Acts v, 38, 39. “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

ST. Matthew xv, 13. “But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”

When, in 1871, the Rev. Thomas Brinley Fogg preached the sermon commemorative of the 100th anniversary of the opening of this church, those were the texts which he used. It seemed to me that with the utmost propriety I could use them this morning, though this is not an anniversary sermon.

The last of the Colonial Churches in Connecticut! That is what Trinity Church in Brooklyn was. Organized in 1770, it had barely gotten under way when the long impending storm broke, the Revolution came, and Connecticut ceased to be a Colony. Henceforth, any parishes organized within its borders would be independent of the Mother Church of England.

I have always felt that a certain distinction rests upon our colonial parishes, the distinction of age—yes—but more than that the distinction of having come into being under the nurturing care of the Mother Church of England, and of having held allegiance to it until such time as in the progress of events that allegiance was no longer possible nor desirable. Of course there are those who would not regard that as a mark of distinction.

Now this old church has an interest quite its own, an interest arising from the manner of its founding, and above all an interest arising from those who have been associated with it. If in these annual services the history of the parish has often been dealt with, then I am in great danger of repeating what has been said already, and better said, but I shall have to take that chance, and stand the consequences, and so will you. The fact is, there is a good deal about the story of this parish that will bear repeating.

An article on the history of Trinity Church, Brooklyn, in the Churchman’s Magazine for June1 1814, begins in this way—“The history of Churches, as well as of individuals, affords many interesting and useful particulars.” That is a perfectly true statement and a perfectly safe one. Certainly the history of Trinity Church, Brooklyn, affords many interesting particulars, interesting rather than useful, and those interesting particulars center around the remarkable man who built this church.

It is not an uncommon thing to find, in the history of parishes, that some one man has been the prime mover in establishing them, and the inspiring force in maintaining them. But the connection of Colonel Godfrey Malbone with this church is as unusual as it is picturesque and romantic. And it is quite impossible to draw a picture of the first days of Trinity Church without getting a fairly clear picture of Colonel Malbone.

Of course in those early days the Puritans were strong throughout the State, and they were not disposed to relax that strength in their dealings with the Church of England people. They were not always mindful of their Shakespeare, when he says—

“O, it is excellent
To have a giant’s strength, but it is tyrannous
To use it like a giant.”

Well, now, Colonel Malbone was not the least bit afraid of giants, Congregational giants, that is. He was a devoted member of the Church of England, and as such wished to worship according to his tastes and beliefs. He was born in Newport, Rhode Island, and received his education at Queen’s College, Oxford. Upon his return to Newport he felt the need for more room, for the freedom of the open spaces. Malbone was not a man who liked restrictions, and so he acquired an extensive estate, the “Manor of Kingswood,” up here in Brooklyn, this “gentleman of fortune from Newport,” as he has been called.

He was now enjoying the freedom of the open spaces, but he was missing that form of worship to which he had been accustomed, and to a man of his training and tastes it was a real deprivation. You can’t evaluate that loss from the sentiment which is so prevalent to-day, that one Church is as good as another, that one form of worship is as good as another. We are not arguing the point, of course, but merely reminding you that whatever, in the last analysis, may be the truth, they did not think so, back in the early days, whether Churchman or Puritan.

It was bad enough to be deprived of the worship he liked, but it was doubly galling to be taxed to maintain services which he did not like, and so, early, Colonel Malbone with others took steps to procure a church of his own. He consulted his friends in Boston. The Rev. John Troutbeck, assistant to Dr. Caner in King’s Chapel, Boston, gave him scant encouragement, in a letter dated Dec. 26, 1769, not only in the matter of building a church, but also in the matter of his remaining there in the country. Listen to these disheartening words:—“I shou’d certainly advise you not to spend the very best Part of your Days amongst the Savages, for the Rustics in this Part of the World are not much better than Indians. Of all the People that have left off Business in this Town, & retired to a Farm, I cannot recollect one that, has not suffered by it; & I cou’d mention several, who have died extremely poor. To have a thoro knowledge of the Business, & to be able to endure the Fatigue of a country Life, a Man shou’d begin in his Childhood. As it was not your Fortune to be brought up in the Country, you cannot be supposed to understand the Management of a Farm so perfectly as you shd do, & consequently you will be liable to be imposed upon & frequently at a loss how to proceed. In a few Years you will be less able to bear the Summer’s Heat, & Winter’s Cold: Your relish for the Pleasures of a Country Life, will abate; & I shall be much mistaken, if you will not be heartily tired of providing Food & Raiment for a Crowd of ungrateful Negroes; who, for the most Part, have some thing else
in view than their Master’s Interest.”

No doubt there is much truth in what Mr. Troutbeck says, but I do not think that he had taken the full measure, of his man. There is no answer to that letter in our files, perhaps no answer was returned. For our purpose, however, a sufficient answer may be found in subsequent events. He does refer to it in a letter to John Robinson, but does not seem to be disturbed by Troutbeck’s prognostications as to his certain failure as a farmer, and as to his certain tiring of country life. Nor is he the least bit disposed to relinquish his purpose to build a church.

And he was confirmed in this purpose, and hastened in its execution, by the action of the dissenters. They proposed to build a new meeting house, and inasmuch as he would have Jto bear his share of the expense, he did not feel that they needed a new meeting house. And his share of the expense would be heavy, because he was the most substantial man in the community. He sought advice from Mr. John Aplin, who lived at Plainfield, about six miles away. “This gentleman,” he says, “is a lawyer of the first note in New England, who hath lately removed up here from Providence. He told me, as their laws stood, I could not possibly help myself; and if these people had a mind to erect a square building this year, and to pull it down and build a round one next, I must submit to the expense, unless we either had a Church of our own, or get relief from England.”

That settled it so far as he was concerned, they would have a church of their own, and he proceeded at once with the enterprise. He subscribed 100 pounds himself and proceeded to get subscriptions from his friends. I suppose Colonel Malbone was his own architect, and the architect of this building, for in a letter to C. Paxton, dated Nov. 13, 1769, he says:—”I am but a poor architect: but from a recollection of other edifices of this kind I have executed a small plan, of 46 feet by 30, which will, I hope, be sufficient to answer our present purposes, and is as much, I am afraid, as we shall be able to get through with: and I am determined to set about providing the materials immediately, and getting them together, so as to be able to raise the building by May-day next, (1770), and finish it in such a manner, that we may conveniently meet to worship in it by the end of next summer. This I shall certainly accomplish, if the friends of the Church, and my own particular friends, favour me with that encouragement which I think, from their kindness, I have reason to expect.”

It was a heavy burden which Colonel Malbone had placed upon himself, but Colonel Malbone was a determined man. The people were poor and few in numbers, and Malbone had to bear much of the burden. The work was started, and in a letter to his brother John, dated March 13th, 1770, a letter which I think has never been printed, he says:—“Our timber for the Church is all cut & except, four Sticks, drawn to the spot. You must also except what is drawn to the Saw-Mill—The Non-Cons (Nonconformists) had a Society” Meeting last Week and voted a Tax of Nine Pence a Pound, on the Last August List, to be paid in, on the first Day of December next. Was ever any Thing So damned-Stupidly-barefaced?—It is evident to me the Scoundrells are cursed Fools, or they would quit their Nonsensical Practices in Religion—This Matter Must carry me infallibly to the General Assembly at Hartford in May next, where if we do not get Relief I am deter-minded, So help me God! to appeal to the King in council, where if I am not an over-Match for the Little Parish of Brookline, Adieu to all Religion, Friendship & every Virtue! To prepare the Way for this important Step, I have Scribbled, already, more Paper in three Months, than ever I did before, I was going to say, in twice as many years.” When Colonel Malbone wrote letters they were not polite, scrimpy little notes, but honest-to-goodness letters, not so diffusive, however, as to lack the Malbonian vigor.

Well, the church was completed and opened April 12th, 1771, by the Rev. John Tyler of Norwich, who preached the sermon, of which event some rhymster with ill-concealed sarcasm says;

“The man from Norwich did the chore
The like he never did before.”

One of the objections, perhaps the chief objection, which the Venerable Society raised to the building of the church, was the difficulty of procuring a Missionary. Col. Malbone thoroughly apprecia|ed that difficulty, but in the meantime some provision might be made until that deficiency could be met. As the Venerable Society had a.greecj not to establish any new Missions in New England it seemed rather hopeless, but Malbone, nothing daunted, went ahead. He was convinced of the justice of his undertaking, and then too he no doubt placed some confidence in his persuasive powers.

But now that the church was built and the little congregation established, Colonel Malbone had no intention of allowing the whole thing to collapse just because there was no missionary on the ground. Let us get the picture in his own words as he reports to the Secretary of the Venerable Society:—”I further esteem myself reprehensible that I have so far presumed to invade the sacred office of Priesthood as to read the entire Service of the Church (the Absolution excepted) together with a sermon every Sunday, to a moderate Number of Hearers, for near Ten Months; the last seven of which, owing to the Increase of the Audience, in the Reading Desk at the Church; the former Part of the Time at my own House. It was some Time before I could bring myself to determine upon this Step, but upon Consideration that our future Congregation were as ignorant of the Service as so many of the Iroquois, not above two or three of them, having ever seen a Common Prayer Book until my Removal hither, I thought, however averse I am to Lay-reading in general, the Intention of keeping these People together and instructing them in the Service, previous to the Establishment of a Missionary might, possibly, be justifiable.”

Well, I think the Society would grant him full absolution, and beyond that would be anxious to give him some sign of their appreciation of his work. And sure enough, shortly there came a letter from the Secretary of the Society in which he was informed that the Society had been prevailed upon to depart from its resolution, and had consented to make an allowance, tho’ a small one, yet the utmost They could possibly afford, & indeed more than in prudence They ought at present, for a missionary in your township of Pomfret, Plainfield, & Canterbury.”

In consequence of his application to Dr. Caner of King’s Chapel, Boston, “Mr Richard Mosley, who came out of England Chaplain to His Majesty’s Ship Salisbury, made his Appearance, at Pomfret on the 13 September last,” 1771, that is.

Colonel Malbone was eminently pleased with his “agreeable private Behaviour & Conversation”, with his preaching and his doctrines, and was certain that “he would be a very popular Preacher.” But Colonel Malbone was cautious. He wrote to Dr. Caner, saying that as “the Gentleman is a perfect stranger to me; and I never heard of nor saw him until this visit, and the Business is of too delicate and important a Nature for me to act upon of my own Head .. I must beg the Favour of You, provided You have discovered by a Residence of Eleven Months of Mr Mosely at Boston, that his moral Character and Qualifications perfectly correspond with the Rules established by the Society, that You will be pleased to recommend him to me in Form as a proper Person to fill up this Mission.”

But both Dr. Caner and Mr. Troutbeck his Assistant declined to do that, on the ground of the inadequacy of their personal knowledge of him. Apparently there was nothing against his moral character, nor against the genuineness of his Letters of Orders; still they were unwilling to recommend him as a “settled Incumbent” at Pomfret, and later events showed the wisdom of this caution.

The only explanation of that, so far as I am able to see, may be found in Dr. Caner’s letter, when he says:—”He had met with the Fate of all Strangers that came among us, to be censured for a Freedom and Openess which do not exactly correspond with our Manners or the Taste of the Country.” How things have changed! Fancy an Englishman being so free and open as to disturb the people out here in this free and open land!

You may think that under the existing conditions Colonel Malbone was a bit particular. No doubt he was. But he was quite right. Some of the ministers who came out here were not above reproach, unfortunately, and it was well to know something of their character before they were placed in charge of Missions. There were those in Pomfret who would have had a finer enjoyment of their breakfast, if only the doughty Colonel could have been humiliated through his parson. If for no other reason, therefore, he wished to get the right man, or in any event not to get the wrong one. But there was another reason, of course, and that because he was a Christian gentleman and a devoted Churchman.

Mr. Mosely remained in the parish about eight months, giving very great satisfaction on the testimony of Colonel Malbone himself. When he went there he had no intention of remaining any length of time. He was hoping for a chaplaincy and an early return to England. But he was pleased with his reception at Pomfret, liked the place, and in the end would have been glad to remain on there. But other plans had matured for the parish, plans involving his successor.

Certain clergymen had visited the parish and had spoken very highly of Mr. Daniel Fogg, a young man who had only recently received Orders, and who would well supply the Mission. He was a graduate of Harvard College and at the moment was in charge of the parish in Bath, North Carolina. Unlike Mr. Mosely there was no difficulty in getting specific recommendations as to his character from those who knew him well. Mr. Fogg lost no time in coming on to Pomfret.

Through no fault of his nor that of Mr. Mosely, but due rather to the slowness of communication, and if I may say so, to there being too many cooks for the broth, there was a misunderstanding which produced a delicate situation. Mr. Mosely wished to remain on, and he was justified in thinking that he might remain on; Mr. Fogg had arrived from North Carolina. What was to be done? Without dwelling on any of the details this was done, according to Colonel Malbone: “Mosely,” he says, “the best natured Man and the most ready to oblige, of any one I ever knew in my Life, though much agitated and chagrined at Fogg’s Appearance, resigned up the Mission to him with the greatest Equanimity.” And the Colonel dismisses the matter with the remark, “Thus ended this generous contest, which, in my Opinion, doth great Honour to each of the Parties”.

And now Mr. Fogg, is the settled Incumbent at Pomfret, and it is May 1772, just about a year since the church was opened, this church. Colonel Malbone was anxious tEat, if Mr. Fogg came to Pomfret, “he may be made acquainted with the Terms He is to expect from the Church”, because he did not wish him to be “surprised into a conduct which He may afterwards have Occasion to repent.”

And so in a letter to Dr. Caner of Boston, who was
the intermediary, Colonel Malbone sets down what could
be reasonably expected in the way of a monetary compensation. Then he adds, “We have no Glebe. I myself live
in a Hutt, in which, however, God be praised! We have
hitherto found very comfortable Provision, of which my
Parson shall be heartily wellcome to His equal Share and
shall be considered as one of my Family, as long as We each of us shall prove good-natured, I, on my Part, continue to live in Pomfret, and He, on His Part, continues to live single, for He cannot find Room wherein to cram a Wife, and if He could, as I have no Brats I am determined to have no Plague from those of other People.” Colonel Malbone was as direct and emphatic as he was generous. Apparently Mr. Fogg accepted the Colonel’s invitation with its limitations, but it was some years before the parish had a glebe.

Now this first rector of Pomfret holds a unique place in the early history of our Church in Connecticut. He was one of the ten clergymen who met in Woodbury, March 25th, 1783, and selected Samuel Seabury to go abroad for, consecration as the first Bishop of Connecticut. We know only two others who were present, Abraham Jarvis, afterwards Bishop, and John Rutgers Marshall, the rector of Woodbury.

But Mr. Fogg’s chief importance in that episode lies in the fact that it is from his letters to Samuel Parker of Boston, who had planned to be at the meeting, telling him what took place there, that we have our only information regarding that historic gathering. Sometime further light may come to us from papers still hidden away, but at present we must content ourselves with what Mr. Fogg has written.

All this is a familiar story to you and I must not dwell on it, however strong the temptation may be to do so. Of course our interest in Mr. Fogg at the moment lies in his relation to this church here in Brooklyn. His compensation as the missionary was pitifully small. No glebe had been provided, through no fault of Mr. Malbone, however. Finally, in a letter to the Secretary, dated January 24th, 1783, he blurts out, reasonably justified, I think, “But, Reva Sir, my patience is almost exhausted, by living in the dependent way I have done for more than ten years, not that I expect or wish to be intirely independent, I only want a House to myself & as there is not much prospect of having one here at present, therefore I should take it as a particular favour, if you would be kind enough to let me know, by a line directed to the care of the Revd mr Parker of Boston, whether or no, if the People of any vacant Mission should desire it, the venerable society would give me leave to remove to it.” The inference there would be that he was still living with Colonel Malbone, wifeless and bratless.

During the next year or so he put his requests in more specific form, asking that he might have an increase in his salary, also that he might have the Society’s leave to remove to Narragansett. To this latter request the Secretary replied that the Society had no objection if the people there were willing to receive him, though it “would be sorry that your removal should be any prejudice to Mr Malbone, or be without his consent.” In April 1784, it would seem that a Committee was appointed in the Narragansett church to invite Mr. Fogg to become the pastor of that church. He declined the invitation.

As to any increase in salary he received scant encouragement there. Instead, he was reminded that “it must be regarded as a mark of great generosity in ye Society still to continue to assist an Independent Country in the maintenance of their Ministers.” You see this was in 1784, the Revolution was over, and the Colonies were now on their own, that is, what used to be Colonies. I suspect that the Secretary was indulging in a bit of sarcasm, and perhaps he might be pardoned for doing so.

Things looked rather dark for Mr. Fogg at the moment, and to deepen that darkness came the death, on November 12th, 1785, of his friend and patron Colonel Malbone. But he did not cease his efforts to be transferred to some other and more lucrative cure, as is evident from another letter of William Morice, Secretary of the Society, dated December 3rd, 1785. He writes, “As you have signified a desire to the Society in a Letter of May last, of living under his majesty’s protection, & would for that purpose prefer any Mission to the Southward, I am to.inform you that the Society have only two, viz in the Bahamas. The first, Providence, is at present occupied by a Mr Browne, but I believe he will not live long. The other, at Harbor Island & Eleuthera, is vacant, which if you shall judge suitable to you, the Society will appoint you.”

Mr. Fogg was, of course, a Loyalist, and it was not the least bit strange nor reprehensible, from my point of view, that he should wish to remain under the King’s protection in those days of chaos and extreme uncertainty, as regards the political outlook, and above all as regards the outlook of the Church.

Mr. Fogg did not remove to the Bahamas. He was to fill out his ministry and his life in Brooklyn, both ending June 29th, 1815. His widow, Mrs. Deborah Fogg, who was the niece of Colonel Malbone, died in 1846. These letters from which I have quoted, some of which, so far as I am aware, have not been published, certainly not in full, give us a somewhat different picture of the whole situation as regards his continuance in the parish.

Both before and after Colonel Malbone’s death, Mr. Fogg not only meditated removal but tried to bring it about. And why should he not? The poor man had to live, and during those years immediately following the Revolution living on at Brooklyn seemed a precarious and doubtful undertaking. I have no doubt that he had the welfare of the parish uppermost in his heart, and that he would and did make sacrifices for it, but in the light of what we now know, it is hardly right to say that, though he meditated removal, he put aside the thought, feeling that it would be disastrous to the parish if he left.

He was a faithful missionary, living in a hard and difficult time, serving his Church with tact and wisdom, intensely loyal to its principles and to the Prayer Book, but not so unbending as to defeat the purpose of both. I like his attitude as expressed in a letter to the Venerable Society dated April 27th, 1782, while the war was still on. He says:—“I have opened my church upon the same plan the rest of the clergy in New England have opened theirs, that is, I omit the Prayers for the King and Royal Family, without making the least addition to the Liturgy. I should have adopted this plan sooner, but I was doubtful whether it was consistent with my ordination vows or not, & mr Malbone thinking it best to wait till peace & good Government were again restored. But being tired of waiting for that happy period, & hearing it was approved of by my Superiors, I therefore thought it best to conform to the rest of my Brethren.” There may be no heroics in that attitude, but there is good common sense.

As I have said, Mr. Fogg died June 29th, 1815, after a rectorship of forty-three years, and a life of seventy-one years. He lies buried in this beautiful old churchyard, not far distant from his friend and patron, Colonel Malbone, whose massive tomb carries that wonderful inscription which friend and stranger will do well to read.

With Mr. Fogg’s death I must leave the story of the founding and building of this church, which, as has been truly said, “is one of the romantic incidents of our Connecticut Church history.” There is more of the story of the parish yet to come, but already I have overrun my time and overtaxed your patience.

It is a beautiful practice, this return to the old church on All Saints’ Day, of those who, by ties of kinship, and precious associations, still love this hallowed spot. May the custom long continue, and may the memories which cling to this old church and churchyard be the abiding joy of those who, scattered far and near, do not forget, do not forget.