Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-12-19
For the Vermont Telegraph.
ULT AIS NJ.
STILLwATER, 9th Dec. 1888

Dear brother Murray observe in the
" BAPTIST Record" of Nov. %, an allusion
10 an article in the Telegraph Of Nov. IL,
giving the statistics Of the BaptistS in Yer
mont; viz: 80 Associations, 122 churches
rs ministers, and 10209 members" The
Record then states that the number OF Bap-
lists 10 the State in 1882 was 10525. Loss
in 6 wears GIG. The Record proceeds 10
saw. "This numerical decrease OF the Bap-
lists in Vermont is doubtless owing 10 some
cause" And finally determines this cause
to be uLTRAIsM! From subsequent remarks
in the Record, am led 20 suppose that ul
traism in relation 10 Anli-Masonry and
Anti-Slavery is to be understood, for no
one will charge Vermont or any other State
with going beyond sound discretion in adj
vocating the claims Of Sunday School, BIZ
BILE, Missionary, Education and Tract So
cieiies. But are we sure that The Record
is correct in this matter? think not.
And first, because do not find sufficient
evidence that the number of Baptsis in the
State has decreased 316 since 1882. BY
referring to the Minutes of the Vermont
Baptist State Convention for 1893, page Is,
you will perceive that after adding the
members of unassociated churches, the
whole number was 10000, instead of 1O525,
as stated in the Record. Deducting 10000,
the number in 1888, from 10000, gives an
increase Of l19 members. So you see if
the Minutes of the State Convention be
correct, the Record is mistaken.
But again, | know of no division of
churches, or exclusion of members on the
account of either Masonry or Slavery, in
Vermont since 1884. l know not but there
may have been now and then an exclusion
for adhering to Masonry, since that time,
but the cases are few and far between.
Ii these excitements were the cause Of
decrease, then we must look back 10 1929,
80, and 81, for the greatest diminuiIons !;
for it is most evident that during those years
the churches In Vermont were more deeply
excited in relation to Masonry, than they
have been upon any subject since. Yet the
number Of Baptists in Vermont Increased
from 1880 to 1888, no less than 208 mem
bers. This most clearly proves that if there
has been decrease of members, dkrdisnl
has not been the cause.
There may have been, and probably has
been, decrease of members for the lasI
| two or three years. And shall attempt TO
show the cause, or one OF the principal
causes in another article.
The truth is, my dear brother, it has be-
come very fashionable, of late, to charge all
our troubles, divisions, and decrease of
members, to the pleading Of the cause of
Gods suffering poor, in The persons of our
enslaved and down-trodden countrymen.-
But, although | now and then raise my
voice against slavery, and in suppication to
| God for It's complete overthrow, yet have
no fear that charge will be preferred
against me, on this account, in the day OF
Judgment, when the judge will say to
many, "Inasmuch as We did it not unto one
of the least of these my brethren, We did it
not unto me-" /. w.
| Thank brother Wescott, 1.-THE writer of the fo,e-
going artice for calling my attention to this SUBJ
ject. Since his communication was received, |
have looked up The Record and found in its last
| corner the following paragraph:
! BAPTlsTs IN VERMoNT.-The Vermont
| Telegraph Of the 18th inst, gives the statis-
tics of the Baptsts in that State as follows
Associations, 9; Churches, 1872; Ministers.
I rs; Baptized, 74S; total number of mem.
bers l0,208. In 1892, the whole number OF
| Baptist church members in Vermont. was
! 1925. Loss in six years, 316 This nu-
merIcal decrease of the Baptists in Vernon,
IS doubtless owing 10 some cause. Will
the editor of the Telegraph give US his
views on the subject? While the Bapiists
In other States have been increasing in
numbers and efficiency, why has the de-
nomination IN Vermont been loosing ground?
This is humiliating fact, and deserves to
De carefully and pfayerfully examined.
within the period above named, The Ban
tlsts IN New-York have increased more
tnan 10, O00-in New-Jersey about 5G0O-in
Pennsylvania about 5000. During The three
years previous TO 1882, the Baptisis in Yer
mont increased about 2O00 In 1929, IT.
TRAfsM began to make its appearance among
them, and since 1882, it has been generally
prevalent IN that State. II has uttered its
dennncIalions from the pulpit and the press
-diVicec associations and churches-alien-
ated irlends, and stopped the mouth oil
! prayer or destroyed lis vitality. This, we
oeileVe, IS the principal cause of the spirit
| uai death that has reigned so long and fear
iuily among the churches in Vermont
This singular production has been found
at late hour before going TO press,-but il
VIII require only few moments to show
that 1t Is unfounded in its imputations. and
exlravagance and reckless in its statemen,
OF facts. Brother Allen ought TO have
known, and to have done better than this.
First, as to his statement of facts. The
truth in the case will by no means sustain
nlm IN the sweeping assertion that what he
IS Pleased to style "ultraism has adj.
Vlded associations and churches" &c. !,
Is true that two associations have been di.
Vided. But ii is not true, in regard TO one
Oh 'hem, that il was divided from any such
cause as he states it TO have been. And il
regard 10 the other, venture TO say that the
division was attributable, at most, only in
parf, to the cause he assigns-and that par,
believe to be in reality far less than he
/ may Snnnnsa I. :. tho Gcnrr,no-I H..