St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-06-28
"Decline of Religion"

+ion in New Hampshire has moved
an enterprising journalist in Yer
mont to exploit the condition of this
state. AS a result the Burlington
papers have published long list of
HChurches without Pastors" and a
ehorter list of "Towns without
Churches" the data being taken from
Walton's Vermont Register. The
writer guardedly says that he does
not vouch for the accuracy of the
Register, and he is willing to discount
the figures fifty per cent before max
ing his deductions. But apparently,
with even this generous admission,
he is unaware of the utter worthless
ness of his data for any of the pur-
noses he has in view. A brief exami-
nation by one who has a personal
knowledge of the towns and the
conditions of church work will show
this.
Zone hundred and ten edifces
without regular pastors" is the show
ing he makes in his first list. But
what does that signify? Take few
samples. Brattleboro is put down
with a population of 6s62, and
the Congregational church unsup-
piled. Those facts are true, but does
any sane man think theyl have any
more bearing on the religious desti-
tuition of Vermont than the changes
of the moon? The religious activi-
ties of that church are not suspended
because they arelooking for a pastor;
and even if they were, it would be
possible for the inhabitants of that
town to obtain Christian burial
meanwhile. There are other churches
in Bratteboro. And the same is true
of nearly every other town on the
list. So far as the Congregational
churches are concerned, there is not
one here specified where religious
services are not now held, save posi-
bly, the one in Dover. If by the refer
ence the old union house on the hill
is meant, that is vacant and the
church has long been dead, but the
town is amply supplied by Congre-
gational church at the west village
and Methodist at the east. What
istrue of the Congregational churches
here put down as unsupplied is to a
certain extent true OF the Baptist and
Methodist.
Another misleading feature of this
list may be noted, which little per.
sonal knowledge would have cor
rected. Churches are put down here
which have had no existence for
years, though the buildings once oc-
cupied now stand. Jericho Center
and Charlotte are examples. In the
former is brick building once occu.
pied by Universalists, and in the lat
ter one which bears the Methodist
name. Any one familiar With those
communities knows that a strong
organization sufficient tor all religious
needs now flourishes in each of those
places. He must be a very narrow
sectarian who would say the par
ishes have not been benefited by the
substitution OF one strong for several
weak organizations. In this way
another large number of vacant"
houses would be stricken from the
list. In fact when you take from the
list the churches active and keeping
up services while looking for pastors,
and the churches dead "for the glory
Of God - there is little left
The list of fourteen towns without
any church organization has equally
little significance when examined and
revised. Moretown, one of the larg-
est named with 952 population, has
hourishing Methodist church, and
Waton's Register reports it. Nor
ton, lumber town, on the Grand
Trunk railroad near the Canada line,
has services suited to its class of pop
ulation. At Westmore the Congre-
gational church has been organized
siA years, and a beautiful house Of
worship erected; but the Register
has not found it out. Bolton has a
Baptist church and services. Vernon
has union church and regular SER
vices. Maidstone is next the line of
Guildhall and furnishes the Guldhall
churches with large proportion of
their members. Waltham is suburb
of Vergennes, and Mount Tabor
tributary to Dandy. Town lines do
not always limit church privileges.
But is there no religious restitution
In Vermont? Is it true that religion
is declining? These are questions
that the best informed cannot an
swer catagorically. But it is entirely
sale to say that the light thrown
upon them from the tables taken
from Walton's Register is per.
iect darkness. In the United States
census some data are to be found,
but that is now nearly ten years old.
Four years previous to that a
thorough investigation of the re-
llgious condition of the state was
made and tables and map were
published under the direction of Rev.
Henry Fairbanks; but great changes
have taken place since then. Prob
ably the best Information that could
be got now would be from a careful
examination of the annual reports Of
the leading religious denominations
Tor the past ten years, supplemented
by the personal knowledge OF one
who has visited all parts OF the state.