Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-03-03

HISTORICAL DISCOURSE.
By Rer. James Ramaqe.

, Dsc5mbeF %, 1871 an important step was
, taken by the town, which resulted in the
: settlement over the church, of its first
pastor. Upon that date "the town voted
: unanimously that it is the mind Of the
town to give Mr.. David Howe Williston a
call to settle as gospel minister among
them" The terms of contract were: "l1
addition to a very valuable right OF land
through this town 600 acres in extent,
given to the first gospel minister by the
, charter, to give forty pounds settlement
estimated equal to wheat at four shillings
per bushel and other grain equivalent
and for annual salary for the first 81
pounds and rise to 20 pounds (the annual
rise is not given estimated as above. Set
Element TO be made yearly by the 10Th OF
January with the addition OF 20 cords OF
wood TO be cut and drawn off OF his land,
delivered at his sdore' s feet long" A
committee was appointed by the town ia
inform Mr.. Williston what steps had been
taken. The terms were not satisfactory
to Mr.. WillIston. The church had voted
unanimously Feb. 8, 1892 " to concur with
the town as inviting Mr.. David IL. Willis
ton to settle as a gospel minister amongst
them.n So upon June II, 1872 the town
voted that the ministerial committee
'send letter to Mr.. Williston supposing
that he did not form a just idea OF the
true value of the land which was proposed
to him on his settlement and wishing to
remove any such mistake" The letter
sent appears in the town records and COW
ers two pages. In II occur the following
sentences: "We auppose You had noble
and generous Offer, superior to any, rath-
er than lose you. May the God OF all
Grace direct you in the line of duty to
him and to his people and the world OF
mankind" Signed Elias Curtis and Hez-
ekiah Hutchinson, Ministerial Committee.
June q, 1892 the church voted unanimous
! fxtt 1,at Iad A4r lafffd ~ Wflfiatnn
would return and settle with and over
/ them they would cheerfully receive him.
| August %, 1872 Rev. ID. II. Milliston adj
dressed a letter to the town. which con-
tanned his acceptance OF the call given
him and informing the town that on nc
count of his feeble health, he would be
absent till the following May. He had
been advised to spend most OF his time in
the saddle and little in study. He adds:
"If il is the design of Providence that
should spend my life in Tunbridge the
way will be opened up. II the people are
divided or broken in pieces it will then
appear clear that Tunbridge is not the
place in which am called by the voice OF
God. II you should be united to give me
comfortable support that / can devote
my time to your service il will then be
evident that am called by the voice OF
duty to settle with you" Shortly after
the reception OF this letter the town voted
to add 10 cords OF wood to his salary.
In May 1898 the town voted that the
ordination OF Mr.. Williston be attended
on the last Wednesday of June at or near
Elias Curtis hall. Voted that the Reys.
Noah Williston, Lyman Porter, John
Smith, Asa Burton, Seth Brainard, Elijah |
Lyman, Richard S. Storrs and Payson |
Williston be appointed a council to at |
tend said ordination. Voted likewise, |
that Reuben Hatch should wait on coun- |
all, .,,.It lax |
vide at towns cost for all gentlemen of |
liberal education at Mr.. Elias Curtis and |
Hezekiah Hutchinson's TO dine The /
ordination took place on the day appoint
ed. The town was so favorably impress
ed with the sermon preached upon the |
occasion that il voted "to take $50 of the
Rev. Mr.. Wiiliston's ordination sermons
and committee was appointed to deliver
one to each family in town and dispose OF
the rest to the author. The town treAsur-
er was directed to pay for said sermons.
In 1913 we find the names of the first
"tything men, appointed by the town
viz: Nathan Noyes and Timothy Dewey.
They are defined as parish officers and
elected by the town to preserve good or
der in church during divine service aud
to make complaint of any disorderly con
duct. The same year a question WAS pro-
posed in the church: fsWhether those
parents who have hitherto had liberties
in churches OF which they were members
OF giving their children in baptism. not
they themselves do not at
tend upon the ordinances OF the supper,
may be INDUCED the same privilege in
this church. IL was voted in the mega
tive Infant baptism would be adminis-
tered only to the children OF Christian
parents who were faithful to the ordi-
nances of the church.
The sacrament OF the Lords Supper was
administered four times that year. House
hold baptism was the custom then. Four
teen children were baptized in 1893, four
IN 1874, families OF four and five children
were baptized at one time. The church
voted in 179i that each male member pay
4 quarter OF dollar to the deacons for
lhe support OF the sacramental table
the church voted that each
male member pay i-2 dollar and again
that each member pay three shillings
md si1pence at the next communion lee
.ure for the support OF the table,
in 1871 Mrs. White applied for q letter
IF dismission to Baptist church. Ii was /
voted that Mrs. White who had separat- {
d herself from this church be suspended, :
ill she shall satisfy the church of her I
,onduct in leaving them" The action of i
he church was made public the following $
sunday, thus: "Whereas Mrs. White has
rome out from us, we, the brethren of the 4
,hurch OF Christ from whom she has with h
irawn consider her as being no more of r
IS. 1t was voted by the church in 1876 !
that on communion days an invitation L
Ne given by the pastor before the people S
re dismissed to all persons present, who E
re regular members of regular churches i
o unite with us in attendance on the sac <
ament OF the SUPPER
The church sent delegates in those early 4
lays to assist in ordaining pastors over I,
everal of the neighboring churches. In n
73 the church assisted in the ordination b
4 Rev. Mr.. Fuller, Royalton; in 1877 it e
SISTED in the ordination of Rev. Mr.. s
lids, Williamstown; in 1898 it assisted i'm u
he ordination of Rev. Mr.. Hobart, Ber- 4
IN and in 1923 that of Rev. MIR. Thomson. n
heisea. The meeting house was com Ii
leted in 1877; this terminated the no. "
ladlc life of the church, henceforward its +
ervices were held in the House of the lS'
ord. The Freewill Baptist Church was pi
rganlZed on the East Hill in 1873 but not e.
III lS0S was their church edifice built. y
ev. Nathaniel King, ordained in 1SO2, W
as the first ordained pastor of this ie
hurch. He was energetic and eminently h
lccessful as a minister of Jesus Christ. ~
he first general conference of the Free fr
frc4