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mothers, brethren, sisters, houses, and lands, and venture our lives to the greatest hazard for it-twenty-five having gone a thousand leagues for episcopal orders, of whom no less than five have lost their lives, and several others suffered the most dangerous sicknesses, and all at the expense of more than we could well afford; and all this when we might have had the greatest applause of all our friends and acquaintance (if we could have made our consciences easy as we were), and the best preferments they could give.”'

While congregations of European settlers were forming in the villages round Stratford, at Norwalk, Hebron, Middleton, Wallingford, Guilford, and Brantford, neither the native Americans nor the poor Africans were neglected. "I have always (says Johnson) had a catechetical lecture during the summer months, attended by many negroes, and some Indians, about seventy or eighty in all, and, as far as I can find, where the dissenters have baptized one we have baptized two, if not three or four, negroes or Indians, and I have four or five communicants."

Notwithstanding the laborious duties of his Mission, Dr. Johnson found time to continue his favourite study of Hebrew, and to pursue his investigations in moral and metaphysical philosophy. Two treatises which he published about this time-one on logic, the other on metaphysics, were printed together by the celebrated Dr. Franklin, for the use of a college at Philadelphia which he was then projecting. This college was soon afterwards founded; and it is sufficient proof of the high estimation in which the Missionary of Stratford was held by Franklin, that he consulted him about the plan of education, and urged him to accept the presidency of the college. This offer Johnson declined. Two years afterwards, however,

1 Original Letters, vol. xi. 1. 60.

2 Ibid. vol. xii. l. 49.

in 1754, when he was unanimously elected President of King's College, New York, though loth to quit his beloved Stratford, where he had now laboured faithfully for the space of thirty years, he accepted the appointment. Had he done otherwise, the project of founding such an institution' would, for a time at least, have been relinquished. Dr. Johnson, therefore, had no choice; yet he left his Mission with much pain, and to the regret of all his people. Here, therefore, our notice of him, as connected with the Society, might be expected to terminate; but it so happened, that after nine years of active service as head of the college, during which time he spared no exertion to place it on a secure and permanent footing, Dr. Johnson resigned his charge and returned to Stratford. In a letter dated from that place, May 10, 1763, he says: "I am returned to reside here the little time that remains to me, being near 67."

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He had become weary of the "care and labour of the College," and anxious for a more retired life; and this feeling was increased by the death of his wife, who fell a victim to the small-pox. Still he desired to be of what service he could to the Church, by occasionally preaching for Mr. Winslow, and by assisting young candidates who were preparing themselves for Holy Orders. He mentions three who were about to proceed to England for ordination: Mr. Hubbard, of Guilford; Mr. Jarvis, of Middletown; and Mr. Cutting, who had been educated at Eton and Cambridge; a person of piety and virtue, and of much learning and eloquence, who had been several years one of the assistant tutors at King's College."

It should be mentioned that the Society contributed 500l. towards the expense of the building.

2 The successor of Dr. Seabury in the Bishopric of Connecticut.

The year following, the Mission becoming vacant, he expressed to the Society his willingness to resume his duties there, and the offer was of course thankfully accepted. Notwithstanding his now advanced age, he still retained the vigour and activity of youth. He continued, from time to time, to recommend such candidates for holy orders as he considered qualified to fill the vacant Missions; but justly complained of the hardship under which they laboured, in consequence of there being no Bishop in America, of being compelled to go to England for ordination, at an expense of not less than 100%.1

He also took an active part in the controversy, which grew warm about this time, on the subject of introducing Episcopacy into America: but he did not live to witness the success of this long struggle. He was summoned to his rest on the morning of the Epiphany, 1772, to the great "loss of the Society, and of the American Church." "

Intelligence of his death was conveyed to the Society in a letter dated January 24, 1772, and signed by four of his brethren, the Rev. Messrs. Lamson, Dibblee, Leaming, and Hubbard. They write as follows:

"The learned, pious, and most benevolent Doctor Johnson, of Stratford, full of years, faith, and charity, fell asleep in the Lord the sixth instant, with great respect to his memory was interred on the 9th, and a funeral sermon preached to good acceptance by the worthy Mr. Leaming."

1 Report for 1768, p. 50.

2 Ibid. 1773, p. 21.

CHAPTER IX.

CONNECTICUT.

Average number of New England Missionaries-Rev. John Beach-Mission of Newtown and Reading--Steady increase of his Congregations-Controversy with the Independent Ministers-Mr. Sandeman propagates Antinomian views-Want of Clergy-And of a Bishop to ordain-Extension of the Church by Emigration to other Settlements-Mr. Beach's long service-His Death and Character.

THERE is not a little difficulty in conveying to the reader a correct general view of the Missions of the Church in New England during the middle period of the last century. The history is one of details; and there is danger, on the one hand, of becoming tedious by too copious a citation of minute facts, or of being considered vague and general if they are passed by with only an occasional reference. Nothing of a very striking or romantic character is to be expected. The interest of the narrative is that which belongs to its subject-matter; and these brief notices, while they serve to show the good that was effected by the Society with its very limited means, may tend also to expose the short-sighted policy of the nation, in allowing its colonies to grow up without any adequate provision for the education and religious nurture of the people. At the period to which we are referring, and down to the commencement of the American war, there were, on the average, thirty Clergymen maintained by the

Society in the New England States. Each was placed in the centre of an extensive district, with instructions to supply, as far as possible, the spiritual wants of the people within his reach. Not only, therefore, was he called on to minister to the people of his own town and its neighbourhood, but to preach the word, and administer the sacraments, to many distant settlements. Such duties, arduous under any circumstances, must have been more than ordinarily severe in a newly-occupied country, subject to the extremities of heat and cold; yet they appear, upon the whole, to have been discharged with patient and cheerful devotion. And it is therefore with a feeling of the obligation which the Church of England owes to the labourers who were first sent into this portion of the Lord's vineyard, that we proceed to record the names and services of a few of the more distinguished among them.

The Rev. John Beach was educated at the dissenting college of Newhaven, under the Rev. Dr. Johnson, by whose testimony' it appears that he made uncommon proficiency in learning. He was afterwards placed as a dissenting teacher at Newtown, mainly with a view of anticipating, and so thwarting, a scheme then on foot for establishing a Church Mission there. After a time, however, being "an ingenious and studious person," and "having had the advantage of better books," he was convinced of the obligation to conform to the Church, and was sent to England with strong recommendations as candidate for holy orders. Among other testimonials which he presented was one from Mr. Honyman to the Bishop of London in the following terms:-" Mr. Beach

2

1 Johnson's Letter to the Bishop of London, March 25, 1732.

2 MS. Letters, vol. xxiv. p. 121.