The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-12-14

revivals for five year past; failure to es-
tablish Sunday schools and secure the best
results from them. OF these. more here
after.
Numerically our growth has not been
creditable. But we may look at quality,
as wells quantity. "One but lion"
this plea is some Offset to the reproach of
slow growth. Will il avail herey IL will,
assuredly. TO some extent.
ii. Congrcgationalism has always
been allied with vigorous intel
lectual life. In this broad fact lies much
of its power, with some of its limitations
In the demand and supply of general in
telligence, Congregationalism has led,
Presbyterianism being akin to it--partly
because largely derived from 1t. Wher-
ever our churches even begin 10 be, theirs
| speedily appear school and college. With
out going into details OF this general fact,
we may refer to Harvard. Yale, Dart
mouth Williams, Bowdoin, and Middle
bury Colleges in New England, and to
| Western Reserve. Oberln. Olivet. Hi
nois, Bcloit, Iowa. Tabor, Drury, Doane,
Carlton, Colorado. California and other
colleges in the interior and West, all, or
nearly all, in their origin, illustrating the
tendency of CongregatiOnalism early TO
demand and foster n broad liberal culture.
They reveal, too, tho esteem shown al
ways to cultured ministry. To meet
this demand still further came IN due time
| theological Semihares. the first u: Ando-
yer, Mass, founded in 1907; following
this came that ut Princeton, n j., pres
byterian) in 1912. Besides Andover we
now have Bangor QS1D, Yale 1922,
Hartford 1884, Oberlin Q835), Chicago
QS5S) and Pacific 1880, Seminaries. BE
it remembered that schools of higher
| learning can prosper only when they rest
! on Il solid basis OF common school and &C
ademic instruction. Enough here TO say
that the fathers OF New England were not
likely to neglect good foundations for the
sake of a snowy superstructurc. All de-
nominations have felt this influence and
! found il necessary to establish Colleges
and Theological Seminaries! AS further
illustrating this leadership in learning / may
! refer tothe many COngregationalists serving
as Presidents and Professors in the State
| Universities in the North west. AS an ia
stance of what power over educated mind
| NAV be- note the relations of James a.
Garfield 70 Mark Hopkins, President OF
Williams College.
Among us also. says DIR. Patton, was
the first weekly religious newspaper start
ed, the Boston RedOrdsr, now merged in
the Congregdtionolist; and in that depart
ment our churches have ever kept The
lead; even the ablcst and most widely
circulated undcnomiuational religious pa
pers being under Congregational editor
ship"
The Congregational ministry has had
fair share of vigorous, original thinkers
and pioneers in religious thought. Thu
conditions Of country and village life il
New England, till within fifty or sixt,
years, were highly favorable so "plaii
living and high thinking.' In AN articl,
entitled Three Eras of Religious Life il
America, Men Highlander, May, 1883, PIP
oS5-302), Rev. j. W. Backus, of Rock
vile, Co., distinguishes three cycles o
about century each, the first devoted L
the elaboration of church petty; tn,
second to 1acologiosl ho~ght; the thirt
and present 10 Dork.
In the first period New England wa
practically alone. Its thinkers then elab
Grated and defended against Episcopa
claims. now cverywher abandoned, tn,
New Testament idea OF afree, clf,govern
ing church, responsible to but one Master
the Christian liberty and equality of al
believers; and the respective limits o
lTCcuOnl itif0 iCiiOWsAup. IOuHtluulcUtd
work was this. whose benefits belong mor
or less to all Christians, for this, / believe
is the polity OF the ''comin,
chuch." It is worthy of note, though no
all due to this one influence, that includ
ing Baptists the Congregational polity il
practiced by churches having now 1850, 90,
10 4 900 900 members
I'm the conflicts of theological thought
New highlands mighty men led all 9th
ers. Among them stood the greatest met
aphysician of his age. Jonathan Edwards
After him we may name such men q
Hopkins, Bellamy, the younger Edwards
Dwight. EmRons and in later times, Fin
ney and PARK; with many others les
known. clearheaded. vigorous thinker
and preachers. They studied the .decI
things of God, prayed for the Spirits ell
lightcnment, and preached the gospel, a
He gave them to understand the Word
No iconoclasts were they, yet they knew
but one Master Christ, and one authori
tative standard of doctrine, his Word. Ii
an age of theological systems, they sough
to frame theology, Scriptural rational
symmetrical; that could be preached an(
pressed home on the conscience, making
sinner feel his guilt and danger, and clear
ing God from al blame for his sin ant
consequent ruin; q theology which bar
monized DEGREES and Free VIII, ant
made sinner feel his personal duty ant
his dependence on God; theology of tn
Holy Spirit, supernatural regeneration
and revivals. The clear.thinking, com
mon men of New acknowledgements, me
cEaRics, tradesmen, -heard, understood
and believed IT, No slight benefit to OH
common Christianity has the New Eng
land Gr New School theology proved
Making its way into common Christian
thought, it laid a rational basis for Chris
tas activity everywhere. We need no
claim that it is the Ultima INuS of relig
ious thought. The ground IL has woi
may lay solid basis for great future adj
vance. Signs are not wanting of cxtcn
sirc advance in the methods and the re
suits of theological inquiry. Wise doc
tors of divinity affirm that Congregation
alisu has not yet passed her prolific pc
Rod but will soon bring into the world
New Theology, child Of True Science. ant
destined to holy marriage with the regen
crate Spirit OF the Age. Others anxiously
ask "What manner Of child shall fhi,