St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-07-01


1926 in the Unitarian declaration. but 1T
was not at all prominent, and possessed
no literature. Universalism had been
preached for generation and more. 1t
had produced to our knowledge, in the
way of books round hundred, OF all
kinds and all degrees of value. These
were for the most part controversial,
largely discussions, or criticisms OF doc
trinal opinions held by the opposition.
| There was not critical treatise or COM
mentary i'll the whole lot. In TACT we
had not a scholar amongst us, at the
| time, if we except Hosea Ballou, who
was yet unknown in the field OF author
ship. We had no schools, and our min
listers were for the most part entirely
self made, and many probably bearing
the mark of their creator plainly visible
in language and logic. We had scarcely
a system OF oversight by which we could
be defended against the inscriptions
| preacher, when he had outlved his use
iulness in one state, from travelling rela-
lively few miles and repeating his Of
| fences in some other state or community.
There was no wealth, and no social
rating for our people. Ii we except the
houses of worship in Gloucester, Boston,
Philadelphia and New York, there were
no comfortably appointed meeting
houses in existence. There was no :
nominational paper to carry the news
from place to place, in tact there was not
religious publication OF any sort in The
country at this time, the first being pub
lished in Portsmouth, N. H, in 1903.
This may have been the first religious
| 4La eto +aI nd
regular publication.
How did Universalism and Universal
lists stand in the eyes of the public at
this time? John Murray had been stoned
in Boston; the members OF the church in
Gloucester had been obliged to defend
themselves strenuously in the courts, to.
maintain their rights as an independent
religious organization. The handful OF
brethren in New Hampshire battled a
long time, and waited with great pa
thence for tardy justice to be done their
cause. In the popular mind Universalism
was most dangerous heresy, its preach
ers and professors emissaries of the devil.
This, in WORD, is the standing OF the
Universaist cause, at the opening OF the
nineteenth century. 1t was movement
!, more or less clearly defined, with quite
!; variety OF opinions regarding its princi-
pal doctrine, but feeling after some form
of organization that should relate all the
scattered forces to a common task, and
the church take its place among the rec.
ognized Christian agencies of the world.
The New England convention of 1901
was held in Swansey, N. H., and four
Vermont ministers were present. The
, convention of 1902 met in Stratford.
| At this session the record says, that a
response was made to call, made at the
, convention the year before, for coll c.
5 ton Tor the use of the convention to be
e expended by the officers. The response
: was in the form OF an objection III these
4 | words: FIRST we demonstrate against
7 banking money for detraying travelling
e expenses; second we see something in the
e plan that looks little like ecclesiastical
c revenue; third by raising pretty good
b fund OF money we might obtain add
!. tional laborers, but we are strongly sus
picious of their faithfulness." 1t is need
t less to remark that this took place before
the days of mission funds and OF field sec
;, retaries and missionaries.
!, The proceedings of this convention have
y local interest tor those of us who reside
n in this particular section of Caledonia
n county, because the Rev. Isaac Root
t who had been pastor of the Baptist
t church at Danville, was received into the
e Uniyersalist denomination and was
b licensed to preach. This session was
+ also made memorable because actor
: was taken looking toward a "plan o
n fellowship in faith and practice, for the
edifying of the body, and building it uE
t together" A committee was appointed
n to draw up such form OF statement ant
e report at the next convention in 1903
e Two members of this committee wer,
v men who have had a prominent place ii
e the life OF our denomination in Vermont
n and probably both were active in the or
n ganization of this association-Rev
l. Walter Ferris and Rev. Hosea Ballou.
e is also worthy of note that Christophe
e Erskine of Claremont, N. H.. appeared
+ at this convention and asked tor counse
d regarding his controversy with the tow
C of Claremont, over unpaid ministerial
n taxes. 1t may not seem at first sigh
e that the legal difficulty of Christopbe
IT Erskine, and the preparation of "pla1
l. OF fellowship in faith and practice" hat
r. any connection with one another. blu
d in tact they were in the nature OF caus
If and effect Until Christopher Erskin
'e could show that he was member OF
l. legally recognized Christian body of be
g levers, he must pay the taxes assessed
n for the support OF the Congregations
ir church and the "Universalist meeting
t was not so recognized, because it had n
q well defined system of doctrine or belle
v. profession of belief, therefore upo
r. which all could write was necessity, a
ID the predicament in which Mr.. Erskin
j. found himself was not unlike that c
is many Others. We come now to tn
n meeting of the New England conventio
y. in Winchester, N. H., in 1903. This cor
lie vention will always stand in the annal
W of our history as among the most in
Sc portant and significant of any through
Id out our existence. The committee a
ce ready referred to as composed, anon
p Others, OF Revs Walter Ferriss and Hose
v. Ballou, reported the result of its delibel
v. atoms, and this report, which was adop
r. ed after a full and free discussion wa
nr written by Rev. Walter Ferrlss, whom W
I'd are glad to claim as a Vermonter an
RS pastor and faithful preacher to thre
.e, churches. The preamble of the repoi
e. was in this wise; Brethren an
friends, Whereas the diyersities OF capt
of city and of opportunity tor obtaining ii