The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-01-21
fhe UDiversaiist t;autenni Il.
& most INTER EsTTNG OCCASION
LARGE ATTENDANCE OF UNIvERsALIsTs FROM
ALL PARTS OF THE STATE.

|
ALL PARTS OF THE STATE.
| Speeches by Rsu. DR.. SAGE, of Rochester, N. Y,
Hon. s. +. Hersey, Of Bangor; Rev. ": r.
Gibbs of Portland; Reu. J. c. Saow, P'tnct
pal of Westbrook Seminary; Rec a 6s W q
Of Bangor; Hons Sidney PerhG@;, -; ~
Hichborn, I. Woshburn, Jr., Chos r. h'"'""
| and others.
| The Universalist Centenary meeting WAS
| held yesterday in the Congress Square ni'et-
| saist Church, both afternoon ana e'eoios'-
The day was most auspcons one, me sun
| shining brightly and the weather alsplayine
| all the characteristics of early spring rather
| than mid-winter. There was Il very large at
tendance in the afternoon of Unigersalists
| gathered together from all parts of the State,
both ladies and gentlemen, many of whom ar
rived in the city as early as Wednesday.
The opening services commenced at IL
o'clock with a voluntary by the choir; after
which the Rev. Zenas Thompson of Paris read
a selection from the Scriptures, followed by
most fervent and appropriate prayer. at lis
close hymn was sung by the choir. Ihe
meeting then organized with Gen. 5. Il. Her
| sey of Bangor as President, and c. Weston ci
RocEand as Secretary.
| Upon taking the chair Gen. Hersey made
briet but pointed speech, of which the follow
| ing is an abstract:
| HON. 8. F. HERSEY
| Said that Having been President of our last
| Convention it devOlyeS upon me 10 preside at
| this meeting. 1 enter upon it full OF nope, as
il is the first of a series of these meetings. 10 De
| held all over The State, and l feel that 1t Will
be of great benefit to the denomination. 1
| give YOU cordial welcome on this occasion, and
| hope that it will be one of such interest that 1t
| will long be remembered by you all. 1t comes
| at good time. Creeds are being critically ex-
| amined and dogn,as of long standing are hav-
ing little iufuence upon people OF the day
oigotry is passing away, and freedom of speech
aud changes for the benefit of mankind are be-
ing fit everywhere. In view of The great
change in theologic thought, we as Universe
Isis have a great work before Us. Are We
ready after this Ioeg silence to step 10 and
crysalize? We should fund our schools SO
that all can teach or preach; and this eau only
De done by great generosity. There is a great
lack of teachers aud preachers of our faith
All over the West there is great cry for the m.
they can only be supplied BY generous dona-
| tons to our schools of learning Now friends
| let US join hand in hand in this great work
let US IN this beautiful church consecrate our
selves anew to this work, and God will bless
our labors.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Hersey's remarks
| the choir again united in singing; after which
the following report was read by Rev. j. G.
Snow:
Tue Executive Committee of the Maine Uni
| versalist Convention make the following rec
ommendatlons:
I That the sum of $40, 900 be raised in Maine
| for the Murray Fund.
| n. That S25, 900 be raised in the State for
| WestbrOOk Seminary.
iii. That Mes,rs. I.rael washburn, Jr., N.
G.. Hichborr. A. c. Denison, A. Gunuisou,
G. S. Fobes c. P. K'Inball, S. F. Hersey, s.
| Perham and II. Durell be appointed Centen-
uary Committee; aud that this committee be
| instructed to engage centenary agent, who
| hall be member of the Committee eI ottci0,
and who shall have general supervision vi the
| work OF raising The above named amounts.
". That the report of the General Ceoten-
nary Committee, as adopted by the U. 5.
| General Convention, be approved oy this meet
| ing, subjrc CT TO the obove notifications.
For the Executive Committee.
Q. WESTON, Secretary.
Rev. j. G. Snow said in regard to this re-
port, that ten thousand dollars is the proper
ton of Maine forAhe Murray Fund, which is to
amount to 5000 900, and which is to be raised
by missionary boxes. 1t is hoped the report
will meet with the cordial sanction of the
meeting. The report was approved
ADDRESS OF DIR. SAKE.
DR.. SAKE, the agent for the United States
General Convention, after the singing of a
| hymn by the choir, was introduced to the meet
ing and we give an abstract of bis remarks:
| In remarking upon the eventiul theme of the
| hour the mind will necessarily turn to retro
| spect Of the century. What a world of thought
is centered in the word century. The las. cen
fury is the grandest the world has knowu.-
Frudalsm IN two continents has gone under,
Dnt in no respect is the present Century more
distinguished Than for the religious modifca
tons It has witnessed. Prior to that time
Calvinism alone had received much public re-
coguition. Dlmnation, and all the horrors OF
eternal torment, was the skeleton that grnoed
70 thousands of homes, and The saddest thought
is that when au individual died the feeling was
general that his soul was consigned to endless
punishment On all this contiDe ut there was
not single religious teacher 10 imDart CLEAN
of hope to sorrowipg Rachels weeping for their
lost. But behold, God was preparing relief
A young EuglIshman who had read James
Rely, who was tried in the furnance of affl C.
ton bv the loss OF bis family, and shipped as
supercargo in vessel, was His agent. His
name was John Murray, and he landed in
New jersey, unfured the banner of hope and
| salvation in the midst of great persecution
He was stoned 10 Boston, but be was piano.
| piled in the armor of God. The transforma-
| ton must have made him seem as an angel of
/ mercy. FROM luis Stnili DogtDulDC has arisen
the power which has endorsed the tyrant.-
| Six hundred ministers, three colleges, and a
| side spre ad literature, etc, are the fruits and
| trophies of the rrst century OF UniversalIsm.-
| It has not grown as fdss as Methodsm, but
when we think of the obstacles it has had to
encounter the growth is marvellous. We
point to these achievements with great pride,
and we can make the next century more glori-
Gus even than the one just closed if we stIive
with all our might. A comprehensive plan
has been entered upon for the coming year to
show the world that we mean to stay and to
give us a momentum. Societies are to be urged
TO throw overheard that which most terribly
clogs many churches, viz, parish debts. Again
it is proposed TO rebuild and improve churches
not up 10 the times 50 that we may .pfeseht
more attractions. Special attention is to be
paid 10 our institutions OF learning, that they
NAV act as fertilizers to the mind. The special
| work, however, is to raise the Murray fund for
the education OF young men to the ministry
and extend the denomination.
We can obtain the requisite preparation for
this wo k by STARTING from the standpoint OF
| duty. We must enlist our copsciences in the
| undertaking. We must remember the Lord
| deeds u, that He requires us to contribute il
| we would have success. Needs are great
| force TO achieve results. For Instance, when a
common soldier feels that his general needs his
faithful cooperation to ensure success he
fights as he never fought before. When onr
country needed the help of her children it was
structiop, and now Jesus our Lord calls upon
US to work in His whey ard for this church is
needed to work out the great plan OF human
redemption. do not say God does not need
other denominations, for He no doubt does, bat
| He needs our broad Christianity to supple
ment them and supply the pressing needs oil
| the hour.
God never works without means, for without
| means ruth is powerless. Truth must be kept
| 10 mo'iop to achieve good. II the organic l.
| too Luther manipulated had gwen way, Prot
| estantsIl might have succeeded in asserting
| itself So if our church, which iorms the bIl
| warks of Christianity, bad given way, It nigh
ultimately have succeeded, but when? MOI
| perhaps for centuries. The old system j.
| doomed. The q lestion is not now between the
| Oh dogmas oil Chris ianity and the new. but
oetwe-n the new and no Christianity az ALL
Now Christianity as expressed in Universalisu
| must slough off thu doctrines of the Trinity OF
be sloughed off itself. II may be said that the
liberalism that has existed before US makes on
| organization unnecessary. 1t remains to be
| seen whether this liberalism is beneftting OF
demorallzing in its effrcts. 1 look upon il as
religious anomaly. 1t is impossible to tel
whether this liberalism which comes from sc
many popular pulpits is spontaneous or comes
rom outside pressure. l consider it on a.
an echo of the thund, r that comes from ouI
own artillery; and who can tel whether The
-chO can be heard after the guns are spiked.-
| You cannot feed the world 90 echoes, or cloth'
it in moonbeams. To feed the soul you mus
give it real vital Universalism.
No one should debar themselves from thu
glorious work of contributing TO Universaism
tn the Murray fund, even only the few pen
| MES you can Spare for the contribution box
| We must use our acc limitations as we g
| along We must hold on 10 pirt TO ensur
| us against future peris, TOR we are prof gate
| we do not save portion tor our own good. l
L .l,1.tr To n MOI n h1