The Newtown bee., 1897-07-30

wicked schemes. But by no means did
all or the greater part thus act. History
tells me that those early dates furnished
men like Theophilus Eaton and John
Davenport-men of whom it was said
that hearing of the beauty Of the coun-
try on the Sound, Long Island Sound,
they left Boston, and about the middle of
April, 1889, reached New Haven, and on
the morning OF the first Sabbath after
their arrival, the colonists assembled for
| worship under spreading oak. Here
Davenport, their minister, preached a
touching and appropriate sermon on the
temptation in the wilderness. The next
care was to make an honorable purchase
of land from the Indians, policy which
was ever afterwar3 faithfully adhered to
by the colony, For the first year there
was no government except simple COW
enant into which the settlers entered
"that all would be obedient to the rules
of Scripture" In June, 1889, the leading
men of New Haven held q convention in
barn and formally adopted the Bible
as the constitution of the State. Every
thing was strictly conformed to the re-
| ligious standard. Young men, stop for
one moment and beseech God to paralyze
your tongue ere you again jest lightly
and irreverently about the doings and
oddities" of such stout-hearted, God
fearing men! Would to God this highly
favored state Of Connecticut had more of
such stately souls within her borders, to-
day! We see then that in 1929 God in
His wise providence drove to these New
England shores the best blood of the
Mother Country. Across the wilderness
of waters IN yon frail barque came men
of character, men of courage, men of
zeal, men of determination, men of IN
conquerable will men of staunchest faith,
men of masculine mold, men of serious
ness, men of heroic soul, men of princi-
pie, men of pure and undefiled religion,
men who
LOVED FREEDOM MORE THAN FORTUNE
and the influence of such men, of such
women lives to-day in every state that
sings of Liberty from Bartholdi's statue
to the Golden Gate. ''They being dead
yet speak" What we see in New Eng.
land to-day of Christian homes, of Chris
tian lite, Christian institutions, Christian
churches, Christian communities and
Christian fellowship is but the fruitage
of that good seed .sown on Yonder sea
dashed shore. And New England's sons
and daughters have not been slow, thanh
God, to pass along their goodly heritage
From these Eastern states have gone
forth men and women who knew tina
"Go Vest was simply new and mod
ern, perhaps limited, way of saying sec
ye into all the World and preach tht
Gospel to every creature" So that wha
has been said of New England may b.
l aa{d ~ auarxy sto ta xuaat 30 nm frovo De-
ton to the western ocean, namely, tina
the potent influence of those early New
England settlers has moulded more Of
less, and ia to-day, moulding the life o.
every community, bringing it into con
formlry with the purposes of Heaven.
When one looks to-day over New Eng
land and thinks of her condition but 30C
years age, and that's not long, Put three
Deacon Conns side by side and you are
!, back again at Plymouth Rock. Wher
one looks back across these three cen,
!, turtles, and takes Birds Eye view Of
|, New England In 1897, and then contrasts
| it with New England in 1897. One car
think Of but one word, Miracle" One
can think OF but one true solution. The
statement Of the text, 1.-THE en-
II trance OF thy words giveth light
i Think of our own state of Connecticut
| But three short centuries back and tx
i Pequots, Narragansetts and Mohegans
were to be seen roaming around and
living the life of the savage. No govern
Iment, no order, no protection. The
tribes constantly at war with each other