But he soon began to admit members who observed the first-day, in consequence of which intestine difficulties arose. This church soon fell into decay, and ultimately became extinct. SECTION III. SEVENTH-DAY BAPTISTS IN CONNECTICUT. In the first settlement of this country, Baptists were persecuted by Pedobaptists, on account of their tenacity for believer's baptism; but all parties were united in oppressing and persecuting the Sabbatarians. Soon after the organization of the church at Newport, the sentiment, that the moral law was immutable and unchangeable, found advocates in New London, Connecticut, where the spirit of persecution was under less restraint than it was in Rhode Island. There is an old work, which was written by a Friend, and published in Baltimore in 1698, and which gives a very detailed and circumstantial account of the sufferings of the dissenting parties in New England. According to his statement, no less than ten Sabbatarians were mutilated, imprisoned, and subjected to barbarous and cruel scourgings by their Puritanical brethren. Of these, John Rodgers, a member of the church at Newport, but a resident in New London, was fined, imprisoned, and sentenced to sit a certain time upon the gallows with a rope about his neck. Another, named Philip Rodney, who was a Seventh-day Baptist in sentiments, although not a member of the church, was scourged, and then deprived of one of his ears. Sometimes their meetings would be disturbed and broken up by the lawless violence of a mob. At others they would be fined, imprisoned, and maltreated for pursuing any ordinary business or labour upon the first day of the week; and such was the opposition to them, in many places, that a man who religiously observed the Bible Sabbath, would much sooner be subjected to fines and imprisonments, than if he had acknowledged it to be the Sabbath. These hostilities against the observers of the seventh-day, occasioned a remonstrance, addressed to the Governor of New England, by Peter Chamberlain, Senior Doctor of both Universities, and first elect Physician in ordinary to His Majesty's person. This somewhat abated the rage of persecution, although the Sabbatarians were continually exposed to great inconveniences. It does not appear, however, that any sect was ever extirpated by persecution, particularly one that had the testimony of Scripture upon its side, and flourished in an age of general inquiry. SEVENTH-DAY BAPTIST CHURCH, BURLINGTON, CONNECTICUT.