The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-01-05

for "a years IL was the only religious
Organization 10 the most populous
town Ia the state.
One OF the churches from which came
a portion OF the Bennington church
had Incorporated 10 its covenant the
principle that "the gospel ministry.
ordinances add poor OF the church are
70 be supported and maintained with
out using the civil sword or any CO.
her-siye means 10 force mau there
TO-" And paper drawn up In Ben
uington 10 1854 binds the signers "to
bear our equal part" 4" according TO
our several lists 10 the year l7s3," TO
send for a minister and to support him
for a term OF six months. This APP
pears TO be pure yoluntaryism. Blu;
It is Interesting to note that previously
TO ITO this New Light church. albeit
Just escaped from state persecution, T.
G., from church rates Ia Massachusetts
and Connecticut, had :, eniaogIed 1t
self with society as 10 feel obliged u
call separate" ecclesiast Cal c0un
ell to devise way whereby " guard
the church from bondage
But there we're other reasons FOR ~,
harmony OF Bennington. Capt ga uu
Il Robinson. the original i,unIsr g,
the town, was forclhoug tfui eloug
% 'ort the newcomer, according
heir religious preferences Wall,
tongregatlonallsts we're inviled "a
AIRY AZ bennington, immigrants oI
he Baptist persuasion were advised T.
push on 10 Salisbury, and Episcopal
ians 10 Arlington; while such as had
90 religion or no particular leaning,
werv directed 20 Pounsl. The conss'
quences OF this sorting up Of the new
arrivals we're such as Captain Robin
son evidently expected, with me excep'
lion. The Arlington folk, holding by
the state religion OF Great Britain,
we're naturally mole willing subject.
OF King George than their "disseut-
ing" neighbors, aud 10 the storm y
days Of i75i.s3 caused much anxiety 70
the state government aud to the mill
tary leaders Of the people, because Of
their Ingrained aud prioclpled tory ism.
Some Of them served the british lead.
ers A. spies throughout the var.
Butte return 10 Bennington. When
sc Investigate the ultimate causes OF
IL settlement, 40 ind IL vas by no
means q purely religious movement.
Captain Samuel Robinson Of Hard.
slek, Mass, re,urning from Lake
George after one Of his three or four
campaigns against the French -possin
ly 10 September, 1855, after tho defeat
u The enemy happened by good luck
10 lose his way, mistaklng a branch OF
the uooslck for the main stream. aud
40 had occasion 10 encamp for a night
viihin the limits Of what Is nov Ben.
nlngion. lie was 80 greatly pleased
With the soil and the situation that h.
resolved 10 move his household goods
thiiher. So be lost no time In going
70 New Hampshire and securing q
large portion Of the townshlp rights.
Then he induced bis friends and &C
quainiances 10 join him 10 his venture
Any one familiar with the soil OF cen
trail Massachusetts ttIardwick IL Ia
Worcester county, abJa. 90 miles from
Boston, and with that Of Bennington
can easily imagine that Captain Rob
inson did not appeal 10 religious mot
Ives only. lie would naturally, how
ever, seek nrst the CO operation OF met
slih shom be vas 10 sympathy. and
these would be his corellgionlsts.
Agaln: the notion that the religion
motive was the determining one IL fur
Their discounted BY a vote passed, ap
psrenty 10 1899. This vote seeras u
be entirely obllvious OF the tyranny o.
the General Court Of massachusetts
against which the Baptlsls and Quak
ees had Kicked and cIamorcd 40 long
Tie proprlelors actually voted TO ''pe
titIou the General Court Of New Hamp
shire TO raise n tax on all the lands IL
bennington. resident and non rcslden
10 build a meeting house, school house
and mills, and for Highways aud brid
gcs."
And, agalo, later, May ., 1903, they
v "a 10 raise six dollars on every
right Of land 10 Bennington for build
ing meeting house and schoo
house." Now school houses aud brld
ges we're regarded then a. now as o
general or public utility. Butte buIlt
meeting house Ia whole or In part by
general tax, this vas a wicked de-
vice Of the church-statc OF Massachu
sets, against the Injustice Of which Tho
anabaptists had been demonstrating
for many years. And The Bennington
ties had themselves near tho very be
ginning Of their church organization
December J, 1893, expressly excepted
those paragraphs Of tho Cambridg'
Il niatforn which allow Tho uso of Ia,