The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-18

Early Episcopal History In SOUTH
western Vermont,

In Saturdays DAILY GLOBE appeared an
article under the above quoted caption,
that contains an evidently unfair alluson
to the Episcopal church or to churchmen
of the early days of Vermont and also a
very unfair charge against the early Yer
mont Legislature. The first is the asscr-
ton that these churchmen were mostly
loyal to the crown to Great Britain and in
consequence suffered much persecution by
revoutonists. The next is the assertion
that "hostlities against them was CARED
to the extent of wrestling from them bv
legislative enactment the CHurch G&eJe"
Notwithstanding the well known popu-
lari,y and high authority of the author
of that article-he. IN his early life having
been educated for the ministry in that
church-yct the writer will here dig up
some history TO show that churchmen were
not all tories and also to rcfutc the charge
of hostility to the Episcopal church in
our Vermont legislature.
For the first we have only to consider the
Nv H.,
among its first settlers, and TO call a few of
their names to show crcditable list of
p0triots among churchmcn. The Rev.
Samuel Peters, H.. l.. D., commonly called
Bishop Peters says that he was the first
clergyman who visited "Nerd Mont" That
was in October, 1868. He remained here
eight weeks, preaching and baptizing. :
The number Of adults and children bap.
tied hy him at that early date Is given at
''ncarly twelve hundred" This number
must have been nearly or quite one-third of
the entire population. 1t is quite possible
that this learned divine visited some places
which he classed rs settlements Of Ncrd
Mont that are not within the limits OF this
state as now defined, yet the figures show
that large and cred:table portion of the
inhabitants at that time were Episcopalans
Now for few names. All Of the Allen
family were Episcopalians. Ethan may
have divclgcd some during life, but the
church claimed him at DEATH buried him,
put a cross upon his tombstone and the in
scription:
Ills spirit tried the incrcIcs ofhis Cod
"in whom he believed and strongly trusted"
The rest Of the family were "pious COM
muncants. To these llustrious names we
add those of Thomas Chittcndcn, Matthew
Lyon, Remember Baker. the Chipmans.
etc.
Now for the "hostiitcs." In year 1856
DR.. Wheelock, at the head of the trustees
of Dartmouth college, tried to get the leg.
islaturc of Vermont to sequestcr the
"Glebc' ana propagation lands in Yer
mont for the use Of that college, on the
ground that this was the property of British
subjects and could be thus coniiscated. The
legislature refused to do this but generous
ly granted Dartmouth college n township
in Vermont six miles square. In. 1887, the
legislature passed an act authorizing the
selectmen of the several towns to take these
lands under their care for the period of
seven years, applying the income to the
improvement of the same. In 1904, the
towns were authoiizedto pay over the rents
and profits of these lands to the several re-
lgious societies according to the number
of families in each. The Rev. Mr.. Barber
of Manchester, brought suit in the United
States court, which resulted in decision,
in 1893, declaring the act of Vermont UNI
constitutional and void.
In 1905 law was passed appropriating
the "Glebe lands" for the support of schools.