The Portland daily press., 1874-06-19
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE

agitation became an exciting and disturbing
element in the churches-the Eastern Bap-
ttst, weekly paper located at Brunswick,
| was established, and after about three wears,
united with the AdUocdte.
=, Amidst the financial troubles of 1865,
Convention became deeply in debt. In 1841
Inese deDts were finally discharged and the
remaining funds Of the Convention were
transferred 10 the Society, which became
from this time The sole organ of our domes-
| tic missionary operations. At the close of
| this decade we had PSI churches, 2O3 minis
| ters and 22,071 communicates.
In the third decade, from 1844-54. the
work OF the Convention was chiefly done at
the annual meetings These were held in
connection with the Missionary, Education
and Sunday School Societies, which each had
a full organization of its own. In the early
| part of this decade the churches were gener-
ally prosperous and efficent but in AT and
'4S many of the most active and energetic of
our young men left their homes here for the
| gold fields of California. The loss of these
had dispiriting etiect on the members which
| were left, and the ten years closed with a
membership less than when they commenced.
From 1854 to '64 the history of this Con-
| ventiOn contains no events OF unusual impor-
| tance. The question of a union with the
| "Society" assumed new Importance and was
discussed at every session. In 1861 the civil
| war commenced; the churches were again
called upon to part with their most valuable
and active members large. drafts were made
| upon their material resources; faith and
| hope were tested to their utmost, and the Pc
| riod closed in the midst of almost universal
darkness and woe. ........- ....... fas.
From 1864 to IA orr course has been on
| ward. The events Of those years are SO re-
| cent that we hardly need note them as mat
| tiers of history. The long desired union be-
| tween the Convention and the Society was
| fully consummated in 1867. The war cloud
| passed away, the government was MAIN
tanned and the flag OF the nation, SO beauti-
| ful and glorious, floated securely and tri-
| umphantly over every foot of American ter
Iitory. Our homes. have had quiet; our
4 churches rest. They have recalled their en-
| ergies and with new vigor addressed them
| selves TO their former and appropriate work.
| Never during the long period OF its history
has the Convention met under more favora-
BILE auspices or with more Of promise in re-
| gard to its future operations than on this oc-
casion. And it is fitting that we hallow this
fiftieth year-make it indeed jubilee and
with thankful and glad hearts slug our
| jubildte. We meet when nature is clothed
| with her freshest charms and most attractive
loveliness, where the scenery is delightful
| and proofs of divine goodness are abundant.
| We look abroad over the landscape aud adj
mire the beauties of the scenery and say with;
adoring hearts, behold how GOOD, how pleas
ant are these charms of nature; and then we
look upon this company of Christians, so
large in numbers, so united in purpose, so in
| telligent in action, so cemented by love, and
| we say with a deeper alteration, with
holier emotions 'Behold how good and how
| pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together
| in unity" The speaker here drew brilliant
and striking contrast between the condition
of the state in its political, material. social
and moral interests fifty years ago and at the
| present time. The wonderful advances
which have been made In all departments OF
life and effort were alluded to. And how Is
it some will inquire that amidst all this
change and progression you still hold to the
| same old doctrines, the same old practices to
which the Baptists held so years ago--tor the
articles of our faith are substantially now
! as they were then? Have there been
advances in everything else, and none in your
| views of truth? Do you not believe in pro-
| gression in theological science, as in all the
sciences? To such inquiries we have but
word in reply. We believe in progression, In
| the unfolding and development Of truth In
every science. We recognize the advance
ment that has been made in Biblical learning
and Interpretation and in theology as a SCI
ence. But there are some principles and
truths in every science, which are fundamen-
taL, and which must permanently remain the
same, In order to make it a science. Mathe-
|
a period OF 80 years. But such advancement
has not altered the principles and truths of it
| which are fundamental. These remain the
| same. A half century ago it was true that
| two and two made four and that the three
angles of triangle were equal to two right
angles, and it is just as true To-day. So in the
ology. Its fundamental truths do not change.
Our apprehension of those truths and our
statement of them may change. Our dogmas,
| theories m
what is fundamental remains unchanged.
Now, we hold that the few doctrines which
| our fathers announced as their creed and
which determined the practice aad distinctive
features OF the Baptists in their day are funda-
mental, lying at thelvery foundation of the
| Christian system. They were truths in the
| days of the Apostles as well as in the days OF
our fathers and will remain truths fundamen-
tai, glorious, sure while Christianity herself,
| shall endure"
''Not yet, then, is the mission ofthe Baptsts
ace omplished. We are still to remember that
honesty. and fidelity are better than
! peace. 'Apostasy from truth is not an aus
picious Inauguration of Christian concord
For truth, eternal and indivisbe is the only
permanent basis upon which peace will re-
pose or union be established. N othing is set
tied achtch is not right nothin permanent
| Which is not true. Planting ourselves upon
| grounds which we have always maintained,
that the church of Christ is sptitual body,
that its membership must consist only of bap-
tized believers, that the word of God alone is
| our guide and standard of appeal, discarding
all ecclesiastical authority and traditions; we
are TO grid ourselves for the warfare and fight
| it out to the end 'on this line.'"
| Fifty years ago we numbered in all the
states scarce 100000. These were generally
poor aud without efficient organization for
| combined or concerted action. To-day we
l. - IL IL. 4. -
| 900, with more than twice that number in
full sympathy with us. We have material re-
sources to an extent the most visionary never
| dreamed of. We have efficient organizations
| for every department of Christian effort. We
have welLconducted and wellendowed
schools, colleges and theological schools. We
have papers and periodicals OF high order
for all our families. We have talent and
scholarship, and men who compare ia
vorably with those of any of the great
divisions OF the Christian army. God
has been with us, blessed us, done great
things for us and by us in the past fifty years
and we trust will do yet greater things in the
fifty years to come. We cast a thought for
ward to the close of that period. The breth-
rem of the Convention will meet then as we
have now met and hallow the fiftieth year. We,
my brethren, shall not meet with them. Long
| ere that our work will be done, our conflicts
| ended, and we trust, through grace, the VIC
tory gained. From this point we send down
to them through the intervening years our
congratulations, hoping that they will gather
golden harvest from the seeds of our SOW
ing. 1t is the great law of the moral world
'one soweth and another reapeth.' We sub
NIT to that law yet we exult in the thought
that by and by, beyond the river, in the home
of the redeemed and gorified ones 'the
Sower and the Reaper shall rejoice together
At the conclusion of DIR. Shailer's address
the following hymn was sung
by the congregation: '''''e'
| To Thee. Oh God, we raise
a new, glad song of praise
| We Thee adore.
| With Joy our hearts confess
| Thou didst our fathers bless,
And crown with large success,
In days of y0re.
Since we tread holy ground, ,
| Let love to us abound,
Thy power infuse- HI Poo ...
| Do Thou our hearts expand,
| Here join us hand to hand Nt
I To spread throughout the land ..I
The "joyful news
Help these Thy servants all
| To heed Thy sacred coll