The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-17
Rev. J. w. Barnett Closed
Ministry with Congre-
gational Church
GOES TO ENGLAND TO
BE WITH SOLDIERS
His Parishioners Presented
Him Purse of More
Than $100

a charge in Marblehead, Mass, To : ,
up the work here, Rev J. w. 1T
took leave of the Barre Cong = onal
church yesterday, his farewT > essage
being delivered before lar = ,ngrega-
tions at the morning ane - ling serv-
ices. Farewells incident : IS early de-
parture from this city : the clergy
mans resignation of = Ay, Sept. 2, and
its acceptance at a chureh meeting on the
evening of the following Thursday. Rev.
Mr.. Barnett is to sail around Oct. | for
England, there to engage in Y. NJ. c. A.
war work
At parish gathering Saturday even
ing many grasped the opportunity to
make personal farewell to the outgoing
pastor and the rally of Congregational
lists was also the occasion for presenta-
tion in which Rev. Mr. Barnett received
purse containing more than $l00 as
tribute from his parishioners. There
was present large number of people
for the supper, served by the ladies of
the church, and the social hour which
followed. 1t was during the evening that
Fl. g. Woodruff, speaking for the people
from whom the pastor is to separate by
reason of his war mission, presented Mr..
Barnett a purse, at the same time con
veying to him the good wishes of his
Barre friends. The clergyman responded
in measured phrases and after that lie
shook hands with many of those with
whom he had been associated in church
work here. Good byes said yesterday
after the days services were even more
feeling.
At the morning worship the clergyman
stated that he did not purpose to deliver
a farewell sermon aud that his addresses,
forenoon and evening, would not neces
sarily be in the nature of final messages.
The first sermon of the day stressed the
meaning of the larger life and in the
evening the topic was Realization of
Dur Ideals" sermon especially direct
ed to the young people and delivered
with a predatory regret that quarantine
probably prevented some of
.he younger people of the church from
hearing.
Three persons were received into the
'hurch in the forenoon, one in person,
me by letter from the church in Wilder,
md third, young man now in the serv
ee of his country at Camp Bartlett,
Preceding the sermon, Rev. Mr.. Barnett
poke briefly of the right hand of fellow
hip extended new members, and urged
he church to make place for those who
hould be admitted. He drew the in
piration for a forceful sermon from pas
ages in the gospels of st. Matthew and
t. Mark, with particular reference to
he query of the apostle Peter, "Lo, we
ave left off and followed Thee, what,
hen, shall we have?H The answer was
things both temporal and spiritual,
ouse and lands one hundredfold and
-ernal life. No word in the scriptures,
he minister said, more completely an
yered the question than the reply of
esus to Peter. In small compass ii
lates the essential elements of what
ssus wished his disciples to understand.
he question and the answer are con-
ined in passages which many Bible stu
,nts have been disposed to ignore, even
ough in all truth it is one of the most
lpti HuHodStc III ftplN VIII u
" Jesus is regarded by many as being
practicable, the preacher continued
2 is put aside, so far as things secular
e concerned and Christianity is looked
'on as something far away In his
ven and more years as pastor of the
'al church, said pr. Barnett, he had
ed to emphasize the fact that the
achings of Christ are as necessary to-
Y as ever and that the rewards are
nporal as well as spiritual
The religion of Jesus Christ is some
ing which has to do with the present
ID the question which Peter asked of
'us is being asked by the man of to-
Y who feels tied down to temporal af.
RS. The church ought TO be agle to
swer that question, to explain alt,
arly and frankly, and to do it under
ndingly. If the church fails to satisfy
uiries about its discipleship, then it
'uld 90 out of business. If it fails il
not the church of Christianity. Com
uing, the pastor argued that no man
uld do anything unless he considers il
-th while. And more spiritedlv he
!, y hope that the meaningless cant
hypocrisy and barrenness that has
n baITieT around organized nT :
lity may be eliminated | mean the
Il that has kept men from the real
lg.
DR.. Barnett's Work.
{ his own plans DIR. Barnett spoke
fy at this juncture, saying; y am
lg to that which has no cant or bar
around il, going out TO meet men as
J. II appeals TO me, and there is no
-ch in America, even with the highest
~. that could tempt me away from
work. There is a job. that means
2 10 me. under. Gods protecting care.
ss the sea, and If men ask me what q
means. ask the question that Peter
a Of Jesus, am going to be able to
them"
le thing that is going to grow out of
great war. with an ~ its suffering
destruction. continued the preacher.
regeneration of social forces and ths
4 order. and Jesus i TO be enthroned
.ory. Men shall be bigger. more a.
"a more rf1rfruf In the rar