strong opposition was developed. Nevertheless, the society voted him . settlement and e salary with the re- quest he become their pastor. He accepted and the date of his ordination was fixed for October 10.
 Some of the leading disaffected minds i'm mediately prepared complaints both against the church and Mir. Dana, and prayed the consooiation to meet and determine the mat ter. Whether by accident or design, is not known, but the consolation was warned to convene in Wallingford on the same day of the ordination, to wit, Oct. 10.. Now as the ordaining council had been chosen out of the consociation, the gentlemen composing 1t therefore were to act in dual capacity, members of both bodies sitting in the same places and at the same time. MT. Stiles and his messenger" Esq. Jossph Sackett, had been selected to be of the ordaining council. When the preliminaries of the session had been settled, the complainants formally pre- ssnted their case against MT. Dana befor the consolation. The church and MT. Dana demurred thersat, claiming the consooia- | tion had no jurisdiction In this matter, but | they expressed themselves as willing to be tried by the ordaining council. The conso-
 citation would not listen to this, and
 so the two bodies became arrayed
 against each other. Night came down
 and an adjournment till morning was agreed
 upon. So soon as the meeting was dismissed the ordaining council formed privately and
 made their dispositions for the next day.
 meeting house. MT. Dana and his supporters
 again denied the jurisdiction of the oonsoci-
 ation, and the greater par. of the day was
 spent In discussing ''dissents," "protests"
 and hair-splitting technicalities. Towards
 night, however, the consolation gathered
 nerve enough to boldly declare they, and they alone, had the right to decide on the
 complaints. Immediately Mir. Stiles and his
 associates of the council withdrew themselves | wholly from the consolation. From their new quarters they sent protest claiming the consolation was an unlawful gathering at that time and @ palpable infringement of the rights of the churches. The consociation claimed the ordaining council was striving to break down the 'ecoesiastical constitution"
 of tho colony. Thus ended the second days | fight with wider gap than ever, and both parties elept upon their arms
 | The third days encounter cpsned with a fire of resolves and protests as usual. The ordaining council now took the aggressive
 and determined to force the contest to an is-
 sue. MT. Ruggles and his colleague from Guilford and Esq. Sackett, Mir. Stiles col
 league, became alarmed at the turn things | were taking in their body and deserted 1t at
 once. Not SO, Mir. Stiles. With the old time Puritan grit he had gone there to or- dain Mir. Dana, and Mir. Dana was going to be ordained, and Mir. Dana was ordained October 12, 176S. Said one ef the council at | the council at that time: "Ws looked upon | it ws were called of God to ordain MT. Dana" And Pres. Stiles writes in his journal thus: "After Dr. Dana's ordination my father told Dr. Nunson he had assisted ct above thirty ordinations In his day and was never clearer | to proceed in any of them than at Dr. Dana'a."
 So fragrant violation of ecclesiastical au- thority could not be suffered to go unpunish- | ed, and at 0 united council or the churches held In the following spring sentence of non communion was pronounced against NIT. Dana and all such members of his church as aided and abetted his ordination. Four weeks later
 and 1t was declared of Rev. MT. Stiles and his
 brethren of the ordainiug council ''that they | hove violated the good rules of eur ecclesas- Il ttaal cnpatituttOn tkDt thev pnuhr fo Ina
 treated as disorderly persons and not fit to
 sit in our ecclesiastical councils until they
 shall clear up their conduct" This they never
 attempted to do. Being cut of from the af-
 lection CD of their brethren they formed an T association of their own, which continued thirty one years and then removed to New Haven.
 Says Trumbull In closing the chapter of this unfortunate controversy, "Ths gentle men of the ordination council never reconcil- ed themselves to their brethren, but died in @ \ state of exclusion from associational and con-
 soeiationsl communion. It was remarkable
 that after they had carried the claims of the
 association and consociation higher than any
 other gentlemen in the colony, and had sx
 cludsd others In an extraordinary manner
 from communion with these bodies and com
 munion with the churches, should finally be
 excluded themselves. So 1t eventually proves
 that with what measure men mete 1t is meas
 ured to them again."
 Contemporary with the Rev. MT. Stiles was
 Hannah Heaton, wife of Theophilus Heaton
 of Muddy river. She lived there between 1740 and 1880. She was Separate" It will not be out of place to publish from her
 ~diary, her views respecting MT. Stiles. The quotations are literal. Writing in 1751 she
 says,T went and talked with MT. Stiles, our
 Standing Minister. He said if he was per
 susded man could do nothing towards his own salvation he would never preach no
 more and many such things he said. I thot
 see him and his church and their conduct | to be out of the rules of Gods word as plain | as I could see the sun shine in clear day,
 and them words come to me psrtake not of
 her sins lest you pertake of her plaques was
 hardness of heart and blindness of mind and
 so did not join with them no more, but
 withdrew and never beard MT. Stiles no
 more."
 Again, in 1753, she writes: cone day
 there come an old man, church member of
 Nr. Stiles and talked severely to me for not
 going to meeting: He said must not expect
 blessing in the chimney corner, the meet-
 ing was the place, and much he said. beg
 ged him not to rest in the condition he was