From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire:  Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 279:

AZARIAH WRIGHT OF WESTMINSTER–HE WAS NOT EXCOMMUNICATED

Westminster, our nearest neighbor on the south, has an interesting history replete with many remarkable incidents which have never been gathered into a much needed volume of town history. An incident of which an account was printed in London, as early as 1797, in Dr. John Andrew Graham's book, "A Descriptive Sketch of the Present State of Vermont, " describes the typical independent spirit of a farmer, Azariah Wright, a member of the Westminster Congregational church, the second Protestant church in Vermont.

After describing the noted piety and strength of character of Mr. Wright, and telling of his being greatly troubled by the depredations of a large bear in his corn field, which bear had seemingly come to know that on Sunday Mr. Wright was always in church, the narrative continues :–

"At last it had learned its cue so thoroughly, as only to commit its depredations on the Lord's day, when it knew from experience that the coast was clear. Wearied out with these oft repeated trespasses, the good man resolved on the next Sunday to stay in his fields, where with his gun he concealed himself. The bear came according to custom. He fired and shot it dead. The explosion threw the whole congregation (for it was about the hour of people's assembling for worship) into consternation.

The cause was inquired into and as soon as the pastor, deacon and others became acquainted with it, they called a special meeting of the church, and cited the offending member before them to show cause, if any he had, why he should not be excommunicated out of [280] Christ's church for this daring and unexampled impiety. In vain did he urge from the Scriptures themselves that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. He pleaded before judges determined to condemn him, and the righteous parson, elders and church, 'una voce,' agreed to drive him out from among them as polluted and accursed.

"Accordingly he was enjoined (as is the custom on such occasions) on the next Sabbath to attend his excommunication in the church. He did attend, but not entirely satisfied with the sentence, and too much of a soldier to be scandalized in so public a manner for any action which he conceived to be his duty, he resolved to have recourse to stratagem. He therefore went to the appointment with his gun loaded with a brace of balls, his sword and cartridge box by his side, and his knapsack on his back, with six days'  provision in it. Service was about half over when he entered the sanctuary in his martial array. He marched leisurely into a corner and took his position. As SOon as the benediction was ended, the holy parson began the excommunication, but scarcely had he pronounced the words 'offending brother' when the honest old veteran cocked and levelled his weapon of destruction, at the same time crying out with a loud voice, 'Proceed if you dare, proceed and you are a dead man.' At this unexpected attack the astonished clergyman shrunk behind his desk, and his opponent with great deliberation recovered his arms. Some moments elapsed before the parson had courage to peep from behind his ecclesiastical battery. On finding the old hero had come to a rest, he tremblingly reached the order to his eldest deacon, desiring him to read it. the deacon with stammering accents and eyes staring with wild affright began as he was commanded, but no sooner had he done so, than the devoted victim again leveled his piece, and more vehemently than before exxclaimed, 'Desist and march, I will not live with shame. Desist and march, I say, or you are all dead men.'  [281] Little need had he to repeat his threats. The man of God leaped from the desk and escaped. The deacons, elders and congregation followed in equal trepidation. The greatest confusion prevailed. The women with shrieks and cries sought their homes, and the victor was left undisturbed master of the field, and of the church, too, the doors of which he calmly locked, put the keys in his pocket, and sent them, with his respects, to the pastor. He then marched home with all the honors of war, lived 14 years afterwards and always remained a brother in full communion."

This story is well authenticated. It was published in somewhat different language in an old almanac about 1800 by Asa Houghton. A former well known resident of Westminster named Wright wrote over 20 years ago as follows to the writer:-

"I think the story as published in London in 1797 is reliable for it is substantially the same as told by my grandfather, Caleb Wright (a son of the captain) and repeated to me by my parents in my childhood. My grandfather used to say that his father, Azariah, had a voice like a lion; and when he gave to the panic-stricken congregation the word of command 'March' there was but one thing to do. Grandfather enjoyed telling about the queer things certain people said and did, and how the women shrieked in their desperate hurry to get out of the meeting-house."