Chap. 



RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONSu 



189 



QUARTERLY AND YEARLY MEETINGS. 



UNITARIAN CHURCHES. 



many of them in open profanity. He ac- 

 cordingly began to exliort tlieni to turn to 

 tlie Lord, and about thirty were hopefully 

 converted tlirough his instrumentality. 

 These converts desired to belong to the 

 New Durham church, 110 miles distant 

 from tJiem. Accordingly they sent to 

 that church for help, and in the summer 

 of 1792 Elders Benjamin Randel and John 

 Buzzell visited them, preached a few 

 times with them, and baptized a number. 

 In January, 1794, Elder Randel made 

 them another visit, but found them con- 

 fused in their sentiments and divided in 

 their feelings, and he returned entirely 

 discouraged in regard to them. About 

 the last of February following. Elder 

 John Buzzell visited them again, and suc- 

 ceeded in organizing nine into a church, 

 who entered into a covenant with each 

 other to take the scriptures for their only 

 rule of faith and practice. This church 

 was organized about the first of March, 

 1794, and was the first Free Will Baptist 

 church in Vermont. It is now in a flour- 

 ishing condition, consisting of 200 mem- 

 bers. 



At the present period, churches are or- 

 ganized in various parts of the state, and 

 the several churches situated in the same 

 neighborhood are associated together ; and 

 delegates from these associated churches 

 assemble once in three months forming a 

 Quartcrlij Meeting, at which reports are 

 made respecting the condition of the re- 

 spective churches. The several quarterly 

 meetings are also associated together, and 

 delegates from these meet annually form- 

 ing a Yearly Meeting. There is also a 

 General C'oti/c/'cwcc, whfch assembles once 

 in two years, and is composed of delegates 

 from all the churches in the connection. 

 Each of the individual churches has a 

 monthly meeting for mutual edification 

 and comfort. 



The Yearly Meeting of Free Will Bap- 

 tists in this state, comprises in its connec- 

 tion, at the present time, 100 churches, 

 68 ordained ministers, 9 licentiates, and 

 4423 communicants. 



Their form of church government is 

 democratic, each member having an equal 

 opportunity to speak and vote in all the 

 business of the church. 



Some of the principles of doctrine held 

 by this denomination are the following, 

 viz : Tliat man was created in the image 

 of God, which image consisted in right- 

 eousness and true lioliness. That he was 

 rendered amenable to a moral law, which 

 law, through the influence of the tempter, 

 he transgressed, whereby he lost the di- 

 vine image, and became a depraved, sin- 

 ful being, subject to death ; from which 



deplorable condition he could not deliver 

 himself; and that God, in the plenitude 

 of his love, sent his son to die the just 

 for the unjust. That man is now, and 

 has been ever since the apostacy, depend- 

 ent for salvation upon the redemption ef- 

 fected through the blood of Christ, and 

 upon being created anew unto holiness 

 through the operation of the Holy Spirit, 

 both of which are provided for every son 

 of Adam. 



They hold that as the regenerate are 

 placed in a state of trial during this life, 

 their future obedience is neither deter- 

 mined nor certain, but though they may 

 turn away from their righteousness, com- 

 mit iniquity and die thereby : yet it is 

 their privilege and duty to be steadfast in 

 the truth — to grow in grace — persevere in 

 holiness, and make their election sure. 



The ordinances of the church as held 

 and practised by this denomination, aro 

 Baptism, or the immersion of believers in 

 water, in the name of the Father, Son 

 and Holy Ghost, and the holy sacrament 

 of the Lord's supper. 



They believe that the soul, or spirit, 

 immediately after death, enters a state of 

 happiness or misery, according to the 

 character formed, and the deeds done in 

 the body : and that there will be a resur- 

 rection both of the just and unjust, — the 

 saints to be raised in the likeness of 

 Christ ;. but the wicked to awake to shame 

 and everlasting contempt : and finally, 

 that there is to be a general judgment, 

 when time and man's probation will 

 cease forever, and all men will be judged 

 according to their works, the righteous 

 will enter into eternal life, and the wicked 

 will go into a state of endless punish- 

 ment. 



Section VI. 

 Unitarian Churches in Vermont. 



BY RET. GEORGE G. INGERSOLL. 



Unitarian is a eomprehensive term, in- 

 cluding all those christians who believe in 



the strict, personal unity of the Deity 



that "there is but one God the Father," 

 and not a trinity of Father, Son, and Holy 

 Spirit. In this interpretation there are 

 many Unitarians in various parts of Ver- 

 mont. But of the denomination more 

 particularly denoted by this term, there 

 are but four regularly organized congre- 

 gations. 



These, like those of the same name 

 throughout New England, are, in mode of 



