Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/536

 CHAPTER XXV II THE UNITED CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY Incorporation of the United Congregational Society — Its Purposes — Dual Plan of Church Support — The old Meeting House of 1739 — Church Services — Meeting House Repairs — Lottery of 1772 — Its Purposes — Lottery of 1798 — Its Managers and Methods — New Meeting House now standing — House remodelled — The Parsonage — Officers of the United Congregational Society. UNTIL the year 1797, the support of the Congregational Church and meeting-house had been sustained by the town and church united, or by the church itself, relying as it did upon the good offices of the people, without as well as within the fold, for the maintenance of the services and ordi- nances of religion. Prior to 1747, the town, at its annual meetings provided for the support of the minister. Since that time the salaries of the minister had either been raised by tax upon the ratable property of the town and paid by town treasurers, or by voluntary subscriptions of the people, collected by annually appointed solicitors. Funds for the church building and repairs had also been raised by a town tax, licensed by the General Assembly, or by private contri- butions. In answer to a petition of church members and others, the General Assembly passed an Act, May, 1797, to incorporate certain persons, by the name of the United Con- gregational Society, in the Town of Barrington. "Whereas divers Persons belonging to the Congrega- tional Society in the Town of Barrington, in this State, whereof the Reverend Solomon Townsend was late pastor, preferred a Petition to this Assembly praying for an Act of Incorporation, whereby they may be enabled to promote cer- tain purposes hereinafter mentioned : Be it further enacted by this General Assembly that Messieurs Josiah Humphrey, Edward Bosworth, Elkanah