The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1883-06-23
IN YE OLDEN TIME.

number OF the New Englander. the sub
iect being the New England Meeting
/ House" which the author considers to
be the symbol of n uch that is character
istic OF New England life, RS It has been
the rallying point for nearly everything
distinctive In the New England commu.
mites. Out of the church grew the
| town, or, rather, the town was evolved
| or developed along with the church.
| The church was the germ and the meet
ing house the center of the self governed
commonwealth. The name Injecting
house" is significant The edifice was
used for religious and civic transactions.
and to the early New Englander both
were equally solemn and sacred. There
was no warrant in Scripture for calling
an edifice church.
President Porter gives an extremely
| interesting account of the way in which
| the original structures were built, and of
the gradual variations of the original
| type IS the years went on. The erection
of the Old South Church in 1929 30 Was
the most important advance in the evo-
luton of she New England meeting
house, and became the typical model of
all such places of worship for nearly
| century Among the best of the edifices
OF this type which survive are the sanc-
| tuaries in Pennington and Westfield
| (The latter has just now lost many of its
quaint old features by restoration"
With the present century. and its ad
vance in wealth and culture, the meeting
| house began to assume form more like
that of Landon church architecture, and
of this sort of work we have admirable
specimens in Park street church, Boston,
| the Center and North churches in New
Haven, and those in Guilford, Spring.
field and elsewhere.
The first steeple in Connecticut was
erected in Gu1lford in 1726.
The interior of the meeting houses
| was bare and unattraetive. Pews were
| of slow growth. There were no means
| of lighting them until singing schools
| made il necessary to introduce candles
and rude chandeliers. Night meetings
| in these sanctuaries were not approved.
| There were no stoves for q long time, and
at first no foot stones. The New England
meeting house was not artifcially
warmed until from 1910 to 1920. Presi-
dent Porter remembers such scenes as.
he says, make us shiver to think of
them. OF cold winter morning the
breath OF the worshipers not unfre-
quently would seem like smoke from an
| hundred furnaces as it come in contact
with the frosty atmosphere. These se-
verities were mitigated by the free hos.
pitality Of the houses near the meeting
house. Enormous kitchen fires were
kept blazing, around which scores Of
people gathered to thaw themselves out
and eat their luncheons. At summer
moons the farmers would gather in knots
here and there, and the women would
| get together in groups, and they had q
very cosy and gossipy time OF it.
In some families there was Sabbath
day house erected near the sanctuary.
with ample freplaces for the. comfort Of
worshipers.
The meeting house usually was the
central building in the village, as being
the most important. It stood within or
fronting the ssgreen." Roads radiated
from it. 1t was not until later date
that the sanctuary was placed upon the
high hill, where it could be seen afar
and SO that several of these meeting
houses were within range of vision
guarding, like sentinels, the hill coun
try. President Porter gives a faithful
and charming description OF the spirit
ual churches that had their homes II
| tuCao pkdlU lAC0t1uS uOu0Cd. 4ASJ q
first. had no written creed, though thei
views OF truth lacked neither definite
ness nor positiveness. Their pastor
were settled for life, and when meeting
house was built and pastor was settled
I "a golden candlestick was setup" in tina
place.
The meeting house must needs
, ssseated places assigned to each mem
! first meeting house the sexes were seps
rated, and the seating was according I
: rank and dignity. The doctrine {
equality in place, station, and honor i
churclF and state was no part OF the Pul
itan creed. In the first generations q
tendance on worship was enforced
7 There was then compulsory public Wol
{ ship as now We have compulsory educs
8 ton Of children. Until the year 1918,
: Connecticut, and till some years later
]; Massachusetts, every citizen was con
/ PEELED to support some religious organ
l zation by tax on his estate. Thus We
j formed the excellent habit Of regular al
g tendance at the sanctuary on the Lord
{ day. A graphic description is given I
g the gathering of country congregatio
9 from widespread township on pleas
!: ant Sunday morning. What variety
q vehicles, of horses, of dress, of pace,
Q demeanor! Then the mornings, with v
il rious gossip. with secret ssswappings
g with care OF squealing horses, vii
q stealthy glances and firtations of youn
g folks, and no end of news exchange.
# Passing by the description Of thank
t giving and fast days, the writer touch,
q the decorum and dignity which in theo,
@ was exacted in the meeting house, bl
n ! which was not always maintained. Thel
were occasional outbreaks Of Iusty-bloe
and the spirit of independence. whic
. occasioned serious concern and disturb
o ance. It seems to US that Presidel
g Porter touches this point very lightly,
Z indeed he has thrown 3 kind Of poet
2 glamour over the whole theme Th
: idyll of his was quite another thing in j
:, prose reality.
le He discusses with characteristic ger
y tleness the old theology, and quite di
@ arms all criticism as he sketches the or
J. old meeting house where fiye or six gel
u erations have worshiped, in peace and
g war. and asks what better have q bal
q dozen other places of worship dol
y which divide the zeal OF neighborir
% communities. It is easy to see tn
. President Porter is thinking of the o
e Pennington church where his god
:. father preached. and where he ais
y preached, and which has Witnessed Il
= worship of an undivided community t.
= generations.
Mrs. S. ]. Parker, Of South NashviII