Care of them, to wch I gave my assent. Then they being Declared a true Cch of Christ. The Revd Mr. Stoddard Proceeded to Pray with the laying on of hands of ye Elders. And then also, gave me my Pastoral Charge, which is as followeth.

"We ordain thee, Thos a minister of Jesus X, & a Pastor of ye flock of X, who will Judge ye Quick & ye Dead at his appearing & Kingd". Take heed to thyself, & to all ye flock over wm you are made an overseer to feed it: feed ye Sheep, feed ye Lambs; Give attendance to reading, to exhortan, & to Doctrine; Neglect not ye gift yt is in ye; Meditate on these things, give thyself wholly unto them, yt thy profiting may appear unto all; In Doctrine, shew uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, yt cannot be conde: ned, yt he wch is of ye contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil to say of you: In meekness instructing yose yt oppose ymselves: feed this flock of God, taking ye oversight thereof, not of constraint, but willingly, not for filthy Lucre, but of a ready mind; not as being Lord over God's heritage, but being an ensample to ye flock; Give thyself to prayer, & to ye Ministry of ye word; Study to show thyself a workman, y' needeth not to be ashamed, Rightly dividing ye word of truth; And remember you stand as a watchman, and art to observe approaching danger to give warning from God, and know yt if you warn not ye wicked, when called thereto, ye wicked will die in his iniquity, but their blood will be required at your own hand; but if you warn ye wicked as you ought, & he will not hear, tho he die in his Iniquity, thou hast delivered thy soul.

"Administer ye Sacraments to such as are ye proper subjects of ym, giving each one his portion as a faithful stewrd Dispense censure, as sorrowful occasions offer; they yt sin, rebuke before all, yt others also may fear; And we charge you before God, & ye Elect Angels, yt you observe ye Divine rule without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. And as to your Conversation; Remember ye instruction, yt a Bishop must be blameless, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to Hospitality, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy Lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous: flee youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with all them y call upon ye Lord out of a pure heart; but foolish and unlearned questions avoid; and be thou an example of ye believer, in word, conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Take heed to thyself as to thy Doctrines; & if you be faithful to him, yt hath called you, depend on it, your Labour will not be in vain in the Lord; but when ye Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive a Crown that fadeth not away.

"Then Mr. Kent Prayed with Laying on, &c.

"Revd Mr. Case gave ye right hand of fellowship. Concluded with singing in ye 68th Psalm."

Mr. Canfield graduated at Yale College in 1739, and spent a long life with this people, useful as a pastor, kind and affable, equal to all emergencies, beloved as a man in all the relations of life. During the long period of more than half a century, his people enjoyed his acceptable ministrations, living in peace, a happy and united church and society. Fifty years, five months and twenty-four days, did he

remain doing service "in the vineyard of the Lord," and died Jan. 16th, 1795, aged seventy-four years.

After the death of Mr. Canfield, the church remained destitute of a pastor about two years and a half, during which time the pulpit was supplied by various candidates for the ministry. On the 5th of July, 1795, Rev. Zephaniah Swift was installed second pastor of this church, and was dismissed April 1, 1812.

The church then remained destitute of a pastor till June 2, 1813, when Rev. Fosdick Harrison, its third pastor, was installed. After a successful ministry of twenty-two years, he was dismissed June 30, 1835.

The church was now again destitute of a pastor for some four years, when the present pastor, Rev. Austin Isham, was ordained over it in the pastoral relation, in 1839. Mr. Isham graduated at Yale College in 1836, and has remained fourteen years with the people of Roxbury-a sufficient proof of the estimation in which he is held by his people, in this day of sudden changes.

In February, 1794, the society voted to build their third meetinghouse by a vote of twenty-nine to three. On the 9th of December, the same year, they voted again, thirty-six to three, to build the house, at a "heap of stones in the Daniel Hinman meadow about 11 rods northerly from David Hammond's shop."

There have been several revivals with additions to the church, as follows thirty-five in 1805; nineteen in 1813; sixteen in 1816; nineteen in 1821; and fifty-seven in 1828.

The following have been deacons in this church. Tilley Blakelee and Capt. John Baker, appointed in 1747; Charles Thomas, date not noted; Ezekiel Frisbie, 1783; David Gillet, no date; Abner Wakelee, 1798; Ichabod Ward, 1806; Enos Warner, 1808; John Thomas, 1809; Ephraim Beardslee and Elihu Canfield, 1812; Chauncey Whittlesey, 1817; T. More, Eli M. Smith and Thomas Hurd, 1829; Curtis Blakelee, 1836; and Josiah Bronson.

The struggle of Roxbury society to be incorporated into a separate town was long and severe. For ten years, there was one continued round of efforts on the part of its citizens. The first vote by the society in relation to the subject, was Oct. 2, 1786, when they voted to make application to the Assembly to be set off as a separate town, and at a meeting held Oct. 23, 1786, they voted discretionary powers to Curtis Hurd, to pursue a petition before that body to accomplish this end. On the 17th of the same month, Woodbury voted, one hundred and four to eighty-six, to oppose the prayer of said

petition. Oct. 9, 1787, the society laid a tax of three farthings in the pound to pay the expenses of the effort to obtain a town charter. Woodbury this time voted not to oppose the incorporation. Jan. 12, 1789, they again voted to renew their application, and appointed John Hunt their agent for this purpose. On the 11th of May following, a tax of half a penny on the pound was laid for the same purpose as before, and Lt. Lamberton Painter was appointed agent to "pursue the petition." In September, the same year, a committee was appointed "to see if Woodbury would relinquish one deputy in the General Assembly if Roxbury should be a town." At a town meeting in Woodbury, held April 13, 1789, the following vote passed :

Voted not to oppose the grant of a petition from the Society of Roxbury now lying before the Genl Assembly of this State to be incorporated into a separate town-voted nemine contradicente."

Notwithstanding this, the charter was not granted. In May, 1790, as the contest grew warmer and warmer, they began to employ legal gentlemen to assist them in their efforts, and Hezekiah Thompson and Nathaniel Smith, Esqrs., were employed to prosecute their application. At the October session this year, Mr. Daniel Sherman was also appointed to assist. In October, 1791, Capt. Roswell Ransom was appointed agent to urge the incorporation, and Hon. Nathaniel Smith in May, 1792. In September, 1795, Samuel Weller was appointed for the same purpose, and the petition was again pressed with vigor at the October session, 1796, when it proved successful, and the society of Roxbury was incorporated into a town of the same name.

One or two casualties have occurred in this town, worthy of notice. The first illustrates the danger of a careless use of fire-arms. Sixtysix years ago, a tavern, kept by Roswell Ransom, was located on the spot where the Episcopal church now stands. On the 31st of October, 1787, a "training" of the militia soldiers was held at this place. About four o'clock in the afternoon of that day, David Downs left his house, now occupied by Treat Davidson, and went to the tavern for the purpose of getting his son excused from going to the "General Training," to be held the next day at Southbury. Thomas Hurlbut was present with a gun, in the house of Ransom, and one Hitchcock asked him if his gun was a good one. He replied "Try it and see." On being asked by Hitchcock if it was loaded, he replied in the negative, on which he pulled the trigger, and the gun being loaded, the ball which it contained passed through the head of David Downs, above the eyes, and dashed his brains on the wall, or ceiling, near

which he stood, the stain from which remained indelible for many years after.

In a graveyard north of the Episcopal church is a monument containing the following inscription:

"In memory of Lieut. Thomas Weller, an officer in the United States army, who was murdered by Archibald W. Knapp, May 16th, 1814, aged 25 years and 9 mo., son of Thomas and Polly Weller "

The circumstances of this murder are thus related by Barber:

"The circumstances respecting the death of Lieut. Weller, appear to be these. In the last war with Great Britain, Knapp enlisted as a soldier. The time having arrived for him to march on to the lines, he refused to go; Weller, with three or four soldiers, went to Knapp's residence in the lower part of New Milford, in order to take him by force. Knapp meeting him at the door, told him that he had no ill-will against him, but if he advanced any farther towards him he was a dead man. Weller disregarding his threats, advanced to take him. Knapp then shot him in the groin, which caused his death in about fifteen minutes. Knapp made his escape into the State of New York, where it is believed he now resides. It is stated that Knapp was arrested a few years since, on account of this crime, but was rescued out of the hands of the officer by some soldiers of an independent militia company, of which he was a member, who were out on a military review."

Roxbury is almost wholly a farming town. It is about six and a half miles in length, and nearly four in breadth. It has two churches, one Congregational and one Episcopal, two ministers and two doctors. It contains four mercantile stores, employing a capital of about ten thousand dollars, five hatting establishments, employing about as much more capital, two manufactories for forming hat bodies, one grist-mill, ten saw-mills, and two foundries. By the census of 1850, its population was 1,114.

CHAPTER XV.

HISTORY OF THE OTHER CHURCHES BESIDE THE CONGREGATIONAL.

1740 To 1853; HISTORY OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH, WOODBURY; PROGRESS OF TOLERATION; ZECHARIAH BEERS' "SIGNING-OFF" CERTIFICATE; PARISH ORGANIZED, 1740; COL. SETH WARNER'S GRAVE; REV. JOHN R. MARSHALL, FIRST RECTOR, 1771; CHURCH ERECTED BY SEVENTY PERSONS IN 1785; CONSECRATED, 1822; MR. SAYRE SUCCEEDS MR. MARSHALL, 1791; CONSTITUTION ACCEPTED BY THE CHURCH IN 1794; MR. ELIJAH SHERMAN'S SECESSION AND CHARACTER; GLEBE HOUSE ERECTED, 1837; CHURCH CEASED TO BE A PLU RALITY, 1838; LIST OF CLERGYMEN; LIST OF NATIVE CLERGYMEN; CHRIST CHURCH, ROXBURY; FIRST CHURCH EDIFICE, 1764; ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, WASHINGTON; ST. ANDREWS' CHURCH, NEW PRESTON; CHRIST CHURCH, BETHLEM; BAPTIST CHURCH, ROXBURY; METHODIST CHURCH, WOODBURY; FIRST PREACHING IN THE STREET NEAR LODGE ROCK;" NEXT IN MR. ELIJAH SHERMAN'S HOUSE; METHODIST CHURCHES AT SOUTH BRITAIN AND SOUTHBURY; REFLECTIONS.

FOR nearly seventy years after the first settling of the town, there were no other churches within its limits, except those of the Congre gational "or standing order." Our fathers emigrated to this country to enjoy their religion, not only free from persecution but without interruption from Christians of different sentiments. They were desirous of maintaining a uniformity of doctrine and worship. Correct principles of religious liberty were not then known in any Christian country, and toleration was not the virtue of that age. On their arrival in this new world, they formed an ecclesiastical constitution, and passed a statute that no persons should "embody themselves into church estate" without the consent of the General Court, and the approbation of the neighboring churches, and that no church administration should be set up contrary to the established order. Laws were made to compel every person to pay taxes to the established religious organization, and for the support of the "approved minis. ter." In 1708, an act of toleration passed, allowing all persons who should conform to it, the liberty of worshiping God in a way sepa