The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-07-17
CENTENNIAL SERVICES.
Sermon by Rev. J w. Eaton at the Meth
ist church.


ist church.
In accordance with the request of the
Methodist general conference, that cen
tennial services be held in all the Methodist
churches on some Sunday in July, such
service was held at the Methodist church
in Rutland, Sunday evening. Before the
sermon the choir sung Winters centen-
nial hymn to Paine's music as gwen at The
opening of the centennial May 10ih. BY
way of introduction Mr.. Eaton said that 1t
vas peculiarly fitting that the pulpit should
notice the completion of the nations frs,
century as among the causes of the nations
development it was certainly not least.
Next Sunday he should speak Of the growth
of the church in America. To-day his sub.
ject was
THE NATIONS ACHIEVEMENTS.
There shall be handful o. corn on the earth
upon the top OF the mountains, the fruit there
OF shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the
city shall flourish like grass OF the EARTH
Psalms LXXII, l6.
The speaker said that the text was pro-
phetic of Cnrist's kingdom 1t is also
symbolic of the growth of our country and
in that sense he used it. He reviewed the
early history of the country, and SAID that
there we're white men III America before
Columbus; there is a Morse tradition Of
one of their captains coming TO the cOun-
Try IN the year $50. and in 1901 an Iceland
ic captain visited Massachusetts and ie-
manned year. But the institutions of
INT, & k.,
country with the landing of the pilgrims
on Plymouth rock. The hand of Pfovi-
dence Is visible in their coming they came
because God sent them. In 1906 tie Lon
don and Plymouth companies had grants
OF this territory but they failed TO settle.
God was keeping the land while he trained
people TO occupy II. Late III the 10 h
century band of men began in England
to rebel against the restraints of the laws in
regard to religious worship. They were
persocuted by Elizabeth and James. Then
they began to wander in search OF religious
liberty and were called pilgrims. they
went first to Holland and then came to
New England. Their first act on reaching
the shores was to hold religious worship
Then they landed and the corn which they
threw on a barren coil now shakes like
Lebanon.
The many obstacles overcome by the
Puritans were then mentioned. After
building roofs over their heads, they built
churches, then school houses, and they
placed an open Bible in the church and in
the school house, and they have kept them
there ever since. May they always be
kept. They had faults; they were men,
not angels. They persecuted the Q1skers
and the Bsptists, they hanged witches, but
bn, /, tr,p n,a Ian frn,,, I'M
rance. They had strong, true, noble hearts.
For q century and IL half they weres sub
jects of Great Britain. But they had
strong love of liberty and the revolt at last
came. England has always been aud was
then inclined to avarice. she sought to
make the colonies source OF revenue to
he crown. She passed the duties acts and
the stamp act and America burst into a
flame OF Indignation. Americas independ-
ence was born not in the state house al
Philadelphia but in the British parliament
The nation was born and took her high
place among the nations gracefully aud
well, Her first great work, to securely
establish cher principles, was, through the
hand of God, well done They formed
new nation on new basis. Ii is true
that there we're the great principles of lib
erty in the British constitution. but they
varied greatly from that model> Instesd
IF forming monarchy and declaring the
divine right of kings, they declared the
divine right of the people. Through the
guidance of God they were enatl.d to es-
cape the fate of the English under Crou-
we'll who failed of republic because they
attempted too little, and The fate OF the
French who aflerwsrd failed IN their at
tempt by aiming at too much.
What hoo tho illat pnmnIpfpd ppptnrV "a
say for their success? They promised q
refuge for The oppressed OF every nation
and they have given it, One hundrt
years ago the nation started out full OF
promise which have in many respec
been fulfilled. In Kent of territory
IN numbers and ia wealth we have gown
marvel0usly. Have we also grown moral
ly and mentally There are some VIII
ell us we are on the road to ruin. The
present governor of New York is one al
these. He said in recent speech that We
are reaching The worst stare of the oiu
cuuntri, of Europe. The government 10
longer X sis for the people but for plum
Ter. He k ew or ought to have known
hat the statement WAS false lie knew
hat while there is corruption in high
places and in low places there is not g.,
mach as formerly. Corruption has not lu-
creased relatively. There has been NJ
ime when the blaze of light at present
thrown on all public men would not hav,
revealed worse state of things than the
present., or when the condemnation would
have been more universal or severe.
During the century the membership Of
evangelical churches has been gaining stes-
Oily on the population duehng has been
sb0lished intemperance has rapidly de-
creased and, better than all, AmercaD
slavery, that sum OF all the iniquiles I'm
Ter the sun, has been botted out These
facts are full of instruction. The history
Of slavery was then reviewed.
A duty remains for U.s. We must pre-
.erve and spread the principles our fathers
established. This can best be done by in
culcanng the principles Of our holy religion.
The great mass of mankind fluid in their
bibles the principles of liberty. We have
pant in the work. We must be servants Of
he truth, valiant IN its defense, and
our inheritance will be great. Gold il
dross, but the homer of virtue is immortal
ner chaplet is ever green. We must b.
lovers Of our country; christian patriots
Let us choose virtue, truth and God and
we shall choose wisely and well.
After prayer, "Amerca was sung.
followed by the doxology and benedictlon.
Centennial Sunday School Concert.
The Congregational Sunday school gave
an interesting centennial concert on Sun
day evening, the subject being "God aud