USA > Vermont > History of the Baptists in Vermont > Part 35
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A short time after this, a Mr. Randall, in Franklin, who had become affected with this same doctrine, came to believe that he must offer his children in sacrifice; he, therefore, took his butcher knife and deliberately cut their throats. At this, some of the in- habitants of Fairfield became so indignant that they resolved to put an end to this work, and one night this Davidson mysteriously disappeared. What became of him I know not. Report says that he was placed astride a little French horse, and having been well covered with tar and feathers, was driven beyond the line of the State. Where he came from, what had been his former occupa- tion, or what was his true name, or what was his end, we know not. He mysteriously came among us, ran a short race, accomplished a vast amount of injury, and disappeared. There being no Bap- tists in Bakersfield, and but few in that part of Fairfield, we suf- fered less in this raid than some others; but yet, our churches suf- fered to some extent.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE FRENCH BAPTIST CHURCH OF MONTGOMERY, VERMONT
In the years 1840 and 1841, several Freneh Canadian Catholics were led to embrace the truth of the Gospel in some Methodist meetings held at the village of West Enosburg, Vt. Among them a laboring man, Mr. J. Morin, a mechanic, unable to read even in his own language, worked very earnestly to spread the truth among his countrymen. His efforts developed in him natural talents for the work of evangelization. After a few years, forty of these converts, who had united with the American Baptist church of Enosburg, severed their relations to it in order to form the French Baptist church of Enosburg, of which Mr. Morin, who had made a short stay at the Institution of Grande Ligne, became the pastor. Prayer meetings, from house to house, multiplied. Most of the Canadian families of the locality were won to the truth, and the good work soon spread in the neighboring towns
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of Berkshire, Richford and Montgomery, where the French popula- tion was on the increase from year to year.
In the meantime, while the Lord was using J. Morin as an in- strument of His grace among the French Canadians scattered among the Green Mountains, he was preparing in distant vil- lages of Canada, new souls, who were soon to come and share in this glorious gift of Gospel light. In the village of St. Aime, (twelve miles from Sorel), an aged man named Dominique, a native of France, lived peaceably in the midst of his numerous family, which was nominally Catholic, while he himself, connected with no religious denomination, spent his leisure hours in reading an old Bible which he had brought from his native country. The priest, who watched with close attention this family, whose devotion to the church was somewhat doubtful, had often attempted to take possession of the precious volume, the old man's treasure, with which indeed some of his sons, in order to escape the suspicion of heresy, would have consented to part. Three of these came to settle with their families in the vicinity of Enosburg. One of them, Felix, having obtained a Bible from Mr. Morin, read it with much interest, so much was he under the impression that the Protestant Bibles were falsified. In this anxiety he returned to St. Aime, and desired the opinion of his father with regard to the book. After a careful examination, his father said to him, "This book, my son, is the living word of God; read it without fear." Not long after the father died and the priest ordered that the book, which had kept him aloof from his church, be burned, an order which the children at first refused to obey. However, one of the sons, the owner of the old homestead, having delivered the book into the hands of the priest, he quickly cast it into the fire, thrusting it with the poker before the horrified eyes of the family. After his return to Vermont, the Bible became indeed for Felix and his family, "the living word of God." His zeal and christian fidelity conduced greatly to the edification of the Enosburg church until his death. Afterwards, the church in Montgomery numbered among its members several of his children and relatives, and the author of this sketch considers it one of the most interesting incidents of his missionary life that he received these details from
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the lips of his pious wife, when on her death bed she praised and glorified the Lord that He had delivered her husband with his kin- dred from the power of darkness and translated them into the king- dom of His dear Son. (Col. 1: 13.)
This progress of the Gospel among the French of Vermont awakened the lively interest of the American churches. Mr. Morin and his colporteurs were liberally supported. A society was even organized at Burlington with the special object of aiding this work. This sympathy, thus expressed, created great anticipa- tion that might have been fully realized had not self-seeking human nature been allowed to use these smiles of divine grace and the gifts of christian munificenee for its own glorification, an act which is always the sure presage of humiliating defeats.
The French population, disseminated in the forests which at that time completely covered the hills south of Montgomery, formed an important part of the West Enosburg church. The Gospel was readily and joyously received by those people, who were laboriously engaged in establishing for themselves homes in those wild places where the soil was comparatively cheap.
On the tenth of November, 1851, forty-eight of these people, most of them members of the West Enosburg church, organized a French Baptist church, of which Mr. Antoine Boisvert, a French colporteur of the same locality, became the pastor. Rev. J. Morin presided at the council convened for that purpose in the Metho- dist chapel at Montgomery. On this occasion some of the French Protestants, whose homes were situated on the Richford mountain, but who had attended this Convention for the purpose, also organ- ized themselves into a Baptist church. Soon after, the church of Enosburg was obliged to sever its connection with its pastor, who had brought reproach upon himself and upon the church by the use of intoxicating drinks, while Rev. A. Boisvert, receiving little encouragement, retired from the work at Montgomery. Thus, in a short time, this missionary enterprise, deprived of its leaders, presented the sad spectacle of a ship abandoned in mid-ocean. In these circumstances the Grande Ligne Mission directed some of her laborers, particularly Rev. J. N. Williams and T. Riendeau, to visit the field as often as possible. They did so until the year 1858,
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when a missionary from France, Rev. J. Sestourneau, who had come to Canada under the auspices of the Grand Ligne Mission, impressed by the urgent need of Vermont, came to settle at West Enosburg with his family. He was ordained the year following, by a council of Baptist pastors, and immediately addressed himself with great energy to the work of re-establishing the churches and re- pairing the injuries which they had received. At first he was but scantily supported, receiving but a small appropriation from the Vermont State Convention. He, however, labored none the less with an energy and devotion which will not soon be forgotten. The work received a new impetus. The churches setting aside their local preferences, united under the name of The Church of Montgomery and West Enosburg. The little church of Richford was also revived. A general revival took place. A large number of converts were gathered in who confessed their faith by baptism and greatly rejoieed the heart of the missionary and the churches. In the meantime a meeting-house was built at Montgomery, the seating capacity of which often proved inadequate for the increas- ing congregation.
At the request of the church, the board of the Grande Ligne Mission, in 1860, decided to assume the support of Brother Ses- tourneau, and to consider his field as one of their missionary sta- tions. A colporteur was engaged to help him in the person of Mr. E. Villeneuve. Swanton and Highgate were visited by the mis- sionaries. In this last place the Gospel was well received by sev- eral French families, and a few persons having given evidence of a change of heart were baptized. This, however, drew the opposi- tion of some Catholic priests, three of whom came to visit their former adherents at Montgomery, where they challenged the Protestant missionary to a public discussion, in the hope of bring- ing back into the pale of the Roman Catholic church some of those whom they considered as lost sheep. But this attempt resulted in their discomfiture. A poor Catholic man having asked them where he must go to find the truth, he was told that the truth was at Rome. "In that case," said he, "I must make up my mind to go without the truth, for I am too poor to go so far to get it."
During the war of the secession, a comparatively large num-
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ber of French Canadians entered the army of the United States. This national calamity was the cause of many painful separations, and of the making of many orphans and widows among the French families under the pastoral care of Brother Sestourneau. His visits became more urgently needed and much more frequent. In leaving their families these soldiers commended them to the watch- ful care of their devoted pastor, and when they were away a large part of their correspondence devolved on him. These additional cares and labors made the draught upon his system too great. Before the end of the first year of the war, Brother Sestourneau's health was seriously impaired, symptoms of a nervous disease developing with an alarming rapidity. Family circumstances having induced him to settle at Richford, his visits became still more difficult. The field of Montgomery was the first to suffer. In a visit to Canada, Mr. Sestourneau met with a young brother, who had just left the Institute of Grande Ligne, and who some time before had entertained a conviction of duty to devote his life to the missionary cause, but who was at this time in a state of serious doubt and uncertainty with regard to the foundation of these convictions. Accepting, however, an invitation extended to him by Mr. Sestourneau to accompany him to his field of labor, he was thus initiated into the work, accompanying him in his missionary visits and participating in the conduct of public meet- ings. His vocation soon became manifest. Hearing of this. Madam Feller, of the Grande Ligne Mission, was greatly rejoiced, and she requested the board of that mission to appoint him as as- sistant missionary, stationing him at West Enosburg, where he re- mained about a year. Thus, the Lord was preparing for his work a new missionary in the person of our brother, Rev. A. S. Therrien, whom the board of the Grande Ligne Mission now justly claims as one of its laborers and has called him to the important station of Montreal. Brother Sestourneau's health growing worse and worse, he was obliged to resign the pastorate of the Montgomery church, but retaining that of the Richford church, which soon lost two-thirds of its members, who immigrated to Minnesota. In the same year, at the request of the church and on the recommenda- tion of Mr. Sestourneau, the board of the Grande Ligne Mission
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appointed Rev. J. D. Rossier, a native of Switzerland, to the post of Montgomery. He found the congregation greatly stirred through the ardent and somewhat eccentric zeal of a Methodist brother. From its origin, the church had shown a predilection for that demonstrative style of praying and exhorting which some- times characterize religious revivals among country people. In meetings protracted to a very late hour, the emotions of the heart culminate in an enthusiasm and ecstatic demonstration. This dangerous element, which lead many to depreciate quiet meetings, and to place a higher estimate upon loud and demonstrative speak- ing than upon plain and earnest preaching of the Gospel, and which fosters the notion that clamours and groanings are the necessary accompaniments of true worship, can easily be developed among the French who have received the first glimpses of Gospel light. A too free reception given to new doctrines and an undiscriminating admiration for those who can speak well, is another danger which has often threatened the peace of the church. In these circum- stances the new pastor saw that his work called him to plant his home among his people upon the hill of Montgomery, which through years of hard labor, had become more habitable. Being aware of the church's lack of a solid foundation of religious knowl- edge upon which to rest its faith, he thought it of primary import- ance to instruct them, and to apply himself to the teaching of sound doctrine, in order to place his flock in better condition to resist the dangers mentioned above. It was not long after this that some Seventh Day Adventists, who had succeeded in founding in a neighboring town, a church which was under the direction of two French brothers, formerly connected with the Enosburg church, attempted to spread their views among the flock. But receiving no encouragement they abandoned their undertaking. After- ward, some Catholic priests came, preaching in private houses, visiting among the people, sprinkling children born of mixed mar- riages, and artfully assuring the people that they could be received into the communion of the Roman Catholic church without being constrained to obey all its regulations, and that they could even be excused from accepting certain doctrines too repulsive to be accepted by those who have tasted of God's pure Gospel. The
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pastor was again challenged to a public discussion which, however, was conducted more prudently than the one above alluded to. The priests agreed to establish their thesis by the Scripture, which they recognized as the basis of christian faith; but, forced to ex- press themselves upon certain doctrines of their church directly contradicted by Scripture, they declared that the Church of Rome is endowed with divine authority to establish or condemn. No unfortunate results ensued from this discussion; the church re- mained firm and united. The meetings were well attended and several members were added to the church.
The board of the Grande Ligne Mission, having become con- siderably embarrassed in its finances, the church was obliged to look elsewhere for help. An application was made to the American Baptist Home Mission Society, which agreed to pay two-thirds of their pastor's salary, the church paying the other third.
In the year 1874, the board of the Grande Ligne Mission called the pastor to take the direction of the Grande Ligne Institu- tion, hoping to find a suitable man to succeed him at Montgomery. During two years the church remained without a pastor, depending upon the occasional services of colporteurs and neighboring pastors and the monthly visits of its late pastor.
After two years, and as a consequence of too many cares and excessive labors in the supervision of the house-management at Grande Ligne, Mrs. Rossier's health failed and this induced her husband to accept a second call extended to him by the church in Montgomery. Shortly after his return his heart was greatly cheered by the conversion of a few persons who had recently aban- doned Romanism. One of these, Mrs. D. Vierge, deserves a special mention. Being a widow and an invalid, she had been, until the age of seventy-five, a sincere adherent of the Roman Catholic church, in spite of the fact that her children had aban- doned that church long ago. But at last, through the labors of the French Canadian colporteur she was led to see and embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. She soon desired to follow her Saviour in baptism and prayed earnestly that the Lord might send a pastor to administer the ordinance to her. Being unable to walk, some of her friends carried her in their arms through the woods to a
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favorable place where she was baptized in the presence of a large assembly, largely composed of Catholics, who admired her courage and her sincerity, which could not be questioned. "What a blessing," exclaimed the daughter! "We left Canada with the thought that we were coming to a country where there was no religion, and behold we found in it the light and truth."
Not long after the pastor's return to his former field of labor, the board of the Grande Ligne Mission having decided, on account of its financial embarrassments, to abandon its station in Vermont, the church was left to its own resources and the pastor found him- self in a critical position. Owing to the inability of the Vermont State Convention, and of the other missionary societies, to extend any help for the continuation of his work, and in the circumstances desiring to leave the church entirely free to act for itself, the pastor resigned, in 1874, his pastoral charge, while continuing to serve the church as supply according to the measure of strength the Lord gave him, he being obliged to work with his hands for the support of his family. In 1879, the church of Montgomery numbered sixty-one members, who had regular services every Sunday in two different localities. The field of the missionary embraced seventy families of French Canadians, nominally Protestants, and a certain number of others which, though Catholic, were disposed to listen to the reading and exposition of God's Word.
Translated from the French by Rev. A. L. Therrien, 2 Thistle Terrace, Montreal.
BRANDON BAPTIST CHURCH The Convention was organized in Brandon, 1824
CHAPTER XXII THE VERMONT BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION
ORIGIN AND EARLY YEARS
Convinced of the need of closer co-operation in evangelistic and missionary operations, the Fairfield, Vermont, and Woodstock Associations, each appointed delegates to confer with the delegates from other Associations, and with brethren from different parts of the State, on the expediency of forming a General Convention of the Baptists of Vermont.
Thus authorized, a number of brethren met in conference in the court house, in Montpelier village, on Wednesday, October 14, 1825. In addition to the brethren appointed by the Associa- tions mentioned, there were present brethren from the churches in the Barre, Danville and Leyden Associations.
Ministers present were from Waterbury, Ezra Butler; Chester, Aaron Leland; Dummerston, Jonathan Huntley; Sharon, Joseph Parker; Brandon, Isaac Sawyer; Whiting, Joseph W. Sawyer; Montpelier, C. C. P. Crosby; Coventry, John Ide.
Lay brethren, from Fairfield, Joseph D. Farnsworth; Swanton, Joseph Berry; Vernon, Samuel Sikes.
Brethren, after deliberating upon the question committed to them, agreed that the interests of religion required that a Con- vention be formed. This decision was not reached till the whole question had been thoroughly debated. One of the delegates, at least, was there as a vigorous opposer of the enterprise; that was Aaron Leland. "With the most determined energy he fought the proposed formation of a State Convention, believing or fearing that it would jeopardize the independence of the churches. After the vote was taken, resulting in a strong majority against him, he arose and said in a good natured way all his own, 'And now, my brethren, I suppose you think you have got rid of the troublesome old man;
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but if so you are much mistaken. I can never be separated from my brethren, and if you are determined to launch this ship, I shall jump aboard and ride; and I warn you now, that if you do attempt to interfere with the independence of the churches, you will hear my voice in protest.' " (Convention Minutes, 1875.)
The main question having been thus settled, Brethren Joseph W. Sawyer, and C. C. P. Crosby were appointed a committee to draft a constitution, rules of decorum, and a circular or call to the churches and associations. At a subsequent meeting, this com- mittee made their report, which was unanimously adopted. The names of all present were appended to the circular, and a number of copies of the constitution and circular were printed and distri- buted through the State. The time mentioned in the circular for the meeting of the delegates was the fourth Wednesday in October, 1824. The place fixed upon was Brandon.
Agreeable to this appointment a Convention was held in Brandon, October 26, 1824. The following brethren were present, Vermont Association, Rev. Abel Woods, of Hubbardton; Rev. Isaac Sawyer, Rev. Samuel C. Dillaway, of Granville, N. Y .; Rev. Jonathan Merriam, Jr., of Bridport; Deacon Oliver Sanford, of Poultney. Fairfield Association, Rev. Peter Chase, of Hines- burg; Rev. Alvah Sabin, of Georgia; Austin Beecher, of Hines- burg; Edmond Chamberlain. Woodstock Association, Rev. Daniel Packer, of Mount Holly. Manchester Association, Rev. John R. Dodge, of Manchester. Mission Society, Vermont Association, Rev. Pharcellus Church, of Poultney.
The Convention was organized by choosing Rev. Isaac Sawyer, moderator, and Rev. John R. Dodge, clerk. The circular was read, and the probable advantages of the Convention discussed.
1. The Convention voted to adopt the substance of the constitution (adopted by the meeting the preceding year).
2. Appointed Rev. J. R. Dodge, and S. C. Dillaway, a com- mittee to prepare a set of by-laws for the Convention.
3. Appointed the following persons, officers for the ensuing year: Rev. Ezra Butler, president; Rev. Aaron Leland, first vice- president; Rev. Roswell Mears (of Georgia), second vice-presi- dent; Rev. Joseph W. Sawyer, corresponding secretary; Rev.
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John R. Dodge, recording secretary; Deacon Abner Forbes (of Windsor), treasurer; Rev. Linus Austin (of Whitingham), Rev. Abel Woods, Rev. Timothy Spaulding, Rev. John Ide, Rev. Alvah Sabin, Rev. Daniel Packer, John Conant, Esq., (of Brandon), Deacon Peter Dean (of Manchester, afterwards of Grafton); Deacon Daniel Mason (of Rockingham); Hon. Joseph D. Farns- worth, board of trustees.
4. Voted that the next meeting of the Convention be held at the Baptist meeting-house, East Bethel, on the third Wednesday of October, 1825.
Every association was represented except Shaftsbury, which then had only four churches in the State. The Shaftsbury Associa- tion, however, in 1826, voted to unite with the rest in the Con- vention.
It is noteworthy how many able leaders there were, so early, among the Baptists in Vermont. Aaron Leland was then lieuten- ant governor of the State: Ezra Butler had been in Congress (1813-1815), and was soon to be governor of Vermont (1826-1828), before Leland laid down his office,-two Baptist ministers, at the head of the commonwealth! Alvah Sabin was sent to Congress during the anti-slavery struggle in 1853. Deacon Conant, Judge Farnsworth, General Forbes were among the most influential men on either side of the Green Mountains. Rev. Pharcellus Church, D. D., died at Tarrytown, N. Y., June 5, 1886, full of years and honor, the last of the founders of the Convention. He was or- dained in Poultney, in June, 1825, but he left the State in 1828. The foresight and energy of these brethren and others of equal wisdom, if not equal in prominence, led to a remarkable series of denominational enterprises during the next fifteen years, and under the divine favor, to an advance of our numbers from 6,600 to 11,000. The outflowing westward tide of emigration was only then beginning.
The Vermont Baptist Convention was formed in the same year as that of Rhode Island, and was preceded in age only by Massachusetts (1802); New York (1807); South Carolina (1820); Georgia (1822), Alabama, Connecticut, Virginia (each 1823).
Twenty agents were appointed at Brandon to collect funds and to form auxiliary societies: The treasurer and Deacon Conant were
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designated to receive money or goods, and disburse the same under the direction of the Board. Rev. Abel Woods was also appointed to be a traveling agent for six months. But funds were not secured, and the ensuing February, at Royalton, the Board resolved to retain but one collecting agent, Rev. John R. Dodge, with a salary of six dollars per week, to be paid in money or goods in proportion to each collected. This arrangement stood till 1826, and then it was voted that "the compensation of the missionaries and agents be 'the same,' payable half in goods and half in money."
CIRCULAR ORDERED BY THE VERMONT BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION IN 1824
The Board of the Baptist Convention of the State of Vermont and vicinity, to the churches composing the same, and to the friends of the cause of benevolence, send christian greetings.
The work of evangelizing the world is now successfully com- menced by the friends of Christ-and in this labor of love we, as a denomination, are attempting to bear some humble part. There are already, in the various fields occupied, twenty-eight com- petent missionaries-sixteen males and twelve females. Nine males are ordained preachers. These missionaries have, under their immediate instruction, about two hundred scholars. They have also established four churches among the heathen. In addi- tion to this, we have a number of institutions, literary and theologi- cal, which make a demand on our charities, and ought not to languish through our neglect. Also, the condition of our own State, (in which there are at least one hundred churches of our own denomination, and of ministers not more than two-thirds that number), demands the sympathies, the prayers and the benevolent efforts of all who cordially desire the advancement of the Redeem- er's cause.
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