The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-08-21

against MIN ana was restored to fel
lowship. This seems to have beer
followed by a general revival and
there were so many candidates fol
union with the church that conferen
ces with such candidates were held
every fortnight. A long list of new
members is recorded and for eighteen
months there were continual ingather.
lngs. The entire fruits of the awak.
ening were abont one hundred.
In August, 1903, when this revival
had become somewhat general, a trial
was made of what was then called a
general meeting. This church invited
the pastors and churches of the i'm
mediate region TO attend public ser
vices for two successive days. The
object of tdis meeting was to send
abroad the revival and to increase it
at home, and 1t was manifestly sue
cessful. A staging was prepared I'M
der the pleasant shade of trees near
the meeting house and during the
morning of the first day it was sur
rounded by a still. solemn. listening.
assembly of more than 1000 souls. The
only means used were preaching, ex-
was no anxious seat" and no divis-
ion of the assembly proposed.
AT evening the preachers were ris-
tributed to labor in different neighbor-
hoods All families were open for the
numerous guests. In the course of
a year following. three other similar
meetings were held in neighborIng
towns and revivals were enjoyed all
around The effects of these meet
ings were decidedly good.
We have omitted to record that
some time in 1898 or 1889 the meeting
house which had stood at the burial
ground near the south line on the
East Road, was removed to the west
part of the village, probably a few
Yards east of the parsonage since
built This building was burned in
January, 1882 and new one erected
across the street which was dedicat-
ed February G. 1888.
From about the year 1900 to 1890
the records of the church are miss
ing We feel confident from an ac-
luaintance with the methodical way
in which DR.. Jackson recorded the ac-
tions of the church. that this book
may be still in existence.
The present parsonage was erected
for the benefit of the colleague pastor
of DIR. Jackson. Rev. Ezra Jones about
the year 1889, by an association of the
members of the church The horse
sheds that recently surrounded the
church building We're formerly locat-
ed directly opposite the church and
were moved across tne street to land
owned by Mr.. Charles Field
Dr. Jackson's forty-six years of min
istry with the assistance of the strong
men OF his church was fruitful, and
his natural gifts rendered him a pro
minent man in the town. In those
days the minister was looked up to
with reverence and respect on account
of his office.
At a meeting of the church held at
the meeting house September "a, 1898
1t was unanimously voted to give Rev
Ezra Jones a call to become the as
sociate pastor and DR.. Jackson was
chosen a committee of one to carry
out the foregoing vote
The call offered the munificent sal
airy of $500. with the rent of the par
sonage and was accepted in his reply
dated October 6, 1888. He was in
stalled by a Council December IL,
1888 and regularly dismissed October
rs. 1871.
There seemed to have been some fl
nancial difficulties about these days,
a new church, a pastor, an associate
pastor, and new parsonage, for ques-
tons of this import We're submitted
to the Council assembled to dismiss
Rev Ezra Jones.
Rev William Jackson d. D.. died
full of years in 1912 after a pastorate
Of forty-six years and he is buried
here in his family lot
Upon his death Rev. j. J. Gilbert
became their minister. who continued
here for about eighteen months. 1t
is said of him that at one time when
he chided a citizen for swearing that
the man retorted by saying: "Parson
you pray and | swear, but neither of
lis mean anything by it,"
He was n very eccentric man and
after leaving Dorset retired from the
pulpit.
Rev Seth Wiliiston was pastor of
the church for a year previous to the
settlement of DR.. Jackson. but there
are no eXtant records of mis- services
though Or. Pratt's centennial address
records them as fruitful
After Rev Mr. Gilbert's passionate
we have the name of Rev. Mr.. Rowan
as pastor for six to nine months but
no record of his services. Then we
have Rev Moses c. Searle 1S45-1S46,
but we have not the date of his COM
ing or of his going Under date of
December %, 1916 he was chosen
of the church, to remain
such as long as he continued with the
church. He signs himself as Pastor
pro tenn"
October /, 1S47 Rev Cyrus Hudson
accepted a call to be pastor of the
church He was possibly a supply for
under date of March 1S47, he signs
the records &C Hudson, Pastor He
was installed as pastor October n,
1St7. He must have been resident
of Dorset before being chosen and in
stalled as pastor, for DR.. Pratt in mis-
address includes him
among the ministers connected by
or education with Dorset
Vermont"
Possibly he studied Theology with
DR.. Jackson as was the custom in
those days. He was not regularly dis
missed until DR.. Pratt was installed
pastor some years after his coming to
the pulpit.
Rev. Parsons Stewart Pratt so long
the respected and esteemed pastor OF
this church, was born at Sanquolt
New York, July %, 1922, the son OF
Rev. Rufus and Betniah Ooring)
Pratt. He was educated at Clinton