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necessity of regeneration by the Spirit of God, and justification by faith; love for plain, earnest, and pungent preaching of those and kindred doctrines; and love for the revival of religion.* Such was not Mr. Noyes' preaching. He was opposed to the revival and the experimental preachers by whom it was promoted; and his church were fast uniting with him in that opposition. The first members of this church felt bound, therefore, peaceably and in charity, as they say, to withdraw, and form a distinct society, that they might put themselves under better advantages to worship God and secure their own spiritual edification. And who is there at this day, who will not say that they did essentially right? Doubt

* That I am right in this and the preceding remark will appear from the following extract from the church records.

Feb. 20, 1758. Voted and agreed, That the platform of church discipline, agreed upon by a synod met at Cambridge, 1648, (i. e. the platform on which the independent churches stand,) as it has been the discipline made use of in this church, be still used as the rule of our discipline; notwithstanding we are fully of opinion, that different sentiments, about the conveniency or expediency of such circumstantial forms and modes of discipline, where the Essentials of it are preserved, and the great doctrines of the gospel and vital piety are maintained, constitute no just cause of separation, or breach of union in Worship, Ordinances, or Administrations, and we do declare, that if any of us should be called by Divine Providence to settle in any Church under an Association or Presbytery, where all the great doctrines of the gospel, were plainly, powerfully, and generally preached, and vital piety maintained, we should make no division, separation, or difficulty, on account of any circumstantials of discipline; and we freely declare, that the great and principal design which we have had in view in all the transactions peculiar to our Society, has been, and still is, to preserve and maintain the great doctrines of the gospel, and to have them plainly and powerfully preached to, and entertained by us, and our posterity to the latest generation. Passed unanimously in the affirmative.

less they committed errors and extravagances, as did many good men under the preaching of Davenport, and even under that of Whitefield. But they were right in the position which, in the face of great difficulties, and opposition, and burdens, and self-denial, they took and maintained; and they deserve and will receive the thanks of later generations, who understand better than did that generation, the ways of God's Spirit. They were, in this place, the friends of the revival; and that, when the ancient church and its pastor, and the faculty and corporation of the college, indeed almost all the influence and power of the place, together with the strong political and ecclesiastical government of the county and colony, were strenuously opposed to that revival. They went hand in hand, as our records show, with Bellamy, and Pomeroy, and Wheelock, and Mills, and others, whose names are embalmed in the history of that wonderful "refreshing from the presence of the Lord," and will ever be fragrant among the churches of Connecticut: and, God being on their side, He that was for them being greater than those who were against them, they ultimately triumphed.

The foundations of this church, my brethren, are love of evangelical doctrine, of ecclesiastical liberty, of revivals of religion. Such ever be its superstructure.

SERMON II.

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH FROM ITS FORMATION TO THE PRESENT TIME.

PSALM lxxvii, 11, 12, 13.-I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy works, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary.

In a previous discourse, I have given an account of the origin of this church, and of the peculiarities of the times in which it had its origin, so far only as seemed necessary to elucidate the distinctive character of itself and its founders.

The council which formed or re-established the church, left Mr. Graham, one of their number, to preach to them for a time, and advised them to apply to a convention of ministers, who were expected to meet at Wethersfield the next week, for advice as to some be improved by them as a preacher. applied to this convention, and were Mr. Wheelock,* of Lebanon, an able, judicious, and eloquent friend of the revival, as a suitable person to assist

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suitable person to They accordingly advised to the Rev.

* Dr. Trumbull in his history thus characterizes Mr. Wheelock : Mr., afterwards Doctor and President, Wheelock, was a gentleman of a comely figure, of a mild and winning aspect, his voice smooth and harmonious, the best, by far, that I ever heard. He had the entire command of it. His gesture was natural but not redundant. His preaching and addresses were close and pungent, and yet winning be

them in their ministerial affairs. Upon this advice, on the 17th of May, by Mr. James Pierpont, their messenger, they requested Mr. Wheelock to make them a visit, and employ his ministerial labors among them for a time, and with some aspect to a future fixed improvement there, if Providence should open the way for it. In compliance with this request, Mr. Wheelock came on the 3d of June, and continued with them about a month, preaching, presiding in their meetings, and admitting members to full communion. But, as he was peaceably settled in an important place, and greatly esteemed and beloved by his people, and highly useful in the eastern part of the State, he thought it his duty to remain there.*

At this time, about two months from the formation of the church, such additions had been made to it, that the number of its members was between seventy and eighty. After Mr. Wheelock's departure, the church invited Mr. Graham and Mr. Bellamy† to preach to them by turns.

yond almost all comparison, so that his audience would be melted even into tears before they were aware of it." Vol. II, p. 158. Dr. Wheelock was the founder and first president of Dartmouth College.

Church records, and Trumbull, Vol. II, p. 344.

† Dr. Trumbull thus gives the character of Mr. Bellamy as a preacher: "Mr., afterwards Dr. Bellamy, was a large and well built man, of a commanding appearance; had a smooth strong voice and could fill the largest house without any unnatural elevation. He possessed a truly great mind, generally preached without notes, had some point of doctrine commonly to establish, and would keep close to his point until he had sufficiently illustrated it; and then in an ingenious, close, and pungent manner, he would make the application. When he felt well, and was animated by a large and attentive audience, he would preach in. comparably. Though he paid little attention to language, yet when he became warm and was filled with his subject, he would from the native

At the outset, and for many years, the church had to struggle with great difficulties. The act of toleration, of which they had availed themselves, only gave them the liberty of worshiping by themselves. It did not exempt them from taxation for the support of Mr. Noyes. So that their pecuniary burden was great. This, however, was slight, compared with the violent opposition which they met from the opposers of the revival, the Old Lights, as they were called. These were very numerous, and powerful, in Connecticut, embracing many of the leading ministers, and generally the magistrates and principal gentlemen. They employed all their art and power to suppress the revival, and to keep all ministers from abroad, who favored it, out of the colony, and to confine all, who favored it in the colony, to their own pulpits. The Old Light party was especially strong and active in New Haven county; and the powerful influence of the First Church and its pastor, and of the President and Corporation of the College,* and of the Associationt of

vigor of his soul, produce the most commanding strokes of eloquence, making his audience alive. There is nothing to be found in his writings, though a sound and great divine, equal to what was to be seen and heard in his preaching. His pulpit talents exceeded all his other gifts. It is difficult for any man, who never heard him, to form a just idea of the force and beauty of his preaching." Vol. II, p. 159.

* Mr. Cooke was called to account before the corporation, of which he was a member, for assisting in the formation of this church, and found it expedient, such was the feeling against him, to resign his seat. College records.

+ Dr. Trumbull says: "Of all the ministers and churches in the colony, those of the county of New Haven, manifested the greatest opposition to the work, which was carried on in the religious revival, and adopted the most severe and tyrannical measures to suppress it." See Vol. II, p. 262.

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