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58. pastor of a church in that town. Harv. 1772.

At Huron, (Ohio) Col. JOHN S. EDWARDS, aged 38-Member of Congress elect for that State.

At Wallingford, OLIVER STANLEY, Esq. aged 70. Yale, 1768.

At his seat in Clermont, (N. Y.) Hon. ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, late Chancellor of the state of NewYork.

JOEL BARLOW, L. L. D. Minister
Plen. from the U. States to the
Court of St. Cloud. Yale, 1778.

In Otsego county, (N. Y.) Hon,
WILLIAM DowSE, Esq. Member
of Congress elect from the state of
New-York.

At New-Haven Dr. JOHN BARKER. Yale, 1777.

In Virginia, Hon. JOHN TYLER, Esq. Judge of the District Court for On his way from Wilna to Paris, that District.

1813.

Donations to the Missionary Society of Connecticut.

13

Feb. 16. Mrs. Mamri Bishop, of Preble, New-York, a Donation, $3 17. From Rev. John Field, collected in new settlements, 26. From Rev. George Colton, a Donation,

2

Mories received in Hartford for Foreign Missions, and for translating and printing the Holy Scriptures, which were not included in any sums which have been mentioned in our former Numbers-by Mr PETER W. GALLAUDET, which will be forwarded to the Board for Foreign Missions.

From the Rev. D. L. Perry, of Sharon,

From a Friend to Missions, appropriated by the Donor, towards the loss by fire of the Mission-house, &c. at Serampore,

By Mr. HENRY HUDSON.

From Rev. Thomas Robbins, East-Windsor, for translations,
Durham Female Cent Society, Green county, N.Y. for do.
A Friend to the Eastern Mission,

$15

100

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Farmington Female Benevolent Society, by Hon, John Treadwell, 10
A Friend to Foreign Missions, East-Windsor, by do.
Capt. Joseph Dutton, Farmington, by do.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

$ 76 51

A communication has been received with the signature DISCIPLINE, containing many ingenious remarks on the subject of Church Discipline. The Editor is entirely ignorant of the writer, and from whence it came; still, from the aspect of the communication, he believes it has an implied reference to some existing controversy. Should this be the case, an an swer may be expected, and all altercation is forbid in this Magazine. For this reason the piece is laid aside for further information.

FIDELIS is received. A zeal for the truth is commendable; but it ought never to degenerate into unkind reflections on Christians of a denomination different from our own.

HONESTAS, on the unlawfulness of Lotteries, contains nothing new on the subject. To fill the pages of the Magazine with arguments which have been long before the public, would be improper.

An account of a Revival of Religion in Monson, (Mass.) is come to hand. It was unfortunately mislaid, until too late an hour to insert it in this Number. It will have a place in our next.

ERRATUM.

Page 80, of our last Number, 6th line from bottom, for Newington, read Rocky-hill.

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An Historical View of the First
Planters of New England.

5.

No. XIX.

(Continued from page 91.)

W

[No. 4.

of reproach, the language of irreligion, and of ignorance, would despoil the planters of these colonies of all their claims to the gratitude and esteem of posterity. Some of the reflections of opprobrium which have been lib. erally cast upon them, we will now attempt to examine.

It has been objected to the first settlers of New England, that they made the holy scriptures the foundation of their civil laws. This position is true. They did adopt the laws of Moses, which are of a civil nature, together

E now proceed, in the course of our remarks, to take notice of some objections which have been made to the character and institutions of our venerable ancestors. It is well known that humanum est errare, Error is the portion of humanity; and that the fathers of the New England colonies could not be ex-with the civil precepts which are empt from the common share of found in other parts of the scriphuman imperfection. And while tures, as the fundamental princithe language of panegyric would ples of their civil polity. At the draw their character without its request of the General Courtof shades, it passes to the regions Massachusetts, Mr. Cotton preof fiction, presenting an exhibi-pared an abstract of the judicial tion of persons that never had a laws of Moses, which were adoptbeing in reality. The best of ed as the fundamental laws of men have always their errors the colony. The body of laws and defects, till they arrive to which were compiled for the cothat state of being where the spi-lony of New Haven, by Gov. rits of the just are made perfect. Eaton, was drawn principally On the other hand, the language | from the same source. The VOL. VI. No. 4. Q

Connecticut colony founded their, capital laws entirely upon the laws of Moses; and from the same authority all their ancient laws received their complexion. Some, if not all the colonies, adopted the laws of Moses for their common law. In cases for which they had no particular statute that was applicable, the Jewish law was made the rule of procedure.

before Christ. The senate and people feeling the want of fixed laws, having continued from the foundation of the city almost destitute of any that were written and permanent, three of the most illustrious patricians were sent to Greece to make a collection of the principal laws from those states which were most distinguished for their wisdom and refinement. From this collection, was compiled the laws of the Twelve Tables. The collection made by the Roman ambassadors was taken principally from the laws of Minos, Lycurgus, and Solon. Those eminent lawgivers obtained the principles of their legislation in their travels in Phenicia, a term applied by other nations to the land of Judea. Thus, directly, are the civil laws of the most eminent nations of ancient and modern times, derived from the institutions of the heaven-enlightened Lawgiver of Israel.— Some of the tribes of Israel were a commercial people, and maintained a constant intercourse with the neighboring countries. By this means, the religion and laws of the Hebrews became known in Egypt, in Crete, in the states of Greece,on the coasts of the Red Sea, and in the countries of the east. In this way, as well as by the labors of travellers, many of their institutions were adopted in all the surrounbles. Of these, Cicero observ-ding nations. As Israel rose to ed, as quoted by BishopWatson, its highest prosperity, in the "This little book alone exceeds reigns of David and Solomon, the libraries of all the philoso- while the adjacent countries phers, in the weight of its au- were in the infancy of civilizathority, and in the extent of tion and power, they would natits utility." The Twelve Ta-urally receive from them the bles were a body of laws compi- principles of political science.led in Rome about 450 years' The political regulations of all

In these regulations, the early politicians of New England acted according to the dictates of the soundest judgment. The laws of all civilized nations are founded, essentially, upon the institutions of the great Lawgiver of the Hebrews. As much has been said upon this particular trait in the character of the New England fathers, I think it proper to point out the steps by which the civil institutions of the most refined nations have been derived from those of the Israelites. It is well known that the states of modern Europe have derived their civil laws from the laws of the Romans. The discovery of the Pandects of Justinian in the twelfth century, having, for a long period, been lost, has been declared to be a principal means of civilizing modern Europe. These were a digest of all the Roman laws.The fundamental laws of Rome, from which all others sprung, were the laws of the Twelve Ta

the most celebrated lawgivers of antiquity, contain the clearest internal evidence that they were formed on the model of the laws of Moses.

nies in an uncultivated wilderness, far remote from any civilized country. A great portion of the essential characteristics of the governments of Europe they intended to avoid. They were attempting the establishment of a Christian commonwealth. The policy of no country could be very conformable to their circumstances. The laws of the Israelites were as well suited to their condition, as those of any other people. These had re

If this be a correct representation of this subject, where was the error in the early legislators of New-England in making the civil precepts which are contained in the scriptures, the basis of their political institutions?Would it have been more wise to have adopted the policy of European states, derived origin-ceived the impress of divine

wisdom, and they had the sanction of the most efficient success. Never did any legislator give laws to a people in a lower state, than were the tribes of Israel while journeying in the wilderness.

ally from the same source, after passing through all the modifications of Grecian caprice...of Roman despotism...of feudal tyranny? Those who hate divine revelation are ready to receive the most important civil institutions from Vandals and Goths, but are ashamed to acknowledge a dependence on the laws of Moses. Yet, Goths, Romans, Greeks, Saracens, and Persians, drew their most essential principles of civil government from the precepts of the Hebrew lawgiver. Zoroaster, Solon, and Mahomet, were in-laws of Moses possess the highest debted to him for their finest political maxims.

And never did any system of government conduct a. people to a higher pitch of national prosperity. And all this in that remote period of time in which they led the way in the list of empires. If success is the best evidence of the wisdom of political institutions, the

possible recommendation. Then, will impartial judgment pronounce censure upon our ancestors for making these the basis of their political institutions?

No charge has been urged against the fathers of New England with so much assurance as that of persecution. The uniform cry of infidelity and false religion in this country has ever been, Our fathers fled from their native country to avoid perse

Yet it has been a matter of great surprise that our ancestors should adopt the judicial laws of Moses for their coinmon law. Common law is necessary for every people. No provisions of statute can reach every case that may occur for the cognizance of law. The American States, generally, adopt the laws of England for their common law. The common law of Eng-cution, and having arrived in land is the Roman law. It was America they became persecunecessary that some standard of tors themselves. Strictly speathis kind should be adopted by king, this is wholly untrue. Perthe colonists of New England. secution consists in depriving They were planting small colo-persons of rights, or in punishing

them for the exercise of rights,, the existing order of the churches to which by the laws of nature and the community, thus unsetand the privileges of their birth- tling the public mind, and shakright they are entitled. The ing the basis of general tranquilobject of these emigrants, in lity, were required to depart from leaving their native country and their jurisdiction. Their magisattempting a new settlement in trates caused those laws to be defiance of all the perils of a executed, with much prudence most forbidding wilderness, was and discretion. Mrs. Hutchinto form a community in confor- son and her adherents, by the mity with what they deemed pertinacity with which they the true principles of the gospel publicy maintained their errors, of Christ. For this purpose they destroyed the harmony and chose a vacuum domicilium, au threatened the existence of the unoccupied portion of creation; Massachusetts colony. They and the only favor which they were required to depart from the desired of their fellow-men, was jurisdiction. The magistrates to be left unmolested. As they did not question their right of oinvaded the rights of no person pinion,but would not suffer them living, they had every reason to inculcate their sentiments to claim the privilege of regula- within the limits of the colony, lating the internal concerns of to the disturbance of the public their community according to peace. The most of the events their own sense of justice and about which the cry of persepropriety. The colonial legisla- cution has been so loudly raised, tures, in several instances enact-consisted in transactions of this ed laws against the inculcation kind. Roger Williams and his of religious sentiments, and a-adherents were required to degainst religious practices, which were opposed essentially to the systems which they had adopted, As they were wishing to make a fair experiment of their own sentiments, they resolved not to admit the advocates of opposing sentiments to their community. Their laws therefore, prohibited the settlement of persons of such a description, within the estab lished limits of the colonies. And while all men were allow ed to entertain what opinions they pleased concerning God and his revealed truth, provided they were not publicly advo-sociations are of a voluntary nacated; those who persisted in ture, and essential differences of their endeavours to inculcate sentiments defeat the end of the what were believed to be errors, connection. The companies of what were at least opposed to emigrants who commenced the

part from the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. This separation did not prevent the continuance of a friendly intercourse between him and the government of Massachusetts, which continued to the end of his life. Yet the difference of his religious sentiments from those generally received in the colony, was such that it was thought necessary for him to leave the jurisdiction. No one considers it persecution for any ecclesiastical community to exclude any individual from their connection, in consequence of a difference of sentiment. Such as

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