The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-06-17
AFTERNOON SESSION,

tian charity the Maine General Hospital and
recommend it to the sympathy and liberality
of the churches of the State. They especially
suggest to all the churches that they contrib
ute to its support either through the plan Of
systematic giving or by taking up collection
on Hospital Sunday-the fourth Sabbath OF
June annually,
The committee on nomination Of moderator
reported the name of Rev. F. e. Clark of
Portland. AS doubts were entertained re-
specting the constitutienality Of the action, it
was voted to defer the election until the next
meeting.
The report of the visitors to the Theological
Seminary at Bangor was read by Rev. W. F.
Obear of Winthrop.
Rev. Mr.. LIE Lacheur of Pine street Metho-
dist church, Portland, a delegate from the
Methodist Conference, presented its cordial
salutations.
Rev. G. S. Dickerman OF Lewiston, from
the committee on divorce chosen last year
to memorabilia the Legislature-said he was
glad that the action proposed in the last Legis-
lature had been defeated II it was true that
no protests had come from Christian bodies
against the present laxity Of the laws, it
should be the occasion for regret and reform.
At 2 O'Clock the question SIS more liturgi-
cal form of worship desirable in our Congrega-
tional churches?" was opened by Rev. L. L.
Paine, D. D., Of Bangor, who said: Our pres
emit form of worship is seriously detective and
think our congregations are ready for inn
provement. PuritaniSrn was largely deStruct-
i've. Puritans wished to remove relics of
Catholic service, and therefore liturgy was
wholly abolished. To-day we employ form
~ rrorchip which y,rOCoada from, a rpvo1t
against religious authority.
I am not opposed to the Puritans; am
lineal descendant of theirs, and believe in
them. But to-day no ordinance is to remain
is important. Congregationalism does not
seem to be progressive. Something must be
done to bring people t, our public worship.
Allow me to criticise our order of worships and
suggest such amendments as seem desirable.
Our great defect is, the overshadowing inn
portance given to the sermon. Preaching is
one of the main elements of the service; it
was so with the apostles and the reformers,
but the Puritans went to an extreme. Preach
ing is not an end, but means. A kind OF
paralysis has fallen upon worship. The
minister's interest centres on the sermon.
even the hymns are clipped of some of their
stanzas and our prayers are shortened. One
defect is the prominence given to a single per-
son. The popularity Of Congregational wor-
ship now is that it is not Congregational-th
u
history of the churches it was not so; there
was division of privileges in worship
Strange it was that the Puritan put into the
hands of one man, what he had always been
contending against. The fewness of the exer-
cises and the want of variety in them, injure
the value of our services. The remedy is sim
pie. The early exercises were arranged with
reference to the wants of all classes prayers,
responses, songs. Our service lacks elasticity;
it is above the capacity Of the young.
How can the defect be remedied? do not
propose full return to prepared liturgy.
The liberty of the ministers should be preser-
we'd. But we can learn some lessons from our
liturgical brethren and thus recover our own
birthrights.
Worship is the common act of the whole
congregation, so it was in the time of Justin
Martyr, the liturgical and extemporaneous
element were there united.
! In brief review of the particular services, as
| to the sermon it should be only an adjunct to
| the service; our forms should be changed with