Page:History of Barrington, Rhode Island (Bicknell).djvu/546

 442 THE HISTORY OF BAERINGTON. earnestly, lest a rift should be made in this sacred vessel of the Lord's House. Our first impression was that it con- tained some aids to piety, devotion, and eloquence which ministers only had the privilege of enjoying. Later we learned that its chief function was to aid the vocal organs of the old school theologians as they thundered the anathemas of the damned and proclaimed the happiness of the saved, as they rejoiced over the electing grace of God in sending a few to Heaven, the most to perdition. The old sounding board was an unconscious and innocent agent in the loud declaration of a most pernicious doctrine, which has long since followed the sounding board into an historic oblivion. In 185 1 the society remodelled the meeting-house of 1805-6. The pews, galleries, and sounding board were removed, the floor was elevated so as to admit of a lecture room on the first floor and an audience room on the second floor. The spire was added to the old tower and a bell was introduced. In 1888 the society made still further additions to the east end of the church and an organ was added to the church music. Prior to that time from 1851, the small alcove room in the rear of the audience room was used for the choir and organ. The United Congregational Society still continues to conduct the business affairs of the church in the raising money for the salary and in other mat- ters of a similar character. In 1 8 16 the property afterwards known as the Parsonage estate was purchased of Silas Shepard, executor of the will of the Rev. Samuel Watson, late pastor of the Congrega- tional Church of Harrington. The grantees were Jabez Bul- lock, Humphrey Kent, Nathaniel Viall, Simeon Grant, Heze- kiah Viall, Noah Reed, Seth Whitmarsh, Peleg Paine, Theophilus Hutchins, John Viall, Benjamin Viall, 2d, of Seekonk, County of Bristol, State of Massachusetts ; Eben- ezer Tiffany, Joshua Bicknell, Allin Bicknell, William Brown, John Short, Wilmarth Heath, Jabez Heath, Solomon Town- send, Jr., Nathaniel Peck, Ebenezer Peck, Benjamin Peck,