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ACADIENSIS

others, in a rather extraordinary religious controversy, arising out of his uncertainty of mind regarding the validity of their ordination. The controversy caused a great sensation throughout all New England, and eventually became very bitter. Rev. Increase Mather, D. D., and Rev. Cotton Mather, D. D., were appealed to for advice, and in a MS. in the hand-writing of the last named, supposed to have been sent to the brethren in Connecticut, he speaks of "the scandalous conjunction of these unhappy men with the Papists." He also, in the same communication, asks: "How they can lawfully and honestly go on with pastoral ministrations and keep on good terms with the last words in the fourteenth chapter of Romans."

In 1781 a work was published in London, England, entitled, "A General History of Connecticut, by a Gentleman of the Province." This was supposed to have been written by Rev. Samuel Peters, and deals exclusively with the controversy in which Rev. James Wetmore was involved. The compiler of the Wetmore memorial states that "from this same volume we glean the subjoined, which throws some further light upon the circumstances attending Mr. Wetmore's becoming a member of the Established Church, which we think will not only be interesting to the Wetmore family, but the casual reader." It will be remembered that Rev. James Wetmore was originally ordained in the Congregationalist Church. This book contains some extraordinary statements and descriptions, among them an account of the Indian pow-wow, which somewhat resembles the custom, until very recently, if not actually now in vogue, among the Indians of the North Shore of the Province of New Brunswick.

An extract from the work attributed to Mr. Peters reads as follows:

"Stratford lies on the west bank of Osootonoc River, having the sea or sound to the south. There are three streets running