The colony of Newhaven, from the beginning, made provision for the interests of religion, learning, and the good conduct of the inhabitants, with no less zeal than Connecticut.

The care and piety of the first planters did not rest here; but they were careful, as soon as their circumstances were adequate, to found public seminaries, in which young men might be prepared for the ministry, and all places of importance in civil or religious life.

By these means, knowledge, at an early period, was generally diffused among people of all ranks. This abundant public and private instruction, and constant attention to the morals, industry, and good conduct of the inhabitants, have been the means of that general illumination, which has always been observable among the people of Connecticut, and of that high degree of civil, ecclesiastical, and domestic peace and order, which, for so long a period, have rendered them eminent among their neighbours. In this way, they have been formed, not only to virtue, but to industry, economy, and enterprise.

For many years, there were no sectaries in Connecticut. The churches, in general, enjoyed great peace and harmony, during the continuance of the first ministers and settlers: but these being dead or removed, and a new generation having risen up, who had not all imbibed the sentiments and spirit of their pious fathers, the general state of the country was greatly altered. The people, at first, were generally church members, and eminently pious. They loved strict religion, and followed their ministers into the wilderness for its sake. But, with many of their children, and with others, who had since arrived in the country, the case was different. They had made no open profession of religion, and their children were not baptized. They wished for the honours and privileges of church members for themselves, and baptism for their children, though destitute of the qualifications deemed necessary by some of their ministers. A diversity of opinions, on this subject, led to a diversity of practice, and ended in divisions and separations. While the churches were thus

divided, about the subjects of baptism, they were alarmed by the appearance of the Quakers, who renounced all outward baptism with water. In 1656, Connecticut passed a severe law against them, which was calculated to drive them out of the country.

While settlements and churches were forming, in various parts of the colony, and the English inhabitants were providing for their own instruction, some pains were taken to instruct and Christianize the Connecticut Indians. The ministers of the several towns, where Indians lived, instructed them as they had opportunity: but all attempts, for Christianizing the aborigines of Connecticut, were attended with but little success. They were engaged, a great part of their time, in such implacable wars among themselves, were so totally ignorant of letters, and the English language, and the ministers, in general, were so entirely ignorant of their dialect, that it was extremely difficult to teach them. Not one Indian church was ever gathered by the ministers in Connecticut. Several Indians, however, in some of the towns, became Christians, were baptized, and admitted to full communion in the churches.

The gospel had the most happy effect upon the Quinibaug or Plainfield Indians. Many of these were reformed, as to their manner of living. They became temperate, and held religious meetings. Numbers of them joined the church, and had the sacraments administered to them.*

* In 1650, a society in England, instituted for propagating the gospel, began a correspondence with the commissioners of the united colonies, who were employed as agents for the society. This greatly assisted the exertions which were then making to Christianize the Indians. The Rev. Mr. Eliot, minister of Roxbury, had distinguished himself in this pious work. He had established towns, in which he collected Indian families, taught them husbandry, the mechanic arts, and a prudent management of their affairs; and instructed them, with unwearied attention, in the principles of the Christian religion. His zeal and success have justly obtained for him the title of an apostle.

He began his labours about the year 1646. The first pagans, who enjoyed his labours, resided at Nonantum, now the east part of Newton. Being encouraged by the success of his first attempt, he soon afterwards opened a

During the term of seventy years from the settlement of Connecticut, the Congregational had been the only mode of worship in the colony: but the society for propagating the gospel in foreign parts, early in the eighteenth century, fixed two or three Episcopal missionaries in the province. Both the magistrates and ministers frowned upon them, and advised the people not to attend their preaching; but the opposition only increased the zeal of their adherents. The clergy of Connecticut, about the beginning of the eighteenth century, planned and organized the college, which was finally established in Newhaven. Their leading motive was to educate young men for the ministry of the gospel. Of the first

lecture at Neponsit, within the present bounds of Dorchester. These two lectures he continued several years, without any reward or encouragement, but the satisfaction of doing good. Besides preaching to them, he formed two catechisms, one for the children, the other for adults. They readily learned these catechisms. They also seriously attended public preaching, and generally prayed in their families, morning and evening.

After a number of years, certain individuals in England, affected by the pious and disinterested labours of Mr. Eliot, raised generous contributions, for his encouragement. These he gratefully received, declaring, at the same time, that he had never expected any thing. By such timely aid, he was enabled to educate his five sons at college. All these were distinguished for their piety, and all, excepting one, who died while a member of college, were preachers of the gospel. Other ministers, in different parts of New England, influenced by the example of Mr. Eliot, zealously engaged in the missionary work.

That the natives might have the word of God in their own language, Mr. Eliot translated the Bible for their use. The New Testament was published in 1661; and the whole Bible soon after. The expense was borne by the society for propagating the gospel in New England. Mr. Eliot also composed and translated several other books on religious subjects. He took care that schools should be opened in the Indian settlements, where their children were taught to read. Some were placed in English schools, and others studied Latin and Greek. Several were sent to Cambridge university. The legislature instituted judicial courts among the natives, answering to the county courts of the colony. In these courts, one English judge was united with those chosen by the natives. They had rulers and magistrates, elected by themselves, who managed their smaller matters. In the last half of the seventeenth century, there were, in New England, twenty-four congregations, and several hundreds of praying Indians; but these, in common with others, have gradually diminished almost to extinction.

forty-six graduates of this institution, thirty-four became preachers. The power of ordination, which has been always exercised by Congregational ministers, in Connecticut, has been discreetly used. They have ever been attentive to the morals and literary character of those whom they ordained to the pastoral office. In consequence thereof, their churches have been distinguished for a learned and pious ministry. In 1713, the number of ordained ministers in Connecticut was forty-three; or one minister to every four hundred persons, or eighty families. Their population and clergy have ever since been increasing, and in a corresponding ratio of one to the other. Churches were at all times planted so near to each other, as to make attendance on public preaching convenient to all the inhabitants. These churches, though numerous, have seldom been vacant. Such has been the state of religion in Connecticut, in every period since its first settlement.*

RHODE ISLAND.

The first settlement of Rhode Island was owing to religi ous persecution. Roger Williams,† on whom a sentence of banishment had been passed, in 1635, by Massachusetts, laid, in 1636, the foundation of the town of Providence. In

* For much of the information contained in the preceding pages, the author acknowledges himself indebted to the Rev. Dr. Trumbull, author of the history of Connecticut. The talents of the writer, and the merits of his subject, are proportioned to each other; for, the history of one of the best governed states, in the Union, has been ably written, by one of the most accurate and faithful historians in the United States.

Roger Williams, the father of Providence Plantation, was born in Wales, in 1599, and was educated at Oxford. After having been for some time a minister in the church of England, his non-conformity induced him to seek religious liberty in America. He arrived at Boston, in 1631. His peculiar sentiments and conduct soon brought him before the court, where he was accused of holding several opinions, said to be injurious to the order of the church, and peace of society. As he could not be induced to retract any of them, sentence of banishment was passed upon him. He escaped, and went,

1638, John Clarke, and others, purchased of the Indians the principal island, which was called Rhode Island, and incorporated themselves into a body politic, making choice of William Coddington as their chief magistrate. In 1644, Roger Williams, who had been sent to England, as agent, obtained a patent for the Providence plantations. They were, however, incorporated with Rhode Island. The executive power was placed in the hands of a president and four as

with four of his friends, to Rehoboth, and, crossing the river, laid the foundation of a town, which, in acknowledgment of God's goodness to him, he called Providence. He purchased the land of the Indians, and, while he claimed liberty of conscience for himself, he granted it to others. He studied the Indian language, and used his endeavours to impart to the savages the blessings of the gospel. He had the entire confidence of the Indian sachems, and was employed by government as an agent between them and the English settlers. In this capacity, his conduct was marked with fidelity, disinterestedness, and wisdom. In 1643, he went to England, as agent for the colonists, to procure an act, confirming their voluntary government. He obtained a charter, and, returning with it, landed at Boston, in 1644. Though he was still under sentence of banishment, a letter of recommendation, from some of the principal members of parliament, secured l.im from any interruption, on his way to Providence. In 1651, he went again to England, as an agent for the colony, and continued there till 1654. On his return, he was chosen president of the government. In this station, he was continued till 1657. His sphere of usefulness was extensive. He was the father of one of the provinces, and a writer in favour of civil and religious freedom, more bold, just, and liberal, than any of his predecessors or contemporaries. The first of Mr. Williams's publications was a dialogue between Truth and Peace, a book of 247 pages, printed in London, 1644. It required great boldness of thinking, and uncommon abilities, to write this work. Sentiments were promulgated in it, at that time of intolerance, which were afterwards admired in the writings of Milton, Locke, and Furneau. His ideas of the right of every man to think for himself were unusually correct. The various scenes, through which he passed, did not induce any alterations of his opinions, or religious freedom. He died in 1682, in the 85th year of his age. He seems, in the early part of his residence in America, to have been governed by a blind zeal; but his memory is deserving of lasting honour, for the generous toleration which he established, and for the correctness of his opinions concerning liberty of conscience, at an early period, when all sects believed in the rectitude of using power in possession, for supporting their respective tenets. An extraordinary mode of doing honour to his memory, was adopted 120 years after his death. A bank, lately established at Providence, Rhode Island, is called "Roger Williams's Bank."