Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1903-09-28

church, and the people loved, honored
and respected him, and would always
flock to hear him preach,-he never
1870, az near as can be ascertained
from the records in the hands of his
son, he officiated at n ore than two
hundred marriages, and went far and
near all over this section of country
to attend funerals. His last days
were days of great suffering, but he
bore it patiently until tho end came.
He died in January, 1873, aged "a
years. A short time before he died,
one Sunday morning he said to his
family, 81 must go down once more
to the old stone church." And l shall
never forget how he came into the
church, too weak to walk alone, and
was assisted up to the pulpit by his
son. l remember his saying, as he
stood up to preach, leaning upon the
pulpit for support: Brethren and
sisters: The river of life to me is but
narrow stream, only step across 1t,
and l shall soon take that step"
Then with all the tenderness and
earnestness of his soul he exhor, ed
his hearers to be faithful unto the
end, and when he sat down there was
not dry eye in the house. Father
Brackett still lives. "He being dead,
yet speaketh." Blessed be his
memory.
Sometime in the fifties the Univer-
salists built house of worship at the
lower end of the village, and occu-
pied it for several years. At this
time they were quite strong in num-
bers; in tact about all of the leading
business men of our village belonged
to or gave financial support to that
church. About 1860 the Congrega
| tionalists built their church. This
practically left the Free Baptists in
control of this church, yet they did
not own it. But sometime in 1873 by
process of law they became owners of
it, and about this time it was thor
oughly repaired, at an exp ense of
about $500, and rededicated. Rev.
M. @. Henderson, who is still living
and quite active at the age of 80 years,
preached the sermon from the text:
"Their rock is not as our rock, our
enemies being judges"
The Freewill Baptist church was
organized Sunday, June 7, 1868. At
the close of the sermon Sunday morn
ing the following persons were bap-
tized by Rev. Joseph Whitemore:
N. Sanger Grow, Durkee Cole, j. @.
Oliver, Lincoln Hutchinson, Samuel
Lunt, Alice Clarke, Anna Beck, Sarah
Grow, Preston W. Clarke, Mary
Hutchinson, Martha Nye. The rec
ords tell US that it was a pleasant
day, and that large company
assembled to witness the ordinance.
Rev. Hilton Bracket read the open
ing hymn, and Rev. e. Miller offered
prayer. At the close of the afternoon
sermon the above named persons
were organized into a Freewill Bap-
fist church, with the following order
of exercises:
1. The reading of the Confession of
Faith and Covenant was omitted, it
having been adopted on the previous
day.
2. The fellowship of the proposed
members was tried by Rev. j. White
more by a direct question to each
member. All were found in perfect
fellowship.
8. The consecrating prayer was
offered by Rev. Gilbert Miller.
4. The hand of fellowship was
given by Rev. Hilton Bracket.
5. The charge with the presenta-
ton of the Bible was given by Rev.
Joseph Whitemore.
July 4, 1898, the following persons
we're received by letters from other
churches, Naomi K. Morgan, Laura
Clarke Cobb, N. S. Grow, John Cook
Elias Smith; and Emeline Cobb and
Mary Brown were received as can
didates for baptism.
Sunday, July s, 1873, the church
held its first Covenant meeting. The
Wheelock @. M. assembled with this
church for the first time Oct. 80, 1868.
The records say that it was a profit
able time for our little infant church.
The following pastors have served
this church in the order named:
Joseph Whitemore, G. H. Smith, O.
B. Peckham, S. s Nickerson, W. Joy,
j. Granville, s. S Nickerson, D. I
Quint, 2 j. Wheeler, R. w. Collins
M. H. Abbey, M. Holman, M. h. Bah
cock, w Fl. Ward, j. D. Waldron
Of the sixteen pastors that have
held pastorates in this church, nine
are still living, Two died while hold