ously for nearly 24 hours, until he become quite wild. After continuing some time, in exciting labours in his own neighbourhood, he passed over into Connecticut," where the same spirit had been developed, and was producing disastrous results in many of the churches. "He soon became animated by a furious zeal," says Dr. Miller, in his life of Edwards, "and imagining that he was called to take a special lead in the work, he began to set at nought all the rules of Christian prudence and order, and to give the most unrestrained liberty to his fanatical feelings. He raised his voice to the highest pitch in public services, and accompanied his unnatural vehemence and cantatory bawling with the most vehement agitations of body. He encouraged his hearers to give vent, without restraint, both to their distress and their joy, by violent outcries, in the midst of public assemblies. When these

things prevailed among the people, accompanied with bodily agitations, he pronounced them tokens of the presence of God. Those who passed immediately from great distress to great joy, he declared, after asking them a few questions, to be converts; though numbers of such converts, in a short time, returned to their old way of living, and were as carnal, wicked, and void of experience, as ever they were. He openly encouraged his new converts to speak in public, and brought forward many ignorant and unqualified persons, young and old, to address large assemblies, in his own vehement and magisterial manner. He led his followers in procession through the streets, singing psalms and hymns. He was a great favourer of visions, trances, imaginations and powerful impressions, and made such impulses and inward feelings the rule of duty for himself and others. He claimed a kind of prescriptive right to sit in judgment on the character of ministers, and after examining them as to their spiritual state, in private, would often pronounce them, in his public prayers, to be unconvert. ed. Those who refused to be examined, were sure to suffer the same fate. He made his prayers the medium of harsh and often indecent attacks on ministers and others, whom he felt disposed, on any account, to censure. And in his barangues, he would inform the people that their ministers were unconverted, and tell them that they had as good eat ratsbane as hear an unconverted minister. On more than one occasion he publicly refused to receive the sacramental symbols, because he doubted the piety of the pastors. Congregations were exhorted to eject their ministers; and dissatisfied minorities were encouraged to break off and form new churches;

and in this, a number of congregations were greatly weakened and others nearly destroyed. In a number of churches, Mr. Davenport had his blind and servile imitators, who propogated and extended these disorders, and by their unhallowed mixtures with the work of grace filled the minds of many with prejudices against the whole, as fanaticism and delusion; made the very name of a revival odious in the ears of many intelligent Christians, and gave rise to multiplied evils, which, in two-thirds of a century afterwards, had not entirely disappeared."

It is also stated on good authority that "he declaimed much against pride in dress, which he styled idolatry; and on one occasion, at New London, he kindled a large fire at a place previously designated, and calling upon his followers to come forward and destroy their idols, not only many useless ornaments, but numerous garments, and other valuable articles were committed to the flames. In a similar manner, under the guise of rooting out heresy, many books, and some of them of sterling excellence, such as Beveridge's and Flavel's works, were cast into the fire."

Of his manner of preaching, and the extravagant measures he pursued, the following description is given by Dr. Bacon :—

"He would work upon their fancy, till they saw, as with their eyes, the agony, and heard, as with their ears, the groans of Calvary, and felt as the Popish enthusiast feels, when, under the spell of music, he looks upon the canvass alive with the agony of Jesus. He would so describe the surprize, consternation and despair of the damned, with looks and screams of horror, that those who were capable of being moved by such representations, seemed to see the gate of hell set open, and felt, as it were, the hot and stifling breath, and the "hellflames" flashing in their faces. And if, by such means, he could cause any to scream out, he considered that as a sign of the special presence of the Holy Spirit, and redoubled his own exertions, till shriek after shriek, bursting from one quarter and another in hideous discord, swelled the horrors of the scene. In one instance, it is recorded of him as follows-this I suppose to be an exaggerated description of the manner in which he ordinarily proceeded, at the close of his sermon when he found sufficient encouragement in the state of his audience : "After a short prayer, he called for all the distressed persons (who were about 20) into the foremost seats. Then he came out of the pulpit, and stripped off his upper garments, and got into the seats, and leaped up and down some time, and clapped

his hands, and cried out in these words, "The war goes on, the fight goes on, the Devil goes down, the Devil goes down,' and then betook himself to stamping and screaming most dreadfully."

Although this deluded man did not enact his wildest extravagances in the churches of the island; yet even here, his labours were productive of many unhappy results. Dissentions and divisions were produced in many congregations, the effects of which are visible at the present day. And although some good was done and souls were hopefully converted, yet many prejudices against the work of grace were excited, and the enemies of the cross emboldened to blaspheme.

It is due to the memory of Mr. Davenport to add, that after pursuing this disorderly course for a few years, he became deeply sensible of the error of his ways, and published to the world an ingenuous confession; in which he acknowledges that "he had been influenced by a false spirit, in judging ministers; in exhorting their people to forsake their ministry; .in making impulses a rule of conduct; in encouraging lay-exhorters; and in disorderly singing in the streets." He speaks of burning the books and clothes at New-London, as matter for deep and lasting humiliation; and prays, that God would guard him from such errors in future, and stop the progress of those who had been corrupted by his word and example. This latter petition was not granted. He found that a careless child, or a reckless idiot could easily kindle a fire, that a thousand able bodied men could not control or extinguish. In such a world as this, it is much easier to do mischief, than to arrest its progress or prevent its consequences. And multitudes, who have once been set in motion, by one masterspirit, will continue to pursue their devious paths, and even denounce their leader, when he, convinced of his errors, begins to retrace his steps and attempts to lead them back to the path of duty.

Dr. Miller justly remarks, that "this case ought not only to be recorded, but to be kept before the public mind, as a salutary warning." Beside this, it forms an important element in the history of the Long Island churches.

This is the County town of Suffolk, bounded on the north by the Sound-on the east by Southold-on the south by Peconick Bay and River, and on the west by Brookhaven. The Court House is situated at the head of the Bay, near the south line of the town; and, till within a few years, was encircled by one continuous forest, with only a small cluster of houses in sight. It was one of the most cheerless landscapes that could meet the eye; having not a single bright point, except the stream of water flowing through the sand; nor any avenue to a fairer prospect, except a small opening in the woods produced by the head of the Bay.

The whole township is one of the most sterile in the county-only one third of its territory being capable of repaying the labor of cultivation. For 150 years it constituted a part of Southold, and was made a separate town by an Act of the Legislature, dated March 13th, 1792.

A settlement was commenced here, as early as 1690, by John Griffin and others, who erected a grist-mill, on the mouth of the River; but the increase of the inhabitants was very small for more than a century. In 1804, after this spot had been the seat of justice for the County almost 80 years, Dr. Dwight describes it as "a miserable hamlet containing about 10 or 12 houses," and "the Court House, a poor, decayed building."

The days of modern improvement have wrought a consider. able change here, as elsewhere. The village has been laid out into streets, and a large accession to the buildings, both public and private, has been made; till it presents quite an imposing appearance. Besides the Court House, three Churches and an Academy, there are about 70 private dwellings, and the village contains nearly 400 inhabitants.

This village being of very recent origin, no public buildings, except the Court House, were erected here, till within a few years. When this County was first formed, the Courts were held at Southampton and Southold.

In 1725 a Court House and Jail were erected here; and from that time, this has been the shire-town. It was formerly a sorry looking building, of contracted dimensions. The

Court and Jury rooms, and the cells for prisoners, were under the same roof. Within a few years, the Court House was remodeled and repaired; and a prison separate from the Hall of Justice erected.

No house appropriated to religious worship, nor even a church organization existed here till some 12 years ago. Previously to that time, occasional preaching by ministers of dif ferent denominations, was held in the Court Room.

In 1830, the Methodists commenced regular preaching here, and in 1833, a society of 9 members was constituted. A house of worship, 34 by 42 feet, was erected in 1834, and dedicated in the following year. The number of members is now about 100.

A Congregational Church was organised in Oct. 1934, consisting of 39 members, who formed part of a secession from the church of Upper Aquebogue, which will be more particularly noticed hereafter. They were first supplied by the Rev. Mr. Moser, until the spring of 1826. A Female Seminary, erected in 1835, afforded a convenient place of worship, which they occupied for several years. From May 1836, Mr. Gilbert supplied this church for one year, when he was succeeded by the Rev. Charles I. Knowles; who removed in 1844, and was succeeded in the spring of 1845, by the Rev. Mr. Brooks, who is now labouring here. This congregation is feeble and has been aided several years, by the Home Missionary Society.

In 1981, Elijah Terry, a respectable resident of this village, embraced the doctrine of Emmanuel Swedenborg and united himself with the New Jerusalem Church at Bating Hollow. On the 12th of May 1839, a church of this order, consisting of 10 members, was organised in this village. Their place of meeting is a comfortable building, which they have erected for the twofold purpose of public worship and a select school; both of which receive a very limited patronage. Until the past year, they have never enjoyed the stated labours of a minister; but since Nov. 1844, a Mr. Carll has divided his services between this place and Bating Hollow. Their present number of members is 9.

In regard to the morals of the village, there has been a very manifest improvement, within a few years, especially in regard to temperance, and the sanctification of the sabbath. There are few places in the land, in which the efforts of the friends of temperance have been crowned with more triumphant suc