St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-12-16
immigration to Vermont.

p'sr was sought 10 the questlon
'1 r,Ss- immigration was stimulated in
gn'. .sr I76u-i79O by persecution on
f!e@ af,h. Standing Order" in the
tue Pa' # Massachusetts, and Connect
aa'' Prof. Goodrich states that this
nI was prepared at the suggestion OF
plP' "F Chittenden and grew out
Hou .'incersari1n with him about two
dasIbr .lore his death. The paper in full
year, ,.a.s eos thoroughly the religious con-
G gs'ss attaining in the early settlements
n Vermont. ,,.,..; o,,u
S TSa history of Bennington seems to
y t' ,9rrrrrrnce to the persecution
Euu ,r hi, creed that the persons
n so ARMED tie first church organized IN
T TuD l-51I had been members OF
'.,m1~Seosat-" churches in Hardwick,
.ta.j.ra9d and Westheld, Mass, and
'S.t thew wen. iuined a little later by
'4 4as,s rom a like community at Newint,
o TorGich Conn. These had all been
orntgrlv ORGANIZED, and were refused
a ,5sniti5n by the Congregational body.
Iy'o5 members at least of the Benning-
-" ,brrch had been communicated
~ y" ,bs church IN sunderland. 1t appears
o,o that the Rev. Iedediah Dewey, their
5 oastor. uas a leader of the Separa-
u,,, and had been disfellowshipped by
,S.0rtbod9x And further, that the
+ W,.tfsd council called to advise as to
,ss anion ofthe bennington and West
t.d churches. wa, made up of "Separ-
ate churches only -,
The simultaneous movement on the
o.rt orfur churches, or of portions OF
Enrcburches. % a region beyond the
nrsiction vi Massachusetts,, cannot be
,sgar5ed as aa accident. These Come
INTER-, did net happen to meet at Ben
ninot,n nor was the New Light pastor,
otbe New Light council, the result OF
chance Common sympathies and aims
determined the gathering of these "pe-
mlar people at Bennington.
Theextrem- Separatists in Bennington
we're crotchetv. intractable lot. They
were always protesting and obstructing.
They would uet-at any rate, they did
\ rot-oay their own church taxes; and
tbey would not allow the society or the
congregation TO supply the lack caused
BY their own ieinquency, by any method
which thew. the Saparatists, chose to dis
approve Of The war lasted IA years al
least. and apparently longer. Matter:
grew worse. and cases of discipline kept
thecburch IN hot water. The recorc
saws. 1.-THE covenant was very mucf
shattered and torn" So a new one wa:
drawn and signed in 1880. But.-to &c
narther with the story-suffice it t.
say that the extreme or strict" Congre
gatonahsts appear never to have haC
their way IN the management OF tn
finances
lam aware that any other tow
mYermont started under similar aus
pces Certainly not all-apparently Blu
avery small muority-of the Congrega
tonaIsts who came into the state be
tween l7G4 and ITO were of the strict
4 H1ew light variety. One church on tn
\ Connecticut riyer-that in Thetford-
was organized IN l773on the basis OF tn
halfway covenant, and for the space {
i Wyears persons were received under tn
u watch and care of the church withou
4 admission tn the communion table. In
practice ceased however, in the first yea
4 otASa Burtau's pastorate (1779)
8 might have continued indefinitely,
4 the first pastor the only tory in tn
town, had not left hastily under threa
Y Ottar and feathers This has been sal
tobe the only church so constituted
Vermont The church in the east paris
4 otRutlani however, also adopted TT
halfway covenant during the ministr'
ton Of the Rev Samuel William, Ii. u
4 the historian of Vermont, who serve
y them from 1885. Here it was di
continued iu 1884, because 1T was SUI
4 posed to He unwarrantable and d
4 ectlye. Iletford and Rutland a
cited here only as evidence that in son
sections otths tate there were not Ne
Lights enough scattered among Il
4 longregatoa1Ilsts to raise a prote
against th abhorred scheme of ha
way membership.
The net result of what investigate
4 llaye made navy be thus stated: ~
The earliest immigrants to Vernon
] nom Connecticut and Massachuset
%emn many cases to have been intiuen
eqoy religious considerations, i. e..
The disadvantages, legal and social, und
winch the VS. had placed them. BE
Wngton 1rshes the most conspicio
example oI zach movement. | have fouI
nowhere ii. my sure traces OF the Ne
Lights. IA they came to other sett
@ents, as probably they did, they we
uu' sporadic uses of dissent, and hi
: %Fgood SENSE not to press their pee
"ar views Na he majority.
4 Utae eU.. settlers of Arlington, ma
4 appear T. nye found one motive
Eauag Nar- ,lcut, in the opportuni
" use tt. English liturgy witho
] IoIestau surveillance on the pa
VI munr"3 authorities. These a
j o'3erS OF persuasion NAV have be
1 Iu1e1cc' by a knowledge OF t
] sc' taat cry township granted
I Goyeruor Aotworth the English Chur
] aau oeen subsidized to the extent of tN
j ""9 lots ne for glebe fer the Ep
] %paI re..o md one for the benefit
VI, soce'5 "r the propagation of
] gospel ay could hardly have be
] % I, the fact that about O
4 .H'uela the land in each OF i
] o %WHS D. seen sequestered to the u
vi me LH pal Church.
I mere ason too for thinking tina
t." OF u. 3aptists who came into '
4 I'uI 'e..e 1890 were moved by
4 qIs'Fe To- ape thechurch taxes levied
! IS"Ssaca Is Salisbury seems
5aye CT. ed some such, as also,
taF J. d Guldford and Dummt
"u' towns last named, ly
VSpeCU rtD The north and south