The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-23
springfield Republican,
a Church Without a Greed.

The Free Congregational society of Flo
renee, Northampton, has just issued his
tory of Its past with its platform, bylaws
and extracts from the annual reports. This
society, it is claimed, was the fret relgi-
GUS body in the world to organize on a
platform of entire freedom of thought and
speech. Its germs may be said to have
been planted some thirty-fve years ago,
when band of men and women organized
themselves into what was known as the
" Community" Their purposes were
noble, but their pecuniary means were
quite limited and the enterprise was soon
given up. number of the association,
however, remained in Florence, and public
meetings were frequently held on Sunday
afternoons, where the greatest freedom
of discussion was always maintained,
until May 8. 1868, when the Free Con-
gregatonal society was formally organ
iZed. Their articles of agreement were
brief and mostly in the following, now cut
in marble over the main entrance to Cos
milan hall "Respecting in each other and
in all the right of intellect and conscience
to be free, and holding it to be the duty of
every one to keep his mind and heart at all
times open to receive the truth and follow
its guidance, we set up no theological con-
dition Of membership, and neither demand
nor expect uniformity of doctrinal belief
asking only unity of purpose to seek and
accept the right and true, and an honest
aim and effort to make these the rule of
life. And, recognizing the brotherhood of
the human race and the equality of human
rights, we make no distinction as to the
III nf atnr
society on account of sex or color or ma
tionahty."
When the society was first organized the
meetings were held in district school
house, but in April, 1864, it began to hold
meetings in the new hall, built for the pur-
pose and called Florence hall. The use of
the hall, chapel and library room was CIV
en- to the society for ten years by president
s. L. Hill. In 1874 the large and hand
home edifce known as Cosmian hall was
finished, having been built for the society
by the subscriptions of members and
others the larger part being contributed
by its liberal president. This building
cost about $4,000 and contains large
and handsomely decorated auditorium, and
a spacious stage well finished. The base
ment contains Clover Cosmian hall" and
a suite of rooms which constitute the par
Tors and culinary department of the la
dies Industrial Union" an auxiliary of the
society. The society hold regular Sunday
afternoon exercises, the exercises varying
according to the person who conducts
them.
1t is the aim of the society to have tree
and open platform. 1t has been addressed
by both men and women-the representa-
tives of Judaism, orthodox and heterodox
Christianity, spiritualists, scientists, theists
and atheists. Among the many who have
addressed the society might be mentioned
Samuel Longfellow, Parker Pillsbury,
Frederick Douglass, M. D. Conway, Rabbi
Schleisenger, Ralph Waldo Emerson, bio
Lewis DR.. r, L. Thrall, William Lloyd Gar
rison, A. Bronson Alcott, John Weiss,
George Thompson, Susan Anthony, Lucy
stone, Mrs. Frances d. Gage, Mrs. Nellie
L, Bingham and Horace Seaver. The So
ciety also usually have a resident speaker,
who is open at all times to criticism by the
members as any other speaker. G. G. Bur-
leigh occupied this position from 1862 I'M
til 1878. In 1871, Miss Elizabeth NJ
Powell, now Mrs. Ii. II. Bond, was
chosen resident speaker, and continued
in that capacity until 1872, when Rowland
Conner was called, and in 1876, d. II.
Clark, the present incumbent, took the Of
fee.
The society are earnestly endeavoring to
instin into the minds of the young the
principles ON which the society is founded.
In addition to the adult classes for general
discussions and the chidrens classes for
moral instruction, are others for the study
of natural history, French and German,
botany, political economy, and Shakes
peare, all of which are taught by able
teachers. The society claims to ''repre-
sent the growing tendency of the human
mind, in our age, to outstrip circumscrib-
ing ecclesiastical barriers; the conviction
of possible fellowship Of spirit with di-
versity of belief aspiration toward high
er standard Of culture than the church rep
resents. 1t neither accepts any verbal
statement of faith nor seeks to impose any
on others. Its ideal is the most compre-
hensive and practical service to mankind
the fullest and most perfect development
of the nature of each human being"