Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-06-23
General Congregational Convention.

lhe seYcnty-IOurtn annual convention OF
the Congregational Ministers and Churches
Of Vermont was opened at Brandon, on Tues
day, the 18th inst with a sermon by Prof.
II. NJ. Buckham, Of Burlington, from III
Corinthians, Ill. -, Seeing then that we
have such hope, we use great plainness of
speech"
The sermon was an able exposition of the
two facts, first, that the chief glory Of the
Christian economy, as contrasted with the
Jewish, is in its Interchangeable permanence.
Second, that the gospel is ou~tspoken, clear,
and positive.
And, as q practical deduction from these,
it maintained that a true, inward confidence
respecting Christianity. viii prompt a bold
outward expression Of It's essential doctrines.
Its aim was to encourage the preaching of the
gospel as positive knowledge in opposition
to that Judaizing spirit Of the age, which
would draw a vail over the face of Jesus,
like to that which was upon the face of
Moses and also in opposition to that HELEN
istic spirit which seeks to revive the Grecian
culture, the love and the liberty Of free in
quiry, and to which all creeds and catechisms
are an adherence.
The reading Of the roll Of the convention
showed about seventy delegates present from
the various associations and conferences. The
convention organized by the election of Rev.
- 0@ C1EAAAAN~AAT VI ,
Rev. NJ. l.. Severance, of Orwell, Scribe /;
and Rev. Geo. F. Wright, Of Bakersfield,
4 ~ssistant Scribe.
The afternoon session was occupied with
the appointing Of committees. and the trans
action Of other business. Reports Of dele
gates from this to other ecclesiastical
bodies were presented also reports Of dele
gates from other bodies to this.
These were followed by the report Of the
corresponding secretary Of the convention, on
the religious condition and progress of the
churches Of the State. From this report it
appears that there are in the State, at the
present time, 1876 Congregational churches,
2l3 ministers, 1857 church members, be-
ing an average Of "a members to each church.
There have been 1884 additions to the
membership of the churches during the year,
Of which $50 were by profession of faith
And the net gain Of membership for the
year has been 425. The contributions for
benevolent objects for the year amount to
S46, 100.
The evening session was opened with a
half hour Of devotional exercises. Then
followed a discussion of the " Relation of
Christian Associations TO the Churches, IS in
troduced by Prof. Hungerford, of Burling-
ton, and continued by Rev. Mr.. Cobb and
others.
On Wednesday morning, devotional meet
ings were held at 6 O'Clock and at s 80
O'Clock.
After an hour spent in the transaction of
convention business, the anniversary of the
Vermont Domestic Missionary Society was
held, occupying the remainder Of the morn
ing. The report Of the directors of the sOci-
ETY. was an interesting paper, presenting
the religious destitutions Of the State,
together with some accounts of the efforts
which are being made, by many Of the
feeble churches, 10 sustain in their respec-
tive communities the Institutions of the
gospel. 1t appears from the report that,
while the calls upon this society for help are
more numerous and urgent than ever, the
receipts of the society are decreasing rather
than increasing.
The convention met at . O'Clock p. NJ,
for the celebration Of the Lords Supper.
After which the Duty of the Churches to
the waste places Of their own Country, s. was
earnestly discussed. Rev. =. Smith opened
the discussion, and he was followed by Rev.
Mr.. Stearns of Westminster.
The evening session of the convention on
Wednesday was opened with devotional
exercises, followed by the Anniversary OF
the Vermont Education Society. The prin-
cipal addresses were made by Rev. VIM. w.
Davenport, of Hartford, Conn, and Rev. B.
F. Rae, of Hartford, VT.
On Thursday morning a prayer meeting
was held at 6 o'clock, and a business meet
ing of the convention at 8 30 o'clock, during
which meeting obituary notices Of Rev.
Benz. Foster, Rev. Silas Aiken, d. D., and
Rev. Pliny IL. White, deceased during the
year, were read by the Corresponding Score
tary.
At 10 O'Clock an essay on the "Aims and
Methods of Church DISCIPLINE - was read by
Rev. Leonard Tenney, which was followed
-, a Isrnn.z1on, oF +LC crI,oot - H. ,--on
tion.
The afternoon session was devoted princi-
pally to a discussion of the question, - How
to make Our Sabbath Schools more Fruitful
in Conversions p opened by Rev. ii. O.
Riggs and Rev. George B. Tolman.
The convention then adjourned to NEE
next year at Montpelier