• General Notes

  BIOGRAPHY: Of New Haven; he graduated from Yale in 1738, ordained March 1, 1758, over the 1st church in New Haven; preached election sermon, May 14, 1778. Presi­dent Stiles says of him, " He was an excellent classical scholar, well acquainted with the three learned languages, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, also with Geography, Mathemat­ics, Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, with Moral Philoso­phy and History, and with the general encyclopaedia of an academic life; and amassed by laborious reading, a great treasure of wisdom. In Literature, he was in his clay, oracu­lar at College, for he taught with facility and success in every branch of knowledge." One of his most distinguished pupils said of him at his funeral, "I shall never forget the pathetic and earnest recommendations of early piety which he gave to us in the course of his tutorship."
  
  It was this man of whom David Brainard said, " He had no more grace than this chair." Peabody, in his life of Brainard (p. 274) said in reference to this language, that it was "a phrase which that individual justified by his sub­sequent proceedings." Dr. Bacon in his historical discourses (pp. 248, 249) refutes this charge, and shows the spirit which dictated the utterance of such language. He was licensed to preach, Sept. 30, 1740. "In 1745 he resigned his office in college, and for reasons which do not appear, relinquished the design of entering the ministry, and settled in New Haven as a merchant. He continued in business ten years ; during this time he was an active member of the first Church and Society. He was brought forward by his fellow citizens into public life. He represented this town in the General Assembly of the colony, and in a variety of public trusts, he discharged himself with fidelity and grow­ing influence. He was subsequently settled as colleague with Mr. Noyes."1 When settled in the ministry he applied him­self to theological studies and the duties of the pastoral office with an ardor, zeal and assiduity equaled by few. His affability and dignity of manner, philanthropy and integrity, joined to an accurate knowledge of men and the affairs of life, commanded esteem and venerations 

Details of Chauncy's family

Details of Chauncy's family with Martha NEWTON