The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-05-09


Pastor of the Cong Church here. from
his ordination in 1905. down to the time
OF his deccasc and III communicn.
ton to the Vermont Chronicle last
winter giving an account Of the dedica-
tion of our renovated church. it was said
that, in connection with the morning
services on that occasion, "thc venerable
Senior Pastor, DR.. Merrill. offered the
prayer" In how many other forua, or
through how many other channels, the
idea of his senior pastorshp has been
gated. | know not. but have
reason to believe that it has obtained
very general currency IN this State aud
elsewhere l think this crroc should be
corrected. for reasons which will pre-.
scn'ly state.
The truth Of this matter will eppear
from the following statement Of facts
On the 4th Of October, 1912, DR.. Merrill
made a communication to the church
containing the following-bcing all in
the communication material to this ques.
ton:
Having received request to act as
Gcn. Agent of the College in this town.
and a certain portion of this church APP.
pearing to be DESTROYS Of enjoying the
labors Of another Pastor. have consid.
cred it my duty to state that. while
purpose to retain the pastoral relation.
and. of course. my usual connection with
other ecclesiastical bodies. I request
that the church will excuse me frou per.
forming pastoral duties, and relincuish
my claim to control or superintend their
concerns as Pastor, after the 10Th instant
This proposition was accepted bv the
church and thus the matter has stood
ever since
At the time the proposition was made
and accepted, the pastoral relation thus
retained. was understood. and spoken of.
by both parties. as merely nominal DR.
Merrill wished to retain his connection
with the ecclesiastical bodies, especially
the State Cong. Convention and for
that reason, and that alone. so f4ras any
was assigned desired not to have his pas.
toral relation formally dissolved. TO
all practical purposes, however it was
tcrminntedas will he manifest to any one
who will consider that Pastor. accord.
ing to the definition of Webster. IS a
minister of the gospel who has the charge
OF church and congregation, whose du
ty 1T is to watch over the people of bis
charge. and instruct them in the doe
trines Of the Christian religion" This
"charge" DR. NJ. had expressly reliu.
qniShed. aud from this duty" he had
asked to he discharged. and had been
discharged To call n man who has
formally rclinquslcd his pastoral duties
and all claim 20 snperntend the concerns
of church, its Pastor is a pcryersion
of lanenago and of facts too plain for
argument
1t should he added, that since the
18th of October 1872 now nearly thir.
teen years DR. Merrill has had no more
to do with the Pastorofc of th, church.
than DR. Labarcc. or any other minister in
this State. In fact, during large por.
tion OF this time, he has miuis,ercd. req
ularly. and siafcdly. to the church in
Weyhridge. Ia this vicinity. 81 fully.
indeed had he b.coma Identified with
that church. that, upon the occasion Of
'io i'i',n''"''oh of Mr' henhal', the
present raS'or OF TINS church. he appear
ed as the representative If the Wcy-
bridge church. upon an invitation ,hat
had been given il, to be nresept br its
Pastor and delegate II . Tins came rs
a representative of tho WcvbriIro
church IN the church in Middl.Lurv Of
which we are now told he was Pastor
Pertains some one. bv hi. time asks
why make hi. corrcction2 OF wh,,
imnortauc, is in Vbo c,ros Err ,L,
error
answer ,bo last oucs,i,uGrs, Ev.
CRY one cares or sbobld c,re who cares
for the truth ofhi.t,rv 4 ri,ht.miud
ed conscientious man will ro1nr h., in.
different To a ncrvcrsiun Of ,rnti, in ,nv
;Liug T, cam uorcr bo o,L.rviso ,L.n
oG.n.iv. To him .1f,nybody had 1.omnJ
il If amy innortanc. r. SNAIL, in cnlocv
or otLcrwise Of DR. N.rr;II,. p,s,or,,o
durinr he last twrlve md q, L,lf vcarS of
his life the ,ioDIctyUfL sLoul1 have becn
told-that there was nothing in it but
name. and then nobody would have been
deceived. Simple truth-ncither more
nor less ! When shall We fully learn its
necessity and its value.
RAT vbr nolc tho oorroo,;on7 I