The Newtown bee., 1896-08-17

5 n 2 son shall wear any coif or wrought night.cap, but only plain night-eaps of } black silk, satteen or velvet. In private
 and in their studies, the said
 persons ecclesiastical may use any
 comely and schclar-like apparel, pro
 vided that 1t be not cut or pinct; and
 that not in public they go not in their doublet and hose, without coats or cassock; and that they wear not any light -coloured stockings. Likewise poor beneficial men and curatea (not be- irg able to provide themselves long gowns) may go in short gowns Of the fashion aforesaid"
 The canon on the duty of schoolmat- ters show how in those days they com bined the religious and secular eduea- tion of the children. threads as follows:
 All schoolmasters shall teach In Eng fish or Latin, as the children are able to bear, the larger or shorter catechism heretofore by public authority set forth. And as often as any sermon shall be upon holy and festival days within the parish where they teach, they shall bring their scholars to the church where such sermon shall be made, and there see them quietly and soberly behave themselves and shall examine them at times convenient after their return, what they have borne away of such sermons.
 "Upon other days, and at other times, they shall train them up with such sen tences of Holy Scripture, as shall be most expedient to induce them to all Godliness; and they shall teach the grammar set forth by King Henry the Eighth and continued in the times of King Edward the Sixth, and Queen Euz- abeth of noble memory, and none oLher.'' The book concludes with the whole book of Psalms collected into quaint English metre.
 In 1764, Rev John Beach writes from Newtown; My congregation at Red- ding has increased very little for some years past, by reason that many who were wont to attend there, tho living at a distance of six, eight or ten miles, have lately built the small churches nearer to them, where they can more conveniently meet, viz, Danbury, Ridgebury, North Fairfield and North Stratford, which has very much retarded the growth of the congregation at Bedding.
 Formerly people attended church as Bedding, from such a distance, that they were obliged to frequently come to the place on Saturday night and stay at the house of their brethern, in order to have the privilege of attending church on the Lords day.
 The North Fairfield church was the one afterwards known as the Gilbert town church since divided into the pres ent parishes of Easton and Weston.
 The parishes of Tashua and Easton are now connected under one rector.
 Rev MT Newton wrote to the Venera- able Society in 176G that his parishes are increasing notwithstanding the periIs of the times. The perilious time to which he refers, was Occasioned by the stamp act and other measures of the British government which soon after caused the American Revolution. The attachment of the Episcopal clergy and people to the old country was strong, and they were much indebted there for assistance in the support of the Gospel, and so the difficult ty of those times pressed most heavily upon the faithful in the historic church.
 Another hindrance to the growth of the church at that time was the fact that candidates had to go to England to be ordained, and few were able to bear the expense, and as many as one in 10 of those who undertook the voyage died be- fore they could return. Petitions for a bishop were unavsiling because the bishops of. England could not consecrate 8 bishop from abroad without the con- sent of Parliament, and that was with holden in difference to the remonstrances of the standing order, of Congregations lists in New England. New York and Connecticut petitioned for bishops in l766, and one mentioned was Rev Christopher Newton, of this church. It is needless to say that no bishop was. granted the American church until after the Revolution.
 Rev MT Sanford writes: "I have been able to find no report from MT Newton later than 1766, but he survived the Revolution and continued probably to serve this parish and Ripton until 17S5, for in the parish accounts there is 8 record of the appointments of g com mittee to settle with the heirs of the Rev MT Newton for services rendered. That committee was appointed ia I7s7, and MT Newton must have died In or before that year."
 will say here that we are indebted to Rev David Sanford for many of the statistics furnished here, not to be found elsewhere.
 He must have had recourse to docu- ments not now available.