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MEMOIR.
MEMOIR OF THE LIFE
OF THE
RT. REY. ALEXANDER YIETS GBISWOLD, D. D.
BISHOP OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH
IN THE
EASTERN DIOCESE.
BY JOHN S. STONE, D. D.
RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, BROOKLYN, N. Y .
WITH AN APPENDIX.
TO WHICH ARE ADDED
A SERMON, CHARGE, AND PASTORAL LETTER
OF THE
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PHILADELPHIA:
STAVELY AND McCALLA,
No. 12 Pear street.
♦—
1844.
Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1S44, by
STAVELY & McCALLA,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of
Pennsylvania.
PREFACE.
This word may be defined ; that part of a book, which
is always written last ; though, if read at all, it is usually
read first. In olden times, it used to make no inconside-
rable portion of the work, to which it belonged ; and was
sometimes no contemptible volume by itself. In attempt-
ing, however, a preface to the present work, the writer
finds that he has little to add for the edification of his
reader. All that he had to say has been already said. The
best essay on the character and life of Bishop Griswold will
be found in his own recorded words and actions. These
have been given with as much justice to the Bishop himself
and with as little offence to others, as was possible. The
memoir will be found valuable, chiefly as a record of cha-
racter, and of the dealings of God's grace and providence ;
though it is hoped that, as a small contribution to our eccle-
siastical history, the book will be found not altogether value-
less. Whatever its value, in this respect, may be, how-
ever, there need be little hesitation in saying, that the
character of the holy man, whose life is now sent forth, and
the dealings of God in the formation of that character, de-
serve to be had in remembrance : they cannot too deeply,
too widely, or too enduringly impress themselves on the
living Church of Christ.
To those, who have kindly assisted the following work,
by the contribution of original letters from the Bishop, and
of other valuable documents, the writer begs, in this way,
VIII PREFACE.
to express his unfeigned thanks. Many invaluable letters
from the same pen have, indeed, been either lost, or with-
held ; still, enough have been furnished to shew the value of
the rest, and to lay the religious public under deep obliga-
tion to those, who so generously responded to the call for
such contributions.
And now, nothing remains but to commit to God's favor
and blessing the pages, which have been penned ; and to
say that, if they do the reader as much good as they have
the writer, he may well be satisfied with his work, and
devoutly thank God that he has not labored in vain.
CONTENTS.
Preface, ....
The Bishop's ancestry, parentage and birth,
His childhood and youth, .--...
From his marriage to his ordination as Presbyter,
From his ordination to the close of his ministry in Con-
necticut, ....--..
From his settlement in Bristol to his consecration as Bishop,
Account of the organization of the Eastern Diocese and of
the election and consecration of Bishop Griswold,
Early events in his Episcopate, - - - -
Brief notices of the Eastern Diocese, and of the life of its
Bishop as therewith connected,
Call to St. Peter's, Salem, in 1813 ; Influence of the war on
the state of the Church ; Burning of Portsmouth, N. H.
Origin of St. James', Greenfield ; Letter to a Lay-reader,
on Canon 19th, of 1808 ; St. Mary's, Newton; Letters to
the Rev. T. Strong; Call to Cambridge in 1816; The
Bishop's Charge of 1814 noticed in England; Correspon-
dence with the Rev. J. Pratt, Secretary of the Church
Missionary Society in England ; Prosperity of the Church
in 1816. The Bishop invited to perform Episcopal duties
in Connecticut after the death of Bishop Jarvis ; Scarcity of
Prayer books and clergy ; Church in the valley of the
Connecticut ; Gen. Theol. Sem. ; Letter to the Rev. P.
Chase, Bishop-elect of Ohio ; Obstacles to the growth of
the Church, 1818; Resolution against fashionable amuse-
ments ; Letter to the Rev. A. L. Baury ; Origin of St.
Paul's, Boston, 1819 ; Church organized in the new
State of Maine; Motion for changing Biennial for Annual
Conventions ; Motives to Missionary labor ; Pastoral Let-
ter for 1820 from the House of Bishops; "Gospel Advo-
PAGE.
7 8
13 27
28 55
56 72
73-
99-
132-
169-
211
-98
-131
-168
-210
:• CONTENTS.
cate" established; Decayed Churches, and Letter to the
Rev. Mr. Carlile ; views of the Bishop's character, firm,
yet yielding; Interesting- Letter, on his tour in 1821;
views of character ; Last Biennial Convention, 1822 ;
Division of the Diocese first proposed in 1822 ; Notices of
the Annual Address for 1821 ; Special General Conven-
tion of 1821 ; System of Sunday School Instruction pro-
posed ; First notice of Prayer-meetings ; Correspondence
with Bishop Hobart, &c, on the case of Dr. Ducachet;
Case of the Rev. Mr. Bristed ; Difficulties in St. Paul's,
Boston, and case of Dr. Jarvis ; Episcopal prayer-meet-
ings ; Essays on the proposed alterations of the Liturgy ;
Character of the Bishop's Annual Addresses ; The Rev. A.
Potter succeeds to St. Paul's, Boston ; Domestic afflictions ;
Clerical Association suggested ; Proposed Theological
Seminary ; Church principles, and responsibilities ; In-
teresting extracts ; Growth of the Church in Boston, and
rise of Grace Church parish ; The Bishop's removal from
Bristol to Salem ; Death of the Rev. Geo. Griswold ;
Volume of Sermons, published ; Scarcity of clergy ; Peril
on Narraganset Bay ; The Bishop's punctuality ; Anec-
dotes illustrative; Massachusetts movements in 1831;
Correspondence with the Rev. Mr. Bristed, on exchange
of pulpits, &c. ; Opening movements in 1832 ; Vermont
becomes an independent Diocese ; Parting letter to Bishop
Griswold; Massachusetts movements in 1832; Annual
Address for 1832 ; Can a Bishop resign his Jurisdiction ?
Origin of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Convoca-
tions; Organization; Notice of Convocation; Oratorios
in Churches ; Letter to E. A. N. ; The Bishop retires from
pastoral duty and settles in Boston ; Diocesan Theological
Seminary again urged ; History of the efforts to organize
and endow the Seminary ; Death of Bishop White leaves
Bishop Griswold Senior and Presiding Bishop; Letter to
Bishop B. T. Onderdonk ; Dissolution of the Diocese again
proposed, and rejected ; State of the Church in Boston in
1836 ; Dangerous illness in 1837 ; Effort to elect an Assist-
ant in 1837-8 ; Thoughts on the proposed election ; Views
of the Diocese; Pastoral Letter for 1838 from the House
of Bishops ; Attempt to make the Conventions of the East-
PAGE.
CONTENTS. Xi.
t%- • 7 • PAGE.
em Diocese triennial, instead of annual; Annual Address
for 1839 ; Letter to the Rev. G. S. Coit ; Farewell Mission-
ary meeting at St. Bartholomew's, New York, and Letter
of Instructions to the Missionaries ; Foreign Correspond-
ence, on intercommunion of Churches; Pastoral Letter for
1841 from the House of Bishops; Critique on Church Edi-
fices ; The Bishop's letter of commendation to the Rev. J.
C. Richmond ; Reply to strictures on the letter in the New
York Churchman ; Unjust charge against the Bishop re-
futed ; Mar Yohanna ; Renewed Critique on Church Edi-
fices ; Conventions of Massachusetts and the Eastern Dio-
cese in 1842; Election of Dr. Eastburn as Assistant
Bishop; Importance of this election; Consecration of
Bishop Johns; Consecration of Bishop Eastburn; State
of Eastern Diocese ; Bishop Griswold still labors ; Essays
on the Reformation ; The Bishop's Protestantism ; Closing
View of the Eastern Diocese, 211 45q
Extracts, &c, from private journals and from private letters
during the Episcopate of Bishop Griswold, ... 460 508
Parochial Life of Bishop Griswold after the year 1812, - 509 527
Domestic life and character of Bishop Griswold, - - 528 554
Appendix, ........ 555 57s
Sermon, ......... 579. — 5 91
Pastoral Letter, 594 60 1
Charge, - ... 602 620
MEMOIR, &c
THE BISHOP'S ANCESTRY, PARENTAGE AND BIRTH.
To keep alive after death, the memory and influence of
a great man, is not necessarily the most beneficent office of
the biographer. Nor is this office always found in the work
of transmitting to posterity the character and actions of even
a good man. It is only when, to the qualities, which mark
the good, is added somewhat of the attributes, which con-
stitute the great, man also, gone to his dwelling among those
dead who are yet alive, that biography has before it its rich-
est field, and finds within its reach treasures, with which it
may most largely bless mankind.
That the subject of the following memoir was pre-emi-
nently a good man, vast multitudes of the dead, and perhaps
vaster multitudes of the living have long and well known.
That he was also, in important respects, a truly great man,
great, not only in his goodness, but also independently of it,
many, both of the dead and of the living, have already felt,
and many more, it is believed, of those who survive him
will feel, if the attempt now made to transmit his memory to
posterity, should succeed in doing simple justice to its sub-
ject.
To the members of the Protestant Episcopal Church in
these United States, the life of Bishop Griswold can hardly
prove otherwise than a matter of peculiar interest. Born
many years anterior to the date of our Ecclesiastical origin,
at a time, when, under our Colonial existence, the elements
B
14 MEMOIR OF THE
of our present organization and growth lay but in their em-
bryo forms, his life measures the whole course of our Church
History, and runs back beyond the opening of that History
into those days of simple manners and habits, of pure faith
and practice, out of which, as from a fresh and copious foun-
tain, have flowed the now swelling streams both of our
national and of our Ecclesiastical being. Originating in
such an age as that which has been named, and living
through such a period, as that which has succeeded, Bishop
Griswold for near half a century filled, in its various grades,
the ministry of our Church ; for more than thirty years held
Episcopal supervision over one of the largest of its integral
portions ; and, in all the stations, which he occupied, acted
his part with singular wisdom and fidelity, and has left be-
hind him an enduring monument both of rare abilities and
of uncommon excellence.
This, however, is not the place for his eulogy. Let that
be found chiefly in a simple record of what he was and of
what he did.
Something of this record we have, as written by himself;
and the insight thus furnished into his own character and
history will greatly facilitate the labors of him, who has un-
dertaken to make the record fuller and more complete. His
auto-biography reaches from the period of his birth to that of
his consecration ; and, had not his modesty led him into far
too great brevity, it should be here given entire, as the best
possible history of that portion of his life. Brief as it is,
however, it will enrich and give its chief value to the some-
what fuller narrative of that portion, which will be attempted.
I know not that I can better introduce the whole story of
his life than in the words, with which this precious fragment
opens. They are characteristic of the man, and will put
into our hands a light which we shall do well to carry with
us as we trace his opening way from infancy to age.
He says: "When one so great and so wise as Solomon,
on reviewing the scenes of his past life, has pronounced
upon them, ' vanity of vanities ;' what can there be, worth
recording, among the things, which occupy the hours of
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 15
ordinary men ? When one writes memoirs of himself, it is
natural to suppose that he is actuated by vanity, contempti-
ble as the trifles which he relates. Pliny judges those to be
happy, who do things worthy to be written, or write things
worthy to be read. To neither of these merits does the pre-
sent writer make any claim. And yet, knowledge of man-
kind is useful ; and not only the wisdom of the wise, but
also the errors of the simple, may do good from the record,
in which they lie. In the life of almost every man, however
low or humble his state, however obscure or private his
station, are things, which, could they be known, would be
useful, and, were they well told, would be entertaining, to
the living. And when one has little to say of himself, which
is not rather to his shame than to his praise, vain-glory is
less likely to be his motive: and although, in the lives of
most men, there are few things generally interesting, yet
there are few, if there be any, so obscure, that their biogra-
phy would be uninteresting to every survivor. The child
must be gratified in having on record the chief incidents of
a parent's life. Friends, too, and acquaintance must be
pleased with a memorial of transactions, in which themselves,
or their progenitors have been concerned. Such notices are
of use, and should be encouraged for the sake of preserving
a knowledge of family connexions and genealogies. And
who knows of what use they may be in the annals, or even
history of any country?
"It may, indeed, be profitable to write some account of
one's own life even if it serve no other purpose than to re-
mind or convince us of our unworthiness, and of how little
profit to ourselves and to the world that life has been,
There are probably few, who would not be humbled by an
impartial review of what they have been, of what they have
done, and of what they have left undone. In truth, how-
ever, the 'longing after immortality,' the desire to be re-
membered after death, so natural to us all, should be
cherished, were it but for the effect it has in stimulating us
to do what is worthy to be remembered and to be followed.
It is said to have been the practice of the ancient Egyptians,
16 MEMOIR OF THE
when one died, to institute a solemn trial of his character,
and to pronounce upon it such sentence as in his life he had
merited. To such a trial in public estimation is every
character subject; and the looking forward to it is, to every
well ordered mind, a strong incentive to good and worthy
actions.
" Some written account of a clergyman's life should be pre-
served, that the history of the Church may not be lost."
Beginning to write with such views of himself, it is not
likely that Bishop Griswold, had he written a full auto-bio-
graphy not only of the first forty-five, but also of the whole
seventy-seven years of his life, would have given many
proofs of having written under the influence of " vain glory."
His own ripened modesty would not allow him to rank him-
self on the catalogue of Pliny's happy ones, although pos-
terity, more just to his virtues and to his deeds, will be apt
to think it his proper place ; having both done what is wor-
thy of being written, and written what is worthy of being
read. His deeds, it is true, have not filled a noisy world
with the clamor of his praise ; nor have his writings ever
associated him with the popular idols of the day. Still, his
deeds have been such that his "praise has long been in all
the Churches ;" and his writings will at least be worthy of
remembrance, when many, which for their day caught the
popular breeze, shall have been forgotten.
Had he written minutely of himself in his auto-biography,
he might indeed have been compelled to record many things,
which in the judgment of posterity would have redounded
" to his praise ;" but he could not have recorded many things
"to his shame," unless by revealing what the world never
saw, those sins of nature, and of thought, over which every
man has to weep when he approaches the Mercy Seat, and
which make Christ to every believer so exceedingly pre-
cious.
In short, a trial, as severely just as that instituted of old
by the Egyptians, has already been held over his character
and actions ; and the sentence, which has been pronounced,
is only what in his life he had merited ; a place among the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 17
great, especially among the greatly good, men of our Church,
and of our age.
"I was born," he says, "April 22d, 1766, in Simsbury,
county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut ; and was named
Alexander Viets, after my mother's grandfather, who was
a physician from Germany. My parents, on both sides, were
respectable and considered wealthy in a town, where few, if
any, were possessed of larger estates. My father, Elisha
Griswold, was from the Windsor branch of a numerous fami-
ly, the descendants of Matthew Griswold, who came from
England in the year . My mother, Eunice, was the
daughter of John and Lois Viets."
In this short paragraph is comprised the whole account,
which the Bishop gives of his ancestry. It may not be un-
interesting therefore, to pause a moment, in the course of the
narrative, for the purpose of giving the few additional particu-
lars, which I have been able to glean.
The Bishop's paternal ancestor, Matthew Griswold, who
came over from England, was possibly one of the company,
who left the counties of Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and Somer-
setshire, and arrived at Nantasket on the coast of Massachu-
setts, the 30th day of May, 1630. Among the principal men
of that company were "the Rev. Mr. John Wareham, a
celebrated minister in Exeter, the capital of the county of
Devon: Mr. Henry Wolcott, Mr. Ludlow, Mr. Rosseter,
and others of Mr. Wareham's congregation, who first settled
the town of Windsor." This Windsor was the first settle-
ment ever made by the whites within the State of Connecti-
cut; and this "Rev. Mr. John Wareham" was the first
pastor of its Church and congregation, the seeds of which he
brought over with him from Exeter. Mr. Wareham settled
first as pastor of a congregation in Dorchester, near Boston,
where he remained for six years from the period of his arri-
val in 1630. In 1633, Mr. Wm. Holmes sailed from Ply-
mouth in Massachusetts Bay, with the frame and materials
for a single house, and landing in Connecticut river just be-
low the mouth of the Farmington, set up and covered his
materials " with the utmost despatch," and thus erected " the
B*
18 MEMOIR OF THE
first house in Connecticut." In 1635, " a number of Mr.
Wareham's people," " about sixty men, women and children,
with their horses, cattle and swine, commenced their journey
from Massachusetts through the wilderness to Connecticut
river ;" and, after suffering great hardships, and being long
on the way, " arrived safely at the places of their respective
destination." And in 1640, after Mr. Wareham had be-
come settled as first pastor of the congregation in Windsor,
the town records shew a list of the names of its early settlers ;
among which appear those of "Mr. Henry Wolcott, Roger
Ludlow, Esq., and Bray Rosseter;" doubtless the same be-
fore mentioned as having accompanied Mr. Wareham from
Exeter to Nantasket in 1630. On the same list of Windsor
names in 1640 appear those of Edward Griswold, Humphrey
Pinney, and Thomas Holcomb, who probably belonged to
the same company, and were the ancestors of the Griswold,
Pinney and Holcomb families, who afterwards removed from
Windsor to Simsbury, and whose descendants are still living
in that and the adjacent towns. The Edward Griswold,
whose name appears on the town records of Windsor, in
1640, may have been a son of the Bishop's ancestor from
England, Matthew Griswold; and if so, it becomes even pro-
bable that this ancestor was one of the company, who came
over from Exeter with Mr. Wareham in 1630. But, whether
this were so or not, it is sufficiently apparent that this ancestor
was one of the first settlers of that ancient town, of whose
very first inhabitants it is remarked; "This was considered
an honorable company."*
The first of the Griswold family, that removed from Wind-
sor to Simsbury, appears to have been the Bishop's grand-
father, "'Squire Samuel Griswold" as he is now respectfully
termed in the neighborhood of his former residence. He
purchased and built upon a beautiful farm lying within the
principal bend of the Farmington river, in the town of Sims-
bury. This stream, after rising among the mountains in the
southwest part of the State of Massachusetts, and running
* Barber's Hist. Col. for Connecticut, p. 124.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 19
southeasterly towards the centre of Connecticut, enters a
beautiful valley at a point near the town of Farmington;
which town gives its name both to the valley and the river,
which flows through it. At Farmington, the river makes a
sudden turn to the North; and after running for several
miles, along the western base of the Talcot mountains,
through lovely meadows and fields, with its banks ever and
anon graced with numerous lofty and spreading elms, it
sweeps eastwardly and southwardly in a graceful curve
round a fine point of land, and breaking suddenly through
the mountains by a gorge, which cleaves them to their base,
pursues its way across the plains of the Connecticut, into
which it empties at the town of Windsor. The point of land
just named, around which the Farmington sweeps into its
mountain gorge, embracing a tract of 500 acres, washed on
all sides, but its southern, by a most lovely stream, and vary-
ing in its surface from the rich meadow to the mountain wood-
land, constituted the estate of " 'Squire Samuel Griswold ;"
and his house, built on a beautiful swell of ground, looked
down upon the romantic scenery of the river just where it
plunges into its wild mountain pass. In this house, the
Bishop was born; and before the place of his birth was
seized by that modern spoiler of the beauties of nature, a
manufacturing village, it must have been one of uncommon
loveliness. Features of this loveliness, indestructible by the
hand of man, still remain ; and the whole surrounding scene
is one, in which the lover of nature would delight to linger.
Here, for more than a quarter of a century, and in sweet re-
tirement from a noisy and an artificial world, were spent the
childhood, the youth, and the ripening manhood of him, the
stream of whose beautiful and beneficent life we are beoin-
O
ning to trace.
His father, Elisha Griswold, whether an only son or not,
seems to have come into possession of the paternal estate,
with whom it remained unbroken till his death, and its con-
sequent apportionment among his various heirs. He was a
man of quiet good sense, and remarkably home-keeping
habits. His numerous household, however, of sons and
20 MEMOIR OF THE
daughters, were a family of various talent, especially mechani-
cal and literary. None of his sons indeed were ever ap-
prenticed to a trade ; although Roger and Elisha, two of the
Bishop's brothers, were intuitively ingenious mechanics, and
from time to time turned their attention to various branches
of the mechanic arts. Their ingenuity was, in fact, too ver-
satile; and they never prospered. With successive and,
for the times, splendid schemes in hand, they ran the race of
too many other of the inventive geniuses of New England,
and lived poor, because, in the homely phrase, " they had
too many irons in the fire." The story, current in various
places and under various forms, of the Bishop's having been
brought up a shoemaker, or a blacksmith, is a groundless
tale ; although, had such been the fact, he was, like Roger
Sherman, one of the last men to be ashamed of any honest
and therefore honorable calling. His early vocation was
agricultural, though all his tastes were, from earliest child-
hood, distinctly and strongly literary. In these tastes, his
brother Ezra, who early settled at Worthington in Ohio,
where he became zealously instrumental in the first organi-
zation of our Church, in that Diocese, and in the election of
its first Bishop, largely participated ; as did also one of his
sisters, who married into the Pinney family in Simsbury,
where she still resides, and is said to be a woman of uncom-
monly extensive reading. His brother, Samuel, was edu-
cated at Yale College, and became for a time a very popu-
lar and able minister of our Church; although it is now
many years since he ceased to exercise the functions of his
ministry. He is still living in Western New York. His
sister, Deborah, who was married to a Mr. Baker, settled
and yet lives in the town of Lanesborough in Massachusetts ;
while his sister, Sylvia, became the wife of a Rev. Mr.
Jones, a clergyman of the Episcopal Church, as whose re-
spected widow she now resides in the vicinity of her native
place.
From this notice of the family as descended by the fathers
side, it is proper to look a moment at its ancestry by the
mothers.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 21
About the year 1634, the Dutch, under patronage of Van
Twiller, Governor of Fort Amsterdam, now New York, at-
tempted to possess themselves of lands on the Connecticut
river. For this purpose, they seized upon and fortified " Dutch
Point," now Hartford, and endeavored to frustrate the settle-
ment of Mr. Holmes, and his companions at Windsor from
the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts. By an order from
the British Parliament, however, their design was defeated ;
their possessions at Dutch Point confiscated, and the party
obliged to return to Fort Amsterdam.
A century later, Alexander Viets, an eminent and wealthy
Dutch physician of New York, who had come over from
Europe, and was settled among the descendants of those of
his countrymen, who made the attempt at Dutch Point,
having learned the existence of Copper mines in Simsbury,
disposed of his property in New York, and purchased the ter-
ritory, on which those mines lay. His speculation was un-
successful, and resulted in the loss of all his property. He
resumed the practice of medicine in Simsbury, though with
nothing of his former pecuniary success. After the European
custom, his city patients used to pay cash in hand for every
visit. His country patients thought it well enough to pay
when dunned. But, for dunning, he had neither heart nor
habits ; and so lived and died poor. So poor did he be-
come, that when his son, John, asked the daughter of a re-
spectable neighbour in marriage, he was opposed by her
parents on the ground of his being utterly unportioned. The
marriage, nevertheless, took place ; and John Viets, with
more talent for business than his father, became the restorer
of the fallen fortunes of the family. He recovered the terri-
tory about the mines, and, at his death left to each of several
sons a valuable farm. These mines lie on the western ac-
clivity of the Talcot mountains, two or three miles north of
the Griswold estate, and command noble views over the
Farmington Valley and the hills, which rise beyond it, in
the west. John Viets originally lived on the northwest de-
scent from the mines to the valley ; where the old cellar of his
house is still visible. Subsequently, however, he removed
22 MEMOIR OF THE
and built the house, which is still standing near the mouth
of the mines, and which is now occupied by the aged widow
of his son, Luke Viets. This house, perched on a high and
sightly step of the mountain, was the birth-place of the
Bishop's mother, and of his uncle Roger Viets, of whom I
shall say more hereafter. Several of the surrounding farms
are still in possession of the family, and constitute a neighbor-
hood of Vietses.
Dr. Alexander Viets, then, was, by the mother's side, the
great-grandfather of Bishop Griswold ; and John Viets, his
grandfather. This John Viets, as we have seen, was a man
of superior abilities, which seem to have been inherited by
his daughter Eunice, the Bishop's mother; and her marriage
with Elisha Griswold, his father, brought together two of the
most considerable families and estates in the town.
Having thus traced the Bishop's natural parentage, it may
be well, before entering on the incidents of his childhood, to
glance at the circumstances, which lie as a fountain head,
under God, to his religious character.
Dr. Alexander Viets appears to have carried with him
from New York to Simsbury a strong attachment to the Pres-
byterian Church. Accordingly, we find his son John a
sturdy adherent to the doctrines and institutions of that de-
nomination. This zealous Presbyterian, finding his son
Roger, from early childhood, a boy of high promise, and re-
markably fond of books, resolved to educate him for a Pres-
byterian minister. Accordingly, at the early age of thirteen he
sent him to Yale College. One Sunday, while a student
there, he expressed a strong desire to attend the English
Church, as the Episcopal was then designated. With much
difficulty he obtained permission from the President, for one
Sunday. He went; and for the first time in his life, wit-
nessed the services of our Church. He was interested, he
was impressed: so much so, that he sought and found oc-
casions for repeating his attendance ; studying, meanwhile,
various works on the subject of Episcopacy, which he dis-
covered in the College Library. In the result, he came out
an Episcopalian, and wrote to his father for permission to
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 23
become a clergyman of the English Church. Highly indig-
nant at this proposal, and at the proof which it furnished that
his favorite son had forsaken the faith of his fathers, he in-
stantly answered the letter, and threatened that, unless the
idea were utterly abandoned, he would forever disown him.
The son remonstrated, sent Episcopal books for his father's
perusal, and finally had the happiness of seeing both his
father and all the other members of the family sincere and
zealous conformists to that very Church, which had at first
inspired them with such horror, and into the ministry of which
it was his now gratified wish to enter. After finishing his
studies at Yale, Roger Viets sailed for England, whence, in
due time, he returned in Priest's orders, and took charge of
the Episcopal parish in Simsbury. So scanty, however, was
the salary, which he received from the Society in England,
that he was obliged to associate, with his duties as pastor,
those of a farmer in the summer, and those of a teacher in
the winter ; in which last capacity he became Tutor to many
of the children in his neighbourhood ; and, among the rest,
to his nephew, young Griswold.
To this man, the Rev. Roger Viets, who will often appear
in the course of the ensuing memoir, was Bishop Griswold
more indebted than to any other person, his mother perhaps
excepted, for his early religious impressions, and for his early
literary culture. Mr. Viets was instrumental in training
several, besides his nephew, for the ministry of our Church.
But, had his influence in this respect been limited to the early
training of one such mind as that of Griswold, how justly
might we exdaim : what a stream of healthful influences to
our Zion has flowed from the fountain-mind of that one little
boy of thirteen in Yale College!
The parish Church in Simsbury, of which Mr. Viets be-
came the minister, is situated about two miles to the southeast
from the Griswold estate, below the gorge, through which
the Farmington river passes the Talcot mountains, and on
their eastern declivity overlooking the valley of the Connec-
ticut towards Windsor and Hartford. Here, in a sheltered
and fertile bosom of the hills, the ancient Episcopalians of
24 MEMOIR OF THE
Simsbury met for their weekly worship; and here young
Griswold spent his early Sabbaths, in learning the ways of
God in his sanctuary.
The origin of St. Andrew's Church, Scotland, (as the
neighborhood, in which it is situated, is called, from the fact
that its early settlers were Scotchmen,) is connected with the
history of the Simsbury mines. After the failure of Alexan-
der Viets in his mining speculation, a company from Boston
undertook, about the year 1740, to work the mines. The agent
of this company, Mr. James Crozier, was a zealous Episco-
palian, and through his influence the operatives at the mines
and many of the neighbors became attached to the Church.
With these materials for a congregation, Mr. Crozier under-
took to furnish them with a church. To this end, he inter-
ested several gentlemen of wealth in Boston, and in New-
port, R. I., in his object; and succeeded in obtaining funds
both for the building of a church edifice, and for the pur-
chase of a glebe. The original subscription paper, on which
these funds were pledged, is now in the hands of Ariel
Mitchelson, the Bishop's brother-in-law. The first Rector
of this Church was a Rev. Mr. Gibbs from Boston. But,
as he became slightly deranged for several of the last years
of his life, Mr. Viets succeeded him before his death, and
remained Rector till the period of the revolutionary war.*
* In 1774, the number of Episcopalians in Simsbury was greater than
that in any other town of Connecticut, with two exceptions, Newtown and
New Haven; the number in Newtown being 1084; that in New Haven,
942 ; and that in Simsbury, 914. The other towns, which came nearest to
Simsbury, were Norwalk, 792; Derby, 725; Stamford, 710; and Walling-
ford, 626. This early growth of the Church in Simsbury is mainly attri-
buted to the influence of Mr. James Crozier.
I found these statistics with others in a report, made by the Rev. Elizur
Goodrich, Congregational minister in Durham, Ct., Sep. 5, 1774; and con-
tained in the "minutes of the Convention of delegates from the Synod of
New York and Philadelphia, and from the Associations of Connecticut,
held annually from 1766 to 1775 inclusive;" a somewhat curious docu-
ment, by the way; which, if I mistake not, contains evidence that the ob-
ject of the aforesaid Synod and Associations in thus toilfully and accurate-
ly numbering our Episcopal tribes in their day, was to shew the ground of
their apprehension, that the growth of the Church was hostile to the spirit
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 25
The Church has since been rebuilt a few rods from its origi-
nal site; and thus separated from its ancient grave-yard. In
this resting place of the dead, stands the monument of Mr.
Gibbs, which, while the old Church remained, occupied a
place in the chancel. Long rows of tombstones also, and
tall monuments mark the family burial places of the Gris-
wolds, the Pinneys, the Holcombs, the Mitchelsons, and
others of former days, who, as the highly respectable charac-
ter of these their memorials in death abundantly testify,
were all families of note and consideration. As a country
church-yard, it is in a good state of preservation, and has a
peculiar interest from the fact of its having been, almost ex-
clusively, the burial place of the families of an Episcopal
parish.
But, to leave this sketch, and return to the family, which
gives it to us its principal interest ; the most particular no-
tices, which in his auto-biography, the Bishop gives of his
parents, are the following :
"Respect for a parent worthy of being remembered may
be accepted as some apology for recording a transaction of
his youthful life, now perhaps unknown to every individual,
myself excepted. The story of General Putnam and the
Wolf has often been published and many times related.
What follows was, in my judgment, not less hazardous,
wonderful and daring. It was an exploit much talked of
for years by those, who are now dead and gone, but was
never committed to writing.
" Some beast of prey, supposed to be a Catamount, had de-
stroyed many sheep. According to the custom of those
days, my father set a large steel-trap to take him. The next
morning, when he repaired to the spot, the trap was gone,
evidently dragged away by the animal, which had been
taken. He followed the track till he entered a wood on the
of our American liberties both in Church and in State, and favorable to
the ultimate establishment here of a monarchical government, with a
legally associated hierarchy. This effort at numbering was systematical-
ly and extensively made; and seems to have had some influence if not in
expediting, at least in aggravating, the war of the Revolution.
C
.26 MEMOIR OF THE
side of the mountain. After a search for some time he dis-
covered under a large rock a den, which, from foot-prints
and other signs at its mouth, was evidently the abode of
some large and savage beast. Though alone, he was yet
without fear. The den, as it was afterwards found, was in-
habited by a she-bear with six cubs. The entrance was
narrow, and descended but little from a horizontal direction.
He had no weapon but a walking-stick ; and yet with this
alone in his hand, he with some difficulty crawled into the
den, and soon discovered that the object of his search was
within. With a view to ascertain whether his trap was there,
he thrust his staff against the animal, by whose fierce growl,
and the glare of her eyes, he discovered that it was a bear.
" He retired from the den ; but the bear, preferring, it seems,
to guard her young, did not follow him. He immediately
notified some of his neighbors, with whom and a large hunt-
ing dog he repaired again to the cave. The dog would not
enter. My father therefore again crawled in ; and when, as
he supposed, sufficiently near the bear, fired his gun and re-
treated. The dog, as though ashamed of his former coward-
ice, now rushed in, and seizing the bear by the head, drew
her out. At first, they feared to fire, lest, instead of the
bear, they should kill the dog. But, no sooner was she
fairly out of the den, than with her paw she struck the dog
a blow, which sent him many feet down the steep descent
of the hill, and then ran off. They fired as she fled ; but
for that time she escaped. They secured, however, the six
cubs ; one of which had been killed by the discharge of the
gun in the den."
The mountain, mentioned in this account, is that part of
the Talcot range, upon which the Griswold estate abutted
to the south, and around which the Farmington sweeps
through its gorge towards the Connecticut. The surviving
members of the family in that neighborhood have a tradition
that the bear, though she escaped at first, yet was afterwards
taken, and proved to be one of uncommon size. The inci-
dent is interesting as evincing the bravery of the Bishop's
immediate ancestor, and the still simple and primitive
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD.
character of the neighborhood and its inhabitants at the
time when it happened.
Of his mother, the Bishop writes thus : " My case so far
resembled that of Timothy that my mother's name was
Eunice and my grandmother's, Lois ; and that, from both of
them I received much early religious instruction. By their
teaching, ' from a child I have known the Holy Scriptures,
which were able (had I rightly used the knowledge) to make
me wise unto salvation.' To the care of my mother, especial-
ly, instilling into my tender mind sentiments of piety, with
the knowledge of Christ and the duty of prayer, I was much
indebted. Through life, I have sinned much, and in every
thing have come short of what should have been my im-
provement from such advantages ; yet, through the Lord's
merciful goodness, the fear of God, the love of his name and
a faith in Christ have never been wholly lost."
A noble record, this, to be added to the many, which
have been already made, of the value of a mother's early in-
fluence over the religious character of her children. But,
I have paused long enough, perhaps too long, amidst the
circumstances, which mark the natural and the religious
parentage of the subject of the present memoir. And yet,
when we are about to trace the course of a pleasant and fer-
tilizing stream, something may doubtless be pardoned to the
fondness, that lingers awhile amidst the simple or the strik-
ing scenery, in which it takes its rise.
28 MEMOIR OF THE
THE BISHOP'S CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH.
In entering now upon the progress of that life, which it is
the design of these pages to trace, although the materials for
this part of my work are not abundant in amount, yet they
are rich in kind ; and by putting together what the Bishop
has recorded of this period, and what I have been able to
collect from those branches of his family, who survive in the
neighborhood of his birth, we shall obtain a tolerably clear
idea of this early portion of his life. We may not be able to
trace the stream through every point in its course ; but we
shall get sufficiently frequent views of it to mark its general
direction, and to exhibit its general character.
From early infancy, he was remarkable for quick intelli-
gence, an amiable disposition, and a ready apprehension of
religious truth. Schools were not then, as now, to be found
in the neighborhood of every Connecticut man's door. But
his mother, a woman of remarkable intelligence, abundantly-
supplied their place, and was herself the early and the effi-
cient tutoress of her own children. One of her grand-
daughters, Mrs. Bright of Northampton, Mass., who spent
the greater part of her childhood and early youth with her
grandmother, and who, while her aged relative was in feeble
health, occupied much of her time in reading to her the
Bible and other religious books, remarks : " When tired of
reading, the book was laid aside, and she would frequently
relate to me anecdotes of the Bishop's childhood, which to
me were always interesting. I have often heard her say,
that Alexander could read fluently at three years of age;
which, at that time, was very remarkable, as few children
then learned to read before seven or eip;ht.
"At a very early age, he distinguished himself above the
other children by his love and clear comprehension of the
Holy Scriptures. His mother was in the habit of instructing
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 29
her children every Sunday evening in the Church Catechism ;
in which exercise he was remarkable for the readiness of his
replies, when questioned as to the meaning of any of its
parts.
" As an instance of this ; when they were, one evening, re-
peating that part of the catechism, following the question ;
' What desirest thou of God in this prayer?' in reply to which
the Old English Prayer-book, then in use, answers among
other things ; ' that he will keep us from all sin and wicked-
ness and from our ghostly enemy ;' his mother asked, what
was meant by l ghostly enemy ?' The older children, whose
minds, as was common in those days, were filled with stories
of ghosts and apparitions, misled by the word ghostly, could
think of no particular ghost, as their enemy, considering the
whole Jdngdom of ghosts as inimical to all mortals. They
were therefore unable to answer the question. But as soon
as it was put to little Alexander, he immediately replied ;
' Satan ;' to the no small astonishment of the rest, who
wondered how he could possibly have known that.
" His mother, whom, inperson, he strongly resembled, was
a woman of uncommon energy, dignity and decision of
character. Though a fond mother and grandmother, she
was yet a strict disciplinarian. Well do I remember," says
Mrs. B. " the deep awe and veneration, which filled our
minds, whenever she entered the room, where we were.
All noisy play instantly ceased, and we listened in most re-
spectful silence to every word that fell from her lips : while
any word, or even look of disapprobation, which we chanced
to receive, sank deep into our hearts, and was remembered
for years : for well knew we that it was not given without
cause.
" Next to the religious education of her children, she con-
sidered early habits of persevering industry, as of the greatest
importance. All her children were accordingly kept con-
stantly employed at an age, when most children are con-
sidered too young to be capable of any employment. As
early as five, they assisted in various little labors of the farm,
c*
30 MEMOIR OF THE
such as gathering fruits and nuts, riding horse at ploughing,
and other similar engagements.
"I remember, when myself a very young child, accompa-
nying my mother on a visit to her and the Bishop's grand-
mother, (Mrs. Lois Viets) then very aged. In her conversa-
tion at the time, she cautioned my mother against too great
rigidness in the management of her children. ' Eunice,''
she remarked, ' was too severe in her family discipline.
There was Alexander, as good and amiable a boy as ever
lived ; and yet, how severe she was with him ! whipping
him for the most trifling transgression, and keeping him every
moment, when not otherwise employed, knitting, knitting,
knitting /'
" I have since inquired of my mother, what this knitting
was? She told me, that, when they were very young, during
those hours, when they could not be otherwise employed,
they were kept knitting bone-lace, a kind of netting composed
of a great variety of stitches, and then very much in use.
The Bishop and my mother, who was next him in age, be-
gan knitting this lace when they were not more than five
years old; and many were the gloves, caps, capes, and
aprons thus manufactured by their tiny fingers.
" To the great joy, however, of the little knitters, bone-lace
soon went out of fashion ; and Alexander was employed in
occupations more congenial with his tastes. Netting was
never a favorite employment with him ; and those ' trans-
gressions,' for which, as his indulgent grandmother thought,
he was so severely punished, were occasional neglects of the
bone-lace for pursuits of a more active, or a more elevated
nature. In boyhood he was ever fond of hunting, swim-
ming, and other athletic sports : but, such was his special
fondness for reading, that he would frequently, at a very early
age, leave the other children engaged in their sports, while
he stole away to enjoy the pleasure of some favorite book.
Even then, he would often pass a great part of the night in
reading, while the rest of the family were asleep."
Many of the foregoing remarks and incidents, which I
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 31
have, in substance, from the pen of the Bishop's relative, and
which come thus directly from his own mother and from the
sister nearest his own age, are, in my view, highly impor-
tant. Whether the mothers of our day will take sides with
the Bishop's mother, or with his grandmother, in the ques-
tion of discipline, may be a matter of doubt. Or rather, it
is to be feared, that, so far as the discipline of their children
is concerned, the mothers of our day become, in spirit, grand-
mothers too early, by falling into that system of easy indul-
gence to their offspring, for which our age is too much dis-
tinguished ; though, in the second motherhood of grand
dames, it has ever been regarded as a somewhat pardonable
weakness. But, let this question be decided as it may, no
one can deny the importance of the principle involved in the
efforts of the Bishop's mother to form in her children the
early habit of industry as a matter of duty. Too much time
is often allowed to children for toys and idle sports ; and too
little is devoted to the work of forming in them early, useful
and abiding habits of industry. " It was interesting to me,"
says the Bishop's sensible relative, in connexion with her
account of this matter, " to learn that the habits of unwearied
and persevering industry, which so distinguished my uncle
throughout his whole after life, had so early, though so hum-
ble an origin." The profits, which accrue from the labors
of children's hands, are a consideration of no moment to
many parents : but, the habit, which is thus formed in the
course of children's lives, of being always engaged in some-
thing useful as a matter of duty, is to all parents, of incom-
parably greater value than the most splendid fortunes, which
they can possibly amass for their heirs. Nothing, in the
shape of suitable employment for children's hands, can be
too "humble," though their parents wear titles, when it be-
comes the fountain-head of future valuable principle, noble
character and lofty attainment. The boy who knit "bone-
lace" at five years of age, because his mother taught him
that it was a duty to be always doing something useful in
moments, which must otherwise run to waste, or perhaps be
filled with mischief, was a worthy predecessor to the Bishop,
32 MEMOIR OF THE
who afterwards, with unmatched industry, bore, for more
than thirty years, "the care of all the churches" scattered
over a diocese wide enough for a kingdom.
What little, in his auto-biography, the Bishop says of this
early period of his life, corresponds well with the account,
which has thus been given. It is contained in the following
paragraphs :
"I recollect nothing in my childhood and youth more re-
markable than the rapidity, with which I learned the lessons
given me. When about four or five years old, I remember
being often required to read before strangers, who, at that
day, viewed my forwardness as a great wonderment. In
about three days after the Greek grammar was first put into
my hands, I had, without any other teaching, written in
Greek characters, the first chapter in John's Gospel, inter-
lined with a literal and verbal translation into Latin. The
facility with which I obtained a knowledge of the Greek
language much surprised my teacher.
" They, who are now young, cannot easily imagine how
scanty were then the facilities for obtaining knowledge, com-
pared with the advantages of the present age. And yet,
there was then, perhaps, as great a proportion of learned
men as there is now. The labor of overcoming difficulties
stimulates, and indeed strengthens, the mind. Literature
and reading are far more general now than then ; especially
with children and females, who, by the wonderful inventions
of labor-saving machinery, are in a great degree relieved
from mere manual labor. But, the reading of the present
age is comparatively of a lighter sort ; and if more exten-
sive, is also more superficial. My want of means and op-
portunities for a more enlarged acquisition of knowledge
has, through life, been a source of regret; though this per-
haps arises from pride, or self-will : for I have had much
reason for believing that an overruling Providence has con-
trolled the events of my life. In a remarkable manner has
an unseen hand frustrated my own plans, designs and
favorite pursuits, leading me, by a way which I had not fore-
seen, to a course of life, less, it may be, to my honor in this
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 33
world, yet more to my usefulness ; and more, as I humbly
hope, to the securing of ' glory, honor and immortality' in
a world far better than this. My love of general literature
in early life was, I fear, a fault, as it diverted my attention
from things more necessary and more profitable. When a
child, I preferred a book to any sports, or play; and, after
laboring hard through the day, study was more agreeable
than sleep, through the greater part of the night. Had my
circumstances been such as to indulge this propensity, I
might, it is not unlikely, have obtained some celebrity ; but
my life would probably have been still less useful to the
world than it has been. For, how many learned men are
there, whose learning is of little use except that of self-grati-
fication. Indeed, in many cases, the learning of men renders
them less useful to society than others, whose attainments are
yet far more limited. Hours, unnumbered, are devoted to
reading for mere pleasure, which might be occupied in labors
far more useful to mankind."
Perhaps not once in an age, if ever, are we presented with
an instance of earlier, and more indomitable love of learning
than that, which was exhibited in the childish subject of
these pages. This love seemed an inborn passion, which no
difficulties could restrain ; — a connatural flame, which no
waters of adverse circumstances could quench. In after life,
he was remarkable for his habit of silence, even at times
when he might have been expected to engage in conversa-
tion. The secret of this seems to have been, and such is the
impression of the eldest survivors of the family, with whom
I have had the pleasure of conversation, that his early passion
for books, fanned by his mother's influence both in her oc-
casional teachings and in her daily conversation, led him
into the habit of spending those moments in reading, which
his companions consumed in the noisy frolicks of their sports.
He was, even in childhood, too entirely absorbed in the in-
ward workings of his own mind, and in feeding his insatia-
ble appetite for knowledge, ever to acquire the art of play-
ing with words at small-talk. The master passion of his
childhood, as of his riper years, made him a devotee to
34
MEMOIR OF THE
books, and his devotion to books made him taciturn. It
was as natural for him, when not at work, to have a book
in his hand, as it was for other boys to break away from their
work to their play. The very difficulties, which he had to
encounter in gratifying his fondness for reading, doubtless
helped to confirm through life this early habit of silence
while others were engaged in conversation. This habit did
not proceed, as we shall hereafter see, from any inability to
muster words, wherewith to furnish ready-made and hand-
some clothing for his thoughts. In short, my inquiries
amidst the scenes of his childish days, have satisfied me that,
while he was a bright and beautiful boy of exceedingly quick
parts, of sweetly amiable tempers, and of merely cultivated
habits of taciturnity, he could then, as well as in subsequent
life, whenever he chose to do so, talk like a book, and let
his words flow like " the running brook ;" and was early re-
markable for the power of saying pithy and striking, and
even sharp and witty things.
It has been observed that his early passion for books met
with many discouragements and obstacles to its gratification.
It ought to be remarked that it had also some rather unusual
stimulants, and helps to its gratification. If he lacked many
of the advantages enjoyed by children at the present day, it
must be confessed that he enjoyed others, of which boys in
general know nothing. There are but few women, of any
age, who have such a power of inspiring and fostering the
love, and of communicating and fixing the rudiments, of
learning, as that which was possessed by the mother of
Bishop Griswold : nor are there many boys, who find such a
skilful and indefatigable teacher as he early found in his
uncle, " the Rev. Roger Viets."
The period, during which he continued under his mother's
more special training, extended to the close of his tenth year ;
covering thus the most important ten years, so far as the for-
mation of character is concerned, in the life of every man.
During even this period, however, he enjoyed something of
the advantages of his uncle's care.
" There was," says the auto-biography, " one circum-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 35
stance of my life, which I would ever think and speak of
with thankfulness to God. About the time of my birth, the
Rev. Roger Viets, my mother's brother, returned from Eng-
land in Priest's orders, and took charge of the parish in
which I lived. For several years, he was an inmate in my
father's family, and for most of the time, till my twentieth
year, I lived with him. He was an excellent scholar, with
a rare talent for communicating knowledge toothers." [The
eldest of the family connexions, now residing in the parish,
say however that this talent exhibited itself specially in the
case of those who, like his nephew, had a fondness for learn-
ing.] " From my childhood, he had a strong partiality for
me, and was at great pains to instruct me in every thing,
which he supposed might be useful to me through life ; es-
pecially in classical knowledge. Even when laboring in
the field, (for in those days, country clergymen thought it no
disgrace, or departure from duty, to labor, as did St. Paul,
for their own temporal support,) when laboring in the field
together, as we did for hundreds of days, he would still con-
tinue his instructions." And, as the Bishop has often told
his worthy companion, who now survives him in her widow-
hood, many are the Latin lessons, which he has studied by
taking his book from his pocket, and poring over its con-
tents, while "riding horse" for his ploughman uncle.
I have remarked that, till he was ten years old, he re-
mained under his mother's care. Circumstances like the
following, which is preserved among the family connexions
in Simsbury, as an anecdote of his boyhood, may have in-
fluenced his parents to consent to a change of residence,
which took place at this period.
One day, his father sent him to the field with team and
harrow. Some hours afterwards, upon following him thither,
he found the team resting by the fence, and young "Alec,"
as the lad was familiarly called, prone on the grass beneath
the shade, and profoundly absorbed in his book. Of course
he received a reprimand, notwithstanding the interposition
of his mother's plea ; "pray, let the boy read, he is so fond
36 MEMOIR OF THE
of his books." " Let him read," said his father, " when he
has nothing else to do : but when I send him to work, let
him work."
The circumstances, which attended his change of resi-
dence, are thus given by his niece, Mrs. Bright, as received
from her mother, and as confirmatory of the substance of the
last extract from the auto-biography.
"His mild and amiable disposition, together with his un-
common quickness in learning, had made him from infancy
a favorite with his uncle. He ever considered his nephew
as a child of remarkable promise ; and becoming deeply in-
terested in the education of his favorite, he at length re-
quested the parents to allow Alexander to come and live
with him, as he would then have more time and better op-
portunities for directing his studies. They consented ; and
for a considerable period he resided in his uncle's family,
and assisted him in the cultivation of his farm ;" [the parish
glebe.] " He spent the most of every day in the field ; but,
while thus employed, he was often receiving instruction from
his uncle ; and exceedingly small was the portion of his time
allotted exclusively to study."
This last remark, it is presumed, applies only to the sum-
mer season ; since, in winter, Mr. Viets, as we have seen,
exchanged his agricultural occupation for that of instructor
of a sort of parish school, which young Alexander doubtless
attended with the other children of the neighborhood. And
this school, it should be remembered, was the first that he
had ever attended any where, except under the parental
roof. There, indeed, the children of the family, when very
young, used, with some others in the neighborhood, to be
gathered and instructed by a female teacher in a sort of
household-school. But, other school than this, and that,
which he found in his mother's teachings, Alexander never
attended till he went to live with his uncle.
While thus under the special charge of Mr. Viets, his
profiting was manifest to all. His progress in the Latin and
Greek languages was remarkable ; while, in Mathematics he
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 37
so highly distinguished himself that there was no boy in all
Simsbury, who was his superior, and but one, who was con-
sidered his equal.
Mr. Viets, as a fine scholar, had indulged his taste in col-
lecting one of the largest and best selected libraries, then
known in those parts. He was also keeper of the parish
library, a collection of considerable value, which seems to
have been made when the parish was first organized and
endowed by the zeal and liberality of Mr. Crozier and the
gentlemen of Boston and Newport. Of both these libraries,
young Alexander had the unrestricted use, so long as his
uncle remained in the States ; and among their rich contents
gratified his love of reading, whenever he had a moment's
leisure from either labor or the studies of the school. The
parish library still remains, though much diminished by use
and losses ; while that of his uncle has been scattered ; the
best of his books being taken with him on his removal to
Nova Scotia ; and the remainder sold.
What the earliest tastes of young Griswold were, so far as
his love of books sought favorite indulgence, may be seen
from the following; which I take, in substance, from the
account of his niece; tantamount, as we have seen, to the
testimony of his mother and sister.
" Works of imagination seem to have been his favorite
reading at that age. He was extremely fond of plays, par-
ticularly those of Shakspeare. The acting of plays was then
an occasional chosen amusement with the children of the
neighborhood ; and, at the early age of seven, Alexander per-
formed the part of page in ' Fair Rosamond,' to the great
admiration of all the spectators. When older, he still re-
tained a fondness for these juvenile exhibitions ; and, at the
age of fifteen, acted the part of Zanga, in Dr. Young's Re-
venge. His performance was so striking as to call forth
bursts of applause from his audience, which consisted of the
greater part of the inhabitants of Simsbury. Many years
since that time, I have heard the aged people of the neighbor-
hood speak of that performance as surpassing any thing of
the kind, which they had ever witnessed ; especially in ' (he
38 MEMOIR OF THE
death scene,' as they called it. ' No actor in the American
company,' (the name of a dramatic corps at that time per-
forming in Hartford,) said they, ' could compare with him.' ,:
This, to such as have known Bishop Griswold only as a
Bishop, will be a new, and doubtless an unexpected aspect
of his early character, tastes and capabilities. That the boy,
who afterwards grew up into the peculiarly grave, chastened
and holy man of God, should have had such an early fond-
ness for the drama, and have been able to electrify even a
country audience by the force of his acting, has been even
to the present writer a matter of surprise ; although I have
long been aware of the deep love of poetry and of the deep
and true power of sentiment, which lay concealed, even till
old age, among the rudiments of his rich nature, and which
were kept hidden there by the restraints of high and holy
principle.
Nevertheless, we shall err, if we suppose that the trait in
his character, now in view, was ever allowed to exert much
influence over the main course of his pursuits, or to inter-
fere injuriously with the serious and religious purposes and
convictions of his early days. For it is of this very period
of his life, between seven and fifteen, that he speaks in the
following interesting paragraphs of the auto-biography.
" I have had, from a child, a belief and trust in God's
overruling providence, which orders every thing for the best,
and makes ' all things work together for good to them that
love Him.' Of this belief and trust I am far from boasting:
for in truth, and with shame I acknowledge that I have, in
many things erred and strayed from his righteous ways : yea ;
a thousand times have I wondered that blessings unnumbered
should be continued to a creature so ungrateful and so un-
worthy. It was through His blessing that I was enabled to
gain knowledge, in almost any branch which I pursued, with
more than ordinary rapidity : and, while I, (vainly perhaps)
felt a confidence that when, as for some years I expected, I
should become a student at Yale College, none would go be-
fore me, it was He, who designed for me what I now believe
to be better things."
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 39
Again : " I had an early experience of the comforts of re-
ligious hope : how well founded it is not necessary now to
inquire. At the age of about ten years," (probably just be-
fore he went to live with his uncle Viets,) " I was reduced
by distressing sickness to the verge of the grave, and for
several hours was supposed to be dying. Never can I for-
get with what lively hope and joy unspeakable, amidst great
bodily sufferings, I looked forward to the blessedness of the
heavenly state. Should it please the Lord at the time, now
near at hand, when I shall be at the point to die, to vouch-
safe me the like peace and joy in believing, how could I
worthily magnify his name ! Had I then died, it would not
probably, by any one now living, be remembered or known
that such a person ever existed. So soon are we forgotten
here ! But ' the righteous shall be had in everlasting remem-
brance.' Whether it had been better for me to have died
then, God only knows. He had, it seems, a work for me to
do. While parental affection, with distressing anxiety, was
watching for the last breath, an ulcer broke within ; and
from that time I gradually recovered. Several times since,
has my life been very providentially preserved ; and in two
instances especially, seemingly almost by miracle, have I
been rescued from death. A life so preserved should have
been more faithfully devoted to Him who gave it."
Who can read these simple and unaffected records, (made
in his latest years) of his earliest life, without feeling that, in
the little boy, whose history they help to sketch, the world
was then unconsciously looking upon a being who was to
become, if one of its most unobtrusive, yet also one of its
richest blessings ; a character, which from the first, God was
preparing for uncommon usefulness, — and even for uncom-
mon honor !
His early expectation of entering Yale College was frus-
trated by events hereafter to be mentioned. But, in explana-
tion of his remark ; that, in that disappointment, God de-
signed for him " better things 5" I insert here a paragraph,
which I find among some loose slips of paper, left in con-
40 MEMOIR OF THE
nexion with the auto-biography, and evidently designed for
its pages, had he lived to finish the invaluable fragment :
11 Respecting my proposed passage through a College
course, I was the more contented without it, from having
been frequently assured by several graduates of Yale, that
my attainments were superior to those of the majority, who
obtain diplomas. Indeed, the deficiencies, which I could
not but perceive in many of them, caused me then to doubt
whether such public education was much to be preferred to
one more private."
Had he entered that institution it is not to be supposed
that he would have proceeded thence " a graduated dunce :"
on the contrary, it may well be believed, that he would have
fully realized the dream, which, in his fond, boyish ambi-
tion, he cherished, of finding none, "who could go before
him." Still, considering the imperfect state of our institu-
tions in that mid-revolutionary infancy of our literature and
science, the doubt may perhaps be considered well founded,
whether his advantages in College would have been so far
superior, as some are in the habit of thinking, to those w T hich
he enjoyed under the special tutorship of his devoted and
accomplished relative, and amidst the rich treasures of his
choice and carefully selected library.
But, the last extract from the auto-biography is chiefly
valuable for the view, which it gives of young Griswold's
early religious character. It is indeed true that, when speak-
ing of the comforts of religious hope, w r hich he then enjoyed,
he adds : " How well founded, it is not necessary now to
inquire ;" it is also possible that he intended to be under-
stood as thereby intimating his own mature doubt whether,
at that time, he had any very clear views of the ground, on
which a true Christian hope must be based ; and it is more-
over probable that we shall, in the further progress of the
memoir, see reason for believing that, at a much later period
of his life, his views of what constitutes personal religion
underwent, if not a radical change, at least a very important
enlargement ; making him in his preaching and ministerial
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 41
influence what otherwise he never could have become.
Still, it cannot but be seen that, even at that early period,
God was dealing with him as with " a chosen vessel unto
himself," and laying the foundations of a future character of
uncommon ripeness and excellence in every Christian grace.
Of the sickness, to which he alludes, and in which he
tasted so early of heavenly things, I received the following
account during my visit to the place of his nativity.
One summer, in harvest time, when Alexander was be-
tween ten and eleven years of age, as he was at work in
harvesting a field of rye, and, boy-like, was playing with a
head of the bearded grain in his mouth, one of the elder
harvesters was entertaining the company with a specimen of
those numberless humorous stories, with which New Enof.
land laborers are so familiar, but which never sound well
save from their own mouths. Its effect, as usual in such
cases, was to throw them all into a roar of laughter ; and
Alexander, in particular, was so convulsed with the par-
oxysm, that he unconsciously drew into his lungs the barbed
play-thing, with which his mouth was amusing itself. He
was immediately seized with a violent cough, followed by
all the symptoms of a rapid consumption. At last, scarcely
a ray of hope for his recovery remained ; and what added to
the affecting character of his trial was the fact, that his,
mother was every hour expecting to give birth to another
child, while his father was lying sick at his side, of a fever,
caught by swimming his horse across the river after a freshet,
and was not likely to recover. In this extremity of domestic
anxiety and distress, the loved boy apparently at the very
"point to die," — his physician announced that but one thing,
so far as human means were concerned, could save his life ;
that this one thing was an emetic ; and that even this, so
weak had he become, might instantly kill ! His mother de-
cided that it should be administered ; and having seen the
perilously kind office done, she took leave at once of both
husband and son, prepared never to see either of them again
in this world : for she felt that her own hour of trial was
upon her, and there was no probability that either of those,
D*
42 MEMOIR OF THE
to whom she bade "farewell," would survive till the period,
when, if her own life was spared, she would again be able
to leave her room. Scarcely, however, had she quit the
apartment of the invalids, when Alexander, suffering under
the sickening effects of the emetic, and supposing that his
time to die was indeed come, called earnestly for his mother
again at his bed-side. She returned. Vomiting immediately
ensued ; and the effort which it required broke an ulcer in
his lungs, the discharge of which brought up the fretting
cause of all his danger. "Now, dear mother," said the
fond sufferer, " I shall get well. I feel relieved" (putting
his hand on his heaving bosom,) " of this dreadful distress !"
Suffice it to say : so it proved. From that hour, both
Alexander and his father began to amend ; and, ere morning,
his new-born sister Deborah augmented still further the hap-
piness of the once more rejoicing family. The head of rye,
when thrown from his lungs, had at its lower end a silicious
formation, of the size and shape of a pea ; and was, with its
irritating beards, at least two inches in length. His mother,
for years, preserved it in a vial ; and his surviving sisters in
Simsbury remember well to have seen it as an object of
special care, and a memento of peril providentially escaped.
Previously to this incident, he had enjoyed a remarkably
vigorous and robust constitution ; but, for some time after,
he wore the appearance of a consumptive child. Gradually,
however, the cough and all its attendant symptoms of emacia-
tion, paleness and languor, yielded, and he eventually re-
covered, so far as his bodily frame in general was concerned,
all the hardiness and uncommon vigor, to which it had at
first been heir, and for which it continued even till death so
remarkable. And yet, it is not probable that his lungs and
organs of speech ever recovered their full natural tone and
strength. Hence, probably, that weakness of voice, of which
the Bishop in a subsequent part of his auto-biography speaks,
and which others have so often remarked. Hence, possibly,
the later difficulties with the organs of speech, to which he
was subject. And hence, finally, it may have been, that his
native passion for reading and study was the more readily
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 43
indulged by his parents, till it took the lead in shaping for
him the course and destiny of his future life : for, from this
time it was that, till his twentieth year, he became the special
pupil as well as favorite of his uncle Viets.
At the period, of which I have now been speaking, the
opening of the eleventh year of young Griswold's life, our
revolutionary war had already broken' out; and the day,
which sealed before heaven and earth our destiny as a new
and mighty nation, the 4th of July 1776, doubtless lay close
beside that on which happened the harvest-incident just re-
corded. What a change upon every thing, save the rivers
and the plains, " the everlasting hills" and the overbending
skies, of this land, has been wrought by the issues of that
our national birth-struggle ! It was a change, which passed
not only over our government and laws, our commerce and
arts, our literature and science, our institutions of religion,
and our state of society, — but also over man himself.
Whether this great change, affecting thus deeply every thing
human in the midst of us, was for the better or for Jhe worse,
is perhaps a question, the answer to which lies yet, at least
in part, among the unborn secrets of the future. Looking,
however, at what has already been developed, and especially
at the truth, that all great events constitute an essential part
of the general purposes for good of Him who is Ruler of
worlds, — we can hardly doubt that what is to " work together
for good" to his people, is also to work out a lofty destiny to
our nation, and lasting benefits to the world. But, leaving
this point to the future commentaries of time, it cannot be
otherwise than interesting to us to trace the change, which
the war of the revolution wrought in shaping, for us and for
the Church of Christ, the life and destiny in this world of the
subject of the present memoir.
Before entering, however, upon this part of our work, and
to prevent interruption, after having once begun, it may be
well to record here an affecting incident of a more private
character, which occurred during the war, though in no way
connected with its progress.
The cold winter of 1779-80 is still fresh in the memories
44 MEMOIR OF THE
of many, and will never be forgotten till our history ceases to
be read. At this time young Griswold was scarce fourteen
years old. And yet, on the morning of what proved to be
the famous " cold Friday'''' of that coldest of winters, he
started from his uncle Viets' house for Hartford, with a load
of wood on an ox-sled for the purpose of purchasing, as it
was then customary to do in that way of barter, some little
comforts for the season. Some of the survivors in the family
have a tradition that this " cold Friday," occurred in the
month of December, just before Christmas day; and that the
object of this visit to Hartford was, the purchase of those
trifling luxuries, in the simple enjoyment of which it was
then customary to indulge as often as the Christmas festival
returned. But, whether this tradition be correct as to the
date and object of the expedition, I have not at hand the
means of determining. It is enough that the winter and day
of the week are ascertained.
On the morning then of the cold Friday of that coldest of
winters, this lad of scarce fourteen started from the parsonage
of his uncle, w T ith a slow-moving ox-team, for the town of
Hartford, lying at the distance of ten miles from his point of
departure. It was extremely cold when he left home ; but
during the day, the cold continued to increase in intensity.
The snow had fallen deep and driftingly ; and as the day-
wore off, every thing assumed the finished aspect of profound,
horrid winter. Mean while his mother, aware of his visit,
was filled with distressing fears for his safety, and repeatedly
through the day expressed her apprehensions that he would
freeze to death on his return across the then lonely plains,
which stretched for six or eight miles, with scarcely a human
habitation, between the eastern base of the hills, and the
approaches to Hartford. Night drew on, but without tidings
of his return ; and, as its cold shadows fell increasingly on
the dreary wastes around, her anxiety deepened into distress:
for, by this time the weather had become severe beyond any
thing in the memory of the oldest inhabitants of the town.
Time after time had she sent a messenger to his uncle's for
tidings, beseeching him not to leave her a moment in sus-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 45
pense in case of his safe arrival. At length, deep darkness
reigned ; yet he came not. Seven, eight o'clock passed ;
but still, no tidings from the lad. All domestic occupation
now stood still, and one feeling of distressing alarm seized
and painfully united the whole household of hearts. The
only movement witnessed was the frequent and instinctive
gliding of some one to the door, to listen in strained eager-
ness for the sound of some approaching footstep. For one
long, long hour, however, no such sound caught the ear of
the listeners. At last, nine o'clock came, and with it, his
uncle ; yet he came pale, and almost speechless from agita-
tion. It was some minutes before he could summon com-
posure enough to tell them that the team had come home,
but — without Alexander ! The feelings of the family at this
announcement may be imagined, but not described. " Oh!
never can I forget the horrors of that night, and the agony of
his mother!" were the words of his still surviving sister, by
whom the substance of this account was given ; " And never,
even after the lapse of so many years, have I heard any
member of the family speak without tears of the events, with
which that night was filled ;" is the remark of his neice,
throuo-h whom the account was communicated.
One moment was given to agony. The next was filled
with action. His father and uncle instantly set out in search
of him, determined, in their anxiety for the loved and (too
likely) lost-one, to brave the fiercest terrors that could rage
round the dark, cold heart of even such a winter's night.
As they issued forth through the neighborhood, sounding
their alarm as they went, between forty and fifty stout hearts
like theirs, of men and boys, answered the call by joining in
their search. Many of them carried lanterns, and all wore
watchful eyes. As the snow was deep and much drifted,
the fear was that he had missed the track amidst the dark-
ness, and perhaps lay benumbed at a distance from the road.
In all directions, therefore, they scoured the plain in their
toilful and distressing search ; but, of its object they could
neither see nor hear a sign or a sound. As they approached
Hartford, they inquired at every house, but still without any
46 MEMOIR OF THE
tidings from him whom they sought. At length, however,
at a tavern about a mile from town, they learned that, just
before dark, he had stopped there to warm, and had com-
plained of suffering extremely from the cold.
Their worst forebodings seemed now confirmed ; and they
returned across the plain, renewing their search with a feel-
ing of almost certainty that he must have perished. " On
they fared" over the dark and dreary tract, with a search,
like the former, utterly fruitless : till, at length, one of the
party recollected a small house, which stood at some distance
from the road, towards the northwestern edge of the plain, or
that nearest home, and which, in their downward progress,
they had forgotten to visit. Thither they instantly repaired,
and there, to their joy, they found him, still living! He had
arrived at about eight in the evening ; but so penetrated with
the cold, that, upon approaching the fire, he fell senseless to
the floor ; and, for some time, the only occupants of the house,
a very old man and his wife, supposed him dead. After a
while, however, by the use of such means as were at their
command, and of such skill as they possessed, they succeeded
in restoring him to consciousness. But it was impossible for
him to proceed any farther that night ; and as the aged people
had no one, by whom they could send tidings to his friends,
they with their now recovered guest, had retired to bed, and
were quietly sleeping, when the party in search of him arrived.
For a long time, however, he suffered the effects of the
severity of that dreadful night ; and " the cold Friday" lived
vividly in his remembrance till his dying day.
This, doubtless, is one of the two special instances, which
the Bishop mentions, of his having been, as if by almost a
miracle, rescued from death ! With the other we shall meet
as we pass on through his coming history.
From this incident in 1779-80 let us now return to the
period of the breaking out of the war, and trace, as far as we
may, the influence of that event over the life and fortunes of
young Griswold. The time has come, when we may speak
calmly, and without fear of reproach, of those, who, in that
day of various trial, stood aloof from the conflict, and com-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 47
posedly met the bitter, burning scorn of the mass, whose
feelings, glowing like a furnace amidst the intense heat of
the struggle, could not brook the presence of men without
sympathy in the ardors of their enthusiasm. Though some,
who then wore the stigma of Toryism, doubtless deserved the
severities meted out to them, yet many, who bore the mark,
were men of lofty principle and acted in obedience to the high
behests of an incorruptibly religious conscience. Whether they
were right or wrong in the view, which they took of the princi-
ple involved in the doctrine of revolution, is not here the
question. They believed they were right ; and in obedience to
their belief, multitudes of them chose neutrality with persecu-
tion, in preference to a violation of an honest conscience with
the popularity which such a sacrifice might have won them.
That was, on all sides, a day of stern principle to an extent,
which we of the present age are scarce capable of appreciat-
ing ; and the remark was quite as true of the suffering men
here designated as of those, by whom their sufferings were
inflicted. That they suffered in the stand, which they took,
was perhaps unavoidable. Even the noble spirit, which
fired the breasts of our revolutionary fathers, it may be, could
not be expected to do full justice to those, whose attitude
was aloof from the stern strife of the day. And yet, it had
been a sweeter thought in after times, had they allowed such
to stand unmolested so far as they stood not in the act of re-
sistance to the general movement. To the Episcopalians of
that time, and especially to most of their clergy, the foregoing-
remarks have an application, the truth and value of which it
were high injustice to deny them.
Among such were Roger Viets and the father of Bishop
Griswold ; who, through the seven years of our labor for In-
dependence, planted themselves on the ground of what they
believed to be duty to God and their king, and stood out in
strict, though not unsuffering neutrality, till the return of
peace. Of the position occupied by them and by others like
them, the auto-biography takes the following notice.
"At that time, the Episcopal clergy of Connecticut,"
(and it might have been added, of other parts of the country,)
48 MEMOIR OF THE
" received their pecuniary support chiefly from the Society
in England for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts.
From this consideration, but especially from that higher one,
involved in their oath to the British Government, they had
very conscientious scruples, how soon and how far they
might lawfully, or according to the doctrines of Christ, unite
in the struggle of the States for Independence. Most of
them endeavored to remain neutral; resolved to take no
active part in the contest, and so, to await the event. This,
of course, caused them to he suspected of favoring the Eng-
lish, and of being unfriendly to the cause of liberty. They
were closely watched, and some of them suffered what they
considered as persecution."
As an instance of the manner, in which not only the clergy,
but others of the Church were thus "watched," I may here
insert the account given me, on my visit to Simsbury, of the
proceedings against Bishop Griswold's father.
For a time, this worthy man was arraigned almost daily
before the Committee of Vigilance, and straightly questioned
as to the most common actions of his life. But such was his
great and exemplary prudence that nothing was ever found
against him. The committee therefore contented themselves
with forbidding him to go beyond the limits of his own farm.
This, however, as his farm was something of a little territory,
and gave him space for exercise ; but particularly, as he was
proverbially a home-keeping man, and seldom left his farm,
save of a Sunday for Church, was practically no great hard-
ship. Indeed, leaving the principle, involved, out of view,
it was no hardship at all, except that, for a season, it abridged
his religious privileges.
Mr. Viets, however, being a public man, and more closely
associated, in public opinion, with the interests of the royal
cause, was not only more closely watched, but also more
rigorously treated. Of his case, the auto-biography thus
speaks.
" My uncle was naturally of a very kind and charitable
disposition ; and to the suffering was ever ready to extend
relief. It happened that, at midnight, (in what year of the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 49
war, I forget,) some men, who, as it afterwards appeared,
were endeavoring to elude pursuit, called at his house and
asked for charitable aid. Lodging, he dared not give them.
Food he could not refuse. Of this charitable deed, some
circumstances led the authorities into a suspicion ; and being
accused of it, he would not deny what he had done, though
no sufficient evidence of the fact appeared, or could be
brought against him. For that act of benevolence, which,
as he believed, the law of God required, he was condemned
to be imprisoned, and was many months confined in jail at
Hartford.
"In what cases it is justifiable for the people, who live
under a lawful government, to rise, contrary to law, in op-
position to the tyrannical, or oppressive conduct of rulers ;
this is often a very difficult question, and one, for the decision
of which no general rule can be given. It is not strange
that men should disagree in their judgment, and in their con-
duct, respecting a point so debatable. Such is the fault of
our common nature, that, in such case, they are more likely
to be influenced by self-interest, or self-will, than by princi-
ples of right and of religion, or by the love of the public
good."
The first trace of the influence of the war over, the events
in the life of young Griswold, appears in the following para-
graph of the auto-biography.
" Though it was my expectation in childhood and youth,
to go through a regular course of collegiate studies, yet such
was the pressure of the times, and so much was my father,
with his large family of eight children, straightened by the
taxes and fines imposed on him, that it was by my uncle
thought best that I should be prepared for the Senior class,
and so, merely to obtain a degree, spend but one year in
College. Even this purpose however was, by subsequent
events, frustrated."
What these subsequent events were we shall soon see, and
how they still further influenced the events of his life. The
termination of the war was at hand ; and the great question
was to be decided ; what would become of those clergy of
E
50 MEMOIR OF THE
the English Church, -who had not favored the revolution, and
whose principles and tastes were not such as to relish its re-
sult. The decision of this question bore directly on the case
of Mr. Viets ; and the step, by which he decided it, led to the
early marriage and almost to the self-expatriation of his
nephew, from the land of his birth.
" After the conclusion of the peace," (continues the auto-
biography,) " when the British Government had acknowl-
edged the Independence of these United States, the salaries,
which our clergy had received from England, were discon-
tinued ; and as they had depended chiefly on that missionary
aid for the support of their families, they were now suddenly
left almost destitute. Their parishioners, indeed, soon began
to make provision for their relief ; but it was not adequate to
the sustaining of even their accustomed humble style of living.
Under these circumstances, in compassion of their wants,
and in consideration of their fidelity, the Propagation Society
offered to continue, and even to increase their stipends on
condition of their removing into the British dominions, where
parishes were assigned them. My uncle, after several
months of deliberation, consented, as did several others, to
make the change. His great partiality for me made him very
unwilling to leave me behind ; and he accordingly urged me
much, and most kindly, to accompany him. Such a change
on my part, requiring me to leave my native land for a
foreign province, and to abandon the pleasant and fertile
valleys of Connecticut for a new settlement in so cold and
unpromising a country as Nova Scotia, was, to me, dis-
agreeable, and seemed also unwise. Still, such was my
great regard for my uncle, that I finally consented to ac-
company him, and to share his fortunes, as I had shared his
favor. But, here a difficulty arose. I was, even at that
early age, engaged in affection to the daughter of one of my
neighbors, whose name was Elizabeth Mitchelson. Separa-
tion was to us both a painful thought. Yet we were too
young to be married : as I was but little past nineteen, and
she more than two years younger than myself. Neverthe-
less, it was finally agreed that I should wholly relinguish my
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 51
purpose of entering College, that we should be married, and
that both should accompany my uncle's family to Digby, the
place of his expected settlement in Nova Scotia. Our
marriage accordingly took place the latter part of the year
1785."
Well might he say in subsequent life ; " In a remarkable
manner has an unseen hand frustrated my own plans and
designs." This very marriage, which was intended to in-
sure, proved the occasion of preventing, his contemplated
removal from the States. His account continues :
" In 1786, my uncle visited and passed the summer in
his new parish ; returning in the autumn to Connecticut.
While he was absent, I lived in his family and had charge of
his temporal affairs. The next year, he removed to Nova
Scotia with his family, and one of my sisters, then quite
young, accompanied them. But, in the mean time, my wife's
parents had made inquiries respecting Digby and its climate ;
the result of which was such unfavourable views of the
country that they were unwilling their daughter should go
thither. Their opposition was so serious that I finally
yielded to their feelings and remained behind.
" Thus, a second time, was frustrated my plan of life.
My early marriage, however imprudent in itself it may seem,
was undoubtedly, in the hand of Providence, the occasion
of preventing my settlement in a foreign and unpleasant land.
What, in the event of my purposed removal, would have
been my life and fortune, and whether I should have been
more or less useful in the world, God only knows. I view
the circumstance just recorded as a happy event, and desire
to be duly thankful that my removal was prevented.
"In justice to my uncle's memory, I may here speak of
his deep obligation, (often and feelingly expressed,) to the
kind hospitality of Dr. (afterwards Bishop) Parker, of Trinity
Church, Boston, and his amiable lady, as he several times
passed through that city in going to Digby and returning.
In 1789, I accompanied my uncle as far as Boston on his
third passage to Digby. We spent one Sunday in Boston.
In the morning, we attended Christ Church, where the Rev.
52 ' MEMOIR OF THE
Tillotson Bronson was then officiating instead, (if I mistake
not,)\)f the Rev. Mr. Montague, who was absent on a visit to
England. We dined at Dr. Parker's, where I was first in-
troduced to him and Mrs. Parker, a very beautiful lady. In
the afternoon we were at Trinity Church, and heard the
Doctor preach."
In the incidents, which have just been narrated, terminat-
ed the more immediate influence of the war upon the events
of Mr. Griswold's life. That influence resulted in defeating
his plan in favor of the customary residence in College, and
in precipitating him into an early marriage, which, however
much he might then have desired to postpone it, proved as
happy for himself as it did auspicious to our Church.
The period of youth, now closed, was to him one of
severe discipline amidst rugged toils both of body and of
mind ; and, what is perhaps of more importance, this discip-
line came amidst the daily influences of stern virtue and
lofty principle in others, put continually to the proof under
the pressure and the scrutiny of one of the most thoroughly
energizing conflicts, that have ever acted on the characters
of either individuals or communities. Trained in such a
school, his whole constitution both of body and of mind, be-
came remarkably hardy, inured to labor and to suffering, and
capable of any effort and of any endurance, to which, in the
vicissitudes of coming life, he might be called ; while, at the
same time, his character became a rare combination of incor-
ruptible honesty, inflexible integrity and immovable firmness,
with the most unaffected modesty, the most inartificial sim-
plicity, and the most unblemished purity. Some, indeed,
have supposed that there was in his nature a yielding amia-
bleness incompatible with firmness and decision. But such
did not know him. He was, it is true, most amiable in his
disposition, and, within certain limits, and on questions of
mere expediency or personal convenience, yielding perhaps
even to a fault. But, on questions of principle, conscience,
duty, no man was ever more decided or more firm than he.
On any such question, whoever attempted to influence, to
move, to change him, found in him a Dentatus, with his back
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 53
against the rock of his own convictions, incapable of retreat,
and ready to sell his life dearly in defence of truth and right.
Of his attainments in knowledge during the first nineteen
years of his life, it is difficult to speak with precision. Those
years, as we have seen, were not spent, like the correspond-
ing years of many others, in the public walks of learning, in
the contests of the schools, and in association with living
men famous in the world of letters ; scenes, where genius,
scholarship and taste win their triumphs, wreath them-
selves in the laurels of fame, and gain for their academic
escutcheons an early emblazonry. On the contrary, they
were years spent in most simple retirement, in laborious oc-
cupation, and in little more than midnight devotions at the
shrine of knowledge ; in measuring himself, intellectually,
with himself alone ; or, in making a ploughman's field the
only palaestra of his scholarship, and the ploughman himself
his sole intellectual wrestler. And yet, we cannot but think
highly of his attainments even at that period, if we reflect,
that, while laboring in agricultural pursuits with others of his
age and family, and for as many hours as they, he had, at
the time of his unexpectedly early marriage, qualified himself
for entering the Senior class of Yale College, and, in addition
to all this, read almost every volume in the valuable library
of his uncle Viets ! What results in scholarship would not
such a mind, with such indomitable habits of industry, have
achieved, had his whole time been devoted to the gratifica-
tion of his one insatiable desire !
I have somewhere read the remark that there was seldom,
if ever, a great man, who did not attempt, at some period or
other of his life, to write poetry. The attempt does not, in-
deed, prove greatness ; nor does greatness always insure suc-
cess in the attempt. Still, the remark is probably in a good
measure conformable to fact. Mr. Griswold, at the age, of
which I have been speaking, was not great because he at-
tempted to write poetry ; nor were his attempts at this species
of composition the best proofs of his power. And yet, like
most other minds, capable of entering into the true spirit of
poetry, he was in youth fond of amusing himself in this way.
E*
54 MEMOIR OF THE
«
He had an early and ready wit, which he used frequently to
express in poetry of a playfully satiric cast ; — and many, of
both sexes, were the companions of his boyhood, who felt
the power of his humorous pen ; though I believe he never
either made an enemy, or lost a friend by the exercise of
that power. All his early poetical compositions have long
since been destroyed, or preserved in those memories only,
from which he could not erase them. Even to old age, how-
ever, his talent for poetical satire was never lost, albeit he
never gave it exercise, save in an occasional impromptu,
uttered in his most withdrawn moments, when there was but
one trusty ear on earth to listen. In poetry, his pen seems
never to have been used after his entrance into the ministry,
except in short, serious strains, chiefly lyrical, or devotional.
Of these, but few specimens have been preserved ; exhibit-
ing, however, a tenderness of sentiment, a liveliness of fancy,
and a fervor of holiness, which irresistibly excite the wish,
that he had attempted, as I think he was unquestionably
able, to contribute somewhat to our present store of those
songs for the Sanctuary, which never die.
Of his religious character, at this period, it will not be
necessary to speak at large. It will be sufficient to say, that,
in its elements, it was distinctly formed and deeply fixed ;
and that, although it waited those fuller developments, which
it was to receive from God's special dealings with him, yet
there could be no mistaking the main direction, which it had
assumed. His bias towards the ministry was early ; all his
studies, as he advanced in life, were more and more exclu-
sively drawn that way ; and although, as we shall see, there
was a period during which all immediate views to the min-
istry were abandoned, yet even then his reading was such
as to increase his stock of qualifications for the sacred office.
It is the less necessary to dwell here on the peculiarities of
his religious character, inasmuch as these will be constantly
presenting themselves in the course of the memoir, and will
appear as a continually unfolding point to the eye of careful
attention.
Hitherto, we have seen him only as an object of peculiarly
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 55
tender affection, ever watchful care, and well applied private
instruction, from the natural friends and guardians of his
youth, especially from his kind and devoted uncle. Hereafter,
we are to see him cast alone, as it were, on the world, with
naught but Providence for his guide, and his own energies
as his stimulus ; left, at a very early age, in the care of a
growing family, — to buffet the stormy waves of life, and to
struggle, both for subsistence and for usefulness, against
difficulties such as rarely beset youthful enterprise. Many,
and disastrous, no doubt, were the changes wrought in the
temporal fortunes and destinies of those, who were just step-
ping upon the stage of action, as the war of our revolution
closed. Few, it is believed, were better fitted, whether by
native constitution, or by early discipline, to meet those
changes manfully, and to struggle through them safely, than
the subject of the present narrative.
56 MEMOIR OF THE
FROM THE BISHOP'S MARRIAGE TO HIS ORDINATION AS TRESBYTER.
Of this portion of Mr. Griswold's life, I have been able
to obtain few notices, other than those, which he has himself
left in the auto-biography. These, therefore, with such
facts, or reflections, as they may suggest, and the very scanty
additional gleanings, which I have made in walking over
the field of effort, which he then tilled and harvested and
left, — are all that will detain us from the later and more pub-
lic scenes, in which he appeared and acted. His account of
this period thus opens :
"After my uncle's final removal in 1787, I was for some
time, undecided what course to follow. Some years pre-
vious, I had considered myself as designed for the Christian
ministry. But, now, having no longer his aid and his library,
I relinquished, for several years, the thought of applying for
holy orders ; and for some time deliberated with myself, and
consulted with my friends, on the question ; what course of
life I should pursue. They recommended the study of the
law. I remember, that, when a lad, my companions used
familiarly to call me, l the lawyer? from a habit, which I
then had, of arguing and disputing on various questions and
subjects. With the recommendation of my friends, therefore,
I so far complied as to read law, some part of my time, for
two or three years ; not, however, with the design of apply-
ing for admission to the bar ; but partly from a liking to the
study, and chiefly with a view of qualifying myself for any
business of a public nature, to which I might, not improba-
bly, be called. To such, indeed, I soon began to be called ;
and even had some flattering prospects of rising in public
estimation."
One of the circumstances, I was told, which influenced
his mind at this time, grew out of a law-suit, in which the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 57
Griswold family happened then to be engaged with some
other party. The lawyer employed by the family was, Mr.
Gideon Granger, at that time residing in the neighboring
town of Suffield, and very eminent in his profession ; but
afterwards of Canandaigua in the State of New York, and
Post Master General of the United States. With this dis-
tinguished gentleman the law-suit in question brought Mr.
Griswold into intimate acquaintance ; the result of which was
that he conceived a very exalted opinion of him and even a
warm regard for him. This opinion and regard were reci-
procated. In the management and progress of the suit, that
brought them together, an opening towards the legal pro-
fession, under very favorable auspices, seemed to present
itself; and it had much influence with the family, in the ad-
vice, which they gave, and doubtless with Mr. Griswold
himself in the studies, on which he now entered.
Meanwhile, some of the former pupils of his uncle Viets,
among whom Mr. Griswold was one, instituted a kind of
debating club, which used to meet in the evening, and most-
ly at his own house. This club, or society, became a place of
practical exercise to several young men, who were looking
towards the bar; — and here, reading law in the mean time,
Mr. Griswold acquired no. little legal knowledge and skill,
and even saw fairly opened before him, had he chosen to
pursue it, the road to legal distinction. Distinguished in the
law, in the highest and best sense, he undoubtedly might
have become : for few minds have powers, better adapted
whether to the study of legal science, or to the practice of
the legal art, than his own. The chief, indeed the only
peculiarities, which kept him so long from popular notice
and from immediate influence in the Church, (his native
modesty and his acquired taciturnity,) would at least have
so far yielded, under the keener excitements, the closer at-
trition, and the greater freedom of the courts, as to have
left no barriers in his way to any legal eminence, on which
he might have fixed his eye ; while his ready wit, his play-
ful fancy, his power at pungent satire and rebuke, his un-
commonly quick and keen perceptions, and his unquestiona-
58 MEMOIR OF THE
bly profound and accurate judgment, (qualities, several of
which, as a minister of Christ, he kept so effectually under
the stern and holy restraints of a religious conscience, that
but few were even aware of their existence in his character,)
would naturally have come out into distinct and full activity,
and insured success to his highest aspirations. But, God
designed better things than these for his Church ; and we
may add, even higher things than these for his servant.
Mr. Griswold's study of the law, as we have seen, was
not, from the first, intended as a preparation for its actual
practice ; and though he unexpectedly found the way to that
practice opening very invitingly before him and soliciting
his entrance, yet his mind had other things in view, and for
a season he remained undecided in what pursuit he should
permanently engage. He had admirable talents for busi-
ness, and habits, which fitted him admirably for the acquisi-
tion of extensive wealth : and to this his thoughts seem at
first to have turned, not from any inordinate love of money,
but from a high and honorable desire for usefulness.
"Observing," he says, "with what eagerness almost all
were in pursuit of wealth, how much influence the rich had
in society, and indeed how much, if rightly used, riches
might add to the comfort and happiness of life, and to the
means of doing good, I had some serious thoughts of devo-
ting my efforts to the acquisition of wealth ; not doubting
that, with my habits of economy and patient industry, I
should probably succeed. These thoughts, however, held
my mind but for a short period. For I had, even thus early,
conceived an indifference to wealth beyond what either re-
ligion, or true philosophy requires. Wealth is certainly a
great blessing, in so far as it gives us the means of doing
much good both for ourselves and for others. To despise it,
is to despise, or be indifferent to, the good which it might be
the means of doing. A Christian is in duty bound to be in-
dustrious, and frugal ; and should endeavor to acquire more
than he needs, if for no other purpose, ' that he may have to
give to him that needeth.'
"The cultivation of literature was, in truth, what I most
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 59
desired. But, to the indulgence of this early and strong
passion of my mind, the wants of an increasing family, for
the time, presented an insurmountable obstacle, and con-
strained me, for a few years, to devote a large part of my
time to the cultivation of a small farm, which then and for
many years afterwards belonged to me.
"During these years of indicision, however, reading was
not neglected ; nor was I uninterested, or wholly unoccupied,
in the affairs of religion and the Church. I became a com-
municant at the age of twenty, and was confirmed, with
many others, on occasion of Bishop Seabury's first visit to
our parish. In the affairs of this parish, I was much con-
sulted, and not a little engaged. My knowledge of music,
and practice of Psalmody, as there were then very few
organs in the country, made me of use both in teaching and
in leading the choir. When the parish was vacant, and
when its minister was absent, I assisted in the other services,
and finally, being urged to speak on other occasions, my
friends began to think that the weakness of my voice was
not a good reason for relinquishing my early purpose of taking
orders."
Before noticing the influence of this suggestion on his
mind and course of life, I must recall for observation his
passing remark, that, during his years of indicision on the
great question before him, " reading was not neglected."
His brief sketch of this period gives us but a faint idea of
either the difficulties, with which he was obliged to contend,
or the spirit, in which he met and mastered them. His read-
ing at this period, had an undoubted reference to the Church
and the ministry, although he had not yet determined to de-
vote himself to the service of the former in the work of the
latter. But what this reading cost him, few have ever
known. "The events of his life," says his son-in-law, Dr.
Tyng, " had been a discipline in very narrow circumstances,
and the influence of this, he carried through the whole of his
succeeding years. His early marriage and his condition as
a working farmer, rendered his education a series of difficul-
60 MEMOIR OF THE
ties. He has told us that when he was attempting to prepare
himself for the ministry, he was obliged to labor all the day
on his farm ; and, not being able to afford himself adequate
lights, he was in the habit of stretching himself on the hearth,
with his books before him, and by the light of pine knots,
as they blazed in the chimney corner, pursuing his studies
for hours after his wife and children were asleep !"
Where can a more remarkable instance of self-devotion
and unconquerable perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge
be found? Nor must it be supposed that his reading was
without aim or order, gathering together a literary chaos, —
"rudis, indigestaque moles ;" the food of an indiscriminate
appetite, that devoured every thing with equal greediness, and
digested nothing for the nourishment of mental life and
health. He knew what he read, and why he read it, and
what was the best way to make his reading useful. To a
naturally ready and retentive memory, which seldom lost
what it really grasped, he added, as his indices and com-
mon-places shew, those customary aids, which enabled him
to arrange his best stores into such order, as to have them
always at command. From Drexelius, he early adopted the
following " directions for noting" as he read. "1. Begin
the work early in life. 2. Do it continually. Read no book,
quin excerpas, without making extracts. 3. Often read over
what you have written. 4. Always keep in view the end
of your own studies."
As to the utility of such a system, he extracted from the
same author the following remarks :
1. " Pliny Secundus, while his nephew was walking out
to take the air, used this memorable expression ; ' Poteras
has horas non perdere. temporis parsimoniam, quam ignota
es et rara ! Omnium rerum jactura reparabilis, preterquam
temporisS ' Thou mayest save these hours from waste.
parsimony of time ! how unknown and rare art thou ! The
loss of all things is reparable save that of Time !" Drexelius
insists that nothing great ever was, or ever will be done
without industrious notation. He would not part with his
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 61
own notes for any thing short of heaven itself. When a sub-
ject was proposed, he could tell all the authors, who had
written upon it.
2. "A man may subsist on his own stock, in case of sick-
ness, or any hindrance, as when he must write, and cannot
read.
3. " There is but little difficulty in building when all the
materials are at hand.
4. "Take what you want from the book which you read,
and you never need open it again. Your own papers are
the best library.
5. " No index to an author is so good as your own, taken
on reading the context.
6. " There is no more benefit in reading, than there is in
eating, too much. We derive good from that only which is
digested."
Amoncr other notes as to the best method of reading, which
Drexelius recommends, he made the following.
" We ought to read, 1. Every author, who is best in his
kind ; 2. Such as best suit with our own genius ; and 3. the
ancients generally in preference to the moderns.
" ' Ordo anima memorise.' Order is the soul of memory."
Adopting such rules for reading, as he evidently did, early
in life, and with such a natural memory as that, which he
possessed, he could not but have a well-regulated, as well
as a richly stored mind ; and we are prepared for the state-
ment, which Dr. Tyng adds to that already given from his
pen.
" His early ardor for information followed him to the very
close of life. He was always a hard student, and one of the
most perfect and varied scholars, with whom I have ever
been acquainted. His peculiar diffidence and silence
rendered it difficult to draw from him his stores of learning ;
but I could never consult him on any question, in any branch
of study, without finding him perfectly acquainted with it.
In languages and in history, as well as in the abstract sciences
and in theology, he was fully prepared for every occasion."
What the Bishop says, in the extract last made from the
62 MEMOIR OF THE
auto-biography, on the subject of his becoming a communi-
cant at the age of twenty, and of his being confirmed during
the first visit of Bishop Seabury to the parish in Simsbury,
is indeed a brief account of those important events of his
life ; and it would have added greatly to the interest of this
part of the memoir, if he had been much more full in his
narration of those events. But, it must be remembered that,
if we except the precious tokens and foretastes, which were
sent him from heaven during his dangerous illness at ten
years of age, there was evidently nothing remarkable in
the early developments of his religious character. Its foun-
dations were laid ; its principles were fixed ; its elements
were gathered ; and foretokenings of its future growth and
ripeness shewed themselves. But, at the age, of which lam
now speaking, there was nothing of a very special, or strong-
ly marked character in either his feelings themselves, or the
events of his life as influenced by them. It should also be
remembered, that, at the age, when he wrote his auto-biogra-
phy, as well as throughout his life, Bishop Griswold was not
accustomed to speak largely of himself; and that, when he
did make himself the subject of either conversation or writ-
ing, there was ever the deepest humility in his tone of re-
mark, a disposition to place himself among the lowly, rather
than to urge himself up to notoriety among the great, of this
world. His habit was to leave his character to be judged
by his actions ; and his tree to be known by its fruits.
To return now to the question, which had begun again to
occupy his thoughts, and to be urged again on his considera-
tion by his friends, whether he should at length decide upon
entering the ministry ? he says :
" To this I was much urged, especially by the Rev. Mr.
Todd, who had succeeded my uncle in the Simsbury parish.
By very serious conversations, he at length convinced me
that the clerical profession was that, which the leadings of
God's Providence evidently held forth to my view ; assuring
me, at the same time, that, in this profession, there could be
no doubt of my success.
" Some years previous, as is known, I had considered my-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 63
self as designed for the Christian ministry. My advantages,
as preparatory to the work, were even then considerable.
From being so much with an Episcopal clergyman ; travel-
ling with my uncle in his visits to his clerical brethren, to
whom he ever had a pleasure in introducing me ; and favored
with his library, which for a private one in those times was
thought to be very large, and almost the whole of which I
read ;* I had become early and well acquainted with Church
affairs, especially with the Churches and clergy then exist-
ing; in Connecticut. As this knowledge commenced in
childhood, at my present age, seventy-four, I might perhaps
truly say that no one, now living, has been longer or better
acquainted with the Protestant Episcopal Church in New
England" (might he not have added, in the United States ?)
"than I."
" The weakness of my voice had indeed led me early to
suppose that I could never, as a public speaker, be of much
use in the Church : yet I had hoped that, through divine
grace, I might, in the other exercises of the ministry, be the
instrument of some good. I used to think, too, that the
ministerial profession would be the means of keeping me
steadfast in the Christian faith : and with shame I must now
add, that the thought of its giving me more leisure for in-
dulging my ardent love of reading had, at that time, too
much influence on my mind. Reading, for the pleasure of
reading, with no particular view to qualification for the bet-
ter performance of the duties of our profession is, to say the
least, quite as inconsistent with the clerical office as laboring
with oar hands for the bread of life. By the latter, as was
the case with St. Paul, we help to support ourselves and
others ; and, (what is too little considered) render ourselves
* The words here italicised, are in the auto-biography erased, evidently
at the suggestion of an afterthought started by the Bishop's modesty. But
they are distinctly traceable under the erasure ; and I have ventured to
move the line, with which he erased them, a little lower down, as, on the
whole, its more proper place ; as no longer capable there of inflicting pain
on his modest feelings ; and as doing him a piece of posthumous justice,
which, while living, he seemed so unambitious of doing to himself.
C4 MEMOIR OF THE
less burthensome to those among whom we minister. This
is worthy of special consideration in New England, where
the division of Christians into so many sects, societies and
denominations, renders the support of a minister for each a
heavy burthen upon the people.
"We know well, that, as St. Paul says, 'The Lord has
ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the
Gospel ;' and many Christians, no doubt, neglect their duty,
by giving so little for its support. Moreover, we dare not
say, it is God's will that there should be such divisions
among Christians as to compel us thus to 'heap to ourselves
teachers.' Nevertheless, it is remarkable that St. Paul, im-
mediately after the words just cited from 1 Cor. ix. shews
that, for himself, he had not claimed a maintenance from the
people ; and he speaks of it as what, in his exercise of the
ministry, was most deserving of reward, or praise, that, when
he preached the Gospel, he had made it without charge to
his hearers. To the elders of Ephesus, he declares, Acts
xx. ' Ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered
unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have
shewed you all things, how that, so laboring, ye ought to
support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he said ; It is more blessed to give than to re-
ceive.' Whether I am right or wrong, I have ever admired
this trait in St. Paul's character; and ever since I have been
a minister of Christ, have thought it my duty, in some de-
gree, to follow his example. This, I have so far done, that,
while I have thankfully received what has been freely given,
as he also did, I have never complained that it was too little.
Though insufficient for my support, I have preferred labor-
ing with my own hands, and other means of living, rather
than that any thing should be added to the people's burthen.
How much a more general conformity to the Apostle's views
and practice, and a less practical conformity to the fashions
of the world, by the ministers of Christ, would tend to the
increase of true religion, they have different opinions. But,
to return from this digression ; —
" At the time, when Mr. Todd urged my entrance into the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 65
ministry, I had begun to have pleasing expectations of what
is called rising in the world ; and my hopes of temporal
honors began to occupy my thoughts to such a degree that,
with shame I must confess, the relinquishment of them re-
quired a painful struggle. But, the Lord was pleased in his
own good time to bring me to a better mind ; and I yielded
with diffidence and fear to what was by many believed to be
my duty."
Coming from such a man, these last sentences evidently
imbody the substance of what might have been a rich chapter
in the book of true Christian experience. But, unfortunate-
ly for us, the details of that chapter have been left unwritten ;
and the only hand, that could have given them with truth,
is now cold and still. Into the depths of that struggle with
natural ambition, we may never look. Into the wrestlings
of the divine Spirit with that ardent lover of learning and of
literary fame, we may never penetrate. Into all the feelings,
which accompanied the bowing of that diffident and trembling
heart before the high behests of duty, we may never enter.
What knowledge of the weakness of nature, and of the strength
of sin, of the power of grace, and of the blessedness of giving
up all for Christ, was then and there acquired, we may never
know. Over all these things has been left a veil, through
which we may, indeed, see something of the attitude and ac-
tion of the man, and of that divine agent who was dealing
with him, but which doubtless covers much that other auto-
biographers would have revealed, and much that their readers
would have been glad to learn.
"This," the manuscript proceeds, referring to the conflict
just mentioned, and to its result in following the call of duty ;
" This was in the spring of 1794 : and I was advised, with
no other preparation than I then had, to offer myself to the
Convention as a candidate for orders. This Convention met
early in June. I was received, and soon after commenced
officiating in a small parish about twelve miles distant from
my residence.
" Our present mode of receiving candidates had not then
been adopted. In Connecticut, as soon as they were re-
F*
66 MEMOIR OF THE
ceived, they were permitted to deliver their own composi-
tions : a permission, which was thought to be necessary in
order to their obtaining parishes ; for candidates were not
then ordained Deacons, till after they had been called to some
particular charge, or cure. The first morning of my officia-
ting as candidate, I read a 'printed sermon : but ever after
that, I preached my own."
From this record, it appears that, at that time, a candidate
for orders held a position similar to that of an ordained Dea-
con at the present day. He was, in fact, a licensed, though
unordained preacher ; and as such could receive, what can-
didates now can not, an official call, or election, to be the
stated minister of a parish. It followed, as a matter of course,
not only that he must be allowed to deliver his own sermons,
but also that he must have, on presenting himself for admis-
sion as candidate, qualifications, literary, scientific and theo-
logical, as well as moral and religious, correspondent with
those now required in persons who are to be ordained Dea-
cons. The Candidate of that day was practically the Deacon
of the present ; and our system, on this point, was a virtual
blending, at least in Connecticut, of the Congregational with
the Episcopal; the candidate of the latter being equivalent to
the licensed preacher of the former. I make these remarks
not only to shew what must have been the amount of Mr.
Griswold's reading, literary, scientific and theological, at the
time of his admission as a candidate for orders ; but also to
bring into prominence a feature in our early system, which
must be kept in memory, if we would do justice to some
candidates for orders in our Church, in various parts of New
England, and at a much later day, than that, of which I
have been speaking. The habit of regarding candidates for
orders as a sort of licensed preachers continued, in practice,
to influence our parishes, especially in the interior of New
England, long after the change, which was subsequently in-
troduced into our theory on this point, by the inception and
growth of our present code of canon law. Even down to
the time when Dr. Strong, the present Rector of St. James's,
Greenfield, and Dr. Henshaw, the present Bishop of Rhode
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 67
Island, were admitted candidates for orders, the influence of
the old system was still alive. The scarcity of clergymen
brought candidates into early notice and requisition as lay-
readers ; these lay-readers were still sought with a view to
settlement as future ordained ministers ; — and it often hap-
pened that parishes were unwilling to receive them, as lay-
readers, unless they would consent to preach their own ser-
mons. Their object being to make choice of a man to be
" set over them in the Lord," they wished to test not only
his ability to read the sermons of others, but also his ability
to write sermons for himself. Traces of this feeling, kept
alive by this cause, are discoverable even so late as the time,
when Mr. Ducachet, the present Rector of St. Stephen's,
Philadelphia, was admitted a candidate for orders in the
Eastern Diocese. Occasional instances, (which were then
censured as a violation of the canon.) of candidates reading
their own sermons when officiating as admitted lay-readers,
arose, I am satisfied, not from a censurable vanity in the
display of their own powers, but from the strength of that
urgency, with which they still found themselves pressed to
furnish satisfactory proof to the parishes, in which they were
officiating, that, so far as learning and talents were concerned,
they might be advantageously engaged with a view to per-
manent settlement. The circumstances thus detailed, shew
how long the lex non scripta will live, with its causes, in
practice, even after it has been repealed by the lex scripta in
theory; how long custom may survive under the written
law, by which it is sought to be abrogated ; how slow must
ordinarily be the process of urging, up the stream of popula-
tion to its sources in the country, those radical changes in
the customs and institutions of a people, which are so easily
conceived and placed on record, and which, with compara-
tive ease, may be reduced to practice in cities and larger
towns ; and therefore, how much patience, and candor and
consideration may be required in pressing such changes into
universal observance, and in judging of the motives and ac-
tions of those, against whose habits and apparent present
interests these changes are pressed.
68 MEMOIR OF THE
After recording his admission as a candidate for orders,
and his first engagement in what were in fact the duties of
his early ministry, the Bishop in his auto-biography thus
proceeds :
" In the course of a very few months, I was invited to
officiate in three different stations. The first was in the
county of Litchfield, embracing the care of three parishes,
in the three towns of Plymouth, Harwinton and Litchfield;"
(that part of the town now called Northfield ;) "the second
was in the county of New Haven, and town of Waterbury :
and the third was in the county of Fairfield, and town of
Reading. After officiating a few Sundays at each of these
stations, I was invited by the three parishes, severally, to
become their minister ; and, as I was told, the invitation
was, in each case, unanimous, there being not a dissenting
voice in any one of them. This, at the time, seemed to me
wonderful ; and perhaps some even now will consider it
scarce credible. But, it should be remembered that clergy
of our communion were then scarce, and the people conse-
quently glad to obtain almost any decent minister of Christ
to labor among them.
" Waterbury was at that time one of the best parishes in
the State. The people there were very urgent that I should
accept their call, and promised that they would, in case of
my acceptance, immediately commence the building of a
new church. Their pecuniary offer, too, was the best ; and,
had I accepted it, I should probably, if living, have remained
there to this time.
" Reading also was deemed, by all my friends, preferable
to the station in Litchfield county ; and yet, I accepted this
last, partly because it was nearer the place, where my family
still resided, and where I had some property, which required
my care ; and partly because I could, with greater propriety,
resign that station, should circumstances ever render my re-
moval expedient. The three parishes, embraced within this
station, formed nearly an equilateral triangle ; each being
about eight miles distant from the others. The country be-
tween them was very hilly ; and the roads, especially in the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 69
winter and spring, very bad. The duties, too, were very
laborious. Visiting the people, attending funerals, and
preaching lectures," (by which was understood in the coun-
try, preaching sermons on week-days in private houses,)
" besides my Sunday services, kept me a very considerable
part of my time on horseback. Carriages, in that region
were then scarce thought of; and even the small wagon,
since so common in New England, had not then come into
use."
Such was the field, selected by Mr. Griswold as the place
of his first settlement in the work of the ministry ; and such
were the reasons why he chose it in preference to others, in
all respects more inviting, so far as his worldly prospects were
concerned. His case could not be said to be exactly parallel
with that of an English clergyman, who, in choosing between
two livings, offered him by his patron, took his servant's ad-
vice and selected that, in which " there was least money and
most devil ;" for the Bishop subsequently testifies that the
people of these parishes " were mostly religious and all com-
paratively free from vice :" and yet, in the choice, which he
was called to make, he decided differently from what some
would probably have done, by selecting that, in which there
was least money and most labor. His salary was <£100,
lawful currency ; practically reduced, $300; or $100 from each
of his three parishes : while his labors, with his early and never-
remitted habits of sermon- writing, must have been as much
increased, as his compensation was diminished, by the choice,
which he made.
Having been admitted a candidate at the Convention,
which met at New Haven, June 4, 1794, and having officia-
ted in that capacity for the term required, one year, he was ad-
mitted to Deacon's orders at the next annual Convention,
which assembled at Stratford, June 3d, 1795 ; and not
January 7th of that year, as is incorrectly stated in "the list
of ordinations, copied from the Episcopal Register" and ap-
pended to " the Journals of the annual Conventions of the
Diocese of Connecticut, from 1792 to 1820," as printed at
70 MEMOIR OF THE
New Haven in 1842. The following is his own record of
his first ordination.
" When, according to the rules, then in force, I had been
a candidate a year, and had obtained the title required by
having a call to a parish, I was ordained Deacon with two
others at Stratford, in June 1795."
His admission to Priest's orders soon followed, at a Con-
vention, which was holden in Plymouth, Oct. 1, 1795 ; though
of the doings of this Convention I find no notice in those
published Journals of the Diocese, to which I just now re-
ferred. The Bishop says :
" In October of the same year," (the year of his admis-
sion to Deacon's orders) "there was a Convention of the
Bishops and clergy in one of my parishes, that of St. Mat-
thew's, Plymouth ; at which time our new church there was
consecrated. Then, too, it was, though I had no thought or
expectation of such a thing, that the clergy proposed to the
Bishop and to myself, that I should be ordained Priest ; which
was accordingly done."
Thus, in a year and a half from the time, when he first
decided on devoting himself to the work of the ministry, he
found himself in full orders, and regularly settled in the
laborious care of three associated parishes ; being now in the
30th year of his age, and having spent, from the date of his
early marriage and his uncle's determination to remove to
Nova Scotia, ten years of most toilful and most self-denying
application to his twofold labors as a farmer-student. It was
the humble life of a humble man : and yet those ten years
were probably filled with as much of strenuous effort, of in-
vincible perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge amidst
difficulty, and of the rich and precious results of discipline
and experience, as were ever crowded into the same num-
ber of years in the life of any other man.
His early admission to Priest's orders by such a man as
Bishop Seabury will be regarded not only as a proof of the
urgent need, which was then felt of fully ordained clergy-
men in our Church, but also as an evidence of the confi-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 71
dence, which was reposed in the soundness and sufficiency
of his theological and other learning, as well as in his blame-
less and exemplary religious character and life. It is an in-
teresting fact, too, which it may be worth while to record,
that, as Mr. Griswold's admission to confirmation was among
the first official acts of the first Bishop of Connecticut, so his
admission to Priest's orders was the very last ordination held
by that earliest of our American Bishops.
What Mr. Griswold's views and feelings were at the time
of his actual entrance upon the ministry may be inferred from
a passage, which occurs in that part of his auto-biography
where he speaks of his final removal from Connecticut. I
introduce it here, because it is to this period of his life main-
ly that it refers. It is but the summary again of what might
have been expanded into a rich and precious chapter ; of
what, however, must always remain a mere summary, for
want of the only hand that could have written it in full. All
that his biographer can do is to record his deep regret, that
its author did not perceive, or, if he did, was not influenced
by the perception, that those things in his early ministry,
which were so very interesting to himself \ were, in all pro-
bability, exactly what would have been most interesting to
all the readers of his memoir.
"I forbear," he writes, "to mention many things very
interesting to myself, during my ministry in Connecticut;
especially the exercises of my mind, wlien I was first ordained,
and the resolutions, which I made on entering upon that mo-
mentous work. Happy would it be, had the rest of my life
been ' according to that beginning."
With this residue of his life now before me, I cannot re-
press the utterance of the thought ; if, with all its blameless-
ness and holiness, self-sacrifice and incessant toil, it still fell
below what he purposed at its beginning, what must have
been the loftiness of those opening purposes of ministerial
devotedness, those early views of the true standard of min-
isterial fidelity ! As we advance, we shall indeed see reason
to believe that the resolutions of which he speaks were made
in a spirit, that mingled somewhat of self-reliance with a
72 MEMOIR OF THE
trust in God ; and that in entering into them there was still
a smart conflict of early inclination with a stern and all-con-
straining sense of duty. Still, evidence will gather around
us at every step that he never lost sight of the early eleva-
tion of his views as to what the faithful minister of Christ
should be ; that his whole subsequent course was one of
ardent prayer and intense effort for more and more undivided
self-consecration to Christ and his service ; and that what
God first engaged him to attempt under the imperative con-
straints of duty, He continued to draw forth as the more and
more freely and gladly bursting homage of his heart, as it
yielded itself up sweetly to the influence of the all "con-
straining love of Christ." Duty, indeed, he never performed
grudgingly, or unwillingly : and yet, what was at first chiefly
duty, became at last emphatically delight.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 73
FROM THE BISHOP S ORDINATION' TO THE CLOSE OF HIS MINISTRY IN
CONNECTICUT.
We have thus traced, as accurately as the means of doing
it would allow, the stream of Bishop Griswold's early life,
from its rise on the banks of the pleasant Farmington to its
entrance among the picturesque hills of Litchfield county.
We have looked upon him in childhood, burning almost
from infancy with a consuming love for books. We have
seen him in youth, passing along a way checkered by acci-
dents and vicissitudes of no common character ; yet still, the
ardent scholar even in his field-toils ; — the midnight student,
who lived but to learn, while others were sleeping that they
might live. And we have followed him into his opening
manhood, and seen him encumbered prematurely with the
cares and expenses of a family ; tilling his little farm for their
support, yet adding studies in the law to reading in divinity ;
and, when too straightened in his means to indulge in the
small expense of candles, drawing an unbought and an un-
taxed oil from his own forest-pines to light him still at his
midnight devotion to his books. Amid all these scenes,
moreover, we have seen him early designated, in the Provi-
dence of God, as one of his "dear children ;" favored with
an early glimpse into heaven, and then gradually trained for
the service of Christ upon earth ; passing through years of
indecision on the great question of his course for life ; strug-
gling earnestly in an inner conflict between his early ambi-
tion of literary fame, and his early sense of obligation to God
and his Church ; and finally yielding to the growing power
of his convictions of duty, and devoting himself to the work
of the ministry with a loftiness of purpose and an elevation
of views, which made him ever after dissatisfied both with
his best attainments in holiness, and with his best activities
in labor, through a long life, filled, as few lives were ever
G
74 MEMOIR OF THE
filled, with abounding graces of Christian character, and
with almost superabounding proofs of Christian activity.
The stream of his history, traced thus far, here enters new
scenery and flows among new objects: new, however, in
such a sense as not to be altogether strange ; since, through
whatever covert windings, and around whatever opposing
obstacles, that stream may have run, towards this point it
has been steadily tending ; and that, amidst frequently re-
curring indications of the course, which it was ultimately to
assume. At this point of our progress, however, we lose
for a time our accustomed guide, and shall be compelled, for
some distance, to follow our subject, as best we may, with
scarce a word of direction from the auto-biography. The
few recollections, which I have been able to glean from the
memories of those aged parishioners, who still survive him
among the scenes of his earliest ministry, will furnish almost
the only light, that can now be shed on this portion of his
life. His ministry in Litchfield county was as humble as it
was laborious ; but it left behind a gracious sweet-savor
which is tasted with satisfaction in the remembrances yet
living among the hills. His life of toil and lowliness there
was, to the world, as unnoticed and unknown as the beauti-
ful stream, which flowed through his parishes ; seldom seen
save by those who drew near, and who, from the brow of
the sudden eminences which swelled above it, looked down
into the deep, and narrow vale, along the bottom of which
it held its way. As I passed over the field of his first labors,
stood where he so often stood, and listened to what almost
seemed the living echoes of his voice, in the accounts given
me both of his teaching and of his toils, I could not help
thinking of Pastor Oberlin in the Ban de la Roche, and of
Felix Neff among the high Alps ; not because nature here
assumes the same sterile, rugged and awful forms, which she
wears there ; for the hills of Litchfield county generally swell
into smooth and broad eminences, rather than into shaggy
and towering heights, and are made vocal with the hum of
most industrious life, as it covers them with traces of well
paid cultivation ; nor because man here exists in the same
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 75
rude and untaught state, which marks his condition there ;
for this, like every other part of Connecticut, is a region of
moral cultivation and of intellectual light ; but because here,
as there, the scene is withdrawn from the noise and bustle
of the great tumultuous world ; because here, as there, all is
simple, inartificial, rural life ; but, most of all, because here,
as there, was a man, giving up every thing for his Master ;
a man fired, natively, with all the ardors of the poet, the
scholar, and the man of science, yet making himself one
with his people in all the simplicity, toilfulness and humble
fare, to which they were accustomed ; a man, seeking
singly the good of all, and receiving less than love and re-
verence from none.
Of the order and succession of events during his ministry
in Litchfield county, it has of course been impossible to dis-
cover a trace. Detached incidents, and general views, are
all that could be recovered. These, however, shew with
sufficient distinctness, his character, his labors, and the esti-
mation in which he was held. It is a matter of little im-
portance, into what order events fall, when, as in the case
of most country clergymen, those events are so generally
monotonous.
When he first took charge of his three parishes, his time
was not equally divided between them. One half was given
to St. Matthew's Church, East Plymouth ; and .one quarter
each to Trinity Church, >Northfield, and St. Mark's, Har-
winton. For more than five years after his settlement, his
residence was in the first named parish, in the house of Mr.
C G , who is still living in the enjoyment of a
green old age of eighty years, as full of intelligence and re-
spectability as he is of the almost undiminished energies ot
his manhood. Mr. G , being at that time unmarried,
and having just built himself a small but comfortable house,
rented it to the new pastor, and lived in his family as a
boarder. From him I received some of the incidents, and
many of the general views, which I am about to record ; and
I place the greater value on what he communicated, because
he had the best possible opportunity of judging truly of the
76 MEMOIR OF THE
subject of my inquiries. It was a sage reply of a celebrated
English preacher, who, when asked what he thought of the
religious character of a certain person, commonly regarded
as a most eminent and exemplary Christian, answered; " I
am not a competent judge in the case, for I have never lived
with him." An assumed character may be sustained, with-
out detection, any where else, better than in the withdrawn
and unguarded intercourse of the family circle. Here, if any
where, the truth of a man's heart comes out and speaks its
own language, with a plainness, which no disinterested
observer can misunderstand.
In the first week of November, 1800, Mr. Griswold re-
moved with his family from Plymouth to Harwinton, and
took possession of a parsonage and small glebe of fourteen
acres, which had been purchased for him, and on which he
continued to reside, till his final removal from Connecticut ;
henceforth dividing his time equally between the three
parishes.
Just before his ordination and settlement, the Rev. Mr.
C , Congregational minister in Northfield, offered to
preach one-third of the time for the Episcopalians in that
parish, confining himself in worship to the use of the Prayer-
book ; evidently hoping thereby to consolidate the whole
population into his own society. His offer was accepted ;
and while he continued to preach to them, he was regularly
paid for his services. Meanwhile, however, his Episcopal
hearers were quietly proceeding to finish the new Church
which they had begun to build ; and as soon as it was com-
plete, Mr. Griswold took possession and opened it for such
as were disposed to attend his ministry. The result was
that all the Episcopalians, who had accepted the offer of Mr.
C , flocked at once to their own house and their own
Pastor ; and so acceptable were his ministrations that some
even of the Congregationalists would stray away, as often
as they dared, from their own minister to hear the new
Episcopal Clergyman. Their tendency to this became at
length so manifest, that Mr. C felt obliged to admonish
his people of their duty to himself ; remarking somewhat
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 77
playfully, as he addressed them on the subject ; — " It is cus-
tomary, my friends, for the minister to be where his people
are ; and as you seem so much inclined to go and hear Mr.
Griswold, I have some thoughts, unless you mend your
ways, of going to Church too."
Among those of M. C 's congregation, who were thus in
the habit of frequently attending the Episcopal Church, was
his own wife. She had been educated an Episcopalian, and
was indeed cousin to my informant, a leading man at that
time in this part of Mr. Griswold's cure. Her old feelings
of attachment to the Church being revived, she persisted in
frequently attending its services, notwithstanding her hus-
band's remonstrances as often as she did so. Mr. C
was a regularly educated man ; and thinking perhaps to in-
fluence his wife through her pride, he asked her one day ;
" My dear, pray tell me why it is that you go so frequently
to hear that Simsbury Shoemaker?" She replied ; — " Shoe-
maker, or not, he is a good preacher, husband ; and if you
could preach as well, I should not like you the less, though
you were a Shoemaker indeed."
Mr. A ■ B , the gentleman above alluded to as my
informant, remarked that, during Mr. Griswold's ministry in
this parish, almost every new inhabitant that removed into
Northfield, to whatever denomination he had previously be-
longed, attached himself to the Episcopal Church ; so accepta-
ble was Mr. Griswold's preaching, and so decided the influ-
ence, which he acquired over the public mind. His Church
became full ; not a sitting was left unoccupied ; and this parish
rose at once into a most flourishing condition, which it con-
tinued to enjoy till the period of his removal.
Through life, Bishop Griswold was remarkable for his
abstinence from all participation in the political controversies
of the day. Though he had his preferences and his princi-
ples on this subject as well as on others, yet it is believed,
few were certain to which side he leaned. During the period
of his early ministry, political excitement, it is well known,
ran frightfully high throughout the country ; and as it was
then very common for ministers of the Gospel to take an
G*
78 MEMOIR OF THE
open part, and even to become leaders, in politics, — many
of his parishioners became desirous of knowing to which
party he belonged. As yet they had been utterly unable to
ascertain. At length, so high did the desire, or curiosity run,
that one of them asserted his ability and avowed his determi-
nation to bring their minister to an open expression of his
opinions. The time, which he chose for his experiment was
that of their annual parish " settlement" as it was called ;
that is, the day fixed for the annual balance of accounts be-
tween the people and their Pastor. On this occasion, the
settlement took place in the principal " store" of the town ;
and after the conclusion of business, to the mutual satisfac-
tion of the parties concerned, the inquisitor entered on his
operations, and began to sound his minister's politics by
that process of indirect remark and leading question, in
which the shrewd Connecticut man has ever shewn himself
so much at home. His minister, however, having as much
skill in bearing an examination, as he had impressing it, took
no notice of what he said ; till, wearied with the indirect
method, he at last threw himself upon the direct, and asked
Mr. Griswold plainly " to which side in politics he belong-
ed ?" " My kingdom is not of this world ;" was his mild,
but only reply ; and so his questioner remained as wise as
when he began his questioning. It is probable that if every
minister of the Gospel had been as prudent on this point as
the subject of the present notice, many a sundered pastoral
connexion would have remained unbroken ; many a divided
parish would have continued in harmony ; and many an in-
fidel, who has hated religion because his minister opposed his
politics, would have been saved from his unbelief, and been
made an humble follower of the Saviour.
His early preaching, like that, which generally prevailed
in our Church at that time, was rather moral than evangeli-
cal : that is ; devoted more to the illustration and enforce-
ment of the moral precepts and virtues of Christianity, than
to the development and application of the spiritual truths
and doctrines of the Gospel. He was, indeed, neither igno-
rant nor regardless of the latter ; — still, his religious views
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 79
had not then so clearly unfolded themselves as to bring these
latter out into unconcealable prominence, and make them
seen every where, as the all-pervading, vital soul of the
former. He never seems, like Chalmers in his early minis-
try, to have been opposed to the humbling doctrines of the
Cross, and to have designedly and deliberately placed his
dependence for making men better on the inculcation of
mere morality ; — but, like many other good men before him
in the English and American Episcopal Churches, his whole
Body of Divinity had been cast rather into that shape, which
gave the morality of the Gospel chief prominence, with a
sort of occasional pointing inwards, or downwards, to some-
thing spiritual as its source, or its foundation ; than into that
order which shows the spiritual truths and doctrines of the
Cross as the very fountain-head of pure and living morality,
pouring forth incessant streams of virtue and godliness over
all the life ; and as that divinely laid foundation in the soul,
which, alone, can support a solid and an unfailing fabric of
moral virtues in the character. In short, he, at that time,
rather overlooked than disliked what are termed " the doc-
trines of grace ;" he preached what was practical, though
without prejudice against what was spiritual ; and he entered
the pulpit-controversies of the day against Calvinism, though
without the slightest feeling of aversion of the Gospel of the
Calvinists.
Even in his moral preaching, however, there were a
point, a plainness, and a sort of quickening vitality, which
made his discourses very different from those of multitudes,
whose skill lay chiefly in turning the living moralities of
heaven into little better than the dull prose of our common
life.
As one of the many illustrations of this remark, which
might still be gathered from the field of his early labors,
Mr. N S , the son of an aged widow of whom I
inquired, and at whose house in Northfield Mr. Griswold
used to spend, in study and sermon writing, many of those
stormy days, which prevented his return to his family in
Plymouth ; tells of an incident, which occurred when he
80 MEMOIR OF THE
was but a boy. Mr. Griswold was preaching against the
vice of profane swearing. But N , as is apt to be the
case with most boys, listened carelessly, and therefore
caught but little that the minister said, till something pecu-
liar in what he was uttering arrested his attention, when the
following sentence fell on his ear. " Other vices have their
temptations ; some of them, very strong ones ; so that they
who indulge in them can at least shew something of imme-
diate pleasure, even though it have been purchased by the
loss of present virtue, and at the hazard of future damna-
tion. But, the profane swearer sins without any inducement.
He bites at the Devil's bare hook, and goes to hell as a fool
caught in his own folly." This, said Mr. S , fixed my
thoughts, and so impressed my mind, that, to this day, I
never hear a profane swearer, without thinking to myself;
" There goes a fool, biting at the Devil's bare hook !"
Mr. Griswold was always characterized by a power of
keen but quiet satire ; a faculty of reproving vice, error,
and improprieties, especially from the pulpit, in such a dis-
tinct yet delicate way that the persons, or class of persons
intended, could never mistake his meaning, nor avoid feel-
ing his point ; — while at the same time, it was impossible to
take any offence, or to shew feeling otherwise than by amend-
ment. Mr. A C , another of his aged, and very
respectable parishioners in Harwinton, tells of a Mr. A
a quaint wit, who thus describes the power now mentioned.
" Why," said he, "Mr. Griswold's tongue is like the scimi-
tar of the Turk. He can cut a man's head off without his
knowing it :" — by which he meant, not, that the reproofs
uttered were unfelt ; but that the persons reproved found
themselves, in a sort of sense, convicted and decapitated,
without the power, even if they had the wish, to open their
mouths in answer.
That there was no bitterness in his reproofs, whatever of
keenness they may have carried, may be known from the
fact that there was none in his tempers. Upon a long ac-
quaintance, children are perhaps the most sure to detect the
true temper of a man. Live long with children, and make
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 81
them love you if you can, — provided your tempers are na-
turally severe and bitter. Their love is a keen instinct,
which fixes on nothing, but what is, in some good measure,
as sweet, as gentle and as lovely as their own childish inno-
cence. Judged by this test, Mr. Griswold's natural tempers
appear in the most amiable light. He was the idol of all
the little children of his parishes. Said Mrs. A C ,
an uncommonly intelligent woman for the wife of a country
farmer ; " The children of his cure were like those describ-
ed by Goldsmith, in his portrait of ' the Village Pastor ;' "
" The service past, around the pious man,
With ready zeal, each honest rustic ran ;
Even children followed, with endearing wile,
And plucked his gown, to share the good man's smile."
" I am" — she continued, " like Moses, not ready of speech.
I have a heart to feel, but not a tongue to express what I feel,
for that good man." " He was," — said her husband, in his
plain, honest way, — "an uncommonly perfect man. You
could find no fault with him, — no way."
His humility, was an early as well as late grace of his
character ; and it was peculiarly manifest in the fact that
severe and unjust judgments of him from others never had
power to provoke him to severity and injustice in return.
Mrs. C tells of a Congregationalist, who was somewhat
rude of speech, and withal strongly prejudiced against the
Episcopal Church, and who one day spoke disparagingly of
Mr. Griswold in the presence of some of his parishioners,
saying, among other things ; "He is no more fit to preach
the Gospel than my horse." Upon being told of the remark,
he took it very meekly ; merely replying ; " Well, I have
often myself suspected that I was hardly fit to be a minister
of Christ."
Whenever drawn, as he used sometimes to be, into per-
sonal discussion with others, he was not prone to long and
violent argumentation. His parishioners early remarked in
him a singular power of putting an end to the controversy,
whatever it happened to be, by a few sentences, often by a
single sentence, which so gathered up the subject, and put it
82 MEMOIR OF THE
in such a shape, or in such a light, as to leave little or nothing
further to be said.
I presume it will be admitted as a safe rule, that the pre-
vailing genius and tone of a man's character may be safely
estimated by those things, which are best and longest re-
membered of him, among those, who have had fair and full
opportunities of thoroughly knowing his character. In this
view, it gave me peculiar pleasure to find the following inci-
dent fresh in the memory of the good people of Harwinton,
as something, which assorted well with their conceptions of
the man. It was related to me by Mrs. C .
On a beautiful summer Sunday, as Mr. Griswold was lead-
ing the worship of his congregation in Harwinton, the win-
dows of the Church being open for the purpose of ventilation,
a dove was observed to fly in at the window near the desk,
and hovering a moment over the chancel, to alight fearlessly
on the open Prayer-book. The Pastor, without pausing in
his devotions, gently raised his hand, and softly brushed the
bird away. Nothing daunted by this gentleness, however,
it made a few circlings round the Church on its rustling
wings, and then settling down with its own peculiar hover-
ing motion, fairly alighted on the good man's head. With
no pause in the worship, the same gentle hand was again
raised, and again softly brushed the bird away. This time,
it exhibited no more signs of fear than before ; but, after a
few more flutterings on the wing, quietly flew out at the win-
dow by which it entered.
The good people of the parish often and long talked of
this incident, and were fond of regarding it as almost divine-
ly significant of the character of the quiet and spirit-taught
man of prayer.
It has already been mentioned that, in selecting his first
field for ministerial labor, Mr. Griswold rejected two offers,
either of which included a far better provision for his tem-
poral support, than that which he accepted. To how much
of self-denial this choice practically subjected him may be
judged from the following statement of Mr. G , to whom
I have already referred as having lived for five years in his
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 83
pastor's family. "I have" said he, " labored for many of
the neighboring farmers, as well as for others who were not
farmers ; and have partaken at their board as one of the
household ; but I have never lived with any family, in which
the daily, habitual fare was so poor and coarse as that on
Mr. Griswold's table." So largely was he obliged to deny
himself and his household in preaching the Gospel among
the retired hills of Connecticut.
And yet, even under these circumstances, he was remark-
able among his parishioners for his observance of the apos-
tolic injunction to be " given to hospitality.'''' This virtue
was, indeed, a reigning trait in his character ; not in that sense,
which includes the giving of luxurious and dainty entertain-
ments to a circle of specially invited guests ; (to this clerical
infirmity he would have had no inclination, had his means of
indulging it been ever so ample ;) but, in that best of senses,
which includes the sharing of such as a man has, with the
stranger and the needy thrown providentially on his bounty.
This hospitality Mr. Griswold never denied, in his most
straightened circumstances. No matter who was thus cast
upon him, and, it might almost be said, no matter for how
Ions; a time, he was welcome to such as his entertainer had
to give. Said Mr. G ; "I have seen our minister, when
a negro asked charity, after ordering the table set with such
cheer as was at command, though it was not his usual meal-
hour, sit down and partake with him, lest the poor African
should feel himself slighted."
A part of his support here, as well as after his marriage in
Simsbury, was earned by actual labor on the farm. Mr.
G remarked; "The Parson and myself have often
worked out together as hired men, in harvest time, at 75 cts.
per day. He was a hard worker ; among the best day-la-
borers in town ; and one of his day's- works was worth as
much as that of two common men :" a remark, which shews
what uncommon strength of body and vigor of constitution
he had regained after the almost fatal consumptive symptoms,
into which he was thrown at ten years of age.
In truth, his whole life in Litchfield county was one of
84
MEMOIR OF THE
severe and varied labor, and often one of very trying expo-
sure. After his removal to Harwinton, he went one day to
visit his son Viets, whom he had placed at school in the
Episcopal Academy at Cheshire. On his return, he stopped
at his friend G 's, in East Plymouth, who had been so
long an inmate in his family ; and, as he had ever been fond
of fishing sport, and was in the habit of often spending a part
of the night in fishing down the neighboring stream, (not so
much, at that time, for sport to himself as for support to his
family,) he asked Mrs. G. the wife of his friend, whether his
old scoop-net were still in existence ? She told him it lay up
in the attic ; but urged him ; if he would go fishing, to
change his clothes for a suit of her husband's old ones. He
declined her offer, however, and went in his own. On re-
turning from the excursion with the draught of fishes, which
he had taken, she saw, from his still dripping garments, that
he had been in the stream, to his waist ; and therefore again
urged him to change his dress, that it might be dried. " O
no," he replied, "it may as well dry on me :" so little did
his hardy frame then heed the trial of such an exposure.
On another occasion, he was engaged to preach " a lec-
ture," as it was called, about five miles from his home in
East Plymouth. Before he set off, a Congregational neigh-
bor came and asked the loan of his horse, as he had a few
miles to ride. He replied; "I was intending to ride him
myself to-day ; but if you are anxious for him, I suppose I
can walk." Accordingly, the horse was loaned, and the
obliging minister had the comfort of making his excursion
on foot.
In winter, the hills in this part of Connecticut are uncom-
monly bleak ; just high enough to take the fierce sweep of
the winds, yet not high enough to turn the roads from their
summits into the sheltered vallies between them. It hap-
pened, one Sunday morning, during his residence in East
Plymouth, that the weather was extremely cold and stormy ;
and, as it was his duty, in regular course, to preach on that
day in his Harwinton Church, he rose before his family were
awake, saddled his horse and departed without breaking his
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 85
fast, that he might be sure of arriving in time for service.
The storm, however, proved so terrible, and the snow drifted
so fast and so deep, that he was out for hours, battling with
the stern tempest ; and did not reach Harwinton till noon.
His parishioners had then closed their morning service, with
lay-reading. After warming himself a few moments, there-
fore, he re- assembled them in Church, gave them the after-
noon service and sermon, and then, desirous of relieving the
anxiety of his family on his account, turned his horse's head
immediately for Plymouth. He found the horrors of the way
however, so increased, that it was midnight before he reached
home ; and, as his family on his arrival were quietly asleep
in their beds, he would not disturb them ; but, after reward-
ing his faithful steed for his duty, betook himself to rest sup-
perless ; thus, in fact, fasting through his severe fatigues and
exposures from Saturday night till Monday morning.
Incidents, such as those recorded, were narrated to me
during my visit to his early parishioners, not because, in
tJiemselves, worthy of record, but because they had treasured
them up as memorials of a man, whom they revered, and as
furnishing samples of the humble and toilful life, which he
led among them. Devoting himself unceasingly to his
various duties, with no anxieties save for the good of his
flock, he was ever himself laborious and self-sacrificing, and
though often much straightened in his means, yet always of
a cheerfully and trustingly composed spirit.
While his sister Sylvia was residing in his family at East
Plymouth, the following little incident in dialogue occurred,
which she related to me as illustrative of the habitual temper
in which he met and endured the privations of his early life.
In the neighboring gardens a culinary vegetable was much
cultivated, which the country people called, " Patience ,"
and which was used as a substitute for spinach. " I do
wish, brother," said his sister, one day, "that we had some
patience planted in our garden." " Wouldn't it do just as
well, sister," he replied, "if we had a little more of it groio-
ing in our house?"
The only incident, which he has recorded in his auto-bio-
H
86 MEMOIR OF THE
graphy of this his early ministry, is the following. The boy,
whom he mentions, was a son of Mr. Benjamin Curtis; the
stream, of which he speaks, ran through the fields some rods
to the west of his Church in East Plymouth ; and the school
house, in which he was engaged, then stood still further
west beyond the stream.
"As we advance in life, it is no small comfort," he writes,
"to look back upon anything like good which we may
have done in the world. Fondness of this sort is my only
apology for recording an occurrence, which then filled my
heart with much thankfulness to God.
" For more than five of the first years of my ministry, I
resided in Plymouth. About the first of March, during one
of those years, when the snow w r as rapidly melting away,
and when the streams were of course much swollen, a num-
ber of boys were playing upon a bridge, which was built
over a small river, then increased to a flood. One of them,
a fine lad, of nine or ten years, fell by accident from the
bridge into the midst of the angry torrent. There was not,
within a fourth of a mile from the place, a single man with
the exception of myself: and I, very providently, happened
to be engaged in my school room, about sixty rods distant.
One of the other boys instantly ran and informed me of the
accident. There was not a moment for deliberation. A
few rods below the bridge, the river entered a deep mill-
pond. As fast as possible, I ran to the brink of the stream
as far down as I supposed he might have floated. Upon
reaching it, he was seen near the surface, and one minute
more would have carried him out into the pond. Without
slacking my pace, and trusting to my skill in swimming, I
rushed into the swollen water, with my winter clothing on,
and succeeded in rescuing him from the flood, and in restor-
ing him to life. Had I done less, he must inevitably have
been drowned. As it was, I had great cause for thankful-
ness, not only for being the instrument of saving from a
watery grave one who is probably still alive, but also for my
own escape from being drowned ; it being dangerous to enter
swiftly running water with such heavy clothing as I then
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 87
wore. The parents knew nothing of what had happened til]
I carried their child to their dwelling. It was a lonely place,
where I was then teaching a district school : and it so hap-
pened, or rather was so ordered, that, instead of going home
for my dinner on that particular day, I had determined to
spend the intermission in the school house, and was engaged,
when the accident occurred, in writing my sermon for the
following Sunday. During the whole of my life, I have
been constrained to be economical of my time ; few proba-
bly of my age have spent less in amusement and relaxation."
It may be asked whether, at this period of his life, Mr.
Griswold exhibited in his preaching any foretokens of the
eminence, to which he subsequently rose in the Church?
The answers, which I received to this inquiry, were ; that,
in general, he was not what would be called a popular
preacher. All loved his sermons, many of which were, of
their kind, exceedingly effective ; and some of his more dis-
cerning hearers saw clearly that there was that in him and
in his discourses, which is not found in ordinary men ; a
soundness of judgment, a clearness of thought, a richness of
matter, and an excellence of style, which made them think he
would not end his days in Litchfield county. The follow-
ing anecdote is illustrative of the general estimate, in which
he was held.
His predecessor in the parish was one day riding through
Harwinton ; and, seeing one of his former parishioners at
work hard by in the field, he reined his horse to the fence,
and inquired ; "Well, neighbor A., how do you like your
new minister?" "Right well," w T as the reply; "excellently
well." "A pretty good sort of a team horse, but not much
of a nag, I suppose?" continued his inquirer. "Why, no,
not much, perhaps. To tell you the truth, Parson, we are
quite content. We have tried one nag, and he threw us.
We are very glad to get something a little more steady."
While in charge of his parishes here, besides his preaching
on Sundays and his frequent "lectures" in private families,
Mr. Griswold used occasionally to ride northwards across
the line of the State, to where the hills rise into the Hoosack
88 MEMOIR OF THE
range in Massachusetts, for the purpose ofpreachingtoafew
Episcopalians in the hill town of Blanford, at that time a
neglected place, too much overrun with vice and its com-
panion, unbelief. His services were held in a school room ;
and occasionally some of the inhabitants, who were not Epis-
copalians, would drop in to hear what the minister had to
say. On one occasion, when they saw him open his book
and begin to read the service, they were so shocked at the
idea that the man had not religion enough to pray without a
book, that they immediately rose and left the room. Dis-
cussing the matter among themselves, afterwards, one of
their number remarked ; " He believed the Episcopal Church
claimed the apostolic power of forgiving sins. He supposed,
therefore, Mr. Griswold had come up to pardon the sins of
the Blanford people." "No," said a bystander, who had
more wit as well as better information than his neighbor,
"that is not the object of his visit. Mr. Griswold lays no
claim to the apostolic power of forgiving sins. I understand,
however, there is another of the apostolic powers, of a still
more remarkable character, which he exercises, and that with
considerable effect." "And pray what may that be?" in-
quired the former speaker. "The power of casting out
devils," replied the latter.
The present little Church and parish in Blanford, it is be-
lieved, owes its origin to the labors of Mr. Griswold at that
period.
On a general view of the first ten years of his ministry,
Mr. Griswold is found to have acted in various capacities ;
as a teacher of the District school in winter ; as a day-laborer
among his parishioners in summer ; and as a sharer in all the
lowly occupations and cares of a country life among the re-
tired hills of Connecticut ; as well as in the proper duties of
his office as a Christian teacher and spiritual pastor to his
flock. He shunned nothing, in truth, that could bring him
into most familiar and unguarded intercourse with his peo-
ple. As an instance of not unfrequent occurrence ; riding
one day along the road, he passed the garden of one of
his parishioners, who was a justice of the peace. The
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 89
'"Squire" was preparing to remove a rock, or large stone,
from his garden grounds. The earth had been dug from
around it ; and 'Squire W. and his men were lifting hard,
but in vain, to remove it. Seeing this, Mr. Griswold sprang
from his horse, leaped the garden fence, and, though in his
best dress, seized the fresh earthed stone, and, with an exer-
tion of his almost herculean strength, helped them heave it
from its bed.
Such were his habits of intercourse with his flock in every
thing, wherein he could be of service to them. And yet, in
all his familiarity with them, in the harvestfield, by the way-
side, in his fishing excursions by night, in his school-discip-
line of the urchins committed to his care, in all his unbend-
ings and minglings with his people, he never torgot his
character as a minister of Christ ; was never off his guard ;
never said, or did, on week days, what could mar his proper
influence on the Sabbath ; always had his speech seasoned
with gracious salt : rebuked vice and levity in his own
peculiar quiet but keen way ; if others ventured into conver-
sation in his presence, of which he could not approve, or
partake, immediately reproved it by his silence, or by some
word, which restored the train of remark to its proper decen-
cy, or gravity ; and thus, without ever giving offence, or
compromising his own character, passed through all those
scenes of familiar intercourse in such a way that, when he
entered the house of God, and spake as an ambassador for
Christ, there was nothing to detract from the power of his
speech, or to counteract the influence of his wise instructions.
All felt him to be a true man of God, meaning what he said,
and enforcing by his daily example the precious truths, which
it was his wont to inculcate.
Such were the facts and impressions, which I gathered
from my visit to Litchfield county, and from my intercourse
with surviving parishioners in all the three parishes, over
which Mr. Griswold was first settled. With these facts and
impressions I heard nothing that clashed. All told in general
the same story of the man ; all seemed to have formed the
same estimate of his character ; the testimony of all, in short,
H*
90 MEMOIR OF THE
might well be summed up in the expressive brevity of Mr.
A. C. of Harwinton: "He was an uncommonly perfect man.
You could find no fault with him, no way."
In speaking of the close of his ministry here, the Bishop
says, in the auto-biography :
" No years of my life have been more happy than the ten,
which I passed in those three parishes. The people were
mostly religious and all comparatively free from vice. To
me and mine they were exceedingly kind. Wkh no one
had I ever any manner of contention, or unkind dispute ;
nor did I learn that any one was ever opposed to me. My
parishes all gradually increased. And when I left them, I
had about 220 communicants, the greater part of whom had
first come to the Lord's table under my ministry.
" This increase will appear the more remarkable, when it
is considered that I could officiate in each parish but one-
third of the time. Could I have spent the whole time in
any one of them, I have no doubt but the increase of that
one would have been much greater. Men, who have fami-
lies, leave with reluctance a place of worship, where they
enjoy, weekly, the ministration of the Gospel, for another,
where the services are but once in two or three weeks. The
scarcity of our clergy at that time made it, in many cases,
necessary that one should have charge of two or more pa-
rishes. As a consequence, the parishes increased in number
more rapidly than in size ; more rapidly than what, in the
same state, has been the fact, since the clergy have become
more numerous, and each parish more easily supplied with
the undivided labors of its minister. Since I left Connecti-
cut, the number both of ministers and of other members of
the Church in that state has increased much more than the
number of the parishes."
He entered on his labors in Litchfield county, as a sort of li-
censed candidate, at the close of the year 1794, or at the open-
ing of 1795, though not ordained till the following June.
There is a vote on the old parish records of St. Mark's,
Harwinton, dated February 6th, 1795, offering to engage
Mr. Griswold one halfoi the time, provided he would come
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 91
and settle within the limits of that parish. In the year 1800,
it appears, he proposed to relinquish the charge of at least
that part of his cure ; since, on the same records, there is a
vote, bearing date, September 8th, 1800, to this effect :
" We do not consent to release Mr. Griswold from this
Society, according to his request.'''' During the same month,
arrangements were made, which resulted in his removal
from Plymouth to Harwinton, as formerly stated, and in
the purchase of a part of the " Benton Farm," as it was
called, for a glebe and parsonage. For this glebe, house,
&c, it appears, .£500 lawful currency were paid ; one-third
part by the parish in Harwinton, one-third by that in North-
field, and the remaining third by Mr. Griswold himself.
In 1803, he visited Bristol, Rhode Island, chiefly with a
view to relaxation, and to see a country, which he had never
visited. While there, he was invited to accept the charge
of the parish in that place ; an invitation, however, which,
for the present, he declined. Of this visit he takes the
following notice.
" In 1803, I was induced, in compliance with a pressing
invitation, and in company with a friend, to visit Bristol,
Rhode Island. I passed a fortnight there, preached two
Sundays, and — the parish being vacant — was pressingly re-
quested to take charge of it. But the prospect of increased use-
fulness, or of any other advantage, did not appear to be such as
to justify the change, or to render my removal from my Litch-
field parishes expedient. I therefore declined the offer.
Besides writing to me, they sent in the following autumn a
man all the way to Harwinton, where I resided, who urged
me very much, and for several reasons, to accept their invita-
tion. Still, it did not appear that I was bound by either
duty or interest to comply with their request. My desire,
and indeed my intention, had for some time been to remove
further to the south. The State of Pennsylvania was my
choice. I was well aware that, when the infirmities of age
should come upon me, I should not be able to endure the
labors incident to the station, which I then held. I felt able,
however, to continue them a while longer."
92 MEMOIR OF THE
This visit to Bristol was made at the close of the spring
and early in the summer, as appears from the record of a
baptism on his private register, bearing date, " Bristol,
Rhode Island, June 5th, 1803 ;" and either he visited the
place again in the fall, when the invitation from the parish
was repeated, or the gentleman, who then visited him at
Harwinton, took a child with him to be baptized ; inasmuch
as, from the same private register, it appears that on the 6th
of November, 1803, he baptized the infant daughter of
Mr. Allen Usher, of Bristol. The latter part of the alterna-
tive is probably true, inasmuch as Mr. Griswold makes no
mention of any visit during the fall ; and as I learned, while
making my inquiries in Bristol, that the gentleman, who went
to Harwinton to urge the invitation of the Rhode Island
parish, was a Mr. James Usher, probably a near relative of
Allen Usher.
To shew how much, or rather how little, Mr. Griswold
was practically influenced by his wish, or even by his inten-
tion to " remove farther south," — as well as to exhibit a
specimen of early contracts between pastor and people, I
insert here the following document from the records of St.
Mark's parish, Harwinton.
" This Indenture, made between Alexander V. Griswold
on the one part, and the parish of St. Mark's Church in
Harwinton, and County of Litchfield, on the other part, —
Witnesseth ; — that said Griswold hath covenanted and agreed
with said parish to perform therein the duties and offices of
a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Connec-
ticut, according to the usages, rules and discipline of said
Church, one-third part of the time, so long as it shall please
God to enable him to perform them ; it being understood,
however, that said Grisioold have liberty to attend Conve?itio?is
and Convocations of the Clergy, and to obey tlie directions of
his Diocesan. In consideration whereof the members of
said parish do, on their part, covenant w r ith said Griswold,
and hereby promise to pay him for said services thirty-three
pounds, six shillings and eight pence per annum, and also
give him the use and improvement of one-third part of the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 93
place, whereon he now lives, with the buildings and other
appurtenances, during the time that he shall continue to be
their clergyman as aforesaid ; the said salary to continue
from the first day of January last, and to be paid annually
on the first day of January of every succeeding year. And
we, the said parties to this contract, do hereby mutually bind
ourselves to fulfil the same respectively ; and each party is
to be bound so long as the other party continues to fulfil his,
or their particular part of the contract, and no longer. In
witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, this 9th
day of February, one thousand eight hundred and three.
Alexander V. Griswold ;
Samuel Phelps, ) Agents and Committee
George Jones, > of the Episcopal Church
Gould Butler. ) in Harwinton."
This contract, as its date will shew, was made several
months before Mr. Griswold's visit to Bristol ; and is de-
monstrative of the truth, that, when he made that visit, he
was not seeking change, but felt himself under the obliga-
tions of a written bond to remain in Harwinton so long as
God should give him strength for the duties of his ministry
there.
The instrument is also interesting as shewing the change,
which has since been silently taking place in the relative
positions of Clergy and Laity in our Church. It would
hardly be deemed necessary, or even in place, now, for a
clergyman to stipulate, in a contract with his parish, for
" liberty to attend Conventions and Convocations of the
clergy, and to obey the directions of his Bishop." It is be-
ginning to be rather necessary for the laity to see to it, in
their contracts with the clergy, that the latter do not spend
too much of their time in Conventions, and that the authority
of their Bishops over them do not become virtually despotic.
But, although Mr. Griswold was thus under contract with
the parish at Harwinton, and though he twice refused the
call of the parish in Bristol, yet it seems his expectations of
remaining for some time longer in the place of his early set-
tlement were soon again to be disturbed. Referring to his
94 MEMOIR OF THE
last refusal of the invitation, which he had received, he
says:
" I then supposed that I should hear no more from Bristol.
But, about the middle of the following winter, to my surprise
one of their most respectable parishioners, Mr. William
Pearse, a Warden of the Church, appeared at my house
with still more pressing solicitations that I would take the
charge of that destitute parish ; urging many reasons why
it was my duty to consent to the change. This affected
me very seriously, and there seemed to be in it a call of Di-
vine Providence. To leave a people, who had been so
uniformly kind to me, and all of whom, without exceptions,
I had reason to believe, would be grieved at my leaving them,
excited in my mind a painful struggle, which they only who
have been called to the like trial, can realize. It is suffi-
cient to say, that, with fear and trembling, I gave my con-
sent ; and, in May 1804, one year after my first visit there,
I was in Bristol with my family. Bishop Jarvis had given
his consent that I should spend a few years there, though
at the same time expressing a wish that I should, after that,
return to his diocese.
" The Rev. Joshua Usher, who had formerly been the
minister of the parish in Bristol, was then living, though
unable to officiate, and had, three or four years before, re-
signed his rectorship. The Rev. Mr. Clarke had for two or
three years been my immediate predecessor. He had re-
moved from Bristol to Long Island, where, not long after,
he died."
The words which I have italicised in this last extract refer,
I apprehend, to the ground of dissatisfaction, which Mr.
Griswold supposed his removal would give ; a ground, ex-
isting in the written contracts, into which he had so recently
entered, to remain with his people in Litchfield county so
long as God should give him strength to perform the duties
of that charge. Indeed, when I visited the scene of his
earliest labors, I found in the minds of some a faint memory
of the fact, that, when he first proposed to remove to Bris-
tol, some of his parishioners were, for a time, dissatisfied
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 95
on that ground. They thought the contract bound him to
remain with them for life. But their dissatisfaction was of
short continuance. For, when they came to understand the
reasons for his removal, though all mourned, yet none cen-
sured, the step. Indeed, there was among his people a uni-
versal acknowledgment that he ought to go.
The last clause in the contract was evidently designed to
provide for those possible contingencies, which no one could
foresee, but which might render a dissolution of the pastoral
connexion justifiable, at the instance of either party. This
clause, however, was not, in itself, the reason why his pa-
rishioners consented to his removal. That reason was found
in the circumstances, which rendered his removal proper.
In speaking for the first time of the invitation to Bristol,
it will be remembered that Mr. Griswold assigned as a rea-
son for declining it, that neither duty nor interest bound him
to comply with the request. Upon reading such a remark,
the question would naturally arise in some minds ; was Mr.
Griswold ever a man, who could be influenced to so serious
a step, as that of a removal from one parish to another, by
any consideration of interest ? To such a question, my
answer would be a decided negative. Considerations of
interest never weighed on his mind, unless when they came
in such a shape as to be identical with considerations of
duty. His whole life was a demonstration of this truth.
What his whole reason for removal was, is a secret locked
with him in the slumbers of the grave. Apart of it, how-
ever, and that part, which no doubt satisfied his people of
the propriety of his removal, I was able to recover with a
satisfying degree of certainty.
After having become responsible, as we have seen, for
one third part of the ,£500, which were paid for the glebe
and parsonage in Harwinton, and probably after the period
of his first visit to Bristol, his brother Roger, who has al-
ready been mentioned as a man of much mechanical inge-
nuity, had conceived a fine scheme for improving the pater-
nal estate at Simsbury, by the building, at the bend of the
Farmington River, of what he termed " The Rainbow Mills."
yb MEMOIR OF THE
Mr. Griswold advised against the scheme ; but his brother
was sanguine, and he finally consented to the improvement.
The dam was constructed ; the mills were built ; and opera-
tions were commenced. But, a great freshet on the river
occurred soon after, which did much damage to the works,
swept away the embankment, carried off a large quantity of
kiln-dried grain, and thus put Mr. Griswold to serious loss.
The paternal estate not having been divided among the
heirs, the improvement, which was attempted, seems to have
been a family enterprise. The embarrassments, therefore,
growing out of his brother's operations, added to the obliga-
tions, which he had incurred in the purchase of the Har-
winton glebe, made it difficult, if not impossible, to meet
his engagements, and yet continue to support his family on
the small salary of $300, which he received from his Litch-
field parishes ; while the idea of living in debt was one from
which his whole nature shrank as by the force of an irresis-
tible instinct. To live on $300 a year, and provide for the
education of a growing family by turning fisherman at
night, day-laborer in summer, and district schoolmaster in
winter, — this he could easily do, with the feeling that he
was thereby keeping himself free from debt. But, to do all
this, and yet feel that the burthens of debt were on him, this,
every one, who has known him well, is at once prepared to
say, was what he never could endure.
It appears evidently to have been under these circum-
stances that he felt it to be his duty to accept the thrice prof-
fered call to Bristol. These circumstances, we may well be-
lieve, made the third repetition of that call, at a time when
he supposed he had dismissed the subject forever, a matter
of such " surprise" to him, that he even saw in it the lead-
ings of a " Divine Providence." The " painful conflict,"
which arose in his mind while deciding the question of his
removal, was doubtless aggravated by the fear lest his be-
loved parishioners should think him regardless of the obliga-
tions of his written contract. This fear, however, was dis-
sipated before he actually left them. By a " vote" of the
parish, placed on record, he was " released" from his con-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 97
tract; — the glebe-engagement was also taken off" from his
hands, and the property afterwards re-sold by the parish ; —
and he left his people amidst expressions of their unfeigned
regrets, and of their undissembled affection. These expres-
sions, though they allayed the "fear and trembling" with
which he finally consented to accept the call from Bristol,
yet, doubtless increased, in one sense, the touching power of
the affliction, which he felt in separating from those, to whom
he had given his first ministerial labors and his first pastoral
love.
It may perhaps add to the interest of the foregoing state-
ment, to remark, that, at the time of his departure from Har-
winton, that parish owed him about $150 ; equal to one
and a half year's salary from that part of his charge. In
consequence of the loose and unsettled state, in which country
parishes too often allow their accounts to lie, his parishioners
appear not to have been aware of their indebtedness ; and
he left them without even reminding them of it. Nor is it
probable that he ever intended to bring it to their memory.
I have a letter before me from a member of the parish, dated
in 1812, eight years after his removal, which shews that their
indebtedness to him had but just then been discovered by
themselves, in consequence of the appointment of a com-
mittee to investigate the state of their pecuniary affairs. Even
this committee could discover only the fact of their indebt-
edness. For its amount, one of its number wrote to him ;
and the letter which he wrote, is the one, now in my hand.
It is only necessary to add that the amount, when ascertain-
ed, was paid ; and that the fact of its payment, in connexion
with the manner, in which it was discovered, testifies as
strongly to the honesty and faithful affection of his Harwin-
ton people, as it does to his own characteristic adherence to
the principle, which, on this subject, he had adopted, of
always leaving his pecuniary support a matter entirely volun-
tary with his parishioners.
I have thus given all that I have been able, with any
tolerably satisfying certainty, to recover, of the history of the
first ten years of Bishop Griswold's ministry ; and, consider-
98
MEMOIR OF THE
ing the length of time, which has elapsed since he left those
quietly retired scenes, and the fact that he has left next to no
record of them himself, it will probably be admitted that the
amount recovered is both as great and as important, as could
have been expected. Though lying without connexion, in
detached incidents and anecdotes, it yet illustrates times and
characters ; and it presents us with a man, who, though his
early religious views were not so fully developed as they
afterwards became, was yet, in principle and spirit of a
lofty make ; capable of doing and of suffering much for his
Master ; and actually instrumental of great good in his service.
His removal was, to all his parishes, a heavy loss ; a loss,
which, by that in Harwinton, was felt in its subsequent
temporary extinction. For many years, it ceased to exist.
The Church edifice itself was demolished, and no trace of
the parish remained, save in the families, which survived,
with an undying attachment to the Church of their affections.
Their fidelity, however, has, within the last few years, been
rewarded by the revival of the parish ; though with a change
of name from that of " iSf. Mark's" to that of " Christ
Church." A new Church edifice has been built, and an in-
teresting congregation gathered ; among the members of
which, not the least interesting, are to be found several of
the families, who once listened admiringly to the teachings,
and joined adoringly in the devotions of that " Spirit-taught
man of prayer " whose departure from among them they so
deeply, though so submissively mourned.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 99
FROM THE BISHOP'S SETTLEMENT IN BRISTOL TO HIS CONSECRATION.
When, at midwinter of 1804, Wm. Pearse of Bristol,
visited Mr. Griswold in Hanvinton, he spent some little time
in inquiries among the parishioners, for the purpose of learn-
ing, from their free remarks, the true character of their min-
ister. The result was, that, though they soon began to sus-
pect his object, they yet gave their testimony with one voice,
the substance of which was Allen Cook's sententious judg-
ment; "He was an uncommonly perfect man: you could
find no fault with him, no way."
His acceptance of the invitation having been obtained, as
soon as the weather became settled in the spring, prepara-
tions were made for his removal. Mr. John D'Wolf, for
the sake of distinction from others, — called, " Northwest
John," from a voyage, which he had made round the north-
west coast of the Continent, fitted out one of his coasting
vessels, with which, passing down Narraganset Bay, he pro-
ceeded by Long Island Sound and Connecticut River to
Hartford, the nearest point of approach to Harwinton. Thence,
with hired teams, he advanced, upwards of twenty miles
over the hills and vallies of Connecticut, to the point of his
destination. But, what was his surprise at finding the object
of his expedition an ecclesiastical Cincinnatus at his plough ;
a farmer [in the field, under a broad brimmed hat, and in
patched short-clothes, coarse stockings and heavy shoes!
This was the last day of Mr. Griswold's agricultural life.
His field dress was soon doffed, and in exchange, his cleri-
cal habit assumed ; equally at home in either, and to each
an equal ornament ; his person ever lofty, erect and digni-
fied ; his dark eye beaming with cheerfulness and intelli-
gence ; and his whole demeanor characteristic of a sober,
serious man of God. The expedition closed happily ; and
100 MEMOIR OF THE
ere summer had set in, Mr. Griswold and his family were
quietly settled in his new parish.
In one sense, it is true, this removal could not be con-
sidered as any advance on the road to distinction. He went
from the charge of three parishes, with full congregations
and 220 communicants, to one parish of 25 families, and
about 20 communicants ; and, though he passed from the
secluded hills and vales of Litchfield county to the commer-
cial shores of the beautiful Narraganset, yet the town, in
which he settled, had perhaps more intercourse with the
West Indies than with the great world at home ; and he there-
fore remained as much unknown to our Church at large as
he was during his sheltered retirement in Connecticut. And
yet, in another sense, it was a direct move along the road to
notoriety. It brought him towards the distinction, which he
did not seek. Events have shewn that the hand of God
was in it as clearly as in any other movement of his life.
What he did seek in the change, he found ; relief from the
pecuniary embarrassments, which were worse to him than
daily toil and drudgery ; and an opening for direct and ex-
tensive usefulness in a place, where, little having yet been
done for the Church, so much the more remained to be done.
For more than a quarter of a century, Bristol became his
chosen and his dearest home ; the place where his Christian
and ministerial character ripened into full development ; the
field of his best and most successful labors in the vineyard of
his Master ; and, it may be added, as what bound him to it
with increased tenderness of affection, and scene of his most
painfully disciplinary afflictions, and the burial-place of al-
most the whole of a large family !
The parish, though small, was yet endowed with an in-
come of $600 per annum ; besides a trust fund for the sup-
port of a Charity School. The annual income of the parish
constituted the only salary of its Rector. Although inade-
quate to the support of a family in a place where the expenses
of living were necessarily large, yet the parish made no
voluntary addition to it ; and Mr. Griswold was therefore
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 101
obliged to add to the duties of his rectorship those of a select
school.
This operation of the endowment of the parish presents a
fact, which may be added to several others within my know-
ledge, illustrative of the truth, that, though such endowments
may sometimes preserve a parish from extinction amidst the
unsettling of change and revolution, yet on the whole, they
minister not to the true strength and growth of the Church.
Such endowments belong not to our voluntary system;
and if they are small, they either entail on the parish a minis-
ter as cheap as his salary, or, if he be worth his support,
drive him to an exhausting use of private means, or to the
drudgery of double labor for the comfort of his family.
There is, in poor human nature, as it grasps the purse, an
instinctively contractile power, which can never be relaxed
but by the steadily applied force of generous or of gracious
habit. When the hand is never opened to give, the heart
grows too hard to feel; or the lightest demands of benevo-
lence become a burthen too heavy to be borne. But habit
makes giving not only easy, but delightful, and meets all
the demands of benevolence without entrenching on the
means of doing justice to others and of securing comfort to
ourselves.
At the present point in the life of Bishop Griswold, his
auto-biography again _ comes in as a more frequent guide ;
though its riches consist more in the views, which it fur-
nishes of his own mind, feelings, and growth of character,
than in any minute details of the events, with which his life
was filled. It gives the man of God and the minister of
Christ in growing relief; while it furnishes only here and
there a reference to a few of the more prominent incidents,
through which he passed. I present here his first notice ot
the parish in Bristol.
" I found in this place a parish of about twenty-five fami-
lies decidedly attached to the Church, and about the same
number of communicants. Some others had occasionally
attended worship there. The congregation, however, so
rapidly increased, that, in a few years, the Church was not
i*
102 MEMOIR OF THE
large enough for their accommodation. Twenty-four feet
were added to the length of the house : and the new pews
sold readily, and at such prices that the parish gained several
hundred dollars to its fund, beyond the cost of the addi-
tion."
The prosperity of the parish indicated in this note continu-
ed, without interruption, during his rectorship, though it was
more marked at some periods than at others. On this sub-
ject, however, he" says but little in the sketch of his own life.
He recurs to it, once or twice, at a subsequent date, as we
shall see ; but, for the present, his mind seems inclined to
indulge in retrospect, and in general views. He evidently
regards his entrance on the duties of this parish as a sort of
central point in his life, upon which the influences of the past
converge, and from which influences into the future radiate :
and therefore, with a mere notice of his settlement here and
its more immediate results, he takes his stand on this as a
point of observation ; throws his view behind him, around
him, and before ; glances occasionally at incidents, but dwells
mostly on the feelings, motives and principles, by which he
had been governed ; and thus, in his own modest way,
shews himself without aiming at self-display, and holds up
a model of character before his clergy without any assump-
tion of mere official superiority.
With these preparatory remarks, let us now follow, for a
while, his own words, and walk by the light, which he sheds
around himself.
" Soon after engaging in the duties of the pastoral care, I
found that my hopes of leisure for much reading were not to
be realized without a neglect of the very duties to which I
was pledged. It was with too much regret, and with too
little resignation and trust in God, that I was, by a simple
sense of duty, constrained to relinquish some studies, in
which I had very much delighted ; especially, Music and
Mathematics, Natural Philosophy and Chemistry.
u Dr. Johnson mentions it as a sad reflection, that he
knew almost as much at eighteen, as he did at fifty-four.
In the later years of my life, my mind has been not a little
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 103
saddened by a like reflection. So very much of my time has
been occupied in preparing sermons, in great numbers, for
the pulpit, and in the many other duties of the clerical office,
that, since my first ordination, I have scarcely been able to
acquire literary, especially classical knowledge so fast as I
have forgotten it. Experience and observation have been
my best human teachers. By them I have learned to cor-
rect early prejudices and errors, and have acquired know-
ledge of much use in my ministry.
" When young, my natural pride and ambition, not sub-
dued as they should have been, withstood my choosing the
clerical profession. It appeared to me a relinquishment of
all hopes of distinction in this present life. I did not then
duly consider that, in my baptism and confirmation, I had
already, in profession, renounced the world. And yet, even
from a child, I had a deeper sense than perhaps is common,
of propriety or consistency of conduct, and often wondered
much that many professing Christians, and especially clergy-
men, should be so conformed to the wisdom and customs,
* the pomps and vanities, of the world.' When I began to
attend Conventions and Convocations of the clergy, I was
much disappointed in hearing and seeing so little of what
might be truly called religion. The chief use, which I made
of the observation, was that of a motive to self-examination.
I have ever been too sensible of my own defects to feel
qualified for casting the stone at others."
This is so appropriate a place for an illustrative anecdote,
that I must interrupt the Bishop a moment while I record it.
Though it relates to a subsequent period of his life, yet, as
the order of events is not very strictly observed in the frag-
ment, from which I have been copying, the anecdote may
as well be inserted here as in its proper chronological con-
nexion.
One of the Bishop's Rhode Island friends had been much
troubled in mind at the fact that certain persons in the parish
to which he belonged, though wholly devoted to a fashion-
able life, were still stated communicants in the Church.
Having, therefore, an opportunity one day, he laid the case
104 MEMOIR OF THE
before the Bishop. " Bishop Griswold," he asked, " does
it not pain you to see such persons at the sacrament, while
pursuing a course so wholly inconsistent with their Christian
profession?" "Mr. /'replied the Bishop, "at that
holy ordinance, I am so overwhelmed with a sense of my
own unworthiness, that I have then neither time nor desire
to scan the unworthiness of others."
Such a remark from such a man will not of course be re-
garded as an expression of indifference to the fearful incon-
sistency, brought to his notice. Upon such inconsistency he
looked with as keen a pain and as holy a frown as the strict-
est Christian could desire. But his remark is an index to
the habits of his own mind ; and was doubtless one of his
ways of teaching others the great evangelical duty of look-
ing with a severer judgment on one's self than on others ;
the important truth that they are least qualified to act as
judges, who are naturally most censorious in their judg-
ments.
After expressing, as above, his sensibility to his own de-
fects, he thus proceeds :
" I may say, however, that, from the time of my becoming
a communicant, and still more from the time of my ordina-
tion, I determined, by Divine grace, that I would walk con-
sistently with my profession ; and that my conduct should
bring no reproach upon religion. But, — though this resolu-
tion was not without prayer, and was accompanied with
some sense of my own frailty, yet there was in it too much
of self-confidence. I had not then so fully learned what ex-
perience, under God, has since taught, the necessity of Di-
vine grace, and that, without Christ, we can do nothing.
" When, therefore, I had, as it were, compelled myself to
yield to what seemed the Lord's will respecting me, by de-
voting myself to his service in the work of the ministry, I
determined to sacrifice the ambitious views of a proud heart ;
to relinquish all hopes of riches and honors in this present
life ; and to make it my chief object to do good, and be
useful in the world. And it is hoped that I am not guilty of
a ' vain confidence of boasting,' in saying that I determined,
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 105
as God should give me grace, to seek, ' by patient contin-
uance in well-doing, glory and honor and immortality' in an-
other and better world than this. I reflected much how
transitory, if attained, is all worldly renown ; and how truly
it may be said, in the words of the poet, to be
' The same, — if Tully's, or my own.'
In this, certainly, I can claim no credit to myself; — for
' necessity was laid upon me.' My duty to God and his
Church, and the wants of a large and increasing family, with
a salary inadequate to their support, required my whole care,
and my utmost exertions. In my early marriage, and in
other events, the overruling Providence of God hedged up
my way. My whole time being engrossed by my parishes
and by my family, I had none left for the indulgence of my
natural love and ambition of literary and worldly fame. I
was driven, as it were, by shipwreck upon Immanuel's
ground. During a period of about thirty years from my re-
moval to Bristol, I was but in one instance, so far able to
forego the calls of duty as to make even a short journey of a
day or two for rest and relaxation."
From these remarks it must not be inferred that, during
this long period Mr. Griswold was a stranger to study, or
that he spent no time in reading. "What he was driven to
abandon, in this respect, was his favorite indulgence in those
studies, by which he had at first hoped to raise himself to
the proud eminence of the scholar's fame ; general Literature
and Science, " especially Music and Mathematics, Natural
Philosophy and Chemistry." From these, in obedience to
his ordination vow, as well as to the stern behests of Pro-
vidence, he forced off his thoughts, and " drew all his cares
and studies another way ;" towards the Bible and those au-
thors by whom the Bible is best illustrated. In these, he
became deeply learned ; — few Divines, in our country, it is
believed, have been more so.
Nor, yet, must it be inferred that his abandonment of his
originally favorite studies was so entire that he never again
looked into them. He never again made them objects of
106 MEMOIR OF THE
cultivation, or allowed them to interfere for a moment with
his duties in other directions. And yet, there is some evi-
dence that even so late as after the period of his consecra-
tion, he used, occasionally to amuse himself after his old
fashion, if in no other way, yet by stealing some of his min-
utes from sleep. Mrs. T., one of his Salem parishioners, in
whose family he felt himself much at home, relates an inci-
dent as of no infrequent occurrence.
Calling one evening, in a familiar way, he became ab-
sorbed in a book, which interested him. At length, ob-
serving that the family were evidently waiting for him to
lay down his book that they might retire, he begged them
not to sit up on his account ; that he was much interested in
what he was reading ; and that, as he had but little time for
such enjoyment, he should like, if they had no objections,
to finish the book before he went home. They retired, ac-
cordingly, and he remained reading a great part of the
night.
The story of the Bishop's buying and reading La Place's
Mechanique Celeste, I have every reason to believe, is
strictly true.
Notwithstanding the remark of one of the reviews, that
there were but few men in England, who read La Place's
book, Messrs. Wells and Lilly, at that time well known
booksellers in Boston, had imported a copy of the work.
For a time it laid on their counter with no other notice, save
that now and then a customer would take it up, look at it,
and lay it down. One day, however, a venerable, white
headed man came in, and happening to take up the work,
appeared to become absorbed in its contents. At length, he
asked the price of it, and, as the incident was related to me,
bought it and quietly walked away. Mr. Wells, feeling a
great curiosity to learn the name of the stranger, requested
his clerk to follow him, and if possible ascertain who he
was. His clerk did so, and soon saw him enter the house
of Shubael Bell, Esq., then one of our distinguished laymen
of Boston, residing in School street. On inquiring at the
door, he learned that the person, whom he had followed,
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 107
was none other than Bishop Griswold. Some time after-
wards, Judge M. of Boston, an intimate friend of the Bi-
shop, asked him "whether the account were true, and
whether he read La Place ?" — " Yes" replied the Bishop,
" I have sometimes amused myself that way : but of late,
finding Mathematics in danger of interfering with my other
duties, I have laid them aside." This latter part of the
account I had from Judge M. himself.
But, to proceed with the auto-biography ; after alluding
to one instance, in which he was enabled to break away
from his home-cares and duties, so far as to make a journey
for rest and relaxation, he adds :
"That one instance was attended with circumstances
deeply impressed on my memory. In 1809, when travelling
by stages was rare, in comparison with what we have since
known, I went in a chaise with my wife to visit my relations
in Connecticut, and my brother in Great Barrington (Massa-
chusetts). The weather being very warm, and, as it hap-
pened, my journey very fatiguing, I was, at my brother's,
suddenly taken sick. Being exceedingly desirous, if possi-
ble, to reach home, I commenced my return, when no one
thought me in a fit state to leave my bed. After travelling
ten or fifteen miles, and feeling myself growing more ill,
I desired to stop and pass the night in Norfolk, Litchfield
county. But, the innkeeper, supposing my illness to be
some contagious fever, and fearing danger from the conta-
gion, was unwilling to entertain me. It is remarkable, that,
about three months afterwards I heard of his decease. So
uncertain is human life !
" With much difficulty and in great distress, I continued
six or eight miles further, where I passed the night and had
a physician with me. The next day, with still greater diffi-
culty I reached my mother's dwelling in Simsbury ; and by
the time I reached it, the probability was that my life would
soon be terminated. Two of the best physicians in those
parts, who were about my own age, and in the full vigor of
health, daily attended me, but could see no hope of my re-
covery. When, for a week or two, it seemed to all that
108 MEMOIR OF THE
everyday must be my last, the 17th and 18th verses of the
118th Psalm were almost continually, and in a remarkable
manner, occurring to my mind : ' I shall not die, but live
and declare the works of the Lord. The Lord hath chas-
tened me sore ; but He hath not given me over unto death.'
It was His gracious will that I should recover ; and never
since have I read that Psalm without being affected by the
remembrance of the scene, in which it came so signally to
my support.
" That sickness and my recovery from it made, I have
reason to believe, a good and lasting impression on my
mind. It was the more affecting from the remarkable cir-
cumstance, that the two physicians, who attended me, and
who were my friends and old acquaintance, both died a
very few months after my illness. From that time, I rejoic-
ed the more that the way of godliness had, as it seemed,
been my refuge ; that disappointments and providential
events had led me to devote myself to God in the ministry
of the Gospel. Often since have I trembled at what might
have been my career and my end, had the Lord let me alone,
Or had He ordered all things according to my mind ; and of-
ten have I thought of the remark of one, who, seeing a" con-
demned criminal led to execution, exclaimed ; ' but for the
grace of God, I had been in his place !' We are too forget-
ful who it is that makes us to differ from others. Notwith-
standing His providential care of me, which, in many instan-
ces not recorded in this sketch, has been very remarkable,
and at times very affecting, I must with penitence and shame
acknowledge how little I have profited by His goodness,
how continually I have neglected duty, and how often I have
erred from His righteous ways."
It will be remembered, that, when sketching his child-
hood, and recording the almost fatal illness, through which
he passed when ten years of age, he alludes to two other
special instances, in which, as if by almost a miracle, he had
been rescued from death. One of these two instances, we
have seen reason to believe, was his preservation on "the
cold Friday" of 1779-80. The other, we may perhaps
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 109
reasonably conclude, was his deliverance from the peril
encountered on the journey, of which he has just given
an account ; — 'although it is possible that the reason, why
he singled this from the " many other instances not re-
corded in this sketch," is to be found, — not in its being more
remarkable than others, but — in its more special connexion
with the history of his religious feelings and character.
Throughout his subsequent life, his travels in the midst of
serious illness were many times repeated ; nor were there
wanting other instances of peril from which he was pro-
videntially rescued. But that just recorded, besides being
very signal, was evidently associated in his mind with an
important movement in his divine life, — with a more cordial
acquiescence in the appointments of God, and with an in-
crease of light in his views of the great doctrines of grace.
And it is to my mind a pleasing circumstance that, through
great suffering, and some seeming unkindness, he was led to
urge his way onwards till he reached his birth-place ; that
he there laid himself down apparently to die under the very
roof, and probably in the very room, where, at ten years of
age, he considered himself as having already entered the
dark valley of the shadow of death ; and that, from the
identical place, where heaven was first opened on his long-
ing view, he went forth to cast the blessings of his now in-
creased light along the path of his still prolonged journey-
ings upon earth.
Having, in the last two extracts from the auto-biography,
glanced at the history of his mind in its natural passion for
reading and general study, and at the history of his religious
feelings and character under the providential discipline of
God, he proceeds with a series of remarks on the practical
habits of his life, which I cannot too earnestly commend to
the consideration of his readers, especially of those, who are
engaged, like him, in the work of the ministry.
" In regard to my pecuniary affairs, though from the first
my salary was inadequate to the expenses of my family, yet
I made it a rule thankfully to receive what was allowed or
given me, and, as already remarked, never to ask for more,
K
110 MEMOIR OF THE
or to complain that I had too little. In Connecticut, I added
to my means of living by cultivating a few acres of land,
and by preparing some young men for college ; and, in Bris-
tol, till my election to the Episcopate, I had the charge of a
large school.
" Another rule, which I adopted, was, — always to live
within my means ; — never to be in debt ; — to owe no man
any thing but love ; and ever to be prepared, when called
upon, to pay my just dues. Never, I believe, have I for
the same dues been called upon twice.
" Those of the laity, who are much engaged in worldly
business, may not always find it convenient" (yet, ought
not even they to make it always their duty f) "to do this ;
but I have St. Paul's authority for recommending it to my
clerical brethren. Their being in debt is attended with
some serious evils. They had better, like the Apostle, labor
with their hands, or become instructors of youth, than anti-
cipate their resources, or owe that which they cannot pay.
In many cases, some bodily labor would improve their health,
prolong their lives, and increase their usefulness. In mere
literary pursuits, we are in much danger of regarding our
pleasure, or our fame, beyond what is compatible with our
solemn dedication of ourselves to the service of God and
religion, and with our engagement to 'draw all our cares
and studies this way.' What may be called Christian vir-
tue is — an imitation of Christ ; — a desire to do good ; a
readiness gladly to sacrifice, in a reasonable degree, and so
far as the word of God requires, our wealth, and pleasure,
and ease, and whatever we delight in, to honor God and to
promote the true welfare and happiness of our fellow men.
" It seems not to be duly considered by Christians generally,
that the foundation of benevolence, the ground-work of
well-doing, — is — to do no harm; to avoid every thing inju-
rious, unjust, or wrong. There are those, and their numbers
not few, who are very active in doing good, but who yet
consider little what evils may result from some part of their
conduct. Men may be much celebrated for their acts of
charity, or benevolence, or public benefits, while in other
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. Ill
tilings, less noticed and less thought of, they inflict evils,
which balance, and more than balance, their boasted good.
It had been better for the world if many, whose names stand
high on the list of fame, had never lived. To be truly good,
requires no small share of humility. ' Love worketh no
ill.' That charity, without which we are nothing that is
good, ' suffereth long and is kind ; envieth not ; seeketh
not her own ; is not easily provoked ; thinketh no evil ;
rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth ; beareth
all things and endureth all things.' Our blessed Saviour
said ; ' If I honor myself my honor is nothing.' What,
then, is the 'worldly honor, which we seek, but our
shame ?' "
Who, with such propriety and consistency as its author,
could have written this last and important extract ? With
what force does he teach by it those whom he has left in
the world ; men of business in general, but especially men
engaged in the ministry of the Gospel ! Bishop Griswold,
it is confidently believed, was a man, who never adopted a
rule of life, which he did not faithfully observe. Let him,
then, from his grave, preach powerfully the rules by which
he lived ; especially those of always living within one's
means, and of never allowing one's self to be called on
twice for the payment of a just due. The question is, —
whether one man, by a little of the salutary discipline of
self-denial and self-humbling, by putting himself to a little
pain and toil and suffering, shall always live within his
means, pay his just debts promptly, and thus keep all others
from suffering on his account, and render them as far as pos-
sible comfortable and happy ; — or whether this one man, by
yielding to carelessness, or vanity, or pride, or self-pamper-
ing, shall spend faster than he earns, draw in advance on
the resources, forbearance, and comforts of others, and
thus, in the end, entail inconvenience and loss and even
sufferings on multitudes around him ; — perhaps — on the poor
and needy, whose services he has enjoyed without ever
giving them back the means to buy bread ? This living in
advance and upon others is a deep sin in any man ; but
112 MEMOIR OF THE
deepest of all " in man that ministers." Yet how often is
it committed under the influence of false views of what con-
stitutes credit and respectability among men ! Alas ! to
what credit or respectability can any one be entitled, who is
known to draw his means of ease, costly dress and sump-
tuous living from the unpaid toils, or the unrequited sacri-
fices of others ! And if such an one be a minister of
Christ, how can the respectable appearance, which he main-
tains, atone for the injuries, which he inflicts on the cause
of his Master, or for the reproach, which he brings on his
own Christian character ? Besides, what minister of Christ
degrades himself, or loses the respect of others, by those
self-denials, and self-humblings, which enable him, though
it be for a time in coarse attire and in unnoticed seclusion, to
live within his means, to render to all their dues, and to owe
nothing but love? Is St. Paul less honored because he
was a tent-maker, and thereby ministered to his own neces-
sities, and to the necessities of those, who were with him ?
Or is even Bishop Griswold less respected because he toiled
at day's- work, rather than run in debt ; or because he al-
ways lived in lowly style, that he might have somewhat to
give to others, besides providing comfortably for his own
household ?
After thus noticing some of the rules, which the subject
of our memoir prescribed to himself for the government of
his life, I may, with sufficient propriety, make this the place
for recording a few others, which I find among his private
papers, though not on the pages of his auto-biography. All,
who were well acquainted with him, will see at once, from
what follows, as well as from what has already been given,
that, with him, rules were a sort of living thing ; or that,
having adopted them, his life became but their embodied
spirit. The following are found under the head of
" RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED IN EARLY LIFE,"
OR
»' Maxims and rules, which I have adopted and endeavored to practice."
" 1. Never to ask another to do for me what I can as well
do for myself.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 113
"2. When censured, or accused, to correct, not justify,
my error.
" 3. From a child, in reading any thing applicable to the
improvement of the mind, or to the conduct of life, to con-
sider first and chiefly how it may be applied to myself.
" 4. In all clashing claims, where rights are equal, and
one must yield, to do it myself.
" 5. To have a trust that, in all the events and exigencies
of life, if I strictly do my duty, and walk according to the
Christian rule, however I may seem to suffer, what is really
best for me the Lord will give."
Upon the first of these rules, Bishop Griswold acted, to
the last day of his life, more literally than any other man,
within my knowledge ; so literally that he would not allow
a domestic, in his presence, to carry a pail of water to his
sleeping apartment, or an armfull of wood into his study.
He would often interrupt them as they were ascending the
stairs, take their burthens from them, and carry them up
himself. And as he ordinarily kept no man-servant, he stu-
died, by every means in his power, to lighten the drudgery
of the female members of his household. A gentleman,
who was for a time a boarder in his family, was accustomed,
on retiring to rest, to set his boots in the passage, outside
the door of his room. Of course he always found them,
the next morning, nicely brushed and ready for use. After
a while, however, he accidentally discovered, to his utter
astonishment, that he had, all along, been indebted for his
clean boots to the Bishop ! It is needless to add that he in-
stantly put a stop to this mode of being so honorably served.
I should not record private details like these in so grave a
work as the life of a Bishop, were it not that, in the present
case, they were actual developments of high, generous feel-
ing and principle. They were not whims ; nor were they
habits cleaving to one incapable of rising above early
modes of life. A little mind, raised by accident from ob-
scurity, may make itself ridiculous by pretending to utter
ignorance of humble toil ; — but a noble mind, which has
risen by its own force, has feelings for the children of drudg-
K*
114 MEMOIR OF THE
ing poverty, into which none but itself can enter ; and will
often long, even when it is not in its power, and with a
yearning of sympathy which even itself cannot express, to
lighten the burthens, which others are bearing in its service.
This feeling, without doubt, prompted the following senti-
ments, which I find among the Bishop's private papers.
" I have always," he remarks, " had great respect for
those who labor, bearing the heaviest burthens of life, pro-
viding us with food and raiment, and with almost every
thing, that preserves life, and renders it comfortable. None,
better than they, deserve the comforts, to which they so
largely contribute."
Again, he remarks in another place ; — " What do not
those, in the more easy circumstances of life, owe to the
laboring classes ; especially, masters to their servants ! The
latter ' are born with fortune's yoke upon their necks.' At
best it is a painful burthen, which they, for whose benefit
it is borne, should not increase but lighten."
Who can doubt that, when he wrote the rule, " Never to
ask another to do for me what I can as well do for myself ;"
and whenever he acted in obedience to his rule in light-
ning the burthens of those who served him ; he was but im-
bodying, not only into a maxim, but also into ^principle, the
generous sympathies of a truly noble nature ?
Upon the second of the rules, above recorded, he com-
ments thus : "I have observed that a hasty, inconsiderate
self-justification and resentment of censure or reproof, is a
very general and a very injurious propensity of our nature."
The following incident will illustrate the manner, in which
he applied this rule to practice. It was communicated ver-
bally by the late Rev. Matthias Munroe, who was a native
of Bristol, and for many years enjoyed the Bishop's pastoral
supervision.
During his residence in Bristol, a Baptist minister, with
more of zeal than of discretion, became impressed with the
conviction that the Bishop was a mere formalist in religion,
and that it was his duty to go and warn him of his danger,
and exhort him to " flee from the wrath to come." Accord-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 115
ingly, he called upon the Bishop; very solemnly made
known his errand, and forthwith entered on his harangue.
The Bishop listened in silence, till his self-constituted in-
structor had closed a severely denunciatory exhortation ;
and then, in substance, replied as follows : — " My dear
friend, I do not wonder that they, who witness the inconsis-
tency of my daily walk, and see how poorly I adorn the
doctrine of God my Saviour, should think that I have no
religion. I often fear for myself that such is the case ; and
feel very grateful to you for giving me this warning." The
reply was made with such an evidently unaffected humility,
and with such a depth of feeling and sincerity, that if an
audible voice from heaven had attested the genuineness of
his Christian character, it could not more effectually have
silenced his kindly intending, but misjudging censor, or
more completely have disabused him of his false impression.
He immediately acknowledged his error, begged the Bishop's
pardon, and ever afterwards looked upon him as one of the
distinguished lights of the Christian world.
Upon the third of the foregoing rules, his life was a com-
ment which needs no addition, other than the remark that
for self-culture, self-discipline and self-control, (understand-
ing by -these terms a distinct and pious reference to the grace
of God as his sufficiency,) his age probably furnished not
his superior : While it is enough to say of the fourth, that,
though he reduced it literally to practice, yet, when clashing
claims were unequal, and when the superior right lay clearly
on his side, especially if he felt bound to assert this right as
a matter of conscience, there was not a man living more in-
flexible in his adherence to the line of duty than himself.
Though he could cheerfully sacrifice himself in obedience to
his maxim, and even when his own clear rights were mat-
ters of little moment, yet on all points, which involved im-
portant interests, and touched the ground of conscience, he
was perfectly immovable.
The fifth rule is an upward index to a lofty Christian
character. It points to his habitual and high repose in God ;
116 MEMOIR OF THE
and in his life-long experience he found that, ultimately, it
never disappointed his trust.
But, it is time to proceed with our extracts from the auto-
biography. 'It will next lead us to look abroad from its
author upon the condition of the Church in his day.
" They who are now young cannot easily appreciate the
change, which, within the last thirty years, has been silently
wrought among the clergy of our Church in their religious
views, and in their style of preaching. This remark is true
so far certainly as my own knowledge has extended. What
is now generally required as faithful preaching of the Gospel,
would then have given offence to very many of our most
staunch Episcopalians ; while, the style of preaching, then
most in vogue among us, would now be generally regarded
as very defective. The deep-rooted and violent opposition
to Episcopacy, which was then cherished in Connecticut,
was not, by Episcopalians themselves, borne with that meek-
ness and charity and pious trust in God, which, as we are
now more sensible, becometh the disciples of Christ. A
spirit of sectarianism and of controversy was prevalent among
all denominations ; and, as usually happens in such cases,
all could more easily see the faults of others than their own.
Before the revolutionary war, and during that contest, the
Congregationalists, — who then considered themselves as
' the standing order,' (in their sense, the established religion
of the State,) to whom the ground of right belonged, — were
of course opposed to the introduction within their borders of
any other denomination ; and to that of the Episcopal Church
most of all. The thought of a Bishop's being brought into
the State, they contemplated with great abhorrence. Indeed,
this abhorrence, this strong opposition to Episcopacy of the
Dissenters, as they were then called, and the consequent fear
of offending them, furnished one of the chief reasons why
the British Government, so long as we continued subject to
them, would not permit us to have Bishops in these their
Colonies.
" As a sample of the dread of Bishops, which, among the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 117
common people, then prevailed ; one of my neighbors, who
was born about 1745, told me that, when a child, he was
taught that, if Bishops should come into this country, they
would take from the people a tenth of every thing ; children
not excepted : and, as he happened to be the tenth child of
his parents, it was then, he said, his ardent desire that he
might immediately die, in case a Bishop were permitted to
set his foot on our shores!"
This dread of Bishops was not confined to Connecticut ;
nor, at least in some other places, to the common people.
Mr. J. M., a venerable man, still living in vigorous old age,
and formerly a merchant of Boston, once related to me an
anecdote still more striking than that just recorded ; so strik-
ing that I believe I have scarcely forgotten a word of it.
When I was an Apprentice (said Mr. M.) to old master
Eliot, who was at that time an eminent merchant of Boston,
and belonged to the highly respectable family of that name
in the city, I entered the breakfast room one cold winter
morning, where, though the hour was early, I found one of
my fellow apprentices engaged in reading the newspaper.
He was a very intelligent and pious young man, and a mem-
ber of the Rev. Mr. Eliot's Church. I saw he was much
interested in what he was reading, for his countenance indi-
cated the workings of intense feeling. In a few moments, he
dropped the paper, and turning to me, with startling emphasis
exclaimed; " then, M , I am a dead man!" In amaze-
ment, I begged an explanation of his meaning. "Read that
article," said he, handing me the paper, which he had drop-
ped. I took it, and, from an English extract, read, what,
afterwards indeed, proved to be a premature, or rather un-
founded announcement, to the following effect; (I have for-
gotten said he, both dates and names,) " On day of the
month, will sail from this port in his majesty's ship, ,
the Rev. Dr. , who is expected to go out as first Bishop
of New England." " Why, my friend," I replied, " I see
in this no reason for your exclamation." " No reason?" he
rejoined, with the same startling emphasis: " No reason?
Why, I tell you M , if this announcement prove true,
118 MEMOIR OF THE
the moment Dr. sets his foot on Long Wharf, Boston,
as Bishop of New England, I will shoot him ! And the next
moment, I will surrender myself into the hands of justice
with the certainty of being hanged ! I feel that, by such a
deed, I should be doing God service."
The auto-biography proceeds : " It was this violent and
extreme abhorrence of the Church of England, and this
desire to suppress it, which the rather induced the ministers
of the Congregational Churches to engage so warmly in our
revolutionary contest ; and to preach war instead of 'peace.
In their sermons and prayers, and by all possible means, they
roused the people to arms, and to hatred of the British.* In
the year 1776, when I was ten years of age, one of my
father's hired men, who was a Congregationalist, asked me
to accompany him to one of their ordinations. I went : and
though so young was yet shocked at the bitter imprecations
of their ministers against the English. They prayed that
their enemies' ships might all be dashed against the rocks,
and their crews be sunk to the bottom of the Ocean ! &c. &c.
How different did it all seem to me from those prayers of the
Church, to which I had been accustomed ; and from what I
had been taught of the Christian duty of beseeching God to
forgive our enemies, not destroy them ! And how blind is
the wisdom of man to the ways of God ! How little did they
foresee that their effort to eradicate the Church from this
country, though for a while they seemed to succeed, were, in
the ordering of God's Providence, opening the way for its
establishment and rapid increase !"
The object of the auto-biography in this extract is, not to
revive the influence of unpleasant recollections ; thanks be
to God, the day of their influence, it may be hoped, is for-
ever past : but to exhibit one of the sources of that style of
preaching in former days among the clergy of the Episcopal
Church, which, as he had remarked, has now been so gener-
ally changed for a better. Hence he goes on to observe :
" The clergy of the Episcopal Church are men of like
* See Note to p. 24.
LIFE OF BISHOP GMSW0LD. 119
passions with others. It is not strange that those times,
' which tried men's souls,' should have shewn that we all
come short of perfection. I carried with me to Bristol too
much of the prejudice and bigotry, which I had imbibed in
Connecticut. There was still remaining among Episcopali-
ans not a little of that proud contempt of the Puritans, and
of what was termed fanaticism, which belonged to the so
called ' Old School,' whose origin may be said to date in
the reign of the Second Charles of England. Adopting the
practice of my brethren, whom I thought wiser than myself,
my preaching had been far too much on sectarian distinctions,
and topics of controversy, especially against high Calvinism
and schismatics ; and quite too frequently in defence of the
distinctive principles of the Protestant Episcopal Church, to
the too great neglect of the essential doctrines of Christ, and
of the necessary duties of Christians. This manner of preach-
ing among our clergy very much strengthened the belief
among other denominations that Churchmen, as we were
then called, were but formalists and bigots ; regarding the
Church more than religion, and the Prayer-book more than
the Bible ; departing from their own Articles and Homilies,
and destitute of true piety and renovation of heart. And
much mortified, grieved and humbled have I formerly been,
that these things should be so much said, and I so little able
to refute them.
' Pudet haec opprobria nobis,
Et dici potuisse, et not potuisse rcfclli.'
To God's praise, not ours, be it said, that at the present time
a far better state of things among us prevails.
"And not only are things in a better state now; but even
then, this bigotry and sectarian spirit were, I have reason to
believe, more prevalent in Connecticut than in other portions
of our Church. This was owing, no doubt, to their peculiar
circumstances and trials, as well as to the character of a State
formerly so noted for controversy and litigation. Certainly
in Rhode Island I found a materially different condition of
things. Those of my sermons, which, in Connecticut, had
120 MEMOIR OF THE
appeared to be most acceptable and were most applauded,
gave offence in Bristol, Providence and Newport ; and I soon
found that, by continuing the controversial style of preach-
ing, some of the most pious of her members would be driven
from the Church. This was particularly true of those called
Methodists. They had recently formed a Society in Bristol,
consisting of a few respectable people, who had been com-
municants in the Congregational Church. On my arrival in
Bristol, they had a minister who preached for them one half
of the time ; and as I was informed, (too late indeed) they
at once passed a resolution in their meeting, that they would,
for the other half, attend my ministry. It has since been my
belief, that had I, in my teaching at that time, followed the
example of St. Paul, (1 Cor. ii. 2; ix. 19 — 22.) they would
have united with the Episcopal Church. But, the Lord
reigns ; and perhaps He ordered it for the best. The Epis-
copal Church was soon filled ; and the Methodists soon had
a large Society there, and have been instrumental of much
good."
This extract is valuable as furnishing unequivocal proof
of an important change in the views, as well as in the course,
which had been adopted by Mr. Griswold, upon his entrance
into the ministry. There is, indeed, no reason for supposing
that he ever caught the controversial mania in its full viru-
lence. From the very first, he evidently belonged to the
more serious and spiritual class of the clergy of our Church,
and had a standard both of religious feeling and of religious
action altogether higher than that, which had been set up
around him. Still, the idea, which I have, from time to
time, intimated, that his views were not, at first, clearly and
fully developed, and that events in the providence of God
subsequently wrought a marked change in his character both
as a Christian, and as a minister of Christ, is abundantly
sustained. When he wrote the last extract, at the age of
seventy-four, he was far from being, religiously, the same
man as when he kept the Methodists from uniting under his
ministry by a style of preaching, which has, no doubt, in
numberless other instances, been the means of shutting out
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 121
from our Church her best materials for growth, and even of
expelling from her veins some of her own best life-blood.
Experience has, I apprehend, demonstrated that the best
way of extending the institutions of our Episcopacy is not
found in asserting for them exclusive claims ; in the dogma,
" No Bishop, no Church ;" or in a course, which shews that
there is more heart, more zeal, and more ability in preaching
Church government and Church polity, than in preaching
Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Our exclusive claims are
abundantly fraught with excluding energies ; and well would
it be for us if, when those claims have been pressed to the
extreme point of shutting out from our communion much of
the best religious portion of the community, instead of re-
proaching them for having cut themselves off from the Church
Catholic and her covenant, we all had the heart of Bishop
Griswold, to say: "the Lord reigns ; and perhaps He has
ordered it for the best." With such a spirit, as the fruit of
our sad experience, we should at least have the best prospect
of being able thankfully to add ; " The Episcopal Church
will soon be filled, though the Methodists also have a large
Society, and are happily instrumental of much good."
In what respect the change, to which I have adverted, in
Mr. Griswold's views and practice, first began to manifest
itself, and to contribute to the result of filling the Episcopal
Church under his ministry, may perhaps be gathered from
the next extract to be made from his auto-biography.
" So far as I know," he writes, "I was, of our clergy in
New England, the first to hold evening lectures. Though
this is now a thing so common, yet it was then by many of
our good people exceedingly disliked. Our Bishop in Con-
necticut once observed in my hearing ; ' night preaching
and pulpit praying are two things, which I abhor.' But
other denominations practised both ; and soon after my set-
tlement in Bristol I found that many of my parishioners at-
tended their meetings ; and it was, at first, from fear of the
result of their straying away among those, who appeared to
have more zeal, that I proposed to our Vestry, and with diffi-
culty obtained their leave, to open my Church for a third
L
122 MEMOIR OF THE
service on Sunday evenings. I have had reason to believe
that this was the most fruitful part of my ministry, because
more people attended at the third service, than at the other
two, not a few of whom attended our service at no other
time. I continued the practice of three services eveiy Sun-
day for thirty years ; so long indeed as I had a parish parti-
cularly under my pastoral care."
A pretty good proof is here furnished that he had clone
shutting the doors of the Church by turning the oft-heard
key of her excluding claims ; and that, in opening them, he
had also found the secret of drawing in those, who had be-
fore been shut out ; the simple secret of shewing that the
Church can be quite as full of the Gospel of Christ crucified
as she is of letters patent to successorship from the apos-
tles, in the line of the ministry, which they organized.
Of the amount of labor, which he thus added, we may
form some estimate, by reflecting, that, during the thirty
years which he mentions, he had charge either of a large
school, which engrossed the usual day-time of each week, or
of a large Diocese, which, within its wide circuit, brought
upon him " the care of all the Churches," even while not en-
gaged in his visitations ; that he burnt many hundreds of his
early sermons, which he had found comparatively useless ; and
that thus, amidst the multiplied and combined cares of family,
school, parish and diocese, he was constantly driven to the
writing of new sermons, sometimes while relieving his wife
of the care of the children, sometimes by stealing hours from
sleep, and sometimes, peradventure, by abstracting them
from his meals; as when, in the solitary school-house at
East Plymouth, he was summoned from his preparation for
Sunday to the rescue of the drowning boy.
In reference to that portion of his life, which I have been
reviewing, I have but two more extracts from the auto-bio-
graphy to give. The dangerous illness, into which he fell
at his brother's, and on his way home, and of which he has
given so affectingly simple an account, happened, it will be
remembered, in 1809 ; five years after his settlement at
Bristol. It is in allusion to this that he says :
LIFE OF BISHOP GB.ISW0LD. 123
" After the sickness above mentioned, my health was but
slowly regained ; and I found that the labor of preaching
three times each Sunday, besides occasional lectures in Lent,
especially with the sole care of a large school, was what I
should not be able long to endure. Under these circum-
stances, I remembered the words of Bishop Jarvis, that after
a few years' absence, he should expect me to return to his
Diocese. I therefore visited Connecticut, and was very
earnestly invited to take the rectorship of a Church in a situa-
tion and on terms, which to me and mine were very pleas-
ing. I accepted the invitation, and had determined on the
time when I would visit the place and make the necessary
arrangements for removing my family. But I was diverted
from my purpose by an occurrence to me totally unexpected,
and in my view exceedingly providential."
The parish to which he was thus invited, and the charge
of which he thus accepted, was that of St. Michael's, in the
beautiful and important town of Litchfield, about eight miles
from Harwinton, and the same distance from Northfield, in
his former cure. Of this parish of St. Michael's the present
writer was afterwards Rector. Some of my parishioners
there had once been members of the Harwinton parish
during Mr. Griswold's early ministry; and well do I re-
member the terms of profound respect and of affectionate
remembrance, in which they were wont to speak of their
former beloved minister ; as well as the expressions of deep
regret, which they, in common with the elder members of
the Litchfield parish, used to express when speaking of their
disappointed hopes of sitting once more under his ministry.
Before looking at the "unexpected" and "providential oc-
currence," which was the occasion of their disappointment,
it will be proper to go back and look at some things in
Rhode Island, at which the auto-biography has not yet
glanced.
The religious condition of the parish in Bristol, when Mr.
Griswold became its Rector, was emphatically at low tide.
Its number of communicants was very small ; while even
this small number was not characterized by any very en-
124 MEMOIR OF THE
lightened views of Christian truth, or of Christian character.
Whenever they were met together for the purpose of talking
about religion, they were in the habit of dismissing the young
people from the room, as though they were not expected to
take any interest in the subject. Of course, the mass of the
population were sadly regardless of its claims. But, long
before he left the place, a marked change in its religious
character had been produced, in which he was felt and ac-
knowledged to have been largely instrumental. He was
reverenced and beloved, as a man who exerted a deep,
steady, healthful influence, and who exerted that influence
in such a way as to constrain respect and kindness even
from those, who refused to follow his instructions. He was
in one sense irresistible even to the wicked, in that his man-
ners, though holy, were yet kind ; and in that his reproofs,
though faithful, were yet gentle. " The notoriously sinful
and profane quailed at his presence, and were compelled to
shew him their respect." Such is the written language of
one, who has lived in his family and been long under his
ministry ; and it is evidently a version of the remark, which
I heard from several during my visit to Bristol, that the very
drunkard in the street, if he happened to see Bishop Gris-
wold coming, and so near that he could not retreat from sight,
would at least steady himself against the nearest post, or
wall of a house, and maintain all possible gravity and re-
spectfulness until the holy man had passed out of view.
In the year 1805, less than twelve months after his settle-
ment in Bristol, he began to descend into that vale of tears,
through which he was afterwards so long in passing, and from
which he never wholly emerged till it opened for his own en-
trance into the dark valley of the shadow of death. By his first
wife, he had a family of twelve beautiful and lovely children ;
ten of whom faded and fell victims before his eyes to that
pale and wan destroyer, the Consumption ; though all of them,
but one, lived in health and loveliness to be over twenty years
of age. The one, that died first and earliest, was his daughter
Harriet, in the twelfth year of her age. It was in her death that
he began, with a trembling hand, to lift the cup of deep sor-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 125
rows to his unmurmuring lips. On this subject, however, I will
not dwell at present. It will be better to recur to it, when
we can look upon him as he stood in the vineyard of his
Master, a tree loaded with the rich and ripe fruits of sancti-
fied affliction.
In the year 1806 he was prominently engaged, as a mem-
ber of the Rhode Island Convention, in an attempt, which
was then made to supply our Church in that State with the
services of a Bishop. The progress and result of this attempt
he thus records :
"After the death of Bishop Parker, which happened Dec.
6, 1804, six months after my removal to Bristol, much
anxiety was expressed by a few of our clergy in Rhode
Island respecting the Episcopal supervison of our Churches
in that State. After much deliberation and some delay, the
subject was considered in a Convention, which met in New-
port, Nov. 12, 1806 ; when it was unanimously determined
to invite Bishop Moore of New York to take those Churches
under his Episcopal charge. It was judged that the age
and infirmities of Bishop Jarvis would render it very incon-
venient for him to visit Rhode Island. A Committee was
appointed by the Convention, and myself by the Committee,
to acquaint Bishop Moore of the election, and to express the
earnest desire of those Churches that he would extend to
them his Episcopal supervision."
The auto-biography then gives an extract from the letter,
which Mr. Griswold, as chairman of the Committee, ad-
dressed to Bishop Moore, in pursuance of their appointment.
But, as I happen to have the original " rough draught" of
that letter, I wilL give the whole ; though, doubtless, as it
was finally sent to Bishop Moore, it was in a somewhat
amended form. The extract above alluded to, however,
constitutes the body of the letter, and is of course given in
its final shape. It differs so little from the corresponding
part of the original in my possession, as to make it probable
that the whole is substantially correct.
L*
126 MEMOIR OF THE
■Nov. ,1806."
" Right Reverend and dear Sir, — The Convention of the
Protestant Episcopal Church in Rhode Island convened
through the blessing of God at Newport, on the 12th Nov.
instant. The members were unusually punctual in their at-
tendance, and all the parishes were duly represented. The
want of a Bishop to preside over this Church was, as you
will readily suppose, the subject most interesting to the whole
Convention; and after that mature deliberation, which its
magnitude and importance required, it was unanimously
agreed to proceed to an election. The result you will see in
the copy of the vote inclosed ; which not less from inclina-
tion than from duty, we most respectfully submit to your
charitable consideration. With much pleasure we assure
you that the greatest harmony prevailed during the whole
business. In truth, there was but one mind on the subject
in the whole Convention.
" We whose names are underwritten were appointed a
Committee to acquaint you with the election and to solicit
your acceptance. This latter part of our duty we now most
sincerely perform :
" Unwilling as we are to add to the burden of your duties,
which are many and laborious, yet relying on your well
known zeal for the religion of Christ, and the prosperity of
his kingdom, and considering the wants of our few Churches
in this State, we do most earnestly entreat you to take them
under your Episcopal charge. The Churches in the state of
New York, actuated by that charity, which seeketh not her
own, will, we doubt not, consent that their brethren in Rhode
Island should participate in the benefit of your Pastoral care.
Our distance from your place of residence, considering the
facility of communication, will not, we trust, be thought an
objection. At present, we cannot hope, in that respect, to
form a connexion more convenient. Our parishes are few
in number and so situated as to be easily visited. The
unanimity and earnestness, with which all our people join
in this request, present a pleasing prospect that, through the
divine blessing, your consent to our request will be attended
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 127
with very beneficial effects; while, from your refusal, serious
evils may justly be feared. For, besides the little hope of
equal harmony in another election, where can we look for
aid ? In Massachusetts the Episcopate is vacant. The Dio-
cese of Connecticut is indeed supplied with a worthy Bishop ;
but the infirm state of his health, and the tediousness of the
road by land, leave us no hope for benefit by his labors. It
is, Rt. Rev. Sir, to you alone, under God, that we can look
with hope for that aid, which is likely to awaken the zeal
and promote the union and prosperity of this Church. This
aid, as well in behalf of ourselves as of the Churches which
we represent, we most earnestly request you to vouchsafe
us.
Praying God to bless and long continue your pious labors,
and useful ministry in His Church,
We remain, Right Reverend and dear Sir,
Most respectfully, your friends and brethren,"
Alexander V. Griswold, ) ^
Theodore Dehon, j Committe e-
" We had entertained the hope," says the auto-biography,
" that he would accede to our request, and were much dis-
appointed, and not a little discouraged, when his answer de-
clining it, was received. His letter is probably among the
records of the Convention in Rhode Island."
A copy of this letter I have in my possession, from which
it appears that the Rev. Theodore Dehon, afterwards Bishop
in South Carolina, was one of the Committee, above named,
of which Mr. Griswold was chairman. Of how many, or of
what other members the Committee consisted it does not ap-
pear. The letter was as follows :
"New York, Dec. 29th, 180G."
" Rev. and Dear Sir, — The vote of your Convention, ex-
pressive of a desire to place the Church in Rhode Island
under my superintendence, is a token of respect and confi-
dence, which cannot be otherwise than very grateful to my
mind. I am perfectly sensible that the prosperity of our
128 MEMOIR OF THE
Church greatly depends upon the regular performance of
the duties, which are peculiarly Episcopal. It is, therefore,
with deep regret that I find myself under the absolute neces-
sity of declining the honorable offer, which your Convention
has been pleased to make. A similar application was lately
made from South Carolina, with which it was not in my
power to comply. So numerous and incessant are the duties
already incumbent upon me, that I cannot consent to multi-
ply my engagements ; as I should then continually live un-
der the painful consciousness of undertaking a task, that
could not be performed.
Be pleased to make my sincere respects to the gentle-
men of the Convention, and signify to them my determina-
tion on this occasion.
I remain, Rev. and Dear Sir,
Your very affectionate friend and brother,
Benjamin Moore."
With the inception and failure of this measure began, con-
tinued and ended the independent efforts of the Episcopal
Church in Rhode Island to supply itself with the oversight
of a Bishop ; and for nearly five years longer it, in common
with our Churches in Massachusetts, Vermont and New
Hampshire, remained in that feeble and uncertain condition,
which must ever mark the infancy of our Church, while des-
titute of Episcopal care and services.
Meanwhile, the subject of our memoir continued to pur-
sue his toilful and self-sacrificing way ; a way little diversi-
fied with incidents, other than those presented in the daily
and weekly round of duties in his school and in his parish,
until the period of his projected return to Connecticut. His
course of life was, in some respects, different from what it
had been in his former parishes, especially in the interest
and part, which he was called to take in the annual Conven-
tions of Rhode Island ; — but it was equally laborious and
more exhausting. Voluntarily assuming an extra amount of
duty on the Lord's-day ; and contriving to support and edu-
cate a growing family on an inadequate salary by adding the
labors of a school to those of a parish ; he was necessarily
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 129
much confined, and, beyond his parish and the Convention,
but little known. While, as we have seen, the multiplica-
tion of his cares and his almost constant confinement to
sedentary habits under intense application of mind, were
secretly and slowly wearing down the strength of even his
uncommonly vigorous constitution. His hours, indeed,
could not well be more completely engrossed than they had
been in Connecticut ; but it is plain that the manner, in
which they were spent, was less favorable to firm health.
The character of society around him, and the class of
minds over which his influence was" exerted, were consider-
ably changed. There was in Bristol more of that artificial
life which accompanies wealth and education, than there had
been in Litchfield county. But, amidst it all he continued
the same humble, laborious and world-renouncing man ;
while, the character of his own mind, rising with the exi-
gences that tasked it, was found as adequate to the work of
influencing and moulding the elements about him, as when
he moved in the simplest circles of the most rural life. Al-
though he never was a man, who arrested popular attention
at once, and who, wherever he went, assumed forthwith the
port of command, the attitude of a leader, yet he was a
man, whose mind, in proportion as you came close to it,
and pressed your demands on its powers, exhibited those
powers in their richest variety, and in their true extent. He
w T as a man, whose influence always grew with the contin-
uance of his citizenship in any particular place. If he did
not strike at once, he struck surely ; and what he gained in
influence he never lost. The more nearly thinking men in-
spected him, the more highly they respected him. His hu-
mility kept him voluntarily low ; but, if you attempted to
handle him roughly, or to press him down, you must be
much of a man indeed not to find him rising above you.
He would willingly be the servant of all ; but if you at-
tempted to treat him as a servant, he was quite likely to
prove your master. And yet, he never asserted and shewed
his superiority by imitating rudeness and insolence, or by
retaliating a wrong. On the contrary, both under favorable
130 MEMOIR OF THE
and under unfavorable pressure, his superiority was seen in
this ; that, when you came near him, with friendly intent,
you found yourself in contact with great goodness and with
decided strength ; while, if you approached with unfriendly
purpose, you found him your superior for the very reason
that high powers, penetrated with real goodness, always
shew to the best advantage when you treat them most rough-
ly. If you attempt to press such a man down, and then
look for him below you, you are sure to find him above. The
cheerful humility, the voluntary lowliness of Mr. Griswold
was through life favorable to true growth and permanency
of influence. If it kept him low and much out of sight, it
kept him so much nearer the people, the great mass of life and
strength in every country. He did his work in the depths, not
on the surface of society. He was a diamond in the mine,
ready to shine whenever brought out ; and cut, most provi-
dentially and most fitly, for the occasion which was so soon
to draw him forth to view.
To this occasion he alludes in the last extract, which I
have given from his auto-biography. When he accepted
the call to Litchfield, our Churches in the four States of
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont,
were on the very eve of that Convention, which elected
him Bishop of the Eastern Diocese. The preparatory mea-
sures, which led to that Convention, had all been matured
before he received the call to Litchfield ; and in those mea-
sures, so far as the concurrent action of the Rhode Island
Convention was required, he had, as we shall see, borne his
full share. And yet, so utterly without thought was he of
becoming himself a candidate for the Bishopric about to
be created, that he was on the very point of removal from
the limits of the Diocese, which was to be formed ; and
was prevented from carrying his purpose into effect by no-
thing but an occurrence the most purely providential in its
character. It is needless to say that, if he had not thus been
withheld from returning to Connecticut, a man so utterly un-
known as he was to the Churches in Massachusetts and New
Hampshire would never have been thought of for the office
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 131
to be filled. In view of these circumstances we are prepared
to appreciate the perfect sincerity with which he penned the
sentence, when, speaking of his expected removal to Litch-
field, he says : "I was diverted from my purpose by an oc-
currence, to me totally unexpected, and in my view exceed-
ingly providential."
The measures which led to the organization of the East-
ern Diocese and its result deserve a separate and particular
notice. It is enough to say here, that the Convention, in
which the organization was perfected, assembled in the city
of Boston, on the 29th day of May, 1810 ; that Mr. Gris-
wold was elected Bishop on the 31st of that month; and
that his consecration took place in the city of New York
just one year from the assembling of the Convention, — i. e. ;
on the 29th day of May, 1811, a few weeks after his en-
trance on the 46th year of his age.
132 MEMOIR OF THE
ACCOUNT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE EASTERN DIOCESE, AND OF THE
ELECTION AND CONSECRATION OF BISHOP GRISWOLD.
In proceeding, now, to detail the facts, which lie at the
origin of the Eastern Diocese, and which led to the conse-
cration of Bishop Griswold, the best preface, which I can
give, will be found in the brief and simple narrative, which
he has himself furnished in his auto-biography. Having
recorded the failure of the effort in Rhode Island, to place
those Churches under the care of Bishop Moore, he proceeds ;
" After that, nothing respecting this business was done
till the proposal which was made for a union of the Eastern
States in one Diocese. This was first mentioned to me by
the Rev. Wm. Montague, whom for the first time I then
saw. But, as I had already determined to return to Con-
necticut, I thought it not proper that I should take any part
in the business ; and I have often wondered since that I did
not then feel more interest in it, and make more inquiry
about what was done and doing respecting it. At that time,
I was still relying too much on my own wisdom, and occu-
pied with what seemed to me the best course for my future
life. Notice was sent me of the proposed Convention of the
four States, to be held in Boston for the purpose of electing
a Bishop. But, considering that I should not belong to the
new Diocese, I thought it was not my duty to take any part
in the choice of its Bishop. And it so happened that my
appointment to visit Litchfield and make preparations for my
removal, was at the same time with the meeting of the pro-
posed Convention. The Rev. Mr. Ward, then officiating
in Newport, who was a native of Litchfield and wished to
visit his friends there, had agreed to accompany me. But,
a day or two before we were to commence our journey, he
sent me word that he had been taken ill, and requested me
to postpone it till the following week. I was not a little dis-
appointed ; still, I consented to his request.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 133
" While I was thinking of this disappointment, it sudden-
ly occurred to me, that, as my school had been dismissed,
and I was therefore not particularly engaged, it would be
pleasant to attend the Convention and become acquainted
with the clergy, who were then almost all strangers to me.
On my way to Boston, my mind became suddenly and deep-
ly impressed with the importance to the Church of the busi-
ness, on which we were about to meet ; and most earnestly
did I pray that the Lord would mercifully direct us in what
we should do. In Boston, I called on the Rev. Mr. Bron-
son, (the clerical delegate from Vermont,) who was a native
of Connecticut, and with whom I was acquainted, and in-
formed him that I had for some time been of the opinion
that the Rev. Mr. Hobart of New York, could they obtain
him, was, of all the clergy of my acquaintance, the best
qualified to be their Bishop. It had not then occurred to me
that he might be expecting an election in his own state. Mr.
Bronson replied, that he had written to Mr. Hobart on the
subject, and (if I remember aright) read me the answer,
which he had received, declining to be a candidate for the
office in the Eastern Diocese.
" What the election was, is well known. To the gentle-
men, who communicated to me the result, I replied that I
was ready then to give an answer ; and should not hesitate
to decline the acceptance of an office for which I deemed
myself unqualified. And if I ever uttered a word of truth
I uttered it then. One of the first thoughts that entered my
mind, and that caused me no little anxiety, was, that the
Lord ^ in displeasure, had suffered such an election. I was,
however, earnestly requested to delay my answer, and to
give the subject the most serious consideration : a request to
which I assented.
" The subject was, of course, very seriously considered.
One of the first points, on which I came to a determination,
was, that in case even one clergyman in any of the four
States should be found opposed to my acceptance of the
office, I would not accept. The Rev. Mr. Fisher of Salem,
did not attend the Convention, and the Rev. Mr. Bowers of
M
134 MEMOIR OF THE
Marblehead, voted, I was told, for another person. I visited
these two brethren and frankly stated to them my views ;
and they both expressed to me their wish that I would ac-
cept. I then determined to consult Bishop Jarvis and those
of the clergy of Connecticut with whom I was acquainted ;
and accordingly made a journey through that State for the
purpose. Without seeming to doubt or hesitate, they all
advised my acceptance. Some further measures which I
took to satisfy my mind, and the resolutions, which I made
on the occasion, need not be mentioned. It is enough to
add, that the election was in May ; and that, in the follow-
ing September, not without diffidence and fears, I signified
to the adjourned Convention my acceptance. Whether I
did wisely, and was actuated by right views, the God of
heaven knoweth. May He compassionate my frailty and
forgive my sins.
" My consecration took place in New York, in May,
1811."
Thus far speaks the auto -biography in its account of this
very interesting portion of the life of Bishop Griswold. It
concurs with other documents in my possession in shewing
that if ever the " Nolo Episcopari" came with truth from
the heart through the lips of any man, it was from Mr. Gris-
wold on receiving the announcement of the Convention,
which called him to the Episcopate. We must, now, how-
ever, go back and trace the inception and progress of the
movement, which resulted in his election.
The effort, at which we have looked in Rhode Island in
1806, to place the Church in that State under the care of Bi-
shop Moore, had its origin in the causes, which led to the
formation of the Eastern Diocese. These causes were two :
1 . The peculiar need r of a Bishop to watch over the infancy
of a Church Episcopally constituted ; 2. The weakness of
our Church in the Eastern States, rendering each State sepa-
rately inadequate to the maintenance of a Bishop.
1 . It results from the very genius of our institutions that
even the infancy of our Church in any region should feel
the need of a Bishop. I do not mean that presbyters alone
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 135
cannot faithfully preach the Gospel ; or, that if they alone
faithfully preach it, the people will not hear, believe and be
saved. But I mean, that there are general as well as local
interests to be cared for in securing prosperity to a spreading
community of Christians. There are unity to be preserved ;
union and harmony to be promoted ; and measures of
broad and comprehensive utility to be conceived and exe-
cuted. These things need government ; a recognized au-
thority, to which respect may be paid, and a spring of in-
fluence, in which confidence may be reposed. In these
things, and under our institutions, presbyters are not accus-
tomed to act. The deeply rooted principle of parity among
them is apt to keep them isolated while without a Bishop ;
so that the life and prosperity of the parts do not circulate
and become the life and prosperity of the whole. To this
end they need an authorized leader, a mind that is qualified
and that is expected to advise and to devise measures for the
common weal ; a head to their body, that its heart may beat
intelligently as well as strongly ; and that there may be con-
sistency and order, foresight and efficiency in its movements
towards the great ends of outward growth and of spiritual
prosperity.
2. But in the Eastern States, there was a peculiar weak-
ness in our Church, rendering it extremely difficult either to
procure or to maintain Bishops in the Dioceses severally.
This weakness arose from the fact that the genius of New
England people and of New England institutions was of all
others most inimical to the introduction and growth of Epis-
copacy. When Patrick Henry hurled the hot thunderbolts
of his eloquence against the tithe-gathering clergy of the
British province of Virginia, till they instinctively rose and
fled in terror from his presence, we may easily conceive that
the auguries of popularity to our Church in that quarter were
indeed bodingly dark. But darker yet were they on the shores
of New England, where the whole spirit of the people was
a more constant as well as a more terrific orator against our
Church than even the Virginian Demosthenes ; and where,
for long years, every step, which she took, left the track of
136 MEMOIR OF THE
a hunted thing ! After the War of the Revolution, indeed,
which resulted in the establishment of free institutions, in-
cluding the toleration of all forms of religious worship, no-
thing could be done openly against our Church in the East-
ern States. It continued therefore to live without public
molestation. Still the breath of popular sentiment set so
strongly against it, that its continuance was almost as preca-
rious as that of a newly transplanted tree amidst the sweep-
ings of the whirlwind !
In Massachusetts the early strength of our Church was
greatest both in numbers and in wealth. Here, therefore,
as early as May, 1796, a Bishop was elected in the person of
the Rev. Dr. Bass of Newburyport. He was not consecra-
ted, however, till the year following, May 4th, 1797 ; and
dying in September, 1803, was, but for little more than six
years, permitted to give his counsels and his strength to the
infant Diocese, over which he had been placed. In May,
1804, another effort to give a visible head to our Church in
Massachusetts was made, which resulted in the election of
Dr. Parker of Trinity Church, Boston. He was consecrated
the following September ; — but dying in December of the
same year, without ever having met his Convention, he left
the Diocese to the discouragements, incident to such a sud-
den disappointment of its hopes.
Between the death of Bishop Bass and the election of Bi-
shop Parker, there was an unofficial movement towards the
Episcopate, of which, it is presumed, the public know no-
thing, but which, had it been successful, would have pre-
vented the subsequent formation of the Eastern Diocese ;
inasmuch as the individual then in view lived for many years
in the enjoyment of health and of well earned influence. I
allude to the Hon. Dudley A. Tyng, the father of the Rev.
Dr. Tyng of Philadelphia. It is from the latter that I have
received the substance of the following account, the particu-
lars of which will doubtless be deemed worthy of record.
" The ancestors of Judge Tyng had from generation to
generation been members of the Church of England ; in
the communion of which he himself had been educated pre-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 137
vious to the period of our Revolution. His grandfather
founded the Church in Newburyport ; — in the grave-yard of
which five generations of the family lie buried. When he
entered Harvard College, in 1778, it was the single purpose
of his heart to devote himself to the ministry of the Gospel
in the Church of his fathers. But the non-intercourse, which
war introduced between the two countries, made his visit to
England for ordination impossible ; while the state of the family
rendering immediate employment necessary, he turned his
attention upon the study of law. Yet he never changed, so
far as to abandon, the current of his earlier interests and stu-
dies. Theology, in especial connexion with the Church of
England, formed the basis of his favorite reading ; and the
whole welfare of the Church, which, in these United States,
had descended from that in which he was born, constituted
one of the chief objects of his affection and care. When,
therefore, the death of Bishop Bass in 1803, had deprived
the Diocese of Massachusetts of its head, Dr. Dehon, then
of Newport, Rhode Island, and afterwards Bishop in South
Carolina, waited on Judge Tyng, in the name and at the
request of several of the clergy of Massachusetts and Rhode
Island, with the earnest solicitation that he would consent to
receive orders first as a deacon and then as a presbyter, that
they might with as little delay as possible elect him their
Bishop in the place of that venerated man, of whom the
Church had just been deprived, and to whom he had been
most particularly attached. With a modesty characteristic
of himself, however, he shrank from the proposal, and finally
rejected it. Affairs, consequently, took another turn. Dr.
Parker was elected and died ; and amidst the discourage-
ments which ensued came up that shape of things, which
eventuated in the organization of the Eastern Diocese, and
in the consecration of Bishop Griswold.
The incident just narrated is interesting, particularly as it
shews, in the deep interest which Judge Tyng took in the
welfare of our Church, the ground of that peculiar intimacy
and connexion which subsequently sprang up and was per-
M*
138 MEMOIR OF THE
petuated between himself and Bishop Griswold, and between
their respective families. Seldom are two men found better
fitted to win and secure each other's confidence than they.
From the time of his election, Bishop Griswold became and
continued a constant visiter, and frequent inmate at Judge
Tyng's, whenever he visited Boston, and so long as his
friend was spared to him."
The depth of the discouragement, into which the Church
in Massachusetts fell on the demise of Bishop Parker, ap-
pears in the successive and abortive attempts, afterwards
made to devise some way, in which the vacancy might again
be filled.
As early as the ensuing May, at the Massachusetts Con-
vention of 1805, a vote was passed, recommending " proper
measures for communicating with the States of Rhode Island
and New Hampshire, on the subject of joining in one Dio-
cese, and of making choice of a Bishop : — and the Standing
Committee were ordered to correspond with the clergy of
those states on the subject of the proposition." Nothing
however, — at least nothing effectual — was done in obedience
to the order.
At the the next Annual Convention in Massachusetts,
May 1806, — " The President was requested, by vote, to
write to the clergy of the several churches in the States
aforesaid, on the subject of joining the Church in Massachu-
setts in the choice of a Bishop to preside over these States in
one DioceseS' This vote proved as fruitless as its predeces-
sor.
At the Convention in Massachusetts, May 1807, " the
Secretary was ordered to inform the several churches in the
State, that it was the wish of the Convention to take the
sense of the several churches on the question of the necessity
of electing a Bishop, or of putting themselves under a Bi-
shop already elected ; and that their delegates be requested
to come prepared accordingly." This order was even more
inoperative than either of the former ones ; — for, before the
Convention, which issued it, had adjourned, it died by the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 139
following vote; " that the question of the appointment of a
Bishop subside."*
But, although thus unable again to bring the Church to
action through the Convention, yet individuals among the
clergy felt too strongly the pressure of necessity wholly to
abandon effort, and in despondency wholly to give up the
cause of the Church. The next year nothing was attempt-
ed in the Convention ; but something in a different way,
and with better effect, was done. At what particular date,
it is now impossible to determine, but probably between the
Massachusetts Convention of May 1808, and the ensuing
one of May 1809, not long before the latter, an informal
meeting of some of the principal clergy of Massachusetts and
Rhode Island was called for the twofold purpose of devising
and recommending some plan, by which they might secure
Episcopal supervision ; and of concerting and adopting some
measure for rendering available the landed property belong-
ing to the Church in the several Eastern States. At this
meeting, it appears by a written statement from one of its
members, now in my possession, that the plan of the East-
ern Diocese was discussed and in good part matured;
wdrile to the same origin may doubtless be traced the meas-
ures, which finally resulted in securing to our Church much
of the lands, in New Hampshire and Vermont, which had
been left, under Charter from Colonial Governors, to " The
Society in England for the Propagation of the Gospel in
foreign parts."
The meeting, to which I have adverted, was held in Ded-
ham, at the house of the Rev. Wm. Montague. This gentle-
man, as he states in a letter of a subsequent date to Bishop
Griswold, was induced to call that meeting by assurances
from the Rev. Drs. Morss and Gardiner, and the Rev. Mr.
Bowers, that they would share with him the expense, by
which it might be attended. He accordingly engaged in
the enterprize ; spent much time ; rode more than a thousand
* For the above votes and proceedings, see, abstract from the journals
of the Massachusetts Convention, printed by order of the Convention, from
1784, to 1808 ; and prefixed to the printed journals for subsequent years.
140 MEMOIR OF THE
miles in visiting the clergy, from first to last ; gave thus a
vigorous impulse to the movement ; set other men to think-
ing ; and, what they concerted at the meeting, he brought
before the ensuing Convention. This Convention was held
in Boston, May 30th, 1809; and by adjournment in Cam-
bridge the last week in August of the same year. Its pro-
ceedings reveal the efficiency of the influence, which emana-
ted from the meeting in Dedham. The following are its
most important votes :
" That, in the opinion of this Convention, it is expedient
to proceed, as soon as maybe, to the choice of a Bishop ; and
that the Standing Committee be requested to invite the
Churches in Rhode Island and New Hampshire to join in the
choice." This vote was passed in Boston.
At the adjourned meeting in Cambridge, the following
were added : " That the Standing Committee be authorized
to inquire into the situation of the Episcopal Church in Ver-
mont, and invite them to join us in the choice and mainte-
nance of a Bishop."
" That contributions be obtained to a fund for the sup-
port of a Bishop :"
" That a Committee be chosen to apply for an act of In-
corporation for ' The Trustees of donations to the Protestant
Episcopal Church:' and,
" That another Committee be appointed to inquire into the
situation of any lands heretofore given to any Churches,
(parishes,) in Massachusetts."*
These votes all took effect. A subscription to the fund
for the support of a Bishop was soon opened. The Incor-
poration of the Trustees of donations followed. The condi-
tion of the Church lands, not only in Massachusetts, but also
in the three other States, was investigated. And the plan
for the organization of the Eastern Diocese was at once
carried into execution. One week after the May session, —
i. e., June 7th, 1809, the Convention in Rhode Island re-
ceived and acted on the letter from the Standing Committee
* See abstract from the Journal of Massachusetts Convention for 1809.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 141
of Massachusetts, inviting co-operation in the choice of a
Bishop for the Diocese about to be formed. And a similar
communication was in due course of time received and acted
on by the Convention in New Hampshire, and by the
Churches in Vermont ; though to their early records I have
not been able to obtain access.
Whether Mr. Griswold was present at the meeting in Ded-
ham, which really originated all this movement, I am not
informed ; but he was a member of the Convention in Rhode
Island, which received and acted on the communication
from the Standing Committee in Massachusetts, and took
further and effective part in the measures, which resulted in
the final and complete organization of the Eastern Diocese,
as the following documents shew. My object, however, in
giving these documents is, to exhibit the part, which the
Churches in the other States took, in concurrence with that
in Massachusetts, in giving effect to the plan, which had
been matured. They are from the Journals of the Rhode
Island Convention ; but, the Convention in New Hampshire
and the Church in Vermont took substantially the same steps,
which are here indicated.
From the Manuscript Journal, then, of the Rhode Island
Convention, holden in Newport, June 7th, 1809, it appears
that a letter was " read from the Convention of Massachusetts
on the subject of electing a Bishop, whose jurisdiction
should embrace the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island
and New Hampshire. After some debate, it w T as resolved
that the further consideration of the business be postponed ;
and that a Committee of correspondence be appointed, with
power to call a Special Convention to hear the result."
This Committee, as their report shews, consisted of " the
Rev. Alexander V. Griswold, chairman, the Rev. Theodore
Dehon, and the Rev. Nathan B. Crocker."
A measure, preparatory to the Special Convention which
this Committee were empowered to call, was rendered
necessary by the disaffection, which, in the then unsettled
and uncertain state of things, had seized on the ancient
" Narraganset Church," as the principal parish on the west
side of the Bay was originally termed. This was one of the
142 MEMOIR OF THE
oldest parishes of our Church in New England ; and being
of importance in other respects, it was highly desirable to
bring it into cordial co-operation with the rest in the pro-
posed measure. Its disaffection appears to have been of a
general character, and not to have grown out of the move-
ment in favor of the Eastern Diocese. The following letter,
addressed to that parish by Mr. Griswold, as chairman of the
Committee of Correspondence, reveals all that it is necessary
to know of the case ; while it is an interesting document as
exhibiting the judicious and peace-making mind of its au-
thor.
"Bristol, July 2d, 1809.
" Gentlemen, — The enclosed copies of two resolutions,
passed in our State Convention, held at Newport on the 7th of
June last, will shew you the reason and object of this ad-
dress.
" It is with very great anxiety and regret that we find your
Church not represented in our Conventionsybr several years :
and the coldness, dis-union and want of confidence, which
seem to exist, must be painful to every friend of religion, es-
pecially to all who have any desire for the good and pros-
perity of our Church. Our blessed Redeemer has solemnly
forewarned us of the fatal effects of division ; and we need
not tell you how repugnant it is to the nature and object of
his Gospel. It is certainly our duty and yours to investigate
the cause of this evil, and without delay to take every proper
and prudent measure for its removal.
" Actuated, therefore, not less by personal feeling than by
public duty, we do, beloved brethren, with much earnest-
ness, sincerity and affection, address you on this very in-
teresting subject, and inquire of you 'whether there exists
any cause, or causes, of this unhappy disunion, which it is
in the power of this Convention to obviate,' and remove.
And we do most cordially ' assure you of the interest which
the Convention feel for St. Paul's Church, and our earnest
desire that your Church should be represented in our future
Conventions.'
" A restoration of confidence and union among us is, at all
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 143
times, and in its own nature, most devoutly to be desired ;
while, at present, there are special reasons, which strongly
call for our united exertions. At our last Convention we re-
ceived a communication from the Convention in Massachu-
setts, inviting the Churches in Rhode Island and New Hamp-
shire to unite with them in the choice of a Bishop. They
request an answer to their proposals, previous to their semi-
annual (adjourned ?) Convention on the last of August. Our
Convention, in acting upon this important question, did
nothing more than to appoint our clergy in this State a Com-
mittee to inquire into the subject, and get from the Committee
in Massachusetts every possible information respecting the
principles and mode of the proposed election, and report to
a Special Convention of our State, which it is proposed to
call some time in August.
O
" The time and place of this Special Convention are yet
undetermined. In a question on which we are so much and
so equally interested, we wish much, brethren, for your
counsel and co-operation. If any one of our churches is
more than others concerned in the subject, it is yours. We
hope, therefore, and we trust, that, from a sense both of in-
terest and of duty, you will frankly communicate your senti-
ments and wishes on this subject, and cordially unite with
us in every measure for the general good of the Church ; and
accept of our assurances that nothing is intended or desired
repugnant to the particular interest of your Society. On the
contrary, we are decidedly of opinion that nothing, under
God, could more certainly tend to the good of your Church,
temporal and spiritual, than a union with the other churches
in this State, especially in this business, of electing a Bishop.
"Asa step towards so desirable an object, and to promote
harmony and good understanding among us, we propose,
should it meet with your approbation, to hold the Special
Convention, above mentioned, in North Kingston, at such
time, within a few weeks to come, as shall be most agreea-
ble to your parish. Be pleased, gentlemen, as soon as con-
venient, to inform us whether the proposal meets with your
144 MEMOIR OF THE
approbation, and at what time you wish the Convention to
meet."
The foregoing letter, being a copy of the original, is with-
out name. But it is in Mr. Griswold's hand-writing and
was evidently addressed by him, as chairman of the Com-
mittee of Correspondence, to the Vestry of St. Paul's Church,
North Kingston. Its appeal, we may conclude, was at least
partially successful ; inasmuch as the proposed Special Con-
vention was held in that Church on the 23d of the ensuing
August. Thus, even in its inception, the Eastern Diocese
began to effect, what it afterwards fully secured, the desira-
ble end of preventing the revived growth, and of working
the final extinction of a feeling in favor of independency,
which, in earlier periods, had seemed to threaten an ecclesi-
astical organization in the Eastern States, having no con-
nexion with the main body of our Episcopal Church in the
other parts of the Union. But, to proceed :
The Rhode Island Special Convention met, as was stated,
at North Kingston, August 23d, 1809 ; and the Committee
previously appointed presented, doubtless through its chair-
man, the following report :
" The committee, to whom was referred, at the last Con-
vention, the letter from the Church in Massachusetts, inviting
the Churches in this State to unite with them in the choice of
a Bishop, beg leave to report :
" That they are unanimously of opinion, first, that it is
expedient and very desirable that the Church, in this State,
should have the superintending care and official service of a
Bishop : and second, that the proposal from the Church in
Massachusetts opens the best prospect of obtaining these
benefits in the most satisfactory manner ; and, as far as the
Committee have been able to investigate the subject, it ap-
pears to have arisen from an impartial and disinterested re-
spect to the general good of the Church.
" The Committee do, therefore, recommend that this Con-
vention should accede to the proposal from the Convention
of Massachusetts; and that the churches in this State be
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 145
severally requested to appoint delegates to represent them in
the united Convention, whenever it shall be held. All
which is respectfully submitted.
Alexander V. Griswold, }
Theodore Dehon, > Committee."
JYathan B. Crocker , )
The above report having been read, it was by the Con-
vention "voted; that the report of the Committee be re-
ceived and adopted." And thus, so far as Rhode Island
was concerned, the way was opened for the proposed united
Convention, and for the election of a Bishop of the Eastern
Diocese. How little did the author of the foregoing letter
and report dream that he was himself to be Bishop of the
new Diocese, which he was thus helping to organize ! This
Special Convention was evidently held just after that almost
fatal illness, into which he fell during his exhausting journey
in " the warm weather" of 1809, while visiting his family re-
lations. For, such warm weather, journey and consequent
sickness could hardly have happened after a Convention,
which lay but a week from opening autumn. Doubtless,
therefore, he was thus engaged in the preparatory and actual
business of this ecclesiastical meeting, while, as yet, he was
"but slowly regaining" his health, and when he had been
thinking more of going to heaven than of opening his own
way into a Bishopric ! His biographer need not hesitate to
say that, had the idea of his becoming a candidate for the
contemplated office, even in its dimmest outlines, entered his
mind, he would sooner have hidden amid the fastnesses of
Montaup than have acted as chairman of the Committee of
Correspondence to this preparatory Convention.
But, the Convention was held ; and, with similar prepara-
tory action on the part of the Convention in New Hampshire,
the way for final action was open. The adjourned Conven-
tion of Massachusetts was held at Cambridge the last of
August. The action of Rhode Island and New Hampshire
being found favorable, the bounds of the proposed union
were then thrown round Vermont also ; and thus, nothing
remained but to fix the time and place, and to make the
N
146 MEMOIR OF THE
necessary arrangements, for the meeting of the first united
Convention of the Churches in the three Dioceses of Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, and of the
Church in Vermont, where, as yet no Diocese appears to
have been organized.* And this remainder of preparatory
* Since writing the above, I am able to add the following account of the
action of the Church in Vermont. The facts have been received from the
Rev. Mr. Bronson, the clerical delegate from the Church in that State, now
resident in Ohio ; and they shew that, although, as a Diocese, it had never
been received into union with the General Convention, yet it was so far or-
ganized as to have a Standing Committee, and to be capable of corporate
action. By reference to the Journals of the General Convention, (p. 198,
199, 204, ed. Bioren, 1817) it appears that, in 1801, and with a view most-
ly to the care of the Church lands in those parts, a special dispensation
was granted, by which a sort of Diocese was formed, consisting of the
Churches of Western New Hampshire, and Eastern Vermont, or those lying
on each side of the Connecticut river, with power to hold Conventions,
and to put itself under the jurisdiction of some neighboring Bishop. But
this anomalous Diocese appears never to have been represented in the
General Convention. Indeed, by a reference to the Journals, (p. 248, 251,
259, ed. Bioren, 1817,) it is rendered probable that in 1808, tins anomaly
was dissolved, and that the parishes in Western New Hampshire became
thenceforth associated with those in the other parts of that State. Still, at
the time, of which I am writing, the Church in Vermont alone remained so
far organized as to keep up its Convention, have a Standing Committee, and
continue capable of corporate action through that Committee. The follow-
ing are Mr. Bronson's facts :
After the adjourned Convention of Massachusetts in Cambridge, August
1809, the Secretary for several months delayed action under the resolution,
which directed an inquiry into the situation of the Church in Vermont. At
length, however, in the ensuing November, the Rev. Mr. Montague in-
quired of him whether he had yet written to the parishes in Western New
Hampshire, and in Vermont. His reply was, that he knew of no Episco-
palians in those parts to whom he could address his communication. Upon
consultation with Judge Tyng, therefore, Mr. Montague took his carriage,
rode up to Claremont, New Hampshire; was joined there by the Rev. Mr
Barber; and thence passed the Green mountains to Manchester; at which
place resided two of the lay-members of the Standing Committee of Vermont-
These with Mr. Bronson, constituted a majority of that body; and to these>
on being called together, Mr. Montague opened the proposed measure of an
Eastern Diocese. The Committee were in consultation for several days;
as the result of which, they gave that measure their hearty concurrence.
By Mr. Montague, they addressed a letter to Judge Tyng, signifying their
wish to unite in the contemplated Diocese. The consequence of this move-
ment was, that they soon received an official invitation from the Secretary
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD.
147
work was probably voluntarily taken upon itself by the Stand-
ing Committee of the Massachusetts Convention.
The time and place for the meeting of this united Conven-
tion were the 29th day of May, 1810, in the city of Boston ;
the usual time and place for the annual meeting of the
Massachusetts Convention. This latter body, as it appears
from its Journals, met as usual, and transacted its customary
business, especially by appointing delegates to the next
General Convention. But, upon the opening of the Con-
vention from the four States, the clerical and lay-delegates
from Massachusetts appeared and took their seats, like those
from the other States, simply as joint members of the united
body. This body was composed of the following delegates,
clerical and lay, from their respective States, viz :
Rev
a
a
u
a
a
MASSACHUSETTS.
Clergy.
John S. J. Gardiner,
James Bowers,
Wm. Montague,
James Morss,
Asa Eaton,
Samuel Sewall.
Laity.
David Green,
Joseph Foster,
Joseph Head,
Shubael Bell,
Robt. Fennelly,
William Winthrop,
Andrew Craigie,
Samuel P. P. Fay,
Edward Rand,
Samuel A. Otis,
Albert Smith,
Dr. Winslow,
Reuben Curtis,
Jared Bradley,
David Wainwright,
George Johonnott.
of the Massachusetts Convention to send delegates to the body, which was
to assemble in Boston for the organization of the Eastern Diocese. They
accepted the invitation, and sent their delegates accordingly; and it was
supposed, at the time, that, to the decided influence and active exertions of Mr,
Chipman, one of the lay-members of their delegation, much of the success,
which attended the action of the organizing Convention, was to be attributed.
148 MEMOIR OF THE
RHODE ISLAND.
Clergy. Laity.
Rev. Alexander V. Griswold, Thomas L. Halsey,
" Nathan B. Crocker. Benj. Gardiner.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Clergy. Laity.
Rev. Daniel Barber. Erastus Torrey,
George Hubbard.
VERMONT.
Clergy. Laity.
Rev. Abraham Bronson. Daniel Chipman,
John Whitlock,
Dr. Samuel Cutler.
Upon the opening of the session, the Convention was or-
ganized by the election of the Rev. John S. J. Gardiner as
President; and of the Rev. Asa Eaton as Secretary ; and its
principal action, on the first clay of its session, consisted in
the appointment of a committee " for the purpose of drafting
a constitution for the four confederate States." This com-
mittee consisted of eight, and was composed of the follow-
ing clerical and lay-members, one of each order from each of
the four States :
The Rev. Asa Eaton, ) 7,^ 7 ,,
Shubael Bell, \ M™*""*'
The Rev. Alexander V. Griswold, ) „, , r 7 ,
rri t tt 1 t Rhode Island.
1 nomas L. Halsey, 3
The Rev. Daniel Barber, ) ,,, it » .
-^ , rr ' > New Hampshire.
Erastus lorrey, ) l
The Rev. Abraham Bronson, ) T r *
n • , ni ■ ' > Vermont.
Daniel L/hipman, )
This organization, and incipient action of the Convention,
however, had been preceded by some preparatory consulta-
tion. Several of the delegates having arrived in Boston on
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 149
the previous Saturday, arrangements were made for an infor-
mal meeting on Monday evening ; the opening of the Con-
vention being fixed for Tuesday morning. The accounts,
which I have received from three of the surviving delegates,
of these preparatory consultations, are somewhat conflicting;
but so far as I am able to harmonize them, they substantiate
the following facts :
As the Rev. Mr. Gardiner was rector of the principal
parish in the four States, and was withal distinguished as a
gentleman and a scholar, it was very naturally supposed that
he would feel inclined to become the candidate for the ex-
pected Bishopric. The first object of the consultations on
Monday, therefore, was to ascertain his feelings on this point.
Upon being approached, however, he disclaimed any view
towards the office, and declared that he would not accept it,
if offered him. It was then suggested that Dr. Hobart of
New York had been named to some of them. To this sug-
gestion, Mr. Gardiner replied, that he would not consent to
go out of the Diocese for a candidate ; but that some middle-
aged man, from among themselves, must be selected, capa-
ble of enduring the fatigues of travelling, and of patiently
submitting to the hardships and mortifications incident to the
office in such an extended territory, and under such unpro-
mising circumstances. The question accordingly came up ;
where could such a man be found ? During the day, Mr.
Chipmanfrom Vermont, and Mr. Halseyfrom Rhode Island,
had fixed their thoughts upon Mr. Griswold ; and now, at
the meeting in the evening, the Rev. Mr. Crocker, as the
only additional clerical delegate from his own State, directly
proposed him, and gave him such a character as a laborious
and faithful parish minister, and as a soundly learned divine,
as at once satisfied Mr. Gardiner and secured his approba-
tion of such a selection. At the same time, the suggestion
was peculiarly satisfactory to Mr. Bronson, the only clerical
delegate from Vermont, who had for some years known Mr.
Griswold in Connecticut; was aware of his having been con-
sidered by his brethren in his native State as one of their best
N*
150 MEMOIR OF THE
and ablest men ; and was, therefore, very desirous that the
choice might fall upon him.
Mr. Griswold himself was not present at this meeting, the
result of which was thus to fix upon him the choice of the
most influential clerical delegate from Massachusetts, of the
only clergyman from PJiode Island besides himself, and of
the sole clerical representative from the Church in Vermont ;
as well as of the two leading lay delegates from the last named
States. Upon retiring from the meeting to their quarters,
Mr. Bronson and Mr. Crocker found the Rev. Mr. Barber,
the only clerical delegate from the Church in New Hamp-
shire ; and, on communicating to him the proposed nomina-
tion, he at once exclaimed assent; saying he had known
Mr. Griswold from a child, had visited him since he had
been in the ministry, and considered him one of the best
men on the list of our clergy. With the governing influences
from all the four States thus secured, his nomination at the
proper period during the session of the Convention, was
rendered morally certain.
Upon the opening of the Convention the ensuing morning,
Mr. Gardiner preached the sermon ; in the course of which
he protested against going beyond the Diocese for their can-
didate, and urged the selection from among themselves of a
man such as has already been described. The organizing
process then went forward ; the Committee for drafting a
constitution for the proposed Diocese was appointed, and
then the Convention adjourned for final action on the ensu-
ing Thursday.
In the mean time, this Committee met, on the business re-
ferred to it, at their room in the Exchange Building ; and
after making a few alterations in the form of a constitution
which Mr. Bronson had drawn up before he left home, all
the members retired, with the exception of Mr. Bronson and
Mr. Griswold, who were requested to copy the form on
which they had agreed, and to imbody it in their report to
the Convention on the following clay. When this labor had
been performed, and as Mr. Bronson was about entering on
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 151
general conversation, Mr. Griswold inquired of him whether
the members of the Convention had any particular candidate
for the new Bishopric in view ? Mr. Bronson told him they
had, and asked him whether he had heard of their selection?
Upon his answering, "No:" Mr. Bronson rejoined ; " then
let me tell you ; ' thou art the man. 1 " Upon this announce-
ment, he started into wild agitation. After a few moments,
however, he collected himself, and observed ; " Mr. Bron-
son, you cannot be in earnest. You must all be sensible of
my unfitness for the office. I have not the talents, nor the
learning, nor the manner, which are requisite to give to that
office, dignity and respectability. You must select some
more suitable man." To this Mr. Bronson replied : " Sir,
you must be the candidate, or we shall have no election ;"
and was proceeding to urge his acceptance, when Mr. Gris-
wold suddenly requested him to drop the subject, and in a
few moments retired from the room. In what state of mind
he spent the remainder of the day, and the ensuing night may
be easily conjectured.
Upon the re-opening of the Convention, on Thursday,
May 31st, the morning was spent in presenting and acting
on the Report of the Committee, and in completing the
organization of the Eastern Diocese. They adopted the
proposed Constitution; acceded to the Constitution and
Canons of the General Convention ; and then passed the
following votes.
"Voted; that this Convention, — being duly assembled,
and the provisions and Canons of the Episcopal Church hav-
ing been complied with in all respects, to authorize their
proceeding to the election of a Bishop, — may proceed to
that important work."
" Voted, unanimously ; that this Convention proceed to the
choice of a Bishop."
" Voted ; to adjourn to 5 o'clock, P. M."
In these proceedings, it is proper to remark, that the dele-
gates from the four States had an equal voice, and secured
to the Church in each State equal rights ; and that the Dio-
cese, which they organized, was not considered by them, as
152 MEMOIR OF THE
a confederation of distinct and independent Dioceses, but as
one proper Diocese, with a Convention from the Churches of
the four several States. In one of the States, Vermont, no
distinct and independent Diocese had been organized in
union with the General Convention. It had a Standing
Committee, indeed, but was without regular diocesan organi-
zation. It therefore entered into the Eastern Diocese in its
elementary character. It is true, indeed, that the Conven-
tion of the Eastern Diocese was constituted, at first, of dele-
gates appointed by the Conventions of the separate States.
Still, there is abundant evidence that, at the outset, the
Diocese itself was regarded, not as a confederation of inde-
pendent Dioceses, but as one, original and proper Diocese.
The theory of this body appears not in its origin, to have
been well studied ; nor, indeed, was it ever very easily un-
derstood ; while, by its subsequent action and self-dissolution,
tine somewhat perplexed and difficult question of its true
character has become a matter of comparative unimportance.
But, to proceed with the history of its first action :
During the transactions of Thursday morning, there was
visible a marked change in the appearance and manner of
Mr. Griswold. He took no part in the debates on the proposed
Constitution : he scarcely noticed what was going forward ;
but seemed lost in a continual reverie. The same thing was
manifest upon meeting, pursuant to adjournment, at 5 o'clock
in the afternoon, and during the silent process of balloting
for the choice of a Bishop. When the result of this process
was declared, and it appeared that by the suffrages of every
member of the Convention, with a single clerical exception,
he had been elected to the newly created office, he appeared
completely overwhelmed by the power of his emotions.
What these emotions were, we may judge from his own re-
mark in the auto-biography. " One of the first thoughts,
that entered my mind, was, — that the Lord, in displeasure,
had suffered such an election." After a moment's pause,
he rose in great agitation, and declined the honor, which had
been conferred upon him. Promptly and impulsively, yet
(in the sincerity of his heart as it then beat within him) uU
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 153
terly, did he decline both the honor and the office in which it
was offered. It was then proposed to adjourn, to give him
time for consideration. But he replied ; he wanted no time :
he was ready to give his decision at the call of the moment.
The Convention, however, did adjourn for three months ;
and when his emotion had in a measure subsided, and his
diffidence was in a degree overcome, he finally consented to
take the question of acceptance into consideration. He
yielded as to an unseen hand, that was shaping both his own
destiny and that of the Church over which he was called to
preside. With the result of his consideration we have
already been made acquainted. The Rev. Mr. Montague
took him in his carriage on a visit to Connecticut ; where he
was even urgently entreated to accept the office, to which
he had been elected : and the Convention of that Diocese
being about that time in session, it was moved, and unani-
mously voted, in convocation of the clergy, that a congratu-
latory letter be addressed to him ; and that Bishop Jarvis be
requested, in behalf of the convocation, to write and forward
said letter to him. This letter, indeed, has not been found
among his papers ; but it was doubtless sent and received ;
inasmuch as it appears from a private letter of one of the
members of the convocation, dated June 11th, 1810, that
Bishop Jarvis acceded to the request of that body to act in
its behalf.
Meanwhile, in the new Diocese itself the strongest sense
of the importance of his acceptance was felt, on the part of
some at least of the electing members, mingled with the
deepest fears of his final refusal. What the state of feeling,
now alluded to, was, will be seen from the following letters
addressed to him after his election :
" Rockingham, Vt., June 5th, 1810.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — As we had not all the opportunity
that could have been wished, when together in Boston, I
improve a few hours of leisure on my way home, to write
you more fully on the important business, which has so lately
occupied our attention.
154 MEMOIR OF THE
"You doubtless remember with what persevering earnest-
ness, and with what cogent, invincible arguments myself as
well as many others urged the proposed election. And I
trust you observed, or was informed, that those members of
the Convention, who were at first in opposition, (one clerical
member excepted) finally acknowledged themselves con-
vinced, and were pleased that the election took place. As
to the member, who opposed to the last, you must have per-
ceived that his conduct was generally condemned. * * * *
His opposition therefore should rather be an inducement to
go forward in the course we have taken. If you fully ap-
prehend the weight of the arguments used by the delegation
from this quarter, and consider the situation of the Diocese
generally, you will see that we can not take any other course
without hazarding the most fatal consequences. In our
present condition, I fear, we are rapidly falling to ruin. Our
spiritual concerns are in a most deplorable state. The cold,
moralizing discourses, so fashionable in many of our churches,
will justly bring inevitable destruction upon them, unless
the spirit of piety be revived by true evangelical preaching.
The real doctrines of the cross must be propagated and dif-
fused among us, or we are ruined. A way to the attainment
of this object appears now to be opened ; a way, in which
we can have, at least occasionally, such preaching, and such
doctrines from authority ; such authority as the laity will al-
ways respect, and as none of the clergy will presume to
gainsay. You may, perhaps, fear that this will not be the
case in the town of Boston. But, after a free and unreserved
conversation with the members, clerical and lay, from Boston
and Cambridge, I am convinced that you have their hearty
approbation ; and that the people generally will be fond of
receiving the doctrines of the Gospel, any thing in their
present situation to the contrary notwithstanding. Thus,
instead of having great difficulties and obstacles to encounter,
it appears to me that you will enter upon your office under
favorable auspices and prospects. The clergy, as a body,
will feel themselves pledged to use their exertions to make
your situation agreeable ; and a very decided majority of
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 155
them, I am confident, indeed all who have any regard for
the spiritual interests of the Church, will certainly do it with
sincere earnestness and alacrity.
" With regard to the temporalities attached to the office,
though they are not yet such as could be wished, yet I do
not, can not, imagine that you will, on that account, hesitate
a moment. Something already is, and something more can
be, raised ; and the several churches can do something an-
nually till the funds become sufficient. I shall use my en-
deavors for this purpose in Vermont till our lands become
productive. After all, however, I can easily conceive that
the office, in our present situation, is far from desirable. But
I entreat you to consider what will be our condition, if you
should refuse it. There is not another man in the Diocese,
who could unite the votes of a majority of the clergy. And
as to going out of the Diocese, some of them have declared
that to that they never would consent. I should not myself
like to do it, unless we could get Dr. Hobart ; who, as I told
you, has declared to me that he would not accept ; while,
at the same time, I find he would not be agreeable to the
Boston clergy. So that the matter has at length come to a
point : either you must forego personal feelings and considera-
tions and accept the office ; or it must remain vacant, and
the union, so happily and harmoniously formed, of these
States, must be dissolved, and the Church left to sink into
speedy oblivion. I can hardly conceive of any other alterna-
tive. And if you do not view the matter in this light, I must
think it is because you did not take the same liberty with
myself of sounding the feelings of the members of the Con-
vention.
" On the whole, I have made such high calculations upon
the advantages that might be expected from this union, and
upon the privilege of having a diocesan to visit the churches,
perform appropriate Episcopal offices, and exercise discipline
among us, that, if we are now disappointed, I shall be al-
most entirely discouraged, and shall see no way, except by
some unexpected interposition of Providence, in which our
156 MEMOIR OF THE
sinking cause can be revived and made to flourish. Do, I
entreat you, before you give us a negative answer, take this
matter into your serious consideration. Consider the necessi-
ties of the Church, and the fatal consequences of a refusal :
view the situation of the Diocese at large : weigh the matter
with care and deliberation : let the good of the Church be
your paramount consideration, instead of giving way to feel-
ings of modesty, or to personal convenience : and I trust,
through divine grace, you will see the propriety and import-
ance of taking upon you the solemn office, which is so
providentially placed at your disposal.
" Please, Sir, excuse the freedom, I have used in this letter.
Freedom among clergymen, it appears to me, ought always
to be used. At any rate, there was no other way to satisfy
my own feelings. I trust to the sincerity and purity of my
motives, for an ample apology for thus intruding myself upon
your notice.
With sincere respect and esteem,
I am, Rev. Sir, yours,
Abraham Bronson."
The Rev. Mr. Griswold.
The foregoing letter is interesting and important, admitting
us probably to a more intimate view, than would otherwise,
at this late day, be obtainable of the religious state of the
Eastern Diocese at the time of its organization. The follow-
ing briefer communication is also worthy of insertion. The
writer addresses Mr. Griswold as though he were already
Bishop.
"Claremont, N. H., July 30, 1810.
" Right Rev. Sir,- — I am sensible it was my duty to have
addressed you before this, on the subject of your election.
" Permit me now to say, that, when I consider the import-
ant and salutary consequences, that will necessarily follow
in tlie train of your judicious administration, setting in order,
and strengthening the things that are ready to die, I rejoice
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 157
exceedingly, and am also led to conclude your election to be
the call of God, as well as the fruit and effect of that Spirit,
which heals all our infirmities.
" If I am thus far correct, as I feel confident that I am, it
follows, that you must not, and suffer me to say, you dare
not, refuse the office and work, to which you are called.
Can you produce one instance, (in times of the severest per-
secution, and when death was the most certain consequence
of consecration) of a Bishop refusing to accept the office ?
" Thank God, we are not now called to resist unto blood.
But we must fight with beasts now and then ; else, what
would be our victory and our crown, our reward and our
rejoicing? Think, dear Sir, whose cause you are engaged
in, and in whose name and strength you go forth. Moses
said : ' Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh ?' But
God called him, and he must needs obey ; for he dared not, like
Jonah, flee from the presence of the Lord. Out of weakness
he was made strong ; yea, so strong, that he saved the
Church and people of God from destruction.
" It is, indeed, a mark of true wisdom not to run before
we are sent. But, when lawfully called, and when, as at
this time, necessity urges, we are to play the man for our
country and for the Churches of our God.
"Meroz was cursed, because they refused to come up to
the help of the Lord against the mighty. Let me entreat
you not to refuse to comply with the wishes of your brethren :
and be assured that the respect due to your personal and
official character shall ever be accorded by
Your very humble servant and brother,
Daniel Barber."
Rt. Rev. Alexander V. Griswold, >
Bishop elect. £
About the same time, Mr. Bronson addressed him a second
letter, of which the following is the principal part :
" Manchester, July 31, 1810.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — It is with much reluctance that I
again intrude. But I am urged by peculiar circumstances.
o
158 MEMOIR OF THE
Our State Convention is to meet in about four weeks, and
we expect it will be unusually full, on account of the busi-
ness done at Boston. But we have not all the data that
could be wished, to enable us to proceed ; nor can we ex-
pect, previous to that time, to receive them through the
official channel. I am anxious to know the full result of our
late proceedings, in order to give our Convention every possi-
ble satisfaction, and that measures may be taken according-
ly. If, then, you have come to any conclusion, or have even
formed an opinion upon the subject, I would thank you to
write me seasonably what the probability is with regard to
your acceptance of the office.
" I am aware that this request may seem rather imperti-
nent. But, after full consideration I hope you will be con-
vinced that it is justified by circumstances. *****
* * * * * ^ multiplicity of avocations will, I am afraid,
prevent my being at Boston," (at the adjourned Convention)
" but my heart will be with you in every measure for the
good of the Church at large. Some of the members of the
body are so palsied that it is to be doubted whether they can
ever be restored to vigor and activity. Yet the means must
be used, and the event left to God. Peradventure He may
restore the decayed places, and build up the walls of our
Zion, so that we may yet be a name and a praise in the earth.
********** j mugt renew t } ie ex p ress i on
of my anxiety that you should accept the office. Should you
decline, it appears to me that the constitutional union,
effected at Boston, will become void, and that we must entire-
ly give up our hopes of having, for the present, a diocesan in
these States. I hope that the sermon to be delivered at the
adjourned Convention, will be composed with a view to the
press. If I am there, I shall move to have it published.
With sincere respect, Rev. Sir,
I am yours,
Abraham Bronson."
The Rev. Mr. Griswold.
The sermon, here alluded to by Mr. B., was that which
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 159
the Convention in Boston, on the eve of its adjournment, re-
quested Mr. Griswold to preach at the opening of its Sep-
tember session. It will be found at the close of this memoir.
Whether, at the suggestion of Mr. Bronson, he wrote it with
a view to publication, or not, it was every way worthy of
that notice. Considering the circumstances under which it
was delivered, the audience before which he spake, and the
position, in which he himself stood, it was every way as ap-
propriate to the occasion as it was full of Gospel truth, just
thought, and happy diction; in very deed, a remarkable
sermon ; bold, yet not assuming ; faithful, yet not indiscreet ;
pointed, yet not offensive ; correct, and even beautiful in
style, yet not ambitious of notice for its beauty ; in a word,
the outspeaking of the future Bishop. One of the leading
Congregational ministers of Boston was present at its delivery,
and, not knowing either the preacher, or the relation in which
he stood to the Convention, inquired, at the close of the ser-
vice, who he was ? Upon being told by the gentleman, of
whom he inquired, that it was Mr. Griswold, the Bishop elect
of the Eastern Diocese, he rejoined ; " Well, I can only say
that if such is to be the general character of his preaching,
he is worthy to be made ./Zrc/i-bishop of Christendom."
The time for his anxiously expected decision was now
drawing near. As yet, it is believed, no one knew what
that decision was to be. Hope amidst fear was the best
feeling that reigned in the minds of those, who had elected
him. But, on the 12th of September he addressed to the
President of the electing Convention the following letter of
acceptance.
"Bristol, September 12th, 1810.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — As the time approaches, when our
Convention, according to adjournment, will again convene,
it becomes necessary, agreeably to their resolution, that I
should communicate to you my determination respecting
their late election. It will be needless to trouble you with
observations on my inability and disqualifications, which will
too soon be known. The Convention were pleased to call
160 MEMOIR OF THE
me to a very sacred and important office, which requires the
most serious consideration. At first, indeed, there appeared
no room for doubt, or hesitation : there seemed to be every
reason for declining an undertaking so arduous, so responsi-
ble in its nature, and for the effectual discharge of which I
possessed so few of the requisite qualifications. But farther
reflection suggested that a call of this serious and important
nature ought not to be declined, any more than complied
with, without great and mature deliberation ; that we ought
not to shrink from any duty, to which God is pleased to call
us, from a conscious inability of doing ourselves honor, in
case we can do good. Nor is the sacrifice of ease and other
temporal comforts, necessary to the discharge of this or any
other office in the Church, sufficient excuse to satisfy the
minds of those, who have sincerely engaged in the Gospel
ministry. Having consulted with many, whose judgment
and advice I have every reason to respect, it seems to be
their general, if not unanimous voice that the present pecu-
liar state of this Diocese requires my acceptance of the Epis-
copate ; and however desirable may be a more able and
worthy candidate, that it is, under existing circumstances,
my indispensable duty to acquiesce. To Him, therefore,
who is able to make the humblest instrument subservient to
the purposes of His Providence, I yield the result. Should
the Convention, who have now had time for more mature
deliberation, judge it still expedient, all circumstances con-
sidered, to adhere to what they have done, I shall not refuse
any compliance with their wishes. Trusting in God and in
their candid indulgence and friendly counsels, I shall devote
my future hours to the good and benefit of those Churches,
whom the Lord shall please to put under my care ; humbly
endeavoring by zeal and diligence to supply what in other
talents is deficient.
With all due respect,
I am your friend and brother,
Alexander V. Griswold."
Rev. John S. J. Gardiner, )
President of Convention. £
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 161
This letter was communicated to the Convention on Tues-
day, the 25th of September, to which time it stood adjourned :
and upon being read, the Convention was dissolved.
On Wednesday, the 26th of September, was holden the
first of the Biennial Conventions of the Eastern Diocese under
the new constitution; delegates thereto having been ap-
pointed by the separate Conventions of the four States.
Before this Convention the Bishop elect preached the ser-
mon, to which I have referred. The action of the Conven-
tion consisted in electing its first Standing Committee ; in
devising means for the more ample support of the Bishop ;
in requesting a copy of Mr. Griswold's sermon for the press ;
in appointing a committee to present him to the house of
Bishops for consecration ; in signing his testimonials ; and in
sending him by a committee the following vote :
" That the Convention acknowledge with pleasure his
acceptance of the Episcopate ; and assure him that they will
cordially and faithfully co-operate with him in the discharge
of his duty."
Such, in its leading particulars, was the process, by which
the Eastern Diocese came into existence, and by which its
first and only Bishop was elected. The organization has
lived out its day and accomplished its purpose. It was de-
manded by the exigences of the times and of the Church.
Over its inception and result an almost visible divine Provi-
dence has presided. It forms an item by itself in our Ecclesi-
astical History ; and, as such, it deserves whatever of notice
may be given of it in the ensuing pages of this memoir. The
life of Bishop Griswold is the history of a Diocese, which be-
gan, continued and ended with the office, which he received,
honored and closed.
I have said, an almost visible divine Providence presided
over the inception of this movement. Here was a man,
fitted beyond all others, then known, for the exigences which
called him forth : a man, severe, simple, and primitive in
his manners ; and thus qualified to smooth down and ulti-
mately wear out those Pilgrim prejudices against Episcopacy,
which had been excited by its accidental European associa-
o*
162 MEMOIR OF THE
tion with wealth, and pomp and power: a man, increasingly
filled with the very marrow and richness of the Gospel ; and
thus fitted to meet and counteract that system of cold and
merely moral preaching, which had so extensively obtained
possession of our New England Episcopal pulpit : a man,
sound and orthodox in his creed, both as a Churchman and
as a divine ; and thus prepared to encounter and resist that
fatal heterodoxy, which had eaten so deeply into the heart
of the ancient New England Theology, and was even be-
ginning to infect the leading congregations of our own
Church : a man, patient, humble and self-denying ; and thus
formed to overcome, or to endure, the hardships, trials and
discouragements, incident to a ministry which had, for its
field, four rugged States, and one bleak extensive Territory,
and, for its " nursing care," a body of few, feeble and scat-
tered parishes, some of which were already falling into ruins :
a man, well learned, of vigorous mind, and of most blame-
lessly holy life ; and thus endowed with the best means of
commanding the respect, winning the confidence, and secur-
ing the love of all into whose fellowship he should be
brought, and to whose attention it might be his duty to com-
mend the Gospel of his divine Lord and Master : and yet, a
man, unknown by character, and almost by name, to far the
greater part of the Convention that elected him ; virtually an
entire stranger to that body ; never before in Boston, save
once when in his youth h'e accompanied his uncle on his
way to Nova Scotia; brought to the Convention by a most
Providential incident, when on the very eve of his final re-
moval from the Diocese ; and, though active in all those
arrangements in Rhode Island, which looked towards this
primary electing Convention in Boston, yet entering this
latter body and finding himself at the very heart of its pro-
ceedings — before even the idea of being made a Bishop had
entered his mind, or flitted on its most rapid wing through
his thoughts ; startled into wild agitation when it was first
privately hinted to him ; overwhelmed with emotion when
its reality burst publicly on his senses ; declining instantane-
ously, and from his deepest heart, the office to which he was
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 163
called ; and bending under the burthen of the thought, that
God "in displeasure had suffered such an election to take
place !" Was there in that humble minister a spark of feeling
that could be termed either se^-seeking, or o^zce-seeking ?
Was it man's voice, or God's voice, that sounded in his ear,
and bad him go forth of his seclusion ? Was it the Conven-
tion, seeking for such a Bishop, as would, at first, have best
pleased the majority of its members; or, was it God, provi-
ding such a Bishop as He foresaw would, through a long
life, minister most invigoratingly and most revivingly to the
necessities of his own feeble and languishing Church ? God's
Providence is often but his secret care over His own cause,
evinced in the unforeseen results of human agency ; and in
this sense it was, perhaps, never more visible than in that
event, the history of which I have thus far been tracing, and
the final issue of which is now so near at hand.
As it has been stated, a year intervened between Bishop
Griswold's election and his consecration. The General
Convention, at which it was expected his consecration would
take place, was held in New Haven, from the 21st to the 24th
of May, 1811. But, as the number of Bishops, required by
Canon for the consecration of a Bishop elect, were not in at-
tendance, nothing could be done beyond the presentation
and signing of his testimonials, and the appointment of the
29th day of the month in the city of New York as the time
and place for the consummation of the work.
It appears, from Bishop White's memoirs of the Church,
(Phila., 1820, pp. 277, 278,) that the circumstances, which
rendered this postponement necessary, had almost proved
fatal to the continuance of our American Episcopacy, without
a renewed recourse to the mother Church in England.
Bishop Moore of New York, had just been " visited by a
paralytic stroke." Bishop Claggett of Maryland, just re-
covering from " severe indisposition," attempted to reach
New Haven, but was compelled to return. Bishop Madison
of Virginia felt bound under " the solemnity of an oath" not
to leave the duties of the college of which he was President.
Bishop Provoost, the Senior of Bishop Moore in New York,
164 MEMOIR OF THE
" had never performed any ecclesiastical duty" since the
appointment of his assistant in 1801 ; and at this time, be-
sides suffering slightly from the remains of a former paralysis,
was but beginning to recover from an attack of " the
jaundice." Bishops White and Jarvis, therefore, were the
only occupants of the Episcopal Bench at the General Con-
vention in New Haven. And even on the 29th of the
month, at the adjournment in New York, it was, to the last
hour, uncertain whether the consecration could proceed.
During their absence at New Haven, Bishop Provoost had
suffered a relapse, and it was feared he would be unable to
attend. When the appointed hour arrived, however, " he
found himself strong enough to give his attendance ; and
thus," says Bishop White, " the business was happily ac-
complished." The consecration was held in the old Trinity
Church.
Upon the general circumstances, which attended this act, it
is not necessary here to offer any remarks. It was, — like all
similar acts in our Church, at a time when services of this
kind had not begun to attract crowds, — the simple, solemn,
sublime rite of admitting to the highest degree in the minis-
try one who had proved himself meet by blamelessness and
fidelity in both of the degrees foregoing. And yet, it was
attended by two particular circumstances, which rendered it
for a long time a subject of more than ordinary interest and
conversation.
To one of these circumstances Bishop White alludes, in
his " Memoirs of the Church," (p. 286—288.) It consisted
in the accidental omission, at the laying on of hands, of the
words, " In the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Ghost." This omission was by some considered
as invalidating the consecration ; and it was some time be-
fore what Bishop White well styles " a criticism so indefen-
sible," an " argument" on the ground of which " there is
not at this time a Christian Bishop in the world," fell dead
under the weight of its own absurdity. As if any particular
form of words had ever been enjoined in the Bible, or could
be enjoined by the Church, as that, without which the au-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 165
thority to execute this high ministry can not be conveyed !
So early, however, in our American Episcopal Church did
unscriptural and uncatholic notions begin to prevail touching
the peculiar spiritual powers supposed to be communicated
and transmitted in this last of our three ordaining acts. For
a fuller view of this case, the reader is referred to the " Me-
moirs of the Church" as above cited. It is observable that
the anxiety, which was then felt about this supposed invali-
dating omission, had respect exclusively to the case of Bishop
Hobart, who was consecrated at the same time, and who, it
was expected, would in due season become the presiding,
or Senior Bishop in our Church. Not a word was said of
any apprehended effect of the omission on Bishop Griswold's
orders, although the omission happened in his case as well
as in that of Bishop Hobart.
To the other of the two circumstances Bishop Griswold
himself alludes in his auto-biography. It consisted simply
in the imposition of hands on Dr. Hobart before Mr. Gris-
wold. The allusion to it is contained in the following para-
graph from the auto-biography, written after Bishop Griswold
had become, by the demise of Bishop White, and the pre-
vious demise of Bishop Hobart, the Senior on our Episcopal
bench.
" My consecration was at New York in 1811. Why the
ordination of a Bishop should be so called, more than that
of a Deacon or Presbyter, I do not know. The Rev. Dr.
Hobart was ordained at the same time. Though he was
several years younger than myself, was elected nearly a year
after my election, and was chosen to be but an assistant
Bishop, still he was registered as my Senior, and uniformly
had the precedence. The purpose of this partiality was that
he, rather than I, should, in the probable course of events,
be the presiding Bishop. I would to God it might so have
been. Through all my life, I have delighted most in retire-
ment. To appear in any public or conspicuous station, has
ever been unpleasant ; and, as far as duty would admit, I
have avoided it. It was with great reluctance that I after-
wards consented to preside in the house of Bishops. It was
166 MEMOIR OF THE
much more painful to me from my knowing that such
measures had been taken to prevent it. The whole business
has been much blessed to me in the subduing of a proud
heart. My first two ordinations were not a little blessed in
the same way ; but much more this last. Indeed, whether
or not it be considered as boasting, I can truly say : that, at
no period of my life, have I thought that I had less honor in
this world than to my merits was due. In particular cases,
certainly, (which may no doubt be said of almost every per-
son, who has occupied a conspicuous station in society,) I
have been unjustly censured, and my motives and conduct
have not been always duly appreciated : but in more instances
my failings have not been generally known. A retrospect
of my life past presents a most humiliating view of sins and
follies."
It may be thought by some that the above paragraph,
assigning the reason why Bishop Hobart was put in pre-
cedency to Bishop Griswold, had better been omitted in the
present memoir. In reply to such a suggestion, however, I
have two reasons to assign for its insertion.
In the first place ; its author was better acquainted with
the reasons and circumstances of the movement than the
present writer can pretend to be ; and it is not likely that
such a man as he, writing at such a period of his life, would
deliberately state what he did not know, or had not good
reasons for believing, to be correct.
In the second place ; he has inserted it as part of an
auto-biographical sketch, apparently intended for publication ;
and therefore the present writer could not feel at liberty to
withhold it. He considers its insertion as a simple compli-
ance with the apparent will of its author ; with such an ex-
pression of his will, as he is not at liberty to disregard.
It would not be proper, however, to let this occasion pass
without inserting, in connexion with what Bishop Griswold
has left on record, the reason, which Bishop White is un-
derstood to have assigned for laying the ordaining hand first
on Dr. Hobart, instead of Mr. Griswold. It is this : that
the former was a Doctor in Divinity at the time of the con-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 167
secration, while the latter was not ; and that, in England,
whence our Episcopacy is derived, precedency is accorded,
not to seniority in age, but to priority of date in university
degrees. That such was Bishop White's reason, there is, I
believe, no doubt ; and that he considered it a sound one,
no man, who is acquainted with the character of that honored
servant of Christ, will, for a moment, hesitate to believe.
Still, whether it was, indeed, a sound reason ; whether the
English University Law of precedency in this matter is, or
was, of any authority in this country ; or whether, under the
very marked and peculiar circumstances of the case, it was
even proper to make that law an twiauthoritative rule for our
American practice ; these are points, which admit of serious
question. That Bishop White, with his familiar knowledge
of English customs, and with his attachment to English pre-
cedents, should have given the assigned reason undue weight,
it is easy to conceive : but it is not easy to conceive that,
under the very peculiar circumstances of the case, he would
have given that reason a governing weight, had not his mind,
unconsciously to itself without doubt, felt the pressure of a
strong feeling, in action about him, and moving him in the
direction which the service of consecration took.
It is not probable that the point, which has now been
brought into view, will ever in this country become invested
with any serious importance. Nor should I have noticed it
at all, had I not felt bound to let the writer of the auto-bio-
graphy before me speak in the language, which he apparently
intended should meet the public eye ; and had I not felt,
moreover, that to write the life of a public man is not merely
to describe his person and his character, but also to show his
connexion with the times, in which he lived, and with the
cotemporaries among whom he acted. A public man lives
in the impress which he leaves on his age, and in the impress
which his age has made on himself. The past is not dead,
but alive ; and the feelings which live in it may be of use to
the present, even though they come not to us in the laws
and institutes, which hold distant ages together. The men
of the past may become the monitors of the present ; and,
168 MEMOIR OF THE
what is more, the good men of the past may be appreciated
by the present more justly perhaps than they were by their
own generation ; and may understand one another now, better
than while they were moving amidst the mere twilight of
this lower life. White, Hobart and Griswold do full justice
to each other in heaven ; as certainly as it was never in their
hearts to do injustice to one another on earth.
The feelings of Bishop Griswold upon being called to act
as Senior Bishop of our Church will appear again, when we
come to notice that period of his life. His remark in the
foregoing extract on the use of the word, " consecration,"
as applied to Bishops in distinction from Presbyters and
Deacons, is an index to the character of his mind, and to his
views of the power supposed to be conveyed by the last of
our three ordaining acts. He disliked the use of terms,
which express more than should be meant ; and was far from
agreeing with those, who consider the ordination of a Bishop
as investing him, by a sort of miraculous or mysterious trans-
mission, with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, or
with the marvellous power of continuing an alleged perpetual
incarnation of Christ in the visible body of his Church.
Always in conversation, and generally in writing, he spoke
of his investment with the Episcopal office as his ordination.
Even in signing official formulas, such as letters of orders,
which are usually dated in such or such a year of the Bishop's
consecration, he always substituted some other word as often
as he conveniently could. And yet, it is evident that he
attached no very great importance to either the use, or the
omission of the term, consecration; inasmuch as we occasion-
ally meet with it in his writings, and even in his auto-biog-
raphy, where its use was not required as a matter of official
formality. While his eye was open to the truth, that great
effects sometimes flow from little causes, still he was no
more disposed to spend his time and his strength in contend-
ing about trifles, than he was to draw consideration towards
himself by an undue magnifying of his office.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 169
EARLY EVENTS IN THE EPISCOPATE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD,
In the foregoing portions of this memoir, we have traced,
as minutely, and as faithfully as the materials furnished would
allow, the history of the first forty-five years in the life of its
revered subject. We have noticed the remarkable qualities
of mind, which he so early developed ; the circumstances,
amidst which his character was formed ; the difficulties,
under which he labored in the prosecution of his early
studies ; the impressions, which these circumstances and
difficulties left on his mind ; the discipline, which they fur-
nished in laying the foundation of his principles, and in giv-
ing direction to the course of his life ; the humble, quiet,
laborious, and self-denying discharge of ministerial duty, on
which he entered ; and the wonderful manner, in which a
good Providence watched over all his movements and or-
dered all his steps. And, in taking this observation, we
have seen clearly how God was, all along, fashioning him
into an instrument for special use, in the work, upon which
he was afterwards to enter ; how his Divine Teacher at first
gradually led him forth from the defective, or imperfect views
of the Gospel, which so far as our Church was concerned,
were characteristic of the times, in which he was born, and
the influences, amidst which he was educated ; and finally,
how that same heavenly Teacher gave depth and spirituality
to his religious experience and character, and anointed him
with an uncommon measure of the " fulness" of Him, whose
Gospel he was to preach, and whose ministry he was to
perpetuate.
It may by some be supposed that, had Bishop Griswold
possessed more of the impulsive and dazzling qualities of
character ; had his modesty and self-distrust been less, and
his power to strike at once the popular mind, and to put in
motion great schemes for the extension of the Church, been
p
170 MEMOIR OF THE
greater ; he would have done a better work in his day, and
left behind him more splendid monuments of his usefulness.
But, this may well be doubted. That which has the most
sudden, and the most imposing beginning, does not always
last longest, nor grow largest. Besides, when we consider
the character of the population,upon which he was to operate
in the keen, cool, thoughtful sons of the Pilgrims, and the
nature of the prejudices, which he was to encounter in those
feelings, which had once reared themselves as if into a wall
of fire along the whole New England coast, that Episcopacy
might never live to effect a landing on their shores : — when
we consider even these things, it will be evident that had he
been other than the severely simple, modest, unpretending,
holy and blameless man that he was, he never could have
acquired the influence, which he did ; he never could have
laid that wall of fire into a mere quiet, harmless pathway for
our Church to travel on ; he never could have left even in
our own Church itself those deep, purifying and harmonizing
influences, which it needed, which it has received, and on
which, as a base, may now be reared a glorious superstruc-
ture ; in the words of Mr. Bronson, " a name and a praise
in the earth." When God hath a special work to do, He
uniformly fits His instrument to His occasion. Such evident-
ly was His way in the case before us. To judge Bishop
Griswold justly, we must not go to the city, where, indeed,
his influence was always salutary and his reputation honora-
ble, but to the country, where his great work lay, and where
his presence was always hailed as that of a true man of God,
and as that of a richly endowed ambassador for Christ.
Never, probably, will the hills and vallies of New England
feel the tread of a foot, or hear the sound of a voice, that
shall waken the echo of a more hearty welcome than his, or
that shall find the moral elements around better prepared to
yield to the quietly, unobtrusively growing influence of the
man, who shall walk there, or of the messenger, who shall
there proclaim " the unsearchable riches of Christ."
No sooner had he received the office, than he entered on
the work, of a true Bishop. Even before his consecration,
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 171
he began to receive letters, which made him feel, by antici-
pation, the pressure of the duties, which awaited him. Of
such is the following brief epistle.
" Lanesborough, May the 20th, 1811.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — I have scarcely one moment to
write, and therefore you will excuse my brevity.
" As I shall not attend at Boston, should you not fail of
being consecrated for want of a proper number of Bishops, I
will thank you to let me know, as soon as possible, viz : by
the bearer, Mr. , when you will visit my Church. We
want your aid extremely, in settling some serious difficulties
in this parish, as well as in administering the holy rite of
confirmation. Do not so make your arrangements but that
you can spend a number of days with us, not less than four.
The .bearer is impatient.
Your humble servant in Christ,
Amos Pardee."
The Rev. Alexander V. Griswold, )
Bishop elect. £
The present writer remembers well the visit, which, in
five weeks from his consecration, the Bishop paid (in answer
to this invitation) to the churches in the valley of the Housa-
tonic, at Lanesborough, Lenox and Gt. Barrington. It was
the first they had ever received from a Bishop. Although
Bishop Bass held the office for six years, yet he never visited
these distant parishes of his charge. The visit of Bishop
Griswold was therefore received with the greatest satisfac-
tion, and regarded as a most signal event. The whole body
of communicants in each parish, besides many not commu-
nicants, was to be confirmed. In that of Gt. Barrington,
especially, where the Bishop's brother was Rector, and where
the present writer was a parishioner, the 4th of July, 1811,
was rendered memorable to Episcopalians, not by the ring-
ing of bells, and the firing of cannon, and the huzzas of
those, who shouted to the liberties of their country,' but, by
the fact that 128 of their number knelt around the chancel
rails of the quiet little village Church, before the first Bishop
that had ever spoken within its walls, and received from him
172 MEMOIR OF THE
that hand of blessing and that voice of sacred cheer, which
bad them go on their way holily, as the citizens of a heavenly
kingdom and the soldiers of a more than earthly king. He,
who traces these lines, was among the number of those who
thus knelt and were encouraged ; and though he was young,
and, (like the youth who once knelt before Bishop Seabury,
but whose fatherly hand was then pressing his own boyish
head) not fully aware of the nature and extent of the obliga-
tion, which he assumed, yet he remembers vividly the deep
solemnity, which reigned over that crowded assembly, and
especially over those, who gathered round the holy man, as
he gave them his words of blessing and his prayer to God
for their future growth in grace. The day was long remem-
bered, and by many doubtless as a season of rich spiritual
blessing to their souls.
Similar scenes met the Bishop wherever he went on that
his first Episcopal visitation. Even in those parts of his
Diocese, which had formerly been favored with the presence
of Bishop Bass, eight years had passed without any recur-
rence of the favor. All the parishes therefore had begun
deeply to feel the need of that refreshing influence, which,
under our system, so generally accompanies the movements
of a truly faithful Bishop.
Bishop Griswold was then in the ripe prime of life : his
voice, though not strong, was yet clear, and musical ; his
appearance remarkably dignified and impressive ; and his
influence peculiarly sweet, conciliating and harmonizing.
The hand of God had already twice been laid upon him,
and was about to be laid upon him again, in the death of
beloved children. His first Harriet died, as we have seen,
in 1805. His daughter Eunice, in the lovely womanhood
of twenty, died but a few weeks before his consecration.
And now, his eldest child, Elizabeth, his first born, the
wife of Mr. Augustus Collins, was just ready to drop from
the parent stem, on which she had grown ; while Viets, his
oldest son, was on the eve of starting for Cuba in the vain
hope of averting the approach of the insidious destroyer,
which had so openly fixed himself within the family circle.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 173
Thus he already stood like a man in the midst of his flower-
garden ; seeing his cherished and beautiful flowers fading and
dying around him ; calm indeed, and uncomplaining at the
sight, yet filled by it with a strong and irrepressible sensi-
bility, and touched by it to a deep and sacred musing.
Such was Bishop Griswold, when he first began to move
among the Churches committed to his care ; the well-
furnished and diligent, the meek, the subdued, the lovely
servant of Jesus. All felt that he was a man, whose thoughts
were much in heaven. All realized that there was in his
presence a something spiritual not seen on other men. And
many found that with him came the prayer that " availeth
much," and the anointing of that Holy One, who teacheth
to know all things profitable to salvation.
The condition of his diocese, when he entered on his
duties, may be judged by what has already been incidentally
said, and from the following statement. In the four States
of Massachusetts, (which then included the District of Maine,)
Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont, there were in
all twenty-two parishes, and sixteen officiating clergymen.
Of these parishes, however, several existed in little more
than name : several others were very feeble ; and the main
strength of the Diocese lay in a small number of old and
comparatively wealthy congregations. Even of these, how-
ever, Trinity Church, Boston ; St. John's, Providence ; and
Trinity* Newport, were the only ones possessed of much
strength. Christ Church, Boston ; St. Paul's, Newburyport ;
St. Michael's, Bristol ; St. Paul's, Narraganset country ; St.
John's, Portsmouth ; and St. James', Gt. Barrington, were
respectable and ante-revolutionary parishes, able to support
their own clergymen, but not able to contribute much towards
the endowment of a bishopric. Besides the twenty- two
parishes in actual existence, there were the ashes of a few
extinct ones, upon which, however, have since sprung up
new and thriving congregations. Such was the state of the
Diocese in this particular.
Of the clergy, some were lax and soon became the sub-
jects of discipline. Most of them, however, were worthy
p*
174 MEMOIR OF THE
men, and continued to labor under their new Bishop with
diligence and exemplary fidelity.
On the whole, the state of the Diocese was one of great
and previously increasing weakness. Its eight years of exis-
tence without the superintending care of a Bishop, had proved
years of decay. Its tone of religious feeling and confidence
had become confessedly depressed. Discouragement in some
parts was setting in to sink it still lower. And the lack of
discipline was admitting irregularities both in morals and in
order, especially in the more retired parts of the Diocese.
The consecration of a new Bishop was, indeed, hailed with
satisfaction every where ; and every where he was received
with cordiality and warm support. Still, as it is easy to see,
an arduous work lay before him ; in some respects more
arduous than that of building up an entirely new Diocese.
To revive what has become languid, and fixed in habits of
inactivity ; and to harmonize and cement elements, which
have become loose and jarring through long absence of uni-
ting, binding influences ; is often more difficult than to collect
new materials, and keep them in the progress of growth and
in a state of consolidation. There is, in this latter case, a
feeling of fresh, new-born life, and of cheerful onward follow-
ing in the counsels of a recognized and influential head,
which is unknown in the former ; and which is decidedly
favorable to vigorous effort and to successful enterprise. But,
the very weakness of the Diocese, to which he was* called,
was one of the reasons, why he accepted the call ; and there-
fore, the proofs of it, with which he met, neither surprised
nor disheartened him. He entered on the difficult work be-
fore him, prepared for all its exigences, and braced against
all its discouragements ; resolved, by ceaseless diligence and
blameless devotion to his Master's cause, to do all that,
through the grace of God, might be possible in rearing up
the fabric of a vital Church out of the still feeble remains of
what the shock of revolutionary war had left well nigh des-
titute of life.
It has passed into a sort of proverb, that, the mitre is a
sovereign specific for the cure of defective churchmanship ;
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 175
and by many it has been supposed to minister strengthingly
to a Bishop's love of power, and to a disposition to " mag-
nify his office" even beyond the measure of apostolic zeal.
But, however well founded such views may be, they were
not realized in the case of Bishop Griswold. For, in
fact, he had no defective churchmanship to be cured ;
while, in every other respect, the influence of his election
and consecration was to fix and settle him in wisely moder-
ate views of the Church and of that chief ministry in the
Church, to which he had been called. He was a Protestant
Episcopal churchman in the fullest and best sense of the
terms; but, as a Bishop, he never belonged to any party in
the Church. He went for Christ and the salvation of men :
he went for the Church in her integrity and purity : but he
went for no strained theory in either doctrine or polity ; and
was more anxious by humble zeal and noiseless fidelity to
adorn the office which he bore, than by extravagant claims
and vociferous panegyric to urge it on the attention of others.
It was evident to all, who noticed him, that he regarded his
office, not as an occasion for setting himself up as a lord
over God's heritage, but simply as a means of doing in-
creased good to the sheep of his pasture. He looked upon
that office, not as conferring on him rights, titles and immu-
nities, but as imposing on him cares, duties, and responsi-
bilities. He felt its call to increased diligence, humility and
spirituality in the service of Christ ; and besides this, felt little
else, and thought of little more.
To the fact of his belonging to no party in the Church, he
alludes in the following paragraph from his auto-biography ;
and I give it as an important illustration of one of the leading
traits in his Episcopal character and conduct :
" Soon after my consecration, I found, and was in some
degree surprized at finding, a remarkable change in my feel-
ings and affections towards the clergy in my Diocese. I had
before, as I supposed, viewed those with whom I was ac-
quainted, as brethren and friends, and as Christian charity
required. But, after I became their Bishop, they seemed to
me as children. I felt a lively interest in their honor, hap-
176 MEMOIR OF THE
piness and prosperity, which I had never felt before.
Whether this was selfishness concealed from my own view,
I will not decide. I was disposed, (perhaps too much so) to
regard it as the result of good and right influences : it cer-
tainly gave me pleasure ; and it no less certainly influenced
me in the determination to treat them as a parent should his
children, with equal favor and love. However, in sentiment
some may have differed from me, I certainly have endeavor-
ed, to the utmost of my knowledge and power, to treat them
all with strict impartiality. It was very natural that any one,
in the like situation, should, by those especially who were
interested, be suspected of partiality. I have accordingly
been accused of it. On the contrary, however, some have
thought that I did not sufficiently regard the interests of the
Church in my adherence to such impartiality as that which
I had determined to observe. Of this, I leave others to
judge ; intending no more than to declare what have been
the facts and the principles of my conduct.
" One thing is too evident to those, who have any know-
ledge of mankind, that, in times when conflicting interests,
party spirit and differing creeds agitate society and divide
Christians, (and such are the times in which almost all Chris-
tians live,) no one will be popular, or much extolled or
caressed, unless he becomes a partisan, and promotes the
interest and cause of some one of the contending parties.
He, who would steer a middle course, doing justice to all
and injury to none ; who, as the case commonly is, sees
something good and something wrong in every party, or sect,
must hope, at the most, only to escape censure and to have
the answer of a good conscience. As he will not go to the
extremes of any party and advocate what they chiefly aim
at, they will expect little from him ; he therefore is of course
neglected of all. And happy, as he ought to view it, is
mch neglect. In a world like this, if it will but let us alone,
if it will but let us quietly pass through it, walking in the
straight-forward course of our duty, with this should a good
man be satisfied. Though I have probably been as decided
in my opinions as other men are, I have from my youth de-
t
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 177
termined to be of no party in politics, or in sectarianism. In
regard to the former, it is, in my judgment, better for the
clergy, and for their parishes, and indeed for their country,
that they should leave civil government and the management
of public temporal concerns to the laity. The history of the
world shews that politics and state affairs have seldom been
well managed when in the hands of priests. Their business
is with a kingdom, which is not of this world ; and they
are engaged in a warfare, whose weapons are not carnal."
This last remark brings to mind the answer, which he
gave to his Connecticut inquisitor, when the latter attempted
to extort a confession of Mr. Griswold's politics; and it
shows, not only that the Bishop was accustomed to act on
principle, but also that, with him, principles were life-long
things; not adopted without consideration, and therefore,
when adopted, seldom if ever laid aside.
As to the influence of his entrance on the Episcopate upon
his religious feelings, character and labors, it is a remark of
the Rev. Dr. Crocker, who was his colleague from Rhode
Island in the electing Convention at Boston in 1810: that,
"to all who knew him intimately, and observed him care-
fully, it was obvious that his providential promotion was the
means of bringing home to his heart, with a power, which
he had never before felt, the conviction that he was an ap-
pointed instrument in the hands of God for the good of his
people. His public discourses assumed a warmth, an unc-
tion, an authority, an evangelical character, that had not
previously belonged to them. And it should never be for-
gotten that the extraordinary revival in the summer of 1812,
one year after his consecration, was the fruit of his growing
faithfulness."
To the same effect remarks the Rev. Mr. Bronson, the
clerical delegate to the same Convention from the Church
in Vermont, and one of the Bishop's early and constant friends.
In his new situation, " he labored, literally labored, preach-
ing statedly on Wednesday evenings besides his three ser-
vices every Sunday ; in his leisure hours working a large
178 MEMOIR OF THE
garden, and providing for his family ; and writing his ser-
mons mostly in the night. Nor did he ' preach Matthew
Henry, or Thomas Scott,' or any other earthly Master ; but
the warm effusions of his own heart. By his faithful labors
he soon laid the foundation for that remarkable revival,
which, in one season, brought about 100 members to the
communion of his Church."
Of the striking fact, noticed in both the above extracts, it
is a matter for devout thankfulness that the Bishop has left
us in his auto-biography his own simple account. I give it
with a feeling of assurance that none will read it without satis-
faction, and that many will see in it an occasion for fervent
praise to God. The Bishop says:
" In the year 1812, there was in Bristol an awakened at-
tention to the subject of religion, which was very wonderful,
and the like of which I had never before witnessed. It
commenced among the members of my parish, when no' such
thing was looked for, nor indeed thought of. No unusual
ID 7 O
efforts had been made with any view to such an excitement.
My administering of confirmation in the parish a few months
previously had not improbably some effect. My recent or-
dination to the Episcopate was the means of awakening my
own mind to more serious thoughts of duty as a minister of
Christ ; and in consequence I had, no doubt, with more ear-
nest zeal preached 'Jesus Christ and him crucified.' The
change, which I first noticed was the appearance of increased
seriousness in the congregation ; especially on leaving the
Church after service. There was little or no laughing, or
merry salutation among the people ; neither talking of world-
ly things. After the benediction, and a minute of private
prayer, they retired silent and thoughtful. Some soon began
to express a religious concern respecting their spiritual state,
and were anxious to know ' what they should do to be
saved.'
" In consequence of this awakened and increasing inquiry,
I began to meet with them one or two evenings in the week,
not only that we might unite in praying that they might be
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 179
led into the way of truth, and enjoy the comforts of hope,
and of peace in believing, but that I might save time to my-
self and them, by conversing at the same time with a num-
ber who were in the same state of mind. I soon found that
the number of such inquirers had increased to about thirty ;
and in a very short time the awakening was general through
the town, and very wonderful.
" Very much to my regret, the number of communicants
had hitherto been small, but about forty : and yet, notwith-
standing the very zealous efforts of those of other denomina-
tions to draw the converts to their respective communions, a
large number of adults (forty-four) were baptized, and a
hundred were added to my communion, of whom more
than half had before been accustomed to attend worship in
other places, or in no place. These converts were not en-
couraged in ranting, or in any enthusiastic raptures ; nor did
they incline to any extravagance ; but gladly hearkened to
the ' words of truth and soberness ;' and very few of them
afterwards ' turned from the holy commandment delivered
unto them.' "
The subject of revivals is one, against which many in our
Church feel strong prejudices ; not because they dislike the
religious feelings and results, which such seasons may ex-
hibit, but because they have heard so much of the evils,
which are alleged to accompany them, and which, in some
instances, have doubtless been their accompaniments. But
it is believed no reasonable objection can be made to such a
series of facts as that, which the foregoing judicious narra-
tive of the Bishop presents. To object to such facts would
be evidence of a mind prepared " to fight against God." No
minister of Christ, under whose ministry such facts have oc-
curred, will ever be found on the list of such objectors. To
see such fruits of one's regular, faithful, warm-hearted min-
isterial labors, is to stand too nearly in the manifested pre-
sence of God's Holy Spirit, to allow of any feeling of doubt
or objection as to the origin of what he sees. The feeling
of opposition cannot live a moment in any Christian heart
amidst such demonstrations of the sacred, though silent
180 MEMOIR OF THE
goings of God in His sanctuary and among his people, as
He graciously sheds the dews of His Spirit on the faithfully
implanted seed of His word, and on the trustingly discharged
duties of His servant. If all our parishes were scenes of
such gracious blessing, few of our ministers would fail to
give God thanks for His mercy while acknowledging His
presence with their flocks, and His seal upon their labors.
In the case of Bishop Griswold we need not hesitate to
say ; the facts, which he has narrated, were among the best
credentials, which he ever received, that God had indeed
commissioned him to a specially good and great work in His
Church ; and among the best of proofs ever to be given,
that, where this high ministry is, — not coveted and sought
for the honor which it confers, and the distinction which it
brings, but — simply received, in an humble and self-renounc-
ing spirit, as an opportunity and an incentive to more abun-
dant and spiritual labors for the glory of God and the salva-
tion of souls, with but one eye to this divine end, — there it
will ever prove one of the richest of God's visible gifts to
His Church upon earth.
The Bishop's daughter, Mrs. Collins, to whom reference
has already been made, died the 29th of December, 1811 :
and his son Viets, who, as we have seen, went to Cuba for
his health, survived no longer than May 1st, 1812.* Yet,
* The following- letter, written to his son in Cuba, about a fortnight be-
fore Mrs. Collins's death, is deemed worthy of preservation in a note. It
speaks the quietly submissive, yet anxiously affectionate parent :
" Bristol, Dec. 13, 1811.
" Dear Son, — There "are several vessels, about this time sailing from this
town for the Havana, so that, in case it has pleased Divine Providence to
preserve you in safety to the same place, you may, 'tis hopeful, have the
satisfaction of hearing- from us often. We have nothing very material to
acquaint you with. Our last news from Betsey was unfavorable : she was
more ill than she had been. At home, wc continue in health, but in very
great anxiety for those, who are absent from us. You will ordinarily be
able soon to determine whether the change of climate is likely to prove
favorable to your health. Should the prospect be unfavorable, especially
if you find yourself growing more ill, we hope and desire that you will not
fail to return by the first convenient opportunity. But I have heard of so
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 1S1
notwithstanding the recentness and the pressure of these
afflictions, and though God was manifestly and wonderfully
blessing his labors in his own parish, he felt it his duty to
fulfil his engagements to his Diocese. He was the servant
of all the churches now ; and therefore, in the very midst of
the awakened interest of which he has given us an account,
he departed on his second Episcopal tour through the four
States. Still, the blessing, which he had seen falling on his
parish ministry, continued to descend ; and after his anxious-
ly expected return, he performed the glad office of gathering
in its rich, ripe fruits;
"Joyous as when the reapers bear
Their harvest treasures home."
Of the condition of his parish, and of the progress of the
sacred movement during his absence, he received, at Mid-
dlebury, Vermont, the following account from the present
Bishop of Rhode Island, who was at that time pursuing his
theological studies in Bristol, as a candidate for orders
under Bishop Griswold. I give the most important parts of
the letter.
many instances, in which complaints similar to yours have been removed,
or much relieved, by a voyage to sea, that we are not without hope that it
will please God to give a favorable issue to yours. Do not fail often to
write and let us know exactly the state of your health. This we desire the
rather because verbal reports in such cases are so little to be relied on.
Should you be in want of money, or any thing we can send, let us know
it.
" I expect soon to go to Connecticut, and we shall attempt removing
Betsey, home, if we shall judge her able to bear so long a journey in so
cold a season. We hear, however, that she is very contented with her
present situation, and wishes not to return unless it is our request.
" It is needless, I trust, to add any directions or cautions respecting
your own health. You will, no doubt, use all the prudence in your power :
the rest we must submit to Him to whom alone belong the issues of life and
death. To His mercy and holy keeping I commend you ; hoping and
praying that, through His great goodness, you may again be restored to
Your loving parent,
Alexander V. Griswold."
Q
182 MEMOIR OF THE
"Bristol, 22d August, 1812.
" Rt. Rev. and dear Sir, — Such interesting events have
occurred since you left us, and the present state of your peo-
ple is so peculiarly and pleasingly interesting, that I have,
for a few days past, had a strong inclination to write you a
line; and this inclination could not be resisted when seconded
last evening by the request of Mrs. Griswold." *
********* " Since your departure the
engagedness of your people in the good cause has apparent-
ly increased. There have been some new instances of
awakening: some, who were slightly impressed, are now
mourning in bitterness for their sins ; and some, who were
lately ' heavy laden' with the burden of guilt, have entered
into the promised ' rest,' and are rejoicing in the love of
God." (After mentioning the names of many individuals,
the letter proceeds:) "At our last meeting, we had indeed
a solemn but joyful season. A great number were present,
ten or twelve of whom were dissolved in tears and crying
for mercy. I have no doubt that the work of God is extend-
ing and increasing both in power and in purity. Nothing
like fanaticism has been manifested among our people ; but
a most earnest hungering and thirsting for the bread and the
waters of life eternal. I cannot express my own impatience
and the anxiety of the people for your return. I fear much,
lest the good work should be checked among us for want of
an experienced pastor to encourage and promote it. At a
time like the present, when God is shedding forth His Spirit,
opening the eyes of the blind, and extorting from the hearts
of many the cry of the awakened jailer, (' what shall I do to
be saved ?') I most sensibly feel my weakness and insuffi-
ciency for the work to which lam called." *****
* * * " The revival has just commenced among other
denominations of Christians, and they are extremely active.
I fear they are using means to draw some from our congre-
gation ; and on that account your presence is more particular-
ly needed.
"I have the painful task of announcing to you another
afflicting stroke of Divine Providence. Mrs. Griswold has
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 183
just heard of the death of her second brother." * * * *
" Never have I known the words of the apostle, ' Whom the
Lord loveth He chasteneth,' more fully verified than in your
family. That God, in His infinite mercy may sanctify to you
and yours all your afflictions * * * *, is the fervent prayer
of
Your affectionate disciple
In the Gospel of our Lord,
John P. K. Henshaw."
The influence of the events of the summer of 1812, on the
parish of St. Michael's, Bristol, is felt to the present day, both
in its spiritual and in its temporal condition. Precious fruits,
put forth on that season, are still ripening there ; and, as we
shall see, other seasons like it, and with like precious fruits,
have since been added. Of the influence of that summer
on the external growth of the parish, the Bishop thus writes
in the auto-biography :
" Though the church edifice in Bristol had, as before re-
lated, been enlarged, yet it was soon found to be too small
to accommodate all who desired seats in it. In other re-
spects, also, it was judged not to be so comfortable and con-
venient, nor indeed so respectable, as a parish so large and
wealthy ought to have. Accordingly proposals were made,
and subscriptions soon filled for building a stone church,
90 feet by 60. But because a few of the principal families
disapproved of the measure, it was judged to be prudent to
postpone the work for a time. And most providential it was
that they did so : for not long after there were such failures
in business, such losses and pecuniary distress, as affected
nearly every person in the town. The banks lost a large
part of their stock. A very considerable part of the little
property which I then had, was lost. Many were so re-
duced that they would not have been able to pay their sub-
scriptions to the proposed new church ; and had it been be-
gun, it would have added to the distress. The parish has
since built a handsome, convenient church, of wood however,
and not quite so large as was at first intended."
184 MEMOIR OF THE
The congregation continued to meet and worship in the
old church till after the Bishop's removal from Bristol: and
the new edifice of which he speaks was built under the rec-
torship of his immediate and efficient successor in the parish,
the Rev. Mr. Bristed.
As the auto-biography, which has furnished so many in-
teresting and important portions of the memoir thus far, is
about to close ; and as the only portion of it, which remains
to be transferred to these pages, is a sort of list of the courses
of evening sermons or lectures, which the Bishop delivered in
Bristol, before as well as after his consecration, and upon
which God vouchsafed so abundant a blessing ; it may as
well be inserted here, as in any subsequent portion of the
work.
" While in Bristol," he writes, " I delivered several courses
of lectures : one of about eighty or ninety on the four Gos-
pels in the way of a harmony. After having finished them,
I was much urged by my hearers to publish them. But,
though I had reason to hope that, through the blessing of God,
they were not a little useful to my congregation and to many
others, who attended Church in the evening to hear them,
yet, as they were necessarily prepared in much haste, and I
could not find time, (having then a large school, and preach-
ing three times a Sunday) to correct and improve them, they
were none of them published, and have since been destroyed
with many hundreds of other manuscript discourses. In pre-
paring them I made some use of the Harmonies of Bishop
Newcome and Macknight, of Bishop Porteus' Lectures on
Matthew, of Hunter's Sacred Biography, and of several com-
mentators and other writers ; but no use, I trust, which was
inconsistent with a claim to originality. I have already
burnt, or otherwise destroyed, about twelve or fourteen hun-
dred of my manuscript sermons, not because less my own
composition than those which remain, but because I had
more than I could ever use in future, and because they
would all probably be useless after my decease. I have in
many instances declined giving my sermons for the press,
when requested, from observing how little such publications
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 1S5
are read, and how soon, like old newspapers, they are thrown
away. In the present age, when light reading for amuse-
ment is so much in vogue, good sermons are but little read,
though published in elegant volumes, which seems to be al-
most necessary to their being read at all.
" 1 delivered also a series of discourses, thirty- three in
number, on the Acts of the Apostles : about twelve on the
Catholic Doctrine of the Trinity, which I would gladly find
time better to digest and complete : one on each of the ten
Commandments, to which I added five on our Lord's sum-
mary of the Decalogue : several on the Catechism, and the
Apostle's Creed, and on each chapter of the Revelation of
St. John.
" A celebrated author has observed that Calvin was wise
in not writing upon the Revelation ; and the more celebrated
Voltaire has ^thought fit to say that ' Sir Isaac Newton wrote
his comment upon the Revelation to console mankind for
the great superiority which he had over them in other re-
spects.' But I considered that One, who is much wiser and
of infinitely better authority, has said ; ' Blessed is he that
readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and
keep those things that are written therein.' Rev. i. 3. With
this text in view, I endeavored, in a practical way, to in-
struct my congregation to hear to edification what can already
be understood of those prophecies, and to keep the things
written therein. But, in preparing those discourses, though
the preparation was hastily done, light seemed to break upon
my mind, and interesting views of what was there predicted,
which I long hoped to find time to digest and arrange into
some regular form. That time, however, has never been
found.
" I also delivered a course of seventy lectures on the five
books of Moses. In all these I had a general text in view,
the words of our Saviour, ' search the Scriptures ; for in them
ye think ye have eternal life ; and they are they which testify
of me:' particularly noticing what we learn from those Scrip-
tures of Christ and his work of redemption. Such a plan,
Q*
186 MEMOIR OF THE
well executed, would, in my judgment, be a valuable acqui-
sition to our Theological Libraries.
"These courses of lectures were all delivered Sunday-
evenings, and, so far as I can judge, have been among the
most efficacious of my pulpit labors. During the sendees,
such portions of Scripture were read as were thought most
appropriate to the subject, respectively, of each discourse."
After reading such paragraphs as those which have now
been transcribed, and with which, amidst many regrets, we
take leave of the modest Bishop's auto-biographical sketch of
himself, it is difficult to say which, at the outset, would have
been the more desirable, that he should become the constant-
ly engrossed supervisor of his parish and his diocese, spend-
ing all his time in gathering, uniting, cementing and instru-
mentally vivifying the elements of that extended ecclesiasti-
cal body, which was placed under his care ; or that he should
have it in his power to follow the strong native bent of his
inclinations as a man of reading and research ; to become the
patient as well as the ardent student, the productive as well
as the profound theologian, the voluminous as well as the
luminous author ; and thus, instead of committing to the
flames bushels of manuscript evidently rich in the rudiments
of valuable truth and knowledge, to pour the light which
gathered upon his own mind over the mind of his age and
over the libraries of the Church in all coming ages.
That the estimate, here implied, of his ability to bless the
world, not beyond, but as one among, the rich and ripe
scholars of the Church, is not extravagant, enough, I trust,
has in the foregoing pages been said to shew. However
little the world may have been aware of it, that quiet, mod-
est, humble Bishop drew from his German ancestry so large
an inspiration of the German industry, aye, and of the Ger-
man genius, for scholarship, that, had he been even moder-
ately able to indulge his inclinations, free as he was, by
divine grace, from German errors, he could not have failed
of leaving behind him, as the fruit of his long life of study,
some of the most precious as well as abundant contributions
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 187
to the theological learning of the Church. There is no dis-
position to claim for him, or ascribe to him the attributes of
uncommonly dazzling and inventive genius. Evidently, his
place never could have been among the few suns, which
hang so gloriously in the firmament of letters. Nor could it
ever have been among the lesser satellites of the system.
But it would have been among the Planets, which while
they gather most do most give forth the light ; and which
while they receive most warmth do also produce most
fruit, for the sustenance of spiritual and intellectual life.
His genius lay not in splendid invention, but in diligent ac-
cumulation and rich acquisition; in luminous illustration,
and in useful production. The few writings, which he has
already given to the world, pure in style and sometimes
beautiful in ornament, shew what he might have been and
what he might have done in the walks of scholarship. Nor
does the world yet know what he actually was, in this re-
spect, notwithstanding the unusual hindrances which lay in
the way of his studies. His best labors as a theologian, lay,
after all, not in his Episcopal sermons and addresses, as he
delivered them on his numerous official tours through his
Diocese, but in the parish, where he so long and so modest-
ly dispensed the fruits of his midnight studies, beyond the
notice of this world's eye.
That this last remark is not without foundation will be
manifest from the following tribute from the pen of one, who
lived long and intimately by the Bishop's side ; sitting under
his weekly ministry ; studying with him for the work of an
Evangelist ; knowing him amidst all the soul-trying, heart-
revealing intimacies and incidents of private life ; and after-
wards succeeding him as rector in his favorite parish of St.
Michael's, Bristol. Mr. Bristed, himself an accomplished
classic, an author before entering on the ministry, and very
extensively acquainted with authorship, in giving an account,
in an unpublished manuscript, of the trials which beset his
entrance into the Church, thus bears his testimony not only
to the kindness which he received from the Bishop, but also
to the theological and general character of his friend. The
188 MEMOIR OF THE
judgment, which he here expresses, was indeed formed at a
somewhat later period than that now under review in the
life of the Bishop : but it applies as well to this period as to
any other ; indeed equally well to all periods, in the life of
him to whom the tribute is paid.
" I cannot close this statement," he observes, " without
bearing the little tribute of my unfeigned respect and undissem-
bled affection for the truly apostolical and evangelical Bishop
Griswold. To a very high order of human talent, he joins
the profoundest and most comprehensive acquaintance with
Scriptural Divinity. I have heard some of the greatest
preachers on either side of the Atlantic, including the mighty
Horsley, on the one, and the giant Mason on the other ;
but I never sate under a minister, from whom I received so
much and so varied instruction in the word of God. I
scarcely ever open the Bible, without being conscious of
reading it by the reflected light of his clear intelligence. And
above all, he crowns and consecrates his great talents and
extensive learning with a most Catholic and Christian spirit,
which is forever breathing the words of wisdom from the
lips of love. He has, in very deed, been a blessed instru-
ment, in the hands of his Divine Master, of awakening his
perishing fellow- sinners from their natural death-sleep in tres-
passes and guilt; alike, in the place privileged to enjoy his
fixed residence, and throughout his Diocese, wherever he
has had an opportunity of scattering the bread of life. That
great and awful day only, which shall reveal the secrets of
every human heart, will be able to disclose how many souls
he has been permitted and empowered to turn unto righteous-
ness.
" In his daily and hourly walk and conversation, life and
conduct, he examplifies the blessed doctrines, which he so
ably, so faithfully, so lovingly proclaims in the service of the
Sanctuary. In unaffected simplicity, meekness and holiness
in thought, word and deed ; in the conscientious and fear-
less discharge of the duties of his high and responsible office ;
in the unmeasured benignity of his Christian charity and love
for all who bear the impress and image of our common na-
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 189
ture, that nature, which is infinitely ennobled by being united
with the godhead in the ever-blessed and adorable person of
our once crucified but now ascended and glorified Redeemer ;
he is second to no one of all those worthies, who, in the
apostolic and primitive ages of Christianity, counted their
lives nothing in comparison with preaching the doctrines of
the Cross, the doctrines of grace."
This, doubtless, is high praise ; and may be considered
as a burst from the warm heart of devoted friendship. Still,
warm hearted friendship does not necessarily color too highly.
If it ordinarily speak most strongly, it is, sometimes at least,
because it knows most thoroughly whereof it affirms. Be-
sides, the testimony of others, who have lived in favorable
vicinity to the Bishop, as well as facts, which remain to be
recorded, shew that, as an estimate of Christian character,
and of apostolic self-sacrifice, as well as of learning and
ability, the tribute, which has been quoted, is but an honest,
though a glowing, expression of the truth.
The best test of a man's chans ter, if not of his intellectual
power, is to be found in the fact that they who live in closest
intimacy with him have most to say in his praise. It is not
every one, who figures most largely and most loudly before
the world, that can bear the application of such a test. The
subject of this memoir could. If his biographer finds nothing
to say in abatement of his claims to regard and veneration, it
is because, from whatever point he has approached his sub-
ject, whether from that of the Bishop's nativity and early
youth, or from that of his various places of ministerial labor;
whether from the bosom of his family, or from the circle of
his bosom friends ; whether from the Diary of his private
thoughts, written without the expectation of their ever see-
ing the light, or from the scrutiny of those, who might be
supposed most inclined to make his failings manifest ; from
whatever point the approach has been made, he has uni-
formly found that the nearest approximation gave the most
favorable view, both of the moral and of the intellectual
man. A lady of great piety and intelligence, who was much
in his family before the decease of his first wife, and there-
190 MEMOIR OF THE
fore thoroughly acquainted with him, upon being requested
by the present writer to furnish him with her recollections or
the Bishop, in speaking of his ministry and the estimate, in
which he was commonly held in Bristol, says : " It was a
remark then often made respecting him ; that there was one
specimen of perfection in the world." And in closing her
account, she writes thus : " I must take this opportunity to
thank you, Sir, for the suggestion of this attempt at recollec-
tions ; it has brought so vividly before me his exalted charac-
ter. The nearer the inspection, the more angelic the like-
ness."
From this view of the Bishop himself and of the results of
his parochial ministry, it is proper to go back for a moment,
in order to notice some other things, connected principally
with the progress of his new Diocese.
The plan, which, at the adjourned Convention of Massa-
chusetts in August, 1809, was suggested, of an Incorpora-
tion under the name of " Trustees of Donations to the Protest-
ant Episcopal Church," vjos. soon after carried into effect.
An act of Incorporation was passed at the next session of the
Massachusetts Legislature, and was approved by the Gover-
nor, March 3d, 1810. This act was somewhat enlarged at
the following session of the Legislature, Feb. 14, 1811.
The object of this Incorporation was, the raising and
management of a fund for the support of the Bishop of the
Eastern Diocese, and the care and management of such funds
and property as might be entrusted to it for the special use,
benefit and support of any of the Churches or institutions of
the Church, within the Diocese. For these purposes it was
clothed, says an address " To the friends of the Protestant
Episcopal Church," which was forthwith issued, "with
every power and privilege that any society of Christians in
this, or any other country, could reasonably wish or desire."
Into the history of several of the trusts, committed to this
corporation, it will not be necessary to enter. The New
Hampshire lands held by the Board are on a special trust as
to a part of the income, leaving the residue subject to the
disposal of the Board. One tenth of the income was to be
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 191
applied to the support of the Bishop of the Eastern Diocese ;
and was so applied, while that Diocese continued to exist.
But when, at the demise of Bishop Griswold, the Diocese
was dissolved, this tenth passed to the support of the future
Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire. " The Bass Fund,"
so called from the first Bishop of our Church in Massachu-
setts, is held in trust by the Board for the benefit of St.
Paul's Church, Newburyport, and is to accumulate in their
hands till its income reaches the annual amount of $1000;
when it is to be used in payment of the salary of the Rector
of that parish. There are some other trusts in the hands of
the Board ; but the amount of property involved in them is
very small.
The most important fund held by the board is that, for the
creation and management of which, mainly, their charter
was granted ; the fund for the support of the Bishop of the
Eastern Diocese. Subscriptions to this fund were opened
immediately after the Convention in September, 1810, at
which Mr. Griswold signified his acceptance of the Episco-
pate. At that time, about $6,000 were subscribed in Bos-
ton and its vicinity ; that is ; between $3,000 and $4,000
by members of Trinity Church, $2,000 by members of Christ
Church, and something by individuals in Cambridge. In
1815, $5,000 more, from two unknown individuals, by the
hands of the Rev. Asa Eaton, and Shubael Bell, Esq., of
Boston, were added. Since that time, the fund has been
slowly increasing, under its safe and judicious investment,
till it now amounts to something more than the sum of
$15,000 ; yielding towards the support of the Bishop about
$900 per annum.
The object of the enlargement of the act of Incorporation
in 1811, was to enable the Trustees to increase the fund, by
electing other Trustees, and obtaining other subscriptions, in
all the four states composing the Diocese. Under the ex-
pectation of realizing this object, an article was inserted in
the By-laws of the Corporation, providing for the division
of the fund in the event of the dissolution of the Eastern Dio-
192 MEMOIR OF THE
cese. By the occurrence of this event, that article has be-
come important. It is as follows :
" Whenever it shall happen that the Eastern Diocese shall
be formed into two or more Dioceses, and a corporation shall
be created and By-laws established, for purposes and with
powers similar to those of this corporation, in either of the
States of Rhode Island, New Hampshire, or Vermont, and
the Churches in such States respectively being erected into
a Diocese distinct from the Churches in Massachusetts, all
the property given or devised to, or entrusted with this cor-
poration by any inhabitant of such State, amounting to the
sum or value of fifty dollars given or devised by one person,
shall, at the request of the corporation so to be created, and
with the consent of the donor or his legal representatives, be
assigned, transferred, or paid over, to such corporation so,
as aforesaid, to be created and established ; and this article
shall not be subject to repeal or alteration but with the con-
sent in writing of the members of this board belonging to
such State for the time being."
From this By-law, framed in the exercise of the power
granted by the act of Incorporation, it will be seen that no
part of this fund can be distributed among the Dioceses of
Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont, until those
Dioceses shall have procured the creation of corporations
similar to that which exists in Massachusetts ; nor unless
such future corporations shall request such distribution ; nor
in sums under fifty dollars from a single individual ; nor
without the consent of the donor of such sum, or of his legal
representatives. It is not probable, therefore, that any dis-
tribution of the fund will ever be made. For although the
enlargement of the Charter was designed to give the Trus-
tees an opportunity to increase the fund by obtaining sub-
scriptions and donations to it from all the four States com-
prising the Eastern Diocese, yet, it is believed, very slight
success attended their efforts. Nearly the whole fund, as it
now exists, was contributed from Boston and its immediate
vicinity. Some contributions, were received from other
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 193
parts of Massachusetts ; and some increase of the fund has
been realized, it is believed, from its judicious investment
and management. But, very little of it has ever been re-
ceived from the other States of the Diocese, in any sums ;
and probably less still, if any thing at all, in sums so large as
fifty dollars from a single individual. It is concluded, there-
fore, that the fund will remain undisturbed where it origina-
ted, and where virtually the whole of it has been contributed.
It evidently needs increase, and will, it is hoped, be aug-
mented till its income shall be adequate to the decent and
comfortable support of the Episcopate in the Diocese of
Massachusetts. Beyond this point the Episcopalians of that
State, if they are wise, will never wish to press its revenue.
Upon the history of the Church lands in New Hampshire,
Vermont, and Rhode Island, much might be said. But, al-
though "the Trustees of Donations" have had no little to do
with those lands in the first and last of those States, and even in
Vermont, yet it would not add to either the interest or the value
of this work to enter at large on the subject. It will be enough
to say that, although the grants from the Colonial Governors of
New Hampshire to our parishes, and to the Society in England
for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts, were ori-
ginally ample and valuable, yet the titles to these grants
were all lost during the war of the Revolution, with the ex-
ception of those to the Society in England ; that even of
these, few but the poorest were ever recovered, as the re-
sult of a long and tedious process of litigation in the courts
of the United States ; and that, in effecting the recovery of
any portion of them, the agency of the Rev. Wm. Montague
was from the first largely efficient and very important.
In the discharge of his agency, this gentleman spent months
and years of travel and expense ; and in this way, as well
as in other measures touching the origin of the Eastern Dio-
cese, was, so far as the external history of the Church was
concerned, one of the most actively influential members of
the Diocese.
The first appearance of Bishop Griswold in any Con-
vention after his consecration was in that of Massachusetts,
R
194 MEMOIR OF THE
August 29th, 1811. This was an adjourned meeting. The
regular meeting in May was so thinly attended in conse-
quence of its being simultaneous with the General Conven-
tion in New Haven and the consecration of Bishop Gris-
wold, that no business was done. But at the adjourned
session in August the attendance was full, and the new Bi-
shop took his seat as the presiding officer. Inasmuch, how-
ever, as he considered himself Bishop, — not of the Church
in Massachusetts, nor of the Church in any other of the four
States, separately, — but of the Eastern Diocese in its joint
capacity, having been elected by that and consecrated for
that alone ; — he delivered neither charge nor address on
this first occasion of his appearance as a Bishop in Conven-
tion. The same rule he ever afterwards followed. All his
charges, pastoral letters, and Episcopal addresses were de-
livered to the Conventions and the Clergy of the Eastern
Diocese as one whole.
The first Convention of this Diocese, which was held after
his consecration, its meetings now being only biennial, as-
sembled at Providence, September 30th, 1812. At this
Convention the Bishop's letter of consecration was ordered
to be read and recorded ; after which he proceeded to the
delivery of the following brief address :
" Respected Brethren, the Clerical and Lay Delegates of
this Convention,
" I now for the first time meet you since my appointment
to the Episcopal jurisdiction in this Diocese ; and the 45th
Canon of the General Convention makes it my duty on this
occasion to lay before you the situation of our churches and
the official duties, which I have performed. With very few
exceptions I have visited the Churches of this Diocese once,
and some of them a second time : and the present appear-
ance is, that most of them are increasing in numbers, piety
and attention to the doctrines and discipline of the Church.
I have administered the holy rite of confirmation to 1,212
persons, and have very generally and with much satisfaction
witnessed the appearance of great sincerity and devotion in
those who received it."
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 195
The address then proceeds to record the consecration of
two churches ; the admission of five candidates for orders ;
the ordination of one deacon, and that of two presbyters ; —
the disposition made of the services of some of the new
clergy ; — and the institution of two rectors into the cure of
parishes. After this, it thus concludes :
" To this statement, Brethren, I have only to add my
prayers that the Lord will inspire us with wisdom, unity and
zeal, and that He will direct our counsels and prosper our
labors to the advancement of his glory and the prosperity of
his people.
Alexander V. Griswold."
I have given this address for two reasons ; 1, because it
is short ; and 2, because it seems to me a remarkable proof
of the remarkable modesty of its author. He evidently
started on his course of duty with the feeling that it did not
become him, while young in office, to put himself forth in
any labored production ; with the determination not to as-
sume the exercise of an influence, which he had not yet
acquired ; and on the principle of letting his actions, rather
than his words, define his ecclesiastical position, and inter-
pret his religious views. One can hardly read such an ad-
dress, delivered on such an occasion, without feeling that it
was peculiarly characteristic of the man, who, on a different
occasion, remarked ; — " Words cost but little ; and are of-
ten worth no more than they cost."
At this Convention the project of a Diocesan Library was
started ; but it never amounted to any thing more than a
project. A movement of more importance originated at the
same time, and was followed by a measure at least of its in-
tended results. I allude to what were called, a Easter col-
lections," — contributions to a Missionary fund to be placed
in the hands of the " Trustees of Donations" subject to
the order of the Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, and chiefly
for the benefit of the feeble parishes under his care. These
collections originated in the following vote by the Conven-
tion, and in the resulting circular of the Bishop.
196 MEMOIR OF THE
" Voted ; that the Bishop be requested to appoint a Sun-
da)', annually, on which a contribution shall be made at each
Church within the Diocese, and transmitted by the Rector
and Wardens thereof to the Treasurer of ' The Trustees of
Donations to the Protestant Episcopal Church,' to be appro-
priated under the direction of the Bishop to the supplying
of vacant parishes with preaching, and to the distributing of
cheap tracts explanatory of the doctrines and discipline of
the Episcopal Church."
The following is the circular, which, in obedience to this
vote, the Bishop forthwith addressed to his Clergy.
" Whereas the Biennial Convention of the Eastern Dio-
cese, holden at Providence, in the State of Rhode Island, on
the 30th day of September, a. d., 1812, ' Voted,' &c.
' In compliance with the above resolution and request, I do
hereby appoint Easter-day to be the Sunday, on which said
annual contributions shall be made ; most cordially recom-
mending to the friends of religion, and especially to all who
desire the prosperity of the Protestant Episcopal Church, an
object so laudable and benevolent. Whilst, (so much to
the honor of the Christian name) a liberal spirit of piety and
zeal for distributing the Holy Scriptures and for diffusing the
light of the Gospel to the remotest nations of the earth, per-
vades the Christian world ; it may reasonably be expected
that the state and the exigences of the Church in this Dio-
cese will not, by its friends, be forgotten or neglected ; —
that they especially who, through God's merciful goodness,
enjoy the inestimable privileges of a preached Gospel, and
the means of religious knowledge, will not be unmindful of
those, who are destitute of these blessings ; and that each
individual will cheerfully contribute something to a little
fund for their assistance. In all human appearance, no
charitable donations could more directly or more surely pro-
mote the glory of God and the increase of His Church than
the contributions hereby solicited. By a little aid from their
Christian brethren, many small parishes, now wholly desti-
tute of the sacred ordinances of Christianity, would, through
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 197
the Divine blessing, be materially benefited, and, there is
good reason to hope, enabled soon to obtain a permanent
ministry among them. Deeply impressed with the import-
ance of this subject, the Convention were induced to make
this appeal to the pious liberality of all the friends of the
Church, and not without confidence that the Lord wall open
their hearts to give according as he hath blessed them with
the means : l for, with such sacrifices God is well pleased.' "
" The Easter collections," thus started, were regularly
continued till the dissolution of the Diocese. The tract
distribution, which they at first contemplated, was, indeed,
dropped after a time ; but the collections themselves con-
tinued as a Missionary fund in the hands of the Bishop, and
were of essential service in reviving the languid and almost
extinct parishes, which existed in various parts of the Dio-
cese ; and in aiding the struggles of others through a feeble
infancy towards a vigorous maturity.
These collections and the " Board of Trustees of Dona-
tions," — together with the Standing Committee successively
elected, and the Diocesan Conventions, at first Biennial, and
afterwards annual, made up the Body of the Institutions of
the Eastern Diocese. It was, at the outset, so far as these
its institutions were concerned, a simple organization ; and
so continued to the period of its dissolution. That it never
had more numerous and more efficient instrumentalities in
the great work of Christian benevolence at home and abroad,
was owing to its complex structure in other respects. The
churches in the respective States, though united into one
Diocese, yet continued to meet in their separate Conven-
tions, as well as in those of the whole Diocese. Through
those separate Conventions they were represented in the
General Councils of the Church ; and the effect of these
peculiarities was to beget a kind of ecclesiastico-" State
Rights" feeling, drawing almost all the proper efficient ac-
tion of the Church from the Diocesan to the State Institu-
tions. This was unavoidable, and all well enough. Con-
sidering circumstances, it could not, and should not, have
been otherwise. Still, it is easy to perceive that, with such
R*
198 MEMOIR OF THE
an organization, it was impossible for the Eastern Diocese
and its Bishop to take that stand among the other Dioceses
and general institutions of the Church, which would other-
wise have been both desirable and practicable. In fact, the
peculiar structure of the body kept both the whole and its
parts from that measure of activity, efficiency and growth,
which, under other circumstances, would have been easy
and natural. The influence of this structure was doubtless
less felt at first, than it was at a later period. At first there
was so little strength in any of the parts that they were glad
to increase it by combination. But most of the parts soon
began to gather separate strength ; and, as they did so, tend-
ed more and more to separate action. Then it was that the
existence of the central Diocese, with its Bishop specially
attached to it, proved a manifest restraint on the capabilities
and freedom of action, which would have been appropriate
to the States, had they existed as independent Dioceses ;
while the capabilities and freedom, which they actually as-
sumed and exercised proved as manifest a drain of strength
and vitality from the Diocese of which they were associated
parts.
The feeling has often been expressed by his Clergy, that
the characteristic modesty of Bishop Griswold, and his ap-
parent reluctance to put forth his influence in forwarding
great leading measures of policy in his Diocese, detracted
much from his true usefulness. But, the longer I reflect on
this subject the more strongly am I persuaded of the injus-
tice, which such a feeling did him. The truth is, (to take a
somewhat different view of this subject from that which was
taken, a few pages back,) it was his modesty and his appa-
rent reluctance to act in many matters, that kept the centri-
fugal parts of his Diocese together, till, at his demise, they were
all ready, in strength and experience, to stand up at once,
Jour well-braced, and well-organized Dioceses, with their
well-furnished and efficient Bishops, instead of one. What
appeared to be reluctance to put forth his influence was, in
fact, less that, than a wise caution under the circumstances,
in which he found himself placed. He felt his own position
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 199
better than the Clergy of the separate States could feel it for
him. While they were thinking of their separate State in-
terests, longing for their more rapid advancement, and, per-
haps, pondering the question how soon they might be called
to elect, from among themselves, their own independent Bi-
shop, — he was feeling the difficulty of presiding in harmony
over such separately tending elements, and the almost im-
possibility of either originating, or infusing life into, any
general measures for their increased prosperity, or even into
any State measures for that end, consistently with the rela-
tion, which he bore to the whole body. In such a state of
tilings it had been easy for him to put that whole body into
intense action ; but it would have been the action of con-
vulsions, not that of health. On the whole, when it is re-
membered, that, after the Eastern Diocese began to meet
annually, Bishop Griswold had Jive Conventions to attend,
where other Bishops have but one, and for the greater part
of the time a parish to care for besides ; that he had to com-
bine and guide the movements of a complex whole, while
the Clergy and the measures of the separate parts were often
tending away from general and gathering themselves around
particular, and sometimes conflicting interests ; and that, into
which part soever of his Diocese he went, he felt the pre-
sence of a something, that was instinctively, without special
design, working itself up into a sort of rival influence with
his own ; it will be seen that his position was full of pecu-
liar difficulties, and called for the constant exercise not only
of all that wonderful industry, but also of all that uncommon
meekness, prudence and wisdom for which he was so re-
markable. And when, moreover, it is considered, that, as
a parish minister, few among us have ever been more largely
successful, more richly blessed, than he ; and that, as a Bi-
shop, he began, in 1811, to watch over a few scattered pa-
rishes, feeble and " ready to die," and yet left them, in
1843, multiplied to an hundred, distributed into five fully
organized Dioceses, and ready to support four active Bishops,
it may well be doubted whether the evidence of his useful-
ness could have been more full and complete.
200 MEMOIR OF THE
But to return from this general survey, into which I have
been led, to the measures of the first Diocesan Convention,
over which he presided :
It appears from the Journal of the Eastern Diocese for
1812, that, notwithstanding the judicious address, which, as
chairman of the Committee of the Rhode Island Convention
in 1809, he wrote to the Narraganset Church ; and the fact
that this address so far succeeded in the begun work of paci-
fication, as to induce that Church to consent to the session
in their parish of the Special Convention of Rhode Island,
called to consider the proposal for an Eastern Diocese ; their
alienation from the body of the Churches was not then whol-
ly overcome. Indeed, from some cause, it was subsequently
and seriously increased ; so much so as to threaten the entire
severance of that ancient parish from our communion. Its
case was referred to a Committee of this Convention in 1812,
whose report, as follows, will give us all the information on
the subject, which it is desirable at this time to possess.
" The Committee, appointed to take into consideration
the state of St. Paul's Church, Narraganset, submitted the
following report, which was unanimously accepted :
" The Committee, to whom were referred certain papers,
produced by Capt. Rodman Gardiner, beg leave to report :
" That a certain party in Wickford, denominating them-
selves members of St. Paul's Church, Narraganset country,
having announced in a public newspaper, the Newport
Mercury, of April 11, 1812, that they have withdrawn them-
selves from the Eastern Diocese, and have renounced the
Episcopal authority, have thereby exposed themselves to the
censure of the Bishop, and deprived themselves of the privi-
leges of the Episcopal Church ; but that, at present, it is in-
expedient for the Convention to take any order on this sub-
ject ; it being the opinion of your Committee that it may be
adjusted by the Bishop in a Convention of the State of Rhode
Island more to the satisfaction of the aggrieved members of
said Church than by this Convention.
N. B. Crocker, Chairman."
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 201
It is sufficient to add that the course recommended proved
effectual ; and that the old Narraganset Church soon became
a part of the consolidated body of the Diocese ; leaving,
thus not a single dissentient from the general harmony, which
reigned over the whole.
During the year 1812, Bishop Jarvis of Connecticut,
amidst the increasing infirmities of age, was drawing near
the close of life; and the project of electing a co-adjutor
Bishop was, to some extent, agitated among his clergy.
But it is not probably known to many, that Bishop Griswold
was once sounded on the question, whether he would be
willing to come and reside in Connecticut, as that co-adjutor
with a parish, while at the same time he retained jurisdic-
tion and discharged Episcopal offices in the Eastern Diocese.
Yet such was the fact, as the following extract from a letter
written by one of the clergy of Connecticut will shew.
« , 15 Feb., 1812.
"Rt. Rev. Sir,— ***********
* * * * A few words relative to the Church. * * *
The Bishop of the Diocese has notified the clergy * * *
that a convocation will be holden in New Haven on the 19th
inst. * * * I have not heard what is the principal object of
calling us together at this time. Perhaps it may be to in-
quire what is best to be done further in regard to the Acade-
my petition, or to the selection of a candidate for co-adjutor
Bishop. The latter has of late been spoken of among the
clergy. As yet, however, we cannot fix upon any person,
in whom ^ T e can agree. I would take the liberty to suggest
one thing to you, (no other person shall know it) and to
solicit your answer. It is this : whether you are of opinion
that one Bishop, in the prime of life, of good health, and
living in this State, could faithfully discharge the duties of
this and of the Eastern Diocese, having at the same time the
charge of a parish ? It is my opinion that it could be done,
by the clergy taking turns in supplying his parish during his
absence. I beg your answer, upon the assurance that it shall
202 MEMOIR OF THE
rest with me. I am persuaded that, if you were the Bishop
of this Diocese, and resided here, it w T ould, with the bless-
ing of heaven, nourish beyond all present calculation."
Of course, the suggestion made in this extract could not,
for a moment, be entertained. The extract itself, however,
is interesting, inasmuch as it shews the estimate, in which
the Bishop was held in his native State, and the probability
that, had he continued there, he would have been called to
that Diocese, instead of the Eastern. In this latter his lot
was now cast, and to it he considered his whole life and his
best powers devoted.
To the depressed and discouraging state of this Diocese
at the period when he received jurisdiction over it, allusion
has already been made. About the time of which I am now
speaking, the winter of 1812, he received many letters,
which must have made him feel most sensibly the difficul-
ties, with which he had to struggle. St. Paul's Church,
Portland, was considered to be at its last gasp ; and it re-
quired great faith in him to maintain, both among its few
members and in his own mind, the assurance that it might
yet be saved alive. St. Michael's, Marblehead, had sur-
vived the convulsions of the past in a very feeble state, and
was stru ogling as for its life. The Church in Taunton had
its very name trodden out by the iron hoof of revolutionary
w r ar, and was just beginning to cry, from the dust of its small
remaining endowment, for a hand to raise it up and give it new
existence. And the old parish at Bridgewater lay still un-
moved amidst its ashes without a sign of vitality. While,
of some others all traces had perished, and no thought of
their revival was started. There was, also, a very dis-
couraging want of clergy, and a still lingering, irremovable
prejudice against lay-reading. A Congregational minister,
who had conformed to the Church, and was a candidate for
orders, was advised, not by the Bishop, but by one of his
clergy, to continue preaching his own sermons before his ordi-
nation. A very young candidate, of high promise, who had
been licensed as a lay-reader, and had been allowed by the
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 203
Bishop to " adapt" printed sermons to the exigences of his place
of labor, ventured to extend the license to the preaching of his
own sermons, in the face of the 19th Canon of 1808, which
made such an act " a disqualification for orders ;" and so eager
were the hungry people for ministerial services, that he even
proceeded to ask for ordination before he had reached the
age of twenty-one years, as required by Canon. The Rev.
Mr. Fisher, Rector of St. Peter's, Salem, having been taken
away by sudden death, the Congregational clergy of the town,
who had acted as pall-bearers at his funeral, kindly offered
their services to supply his pulpit by preaching there in rota-
tion ; and so impossible was it to procure even a temporary
Episcopal supply, that their offer was accepted. Two of
our own clergy in Vermont became subjects of ecclesiastical
discipline for immoral conduct. And, to finish the picture
of difficulty and discouragement, the enemies of the Church
in New Hampshire were evidently at work in secret at what
they doubtless considered a commendable effort at its over-
throw. Under such circumstances, the following letter
could not have sounded a very pleasant note in the Bishop's
ear.
" , Sep , 1812.
" Rt. Rev. Sir, — My love and zeal for the Church, espe-
cially for that branch of it ' over which the Holy Ghost has
made you overseer,' will ever prompt me with caution and
due reverence to give the earliest notice of every threatening
appearance, both in the Church and out of it. For this pur-
pose are we placed around the sacred enclosure, to be al-
ways ready to defend it from the assaults of open and avowed
enemies, and from the artful machinations of secret and insi-
dious foes ; that so, ' the wrath' of God, through our neglect,
come not 'upon the congregation.'
" Last evening was handed me, by a particular friend of
yours, (the Rev. M. ,) a letter singular and strange both
for its matter and for its style. As I send it enclosed, it will
be needless to make any remarks on it, further than to ob-
204 MEMOIR OF THE
serve, that Mr. and myself feel truly alarmed lest ' fire
have gone out of the Bramble, which may devour the Cedars
of Lebanon.'
Your affectionate and very humble servant,
3)
The difficulty of obtaining clergy at this early period in
the history of the Diocese, not only led young candidates
for orders to preach their own sermons, (contrary to the wish
of the Bishop, doubtless,) but also induced a proposition to
license lay-readers, who were not candidates. This proposi-
tion, however, urgent as were the necessities of the case, the
Bishop evidently resisted, as appears from the following ex-
tract from a letter, written by the Rev. Mr. , of New
Hampshire.
" July , 1812.
" Rt. Rev. Sir, — Your very friendly letter of June 16th, is
just come to hand ; and I thank you for the timely communi-
pation **************
* * What ideas brother C. has of a license for a lay-
reader, I do not comprehend. It is something to me entirely
new, and in my opinion would seem to add a new order in
the Church. It is a thing unprecedented either in ancient
or in modern times ; and if once introduced might lead on to
evils, of which we are hardly aware. The Bishop's observa-
tions on tlie subject are perfectly correct. Esq. C. is a
good reader and a worthy character ; but experience teaches
that reading only has a tendency rather to weaken than to
keep together. ' Itching ears' and a fondness for novelty
are to be found in the Church as well as out of it. The
recommendation, which you mentioned from the Standing
Committee, I conclude, can have reference to none but can-
didates for holy orders."
But, though the Bishop evidently concurred with the
writer of this letter in the matter of licensing lay-readers, not
candidates for orders, yet it is not probable that he assented
f
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 205
to a proposition, which the writer himself makes in the same
letter. " On Saturday," he writes, " after the Convention,
I shall wish to have this Church consecrated, and also the
Church-yard, or burying ground." The Bishop, who was
so strongly disposed to reject the term, " consecration,"
from the act, by which he was invested with the Episcopal
office, was not likely either to borrow, or to construct a ser-
vice for the special purpose of " consecrating" a Church-yard
in his Diocese.
How the difficulty of obtaining clergy for his parishes
affected the Bishop himself, as well as the qualities, which
he sought in his clergy, both religious and literary, may be
seen in the following extract from a letter, which he wrote
this year to the Rev. Mr. Bronson of Vermont. It is a live-
ly transcript of the Bishop's own practical views of what a
minister of Christ should always and every where be.
"Bristol, April 10th, 1812.
" Rev. and dear Sir, **********
******* Thg account, which you give
of your success in the ministry is very pleasing. I see
that ' the fields are white unto the harvest.' If it shall
please ' the Lord of the harvest to send into it such laborers
as we need, and as we ought daily to pray for and to seek,
we may yet see the Church in this Diocese in a more flourish-
ing state. ***** w e ought to exert ourselves
more in selecting and training young men for the ministry.
We shall not find, at present, a sufficient number from our
Colleges. And it is, unhappily, the fact that too many of
those, who condescend to take holy orders, expect to live in
ease and affluence ; to find Churches already organized with
good livings. We have none such to bestow on any. We
need laborers, possessed of apostolic zeal, who are willing
to plant before they reap ; who are willing to go into the
spiritual wilderness and cultivate for themselves ; who, duly
impressed with the importance and duties of the sacred min-
istry, are content to ' spend and be spent' for God's glory
and the salvation of men ; and who, of course, i seek first
s
206 MEMOIR OF THE
the kingdom of God and His righteousness,' trusting that
He will add whatever is necessary for the comfort of this
life. One such is worth twenty drones in the sacred minis-
try. Such, indeed, are most likely to succeed in obtaining
a comfortable living; for they have the promise of Christ
himself to rely upon. If you find any, who are likely to be
of this description, they ought to be encouraged to turn their
attention to the ministry, and assisted in attaining the neces-
sary qualifications. These last are not to be neglected. It is
important that our clerical body be made respectable for
learning and talents, as well as useful in piety and zeal.
" But I have no reason to think you inattentive to these
things ; and J write them unto you but to ' stir up your pure
mind by way of remembrance.' That the Lord will merci-
fully preserve your life, inspire you with wisdom and bless
your labors to His own glory and to your present and eternal
good, is the fervent and humble prayer of, &c."
The above sentiments were not recorded by a man, who
preached one thing, and practised another. He did not say
to the laborers amidst the real toils and sacrifices of the min-
istry ; " go work in the Lord's vineyard;" but, placing him-
self in their fore-front, and shewing them the manner of their
day-labor, he said, " come, follow me, and let us bear to-
gether the burden and heat of the day."
Having thus looked at those public events in the life of
Bishop Griswold, which, after the period of his consecration,
occurred earliest, both in his parish and in his Diocese, and
having seen the latter fully organized and fairly on its way ;
it may be well to note here a few things, not less public in-
deed, but less ecclesiastical.
It will be remembered that at the time of his consecration,
he had never been admitted to the degree of Doctor of Di-
vinity. For that degree, however, though he sought it not,
yet he did not long wait. It came in the following letter
from the President of Princeton College.
" Princeton, Oct. 9, 1811.
" Rev. Sir, — I have the pleasure to announce to you that
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 207
the corporation of the College of New Jersey, at the late
commencement, unanimously agreed to confer on you the
degree of Doctor of Divinity. I am happy to believe that
this well earned distinction will receive as much honor from
the wearer as it can confer.
I am, Rev. Sir, with the greatest respect,
Your most obedient, and most humble servant,
Samuel S. Smith."
From Brown University, Rhode Island, where his merits
as a scholar became gradually known, he soon began to re-
ceive literary honors, and to enter into those relations with
the institution, which he continued so long and so satisfac-
torily to fill. While on this subject, it may be as well to
dispose of it entirely ; although some notices connected with
it will run forward to a period in his life much beyond that,
which we are now considering.
In the year 1810, he was admitted to the honorary degree
of Master of Arts, and, in 1811, to that of Doctor of Divinity,
in Brown University. On the 2d of September, 1812, he was
elevated to one of the highest seats in the corporation of that
Institution by being elected a " Fellow in the University."
In 1815, he was made " Chancellor of the University," and
held the office till his removal to Salem, in 1828-9. And in
1832, he was elected a member of the Rhode Island Alpha
of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, in connexion with the same
Institution.
In communicating to me all these facts ' and dates except
the last, Professor Gammell observes ; " I may add, for the
explanation of the above, that the corporation of the College
is made up of two bodies. The Board of Fellows is the
higher and more honorable ; the Board of Trustees has charge
of the Finances. The office of Chancellor is that of presiding
in all meetings of the lower body. In order to accept his
appointment to this office, Bishop Griswold, it appears, re-
signed his seat as a Fellow in 1815. During the period of
his connexion with the College — he performed the duties of
his office with great faithfulness, and always manifested a
20S MEMOIR OF THE
generous interest in the prosperity of the Institution. Though
his connexion with the College ceased before rny appoint-
ment as one of its officers, yet I well remember how much
his venerable appearance used to add to the dignity and
interest of the academic pageant of commencement days."
Which of his two degrees of Doctor of Divinity bears the
earlier date, I am unable to ascertain ; probably that of Brown
University, though by a few days only.
The year 1812 opened our second war with England.
With the bitterness of party spirit, which preceded and fol-
lowed that opening, many of us are well acquainted. I find
among the papers of Bishop Griswold a document, which
shews how bitter that spirit must have been in Bristol, and how
severely it must have tried the Bishop's principle of always
leaving politics and the management of State affairs to lay-
men. Although the Bishop was an American in all the best
feelings involved in a love of country, yet, it is not likely that
he felt any sympathy with that unmeasured hostility to the
British, which this document betrays. On this account,
however, the testimony which the document bears to his
Christian character is the more valuable. The document
is superscribed ; " Charles Collins's Resolution, taken August
26th, 1812 ; read and adopted in presence of George Munroe
2d., Town Clerk." It is as follows:
"Bristol, August 26th, 1812.
" Having for eight years past constantly attended on re-
ligious worship on the Sabbath, and having during that time
been forward in encouraging the progress of the Gospel by
divers donations to religious Societies, (for all which things
I am heartily glad,) but having ascertained by the issue and
result of the election held in this town yesterday that hypo-
crisy has become so far intermixed with true religion that it
is exceeding difficult for a man of an honest and unsuspect-
ing disposition to discern and know who is a saint and who
is an hypocrite ; and further, having read and known enough
of the history of Great Britain and its rulers to be convinced
that the said nation is the most hypocritical one that is, or
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 209
ever was, suffered to exist; and having ascertained that
many of my worthy neighbors, whose opinions I much value
on all subjects but that of religion, are, or affect to be, of
opinion that Great Britain is the most righteous nation on
earth, and some people would almost affect to believe that
the blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ cannot be effectually com-
municated to the praying sinners of this (as they call it) re-
bellious and sinful land, but through the medium of Great
Britain ; I say ; in consequence of the foregoing premises, I
have taken a firm resolution to discontinue the practices
aforesaid, and endeavor to be enlightened into the mysteries
of the true religion, by reading the Bible and such other books
as shall appear to be best calculated to answer the purpose :
this resolution to continue in force until my beloved country
shall have settled a peace with Great Britain : provided, how-
ever, that it shall be void in case my excellent friend, the
Bishop, (whom I believe to be the best man this side heaven)
shall convince me that this is a rash and improper resolution.
Charles Collins."
The fact that this document is found among the Bishop's
papers shews that the question, involved in its closing pro-
viso, was doubtless submitted to his decision. But had he
been a man of known political preferences and activities, it
is not probable, either that Mr. Collins would have made
him umpire in such a case, or that he would have ranked his
" excellent friend" quite so high as he then did on the scale
of perfection. How many minds, susceptible of safe guid-
ance towards heaven, have broken utterly away from clerical
influence, simply by being made to feel that their minister's
political creed was at war with their own !
In what has thus far been said, it has been the design of
the writer to exhibit, in connexion with such incidents as he
could collect, the early mind and the ripening character of
Bishop Griswold, together with the origin, structure and
early condition of the Diocese, which began with his elec-
tion, continued with his life, and ended in his death ; in other
s*
210 MEMOIR OF THE
words, to trace the formation of his character, and to exhibit
the peculiarity of his position. In doing this, some of the
incidents, which have been presented, were, in themselves,
of slight importance. Nevertheless, it is believed that they
all had important connexions, and have all contributed some-
thing of meaning to the work in the various stages of its pro-
gress. With the Bishop himself, the Diocese over which
he presided, his character and his position, fairly before
our minds and well understood, we are prepared for the
remainder of his course ; a remainder, full of anxieties and
cares, labors and sorrows, but exhibiting, it is believed,
nothing inconsistent with what has gone before ; shewing
enough of progress, development and ripening, but reveal-
ing nothing of change, fluctuation, or decay.
LIFE OF BISHOP GRISWOLD. 211
BRIEF NOTICES OF THE EASTERN DIOCESE, AND OF INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF ITS
BISHOP, AS CONNECTED THEREWITH.
FIRST CALL TO SALEM.
From the time of Bishop Griswold's consecration, the re-
moteness of his place of residence from Boston, the chief
ecclesiastical centre of his diocese, the place whence the
principal routes of travel diverge, and from which therefore
he could with the greatest ease, and at the least expense,
visit the various parishes under his supervision ; the place,
too, where the main strength of the Diocese lay, and at
which he might most readily gather round himself all need-
ful influences of counsel and co-operation in his labors ; was
seen to be a serious inconvenience, and the wish was gene-
rally felt and often expressed, that he might have a parish, if
not in Boston itself, at least in its immediate vicinity. At
the opening of the year 1813, an opportunity for the gratify-
ing of this wish was offered in a unanimous call to the Rec-
torship of St. Peter's Church, Salem. The proprietors of
this parish met on the 13th of February, at the office of Mr.
Joshua Cushing ; and, after organizing the meeting, unani-
mously elected Bishop Griswold, as " their select and estab-
lished Pastor." He doubtless felt that there were some
strong reasons why he should accept the call. He visited
the parish ; was waited on by a committee of the proprietors ;
and, though no decision was then made, yet hopes were
evidently excited that he would accept the call which he had
received. Some months, however, passed in uncertainty,
when the parish were induced to repeat and press their in-
vitation, through a most respectable Committee, of which
Mr. Joseph Story, (now Judge Story of the United States
Court) was chairman. The letter of this Committee, in
Judge Story's hand, is as follows :
212 MEMOIR, &C.
"Salem, June 11th, 1813.
" Rt. Rev. Sir, — We have the honor to renew in behalf
of the proprietors of St. Peter's Church, the request,
which was some time since made to you, to become the es-
tablished Pastor over that Church. At present we are able
to offer you a salary of $700 per annum, and we shall most
cheerfully defray all the expenses incident to the removal of
yourself and family. We trust and hope, if you should
settle among us, that the increase of the Church under your
countenance and patronage will enable us hereafter to add to
the salary ; and the general zeal and increase of parishioners,
already exhibited, augurs very favorably to the support of the
Episcopalian worship.
" At present the zeal of our friends is great ; but unless
we should establish a permanent pastor, we cannot entertain
very sanguine expectations of preserving its spirit. But, on
the other hand, we have as little doubt that your presence
would give a steady advancement to our interests, and that
very many, who approve of our worship, would gather
round our standard.
" We hope therefore that we shall not be deemed impro-
perly earnest by pressing your immediate acceptance of our
offer, and assuring you that, as it is made in a spirit of per-
fect sincerity and harmony, so your acceptance will confer
the highest obligations upon us.
We have the honor to be, with the highest respect,
Rt. Rev. Sir,
By the order and command of St. Peter's Church,
Your very obedient servants,
Joseph Story ^
Ezekiel Savage,
W. Shepard Gray,
Thomas Thomas."
The Rt. Rev. )
Bishop Griswold. £
Subsequently to this, the Committee, in two further com-
munications, most earnestly urged his acceptance of the call ;
FIRST CALL TO SALEM. 213
and during the correspondence, the Rev. Mr. Burroughs of
St. John's Church, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, warmly
seconded their solicitations.
" It may be improperfor me" — says Mr. B., in a letter
dated, April 22d, 1813, "to make any inquiry as to your
decision respecting your invitation to Salem. But it cannot
be improper for me to express my most ardent wish that cir-
cumstances might be so favorable as to induce you to ac-
cept the invitation. Your situation would then be so cen-
tral, that you might visit with the greatest ease the largest
number of your most important parishes ; I confess too I feel
a little selfish, as I wish you to be nearer to my own
Church."
But, notwithstanding the urgency of the call and the rea-
sons, independent of it, for his removal, the Bishop found it
so difficult, if not impossible, to leave Bristol, that he finally
sent the Committee in Salem a negative answer.
The feeling of discouragement and despondency, which
seized upon them, is manifest in the coldly respectful letter
which the Wardens sent him in reply. They express con-
fidence in him, submission to his decision, and a disposition
still to look to him as their Bishop for guidance and aid ;
but at the same time complain bitterly of loneliness and de-
sertion, and especially of a want of faithfulness to his word
in a young candidate, who had been sent to officiate for
them as lay-reader after the Rev. Mr. Fisher's decease : —
and they even intimate an apprehension that the consequence
of their disappointments may be the loss of that parish to
the Episcopal Church. I give a portion of their letter as
illustrating, perhaps, more strongly than any thing, which
has yet been said, the condition of the Diocese at that time
in its want of clergy and in its thorough repugnance to
lay-readers as a substitute. After laying their situation and
discouragements before the Bishop, particularly the conduct
of the candidate referred to, they proceed : — " With these
vexatious disappointments, and the yet greater one of your
not coming when expectation had been so highly raised, we
are fearful that the consequences may be, the entire disper-
214 MEMOIR, &C.
sion of the parish, or its secession from the Diocese ; (this
latter would not be without reason ; for if those, who belong
to our own communion, and who are candidates for the minis-
try, forfeit their word, and treat us rudely, what inducement
have we to adhere to a staff that yields us no support ?) To
you, therefore, we must look for a shepherd to a flock, which
is so extremely discouraged by such repeated disappoint-
ments, and which is weary of hearing cold and uninteresting
readers, who cannot administer the necessary rites of the
Church, nor exchange with those, who can," &c. So feeble
was the tie, which still bound some of the parishes of the
Diocese to the rest !
It ought, however, to be borne in mind, in accounting
for a portion of the weakness and proneness to despondency
of this and of some others of our Eastern parishes, that at
this time the War of 1812-15 was raging, and that many of
the towns on the seaboard, particularly Salem and Marble-
head, being extensively dependent on foreign commerce and
on the fishing trade, suffered most severely in all their tem-
poral interests, and were, even morally and religiously, de-
pressed by that feeling of loneliness and desertion, the
visible signs of which appeared in the stillness and deso-
lateness of their almost depopulated streets.
Nor were the parishes on the sea-board the only ones, in
which the hostile influence of the war on morals and religion
was felt. It was felt in all the parishes, great and small, in
the turning of men's thoughts from the Church to politics,
and from religious to party zeal. Over weak parishes in
the interior and those just beginning to rise, its power was
peculiarly disastrous. One of the the Clergy in Vermont in
writing to the Bishop, March 15th, 1813, gives the follow-
ing picture of things in his immediate neighborhood. A
fatal epidemic had been sweeping through the State on its
wings of death ; and yet he says : — " Although the judg-
ments of God are in the earth that the inhabitants of the
world may learn righteousness, yet we all remain more than
commonly stupid. The Church, this winter, appears very
forlorn. At Middlebury, you had an opportunity of learning
EVILS OF WAR AND POLITICS. 215
its state last summer. Though it was then truly discourag-
ing, yet it is now much worse. They are both fewer in
number and less engaged. The War, in which our country
is involved, or the rage of politics, or the influence of Sa-
tan's kingdom, or something else, has palsied every nerve
of religion. I hear nothing of building a Church either in
Middlebury or in Vergennes. Nor do I find any one of any
intelligence, who appears to entertain a rational hope of ever
seeing the Church established in either place."
During this year, too, the Bishop began to receive letters
from the parish in Great Barrington on the subject of those
difficulties, which laid on him one of the sorest trials of his
life ; in that they involved the ministerial character and use-
fulness of his brother, then Rector of that parish ; — leading
through years of wasting dissention to his ultimate separa-
tion from his charge, and to his final displacement from the
ministry. These difficulties originated chiefly in the active
political preferences of his brother at a time when the whole
blood of the country was heated and feverish ; although, in
their progress^ they drew in other questions, and ended in
leaving a parish, which had been uncommonly prosperous, in
a state of ruin, from which it has taken long years to raise it
to its former condition of harmony and prosperity.
At the close of this year, moreover, the parish in Ports-
mouth, New Hampshire, in common with their fellow towns-
men, suffered severely from a disastrous conflagration, which
laid a large portion of that town in ashes. The Chaplain,
or school master, on board one of the United States' Ships
of War, then lying in that harbor, who was a candidate for
orders under Bishop Griswold, thus writes immediately after
the melancholy event.
" Congress, Portsmouth, Dec. 14, 1813.
" Dear Sir, — I need not tell you that your kind letter was
received with much pleasure. I should have answered it
sooner, but for a misfortune, which my feeble pen is unable
to describe, and which imagination can hardly conceive.
The beautiful town of Portsmouth is ruined. About 200
216 MEMOIR, &C.
houses are in ashes : and their miserable inhabitants driven
to seek shelter at this inclement season where charity pro-
vides.
" Night before last, I was at your worthy friend's, the
Hon. J. Sheafe's, where Capt. Hull, Capt. Smith and a num-
ber of the officers were met to take supper. At half-past
7 we were alarmed by the cry of fire ! It was soon dis-
covered to proceed from a barn near the Alms-house. The
wind was very strong from the southward and westward. A
number of us took our stand upon the top of Mr. Sheafe's
house, which the flakes of fire soon covered like a shower.
We were able to extinguish it where it caught, for about
two hours, when the houses about us were all in flames. By
this time they had been able to remove most of the valuable
furniture ; and we then made our retreat through the garden,
amidst showers of falling fire.
" The exertions of the officers and men from our vessels
were unparalleled ; and the names of many in the Navy will
long be dear to the suffering inhabitants of Portsmouth. The
fire raged with unabated fury, and little hopes were enter-
tained by many of saving the town, until one o'clock, when
it was found that we had gotten the upper hand of it. I
trembled for the Church and Mr. Burroughs' house ; but by
the great exertions of Capt. Smith, Capt. Creighton, and
others, the fire was stopped in its rage at the corner below.
Between 12 and 1, being so exhausted that I could do no
more, I went to the top of the Church with Mr. Burroughs.
No pencil could paint such a scene. * * *
* * ***** You will easily
conceive that my heart ached to see the poor women leaving
their houses, conveying their dearest treasures, their children,
in their arms, and abandoning their property to the merci-
less flames, or to the more merciless wretches, who,
amidst the distressing scene, were sufficiently abandoned to
pillage the sufferers.
"lam happy to inform you that my parish have given
about $700 to relieve the sufferers, leaving out our worthy
commander, who will, no doubt, give more than that sum.
PARISH ENDOWMENTS. 217
I trust that measures will be taken by our Church and the
public generally to alleviate in some degree the distress of
their suffering fellow beings.
" Mr. Sheafe and family have been the most considerable
sufferers. Next to them, Capt. Shapley. Mr. Sheafe lost
three houses, and three stores, besides considerable other
property. These men, however, have not, like many, lost
their all. Many, who were in comfortable circumstances,
have, in one hour, been reduced to the most abject poverty.
With great respect, your servant, ."
Rt. Rev. )
Bishop Griswold. £
Near the time of this afflictive visitation, moreover, the
attention of the Bishop was called to the condition of the
parish and its property in the town of Hopkinton, Massachu-
setts. Mrs. Price, a wealthy and benevolent lady of that
town, attached to the Episcopal Church, had formerly given
a farm towards the endowment of a parish ; and a Church
was subsequently built. But so few Episcopalians were
found to sustain it and take care of its endowment, that it
fell into decay, and all its concerns ran into a state of neg-
lect, in which they have lain wholly unproductive of bene-
fit to the parish. Nor from this state have they ever yet been
rescued. This is one of the few waste places of our
Church, which the Bishop did not live to see rebuilt and
repeopled. Indeed, it is generally true, that those parishes,
which originated under the old system of partial or complete
endowments, even where they have been recovered from the
desolations of War and change, have not proved to be
among the most flourishing, active, self-multiplying parts of
our ecclesiastical body. They have ordinarily been stinted,
or stationary in themselves, doing nothing for the growth of
our institutions, and dependent for their own languid exist-
ence on the endowments, which they held. The life, the
energy, the enterprize of our Church, it is believed, have
never been found investing themselves, and seeking to ren-
der their self-investments productive, in this species of eccle-
siastical stock. The true spirit of Christianity is one of
T
218 MEMOIR, &C.
spontaneous benevolence, seeking to spread abroad both it-
self and the blessed influences in which it hath its spring.
And it is supposed to be demonstrated by the experience of
some thousands of years, that the safe investment, and quiet
possession of money do not favor the birth, the growth, or
the activity of this heaven-descended progeny.
But, whatever was the weakness of any of the parishes
of his Diocese, or however despairing were any of his clergy
of their ultimate revival, or their increase of self-sustaining
strength, the Bishop was always the last man, in whose
bosom hope died. He could see danger, and feel discou-
ragement ; and, in his annual addresses, he often used the
language of a heart, that mourned and felt sad over the
dangers and discouragements, by which the Church was be-
set. But whatever he felt, he generally used the language
of devout thankfulness for all the success, with which he
met, and of cheerful hope in view of all that remained to be
achieved : and whenever the question came up of actually
abandoning ground already occupied, he was never found
among the number of those, who consented to the abandon-
ment. Of this we shall meet, by and by, with interesting
proofs.
During the year 1813, sprang up, under the auspices of
the Rev. Mr. Chase, of Christ Church, Hartford, (now
Bishop of Illinois) and of the Rev. Asa Cornwall, then of
East Windsor, Connecticut, — the interesting parish of St.
James' Church, Greenfield, which soon settled down under
the faithful ministry of the Rev. Titus Strong, and has never
yet had but one Rector. Of the origin of this parish, Mr.
Cornwall gives the following account :
" East Windsor, January 6th, 1813.
H Rt. Rev'd and Dear Sir, — At the request of Brother
Chase, I have officiated in your Diocese, at Greenfield ;
presuming that it would not be disagreeable to you. Before
I went, I had understood from him that the few Episcopa-
lians in that village had but a short time ago begun to hold
regular service. My expectation of course was that there,
ORIGIN OF ST. JAMES', GREENFIELD. 219
as in other places, where the Church and its modes of wor-
ship are new, or little known, numbers might be drawn to-
gether by curiosity, but few from principle, or the desire of
receiving instruction with regard to the Church. Judge,
then, my dear sir, how much I was surprised and delighted
to meet a small congregation assembled in a chamber, fitted
up in the form of our well finished churches, with pulpit,
reading-desk, slips, and every other convenience ; and a
great proportion of the congregation with Prayer-books,
anxious to be instructed in the proper use of them, and unit-
ing their voices apparently with most fervent devotion in the
prayers and praises of the Church. A scene was presented
there, which I believe is seldom excelled even among those,
who have long called themselves Churchmen. The true
Church has there at length found a place in the midst of a
far surrounding wilderness of error. The Zion of our
Redeemer is rising at last and shaking herself from the
dust. For the first time had the festival of our Lord's Na-
tivity been recently celebrated there. On the Sunday fol-
lowing, the holy rite of baptism was administered to five ;
and seven received the holy communion. Of these latter,
five received that sacrament for the first time. As a minister
of Christ, I thought my duty required me to administer it to
them, upon receiving satisfaction of the correctness of their
faith and the purity of their motives, and an assurance that
they would embrace the earliest opportunity of being con-
firmed. For this purpose, they were, when I left them, ex-
tremely desirous of a visit from their Bishop. *
* * * Their zeal promises much ; but their ability,
I imagine, is not adequate to the speedy and permanent es-
tablishment of the Church in that place, without some, as-
sistance from abroad. If, sir, you could visit them in the
course of the winter, or early in the spring, it would confer
on them a favor, which they would gratefully receive ; and
I do think it would be of essential service to them, as indivi-
duals, and to their infant parish. And should our Church
220 MEMOIR, &C.
once obtain a sure footing in that quarter, where Episcopa-
lians were never before known, I cannot but believe, from
what I saw and heard, that very many of other denomina-
tions would flock to it as an ark of safety from the threaten-
ing deluge of Socinianism, &c. * * * *
*****
With sentiments of esteem,
Your sincere friend and humble servant,
Asa Cornwall."
The Rt. Rev.
Alexander V. Griswold.
During the following May, in giving an account of the
laying of the corner-stone of the new Church in this parish,
the Rev. Mr. Chase, in his well known style, writes thus :
" They have begun in the Lord, and with his blessing
promised to his Church they will prosper. However ' let
and hindered' by the Samaritans of the present day, they
will succeed if they ' watch and pray,' and pray and watch.
It is devoutly to be hoped that no enemy may creep in
among- them to disturb their harmony and mar their work.
They are truly primitive in their faith and practice ; avoiding
the sin of Korah on the one hand, and that of the Scribes
and Pharisees on the other. Would that we were all of this
mind ! Would that we all had the firmness of Azariah and
the piety of John ! Then and then only should we be in
that narrow path, which leads to life.
In great haste, I am, Rt. Rev. Sir,
Yours very dutifully,
Philander Chase."
The Rt. Rev. >
Bishop Griswold. \
The following October, Mr. Strong, being only a candi-
date for orders, began to preach for this parish ; thus afford-
ing another instance, in which the pressure of New England
necessities led to a virtual, though not, it is presumed, to an
intentional, infraction of our Canon on this point. Mr.
Thos. Chapman of Greenfield, in writing to the Bishop
says ; " The Sunday after the receipt of your esteemed favor
THE BISHOP'S VIEWS OF OTHER DENOMINATIONS. 221
of the 6th October, Mr. Strong, being on a visit to his
friends at Northampton, came up and performed Divine Ser-
vice, and preached two Sundays in our Church-room, and
one evening lecture ;" and Mr. C. assures the Bishop that if he
" would have the goodness to put Mr. S. in deacon's orders,"
he had no doubt the parish would at once raise a sum ade-
quate to the securing of his services.
In the foregoing letters from Mr. Cornwall and Mr. Chase,
so far as they express, or imply, apprehensions of danger from
the growth and prevalence of Socinian errors in New Eng-
land, the Bishop deeply sympathised ; but, if they were in-
tended to deny the character and privileges of the Church
to other bodies of New England Christians, it is not proba-
ble that they met with any very cordial response from him.
The Bishop was every inch an Episcopalian ; but he never
thought that the Church of Christ cannot, in any sense, exist
without Episcopacy, any more than he thought that the hu-
man body ceases to be a body, when it has lost its right hand,
but has still head and heart united in right relations, and
both of them sound, healthy and active. He saw and felt
the dangers, to which other denominations are exposed ; but
he considered them Christian Churches, and rejoiced in all
the good, of which they were instruments. His feelings on
this subject were, in his own peculiar way, expressed in
connexion with the following incident. As he was one day
riding through Massachusetts in the progress of one of his
Episcopal visitations, and in company, I believe, with Mr.
Strong of Greenfield, he passed many houses of worship be-
longing to the orthodox Congregationalists, Baptists and
Methodists ; but not one belonging to Episcopalians. The
fact elicited remark, in the course of which the Bishop ob-
served ; " As we have passed along, I have been thinking
what the people of our State would do, if they could not
find religion except by seeking it in our Church ?"
Letters received this year from the Rev. Mr Bronson, of
Vermont, shew that, in that distant portion of the Diocese,
notwithstanding the evils of war and the desolations of
pestilence, he was proving himself a faithful, active, and, to
T*
222 MEMOIR, &C.
K
some encouraging extent, successful laborer, under his be-
loved Diocesan.
In the spring of the year 1814, a triennial session of our
General Convention was held in Philadelphia ; at which
time Bishop Griswold preached before that body. It could
not, however, have been what is termed the Convention ser-
mon, or that delivered at the opening of the session ; inas-
much as it appears, from the journals of that and of the next
triennial session, that this opening discourse in 1814, was
preached by Bishop Hob art ; and that Bishop Griswold de-
livered the next before the Convention at New York, in
1817.
The great difficulty of obtaining clergy for the vacant pa-
rishes of his Diocese, and the necessity of employing lay-
readers, candidates for orders, in their stead, are matters, to
which I have already alluded. I have also referred to the
peculiarly strong inducement, which was found in New Eng-
land tastes and habits, and under which candidates for
orders were repeatedly led to assume something of the min-
isterial character, in violation of the 19th Canon of 1808.
These facts, it seems, at length attracted notice, and called
forth an official expression of the Bishop's views on the
subject. The following communication from him to one of
his candidates is quite characteristic, and shews that, though
he did not place Ecclesiastical and Scriptural Canons on the
same ground of authority, yet he knew how as well to en-
force the former as to expound the latter.
" Bristol, July 19th.
" Dear Sir, Your letter of the 15th inst. I
have just now received, and am set down to return you an
answer.
" Your subject is, the difficulties of complying with the
restrictions of Canon 19th. Without any reference to its
merits, or the expediency of such a rule, it would be suffi-
cient to observe, that I have no power to alter or dispense
with it, but am bound by it no less than yourself. But, give
me leave to add, that nothing, which I have ever seen or
LETTER TO A LAY-READER, &C. 223
heard, has more clearly evinced the propriety of that Canon
than your letter.
"As to what you say of l a number accused of irregular-
ity,' I can only answer that I had not heard of the accusa-
tion ; though I fear, from what you write, thai there is too
much ground for one. I have no recollections that the
Canon has been violated in my presence, or that any regular
complaint against any one for such violation has been made ;
and in your supposition of my previous knowledge of the
irregularities, which you report, you are much mistaken.
" Respecting the custom in Boston, and what has been
heretofore practiced, I would briefly state, what probably
you already know, that there has been, among the clergy of
this Diocese, some difference of opinion respecting the con-
struction of that Canon ; and it was by some deemed ex-
pedient to postpone a rigorous enforcement of it till the
meeting of the General Convention, when its true intention
might be ascertained. This has since been done. No doubt
can now remain with any one.
" We do not question your being ' entitled to a gown.'
The Canon only forbids your wearing it when performing
Divine Service ; and the reason of this prohibition I should
suppose you must know ; though what you next add implies
the contrary. You assign, as a reason for going into the
pulpit, its being less sacred than other places, as though the
object of the Canon were, to prevent the candidate's profan-
ing the place in which he officiates. Can you then be igno-
rant that the design of the Canon is to prevent the evil (and
'tis no small or uncommon one) of the people's making no
distinction between clergymen and lay-readers ?
" Respecting what you say, or mean to insinuate from the
fact, that certain candidates wore gowns at the consecration
of St. Mary's Church, Newton, 'tis sufficient to observe that,
if the whole congregation had seen fit to appear in gowns, it
would have been no infringement of the letter, whatever it
might have been of the spirit of the 19th Canon.
" I rejoice at your declaration that, for yourself, you have
no hostility to the restriction ; for there is reason to fear that
224 MEMOIR, &C.
some might be actuated, in such case, by a vanity of making
a clerical appearance, totally repugnant to that meekness,
truth and simplicity, which are most essentially necessary to
the Christian character.
" As to your apprehensions of an unfavorable effect on
the Church, I think that such effect may be prevented by a
fair explanation of the matter, being careful to suggest no-
thing to prejudice the people's minds.
" You speak of my being surprised of hearing at a can-
didate's procuring a gown. I acknowledge myself, indeed,
truly surprised at the following words from your letter ; ' I
fear the people of — Church will not consent to hear
preaching from the desk, and pay so dear/©?* it as they now
do.' If these things are so, if the parishioners of—
Church think that you are authorized to preach, and that
you do preach ; and if they are paying you a salary on that
supposition ; — you certainly must see the propriety of the
Canon in question. You ought long since to have informed
them better. To suffer them to remain in ignorance on such
a point, and still more to do any thing to confirm them in it,
would be, on many accounts, very unjustifiable. What is it
— short of profiting by deception ? I request you now to
inform the Vestry and Wardens of Church, (by
shewing them this letter or otherwise) that candidates for
orders, so called in our Church, are considered students in
Divinity ; — that their reading prayers and a printed sermon
occasionally is an indulgence for their convenience ; that
their business is, to prepare for examination, when, if they
are found qualified and desire it, they may be regularly li-
censed to preach ; and that, at present, you have no more
authority to preach than any one of the congregation.
" I have great respect as well as affection for the people
in , and am sure that their good sense will teach
them that 'tis reasonable, (in our church as it is in other
churches) that a candidate should go through with his regu-
lar studies and examinations before he is licensed to officiate
as a minister of Christ. Can you believe that these en-
lightened people will blame me for not sending one into
LETTER TO A LAY-READER, &C. 225
their pulpit to preach, whom I have never examined, who
has never offered himself to me for examination, and of
whose qualifications I am almost totally ignorant ? I desire
particularly that Messrs. , and , may
see this letter, that we may prevent these apprehended evils.
Let these worthy gentlemen know the rules of our Church,
and the reasons of them, and they will cheerfully acquiesce ;
and if they prefer you as their future minister, they will wil-
lingly wait the time of your necessary preparation for the
sacred office.
" You state that the prospects of the Church in
were fair before this prohibition. But you cannot surely be
ignorant that the same prohibition, without the least altera-
tion, has existed for six years, and long before you offered
yourself as a candidate. Your hopes, expressed, of organi-
zing that Church, I do not understand, seeing that it has
been organized for many years. Should you, through the
Divine blessing, be made the instrument of its growth in
piety and numbers, we shall rejoice and bless" God. What
you mean by your intention of being ' governed entirely by
the feeling of the people,' and your willingness to submit to
the regulations of the Church, so Jar as you can do it with
propriety, will, with some other things, require explanation.
"As to your receiving orders within the year, the Bishops,
with whom I consulted, were clearly of opinion that it is not
in such case admissible : besides, as I once told you, it is
scarce possible, with the closest application, that you can go
through with the requisite studies in a less time.
"You express a willingness to 'make any personal sacrifi-
ces' for the benefit of that people ; which is very laudable :
but I must charitably suppose, though against the most obvi-
ous sense, that you do not reckon forbearing to wear a gown
and appear in the pulpit, as one among the number of such
sacrifices. From what Christian motives could you wish to
do it ? Should any, as you fear, leave our Church on this
account, it will be a great grief and add to the painful cares,
which are daily accumulating upon me. The Lord's will be
done. I desire the prayers of every member of our Church
226 MEMOIR, &C.
that I may be guided by His wisdom, and faithful to my
duty. But I trust in God, that no pious Christian, who is
from principle attached to our Church, will leave it for so
very trivial an objection, or from a disappointment of the
vanity of appearing as a clergyman before he is one. That God
may direct your heart and your studies to better things than a
vain show, and prepare you to become an able, faithful and
successful minister of His Word, and true to your duty, is the
prayer of
Yours, affectionately,
Alexander V. Griswold."
If there was ever a case, in which authority was used
without arrogance, or keen but holy rebuke administered to
one, who evidently needed it, I think we have it in the above
letter ; and if the candidate, who received it, was not made
better by it, he gave, to himself at least, good evidence that,
for whatever other calling he was qualified, he was mistaken
in supposing himself called and qualified to enter the minis-
try of the Gospel.
In the course of the foregoing letter, allusion is made to the
consecration of St. Mary's Church, Newton. This was one
of the new and interesting parishes, which arose soon after
the consecration of Bishop Griswold, and which, in a few
years, was settled under the care of its present faithful and
useful Rector, the Rev. A. L. Baury.
The new parish in Greenfield was rapidly rising in pros-
perity, as appears from the following passages in a letter to Mr.
Strong, who afterwards became its Rector. I give this letter, as
I would all others from its author, with the remark that, when-
ever, in his correspondence with his clergy, he touches on
important subjects, his own language is a better contribution
to his memoirs, than any which his biographer could use ;
inasmuch as in it we see the good Bishop still alive, and hear
him, "though dead, yet speaking."
" Bristol, August 9, 1814.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — I have received your favor of the
19th ult., and most sincerely thank you for the information,
LETTERS TO THE REV. T. STRONG. 227
which it gives. The prosperous state of that young parish
and its increase, for the time, are very wonderful. Much
praise is due to that people for their active zeal in this pious
work; and 'tis a subject of great thankfulness to God, whose
favor and blessing have crowned their labor with such suc-
cess. * * * ***** Th e
method of teaching in your sermons, which you mention as
having adopted, I think judicious and most likely to have a
good effect. The government, worship and discipline of the
Church are important to be taught the people, as their case
may require ; but the doctrines of the Church, or (which I
conceive to be the same) of the Gospel, are most essential.
If their hearts be first renewed unto faith and well established
in the doctrines of the Cross, they will feel as well as see the
excellence of our Liturgy and gladly receive and support an
Apostolic ministry. *******
" It will be proper that you should prepare the people for
confirmation, that they may be in readiness, whenever we
are able to attend to its administration. Though the fitness
of persons for receiving that rite depends, chiefly, on their
knowledge of religion and their pious affections, yet, it will
seldom occur, that any can be deemed of sufficient age and
understanding for so solemn a devotion of themselves to God,
till the age of fourteen. Generally speaking, those qualifica-
tions, which would fit them to receive baptism, will fit them
for confirmation. And 'tis to be desired that those, who
have been confirmed, should be prepared, the sooner the
better, to come to the Lord's Supper. Yet, it may in some
cases be prudent and proper to confirm those, whom Ave
would wish, for a little while, to delay their communing,
especially in the case of very young persons, that we may
have further evidence of their faith and stability.
**********
I am, with esteem,
Yours respectfully,
Alexander V. Griswold."
The Rev. Titus Strong.
228 MEMOIR, &C.
The Biennial Convention of the Eastern Diocese met this
year at Portsmouth, N. H. ; but its business was unimport-
ant. The Bishop's address, though longer than his former
at Newport, was still brief and modest, recording with grati-
tude to God all the encouragements, with which he had met
in the condition of his Diocese, especially in the rise of the
two new parishes, to which I have referred, and in the favor-
able beginning of the " Easter collections ;" but passing over
in silence the many discouragements, by which he was
beset.
The incidents, which can be gathered to illustrate this
period in the memoir, in addition to the mere details of the
Journals of Conventions, are but few. The following parts
of a correspondence with the Rev. Mr. Strong of Greenfield,
however, will be read with some interest :
" Bristol, 24th January, 1815.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — Your letter, of December 30th, has
not only relieved me of some degree of painful anxiety, but
also given me great pleasure. I had feared that some unfa-
vorable events might check the zeal of that parish and dis-
courage your settling with them. How great then must be
the satisfaction of learning, that their zeal in so good a work
remains unabated, that their number still increases, and chief-
ly that the business of your settlement is agreed upon. Did
the same laudable zeal inspire the scattered members of our
communion throughout this Diocese, soon, we may trust,
would our Church assume that rank and dignity amongst us,
to which, by her sound doctrines and apostolic order, she is
so well entitled.
" As to the opposition, with which you meet, 'tis much to
be deplored that enmity should exist among those, who name
themselves of Christ ; but what we deem the truth of God
we must teach and maintain. Let it be done, however,
with meekness and charity: render not evil for evil, nor rail-
ing for railing ; but rather put to silence all opposition by
well doing; by exhibiting in your lives and conduct the
superior excellence of our holy faith. What notice ought to
LETTERS TO THE REV. T. STRONG. 229
be taken of the sermons which you mention, can better be
determined when they come abroad. We may well suppose
that Mr. Olds has urged nothing against Episcopacy but
what has been a hundred times refuted. But, considering
what has so often happened, we shall not be surprised if the
same things are again advanced with the same vain confi-
dence of boasting, and read by the ignorant with the same
avidity, as if they neither had been nor could be answered.
Should it be expedient, the Lord permitting, a suitable an-
swer to the sermons in question will be found. *
*******
" That you are sensible of the vast importance of the min-
isterial office, and the awful responsibilities of a Christian
Ambassador, is much to be commended. Let it humble, but
not discourage you. Let us devoutly look to him, who alone
' is sufficient for these things.' The Lord, we trust, has al-
ready blessed your labors, and shewn you the way to further
usefulness in His holy vineyard. Go on, then, with confi-
dence that He, who has begun a good work in you, will finish
it. Improve the talents given you. l Do the work of an
Evangelist ; make full proof of thy ministry :' and remember
that ' they that have used the office of a Deacon well, pur-
chase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in
the faith, which is in Christ Jesus.'
Your friend and brother,
Alexander V. Griswold."
The Rev. Titus Strong.
This letter was written in view of Mr. Strong's ordination
as Presbyter ; and it is a model of fatherly affection and of
apostolical faithfulness. It shews that its writer knew how
to commend as well as how to rebuke ; how to encourage as
well as how to instruct. What his subsequent view was of
Mr. Olds' attack on the Church, we shall see from a subse-
quent letter to Mr. Strong, written after the threatened publi-
cation had been made.
" Bristol, September 12th, 1815.
" Rev. and dear Sir, — I most sincerely thank you for your
230 MEMOIR, &C.
letter of the 4th August, containing an account of the state
of the new parish at Montague. I was much pleased with
those of them, whom I saw at Greenfield. They appeared
to be sensible, judicious, intelligent Christians, who acted
conscientiously and not without due consideration. * * *
I would certainly advise them to continue to meet for divine
service every Lord's day ; and also in their private devo-
tions to pray the Lord of the harvest to guide them with His
wisdom, and to send faithful laborers into that part of His
vineyard. I wish you to help them to suitable sermons for
public reading ; such as are calculated equally to mend the
heart and enlighten the understanding. * * * *
" I wish you, at present certainly, to consider them as
under your care and inspection, and that you will give them
all the counsel and assistance which shall be consistent with
your duty to your own parish. * * * They
are near you. Providence has thrown them under your care ;
and not to afford it would be barbarous. There is no other
clergyman at present, to whose care we can commend them.
" With respect to Mr. Olds' sermons, or book, 'till it shall
be found of serious injury to us, let him and his people en-
joy in quiet their imaginary triumph. To answer him is no
difficult thing. It would require indeed little more than to
repeat what has been many times written. The trouble and
expense of a religious controversy are serious evils. And if
it were to be prosecuted with the same bitter and uncharita-
ble spirit, with which Mr. 0. has commenced, the injury to
the general cause of religion would be much more serious.
The temptation to reply when so provoked is, I am sensible,
strong, and requires much self-denial ; but there are times
and occasions, when it is our duty to suffer reproach in the
cause of truth. May the Lord direct us, in this and in all
things, to that which shall best promote His glory and the
prosperity of His Church. * * * *
" Be assured that, with sentiments of esteem and respect,
I remain, your friend and brother,
Alexander V. Griswold."
The Rev. Titos Strong.
PROPOSED REMOVAL TO CAMBRIDGE. 231
These are sentiments on the subject of religious contro-
versy, which, under all ordinary circumstances, it would be
well for the whole body of the Church to adopt and carry
into practice. " The trouble and expense of such controversies'''*
had, in general, better be bestowed on a peaceable effort to
spread the blessings of a Gospel of love.
In the anxiety and tender care, which the Bishop ex-
presses for the little flock at Montague, we see with what
joy he hailed, and with what assiduity he sought to nurse
into an abiding and heavenly flame, every new spark of life
and growth, however feeble and faint at first, and in what-
ever part of his Diocese it appeared. He exhibits, too, sound
Christian wisdom in sending that little flock to secret prayer,
for a faithful and spiritual ministry among themselves. They,
who really pray thus for such a ministry, will never knowing-
ly take up with any other.
I have already alluded to the desire felt by many that the
Bishop should reside nearer the centre of his Diocese, and to
the result of the effort which was made to induce his removal
to Salem. In the Spring of the year 1816, a further effort,
originating in the same cause, was made to secure his settle-
ment in Cambridge. The small, but important parish in
that town was now vacant ; but being unable of itself to sup-
port the Bishop as its rector, the friends of the Church, in and
about Boston, took measures to secure such a salary as would
be sufficient for that purpose ; and on the 21st of April,
Judge Tyng wrote to the Bishop in their behalf, and by way
of preparing him for a call from the Vestry. Portions of the
correspondence, which ensued, I shall give; not because
the removal contemplated was effected, or would have been
a splendid event, but because that correspondence gives an
interesting view of the Bishop's character, and shews the
direction in which his Diocese was moving. He evidently
received the overtures through Judge Tyng with favor ; for,
on the 2d of May, he wrote to his brother-in-law, Howard
Mitchelson, that he had in contemplation the removal of his
family to Cambridge, although he had not as yet determined
232 MEMOIR, &.C.
on such a step. His answer to Judge Tyng discloses, to a
careful reader, the same state of mind. It is dated,
"Bristol, May 3d, 1816.
" Dear Sir, — I had the honor of receiving your favor of the
21st of April, and return you cordial thanks for the kind and
interesting information, which it contains.
" That the Church in Cambridge is very small I had sup-
posed ; that more vigorous measures are in operation for its
future prosperity is a subject of gratulation. May the Lord
give them success. That those measures have not been
adopted with unanimity is, however, very much to be re-
gretted.
" Respecting my removal to Cambridge I shall affect no
reserve, but answer with that frankness of communication,
which both the manner and the subject of your letter require.
I consider myself as devoted to the service of the Churches
in this Diocese, and bound certainly to do whatever shall be
in my power to promote their interest and prosperity. Nor
can it be denied, that a more central situation would apparent-
ly enable me to perform the duties of a Diocesan with more
facility and convenience, both to myself and to the Churches.
Were I less engaged in parochial duties, and in a situation
to bestow more of my time in visiting the various parts of the
Diocese, my time, we may reasonably suppose, w T ould be
more profitably bestowed. It must also be allowed, that
Cambridge is sufficiently central and convenient. But, still,
to my removal thither there are several obstacles, and some
of serious consideration. That of the least weight is my
private interest, which, from the preculiarity of my situation,
must suffer very considerably by a removal from this place :
nor can I reasonably expect to find another situation so con-
venient for my family, as the one, which I now possess.
But of these things, I am sensible, little account should be
made.
" A point of much more serious importance to my feelings
is the separating from a people, with whom for many years
PROPOSED REMOVAL TO CAMBRIDGE. 233
I have lived in the most perfect harmony, and whose very
great and uniform kindness, to me and mine, have engaged
me to them with the most tender ties of gratitude and affec-
tion. Should it be urged in reply, that private feelings ought
no more than private interests to interfere in a matter of more
public concern, I have to add very serious apprehensions,
that the Church here in Bristol would suffer in consequence
of my leaving them. Being already bound to them as their
minister, my heart revolts from a separation against their con-
sent ; nor would it consist with my duty to leave them un-
supplied.
" Supposing that they may be satisfactorily supplied with
another minister, it would remain only to consider my pros-
pects of a maintenance in Cambridge, To those generous
friends, who have offered to contribute for my benefit, as
also to those, who have already done it, I am under the
greatest obligations ; and it is my daily prayer that the Lord,
who is able, may bless and reward them. You can, better
perhaps than myself, judge what will be the ordinary ex-
pense of a large family in that place : not less, I suppose,
than in Boston. To myself, it is less painful to suffer almost
any privation than to burthen my friends. We, who are
dependent on the gratuitous contributions of Chrfstian people,
should be content with such style of living as they judge fit
and becoming. I have little doubt, while the Lord shall
preserve my health, of being able to clothe and feed my
family with the sum, which you mention. But, whether it
would be possible, with the most rigid economy, to live in
such a manner as would there be thought respectable and
decent, my friends in that vicinity are best able to judge.
Should it be the Lord's will that I reside among them, my
chief concern in these things will be, not to disgrace them ;
my careful endeavor, that nothing bestowed upon me be
needlessly wasted ; and my confidence, that they will not
expect what is impossible, nor be offended with a plainness
and frugality which must be necessary.
"The time, we may hope, is not far distant, though prob-
ably beyond my day, when the funds of our Church shall
u*
234 MEMOIR, &C.
place the Bishop of this Diocese in a situation for greater
usefulness. Till such time arrives, the most retired situation
for his residence is perhaps the best. But this must be as
the will of the Lord and the voice of His people shall direct.
My desire is, to spend my few remaining days among the
kind friends, who here surround me ; but I hold myself in
readiness to go whithersoever duty and the good of the
Churches may call me. And whatever shall be determined,
of one thing be assured, that
I am, with affection and respect,
Your friend and humble servant,
Alexander V. Griswold.
Dudley A. Tyng, Esq.
The apprehension, expressed in this letter, that his private
interests would suffer by a removal from Bristol, arose, it is
presumed, simply from the necessity, to which such a removal
would subject him, of selling at a sacrifice the house and
garden in Bristol, which he had contrived by his little
savings to purchase, and which, with his skill and industry
in horticulture, were vastly more available to the support of
his family than they could be made by either sale or rent.
Still, his letter, on the whole, makes it evident that, though
a removal threatened to involve pecuniary loss, and, what
was vastly more regarded, a most painful sacrifice of feel-
ings, yet he desired, and perhaps expected, to settle in Cam-
bridge. But, the letter is valuable chiefly as shewing the
modest views, which he entertained, of the style becoming
a Bishop in the Church of Christ. He desired indeed what
would not disgrace the friends among whom he might be
called to move. But of the style, which men of the world
affect, he thought little, and for it cared less. He deemed
that the honor and dignity of the Bishopric were best sus-
tained by holiness of life, and a self-sacrificing devotion to
its duties. His reference, too, to the future prospects of the
funds of the Church, shews that, at this time, he expected
the Eastern Diocese would live after himself, and that he
should have a successor in the Bishopric, which he filled.
PROPOSED REMOVAL TO CAMBRIDGE. 235
Upon the receipt of his letter by Judge Tyng, the parish
in Cambridge proceeded to call him to its rectorship ; and
on the 8th of May the wardens of the parish, Abraham
Bigelow and W. D. Peck, communicated the result in a
very appropriate letter of invitation. The salary, which
with the aid of friends and the fund, they were enabled to
offer him, was $1500. And, as will be seen by the follow-
ing extract from their letter, they urged his acceptance of
the call on the ground, that it was the wish of his Diocese
no less than that of their parish. They say :
" While these prospects have emboldened us to make the
request, which is the object of this address, we cannot avoid
the observation, that they also imply a general wish of the
Diocese that it may meet your approbation and concurrence.
Although the parish have been principally induced to adopt
this measure from a desire of their own religious and moral
improvement, under your pastoral care, yet they cannot but
indulge the idea, that your local situation here will afford you
opportunity for an increased usefulness in the discharge of
your Episcopal functions, from the vicinity of many churches
to this place, and the easy and frequent means of communi-
cation to be enjoyed here with every part of the Diocese.
We may also be permitted to recollect, in this connexion,
the large and valuable library of the University here estab-
lished, to which you will have free access, and the society
of learned and amiable men employed in the government
and instruction of that Institution."
The Diocesan reason for his removal, urged in this extract,
was doubtless that, which influenced his mind, both as a
Bishop and as a Christian, in his wish to settle in Cam-
bridge ; though there need be no doubt that, so far as the
literary advantages, which were offered by such a settlement
might be allowed to operate on him as a man, they had in
his case an uncommon degree of weight. The first step,
which he took in the business, was to return an answer to
the letter from the wardens, intimating that their proposal
demanded " mature consideration," and proposing to visit
them in the course of a few weeks with a view to " a more
236 MEMOIR, &C.
decisive answer." In the mean time, his next step was to
lay the subject of the call before his own Vestry in Bristol.
This, however, brought forth so strong an expression of feel-
ing from the parish, and disclosed such strength in the ties,
which bound him there, that he ultimately relinquished the
project of a removal. And yet, he had evidently excited so
strong an expectation of his removal, in Cambridge and in
Boston, that he felt it would be extremely unpleasant to re-
turn a positive refusal of the call ; and thus it appears to
have remained an undecided matter for at least a year. His
Vestry, indeed, held a meeting as soon as the call was laid
before them, at which, while they expressed the strongest
reluctance to a separation, they offered to release him from
further correspondence with the Cambridge parish, and
avowed an undoubting conviction of their ability to satisfy
the wardens of that parish that the removal, which they
sought, ought not to take place. Still, when they had thus
induced him to relinquish his purpose of removal, his Vestry
themselves appear to have dropped the matter, and left the
parish in Cambridge for a twelve-month in a state of uncer-
tainty, which was finally terminated by the Bishop himself.
In the year 1814, the Bishop, in addition to his address
to the Convention of his Diocese assembled in Portsmouth,
N. H., delivered a charge to his clergy, noticed in the Journal
of that Convention, as "a solemn and excellent charge."
This was subsequently published, with "a Pastoral letter"
prefixed ; and, being sent to England, was very favorably
noticed in the Missionary Register of the Church Missionary
Society, for 1816 and 1817. A considerable portion of this
Pastoral letter and charge, was on the subject of the mission-
ary duty of our Church : and as the part, which Bishop Gris-
wold modestly bore in our early missionary organization, is
not generally known, and especially as he has been unjustly
suspected of indifference to the cause of Foreign Missions, it
will be well to present here some portions of the correspond-
ence, in which he was about this time engaged ; together
with some of the notices of his Pastoral letter and charge,
which were taken in the London Missionary Register.
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 237
The correspondence referred to was opened by the Rev.
Josiah Pratt, the able and excellent Secretary of " the Church
Missionary Society," London, by a sort of circular letter, ad-
dressed to " several of the leading members of the Episco-
pal Church in the United States," dated in August 1815,
and designed to awaken attention to the work of missions in
this Church. To this letter it would seem that Bishop Gris-
wold was the only man, whose answer had been received,
when the Missionary Register for 1816 was issued. The
following notice of this matter is found on pages 367, 368,
of that work, for the year 1816.
" The Secretary of the Church Missionary Society having
addressed letters, accompanied by various publications, as
has been already stated in our abstract of the report, to
several of the leading members of the Episcopal Church in
the United States ; the Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, the
Rt. Rev. Dr. Griswold, has returned an answer, which,
with its accompanying documents, will be read with great
pleasure by every friend of the missionary cause."
To this notice, the Register appends the answer from
Bishop Griswold, as follows :
"Bristol, State of Rhode Island, July 17, 1816.
"Rev. and dear Sir, — Your much esteemed favor of
August last has long since been received, with the books ex-
plaining the objects and proceedings of the Church Mission-
ary Society : for which favor be pleased to accept, for your-
self and the Committee of that Society, my most cordial
thanks. Any like benefits, in future, will be gratefully ac-
cepted ; and will, no doubt, contribute much to the promo-
tion of zeal and godliness in this part of the Lord's vineyard.
" It is with us a subject of great joy and thankfulness to
the Father of mercies, that the Church of England is rising in
her strength, and putting on her beautiful garments ; that a
spirit of zeal for the cause of truth and the extension of the
Redeemer's kingdom, is apparently increasing within the
pale of the establishment ; and that your Zion is becoming
the joy, as it has long been the admiration, of the whole earth.
238 MEMOIR, &C.
" I herewith send you a Pastoral Letter to the Churches,
and a Charge addressed to the clergy, of this Diocese ; which
are not otherwise worth your perusal, than as they may give
you some information of the present state of religion in this
country, especially as relating to the subject of your commu-
nications.
"Most gladly would we unite with you, in sending mis-
sionaries to Africa and the East ; and hope that the time is
not far distant, when some of our pious young men will be
zealously disposed to engage in that interesting work. At
present, however, we have not funds, nor other means of
doing much in any missionary labor ; not even of supplying
the wants of our own country.
"It would never be credited on your side of the water,
what multitudes there are in these United States destitute of
the Gospel ministrations. Others there are, in still greater
number, who, though not wholly destitute, are but occasion-
ally and very imperfectly supplied. In any labors of this
kind, and in every thing, which will promote the cause of
piety and godliness in this, or in any other country of the
earth, we will most cordially co-operate with you, so far as
our means and power will permit ; and a correspondence
upon this subject with the Committee of the Church Mis-
sionary Society, will be highly pleasing to our Church
here.
" The Protestant Episcopal Church is, we have good rea-
son to believe, rapidly increasing here ; not only in numbers,
but, in what is far more desirable, inward piety and zeal for
God. Religious prejudices, which heretofore have operated
very much to our disadvantage, are happily diminishing, and
giving place to a more Catholic and Christian spirit of chari-
ty and zeal. May this spirit increase, till it fill the world,
and all mankind see the salvation of our God and Saviour.
I have the honor to be, with much respect and esteem,
Your sincere friend, and brother in the Lord,
Alexander V. Griswold,
Bishop of the Eastern Diocese, in the States of Massachu- )
setts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont." S
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 239
Having thus introduced the Bishop to its readers, the
Missionary Register proceeds in the Vol. for 1816, and in that
for 1817, to give large extracts from the pastoral letter and
charge, quoting those parts, which touch specially the Mission-
ary subject. These extracts are prefaced with commendatory
remarks, which I will here insert, because they shew not only
the early interest, which Bishop Griswold felt in the cause of
Missions, but also that the impulse, which put in motion our
first Missionary organization, came, in no small measure,
from the London Church Missionary Society. For the ex-
tracts, themselves, which the Register makes from the Bi-
shop's pastoral letter and charge, the reader is referred to
these documents in the Appendix at the close of this work.
They will be found in the paragraphs, which relate to the
cause of Missions.
The Missionary Register of 1816 thus introduces its ex-
tracts from the pastoral letter :
" We subjoin some extracts from this address ; and shall,
in a future number, give such parts of the Bishop's charge
as relate to the subject of Missions.
" These indications of a growing and conscientious regard
to the great duty of Missions must be noticed with gratitude
to the Giver of all good things." — (Miss. Reg'r. for 1816,
p. 368.)
In the Vol. for 1817, it prefaces its extracts from the
charge thus more at large :
" In the number for September, we printed a letter to the
Secretary of the Church Missionary Society from the Rt.
Rev. Dr. Griswold, Bishop of the Eastern Diocese of the
United States, with a pastoral letter of the Bishop.
" We proceed to lay before our readers, as we promised,
such parts of the Bishop's charge to his clergy, as relate to
the subject of Missions. They cannot fail to excite a lively
hope, that the Episcopal Church of America will take her
share in the benevolent exertions of the Christian world, to
bring the heathen to the knowledge of the Gospel. This
great cause cannot i:i vain be pleaded so ably and so
240 MEMOIR, &C.
eloquently by a Christian Bishop with his clergy and his
people.
"Most heartly should we rejoice, if the just animadver-
sion of the Bishop on our own Church, for the tardiness,
with which her discipline is communicated to our colonial
possessions, may beheardno more."' — (Miss. Reg'r. for 1817,
p. 570
Having written to the Rev. Mr. Pratt the foregoing
letter of July 17th, 1816, with its accompanying documents,
which draw forth these notices from the Church Missionary
Society, the Bishop, on the 24th of November of the same
year, addressed to the same gentleman another letter, in
which it probably was that he proposed to the notice of that
Society the young candidate for Missionary service, men-
tioned in the following paragraph from the Register for 1817 :
" ' The Committee having requested Sir Alexander,'
(Sir A. Johnston, the Chief Justice for Ceylon) ' to suggest
the most expedient method of introducing their labors in
Ceylon, he was pleased to forward, under date of July 18th,
a plan for establishing Free-schools at all the four principal
stations of Colombo, Galle, JafTnapatam and Trincomale.
" In order to accomplish this plan, the Committee have
resolved to send out four clergymen to act as Missionaries
and superintendents of schools at the said stations. They
have three of these clergymen in view ; and they have it
in contemplation to propose, the Rev. Joseph R. Andrus,
a young American clergyman of the Episcopal Church,
strongly recommended to them by the Rt. Rev. Bishop
Griswold, shall occupy the fourth station ; unless a fourth
English clergyman should offer ; in which case they will
still invite Mr. Andrus to proceed to Ceylon in order to co-
operate with the Missionaries of the Society." (Missionary
Reg'r. for 1817, p. 427.)
In the following paragraph from the Register for the same
year, the influence of the London Church Missionary So-
ciety on our first Missionary organization comes into view in
connexion with the agency of Bishops Griswold, and White
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 241
" It was stated in the last report, that letters had been ad-
dressed to several of the leading members of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in t/ie
hope of obtaining the co-operation of that Church in the work
of Missions. The Committee have much pleasure in reporting
that very encouraging answers have been received from the
Bishops of the Eastern Diocese and of Philadelphia,"
(Pennsylvania) " which will lead, as we trust, to an in-
crease of Missionary exertions among the members of the
Episcopal body.
" In furtherance of this object, the Committee have sug-
gested the expediency of forming, in the Episcopal Church of
the United States, a Missionary Society for the advancement of
the kingdom of Christ among the heathen ; and have autho-
rized Bishop Griswold to draw on this Society for the sum
of <£200, as an encouragement to its own exertions, and in
full persuasion that those exertions will be, as they are daily
felt to be in this country, a blessing to those who make
them, as well as to those, towards whose immediate benefit
they are directed. The Committee have also suggested the
propriety of the Rev. -Mr. Andrus, before mentioned, pro-
ceeding to Ceylon, under the patronage of the Society to be
so formed ; in the hope, that the maintenance by the Institu-
tion of a pious and exemplary Missionary among the hea-
then will not only call forth the liberal contributions of the
members of the American Episcopal Church in support of
the funds, but excite their prayers for its success, and in-
duce other clergymen to follow his example." — (Missionary
Reg'r. for 1817, p. 434.)
The following is the communication from the Society to
Bishop Griswold, referred to in the above paragraph :
" Church Missionary House, i
London, July 31, 1817. $
" Rt. Reverend Sir, — Your letters of the 17th July and
24th November last were duly received. My very exten-
sive and important duties, as Secretary of the Church Mis-
sionary Society, have prevented me from writing before,
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242 MEMOIR, &C
gratefully to acknowledge the kindness, with which you had
received our communications, and to thank you for the im-
portant information, with which you furnished us.
" We take the present opportunity of sending you the
Registers for the year 1816, and all that have been published
this year. You will see by them, that we have availed our-
selves of such parts of your address and charge, as related
to Missionary subjects; and have communicated them, with
your letter to me, to our friends. We were anxious to shew
them, that the hearts of the members of the Episcopal
Church in America had been warmed in this holy cause,
" Your last letter brings before us a subject of great im-
portance. We are truly glad to hear that the Missionary
spirit is rising among pious members of the Episcopal
Church in America, and especially in the heart of such a
man as you represent Mr. Andrus to be. Since we received
your letter, his offer of himself has occupied much of our
thoughts ; and the Committee have been anxious to decide
on a plan, by which the proposal might be made most wide-
ly beneficial in promoting the cause of Christ.
" The Island of Ceylon has long been contemplated by
us as a very promising field of labor ; but from the pressing
calls to other stations, and not having a sufficient number of
Missionaries, and an adequate income to support them, we
have not, as yet, had it in our power to avail ourselves of
the great opening there. The Committee are now about to
send three or four English clergymen to Ceylon ; they will
probably sail in October, or November ; and it has appear-
ed to the Committee as the most promising station for Mr.
Andrus, and that he should go thither and labor with them.
" The Committee have thought, however, that the most
effectual way of raising the Missionary zeal in America
would be by the formation of a Missionary Society in the
Episcopal Church of the United States, which, however
small in its beginnings, might ultimately so increase as to
produce the most extensive good."
After speaking of a complete set of the Society's publica-
tions, which were sent as a present to Bishop Griswold, as
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 243
illustrative of the manner in which the Society interested its
patrons in England and secured regular contributions to its
funds, — the letter proceeds :
" Should the formation of an American Episcopal Mis-
sionary Society be accomplished, the Committee of the
Church Missionary Society authorise you to draw on me for
the sum of j£200, to encourage the contributions of the
friends of the Episcopal Church and of Christianity at large.
In this case, Mr. Andrus had better be sent to Ceylon un-
der the proposed Society, and be instructed to co-operate
with such of our Missionaries as may be fixed in that
Island."
With a reference to the information, which the Register
and Sir A. Johnston conveyed on the subject of the great
opening in Ceylon, the letter thus concludes :
" I need only in conclusion remark, that, after much ex-
perience, we have invariably found, that endeavors to excite
and foster a Missionary spirit at home have not only suc-
ceeded in their immediate object, but have been productive
of great collateral good to the places themselves. A spirit
of piety has been fostered and increased ; the friends of re-
ligion, till then little acquainted with one another, have
been brought together ; domestic charities have been greatly
enlarged ; and we have all found the truth of the declara-
tion ; ' There is that scattereth and yet increaseth.'
" We have written to the Bishop of Philadelphia on this
subject ; and also to Mr. Andrus, and Mr. Eaton.
I am, Right Reverend Sir,
With great respect and regard,
Your faithful servant,
Josiah Pratt, )
Sec'y Ch. Mis. Soc." \
Et. Rev. )
Bishop Griswold. £
On the 3d of Feb. 1818, Mr. Pratt again wrote to the
Bishop, informing him that the Society had sent the four pro-
posed clergymen to Ceylon from England, and urging again
the mission of Mr. Andrus from a Society of the Church in
244 MEMOIR, &C.
this country. Both these letters were answered by Bishop
Griswold in the following, dated,
" Bristol, (R. I.) November 16, 1820.
"Rev. and dear Sir, — The dates of your last two letters
of July 31st, 1817, and February 3d, 1818, both which, with
the books, were duly received, remind me daily how long I
have delayed the due acknowledgment of favors so very
obliging and acceptable. Several things have contributed
to this delay, which, if they do not wholly excuse, will at
least account for it. Among these, one of the chief has
been a hope continually cherished of being able to commu-
nicate some progress, or at least favorable prospects, in the
matter of forming the Society for Foreign Missions, so kindly
recommended by the Church Missionary Society in England,
and so much the subject of my own desire. Another cause
of this delay has been the ill state of my health, which, for
more than a year, has rendered it scarce practicable to attend
to the more urgent and necessary concerns of the Diocese
under my care. Through the goodness of God, I have
been now, for several months, convalescent, and may hope
for a complete restoration.
" After the meeting of the General Convention of our
Church early in May last, I wrote with the intention of giving
you advice of what we had done ; but through some negli-
gence the letter was never forwarded. Others wrote with
the same intention, from whom, no doubt, you learned that
the Convention in May last formed a Missionary Society, to
be designated ; ' The Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society
in the United States for Foreign and Domestic Missions.'
In compliance with the wishes of some individuals, Domestic
Missions are embraced ; but the main object of its promo-
ters is, the propagation of the Gospel in Foreign parts.
What progress has been made in collecting funds I am unable
to state. Should the Church Missionary Society think it
fitting, and find it convenient, to extend to us the aid, which
was once so liberally offered, it will be most thankfully ac-
cepted. Mr. Andrus, whose zeal in the good cause is in
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 245
no degree abated, has been engaged as a missionary and
agent for the Colonization Society on the coast of Africa, for
which field of labor he several weeks since departed. His
labors, we trust, will be much aided and more useful by
being conducted in concert with those of your Missionaries
on the coast.
" The publications of the Church Missionary Society do
much honor to the Institution, and must be extensively use-
ful. The Register contains much information, valuable as it
is interesting. I have received the numbers of that work
down to May, 1820, with the exception of five, of the year
1818, from August to December inclusive, which by some
mistake or accident have not come. The reports of the So-
ciety and its proceedings sufficiently evince the wisdom,
piety and zeal of its members ; and the success, which has
attended its efforts, is a gratifying evidence that your Society
takes the very first rank among the many blessed charities,
by which the Lord is doing His work. From the sure word
of prophecy, and the evident signs of the times, we are au-
thorized in the belief, that the wonderful exaltation of the
British Empire is, in the gracious purposes of God's Provi-
dence, intended to facilitate the extension of the Redeemer's
kingdom. The design of Providence, we may trust, is, that
those fleets, which distribute through the world the various
productions of nature and art, shall be freighted also with
the richer treasures of heavenly knowledge, even of the Gos-
pel of our salvation. From their various Societies for re-
ligious and charitable objects, from their many and liberal
contributions to every good enterprise, from the increasing
disposition of various denominations of Christians to unite
their efforts in propagating the faith of Christ, your people,
we may believe, are not insensible how much it is in their
power to accomplish in the spread of pure Christianity, and
what obligations are attached to their pre-eminence among
the nations of the earth.
" To this country also the Lord is pleased to extend his
blessings, both temporal and spiritual. He has many faith-
ful laborers in this part of His vineyard, and His work, we
x*
246 MEMOIR, &C.
trust, is still advancing. It is, however, not a little impeded
by the prevalence of unsound doctrines in one part of these
States, and of slavery in the other. The latter evil is evi-
dently increasing. The pertinacity, with which so large a
part of our citizens adhere to the slave-holding interest,
precludes the hope of this country's soon becoming what it
is so often and so absurdly called, ' a land of freedom.' The
next State to be admitted into the Union has a constitution
admitting negro slaves, but excluding those who are free.
We have reason to bless God that there is at least one
country on this globe, into which if a man steps his foot he
is sure not to be a slave.
" My gratitude is much engaged by your past favors.
Any further communications will be most thankfully re-
ceived,
I remain, Rev. and dear Sir,
Respectfully,
Your friend and humble servant,
Alexander V. Griswold."
The Rev. Josiah Pratt, \
Sec. C. M. Society. (
" The above answer," says the Bishop, " was much cor-
rected." But, in what the corrections consisted, I have no
means of ascertaining ; I have therefore given it from the
rough draft, which he left among his papers ; correcting only
here and there an expression, which he had marked for cor-
rection, and inserting the date in accordance with that
assigned it in the Rev. Mr. Pratt's reply ; which is as fol-
lows :
"Church Missionary House, 1
London, July 2d, 1821. \
" Right Rev. Sir, — I beg to acknowledge your favor of
Nov. 16lh, which reached us on the 12th ultimo, and to ex-
press the satisfaction of the Committee at this kind commu-
nication.
" We were apprized of the formation of ' the Protestant
CORRESPONDENCE WITH CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 247
Episcopal Missionary Society in the United States for Foreign
and Domestic Missions, by Bishop White and Mr. Boyd,
and we have already communicated to them the congratula-
tions of our Committee on this auspicious event.
" Our Committee will have much pleasure in affording to
your newly formed Society that friendly aid, which was
offered in my letter to you of July the 31st, 1817. I write by
this post to Mr. Boyd to apprize him, that he is authorized to
draw on me for j£200 sterling, to promote the effective es-
tablishment of the Society.
" We have received advices from our missionaries in
Sierra Leone to the date of the 31st of March. At that
period, Mr. Andrus and his fellow laborers had arrive 
