Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-07-26
THE VERMONT PHOENIX, BRATTLEBORO. FRIDAY, JUL

port of preaching. At the same meeting
it was "voted to choose committee of
three to Draft Covenant for the Inhab-
itants of Dummerston to sign for the sup
port of Congregational Minister amongst
them, namely, Jason Duncan, Samuel
| Porter and Jonas Walker for said commit
tee" Many were opposed to this action
of the town and on April Is following, an
other town meeting was held to vote the
profits from the town lot for the use of
the schools and the support of the poor.
| The article was passed over; also passed
over the article to see if a stop could not
be put to the animosities then existing
among the inhabitants. But vote was
taken to settle with and dismiss Mr. Cros-
! by. Eleven days later another meeting
was held and vote was taken not to ac-
cept the report of the committee chosen to
settle with and dismiss Mr.. Crosby. The
scales were turned at this meeting and the
church got a vote in favor of leasing the
farm to Mr. Crosby and the avails to be
paid into the town treasury. The tide
was turned again Dec. 10, 1902, when the
town voted to sue Mr. Crosby for the re-
covery of the farm and voted 500 to de-
fray the expenses of the suit. The affirm
alive had 6S or 60 votes, and the negative
| 49, The minority requested to have it en-
tered that they protested against the pro-
ceedings. The committee chosen by the
town jan 10, 1902, to draft a covenant, or
rules, for the inhabitants to sign for the
support of a Congregational minister re-
ported the following regulations:
list That every one who shall be disposed
| to support a congregational minister in Dunn.
merSton shall be admitted to the privilege of
| subscribing.
2d, That every one who subscribes toward the
support of a congregational minister shall have
the same right to vote for the settlement of
| minister aud his dismissal as one of the Church
3D.. That whenever any minister shall be hired
I for any term of time whatever the Church and
| other COvenanters shall meet in Committee for
| the purpose of deciding the vote.
4th. That the Chlrcn shall have no power of
| negavating any vote of the Covenanters what.
5th. That no minister shall be settled or any
one dismissed except ii be by majority Of the
| united And all things shall be conducted by
| the maj )rity of the Covenanters either of the
| settlement or dismissal of a minister without the
assistance of any ecclesiastical Committee or
Council whatever or having any reference to any
! regulations of what is called Constitution of
| the Consociated Churches of the County of
| Nindham
9th. That whenever any Covenanter removes
! from the town of Dummerston he shall be ex-
| empted from payment
eth. That no man who has been hired heret o.
fore in this town shall be hereafter settled as
minister in said Town
These regulations are not recorded on
the town books nor on the church records.
We are indebted to a gentleman in Spring
field, Vt, for the original copy now in our
possession. What action was taken in re-
gard to these rules we are not informed.
The It'll article would certainly debar the
friends of Mr.. Crosby from signing for the
support of preaching. No reconciliation
of "eXisting animosties and difficulties
was made during the year 1903. A paper
| containing the following ultimatum and
dated Dec. 26, 1903, was circulated, and u
| influential citizens and men of property
signed the document:
We the subscribers Inhabitants of the Town
of Dummerston hereby solrmnly engage each 10
tne other that we WIN never make any PROPOSE
ton for reconciliation with those per, onS demon.
mated the Congregatlonaiists in said town rela-
tive TO the existing difference in said Town nor
accede to any proposition from them relative 10
the same unless they shall IN the first place uu-
equivocally cause Mr. Aaron Crosby to be re.
moved from the farm on which he lives and
cause the unmolested possession of said Farm
(Which was leased TO him by the Selectmen of
said Town to be previously rendered to the
Agents OF said Town for the benefit and use of
said Town"
These men further engaged to help the
town pay the expenses of lawsuit for the
recovery of the farm to the extent of 500
by them subscribed, if needed, or such a
quired to meet the payment of such mems
taxes as have voted in the majority in
town meeting in favor of recovering the
farm from Mr.. Crosby" Their offer was
accepted. The farm and rent due were re-
covered in a suit brought the following
spring. A settlement with Mr. Crosby
was made May l, 1904, and a council to dis
miss him from the pastoral relation to the
church was held on the 10th day of the
same month. The council, who were
unanimous in their opinion that it was ex-
pedient that Mr.. Crosby be dismissed,
made their declaration accordingly. They
also gave the following testimonial: The
council with much satisfaction remark on
this occasion that the christian & ministe-
rial character of the Rev. Mr. Crosby
stands unimpeached, II happy unanimity
subssts between him and the church. We
are also happy in witnessing the orderly
IL peaceable disposition of the church, n
while we lament the unhappy necessity of
their being left destitute of pastor, we ear
nestly recommend to them to cultivate the
spirit of unity, Il guard against everything
which may tend to cause division or luke
warmness in religion; to endeavor without
delay to obtain another PASTOR" 1t was
good advice but was not speedily followed
by the society, for the church was destitute
of stated pastor till March =, 1905, when
Rev. Hosea Beckley was ordained and set
tied over the church. In 1904 the town
had spot of land surveyed on the COM
mon, where the present church now
stands, for a site on which the society
might build new Westinghouse; but it
did not improve the opportunity, and, on
Sept. -, 1913, the town voted to give the
society and pewhoders the old meeting
house, provided they would keep it in re-
pair and allow town meetings to be held
therein. The offer was accepted, and the
old Westinghouse continued to serve the
double purpose of town hall and place
OF worship till 1912, when it was sold at
auction and its mission ended.
d. l.. MANSFIELD.
The keystone OF the Arch