The society continued to increase in numbers until the church was filled to its utmost capacity. It soon became quite too small to accommodate the worshiping congregation.

In the year 1832, the society erected and dedicated a larger and more convenient house in South Britain. There they worshiped until the year 1851, when the edifice was enlarged and made a neat and elegant house of worship. The society now (1853) numbers about sixty-five communicants, and the church is well filled with a devout worshiping congregation.

The second society of the Methodist Episcopal church in the town was organized at Southbury several years ago, and consisted of one small class. About the same time, another class, or small church, was organized at Southford. They worshiped for several years in a small church which is now completely out of repair. In the mean time the church at Southbury met in the brick school-house, and were under the pastoral care of the Rev. Sylvester Smith. In the year 1847, the two societies united, and the same year erected a neat and commodious church, in the village of Southbury.

The church at Southbury now (1853) numbers sixty-five communicants, and their house of worship is well filled with a respectable and devoted congregation.

Thus have we traced the various forms of church government and religious belief, as they have exhibited themselves in our town, and are full of the conviction, that not the form, not the particular creed, is of so much importance as a pure heart and a guileless life; and that these may subsist, in full perfection, under all the various forms and ceremonies and creeds of the several evangelical churches. For this reason it will ever be a matter of astonishment to the lofty intellect, the mind of extended and liberal views, when it sees bitter contentions among professing Christians, "about quips and quibbles and non-essential points."

CHAPTER XVI.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY CONTINUED FROM CHAPTER VIII.

1760 TO 1853; REV. NOAH BENEDICT SETTLED, 1760; HALF-WAY COVENANT SYSTEM ABOLISHED, 1760; STATE OF THE CHURCH; REV. WORTHINGTON WRIGHT SETTLED COLLEAGUE WITH MR. BENEDICT, 1811, AND DISMISSED, 1813; DEATH OF MR. BENEDICT, 1813; HIS CHARACTER; REV. HENRY P. STRONG SETTLED, 1814-DISMISSED, 1816; REV. SAMUEL R. ANDREW INSTALLED PASTOR, 1817-DISMISSED 1846; THIRD CHURCH DEDICATED 1819; SKETCH OF MR. ANDREW'S LIFE; REV. LUCIUS CURTIS SETTLED, 1846; CHURCH STATISTICS; MINISTERIAL FUND; HON. NOAH B. BENEDICT'S DEVISE TO THE SOCIETY; REMARKS.

IN a former chapter we traced the history of the "Second Church in Stratford," or first church in Woodbury, from its commencement, its stormy origin, for ninety years, "down the stream of time." In the early part of 1760, Mr. Stoddard having become very aged, the church and society took the necessary measures to settle a colleague with him. The matter was all arranged. Rev. Noah Benedict had been called, and the day for his ordination had been appointed before Mr. Stoddard's death. He was, however, suddenly taken ill, and died after a sickness of two days, not long before the day of ordination. This event took place October 22d, 1760. It is thus recorded on the church records by Mr. Benedict:

"October 22, 1760. This Day was ordained to the Work of the Ministry, in the first Society in Woodbury,

Noah Benedict

on the call of the Church and Congregation: the Sermon was preachd by the Rev. Mr: Bellamy from 1 Tim. 5, 21, the ordaining Prayer and Charge by Rev. Mr: Graham, the right hand of fellowship by Rev. Mr. Brinsmade, the concluding Prayer by Rev. Mr: Canfield."

It is to be noted, that the church did not go out of town for ministers to assist in the ordination services. The four ministers men

tioned were all then settled within the limits of the ancient town, and remained with their people till the death of each separated them from all earthly friends.

At the death of Mr. Stoddard, the half-way covenant system was not yet done away. He, as well as his father, Rev. Solomon Stoddard, were advocates of the system, though Rev. Mr. Edwards, the grandson of the latter, taking a different view of the matter, had done so much to overthrow it, wherever it existed. As we have seen, it had been voted out of Mr. Bellamy's church nearly twenty years before. It existed here only in a mild, or rather a strict form. Many of the church had for some years been against the practice, yet from respect to their aged and beloved pastor, they had "held their peace." But Mr. Stoddard was now dead, and the system was not in accordance with Mr. Benedict's views. Within two weeks, therefore, after his settlement, we find the following action on the part of the church:

"Nov. 6, 1760. At a meeting of the Members of the Chh. at the Meeting House, the following things were voted, (viz.)

"1st that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are seals of the Covenant of Grace. "2ly, that the Covenant of Grace is but one Covenant.

3ly, that whosoever makes a credible Profession, that he believes and embraces the covenant of Grace, and appears to walk accordingly, has a right to Sealing ordinances.

4ly, that he, that has a right to Sealing ordinances for himself, has also a right to Baptism for his children.

5ly, that the Lord's Supper is not more holy than Baptism.

"It was likewise voated, that those Persons, that had ownd the Covenant, and yet had absented themselves from the Lord's Supper, had ownd a Covenant of Grace, and upon their manifesting that they mean to be understood as having ownd a Covenant of Grace, shall be looked upon as Members in compleat Standing, and admitted to the Seals of the Covenant."

This was a mild way of getting rid of the practice. As these half-way members had professed and taken upon themselves precisely the same covenant as the members in full communion, they were now called to show whether they had made that profession sincerely or not. If so, they were members in "complete standing," like the rest of the church; if not, then they were entitled to no privileges from the step they had taken. At the same meeting a covenant and profession of faith were drawn up and approved by the church, which with slight verbal alterations is the same now used by the church on the admission of members. It is a fact worthy of notice, that the first church covenant, adopted by our fathers just before removing into this wilderness, stood unaltered for the long space of ninety

years, and that the second, the one now in use, is the same adopted ninety-three years ago.

Mr. Benedict spent a long and useful life among his people. Few contests, or differences in feeling and action, arose among the people of his charge, during the long period of his ministrations, till near its close. This was a controversy in regard to the location and building of the third meeting-house. That everlasting source of bitter animosity and mischief, the location of public buildings, was the only thing that disturbed the serenity and happiness of a period of pastoral labor extending through more than half a century. But he lived not to see the heat of the battle, having departed this life about three years before the final disruption of his church. He died April 20, 1813, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, and the fifty-third of his ministry. The church was prosperous under his administration of the ordinances. The number of persons admitted to the communion of the church under his pastoral care, was 272, and 758 persons were baptized. The following were chosen deacons :

Capt. Gideon Stoddard, August 19th, 1767; Clement Minor, February 10th, 1773; Jonah Minor, October 1st, 1782; Matthew Minor, November 25th, 1793; Daniel Huntingdon, November 25th, 1793; Nathan Atwood, January 4th, 1803; Ens. Seth Minor, Jr., September 26th, 1805; Benjamin Judson, Jr., August 31st, 1806.

There were several revivals of religion under Mr. Benedict's ministry, the last near the close of his earthly labors.

As early as 1810, the society gave Rev. Gordon Hall a call to settle as colleague with Mr. Benedict, with a salary of $600, but he did not see fit to accept the invitation. During the same year, the same offer was made to Rev. Worthington Wright. He accepted the call, and was ordained as colleague to Mr. Benedict, on the last Wednesday of January, 1811, and dismissed early in 1813, at his own request, before Mr. Benedict's death, on account of an affection of the eyes, which prevented his application to study. After his ordination, the ministers present on that occasion, among whom were Dr. Beecher, President Tyler, Rev. Mr. Swift, Rev. Mr. Clark, Dr. Backus, Rev. Philo Judson and the newly ordained minister, retired to Bethel Rock, and there held a prayer-meeting, in imitation of the early fathers, whỏ amid the dangers which beset the early settlers, retired to this secluded dell for the same purpose.

Shortly after Mr. Wright's dismission, Mr. Benedict was called

1 Rev. Philo Judson informed the author of this incident.

from this earthly scene of toil and labor. He was a man of sound piety, and of great dignity and amiability of character. He held an honored place in the affections of his people. He was successful as a spiritual teacher, and was followed to the tomb by his parishioners, with hearts throbbing with grief. This church has been noted for the length of time it has enjoyed the services of its ministers. There is, perhaps, no other instance in the country, where a church has been presided over by three pastors, as has been the case with this, for the long period of 143 years.

Mr. Benedict was a native of Danbury, and graduated at Nassau Hall, in 1757. He received the degree of Master of Arts ad eundem from Yale College, in 1760, and was a fellow of that institution from 1801 to 1812.

"Mr. Benedict was spoken of, during his life, and is remembered, as one of the fairest specimens of the good clergymen of Connecticut. Constitutionally he had a well-balanced mind; singularly discreet and exemplary in his everyday deportment, and in all the relations of life; as a preacher and counselor, he held a high rank. His temper was even, and his condition was placid and easy. Temptations he was cautious, and even zealous, to put, if possible, out of his way. He once had a favorite horse, young, sound, gentle, active and graceful; the animal was admired by his rider's parishioners. But Mr. Benedict, to the surprise of all, sold the horse. A neighbor expressed his astonishment at the event, and inquired the reason of it. He was growing unruly,' was the grave pastor's reply. But I thought,' said the man, that he was a very orderly horse.' 'No,' was the rejoinder, he was growing quite unruly; he once got into the pulpit, and I thought it was time to part with him.' This minister was blessed in his family, and honored in the alliances of his children by marriage, and by their eminent usefulness, and the distinctions to which they attained in public offices and employments. His people never desired his separation from them; death effected it in the year, 1813. He lives in the sweet and grateful remembrance of the aged in his parish, and out of it; and the present generation of Woodbury have heard from the reverential and affectionate, the story of his goodness."1

After the death of Mr. Benedict, Rev. Dr. Tyler was appointed moderator of the church, and continued in that office, till May 25th, 1814, when Rev. Henry P. Strong, a native of Salisbury, was installed pastor over the church. He was dismissed, January, 1816, less than two years after his ordination. In some particulars, he was not fitted for his holy calling. It did not engage his careful, or best attention. He appeared to be much more interested in having the best animals of the male gender, of all the domestic kinds, than in

1 Rev. Dr. McEwen's Discourse at Litchfield, 1852, p. 74.