The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-05
Congregationalisn.

oHioado, ILL, Apfll l5tn, ~.
EDIToRs COURIER The familiar
face of the COURIER putting in an ap-
pearance last night reminded: me of
my promise to write Of the events of
the week. The week has been so
filled up with work however, that it
has left little time for correspondence
There has been in session here
since Tuesday, one Of tho largest re-
ligious gatherings that ever assem-
bled IN this great eentre ofthe West.
The Chicago Theological Society,
which has ts constituency among the
Congregational Churches in Michi.
gan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Miss.
ouri, Kansas and Nebraska, holds it's
anniversary this week. The exami-
nation of classes occurred On Monday
and Tuesday, and did credit to both
students and professors. There are
in all nearly fifty students in the
seminary.
On Tuesday afternoon tho excrcis.
cs appropriate TO the inauguration OF
another professor, took place in the
First Congregational Church, and in
the evening an able and interesting
address was delivered in Farwell
Hall, before ono of the seminary
societies, by DR.. e. D. Haven, Presi.
dent of Evanston Mcthuiirt1 Uhi-
versity. II was an illustration of the
liberality that has always character.
lied the students of this seminary
and Congregationalism generally =,
that at this great gathering a distin.
guished man of another denomina-
ton was invited to deliver one of the
principal addresses. DR.. Ravens is
man whose reputation as a scholar
and speaker, is not confined to his
own denomination. For years Pro-
lessor of Rhetoric in Michigan
University, he resigned there to
accept tho editorship of Zion's
Herald; was recalled to the university
as its prcsident,:,and within the past
year has accepted the presidency OF
the Methodist institution at Evens.
ton.
At every third anniversary of the
seminary, there meets convention
composed Of ministers and delegates
from the States above mentioned, to
consider the interests of the g mi.
nary. On Wednesday morning this
committee met at Farwell Hall, and
after hearing reports, &C., adjourned
to meet on Friday. This adjourn.
ment was effected in order TO make
room for the Pilgrim Memorial Con.
vention.
Two or three years since the
Methodists celebrated the Centennial
OF Methodism in this country; but
Congregationalism has seen two
hundred and fifty years in America,
and it is proposed to make this q
Memorial year--a year that shall
rcmind us OF how much we owe to
the past, and that shall rouse to more
earnest labor for the future. This
Memorial Convention, included re.
representatives. from nearly every
Northern State in the Union.
Deacon Tompkins, of Connecticut,
was chosen Moderator.
In the opening address by DR..
Bacon, of Now Haven, he showed
clearly the distinction between the
Puritans and the Pilgrims. The
Puritans were a party in tho Church
of England, but the Pilgrims separ-
ated from the State Church, holding
the idea which they afterward incor-
porated into civil and ecclesiastical
government in America, viz: "a
church without bishop and state
without king" The Puritans would
not separate from tho State Church,
because that involved persecution,
and perhaps death; but the Pilgrims
took their lives in their hands, and
came out from the Established
Church to organize churches on the
simple plan of Primitive Christianity.
DIR. Bacons address paid touching
tribute to the memory of these men,
who were prosecuted for conscience
sake. Some of them were hanged,
others escaped to Holland and thence
embarked to America. Interesting
speeches were made by others during
the afternoon, but l must not weary
you or your readers with further
details in this letter.
TrpJ,- ID