USA > Rhode Island > Newport County > Newport > Annals of Trinity church, Newport, Rhode Island, 1821-1892 > Part 32
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SEC. III. - And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That there shall be an annual meeting of said Corporation on Easter Monday, yearly and every year, at which meeting there shall, and at any other legal meeting there may be, if vacancies should happen, elected two Church Wardens, who shall be ex- officio Vestrymen, seven other Vestrymen, one of whom shall be Secretary and also Clerk of the Vestry, and such other officers as may be judged necessary. And that legal meetings of said Corporation may be called at any time, by the Rector of said Trinity Church, by either of the Church Wardens, by any five Vestrymen, or any ten members of said Corporation; and at any of the meetings aforesaid, any of the affairs and business of said Corporation may be attended to, transacted and performed. And although said Corporation should not, from any cause or circumstance whatever, hold their annual meeting on Easter Monday yearly, and every year hereafter, yet this Act shall never- theless continue and be in full force; and officers may be elected
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and the affairs and business of said Corporation may be trans- acted and performed at any subsequent meeting which may be called in either of the modes before stated.
SEC. IV .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Church Wardens and Vestrymen elected by said Cor- poration, shall for the time being, have the entire and sole control, management and disposition of all the property and funds of said Corporation, in trust nevertheless, and for the use of said Corporation, for the sole support and promotion of the public worship of God, as in the preamble of this Act expressed, for defraying the incidental expenses thereof, and for the repairs of the Church edifice and its appurtenances. That the said Cor- poration shall on Easter Monday annually, or oftener if it should become necessary, for the security of the property and funds aforesaid, elect a Treasurer, who shall keep fair and accurate accounts of the property and funds aforesaid, and of the man- agement and disposition of the same; and shall attend when re- quired, and shall have a right at all times to attend the meetings of the Vestry, and shall at every annual meeting on Easter Monday, make a written statement, or report of the same, to the said Corporation; and shall when required by a vote of said Corporation, or by a vote of said Church Wardens and Vestry- men, make further statements and reports of the same, and shall produce the books, vouchers and documents, containing the ac- counts and statements of the property and funds aforesaid, and the use, management and disposition of the same, which shall be open to their inspection and examination. And the Treas- urer, previous to entering on the duties of his office, shall an- nually give satisfactory bonds to the said Corporation, for the faithful discharge of the duties of his said office.
SEC. V .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That each male owner of a pew in Trinity Church in Newport, or lessee or hirer of the same for one year, or a longer time, and who professes to attend public worship therein, shall be a member of said Corporation, and be entitled to appear and vote in all Corporation meetings, and that in all such meetings, eleven members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.
SEC. VI .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid,
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That the Rector of said Church shall be elected by the Cor- poration aforesaid, at a meeting of said Corporation legally called.
SEC. VII .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Rector shall be ex-officio a member of said Cor- poration, and when present Moderator thereof at all meetings of the same. That he shall have a right at any time to inspect the books and records of the Corporation. That it shall be his right and duty, from time to time, to state verbally or in writ- ing the condition of the affairs of the Corporation, and to rec- ommend such measures as he deems advisable for its benefit, to the meetings of the Wardens and Vestrymen, at which meet- ings the Rector, or in his absence one of the Church Wardens, or Senior Vestry-Wardens and Vestrymen present, shall be Mod- erator. And in all meetings of said Wardens and Vestrymen five members shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, each member being entitled to one vote, excepting the Moderator, who shall be only entitled to give the casting vote.
SEC. VIII .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all donations made, or that may be made to said Corpo- ration, or that ensue, or may ensue to their use, shall be strictly used and applied according to the intentions and directions of the donors; and that all deeds and conveyances made by said Corporation, shall be made by the Treasurer thereof for the time being, when authorized by a recorded vote or resolution of the Wardens and Vestry, to which said deeds and conveyances the seal of said Corporation shall be affixed.
SEC. IX .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever any tax or proportion of money shall be assessed by order of said Corporation upon the pews of the said Church edifice, for the repairs of said edifice and its appurtenances, which are already or may hereafter be made, or for the ex- penses of said Corporation, such tax or proportion of money shall be paid by the several owners of such pews, agreeably to their respective assessments, and the rules and ordinances of said Corporation; and in case any owner as aforesaid shall, for the space of three months after the notice of any tax or proportion of money assessed as aforesaid, refuse or neglect to pay the
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same, the pews of such delinquents shall and may be sold by order of said Corporation, at public Auction, for the payment and discharge of such taxes and costs: Provided nevertheless, That such sale be previously advertised, at least thirty days before such pews shall be offered for sale, and the surplus money (if any) after the payment of such taxes and costs, shall be lodged with the Treasurer of said Corporation, to be paid over to such delinquents, or their legal representatives, on demand.
SEC. X .- And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Charter aforesaid, of one thousand seven hundred and sixty-nine, granted to the said Minister, Wardens and Congre- gation of said Trinity Church, and the subsequent amendments thereto, be, and they hereby are with the assent and at the re- quest of said Minister, Wardens and Congregation, repealed, abrogated and annulled. Provided nevertheless, That all acts le- gally done, and all responsibilities legally incurred, and all by- laws, resolves and regulations passed under said Charter and amendments, shall be and remain in full force and virtue.
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A SERMON
In Memory of George C. Mason, Esq.,
PREACHED IN TRINITY CHURCH, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1894, BY THE REV. GEORGE J. MAGILL, D. D., RECTOR.
Psalm I, v. I (Psalter Version). "Blessed is man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners; and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful."
This psalm forms a preface or introduction to the whole book of psalms. Instead of dealing specifically with peculiar condi- tions of the heart and drawing its lessons from incidents, as most of the other psalms do, it takes a general survey of human character, dividing the world into two great classes-those who live a life of obedience to God, and those who reject Him. It is noticeable, too, that it begins as our Lord's sermon on the Mount does, with the word "blessed." The first impulse, the prevailing tendency of God's heart, is in the direction of beati- tude. It is only when men turn their backs upon His love and, persisting in evil courses, deliberately reject His mercy, that His blessing is withheld and the penalty of wickedness becomes their portion. The man that delights in the law of the Lord is like a tree planted by the waterside, bringing forth its fruit in due season. His leaf shall not wither. The Lord knows and approves of his course. But the ungodly are like chaff which the wind scatters away from the face of the earth.
Unless we read the words of the text carefully we shall not, probably, get at their actual meaning. We have heard the pas-
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sage quoted as a scriptural condemnation of all who associate with ungodly people. It is a common saying, "a man is known by the company he keeps." But this judgment is not trust- worthy. There may be good reasons for one who is thoroughly virtuous to be much in the society of the vicious, and he can occupy this position without the sacrifice of his virtue. Neither is it true that all who move in the circle of respectable people are above reproach. The charge was made against our blessed Lord that He ate and drank with publicans and sinners and called them His friends. You will remember that this accusa- tion came from the Pharisees, the most religious and highly respected sect of the Jews, some of whom were deservedly de- nounced by Christ as hypocrites. Even if it were just, which I do not think it is, to judge of a man by the character of his associates, the language of the text gives no warrant for the method. It says "Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly." He has not followed their advice; he has not yielded to their solicitations; he has not copied their evil example; he has not adopted their wicked practices. His life has been cast amongst them, as Lot dwelt among the peo- ple of Sodom. Perhaps his righteous soul, like the patriarch's, has been vexed with their unrighteous deeds. The writer of the psalm counts upon the association of his blessed man with the ungodly, for how otherwise could he be aware of their evil coun- sel, how be subject to their pernicious suggestions, and be pro- nounced blessed for resisting them. Again, he "has not stood in the way of sinners." He has lived among them, in the same community. They have had business relations with each other; they have stood side by side daily, in political, social and relig- ious assemblies. They have been fellow-travellers, fellow-stu- dents, of his, members of his own household. There was much in them that he could admire. They were brave soldiers, or able statesmen, or great orators or artists, they were generous and humane and affectionate. These qualities which reasonably won his regard, or perhaps the ties of kindred that knit his heart to theirs in love, could not be ignored because they were sinners and he knew it. What kind of a world would it be, where would be the virtue or the value of religion, if sin, in addi-
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tion to its corrupting power over the soul, made such surrenders necessary ? The blessed man is not an isolated creature, walled in by ramparts from contact with the sinful. His life, mingling with theirs in daily round of duty, preserves its integrity and is a daily witness for God and goodness. Pitying, loving, ad- miring what is admirable in them, he does not stand in the way of sinners, i. e., he does not approve of their principles and motives and make their standard of morality his own. The way of a man is not simply his habits or conduct, but the hidden springs that move his life and make it what it is: the rule, the purpose of his life. The blessed man is one who does not stand on, does not rest upon, is not guided by, the principles which wicked men adopt. Associating with sinners, perhaps their friend and companion, he will not stand in the way of sinners. Herein he follows the example of the Divine Master who loved the sin- ner while He abhorred the sin.
Again the blessed man "hath not sat in the seat of the scorn- ful." The phrase is very significant. The seat is the place from which a judge administers justice. The Judge of Israel sat at the gate of the city to hear cause of the people and pass judg- ment upon it. How wise, how thoughtful, how discriminating, how impartial, how incorruptible he must be, that he may judge the people with equity! But the scorner cares nothing for equity. His aim is to bring the law and the law-abiding, all good men and good things, into contempt. Ignorant, unprincipled, defiant, reckless of everything but self, he usurps the seat of judgment and the gravest concerns are treated with levity. The command- ments of God, His truth, His doctrines, the solemn questions of life and death and a judgment to come, awaken no reverence. They and those who plead for them are ruled out of court as disturbers of the peace, and the scorner sits complacently, not caring that he has wounded, perhaps slain, the faith of simple souls or stifled the voice of his own conscience and insulted Al- mighty God. Blessed is the man whose respect for God and sacred things has been a coat of mail to protect him as he wended his way among scoffers in the active life of his daily calling. Blessed, that their brazen assurance could not intimi- date him. Blessed, that their sneers could not hurt his faith.
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Blessed, that they were never able to drag him down to sit with them in their seat of judgment and utter scornful satires upon God and His loving revelation in Jesus Christ. "Jesus Christ and Him crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness," but to the blessed man, whether Jew or Greek, the power of God unto salvation.
Here then, in the opening utterance of the book of psalms, we find the type of man that is pleasing to God, over whom God stretches hands of blessing. It is not a perfect character, perhaps. Some important elements of virtue are lacking, at least they are not in the description. But it is a character that fits into our practical views of every-day life, and possesses the equipment for easy progress unto perfection. The man who is not influenced by the counsel of the ungodly, who will not adopt the principles of deliberate sinners, who has too reverent a heart to sit with scoffers in their contemptuous judgment of sacred things, is the good ground in the parable, ready to receive the precious seed of every truth of God, and to bring forth abundant fruit.
It is no exaggeration, dear friends, to say that George C. Mason, who was lately taken from us by the hand of death, was just such a character as we have been looking at in the person of the man whom the Psalmist calls blessed. Born in this city nearly three-quarters of a century ago, he spent his life, with the exception of eight years, in active occupation among its cit- izens. His duties were of a kind to bring him into contact with all classes of people, and until within the last few years, when failing health prevented him from being much before the pub- lic, he was as widely known as any of our prominent citizens. It would have been a temptation to any man in his situation to yield easily to the prevailing spirit and temper of the times, to wink at habits and customs of which he could not really ap- prove; all the more if he were, as our departed friend was, modest, retiring, unaggressive. But Mr. Mason, without exhib- iting his moral principles as the Pharisees of old did their phylacteries, or proclaiming them at the corners of the streets, held them with a quiet firmness that sometimes surprised people who sought for his co-operation or his sanction or even his silence
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in questionable measures. On one occasion a person of great wealth wanted his services as an architect. The times were dull, and, of course, every man was anxious to secure all the clientage he could get. The man of wealth was considering the erection of a large and costly house. It would have been an advantage to Mr. Mason, both financially and professionally, to draw the plans for this building and superintend its construc- tion, but after bearing the man's profanity as long as he could, and finding his remonstrances of no avail, he threw up the work and refused to have any further dealings with him. The merely worldly man, or indeed, the man who talks a good deal about religion, might say that such a course was foolish; that we are not responsible for anything in the conduct of people with whom we have business relations. This is true in a cer- tain sense, and it is also true, as I have above intimated, that association with the ungodly is not necessarily wrong unless we are influenced by their evil counsels. But for all that, no one is bound to endure language or conduct that is repugnant to him, if it be not his special vocation to try and reclaim the wicked, or after repeated attempts have failed; and Mr. Mason's emphatic and unselfish disapproval of profanity stands to his credit as a proof of the inward reverence and purity of his heart.
Of his career as a useful citizen it is needless to speak. The evidences are all around us, in societies he helped to found, and institutions he fostered so long as health permitted. The Red- wood Library, the Newport Hospital, and other local centres of beneficence, had the benefit of his wise counsel and unstinted labor.
As a literary man, he attempted nothing that might be called a distinctively original work. He held a facile pen; he had a fair inventive spirit, a good imagination and excellent judgment to use it. If he had been able to devote his whole time, instead of only his leisure hours, to literary work, there is no reason to doubt that he could have taken a respectable place among Amer- ican authors. As it is, he did even greater good to the city of his birth, and honour to himself, by throwing all his spare time into historical and literary researches, and gathering into annals
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and reminiscences, interesting and important events in the life of his native city. For this task he seems to have been emi- nently qualified, both because of the materials he had all his life been collecting together, and because of the almost infinite patience and industry required to arrange the materials in logical and symmetrical order. I think it is only just to say that but for him, many most valuable facts in the early history of New- port would not have been made public, and much that is worth preserving would have perished.
His deepest interest, however, was given to this venerable Church and all that pertains to it. From childhood up to a few weeks before his death he was a regular worshipper here. He never grew too old to kneel in prayer, neither did he, here or elsewhere, feel any false shame for being thought religious, and therefore neglect the becoming postures of true devotion. I think I see him now, as for nearly eighteen years I have seen him, close at my right hand devoutly engaging in the services of the Church, and listening reverently to the word of God read or expounded to him and others. For forty years he was a member of the Vestry, and for thirty years a zealous and faithful Senior Warden. Conservative by nature as well as on principle, he was averse to any change, either in the material edifice or the character of the worship offered within its walls. And yet he was not unwilling, nay he was sometimes glad, to have im- provements in both when it was manifest that they were im- provements tending to render the service of Almighty God more effective, more beautiful, more dignified and worthier of Him to whom it was offered. What he did for the temporal interests of the Parish is well known to those who were asso- ciated with him in the work, and was attested by the general and strong regret expressed when a few years ago he retired from active service.
The early history of Trinity Church, which may be fairly said to comprise a history of colonial days and of the childhood of this State, has been preserved by him for all time in the first volume of the "Annals." Another volume, also his work, will soon be issued from the press, carrying the history on to the present time. If George C. Mason had done nothing more than
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this for the Church he loved so well, he would deserve the gratitude of all members of the Church, and indeed of all cit- izens who desire to have in permanent form some account of the interesting incidents of Newport's early life.
But the time would fail me to recount all that Mr. Mason did for this city, and especially for this venerable Church. I turn from these to the man himself and there stands before me the character the Psalmist has pronounced "blessed." I do not presume to fathom the depths of the spirit, which God alone can see. I have not the daring nor the desire to bring out the tender grace of the inner life and dissect it before you, even if I could. I would not venture upon this simple and unworthy panegyric of a good man, were it not for the salutary lessons such a character supplies. Is it not something, is it not a great deal, my dear friends, in this busy restless age, when men are rising and falling in ceaseless undulation on the waves of fortune, when men are casting away the chart and compass of the old faith, drifting hither and thither in quest of new truth as they term it, turning their faces from the sun and trusting to broken lights for guidance, is it not a great thing, for which we ought to give God thanks, to note some character that stands unmoved amidst the quickly shifting changes? So it seems to me there rises out of the recent past-alas! that it must be the past- so will ever come to my memory's vision, that delicate form which had no strength except in heart and intellect and faith, but was there so strong. I see him day after day, year after year, always the same. The same reverence for God, the same respect for His holy day, the same hope and faith and piety, the same avoidance of evil counsel, the same chaste conversation, the same purity of life. Why! It is so even, so uneventful, that it seems tame and monotonous to one who looks for demonstrative ups and downs in the Christian life, forgetting the fateful meteor and the quiet, unobtrusive, perpetual shining of the fixed stars. If Mr. Mason was not an aggressive man, neither was he one who could be kept back from the steady course of duty which his religion prescribed for him. Here lay his moral strength. He had a purpose in life. It was to reach the goal where his Saviour stood with the prize-the crown of immortal life. The
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counsel of the ungodly could not distract him or turn him from his chosen course. He went on as one who did not hear. The way of sinners had no attraction for him. He could not adopt their methods; he knew that the end was death, and he wanted life. He could not sit in the seat of the scornful. How could he whose hope was in God, whose faith was so simple that to some his Christian life seemed commonplace, how could he take the words of scoffers upon his lips and utter scornful satires against God and sacred things? It would have spoiled the pur- pose of his life to have had the thought of it in his heart. His whole life, so simple, so sincere, so reverent, made it impossible.
Do I overrate his character? I believe not. I have already said that the Psalmist's blessed man was not a perfect man. He was blessed for his resistance to the blandishments of ungodli- ness, sin and scornful scepticism. There may have been other failings that were peculiar to him. The points wherein he ex- celled are not the sum of all the virtues. There is no man that liveth and sinneth not. The most we can do is to make some progress towards perfection; to fashion our lives so that there will be no insurmountable obstacle to the entrance of God's grace, and to go on with quiet, steady pace in the way that God has marked out for us, the way that leadeth to eternal life.
So much I am convinced can be said of our deceased friend Mr. Mason. I would, with all my heart, that the young men growing up around me, who are members of this parish, might emulate the character of the good man who has left us and gone to his reward. I would that all of us, young and old, men, women and children, might have a firmer faith in God, a stronger reliance on His promises, a more thorough devotion to His service, so that the voices of ungodliness and sin and scorn of holy things, which are appealing to us every day, might have no power to move us, that we might reach the standard even of the Psalmist's blessed man, and work and wait with patience for the fuller, richer, more abundant blessings that our loving Lord is ever ready to bestow upon the souls
"That trust in His redeeming Blood And try His works to do."
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LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS.
Mrs. Edward S. F. Arnold, $4.00
Misses Josephine I. and An-
nie S. Bailey, . 4.00
Mrs. C. N. Beach. 4.00
Hon. Perry Belmont, 20.00
Col. Edward M. Neill, 4.00
Harold Brown, 4.00
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