USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Newport > Annals of Trinity church, Newport, Rhode Island, 1821-1892 > Part 18
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Marshall C. Slocum in the chair.
William C. Gibbs held seventeen proxies; Marshall C. Slo-
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
cum held twelve; Henry Bull held one; William Cornell, one, and James Birckhead, one.
On motion of William Gardner, Rev. O. H. Prescott was elected Rector.
April 21, 1862. Annual Meeting, Easter Monday. Present, the following corporators:
Benjamin Finch, M. C. Slocum, Samuel Engs, William C. Gibbs, George C. Mason, James Birckhead, William G. Seabury, William Cornell, J. H. Cozzens, William Gardner, J. T. Langley, Edward King, James B. Finch, William E. Dennis, George C. Munroe, William C. Burns, Henry Bull, Jethro C. Carr, John J. Bliss, George H. Calvert, William H. Bliss, William Little- field, Isaiah Crooker.
Henry Bull in the chair, and Job T. Langley, Secretary.
On motion of Samuel Engs:
Resolved: that the meeting of this Corporation, of February 7, 1862, is hereby declared illegal, there being no quorum pres- ent.
The following amendment, offered by Edward King, was adopted :
Resolved: that the meeting of this Corporation, of February 7, 1862, is hereby declared illegal, there being no quorum pres- ent, and the proceedings of said meeting are hereby rescinded.
George H. Calvert moved that the resolution be laid on the table.
Ayes, including proxies, 35, noes 37.
The question was then put, Shall the resolution pass? which was decided in the negative by the casting vote of the chairman, Henry Bull.
[The Corporation Meeting of February 7th had been called at an unusual time of year for the election of a Rector; there was no need of haste if there had been a desire for an honest expression of opinion, for the Annual Easter Meeting, at which
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time such business was transacted, was but a few weeks off; and it was known that very many of the active and influential corporators (whose names do not appear in the list of those present) were absent from town. There were not even corpor- ators enough at the first meeting to organize. At the adjourned meeting there was one more than a quorum present, but not all entitled to a vote; and two of the corporators held between them 29 proxies, within one with their own votes, of double the number of persons on the floor. The meeting had been packed.]
The following officers were elected:
Marshall C. Slocum, Senior Warden.
James Birckhead, Junior Warden.
David King, Henry Bull, J. D. Ogden, William E. Dennis, Samuel Engs, William C. Gibbs, Benjamin Finch, George C. Mason, William Cornell, Charles Hunter, John H. Cozzens, Vestrymen.
May 5, 1862. Adjourned meeting of the Corporation. The following was offered by Benjamin Finch :
Whereas, unhappily, this Corporation is divided in opinion as to the propriety of the call of Rev. O. H. Prescott, to be the permanent pastor of this Parish; and whereas it would be unwise, if not productive of greater divisions, to call any min- ister who could not command an almost unanimous vote of the Corporation and congregation: therefore, 1
Resolved: that Dr. King and Gov. Gibbs be a committee to select a candidate to be recommended to the Corporation for approval.
On motion of George H. Calvert, the resolution was laid on the table, by a vote of 41 to 33.
The following communication was received and ordered to be recorded :
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
Newport, April 5, 1862.
To the Corporation of Trinity Church;
Gentlemen:
I would like a longer time to consider your invitation to the Rectorship of Trinity Church, but under the circumstances think it might be unreasonable to ask it. Being called upon to give to-day a decisive answer, and considering the work I shall leave unfinished, especially in the preparation of candidates for confirmation, and looking onward to God's judgment when all the deeds of all of us must undergo His scrutiny, Who ordereth all things in the Father's service, I cannot take upon myself so grave a responsibility as to decline officiating any longer among you. I therefore, for the present, until God shall open the way to my relief, accept the weighty charge which, through you, He has laid upon me; and thus, by my own act, in reliance upon Him, as well as by your election, I become the Rector of Trin- ity Church.
The Charter of our Parish requires my institution "as soon as may be." This expression I take to be incomplete without the addition of the word "expedient"; and the expediency must be judged of by myself as well as you. My feeling now is that under no circumstances will I consent to tie myself down to you, as I should be tied by that office. I therefore append to this qualified acceptance of the Rectorship, these conditions:
I. That I shall not be called upon to be instituted Rector.
2. That I shall have the right to resign at any moment, however soon, when I shall consider such an act consistent with my duty to God and His Church.
With many thanks for your kindness hitherto, and with the prayer that our connection, begun in God, may be continued in Him in peace, and comfort, and success to the Glory of His Great Name, and the salvation of our souls.
I am very faithfully your Servant and Pastor, O. S. PRESCOTT.
It was moved by Samuel Engs: to take up and consider the resolution of Benjamin Finch, appointing a committee to make a nomination for a Minister.
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ANNALS OF TRINITY CHURCH,
Moved by William C. Gibbs: that said resolution be indefi- nitely postponed; which was carried by a vote of 39 to 34.
Moved by George H. Calvert: whereas the legality of the meeting of February 7th has been called in question,
Resolved: that this meeting confirm the whole action of that meeting. Carried by the same party vote, of 39 to 34.
Moved by George C. Mason: that a certified copy of the Corporation meetings of February 7th, April 21st, and of this meeting, be sent to the Rector, and to the Bishop and Stand- ing Committee; which was carried.
August 4, 1862. Meeting of the Vestry. Rev. Mr. Prescott stated that he had received the appointment as Chaplain to the Portsmouth Grove Hospital, and he had called the Vestry to- gether, to ask for a vacation of three months, to enable him to fulfil said appointment, in case he should think it his duty to accept; he supplying the pulpit during the vacation.
On motion of Henry Bull it was voted :
Whereas the Rector has stated to this Vestry, that he had received the appointment as Chaplain for the Portsmouth Grove Hospital, and asked for a vacation of three months, to enable him to fulfil said appointment, in case he should think it his duty to accept;
Whereof it is voted: that it is inexpedient to take any action in the matter before the Rector shall decide whether to accept the appointment or not.
December 26, 1862. Vestry meeting.
On motion of Henry Bull, voted: that the communication from the Rector be received and referred to a committee of three, to report on the same to an adjourned meeting of this Vestry, to be held on the evening of the 2d of January.
January 2, 1863. Adjourned meeting. Voted: that the re- port of the Committee on Music be adopted and placed on record as follows:
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
The undersigned, a committee appointed by the Vestry at its last meeting, to examine the subject matter of the choir music, and to report at the next meeting of the Vestry what action, if any, on the part of the Vestry, the interest of the Church requires, beg leave respectfully to report:
That the existing arrangement for music was entered into with Dr. Cutler, 9th of December, 1861; since which time no effort has been spared on the part of the Rector and Wardens, to enable him to carry out his engagement to the satisfaction of the Church; but your committee is of the opinion that the plan has proved a failure, and that a large portion of the con- gregation, as well as the Wardens and Vestry, and, as I have been informed, the Rector also, believe the music is not what it should be; nor what the liberal sum appropriated by the Corporation can procure.
They are now expending about $700 per year for choir pur- poses, and it is a well attested fact that, while the music at Trinity Church is procured at a much greater cost than that of any other Protestant church in the city, there is none upon which impartial criticism is so severe.
Music is a most important element in the worship of the Episcopal Church, and when suitably rendered, inspires senti- ments of devotion and praise, second only to the ministrations of the desk, or pulpit. But the style of music now in use in Trinity Church is wanting in devotional influences, too monot- onous in its character, insufficient and defective in its execution, and is in no wise calculated to promote the high and holy pur- poses for which it was designed. Therefore your committee is of opinion that its continuance in Trinity Church cannot fail to reflect discredit, not only upon the Rector, members and Vestry, but also upon the Church at large.
The Psalms and Hymns and Chants of the Prayer Book, in the order of its arrangement, sung to the most approved and popular tunes, long in use and familiar to all, as in the majority of our Churches, are in the opinion of your committee, the most congenial to the tastes of our congregation, and the best adapted to inspire our form of worship with that purity and devotion without which our canonical institutions are of little avail.
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ANNALS OF TRINITY CHURCH,
The material for securing music of this character is believed to be within our reach; and a reasonable effort on the part of a judicious committee could readily accomplish the reform we so much stand in need of.
Your committee would, therefore, recommend that, as the matter of music is not now wholly in the control of the Vestry, a meeting of the Corporation be called, at the earliest day, to consider and take such action in the matter as the exigences of the case may in their opinion require.
All which is respectfully submitted by
HENRY BULL,
Newport, Jany. 2d, 1862. Committee.
Voted: that the communication from the Rev. Mr. Prescott, read at the last meeting, be returned to him.
On motion from Benjamin Finch voted:
That, whereas, it is usual for the Vestry to distribute the Christmas offerings, in accordance with a custom of forty years standing, and whereas it has been stated by the Senior Warden that the Rector has distributed a portion of the funds without consulting the Vestry, therefore
Resolved: that the Rev. Mr. Prescott be requested to com- municate to this Vestry the amount of the Christmas collection, and whether the same has been disposed of; and, if so, to whom, and what amount to each individual, in order that the Vestry may understandingly distribute the funds now in their hands for the relief of the poor.
Voted: that a Corporation meeting be called for Friday, the 16th day of January, at 3 p. m., to hear a report of the com- mittee on music, appointed by this Vestry, and to transact such other business as may come before the meeting, and that notice of the same be given in the Church, by the Rector, on Sunday next.
Voted: that as the Senior Warden has informed the Vestry
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
that he should be absent during the month, James Birckhead, Dr. David King and George C. Mason be a committee to fill the pulpit, in case Rev. Mr. Prescott should be absent during that time.
Voted: that when this meeting adjourns, it adjourn to meet on Monday evening next at 7.30 o'clock, to receive the report from Rev. Mr. Prescott, as to his disposition of the Christmas offerings.
Voted: that the Secretary be requested, when he makes known to Rev. Mr. Prescott the vote asking for information in regard to the disposition of the Christmas offerings, to accom- pany it with the vote of adjournment to hear the report of the Rector.
January 5, 1863. Rev. Mr. Prescott stated to the Vestry that in reply to the request of the Vestry, as to the disposition of the Christmas offerings, he would say that he had distributed the Christmas offerings strictly in accordance with the Canons of the Church, and he therefore declined having anything further to say on the subject.
On motion of Benjamin Finch, voted: that the Rev. Mr. Prescott be respectfully requested to inform the Vestry the amount of the Christmas collection, and to whom and what amount paid to each individual, in order that the Vestry may more understandingly distribute the funds now in their hands for the relief of the poor.
The vote was as follows: aye, Messrs. Finch, Mason, Dr. King, Engs, Dennis, Cozzens and Bull, 7; no, Messrs. Birck- head, Littlefield and Slocum, 3.
Voted: to adjourn to Monday evening next, to receive the answer of Rev. Mr. Prescott on the resolution, and to distribute to the poor the funds now in the hands of the Vestry.
January 13, 1863. The following communication was read, and it was voted: that it be received and placed on the records:
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ANNALS OF TRINITY CHURCH,
To the Vestry of Trinity Church :
The disposition of the Offertory on Christmas Day was made with the advice of the Senior Warden. You have been invited to appoint some one of your number, to whom I have promised to give in confidence any information he may desire. Anything further than this would be a breach of professional propriety, which you must excuse me from perpetrating.
Very faithfully your Priest and Rector,
O. S. PRESCOTT.
The Rev. Mr. Prescott having retired, Henry Bull was chosen Chairman.
Voted: that the following communication, signed by the Chairman and Secretary, be forwarded to Rev. O. S. Prescott tomorrow morning.
Newport, January 13th, 1863.
Rev. and Dear Sir:
The Vestry of Trinity Church regret that their Pastor, in his communication received this evening, seems to have mis- apprehended the object of the resolution passed at a meeting of the Vestry, held on the evening of January 5th.
The sole object of that resolution was to request their Pastor to unite with them on a common ground of confidence and sympathy, and according to the ancient custom of the Church, to distribute wisely and properly the funds for the poor, and in a manner the most agreeable to their feelings.
In order to have that pleasure, the Vestry have adjourned to tomorrow evening, at 71/2 o'clock, and request their Pastor to meet them, for the purpose of distributing what funds remain in their hands.
Very respectfully your friends,
THE VESTRY.
To the Rev. O. S. Prescott,
Pastor of Trinity Church.
January 14, 1863. Adjourned meeting of the Vestry. The
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
following communication from Rev. Mr. Prescott was received and it was voted that it be recorded:
To the Vestry of Trinity Church:
In answering your communication of the 13th inst., I beg leave to say: that I am not aware of any misapprehension of your resolution of the 5th inst .; it is almost identical with that of your meeting of the 2d inst. submitted to me, together with another returning my communication vindicating my disposition of the offertory on Christmas Day.
When I made my communication, dated January 12th, I was decided to be a party to no further discussion of this subject, but to lay it, with all the documents, before the Corporation, some time between this and Easter Monday. Under these cir- cumstances, and believing you entirely capable of performing your full duty in regard to all funds committed to your charge and distribution, I prefer to know the wishes of the Corporation before I act further in this matter.
I am very faithfully your Rector and Servant, O. S. PRESCOTT.
Newport, January 14th, 1863.
Voted: that the sum of $96, amount of interest on the orig- inal Poor Fund, be taken from the Treasurer and placed in the hands of a committee, to be distributed among the poor of the Church.
Resolved: that in consequence of the refusal of the Rector, and the absence of the Wardens, to give us information of the poor of the Church, that the following list of the poor of the Church, and the several sums appended to them by the Vestry, be placed in the hands of a committee, to be modified by them according to the information they may subsequently obtain.
[Here followed a list of names, with the several amounts they were to receive.]
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ANNALS OF TRINITY CHURCH,
Voted: that Samuel Engs, J. H. Cozzens, and James Birck- head be that committee.
January 16, 1863. Special meeting of the Corporation; 24 corporators being present.
The following communication was received from Rev. Mr. Prescott, and ordered to be recorded:
To the Corporation of Trinity Church:
I take advantage of your meeting of this date to make known to all whom it may concern, that in my estimation Al- mighty God has opened the way to my relief from the weighty charge which He laid upon me, when, by my own act as well as by your election, I became the Rector of Trinity Church.
You will find by referring to my letter of acceptance, that I expressly reserved the right to "resign at any time, however soon, when I should consider such an act consistent with my duty to God and His Church."
In a confidential conversation had with the Chairman of your last meeting, during the time which intervened between my election and acceptance of the Rectorship, I stated very frankly, my willingness to take the position, and my hope that I should be released from it by the end of the year. In this feeling and hope there has been no wavering, and the purpose of this communication is, to make known to you that at your Annual Meeting on Easter Monday, April 6th, 1863, God willing, there will be laid before you my resignation of the Rectorship of this Church, to take effect ten days after the acceptance of his elec- tion by my successor is made known to me; provided such ac- ceptance be not unreasonably delayed. And I advertise you of this fact at this early day, that you may be prepared at that annual meeting to go into the election of such successor; and I advise that a committee to nominate such successor be ap- pointed at this present meeting, and that this committee be directed to report at your annual meeting.
And furthermore, according to mine office, and in the name of God, I exhort you to pursue in this matter such measures as shall make for the peace of the Parish, the safety of your
.
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
own souls, and the relief of this ancient Church from the ob- loquy which your dissensions among yourselves have brought upon it.
May God Almighty direct, control and keep you, now and evermore in Him.
Very faithfully your Rector,
OLIVER S. PRESCOTT.
Newport, January 16th, 1863.
On motion of Benjamin Finch, it was
Voted: the Rev. Mr. Prescott having given notice of his intention to resign at Easter, and having invited us to appoint a committee to provide another clergyman, therefore
Resolved: that a committee, consisting of Dr. King, Henry Bull, and James Birckhead be, and they are hereby, appointed, with full power to call a clergyman as Minister or Rector of Trinity Church, at Easter, or as soon after as practicable.
On motion of Edward King,
Voted: that the committee be limited to the sum of two thousand dollars, for the Minister's salary.
The report of the committee on music, to the Vestry, Janu- ary 2, 1863, being read, on motion of George C. Mason,
Voted: that we concur with the opinions expressed in the report of the committee of the Vestry on the subject of music, which has just been read, and hereby empower the Vestry to do whatever may in their opinion be necessary to secure suitable music for the Church.
January 22, 1863. At the meeting of the Vestry the chair- man made it known that Mr. Cutler had tendered his resigna- tion, to take effect after the following Sunday.
Voted: that the whole matter of music be placed in the hands of Henry Bull.
On motion of William Cornell,
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ANNALS OF TRINITY CHURCH,
Voted: that Rev. Mr. Prescott be allowed a vacation of four weeks, between this and Lent; and that the Senior Warden be requested to inform Mr. Prescott of this vote.
April 6, 1863. Annual Meeting of the Corporation; 25 cor- porators being present.
Henry Bedlow was chosen Chairman, and Job T. Langley, Secretary pro tem.
The following officers were elected:
George C. Mason, Senior Warden.
Samuel Engs, Junior Warden.
David King, Henry Bull, M. C. Slocum, Edward King, Charles Hunter, Benjamin Finch, Job T. Langley, William Cor- nell, John H. Cozzens, William G. Seabury, James Birckhead, Vestrymen.
William Cornell, Treasurer.
Job T. Langley, Secretary.
April 8, 1863. Adjourned meeting of the Corporation. The following communication from Rev. Mr. Prescott was read:
To the Corporation of Trinity Church, Newport:
Having received the formal consent of the Bishop of the Diocese, given at my own request, I hereby resign the Rector- ship of Trinity Church, from and after the tenth day from the date on which the acceptance of said Rectorship by my successor shall be made known to me, provided said acceptance be not unreasonably delayed.
You will recollect that in accepting this office, I reserved the right of resigning whenever it seemed to me expedient.
This renders unnecessary any action of yours in regard to my resignation, my own act being final and absolute.
In thus bringing to a close our connection as Priest and people, covering a period of two years and two months, I sum up my official acts as follows:
Baptized, 28
Presented for Confirmation, I8
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NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND.
Married, 8 Buried, 44
Of the communicants in the latest list upon the books on my accession 199 were found to be still connected with the Church, to whom have been added 142, removed and died 51, leaving the present number 290, 40 and the whole number on the books during my Rectorship, 341.
I may add that the class awaiting Confirmation will swell this list and show a slight increase since the last Convention.
At Christmas time a question was raised by some members of the Vestry, in regard to the disposal of the alms received that day. So far as I was concerned, I settled the matter by the following communication, which, as it contains a vindication of my mode of administering a trust, which I received from the Church and from you, and not from the Vestry, and a knowl- edge of it being necessary to an understanding of the history of the Parish during the last year, I make it a part of this my letter of resignation.
"Newport, St. Stephen's Day, December 26th, 1862.
To the Wardens and Vestry of Trinity Church:
I am advised by my physician not to leave the house to- day. This will hinder my being present at your meeting this evening.
As regards the offerings received yesterday, they will be ap- propriated in the way I pledged myself they should be in the notice given at public service.
The law of the Church is found in section 3, Canon 12, title I, and is in these words: 'The alms and contributions at the administration of the Holy Communion shall be deposited with the Minister of the Parish, or with such Church officer as shall be appointed by him, to be appropriated by the Minister, or under his superintendence, to such pious and charitable uses as shall by him be thought fit.' Trinity Church, Newport, is a
40 THESE numbers were made up in great part of those persons who had been members of the Church for years, but whose names, through the neg- lect of the previous Rector, had not been recorded.
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Parish of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States; upon it all the laws of that Church are binding: it is in accord- ance with those laws that I am its 'Priest and Rector,' and you its Wardens and Vestry, and we are equally pledged to see that those laws be not infringed.
Besides our duty in consistency and honesty and honor, there are, unhappily, reasons, growing out of the condition of things in the Parish-a condition for which my Rectorship is is no way responsible-which make the strictest attention to the Can- ons of the Church the part of wisdom. Your keeping me to them is your best protection, and my keeping them myself, and keeping you to them, is my only safeguard. The violation of a Canon on the part of a clergyman is a serious offence and sin, and a ground for Church discipline, and I am not at all sure if I were to permit the above, or any other, to be broken, that it would not be made a matter of formal complaint to the Ecclesiastical authorities before many hours had passed: at any rate, I will not put myself in anyone's power by running the risk of it.
Let it then be understood, once for all, that under all cir- cumstances and at all times, as Rector of Trinity Church, you will find me, so far as possible, giving and requiring from others obedience to the Constitution and Canons of the Church; and while I shall never knowingly infringe any, even the least, of your rights as Vestrymen, I shall take for granted there is no wish on your part knowingly to invade mine as Rector.
The only way in which the Vestrymen of an Episcopal Church can have anything to do with the appropriation of an offertory, further than by suggestions (which I shall always be glad to receive) is by the Rector's placing such offertory at their dis- posal, or by taking up one at their request, due notice being given that its disposition will be designated by them. This latter must be done at some service at which the Holy Com- munion is not administered; and if you request it, I shall very willingly take such an one for you.
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