The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-12
STAMFORD CHURCH
 TWO HUNDRED YEARS Important Anniversary of Episcopal Church to Be
 Held Wednesday. FIRST PARISH IN STATE Interesting History of Oldest Episcopal Parish in
 Connecticut.
FIRST PARISH IN STATE

The two hundredth anniversary cele- bration of the founding of Connecti- cuts first Episcopal Church and Par ish will take place in Stratford on June F. Rt. Rev. Chauncey Brewster, bishop of the diocese, officiating.
 Christ church and parish was found- ed in Stratford, Conn, early in April, 17O7, but the prayer book was not off, ficially used at a public serviec till June 12 following the founding, and it was this fact which fixed the date of the bicentenniai celebration. Invita- tions have been sent to the officials of the Venerable Society for the Propaga- ton of the Gospel in Foreign Parts of (England (under whose auspices, and by whose financial help the church was founded in 17O7), to the bishop of Lon don twhose predecessors had jurisdic- tio mover the Colonial parishes) to the bishops of New England, New York, Long Island and New Jersey, and to all bishops who were born in Connecticut, or who, as priests, had charge of Con- necticut parishes. Invitations have also been sent to the presidents of Yale and Columbia universities. Dr. Arthur Twining Hadley will represent Yale, and Professor pr. William A. Cunning will represent President Butler of Col umbia.
 Episcopal Church in New EngIand.
 Although Christ church is not the old est Episcopal church in New England, its history, for certain reasons, is the most important and interesting of any in New England, for it was subjected to the constant and strenuous opposi- tion of the Orthodox Puritans for near ly seventy years, and because the Episcopal people had the courage, faithfulness and staying powers to pa- tiently persist in maintaining their ec- clesiastical rights. For this reason, it s { doubtless true that they did more to- ward encouraging the establishing of Episcopal parishes in New England than anything else in the history of that church.
 The first New England parish was in Weymouth, Mass. In 1923 Captain Robert Gorges, the son of Sir Ferdi- nando Gorges, re-established, or rather reviyified the colony that was started as Wessagussett Gas the Indians call ed the site of Weymouth) by Thomas Weston, in 1922. He brought in his company of settlers Rev. William Nor Till had received authority from the British government to organize church and parish, and eventually he was to have the ecclesiastical powers of a bishop. But MT Morrill, returned to England after a year and a half at Weymouth and Plymouth and the Episcopal parish gradually became Congregational parish. Another attempt was made in Salem (Naumkeag. the Indians called iD by the brothers John and Samuel Browne, laymen, who held services, using the prayer book, in 1929. But they were soon arrested and sent back to England, because of their adherence to the Church of England. In 1886 Kings Chapel was founded in Boston by order of Governor Sir Ed mund Andres; and in 1898 Rev. MT. Lockyear held services, with the prayer book, in Newport, R. l., and as an out growth of his efforts old Trinity church was established in Newport and ' the first church edifice was built in 1T02. So, while Christ church in Strat- ford is the first in Connecticut, it is not the first in New England in age. but it is the first as far as the import ance of history is concerned.
 When Christ church was organized in Stratford, in 17O7, there was but one other dissenting church in Connecticut and that was Baptist congregation in Groton, on the Connecticut river, which was also established in 17O7. But there were forty-one flourishing congrega- tions of the Orthodox Puritan faith in Connecticut, so, if the maxim that the majority rules" is a good one the Purnans were doing no more than liv- ing up to their rights in opposing the of non-orthodox churches.
 An Episcopal Center.
 As early as 1890 there were few