National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-07-08
Congregational Contention.


ministers was held at
Montpelier last week, commencing
on Tuesday and closing Thursday.
This Convention is composed Of del
egates from the various associations
and county conferences in the State.
There are fifteen associations with
over two hundred ministers con-
nected with them. There are one
hundred and ninety five churches,
with one hundred and fifty five pas
tors. There are twelve conferences
that send lay delegation to the
Convention. 1t is composed of
about hundred members, clerical
and lay, and its object is not the ex-
ercise of ecclesiastical function and
powers, but the report of religious
intelligence, the comparison of re
ligious views and the advancement
of the ministers and churches in re.
ligious knowledge and zeal. The
anniversaries Of the Domestic Mis-
sionary and Education and Sunday
School Societies are held in cOnnec
ton with the Convention, and add
largely to the interest of its session.
The Convention has under its charge
two trust funds, one for the relief of
destitute ministers who have lost
their health in their work in this
State, aud the other for the educa-
ton of young men for the ministry.
The annual income from these funds
is not far from eight hundred dollars
each, and reports i'll full are made
of the expenditure. There is per.
haps, no fund anywhere whose
avails go to objects more merito-
riOus.
The attendance upon the conven.
ton was good and the proceedings
were of great interest, perhaps the
most notable event having been the
Pilgrim Memorial Service on Thurs
day, when President Angel of Bur
lington, delivered an Grafton of grea
eloquence and power.
From the report of the Secretar,
Rev. e. ii. Byington, we gathe
many facts and statistics of genera
interest. During the year nine pas
tors have been Installed, the mum
Der of pastors has been reduced five
three new churches have been form
ed, and forty are without PASTORS
There are 70 pastors, 6 of whom
sustain a merely nominal relation
and 81 acting pastors, and Sc min
listers without charge, making 81
in all. Number added to churches
1224; by profession 7S9, by lette
4"5. Every conference reports ;
net gain except Essex, which ha
lost 8, Windsor, which has lost lG
and Lamoille, which just holds it
own. Aggregate net gain, AL ; to
tai membership, 1892, one fifth @
whom are under 80 years. Numbe
Of deaths, 3l4; dismissions, l5l
exclusions, 10; making total of r,
movals, $50. Adults baptised, 465
infants, go. The Sabbath school
report 20,Ol4, average of Congreg'
tons II, $40, number of families | 1
252, or an aggregate connection wit
the churches Of about 45.OOS, an
the contributions to benevolent oh
jects amount to S42,97i.79. I'll
= secretary says:
"The most noticeable fact is I'll
u rapid changes in the ministsy.
1865 we had in active service in II
State IA ministers, OF these a
=. most one half have removed fro
" the State, a few have retired fro
'. the ministry. and less than half q
whole number are now in service
" this State. The places OF those wi
= have removed are supplied 10y II,
:: = men. In 1865 there were rs past,
" Thirty nine of these have since he
w. dismissed, and OF this number of
70 only two have been resettlcd in {
State. Almost without except
', when our pastors are dismissed til
20 remove from the State.'-[Ex.
" Jacob Bright, NJ. r., authcr
90 the woman suffrage bill rcccn
wv defeated in the English parliame
is reported as having said Il
" there ~ u wide gulf between the
~ -, vocates Of the suffrage in Engla
~, and the United States and the
~ lccts they sought to attain, and (
he had no sympathy whatever "
-. the rciorncrs of America, like
-. ton, stanton and Anthony, :,
~ sought the suffrage for women
~. IN order that with it they mi