the family of Governor Eaton. This distinguished man is the more naturally remembered in this connection, inasmuch as within less than a century after his death, a citizen of New Haven, once like him an almanack maker, and probably of the same lineage with him, though not directly descended from him, affixed the name of Sherman to the memorable instrument which forever absolved the United States of America, from their allegiance to the British crown.*

The Rev. THOMAS JAMES, before coming to this country, had labored as a minister with approbation and success, in Lincolnshire. He came over in the year 1632, and immediately became pastor of the Church in Charlestown, which Church was at that time first separated from the Church in Boston. Having lived there three years and a half, he resigned his pastoral charge on account of difficulties between himself and a part of his people, originating, as Gov. Winthrop informs us, in his melancholy temper. In the expectation, probably, of finding employment as pastor or teacher in some of the Churches to be formed in the new colony, he came to this place with the first settlers, and resided here as a planter for several years.

In 1642, a gentleman of Virginia came to Boston with letters, addressed to the ministers of New England, from many well disposed people in the upper and newer parts of Virginia, "bewailing their sad condition for want of the means of salvation, and earnestly entreating a supply of faithful ministers, whom, upon experience of their gifts and godliness, they might call to office." These letters having been publicly read at Boston on a lecture day, the elders of the Churches in that neighborhood met, and having devoted a day to consultation and prayer in reference to so serious a proposal, agreed upon three settled ministers who they thought might best be spared, each of them having a teaching colleague. The result was, that two ministers, Mr. Knolles of Watertown and Mr. Tompson of Braintree, were by their Churches dismissed

* Mather, Magn. III, 162. Church Records.

to that work, and went forth upon the mission under the patronage of the General Court. To this mission,-the first American home missionary undertaking,-the Rev. Thomas James of New Haven was added. The mission was not unsuccessful; "they found very loving and liberal entertainment, and were bestowed in several places, not by the governor, but by some well disposed people who desired their company." Their ministry there was greatly blessed, and greatly sought by the people; and though the government of that colony interfered to prevent their preaching, "because they would not conform to the order of England," "the people resorted to them, in private houses, to hear them as before." Their preaching, even in this more private manner, was not tolerated. An order was made, that those ministers. who would not conform to the ceremonies of the Church of England should, by such a day, depart from the country.‡ Thus their mission being brought to an end, they came back to New England.

Afterwards, during the period of the suppression of monarchy and prelacy in his native country, Mr. James returned to England, leaving here a son of the same name, who was for many years a member of this Church, and was afterwards the first minister of Easthampton, on Long Island. The father obtained a settlement in the parish Church of Needham, in the county of Suffolk, in England, from which he was ejected by the act of uniformity, in 1662. He had a pretty numerous Church after his ejection; and he left behind him, there, the reputation of an eminently holy man. It may be added, as an illustration of the indignities to which the ejected ministers of 1662 were subjected, that "though he was much beloved and esteemed, yet, when he died, the clergyman who came in his place would not allow him to be buried in any other part of the churchyard, but that unconsecrated corner left for rogues, whores, and excommunicates,-though

Winthrop, II, 78.

+ Winthrop, II, 96.

Mather, Magn. III, 216.

the clergyman owed his benefice to the noble uprightness of Mr. James's heart."*

The Rev. SAMUEL EATON, whom I have mentioned on a former occasion, resided in this place till the year 1640, when he returned to England with the design of gathering there a company of emigrants who should settle what was afterwards called Branford, that tract having been granted him "for such friends as he should bring over from Old England." Being detained awhile at Boston, his occasional services in that place excited so much interest, that earnest proposals were made to him for a permanent settlement there,—which he rejected. Arriving in England at a time when the Established Church seemed to be about to undergo a general and thorough reformation, and when men of the Puritan party, no longer driven into banishment by persecution, had the strongest hopes of the political and religious renovation of their own country, he found more encouragement to remain there than to come back into this wilderness. He became teacher of a Congregational Church gathered at Duckenfield, in Cheshire, his native county, whence he removed, probably with some part of his congregation, to the neighboring borough of Stockport. In this place, he had difficulty with his people, some of whom, it is said, "ran things to a great height, and grew wiser than their minister." He also was one of the two thousand ministers who, in 1662, were silenced. in one day, by the act of uniformity-not merely turned out of their livings, but silenced, because they could not submit to all that was required by the rubrics and canons of the national Church. After his ejection, many of his old hearers

*

Calamy.-Prince's Annals, 71, 72. The learned editor of Winthrop, in his note on Thomas James, (I, 94,) is a little too severe upon Mather. That quaint and conceited historian does not "blunder in giving two of the name" of James; nor had he been careful enough to ascertain "the name of baptism of both" would he have "inferred the identity of the person." Mather is the most vexatious of all writers; for it is evident on almost every page, that he suppresses much information pertinent to his subject, for the sake of lugging in his "ass's load" of pedantic lumber; but it is easier to suspect him, than to convict him, of a positive inaccuracy in such matters,

who had disliked him much while he was their minister, being now brought to commune with him in difficulties and sufferings, "were wrought into a better temper." He suffered many things not only from the persecution which raged against the silenced ministers, being "several times brought into trouble and imprisoned," but from many other sources,till, on the 9th of June, 1665, he died at Denton in Lancashire, and was buried in the chapel there. He is described as having been "a very holy man, of great learning and judgment, and an incomparable preacher." His funeral sermon was preached, according to his own appointment, from the words of Job, (xix, 25-27,) "I know that my Redeemer liveth," &c. The preacher on that occasion dwelt much on the afflictions of the deceased. The departed good man was spoken of as having been "much afflicted in his estate in the times of the former bishops," and as having been more recently "afflicted in his body, liberty, friends, good name, and oft times and many ways troubled and grieved in his spirit." His afflictions had been "many and great, and some of long continuance." He had been wronged in his good name, "not by enemies, but friends." "He had suffered for a season the loss of speech, being thus unfitted for public service." "Some of those to whom he had preached, and with whom he had walked, had greatly distressed his heart with their errors in doctrine, and their scandals and divisions; some had returned him evil for good, and hatred for good will, and had filled him with reproaches." He had "been dying many years," and at last departed in an evil time, leaving his friends and the Church of God in great and general affliction. Yet he died not till God, having humbled him and proved him, had "cleared his innocency, and restored him to some measure of usefulness." "By the goodness of God, he died, notwithstanding all his enemies, in his own house and bed, and came to his grave in peace, according to his heart's desire."*

*The funeral sermon, preached for the Rev. Samuel Eaton, is found in the works of Oliver Heywood, V, 509.

He was the author of several works published in vindication of the divinity and atonement of Christ, against some Socinian adversary. He was also author, in partnership with his colleague in the ministry, at Duckenfield, of two works written to defend the Congregational church order against the claims of Presbyterianism.* It is testified by a bitter enemy,† that he was "held in wonderful esteem" by the Puritans in that part of the kingdom, and that he was "a most pestilent leading person" among them. As an instance of the consideration in which he was held, it is stated that he was, in his own county, an assistant to the commissioners appointed by Parliament for the ejection of scandalous, ignorant and insufficient ministers and schoolmasters; and this it

* The published works of Samuel Eaton, as enumerated by Wood, are the following:

"A Defense of Sundry Positions and Scriptures, alledged to justify the Congregational Way. London, 1645, quarto. It contains about 130 pages.

"Defense of Sundry Positions and Scriptures, for the Congregational Way justified: The second part. London, 1646. It contains about 46 pages." [In this and the preceding work, he was assisted by his colleague at Duckenfield, Timothy Taylor. A copy of the second is in the library of Harvard University.]

"The Mystery of God incarnate: or, the Word made Flesh, cleared up, &c. London, 1650; octavo. Written against John Knowles, a Socinian, who had answered our author Eaton's Paper concerning the Godhead of Christ.

"Vindication, or further Confirmation of some other Scriptures, produced to prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ, distorted and miserably wrested and abused by Mr. John Knowles, &c. London, 1651; octavo.

"The Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction, and of the Reconciliation of God's part to the Creature. Printed with the Vindication.

"Discourse Concerning the Springing and Spreading of Error, and of the Means of Cure, and of Preservation against it. Printed also with the Vindication.

"Treatise of the Oath of Allegiance and Covenant, showing that they oblige not." [The date of this publication is not given; but a reply to it was published in 1650.]

"The Quakers Confuted, &c. Animadverted upon by that sometimes noted and leading Quaker, called George Fox, in his book entitled, The Great Mystery of the Great Whore unfolded: And Anti-Christ's Kingdom revealed unto destruction, &c. London, 1659."

+ Wood, Athenæ Oxon.