The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-12-18
MANIFESTATION T0VERM0uT
Was It Stimulated BY PerseCu-
ton In Early Days.
RELIGIOUS Conditions That Prevailed
In and Around Bennington Be-
tween 1850 and 1890

In paper redu by fIOI. Jouu -.
Goodrich Of Burlington, before the
Vermont Historical society, at their
annual meeting in Montpelier, Nov. 10
an answer was sought to the question
whether immigration was stimulated
in the year 1760-l79O by persecution
on the part OF the Standing Order
in the states Of Massachusetts and
Connecticut. Prof. Goodrich states
that this paper was prepared at the
suggestion Of Hon. L. e. Chittenden
and grew out of a conversation with
him about two years before his death.
The paper in full discusses thorough
ly the religious conditions obtaining
in the early settlements in Vermont.
A few extracts and the conclusion
only is here given:
The history Of Benin ton seems to
lend countenance to the persecution
theory. It is agreed that the persons
who formed the first church organized
in Vermont (1762) had been members
of three Separate" churches in Hard
wick, Sunderland and Westfeld, Mass
and that they were joined a little later
by others from a like community at
Newint, Norwich Conn. These had
all been irregularly organized and
were refused recognition by the Con
gregational body. Four members at
least of the Bennington church had
been communicated by the church
in Sunderland. 1t appears also that
the Rev Jedediah Dewey, their first
pastor, was leader of the separa-
lists, and had been disfellowshipped
by the Orthodox. And further, that
the Westfleld council, called to ad-
wise as to the union Of the Benning
ton and Westfield churches, was made
up OF Separate" churches only.
The simultaneous movement on the
part of four churches or of portions
of four churches, to region beyond
the jurisdiction Of Massachusetts, can
not be regarded as an accident.
These "Comeouters" did not happen
TO meet at Bennington, nor was the
New Light pastor or the New Light
council, the result Of chance Com
mon sympathies and aims determined
the gathering Of these peculiar peo-
pie at Bennington.
The extreme Separatists in Ben
nington were a crotchety, intractable
lot They were always protesting and
obstructing. They would not--at any
rate they did not-pay their own
church taxes; and they would not al
low the society or the congregation to
supply the lack caused by their own
delinquency by any method which
they, the Separatists chose to disap
prove Of. The war lasted u years at
least, and apparently longer. Matters
grew worse and cases Of discipline
kept the church in hot water The
record says: the covenant was very
much shattered and torn SO a new
one was drawn and signed in 1850.
But,--to go no farther with the story
-sunice'it to say that he extreme or
strict" Congregationalists appear
never to have had their way in the
management OF the finances.
am not aware that any other town
in Vermont started under similar aus
pieces. Certainly not all-apparently
but a very small minority-of the Con
gregationalists who came into the
state between 1862 and 1870 We're Of
the strict" or new light variety. One
church on the Connecticut river-that
in Thetford-was organized In 1913 on
the basis of the halfway covenant and
for the space Of six years persons
were received under the watch and
care of the church without admission
to the communion table The prac-
tice ceased. however, in the first year
of Asa Burton's pastorate O779. 1t
might have continued indefinitely II
the first pastor. the only tory in the
town. had not left hastily under
threat OF tar and feathers. This has
been said to be the only church so
constituted In Vermont The church
in the east parish OF Rutland, however
also adopted the half way covenant
during the ministration OF the Rev.
Samuel William, L. d., the historian
of Vermont who served them from
1885. Here It was discontinued in
1897. because 1T was supposed to be
unwarrantable and defective" Thet'
ford and Rutland are cited here only
as evidence that in some sections OF
/ the state there were not New Lights
enough scattered among the Congre'
pationallsts to raise n protest against
the abhorrod scheme Of halfway mem
bership.
The net result OF what investigation
I have made may be thus stated;
The earliest immigrants to Vermont
from Connecticut and Massachusetts