Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-04-07
UNITARIAN HISTORY
Four Score Years Reviewed by
Rev. E. Q. S. 0sgood
Doctrinal Dispute In Congregational
Church Resulted In Dvision-Rev. Ad-
olson Brown First Minister.


olson Brown First Minister.
Eighty years ago on Wednesday of this
week the Unitarian parish of Brattleboro
was founded, and in recognition of the
anniversary Rev. Il. O. S. Osgood
preached an historical sermon Sunday
morning. After his Introductory Rev.
Mr.. Osgood said: I'm order that this re-
view may be complete it will be necessary
to invite your attention very briefly to the
state of religious feeling in this village
during the few years previous to the
formation of our society.
I'm 1894 Rev. william Wells, dissent
ing minister of England, came to this
country and eventually made his home
in Brattleboro. He was at once asked to
preach by the Congregational church in
West Brattleboro, that church being at
the time the only one in town. This
pastorate lasted for 20 years. At the
expiration of this period Mr.. Wells gave
up his charge, to become the minister of
a new Congrega tional society that had
been established in the East village,
which included many of his former par
ishioners. A meeting house was erected
on the common, its dedication taking
place Aug %, 1916, Rev. Samuel Willard
of Deerfeld preaching the sermon.
~ "As regards his theological belief. Mr.
Wells was an Arian,-that is to say, he
belonged to the liberal wing of the Con-
grega tional body,-but he laid little stress
upon doctrinal differences and rarely re-
ferred to them in his pulpit. His preach
ing, it is recorded, was eminen1y practi-
cal, and always concerned with the up
lifting and lettering of the community
thus rejecting. as in mirror, his own
sanity and well ordered life.
an 1918 this good minister (now in
the 18th year of his agc) went back to
England, where he spent year with his
oldest daughter, Mrs. Freme. During
this interval dispute arose among his
parishioners about various matters of
doctrinal opinion, which resulted finally
in the calling of a new minister [of
more rigid typel. Rev. jonathan McGee,
to succeed Mr.. Wells. This was natur-
ally a source of grief, not only TO Mr..
Wells, but to a number of the society
who disliked this reversal to a stricter
and narrower exposition of theological
belief. And, after the death of Mr..
Wells, in 1927, the feeling became so
intensified that measures began to be
taken to establish a second Congrega-
tional society in the village, which should
embrace those who were i'm sympathy
with the ideas of Unitaranism, now be-
ing advanced so freely in many of the
New England churches, especially in
those in the neighborhood of Boston and
up and down the Massachusetts coast
"The American Unitarian association
was established in Boston in 1925; and |
am pleased to state that my grandfather,
Rev. Edmund Quincy Sewall, while en-
ployed in missionary work by this body,
was sent to Bratteboro In March or
April of 1880 to help found this church
of our faith. In letter dated at Roch-
ester ~ Y, May IS of that year, he
writes quite naively, perha PSI I had a
very pleasant month in Brattleboro, and
left an impression very favorable to
myself and to my doctrine
within a few months of Mr.. Sewall's
visit in this community. (Which was
doubtless supplemented by the earnest
service of other Unitarian clergymen sent
on the same errand), our society was
formally brought into being.
ION April 5, 1881. Samuel Root, Paul
Chase, Gardner c. Hall, John r. Blake,
Charles Chaplin, ]. D. Bradley and George
Newman, with others holding the same
views came together and entered into the
following agreement:
1--WE, the subscribers, do hereby vol
UNFAIRLY associate and agree to form
religious society by the name Of "The
Brattleboro Unitarian Congrega tional So
cety." for the purpose of building
meeting house, and settling and support
ing a minister
cat this first meeting Hon. Lemuel
Whitney was chosen moderator, Samuel
Allen clerk, John R. Blake treasurer, and
Gardner c.. Hall, Charles Chaplin and
John r. Blake were chosen a prudential
committee Francis Goodhue, Gardner
c. Hall and Elihu N. Thomas were chosen
a building committee. Samuel Allen,
Jonathan D. Bradley and Charles Chaplin
were chosen a committee to report a
code of bylaws.
at a meeting held April II it was
voted to add Paul Chase and Samuel
Root to the building committee. On the
following day, April 10, a contract was
entered into by this committee and
Messrs. Howard and Emerson of Swan
zey, n H., builders, for the erection of
this place of worship. Through the cour-
tesy of one of your number (the grand
son of a member of the building COM
mittee) I have been privileged to see the
original contract and to note the sim
plicity of this building and the economy
of its construction.
1.-THE amount to be expended was
$500, this to cover the erection of a
wooden meeting house, with its end to
the street "a feet long by AZ feet in
width furnished with pulpit, galleries and
bell tower, the same to be completed by
the first day of December of the current
year (1S31). The lot on which it stood
is practically the same where our pres
ent church stands: and was presented to
the society by Francis Goodhue, the
father of Col. Goodhue, lately deceased
1.-THE church was dedicated Feb. 90
1882, Rev. George w. Hosmer OF North
field, Mass, preaching the sermon. On
the Sunday succeeding the dedication
Mr.. Addison Brown, who had been
preaching several months at Troy, N. Y
where he had organized a liberal church
commenced supplying the pulpit as a