USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 26
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In the spring of 1802 there had been an awakening, and on May 2, Gideon Crandall, Ashbel Buckland, Joseph Kirbee, Kiles Paul, Alexander McKenstry, Mary Burbank, Bathsheba Bur- bank, Hannah Page, and Levina Paul, were added to the church. John Storrs had joined on Feb. 7, and Mrs. Martha Kirbee was
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admitted July 18, making eleven additions in this year. For the next eight years the additions would scarcely balance the dismissions and losses by death. On July 10, 1803, Esther Crandall united; on April 15, 1804, Mrs. Charlotte Tullar; on June 17, Mrs. Eleanor Lovejoy; on Aug. 19, Walter Chapin; on Feb. 16, 1806, Storrs Hall; on Dec. 21, Sarah Green; on June 7, 1807, Charlotte Whitney; on July 5, Lucretia Olcott; on June 19, 1808, Jotham Dyer ; on July 10, James and Eunice Morrill; on Dec. 11, Lydia Dewey and Susannah Pierce; on June 25, 1809, Polly Bacon and Nabby Tullar; on Aug. 20, Eliphalet Davis; on Mar. 25, 1810, Temperance Skinner; on Sep. 23, Jedida (Jedediah ?) Seabury; on Dec. 16, Jareb Bacon.
The first rich harvest of the church was in 1810, under the ministration of Rev. Martin Tullar. On Dec. 16, twenty-six united on profession of faith. Twenty-five united at different times during the next year. Unfortunate dissensions arose in the church about this time and continued for several years. There was no settled pastor for a time after Mr. Tullar's death, and the church received few additions. After Mr. Halping was called, it began to increase in numbers. On Aug. 29, 1819, twelve united, and during his pastorate the membership was increased by thirty-one. In 1826, when Mr. Torrey was the minister, 52 were received into the church, one of whom was the Hon. Jacob Collamer. The year previous Oel Billings, the father of the Hon. Frederick Billings, had been admitted, and also John Francis, Esq., the lawyer.
It was while Rev. A. C. Washburn was pastor that the church nearly, it not quite, doubled its membership. He was a believer in revivals, and had fears for a church without these seasons of spiritual regeneration. In the fall and winter of 1831 an extensive revival brought a large number into the fold of the church. On Jan. 1, 1832, forty-nine were admitted, of whom twenty-seven were baptized. The next great revival was in 1835, in the busiest time of the year. On July 10th of that year forty-two joined the church, of whom twenty-five were baptized, and two days later fifty were added, of whom thirty were baptized. What a sensation such an occurrence would cause in a country town today! In the list of names are found many of those who were then, and ever afterward, among the most reliable, intelligent, and worthy citizens of the town. Dur- ing the eight and more years that Mr. Washburn was pastor here, the whole number added to the church was 254. Dr. Drake states that some of these were residents of other towns, drawn here to hear Mr. Burchard, and that later they took let- ters to other churches.
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Dr. Drake's pastorate was so broken that it is not easy to determine the fruits of his labors as regards the increase in membership. There was an awakening in the spring of 1842, which resulted, May 1st, in adding the names of forty-two per- sons to the membership list, eighteen of whom were baptized, and during the year twenty-two others were added. Again in the spring of 1875 there was a large increase in the membership of the church, thirty-two uniting on May 21. Of this number, six are residents of the town today, and active members of the same church. One of them, Seymour Culver, has served as deacon for twenty-four years. Another, Elba Corbin, has also been deacon for eighteen years. Mrs. Emma G. Bement, now Mrs. Seymour Culver, served for a long period of years as or- ganist for the church, faithful and regular in attendance, and is still teaching in the primary department of Sunday school. Still another was Levi Wild, who became a Congregationalist minister, preaching with great acceptance, until his health com- pelled him to relinquish his labors. He is now a tower of strength in the church of his forefathers. Mrs. Elba Corbin, who sang in the choir and was organist for several years, and Miss Lucy Wild make up the six now resident in town.
Since the death of Dr. Drake there have been no large ad- ditions to the church at any one time. For several years it lost by death and removal more than it gained. Perhaps the great- est diminution occurred while Dr. Dike was pastor. During the four years of his pastorate no less than sixty members of the congregation moved away or died, and less than a dozen persons took their places. In these later years families have been growing smaller and smaller, and the schools as well as the churches have suffered a like diminution in the number of their members. No new names were added to the church roll in 1898. In 1909 twelve new members were enrolled. The orig- inal membership was eight according to the record of 1782. When Mr. Tullar assumed the pastorate it was sixty-six. Under Mr. Torrey it reached 109, and in 1838, under Rev. A. C. Wash- burn it had grown to 314. Just half a century later it had fallen to seventy-four, in 1907 to forty-nine. The membership today is eighty, twenty-three of these males. Eleven were added to the church in 1910.
It would be unjust to compare present figures with those of the time when this was the only church in town. It had been in existence less than fifteen years when the Baptist So- ciety was organized. The Legislature in 1783 passed an act commonly called the "Ministerial Act," which enabled towns to erect houses of worship and support ministers of the Gospel. This placed the authority in the hands of the town, when called on to act by seven of the freeholders. It provided, also, for
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non-support by any tax-payer who should bring a certificate from specified persons, stating that the bearer belonged to a different persuasion from the one to which the majority belonged. If residents of Royalton presented such certificates before the organization of another Society in town, they are not recorded. Jedediah Cleveland had one dated 1789, but it was not recorded until 1792. From 1791 to 1795 twelve of these certificates are on record, one person belonging to the Church of England, one, Timothy Durkee, to the Protestant Episcopal Church of Bethel. Mr. and Mrs. Durkee had not found the Congregational church conducive to their sanctification, and had objected to some of the articles embodied in a platform which seems to have been drawn up Aug. 12, 1789. They were labored with for some time, but finally he joined this church in Bethel, and three months later the church in Royalton excom- municated him with the usual formula, "Let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican." Those giving the other ten cer- tificates averred that they were of the Baptist persuasion.
By later legislative enactment it was only necessary to say that a person did not agree with the majority in religious sen- timent, to be excused from supporting the church which the ma- jority supported. From 1801 to 1806 forty-one such certificates were filed, two, Thomas Bingham and David Rugg, stating that they were Universalists, and one, Godfrey Richardson, that he was a communicant of the Church of England. Of course, there was a loophole here for the escape from all responsibility in sup- porting the preaching of the Gospel, and the church suffered somewhat on this account. On the other hand it would be more favorably regarded by the minority, since support by them was now voluntary.
It seems probable that several years before there was a formal organization of the Methodist church, there were meet- ings held, which would tend to draw from the membership of the Congregational church. About 1834 a particular form for dis- missal to the Methodist church was adopted, but soon a more liberal spirit was manifested. It was difficult for the "Mother" church to see the necessity for another religious organization in town, and some friction arose at first, which happily disappeared as time went on, and the older residents realized that new gen- erations had new ideas and new aims, and that, as there was no longer any need for strenuous exertion in obtaining a liveli- hood, so the later generations had come to desire less effort in securing their spiritual food. A ride of from three to five miles was more burdensome to them, than the plodding over fallen trees and stony paths had been to their fathers and mothers.
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The most trying ordeal was to come when the Congrega- tional church at South Royalton was proposed. On Jan. 11, 1868, the church considered a letter missive signed by W. C. Smith, M. S. Adams, and J. B. Durkee of South Royalton, ask- ing the propriety of organizing a Congregational church at that place. Deacon Daniel Rix was appointed a delegate, and in- structed "to use his influence against the organization of a Second Congregational Church in town." Loving his people, as Dr. Drake did, it is easy to understand his reluctance in consenting to any separation of the members of his flock. In his centennial address he thus refers to that time: "No mortal can tell how sad it made me, when a new village became inevitable, and pros- pective separation, commercial and religious, loomed up. . - - I utter not a syllable of blame, but allow an old man to mourn over the loss of half his former parish, every farmhouse of which was endeared to him by touching associations." Dr. Drake was too kindly a man, too great-hearted, too true a Christian not to give the right hand of fellowship to the new church when it was once established, and the old and the new have lived side by side, as it were, in amity, often working together in the em- ployment of one pastor, when circumstances required it.
Two votes passed by the church in 1788 are worthy of men- tion. One passed January 9th was, "Voted that this Church Do view frolicking fidling and Dancing or allowing of it in any of their houses to be a violation of the gospel Rule and a breach of Church Covenant in any of its members, and this Church Do bear testimony against the same and without gospel Satisfac- tion each and every transgressor shall be Debarred Church Priv- ileges." The other was passed April 16: "Voted that the
Power of Discipline is in the Church only and Not in a Counsel." Could there be a greater contrast? By the first they strictly prohibit liberty of conscience in their members, and by the other, stoutly maintain their liberty of action in spite of councils.
It was the policy of the early church to look closely after non-attendants, and to encourage the observance of the Sabbath. The various auxiliaries of the church also have always received prayerful attention. The Sabbath School dates back to 1818, when the Rev. Joseph Tracy, D. D., then principal of Royalton Academy, effected an organization. It was held at nine o'clock on Sabbath mornings in the academy on the common opposite the church. Only children and youth attended it, and they marched in procession from the academy to the meeting-house, and when the first one set foot in the church, the last was leaving the academy. "They had children in those days, and they went to the house of God," says Dr. Drake. If any separate records of the Sabbath School were kept, they are not known to exist
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today. The first church record relating to it is dated Feb. 9, 1840, when the church resolved itself into "The Royalton Sab- bath School Society," and adopted a constitution, which pro- vided for visiting families, procuring teachers, furnishing books, and assisting the Superintendent.
There was a movement in 1876 toward widening the in- fluence of the Sunday School. Dr. Drake had in his early pas- torate held meetings in the outlying districts of the town. He had come into close sympathy with the people all over the town, and understood their limitations and needs. This year a com- mittee was appointed composed of John Wild and Isaac Skinner to confer with a committee from the South Royalton church, to see if it was advisable to organize Sabbath Schools in the out districts of the town. If these were to be independent of each other and the parent church, that would be an idea differing from that of Dr. Duncan, who, in 1880, started the Home Class Sunday School, which was practically a sub-Sunday School like sub-libraries. The Home Department of the Sunday School had its origin in Royalton. While Dr. Dike was living here late in 1884 he conceived the idea of the Home Department, suggested it in the Vermont Chronicle of January 9, 1885, and to the Con- gregational S. S. and Publishing Society a little later, and with the hearty co-operation of the Rev. Elisha S. Fiske, his successor, and of the Royalton people, the first Home Department of the thousands that have since come into being was organized, and speedily grew to a membership of sixty. Unfortunately, Mr. Fiske's successor did not see his way to continue it, and it was permitted for some years to drop into disuse. In this way it missed a fame similar to that of the first Christian Endeavor Society in Portland, Maine.
In 1855 the Sunday School had a July 4th celebration, with tables of entertainment, a band of music, and addresses. Some neighboring schools joined with them. In more recent years these picnics occur almost yearly. The present Sunday School under the able leadership of Mrs. George Laird has an excellent record for comparatively large and regular attendance, and from its ranks a goodly number have been added to the church. Deacon John Wild served long and faithfully as its superin- tendent, until the weight of years compelled him to resign. For several years it has maintained a thriving Home Department under the care of Rev. Levi Wild.
The church has been progressive, and bold in its stand for the right. It early discouraged civil suits between members, and strove to have disputes settled through the good offices of the church. It was foremost in the advocacy of temperance, and made a vigorous campaign against the habitual use of in-
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toxicants as early as 1827. During its first decade it disciplined its members for intoxication, but looked with a lenient eye upon a moderate use of alcoholic beverages. It was members of the church who drew up the first temperance pledge ever circulated in the town, and one of its deacons made a house to house can- vass with it, and is said to have made the first temperance ad- dress ever heard in town. It was a long stride from the time when a respected pastor is said to have become dozy over his cups, to the time when tippling came to be considered disreputable.
Fifteen years before the slaveholders fired their guns at Fort Sumter the church recorded, "Resolved that we will hear our minister or any whom we shall see fit to invite to address us on the subject of slavery on the Sabbath once or twice a year." A lively sentiment in opposition to this blot upon our nation's fame was awakened in the town, and several families lent their aid to the operation of the "Underground Railroad." A number of bondmen and women found their way to Canada through the kind offices of citizens of Royalton, acting, as they thought, in accord with righteousness.
There are three precious, old, worn pamphlets of the orig- inal records of the church, dating from August 26, 1778, to March 27, 1790, with many omissions between dates. There is no entry from December 30, 1779, to June 2, 1782. The three entries in the years 1778 and 1779 were probably entered after the reorganization of the church in 1782. One of these pamph- lets contains the "Four Rules," "Confession of Faith," and "Covenant" of the church. These are here given exactly as they stand on the original record :
"To open the way for the advancement of Christ Church in this town, and for the satisfaction of those who desire to Join us being friendly to the same Cause, we hereby Declare it to be our view
1 That the Visible Church of Christ in a town is a body made up of Visible Christians in that town united together in solemn Covenant to walk together in all the ordinances of the Lord as De- ciples and followers of Christ
2 That Christian fruit Contained in Love to God good will to men, manifested by an answerable Life and Conversation is the Proper ground of Christian Charity and what we Look upon as the Requisite Qualification for our fellowship one with another, in the ordinances of Christ house.
3 That the manner of admitting members into the Church untill such time as we shall have a gospel minister settled among us shall be by such Persons manifesting their Desire to join to the Church to the moderator of the Church, the moderator then to Notify the Church of their Desire, and the Church to appoint such time as they shall think Convenient to meet together for a free Christian Confer- ence with such Person or Persons that they may obtain mutual satis- faction of his meetness for a member of their Community.
That a Perticular Relation of Experiences is not to be made a term, but fruit evidential of real Christianity to be viewed as sufficient.
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4 that the following Confession of faith and Covenant which we adopt and will make use of in future Practice shall be Propounded to them by some neighboring Minister or the moderator of the Church in a Publick assembly for Divine worship in this Place, to which they giving their Assent shall be Received as members of this Church.
THE CONFESSION OF FAITH
1 you believe there is one god and but one subsisting in three Persons Father son holy Ghost by whom the world with all its In- habitants was made
2 You believe the scriptures of the old and New testament to be Divine Revelation from God a Pure system of Doctrine which we are bound to believe and a perfect Rule of Practice according to which we are bound to walk.
3 you believe that god made Man originally upright in his own Image-
4 you believe that our first Parents fell into a state of sin and that all their Posterity Come into the world in a state of Total De- pravity and Ruin
5 You believe the Necessity of Regeneration of being born of the Spirit and becoming holy in order to see the Kingdom of God.
6 you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God that he Came into the world Died to Save Sinners and Rose again for our Justifyca- tion
7 you believe that god according to the Dictates of his infinite wisdom has Elected Some to Everlasting Life and Leaves others to work out their own Damnation by Sin-
9 you believe the Resurrection of the Dead and Eternal Judg- ment that Christ will at the Last Day appear in glory with his holy Angels gather all Nations before him will Judge and Reward Every one in that Day according to their works the wicked he will send away into Everlasting Punishment and Receive the Righteous into Life Eternal
THE COVENANT
You do now so far as you do know your own heart in the Presence of god angels as men give up yourself and your all to god in an Ever- lasting Covenant, most heartily takeing god to be your god his word to be your Direction, his Law for your guide and Rule, his son Jesus Christ for your mediator and Saviour, and the holy Ghost for your sanctifier
You solemnly engage to walk in all his ordinances as becomes a Deciple and Follower of Christ to sanctify his Sabbaths Reverence his Sanctuaries, attend and Join in his Worship from time to time as he in his Providence Shall give you opportunity Maintain the worship of God in your family at all Proper seasons especially morning and evening, Counsel and instruct your Children and all who are under you to keep the way of the Lord.
You solemnly Covenant to walk in Fellowship with this Church in the fear of god and as an Heir of the grace of Life, to Live in Love as Christ himself hath Loved you and behave in all Respects towards your Brethren and towards all mankind as Becometh a real Christian and Saint. this you Covenant with God and this Church"
The foregoing is undated, but is immediately followed by the renewal of covenant of the eight members on June 2, 1782. When this was copied into the first bound book of records it was headed, "Aug. 12, 1783," but there is no record of the
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church taking any such action on that date. It held a meeting of that date for the calling of Mr. Searle.
The Confession of Faith does not differ materially from that of other orthodox churches of the day. Its rigidity of doctrine probably kept many out of the church, but it was modified from time to time as more liberal and intelligent ideas prevailed.
From 1795 onward for half a century the church was struggling against the "new lights." A few of its members were especially active in entering complaints against offending brothers and sisters, who had so far fallen from grace and sound orthodoxy, as to believe in the final redemption of all men. Heretics, they were sometimes called. If the offending mem- ber persisted in his belief after he had been labored with by a committee, and had been cited to appear before the church, and letters of admonition had been sent him, either a council was called or he was excommunicated.
Some of the best Christians were thus turned out in the cold, and in one or two instances of suspension, died while there was a ban on them. Weak sisters whose sharp tongues had led them astray, were called to account by a zealous deacon, and re- quired to confess and bury the hatchet. Wo betide the man who tried to save a penny by working on Sunday. Good old Deacon Joseph Parkhurst was complained of, because he had driven his cattle on the Sabbath Day. With tears in his eyes he confessed that he had started out on Saturday with some cat- tle, and not being able to reach his destination, and not feeling that he could be to the expense of staying over Sunday, he had driven on. He asked their forgiveness, which was granted.
The effort, which was apparently genuine in most cases of discipline, to secure the reform of the individual, and not his punishment simply, and the spirit of love generally manifested toward an offender, are worthy of all commendation. The fol- lowing excerpt from Dr. Drake's address, relating to some troublesome cases of discipline in the early church, will give the reader a better idea of the church problems of that day than the writer can possibly give.
"The church has asked aid of councils in maintaining its discipline three times in the century. The first case was a long difference between two brethren, which the church itself settled in 1799, after the trouble of a council, by passing a resolution of mutual confession, forgiveness and love. The second case was passed upon by two councils, one in 1815, on which was Rev. Lemuel Haynes, the widely known colored preacher, and another in 1817, on which was Dr. Merrill of Middlebury. It related to the orthodoxy of one of the deacons. He was new
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school, while the majority of the church were old school, in theology. The difference was like that involved in the trials of Dr. Lyman Beecher and Albert Barnes before the General Assembly of the Presbyterian church, but unlike in results, the latter produced disruption, while the former by forbearance led to harmony, and the good deacon was in full fellowship up to his death.
The third case was when the church, having given its ver- dict on a trial, afterwards the major part of them became con- vinced that it had judged wrongly, that it should not have ac- quitted the accused. Then the question was, should the case be retried. To do it, would be contrary to the general judicial rule. And so it was not done, but many of the members per- sisted in confessing that they voted wrongly when the case was tried; and then a resolution was passed by a strong majority, that their decision at the time of the trial was wrong. In 1860 a council decided that such cases should not be retried. But some thought, and still think, that while this is general, it should not be the universal rule. And probably the case in hand was an exception, where a mere rule should not have kept the church from correcting a confessed and obvious wrong."
The church reached out a helping hand to the needy of its flock. In 1800 it voted that "the Church will hold an annual meeting, at which the necessities of any needy brothers shall be considered & their needs supplied by the Church, according to their judgment & direction, by an equality on the whole body, according to what they possess, regulated by their annual list."
Some changes in the observances of the church are noted by Dr. Drake. "In December, 1842, the time of the monthly con- cert was changed by vote of the church, from Monday to Sab- bath evening. The church also voted May, 1842, to maintain bi-weekly a meeting for prayer and business, and it was regularly held for nearly thirty-five years, but it was changed, January, 1877, to a monthly meeting. In the summer of 1875, it was voted by the church to suspend the afternoon meeting on the Sabbath until otherwise ordered, and it has been since sus- pended." For many years a weekly prayer meeting has been held. Since college students have been supplying the pulpit, the prayer meeting is held on Sabbath evening, and the mid- week meeting is conducted by the Christian Endeavor Society.
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