The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-06-20

Mn BARRErr. Friend" in the p.
S. to his letter to Mr.. Meacham publish.
cd in your last, SAYS" The last twelve
years of his DIR Mcrrirs) active Pas.
torate added to the church 626 mem.
bcrs-the twelve next succeeding years,
1876" This comparison is made evil
dently with view of magnifying the la.
bors Of Dr. Merrill. and diSparagins the
labors Of those who have succeeded him.
The man who undertakes such an in.
vidjous work az this, should see to it that
he is correct in bis aledgcd facts. If
" Friend" had been less eager to glorify
DR.; Merrill. at the expense of others. he
might have looked into the title page of
the Church Manual from which he drew
his Information, far enough to have seen
that it was " adopted and published by
order of the church, August 5, 1853"
less than eieren years after the tcrmina.
ton of DR.. Mcrrlls ministry -embra.
cling of course, no admissions into the
church after its adoption and publica-
ton. Looking then merely a, the lapse
Of time, lie should have reduced his
twelve to clcren years, and compared
them with the clecen years previous to
DR. .Merrills leaving the Passionate. which
would have given him 400 admissions a
gaiust SO during the succeeding eleven
years.
But this does not reach the true state
Of the case, for, as Friends comparison
is between the results of tho labors of
the Pastors, it should be borne in mind
that We had Pastors during less than sic
gears anil eight months Of the eleven
years following the Pastorate Of DR.. MGR
rill, viz-Mr Coe, six years. three and
n half months, aud Mr. Kendall less than
four months-which terminated the e.
leven years. Now, let us call these two
periods seven years, and see how the
comparison stands. During these seven
years, there were admitted to the church
IL during the seven years previous to
the termination Of DIR. Merrlrs ministry
here, 100
But in order to n fair comparison. it
should be remembered that il the fall of
1885, Mr.. Burchard held a protracted
meeting here, of about seven weeks du-
ration, the principal labor Of which was
performed by himself and by his wife,
who held meetings of mothers and chill.
dren and that as an immediate result
of that effort, ls4 were added to the
church in 1885, and 6 in 1886 Ito say
nothing of subsequent additions, the re-
moter result) in the whole. gilmore
than half Of the 400 allowed to DR.. Mer-
rill, upon the comparison of eieren years
with eleren years, without reference to the
duration of Pasrorships But if we
compare SeUen years with seren years, we
shall deduct from the 60 admissions du.
ring Dr. Merrill's seven years, the 6 ad.
mitted in 1886, (the first of bis seven
years. the immediate fruit Of Mr. and
Mrs 3urchard's labors, leaving 90 against
tho II admitted during the other seven
years.
But here comes another important fact
which should enter into the comparison
1t is, that ever since the retirement of
DIR, Merrill there has been general alb.
sence of revivals of religion throughout
this regiou--indeed throughout the
State. This church has suffered in com
mon with others all around it-among
them the church in Weybridge, where
DR.. Merrill himseD has ministered a
large portion of The time,
You thus see how DR.. Merrill's success
is maguifed beyond what was due to
him, aud how the success of those who
came after him, is undaly deprecated
by the comparison'whieh Friend" has