The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-10-03


quarterly meetings thu children were present. 1t
4 y recorded that at the monthlY meeting but
o are 9susa nrsoehbs 0 IND elgres
! at the quarterly meetings At one or the largest
OF these 20 mothers ami 20 children were present,
AZ at these n,eetiifgs on lie Abrahamic pant.
Forty dollars were annually raised and forwarded TO
the treasurer of the American Board for the sup
4 The recipient of this money his but lately been
heard of useful Christian worker In that far OF
i land. ElT4- T-T3 go
T., in the year 1S47, however, the same causes
which had origna ly induced The organization OF
the High street church now began to work towards
4 colony and otfshoot from itself. Additions were
A 50 nuHerous and desire for church Tar her west
ward so urgent that DR.. Chiesering proposed TO
MS people the erection Of an9lher mouse o. wo l,
ship. To this effect June, 1S4S, report in full
II made to Cumberland Confere ee PRACTICAL ae-
99 upon this proposal was n aei herr @ss
shiefy by members of High street church and so
eiety, sui abel land was purchased on STATE street
| and building erected. As in 1881 we had freely
| received so now in March 1852. we were Gale as
freely give and forty-eight of the more influential
Imembers were set off to rm tue basis of the fu-
tu1e State street church. This was ! great social
4 and financial sacrifice and one which the parish
could hope only with difficulty II ever, TO re Ilese.
Blu. despite the offering they Kept up heart and saw
L yet many signs Of the Divine bles ing In impressive
I works of grace, specially so in 1858
+ In 1856 /, there was a delightful reunion OF the
/ friends Of the church and her leader to conmemo
rate he silver wedding of the church with himself
when permanent expressions OF me aneeti4nsre
N
j watches and a shawl we're left behind Tor himself
I and wife.
t. sInslSs2. Sept. 18th, West Chapel organic
| happy and favored ministry was mis- OF nearly
thirty years duration. In his letter of acceptance
he had said God grant that eternity may Illustrate
/ increasingly the fact that He sent me to ortand "
What ans wer God may vouchs afe to prayer may APP
| pear frou this that when IL was formally closed
there had been received to the 70 Is more than 7oU
II souls oyer 400 by profession its precious seals
sok fidelity lie released from his charge 1860
| March Goth crowned with most solid oxen OF the
rNFh ariah
able in age and ripe III experience, but in exeetnl
health he is spared to be with to-day to listen in
i meekness to this meagre sketch OF apart OF his
| good works and to receive the benedictIon OF al
/ among US who love our Lord and his Kingdom.
After an interval OF more than ye A, on June
It25, 1855, Rev VIM. ii Fem, of MAJ chester, n
III. was called He accepted July I'd and was ia-
| stalled July 25th. The installing prayer was made
| by Rev. lothian b. Sewall. of Brunswick, and the
| sermon by Rev. A. III. Plumb, OF Cnese q, Mas.
At the installation Miss Aune Louise Cary aud her
eT sang A. that time The regular o h5gs ast was
tar Beekett soprano, Miss Nellie Barrows; contra
| ito, Mrs. Sarah Ellison. The sabbath lynn aud
| Tune. Book, Prof Park editor, was then employed
as the egh1ar book of religious service. Speaking
fist of the external incidents Of our histo for
These fifteen years the most striking experience il
the early history of this ministry was the burning
of. the back part of the building Feb z, 1863 by
iucenaries,who seemed to be seeking after collec-
tjons, and who wantoHy tore up and burned the an
' ttiaus Bible which belonged to the desk. They
proved to be boys, who, think, were duly appre-
hended, indicted and punished.
After mature denDerat1On IL was u6clueu 10 re-
build AM remodel throughout the house of worship
and give the pastor and Ills wife meanwhile yaca-
ton Of sewn months in Europe. To this gift they
| JAILED from New York Feb Q ith. That was tn
last ever of the glory of the former house
How well remember IL its vide, wooden steps and
t&work painted white and eld-f fashioned cornices
| and paneings. An, impFss sive buging pull
Chairs ali of theln masterpieces of rich
mahogany Over the minister's head such anotnef
skydghS (bedizened like a lia shop, some wing
pess dhsra, and There wall pews, galleries over
s5hem, two side aisies, a broad aisle, and CLOCK
before ma kind; genial and staid assembly How
hoons Mr. Brown, Mr. Goddard Mr. Moulton,
the Eibbys, Mr. Moultop, Des. Sewall Chase, Mr.
/, Sfeeles ar. Neal. All mel are they here in the
snirite think ,von9s How long long ago it seems
The corner stone of the new house was laid July
II, 1863, sans ceremonie. The pastor returned 70
tJonaress SQUARE UhiversaIist church in their
house, the first Sunday morning III September and
to occupy the Plymouth pulpit Tor sevei a. weeks
| December So 1869, the building was dedicated, :
Dr. NJ Manning OF the Old Snoth church pl eached
PRAYER The house is SO feet front and
ssIdience room 80xe3, built after pians OF Geo. b.
Pelham 1t is semi gothic style and cost $40, o0O
Part Of this was paid in cash realized from the
sale of pews and insurance policy on the OLD mousse
for the bal 4nce twenty on thousand dollar per
cert mortgage bonds to run ten years from Marc
1 1870 We're executed, issued and sold. The pas
tor becoming FESTIVE under this heavy bu den, sun
adaV mOrH1nK March IL, lo4 Iufu6 Ptrts AiOH
desk in response to which 81 20 subscribed.
on the spot, the remaining 400 the next Sunday;
most of the bonds were Immediately redee .eu' iyr
sextrayagant premiums were asked, but by the 1oi-
lowing March, 1872, all were bought in at rea-
sonabls advance, cancelled and burned
2 In 1879 the ladies of the Parish made up In
advance purse Of 81 300, which in August was
e1pended in the decoration of the Interior of the
audience room This was done an eAqnlslge
tastel under The direction q Mr. john La Farge
Of New York City, the famous painter, aud I'M
DIR the more immediate supervision OF Mr. HER
bert II. d. Pierce of Cambridge, Mass The veg
try was occupied for Sunday service from sept.
lith unttl Dee. z, 1879, when the main building
Sugust 1880. The vestry itself and the ladies'
| rooms above it were retitted, decorated and pa
peed, to the great comfort OF all who frequent
cur (moreJ social gatherings
Speaking nowsof the more spiritual history OF
these last years, the salient features, are
first its ope ing amid the universal pane anq
| depression Of the great fire OF 1867 Inq' as-
| pIeted and much spent, with but few youth leIE
| Of High street stock and debt of several thou-
sand dollars, there was much 60 encourage nope
in fact that several interesting conversions haq
occurred without regular pastor. Our early
assemblies were all rather crowded chIeny by
the temporary gathering 70 Us q nv, nanie nS
/ burned. The Important characteristics, how
ever,whieh now recur. The tewoIthy elements
of gratitude was hOWeyerl gratefully TO memo,y,
were a deep and quiet religious interest. VIM
| those who hal grown up under former paStoraIe
and feirli withered leaves IN autumn, tners
| was at the same time attraction 10 us tropali
quarters, of young life, and specially fav0rsq
provision for 4 he same ia Young Peoples'
[ Asseei alton e+.s . 80 ~
There followed in July. 1873, the ordination
of four young deacons to cooperate with the
three semi Or de ICONS; step whose wisdom an
are most Interested, cordially appreciate and
| thoroughly confirm. Afterwards In 1874 came
the 5iscoptiuanee of the afternoon service The
more spiritual quickening or the more mature
members in 1885, under the labors of Mr.
| Needham, the Evangelist. The resignation and
/ return of the pastor, November, 1876. The new
January 1S78. and
| the enlarged interest and benehcienee or the
| chnreh in all missionary channels to-day.
During these fifteen years 257 have been ad-
| ded to the list of our membership, It's pr sent
| menbefshipis 397 Its annual Contributions
for vari sus benevolenees average $o,ooo.
Summarizing this religious history of the
| church, for ffGy years, We ,aay say This church
under God owes its lang iifeaof active service
| to he spirit of its founders Ine local church
OF Christ in our cities (ottcty dates its rise to
many and mixed motives. Fortunate is that
one which springs from natural ana nc, moral
tue spirit of love, with no sins to be visited upon
| Che children unto the third and fourth genera
| ton. That it has lived o rather equable and
even life. 1t has suffered 40 extraordinary dis-
| asfers or reverses, known no long or bitter
| feuds. Mildly conservative, unsensatlonal,
| patronizing none, enyying none. REGULARLY
| free from issues, earrisd away by 10 excite
mems, useful church OF unostentatious stabli-l
lry ANY review of the history of our church
| brings with it Certain lessons and admonltlons
which point their own moral
| 1t grew out of no envies or heart burnings.i
IT'S moving cause was the plethoric health VI The
|, second Parish. Worshipers there were crowdeai
| often two and three families into pew ihe
l4ntefpriziDg ones were forced TO swarm ana IN
| stitute q hive by themselves. More than this a
| growing want had long been making itselt Ieit
| Is provide conveaienJ place of worship for the
| peopse in the more western part Of the
| CITY Natural causes were at work therefore in
| the pressure for a religious colony, aud the
! movement when opened was as spontaneous as
| 1t would have been in time inevitable
| Not seldom new churches are the resultof q
| schism or an explosion. Often they are planted
| not only where there was no religious call (nOrl
/ rooml for them aud SO cumber the ground, but
| sometimes exactly where any true prosperity
| must involve the overthrow of its neghbors.i
i To such organizations are not merely an open
/ challenge and defiance to the mother church
| and scandal to Christianity itself. They tend
| ed to SOW strife and heed divisions Instead OF
EN- 9odying the spirit of Christ, they are the ln-i
| ,rnation of spite and self-will. They are the
synagogue of Satan. j
| No SUCH thoughts brooded over the cradle OF
| this Infant community. The elements OF our
| modern parishes more Independent ana
| broken up. Deficient often in mutual pride and
| preference, organized duty and work sits lightly
| On them, and families change their religion as
easily as their municipal officers. The members
| left regretfully the Second Parish bee use they
were sent on a Christian errand, and they were
| heartily welcomed, no one opposing. All, there
fore, was done in high motive. There was no