The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-05-13
and Dea Abraham Camp, BrookfeId.

| ---==-@==-=-----.-----s-
and Dea Abraham Camp, BrookfeId.
| d. Ely preached the sermon; Mr. Rex.
ford offered the ordaining prayer, Mr.
Bartlett gave the charge, and Mr. Lang
don the right hand of fellowship.
With the beginning of Mr. Ely's minis
| try, there was occasion tor discipline,
and he seems to have attended promptly
to cases as demanded. Committees were
appointed to attend to various c." ses, and
to call upon different individuals where
there had been neglect, or violation of
| covenant. A disagreement between En-
| Sign Nathaniel Hoyt and Samuel CTofut,
OccaSioned considerable distur baBce to
the church, and called out much effort
to secure a reconciliation. The case
| flEst came before the church August 20,
| 1894, and there were repeated meetings
without effect, and also a mutual refer
ence TO an ecclesiastical c0ur Gil, Febru-
airy "a, 1892; but at length the parties
| themselves sought private interview,
and amicablY settled the matter between
| themselves, and armour ced to the church
that they ware cordially reconciled, Oc-
tober 6, which the church gladly accept
ed as satisfactory. Oliver Benedict was
chof en- deacon February s, 1897.
The meeting house had remained &c
wears and been used with onlv q partia
| finishing of the inside. The society
| passed vote to completely do { If the
meeting house, February 13, 1897. The Y
directed to finish the lower part with
pews, build pulpit, lay the upper floor,
and put q breastwork and one seat
around in the gallery, and make two
pairs of stairs.
This same year also, the question was
agitated about being set IF from Dan
bury, and made separate town. Sep
TENDER IA it was voted to memorabilia
the General Ascend bly, for this purpose {;
but the general sentiment SCENE not to
have been fully ripe for the oyement,
and on the 10Th of the same month, the
vote was recOnsidered, and carried in the
negative. At about this period there
was an arrangement by the association
to perform missionary labnrs among the
new settlements, the ministers at home
| supplying in turn the pulpits of such as
went on the mission. Mr. Ely left his
people for time, and labored at Whites.
town and the glen about Utica, n. Y,
| which was then our extreme western
| frontier. In 1898 it was voted after con-
siderable discussion and opposition, to
admit instruments of music into the
choir. A specific selection was made of
the bass on, clarionet ard flute. Again
| in 1901, there was simiiaf vote, but for
long time the use of instruments, es-
peciallY viols, and the violin, met with
| great disfavor from many who IL stinc
lively associated the music with convi-
vial and juvenile amusements.
| A very general excitement arose in the
society in 1902, through the finding of an
anonymous letter which re lected strong
| ly against certain persons, and which
was supposed to have a direct connec-
| ton with the pastor. AT a sOcietv's
meeting specifically called October IS,
| 1902, Capt Eliakim Benedict, Seth Bene-
dict and Samuel Starr, were appointed a
committee to wait on Mr. Ely, and ar
range with him to meet certain persons,
and consult about his writing an anopy-
NOUS letter to their alleged injury. The
asperity of the feeling was such that in
| November it was voted, THAT the socie-
| ty do not wish to continue Rev John Ely
as their minister any longer" As in
most cases of violent excitement, little
delay induced cooler and calmer counsel.
| November Is, this vote was reconsidered
and committee was raised to propose TO
Mr. Ely to call council from among the
members of the association to advise be-
tween them !; and on the 18th, at an adj
| journed meeting, it was voted to call the
consolation for this purpose, or a dis
mission if advisable. But on the 2Stb of
u y uIauC d
ton to the church, expressing his ankle
+ Y for reconciliation, and assent to OBJ
legations resting upon him, and an ad-
mis- sion of some imprudences on his part,
and readine s. to overlook imprudences
and imperfectfon in others, and which
brought about gene raj ratification, so
that the society voted, In consequence
of what has been now exhibited, we are
satisfied, and reeonciled to Mr. Ely as
still our pastor"
A year passed on in outward peace
and quietude, but it is probable that all
the
OLD Discomfort AND JEALoUsIEs HAD
NOT BEEN FULLY ALLAYED.
In December, 1903, Daniel Judd was
chosen deacon. January 26, 1904, the
revived feeling of dissatisfaction induced
the society by vote to AK Mr. Ely to join
with them in ca ling the consolation for
his dismission, and the church February
ID, eoncurred in the same. The consos
citation convened, and the pastoral rela.
ton was dissolved, June Z, 1904, which
had continued about IL years and half.
Mr. Ely was bern at Lyme, and pursued
his preparatory studies at North Bristol,
now North Madison, and entered Yale
College. The students were dispei sed on
the approach of the British army when
he was about IL years of age. When the
troops retire d, he returned, and was grad
uated in 1856 He was lieens ed to preach,
June, 1888. On bis dismission from this
church, be was the same year settled over
the Pr sbyte rian church at South Salem,
New York. In 1911 he was again dis
missed, and in 1912 settled over the Cor
gregational church of M r1h Bristol, now
N. rth Madison, where he continued
the pastor about 10 years. On riding In
his wagon to East Guilford, his horse
was frightened and he was thrown out,
and taken up insensible, and after four