with me, especially when set against the reasons and evidences of things. And I can assure you I am no bigot to any set of notions. I make the Bible the only rule of faith, and am no great friend to human rules and tests. I am too much a Protestant to be imposed upon by an imaginary infallibility in Synods or General Assemblies, and can't yet be so tame and easy as to content myself to see with other men's eyes, and take things very readily upon trust. I have closely studied Calvinism, Baxterianism, Simonianism, Socinianism, Arianism, and can't yet come to condemn every thing which the world, through ill nature and prejudice, have given an ill name to. By this time I guess you begin to wonder, and perhaps be at a loss to guess what sort of a fellow I am. Indeed, I know of no party which I belong to except it be that which is resolved to abide by the Bible.

I have by Cousin Israel sent you as a present a very handsome set of Poole's Synopsis Criticorum, 5 vols., which is a very valuable book, and which I presumed you had not in your study. You should have given us a catalogue of your library to guide us, and to prevent our sending duplicates, but for the want of that we act in the dark. Please to favor us with it when you write again. I shall be very glad to serve you in what I can.

Pray inform me, per Coz. Israel's return, what books are most salable in New England, and what prices they bear; how philosophy books, old or new, do go, and whether you can by self, or friend, undertake to sell a parcel for me. If encouraged, I design to sell those in my study which I can spare.

I have now, I presume, pretty well tired you, and I han't time. to enlarge, being just setting out for home. I am, with mine and spouse's respects to your whole self,

Your affectionate kinsman and humble servant,

To Rev. N. Chauncy of Durham.

N. CHAUNCY,
OF DEVIZES, ENGLAND.

).

89

t Chauncy,
ssachusetts,

-brother of

children, to Scituate, p.

1661, with ther Israel. cholar. He e affirmative m, in primo

for the year laced as the

rum cognos

duction into

nth, 1666.

nd were we

mportance as your desires. iragement by us diligence, s concerning the third you at it was betat Cambridge ely to preach

REV. NATHANIEL CHAUNCY OF HATFIELD.

NATHANIEL CHAUNCY, the fourth son of President Chauncy, was born in or about the year 1639, at Plymouth, Massachusetts, but was baptized at Scituate, 1641. He was twin-brother of Elnathan. "We believe it is the baptism of these children, to which Winthrop alludes."-DEANE'S History of Scituate, p.

178.

He took his first degree at Harvard College, A. D. 1661, with his twin-brother Elnathan, and his youngest brother Israel. There is a tradition that he was a distinguished scholar. He took the degree of A. M. in 1664, and maintained the affirmative of the question: Utrum detur idea omnium Entium, in primo ente? He was afterwards a Fellow of the College.

On the title page of the New England Almanack for the year 1662, the next after his graduation, his name is placed as the author, with the following motto: Felix qui potuit rerum cognos

cere causas.

The following letter is connected with his introduction into Windsor, Connecticut:

BOSTON, 7 of ye 4 Month, 1666.

Revd and much honored in the Lord,

We have received your letter by Brother Filer, and were we as capable of serving you in a matter of so great importance as we are willing, we should not be wanting to answer your desires. For Mr. Nathaniel Chauncy, we have good encouragement by what we have heard concerning his learning, studious diligence, hopeful piety, grave and peaceable demeanor. As concerning his voice, two of us never heard him preach; from the third you have had an account formerly. We have heard that it was better and more audible the second time he preached at Cambridge than the first. But we understand that he is likely to preach

again the next Lord's day, when some of you will be present, by whom you may have fuller information than we can give. *

Your loving Brethren in Christ Jesus,

JOHN WILSON, SENIOR,

RICHARD MATHER,
JONATHAN MITCHELL.

To the Revd Mr. John Warham and Mr. John
Witchfield, Elders of the Church of Christ in Windsor.

Having preached as a candidate at Windsor, on the 14th of October, 1687, eighty-six members voted in favor of Mr. Chauncy, and fifty-two against his settlement. He was the immediate successor of Messrs. Warham and Huit, the first pastors of the church. He was settled in the ministry before the death of Mr. Warham.

He found the church in a divided state, so that while in Windsor he was constantly engaged in controversy. Being a man of great readiness of mind, when a sermon was preached in the pulpit in the forenoon containing doctrines to which he was opposed, he would, in the afternoon, preach to the same audience from the same text, a regular logical sermon in confutation of those doctrines. He continued in the ministry at Windsor about twelve years.

On the 10th of Nov., 1679, he was invited by the town of Hatfield, Massachusetts, to preach as a candidate "a year or less; as the town and he shall agree, in order to settlement." On the 21st of January, 1680, the town gave him an invitation to settle in the ministry, there being only one vote in the oppo

sition.

Mr. Chauncy died at Hatfield, Nov. 4, 1685, having preached there about five years.

On the 7th of December, 1685, the town voted to defray the expenses of his funeral. The grave-stone of Mr. Chauncy has been sought without success in the grave-yard at Hatfield.

REV. NATHANIEL CHAUNCY'S WIFE.

In the Windsor Records there is the following statement: "Mr. Nathaniel Chauncy, teacher of the church at Windsor, married ABIGAIL, the daughter of Elder Strong at Northampton, Nov. 12, 1673."