there has been nothing in your conduct, which gives me the least ground to suspect your sincerity; yet when I observe the manner in which the best, the most faithful and respectable ministers in the country, are treated at the present day, I feel myself necessitated to proceed with the utmost care and circumspection. I feel myself necessitated to bear public testimony against the gross fraud, which is now almost universally practised in the payment of salaries; and to assure you, that as I mean to devote my life to your service, I shall depend upon your punctually complying, at all times, with the full spirit and intention of your proposals. While this is the case, (and I flatter myself it will always be so,) you may rest assured, that the main object of my attention shall be the interests of your precious and immortal souls.

"Now that grace and mercy may so abound among us, as that your minister may come to you in the spirit of the Master, in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of peace; and that you, by your Christian conduct, may encourage his heart and strengthen his hands in the performance of his work, is the sincere desire and prayer to God of him who subscribes himself

66 Your friend and servant in the Lord,
"WILLIAM ROBINSON.

"Southington, November 15, 1779."

After the reading of this reply, the Society voted "to accept the answer of Mr. Robinson to their call, given in writing." They also appointed Mr. Jonathan Root, Capt. Daniel Lankton, and Lieut. Aaron Webster, "to be a Committee to join with the Church's Committee, to consult with Mr. Robinson and appoint the time for his ordination." Three weeks later they chose Mr. Jonathan Root, Capt. Asa Bray, and Capt. Reuben Hart, as a Committee "to represent the Society before the ordaining Council."

On the same day with the Society, and at another subsequent meeting, the Church adopted the following votes:

November 15, 1779. Voted, to comply with Mr. Robinson's answer with respect to his settling in the work of the Gospel ministry with the said Church.

At the same meeting, Deac. James Smith, Deac. Timothy Clark, Deac. Jonathan Woodruff, Capt. Josiah Cowles, and Lieut. Jonathan Andrews, were chosen a Committee, to confer with Mr. Robinson upon a Plan of Church Discipline, and exhibit the same to the next Church meeting.

Voted also, that Deac. Timothy Clark be appointed to wait on the Committee of the Association, to take their directions respecting the examination of Mr. Robinson.

November 30, 1779. The Committee appointed at the last meeting, to confer with Mr. Robinson upon a Plan of Church Discipline, reported, that they had agreed with Mr. Robinson upon a Confession of Faith, Church Covenant, and Articles of Discipline; and exhibited the same.

Voted, to adopt unanimously the Confession of Faith and Church Cove

nant.

Voted also to adopt the Articles of Church Discipline.

Voted, that Captain Josiah Cowles, Deac. Timothy Clark, Lieut. Aaron Webster, and John Curtiss, be a Committee to wait on Mr. Robinson, in order to agree with him upon a time for his ordination; and also to agree upon an ordaining Council, and to send letters to them in the name of the Church.

Voted, that the same Committee be desired to appoint a day for the Church fast, previous to ordination; and invite two of the neighbouring Ministers to preach upon it.

The Confession of Faith and Covenant, thus unanimously adopted by the church, were drawn up by Mr. Robinson; and have remained until the present day in full validity and without change.*

The day of the ordination was appointed for Wednesday, the 12th day of January, 1780; and letters of invitation to join in the ordaining Council were sent to the churches in Farmington, New Cambridge (now Bristol), Farmingbury, Cheshire, and Kensington. President Stiles had consented to preach the sermon; and a separate letter of invitation was sent to him personally. The church in Yale College, of which Mr. Robinson was a member, and of which the Rev. Dr. Dag

* See the "Confession of Faith and Covenant of the Congregational Church in Southington," printed in 1851.

gett, as Professor of Divinity, was still Pastor, seems not to have been invited; or, at least, was not represented.

The letter to Dr. Stiles has been preserved in connection with his Diary. It is in the handwriting of Mr. Robinson; and reads as follows:

The Church of Christ in Southington, to the Rev. Ezra Stiles D. D. President of Yale College, sendeth greeting:

It having pleased God in his providence to unite the hearts of this Church in the choice of Mr. William Robinson for our Gospel Minister, this is to desire your presence on the twelfth day of January next, to assist in setting him apart to that important work, according to the directions of the Gospel.

Wishing that grace, mercy, and peace may be multiplied unto you, we subscribe ourselves in the name and at the request of the Church,

Your brethren in the Lord,

JOSIAH COWLES,

TIMOTHY CLARK,
AARON WEBSTER,
JOHN CURTISS,

Committee of
the Church.

Southington, Dec. 20, 1779.

N. B. The Council is desired to meet at 12 o'clock the preceding day, at the house of Mr. Jonathan Root, a little north of the meeting-house.*

The winter of 1779-80 is still remembered as the celebrated Hard Winter; when the inner bay of New York was frozen over from the city to Staten Island, and the roads in all parts of the country were blocked up by immense masses of snow. In consequence of the heavy snows, the Council was unable to convene at the time appointed; and the ordination was deferred till the day following. No record of the proceedings of the Council is known to exist, except that preserved by Pres. Stiles in his remarkable manuscript Diary. The following extract comprises the whole of his entry relative to the subject:

"1780, Jan. 12. This was to have been the day of ordination, according to the letters missive which I received from

* On the back of this letter Dr. Stiles endorsed the proceedings at the ordination; but gives them more fully in his Diary, as copied further on.

the church of Southington. But through the severity of the day, and high winds, blowing the snow and filling up the paths, only two churches and three ministers* were convened to-day, and it was deferred till to-morrow. This afternoon, however, we formed and examined Mr. Robinson, the Pastor elect; and the church committee laid before us their transactions and votes respecting his call. In the evening Mr. Newell arrived; having been all day in coming seven miles, and forty men employed in opening the ways. Next day arrived Mr. Pitkin and Mr. Gillet; the latter came part of the way on snow-shoes. The Council this evening allotted the parts, and voted to proceed to ordination to-morrow.

"Jan. 13. This day the ordination of the Rev. William Robinson, late Senior Tutor of Yale College, was attended; a very large congregation assembled on the occasion.

"Extract of Result of Council.

"At a meeting of an Ecclesiastical Council of Elders and Delegates of the Churches of Christ, convened at Southington, January 12, 1780:

66

'Elders present: Rev. Dr. Stiles, President of Yale College.

Rev. Samuel Newell, Pastor of the Church in New Cambridge. Rev. Timothy Pitkin, Pastor of the Church in Farmington. Rev. John Foot, Pastor of the Church in N. Cheshire. Rev. Alexander Gillet, Pastor of the Church in Farmingbury. Rev. Benoni Upson, Pastor of the Church in Kensington.

Delegates present: Deac. Stephen Hotchkiss, from Church in N. Cambridge. Deac. Seth Lee, from Church in Farmington. Deac. Samuel Beach, from Church in N. Cheshire. Brig. Gen. Seth Hart, from Church in Kensington.

"Dr. Stiles was chosen Moderator, and Mr. Foot and Gen. Hart were chosen Scribes.

"Mr. Upson made the first prayer; then I preached on

* Dr. Stiles and Messrs. Foot and Upson.

1 Tim. iv. 14-16. Mr. Foot made the ordaining prayer, during the imposition of the hands of the Presbytery. Mr. Newell gave the charge. Mr. Pitkin made the concluding prayer; and Mr. Foot gave the right hand of fellowship. These, with Mr. Gillet, laid on hands. Hands were not laid on during the charge, according to custom lately in some of the Consociations; though this Council was not a consociated Council, but one elected at large. Three Psalms were sung in Dr. Watts' version. I was two hours in sermon. We began about eleven, and finished at three o'clock; nearly four hours in service. A very decent, crowded, and attentive auditory. The whole was performed with a serious solemnity.

"The Council dined at Mr. Root's. After dinner, as Moderator, I concluded, as I had begun the Council, with prayer; and dissolved it.

"Jan. 14. Very blustering. Visited the venerable and aged, the Rev. Mr. Curtiss, Et. 80 et supra, the first Pastor of the church in Southington, who resigned the ministry about twenty years ago. He attended the ordination with entire satisfaction, and dined with the Council.-Visited also Rev. Mr. Chapman, dismissed five or six years since from the pastoral charge of the church.

"Jan. 16. Lord's day. I preached all day for Mr. Robinson, A. M. Rom. v. 21; P. M. 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. After sermon Mr. Robinson performed a baptism.

"Jan. 18. Returned to New Haven. Snow very deep."

Thus was Mr. Robinson introduced to a sphere of active life and duty, in which he continued for more than forty-one years. He found a home, in which the whole of his after life was passed; and his ashes, with those of many members of his large family, now repose in the public cemetery upon the hill, surrounded by the numerous graves of his parishioners.

The circumstances of his settlement were auspicious. He

*The good President is here a little at fault. Mr. Curtiss died in 1795, aged eighty-eight years. At this time, of course, he was seventy-three years of age. More nearly, twenty-five years.