Morning journal and courier., 1891-01-12
JOHN DAVENPORT.

AM6D O1 IAA6 SCCVAO OMuXGn9 AAI Haven, Treats of John Davenport-I A Very Interesting Portrayal of this Great Church Foundef-His Life and the Influences of his Works Connecticut Should Honor the mem- ory of this Great Apostle of Congre- gationalfsm. --s-.-s p The second in the series of Sunday evening discourses on "The Great Leaders in Connecticut Congregationalism" was given at the Second church, Fair Haven, last evening, by. the pastor, Rev. D. N. James. The subject was "John Daven- port" MT. James treated his second chap ter of church history in a)manner and style to interest greatly, and was listened to with appreciative attention. He showed that Davenport was 8 central figure in the group of leading pioneers in this state and that he possessed those sterling and stead fast qualities upon which the foundation , of great denomination was built success fully. The salient features in his life and the influences that followed in his town, were portrayed attractively. Following is synopsis of the discourse:
 Thomas Hooker and Governor Haynes were the central figures in the trinity of towns that formed the original Connecti- cut colony in 1886. John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton were also the central figures in the trinity of towns that formed the original New Haven colony in 1888. The towns of Milford, New Haven and Guilford stand tn-somewhat the same rela tion to each other and to the New Haven colony that the towns of Windsor, Hart ford and Wethersfeld do in the Connecti- cut colonies, and John Davenport, the first pastor of the first church in New Haven, stands in the same position of acknowl- edged leadership that Thomas Hooker did in that.
 Davenport reached the advanced age of seventy-three years and his ministerial la bors extended beyond the half century. Twenty years were spent in England, thirty years in New Haven and two years in Boston He attained, so early in life, 8 prominent place in the Established church that there was in reality no time in which When he came to New Haven he was forty y-one years of age. He had passed the formative period of life and was in the full vigor and power of matured manhood His experience during these years in old England have such an important bearing on his subsequent work in New England that they demand more than passing notice. .
 The subject of this sketch was born in Coventry, 1897, was baptized in Holy Trinity church, and was trained in the Church of England. He entered Oxford college at the age of fourteen and began | preaching in the Established church at the age of nineteen. His eminent ability, thorough scholarship and growing reputa- ton soon secured for him the position of lecturer and curate in St. Lawrence par ish, London, and after five years he was called to the neighboring parish of St. Stephens, in 1894, where he continued to labor until he was driven from England by persecution.
 The correspondence which passed be- tween him and Sir Edward Conway, the secretary of King James l., Dr. George Montague, bishop of London, and Dr. George Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury, in reference to his settlement in St. Ste phens, disclose both the popularity ot Davenport and the character of the grow. ing opposition to him. In one of these letters to Conway, in which he asks the secretary to intercede for him with the king and the bishop, Davenport says: 'cIt | hath been the will of God to make my ministry for the space of these six years in London, public and eminent, which hath caused some to look upon me with a squint eye, and hearken to my sermons with the left ear, and by all means to en. deavor of my discouragementandd disgrace insomuch that I am traduced to hit majesty for Puritan, or one that is Puri tanically affected" In answering these charges he asserted that he not only con formed to the requirements of the church | himself, but opposed the non-conformine tendencies of others.
 These intercessions, however, did pre- vail over all opposition, and in November 1924, he began his work in this new ano influential parish. But the parish bounda ries did not limit the scope of his sympa thies and of his service in behalf of Protes tant Christianity. He soon became associ ated with some of the most eminent me1 in the church who were convinced that thu correction of certain defects, the reform o1 certain abuses and the removal of certain corruptions would be consistent with gen uine loyalty to the church and to the king They wanted to rescue the parishes from the curse of Hay impropriations' and tt provide an educated, evangelical ministry for the people. To this end they organized a voluntary association, :. sort of Home missionary society under the management of twelve trustees one of whom was Davenport. The worl of this society aroused the opposition O the new king, Charles I, and the new bishop, Land. The trustees were sum moned before the high commission court the property was confscated and the so ciety broken up. Davenport, in letter to Lady Mary We're, said: "We expect 6 fierce storm from the enraged spirits of tho two bishops. Ours, as I am informed hath particular aim at me upon former quarrel, 80 that I expect ere long to be de prived of my pastoral charge in Coleman street." His fears were we'll founded He knew the character of the men witt whom he had to deal. There was no hop of reconciliation. There was no escape i, England from the fatal punishment of the star chamber. He gathered around hin the principal people in his parish, assured them that "no danger should drive hin from any service which they should ex pect or demand at his hands," and await ed their decision. Knowing that his onl, safety was to flight, they reluctantly part ed with him. He went to Holland i, 1883, the asylum of the persecuted Puri tans, returned in disguise to England il 1887 and reached Boston in the ''goot ship Hector" with Eaton and his party o1 June 26 of the same year.
 l Davenport was in the midst of controversy il London and in Holland. Did he find peace anl | quiet in Boston? Far from it. Times were warn | at "the Hub" then, as they have often been since ! DdVcnpOTG laHueQ III the mlQSC or one or the Olt l terest controversies ever waged in New England Hooker and his followers for good reasons hal l come to Connecticut Roger Williams had sait l some very plain things at Plymouth and at Salen l against the established order in the young col l ony. Mrs. Anne Hutchinson had thrown a fire | brand into the old church in Boston that threat | ened to burn up the whole ecclesiastical and civi l structure of the Massachusetts colony. Thing l fairly smoked and the cloaks of Cotton and Win l throp began to singe. A synod composed of thu l teaching elders and delegates from all thu l churches in the country was convened by orde | of the court. Hooker was one of the moderators | The session continued twenty-two days amit l great excitement. Eighty-two opinions wer ! condemned, "some blasphemous others errone | ous and all unsafe"
 l Davenport preached to the synod and reasone, l with Mrs. Hutchinson. Helearned the characte l and the far-reaching influence of the dispute an, l determined, like Hooker, to escape the evil b, | leaving the colony. No inducements offered l could dissuade them from their purpose. Eatol ! and a small party explored the Quinnipiac har ! Dor in 1887, built hut and left a few men t, | guard the spot during the winter; and ou the fol ! lowing April IA, 1888, Davenport and the remain l der of the party landed on these shores.
 ! The first Sabbath passes the night is over. 4 | new morning dawns in country and it i l the morning of new colony. The work begins ! the history of a new republic begins. There is a. yet no organization of either church or state bu l there are present men who are capable of organ l izing both. Davenport and Eaton spent thei
 childhood together in Coventry. Eaton was . 1 member of Davenport's church in London. The1
 have been fast friends in a common struggle foi