Concerning Henry Glover's seeking reconciliation with the Church, for the scandalous evils for which he was cast out, and the Church's receiving of him again, the 11th day of the 6th month, 1644.

Henry Glover having acquainted the elders with his desire of being reconciled to the Church, and to hold forth his repentance to the satisfaction of the Church according to God for those scandalous evils for which he was justly cast out, they appointed him a time and heard him what he could say; which they considered of. And they likewise heard from sundry who conversed with him, of his sorrowful and mournful walking, which was commonly taken notice of, as formerly his scandals were. The elders having prepared the matter for the hearing of the Church, appointed him the next Lord's day to speak before the whole Church in the mixed assembly. After the morning exercise was ended, the ruling elder desired the brethren to stay; and after the assembly was departed, he acquainted them with the desire of Henry Glover, and also desired those brethren that had been most in company with Henry Glover, they should speak what they had observed. Sundry of the brethren then spoke, and gave an encouraging testimony concerning him. The brethren agreed that he should have liberty to speak in the afternoon. After the contribution was ended, the ruling elder declared to the assembly that Henry Glover who stood excommunicated, desired to be reconciled to God and to the Church, and to hold forth his repentance according to God. If the brethren consented that he should now speak, we should take their silence for their consent. After a little pause, the brethren being silent, the ruling elder desired some that stood near the door to call in Henry Glover.* When he came in, the ruling elder spake to him, and told him that he had liberty granted to speak. Then he acknowledged the several facts for which he was cast out, and the rules he had broken; and showed also how many temptations he had been exercised with from Satan since he was cast out; and how God had humbled him for those sins for which he was cast out, and made them bitter to him, and brought him to repentance, and gave him hope of mercy in the preaching of the word; and also expressed his earnest desire of being reconciled to the Church. After he had done speaking, the ruling elder desired the brethren to declare whether he had spoken to their satisfaction; and they declared their apprehensions. Afterwards it was

* See p. 48.

desired of those brethren that lived about him, and had most dealing with him, they should testify how they found the frame of his spirit, and what humiliation and reformation they saw of those evils for which he was cast out; and sundry of the brethren gave a good testimony concerning him. After this it was desired if any other that were not of the Church had anything wherein they were unsatisfied in point of his conversation, they might speak and the Church would consider of it; but none spoke but Goodman Chapman, who spoke something tending to clear him.

"Afterwards it was propounded to the brethren whether they would defer the issuing of this matter till next Lord's day, the business being of so great weight as the loosing a man from his sin and setting him in the fellowship of the Church again. The brethren agreed that it should be deferred till next Lord's day. Henry Glover standing up by a pillar, went hastily down when he saw it was deferred till the next Lord's day, and he let some words fall which had the appearance of discontent because it was not then issued. His carriage in this matter, to the elders and many of the brethren that observed him, had an appearance of passion and pride, as if he thought he had held out that which might have satisfied. It was desired by the elders that he might be called in again. Our pastor stood up and spake to him, and told him that there was a law in the xiiith and xivth Chapt. Levit. concerning the cleansing the leper, that he was to be shut up seven days to see if his leprosy was cleansed. The leper under the law answered the state of an excommunicated person now. And the matter being so weighty, and he having left some suspicion by that carriage of his whether he was perfectly healed or not, made it necessary. [He] told him that the brethren did it out of tenderness to him. So it was respited till the next Lord's day.

"The next Lord's day, Henry Glover was called again, and required to answer some questions that were propounded to him for the more full satisfaction of the Church concerning his repentance, and also concerning his carriage the last Lord's day. After he had answered, it was propounded to the brethren, if they had any other thing to propound to him they should speak. After sundry had spoken to him what they desired, it was propounded to vote in manner following, that if the brethren were so far satisfied with what they had heard Henry Glover hold forth concerning his repentance, as they were willing he should be loosed from the sentence of excommunication under which he stood bound, and to admit him to

the liberties and privileges of the Church he formerly enjoyed, they should declare it by holding up of hands; which they did. Then it was again propounded to vote, if there was any of the brethren that was otherwise minded, they should declare it by holding up of hands. But there was none held up to the contrary; but all the brethren with one consent agreed to the receiving him again.

"Then our pastor stood up, and charged him, telling him that he was in the presence of Christ who searches the hearts and tries the reins; and though the Church judged as men by such rules as they were to walk by, yet the Lord knew whether that which he held forth was in truth or not. But the brethren were apt to receive any thing that they might judge according to rule to be in truth. After he had done speaking he went to prayer, begging a blessing on the ordinance of absolution; and in his prayer went over all the particulars of his sins for which he was censured, and how he was hurried after he was cast out, and how God had brought him to repentance both by his word and by his providences; and he begged of God that he would make it appear his repentance was in truth, and that what was done by the Church might be according to the mind of Christ, and that he would ratify it in heaven. And after prayer [he] pronounced him absolved, thus, 'Henry Glover, I do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by power delegated from Jesus Christ to his Church, pronounce thee absolved and set free from the sentence of excommunication under which thou hast stood bound, and do restore thee to the liberties and privileges of this Church which thou formerly didst enjoy.'"

I know not where to look for a more copious illustration of the duties performed by the ruling elder in the primitive New England Churches, than is contained in the preceding records. Why was this office so early dropped in the Churches generally? The most cogent reason, doubtless, was the difficulty of finding suitable men to sustain the dignity and perform the work of such an eldership. The fathers of New England carried their distinction between Church and State so far, that no man who held any civil office was allowed to hold at the same time an office in the Church. Thus in 1669, Roger Alling having been inadvertently chosen town treasurer when he stood under a nomination for the office of deacon in the Church, the election was set aside, and another treasurer chosen. And ten years earlier, Matthew Gilbert was not put in nomination for the magistracy, till he had ceased to be deacon. See Savage's Winthrop, I, 31.

No. IV.

THE PRIMITIVE MEETING HOUSE IN NEW HAVEN.

THE Custom still lingers in some parts of New England, of seating" the people in the meeting house by a committee. When this custom was given up in New Haven, I have not ascertained. Probably it was continued till about the middle of the last century. In several instances the records of the town exhibit the assignment of persons to seats, with the names of all the individuals. The earliest record of this kind is in the proceedings of "a General Court," or town meeting, "held the 10th of March, 1646." As the record shows both the meeting house and the congregation, I have thought it worth copying.

"The names of people as they were seated in the meeting house were read in court; and it was ordered that they should be recorded which was as followeth, viz:

The middle seats have, to sit in them,

1st seat.

2d seat.

3d seat.

Gibbard.

The Governor and Deputy Governor.

Mr. Malbon, magistrate.

Mr. Evance, Mr. Bracey, Mr. Francis Newman, Mr.

4th seat. Goodman Wigglesworth, Bro. Atwater, Bro. Seely, Bro. Myles.

5th seat. Bro. Crane, Bro. Gibbs, Mr. Caffinch, Mr. Ling, Bro. Andrews.

6th seat. Bro. Davis, Goodman Osborne, Anthony Thompson, Mr. Browning, Mr. Rutherford, Mr. Higginson.

7th seat. Bro. Camfield, Mr. James, Bro. Benham, Wm. Thompson, Bro. Lindall, Bro. Martin.

8th seat. Jno. Meggs, Jno. Cooper, Peter Browne, Wm. Peck, Jno. Gregory, Nich. Elsie.

9th seat.

Edw. Banister, John Herryman, Benja. Wilmot, Jarvis Boykin, Arthur Holbridge.

"In the cross seats at the end,

1st seat. Mr. Pell, Mr. Tuttle, Bro. Fowler.

2d seat.

3d seat.

Thom. Nash, Mr. Allerton, Bro. Perry.
Jno. Nash, David Atwater, Thom. Yale.

4th seat. Robert Johnson, Thom. Jeffery, John Punderson.

5th seat. Thom. Munson, John Livermore, Roger Allen, Jos. Nash, Sam. Whithead, Thom. James.

In the other little seat, John Clarke, Mark Pierce.

1st, Jeremy Whitnell, Wm. Preston, Thomas Kimberly, Thom. Powell.

2d, Daniel Paul, Rich. Beckly, Richard Mansfield, James Russell. 3d, Wm. Potter, Thom. Lampson, Christopher Todd, William Ives.

4th, Hen. Glover, Wm. Tharpe, Matthias Hitchcock, Andrew Low. "On the other side of the door.

1st, John Mosse, Luke Atkinson, Jno. Thomas, Abraham Bell. 2d, George Smith, John Wackfield, Edw. Pattison, Richard Beech.

3d, John Basset, Timothy Ford, Thom. Knowles, Robert Preston. 4th, Richd. Osborne, Robert Hill, Jno. Wilford, Henry Gibbons. 5th, Francis Browne, Adam Nichols, Goodman Leeke, Goodman Daighton.

6th, Wm. Gibbons, John Vincent, Thomas Wheeler, John Brockett. "Secondly, for the women's seats, in the middle.

1st seat.

2d seat. Hooke.

3d seat.

Old Mrs. Eaton.

Mrs. Malbon, Mrs. Grigson, Mrs. Davenport, Mrs.

Elder Newman's wife, Mrs. Lamberton, Mrs. Turner,

Mrs. Brewster.

4th seat.

Myles.

Sister Wakeman, Sister Gibbard, Sister Gilbert, Sister

5th seat. Mr. Francis Newman's wife, Sister Gibbs, Sister Crane, Sister Tuttil, Sister Atwater.

6th seat. Sister Seely, Mrs. Caffinch, Mrs. Perry, Sister Davis, Sister Cheevers, Jno. Nash's wife.

7th seat. David Atwater's wife, Sister Clarke, Mrs. Yale, Sister Osborne, Sister Thompson.

8th seat. Sister Wigglesworth, Goody Johnson, Goody Camfield, Sister Punderson, Goody Meggs, Sister Gregory.

9th seat. Sister Todd, Sister Boykin, Wm. Potter's wife, Matthias Hitchcock's wife, Sister Cooper.

"In the cross seats at the end.

1st, Mrs. Bracey, Mrs. Evance.

4