The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-09-27
AFTER FIFTY YEARS.
Semi-centenniaI Anniversary of the
Free Street Church.
Historical Sermon and Sunday
School Jubilee.

WClC ildll1 Olu luChluCAos VI bilO4h tSoSNAiN
ants, who had journeyed to their old home to
take part in the auspicious event.
The church was very prettily decorated.
On the wall behind the pulpit were in
scribed: ''And ye shall hallow the fftieth
year," and SIT shall be a jubilee unto you. :"
Autumn fruits and flowers were arranged
on the pulpit platform with excellent effect
But the most striking and tasteful decora-
tion is large purple panel on the wall to the
left of the pulpit recess, and opposite the or
gan. The inscription 'And God hath set
some in the Church, extends across the top
of the panel, with the dates 1S36-1SS6 just be-
meath it. Beneath the inscription is large
scroll bearing the names of the ffty-seven
original members of the church and beneath
the scroll another inscription: "Other foun-
dation can no man lay than is laid which is
Jesus Christ" On the lower half of the
panel are hung the portraits of some OF the
founders of the society, grouped around
large likeness of Byron Greenough. There
are the familiar features of Deacon Henry
B. Hart, and of his venerable widow, who
was present yesterday to enjoy the distinc-
tion of being the only member who has been
with the church through al these fifty years.
Portraits of Alpheus Shaw and his wife,
done in oil, hang next; and there are like
nesses of Mrs. Sophia G. Manning, Mrs.
Mary Colcord Shirley, Mrs. Sally Richards
Ulrick, George Fl. Cheney, Mrs. Sarah d.
Ceney, and Mrs. Hannah Whittier. The
group attract much attention.
The exercises of the morning commenced
with the organ voluntary, praise God from
whom all blessings fow," followed by the
invocation, anthem by the choir, responsive
reading, hymn by the choir, prayer by Rev.
DR.. G.. w. Bosworth, offering hymn, and
then came the historical sermon by the pas
tor, Rev. A. T. Dunn, of which the following
is an abstract:
THE SERMON.
"And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year; it shall
be jubilee unto you."-LevitIcus $40. This is
a divine command to the children in Israel. The
purpose of the jubilee year was evidently TO
1t must have been a time to which most would
look with hope and Joy. 1t was undoubtedly
time of retrospect as well as of prospect. The
jubilee closed and sealed the past, and at the
same time opened and announced the future.
AS church we have reached the hour assigned
for united public recognition of the goodnessl of
God in the past, and the acknowledgment and
declaration Of reliance on Him for the future.
This is the beginning of our church jubilee.
learning lessons of value from the history which
has been made.
(Since historical data was so recently given in
the sermon at the citys centennial, little attempt
will now be made in that drection.)
The time has been when to be Baptist in Port
land cost something. At least the price paid for
such privilege was suffering opposition and i'll
treatment, and sometimes insult. In 1867 Bap-
tist preacher was denied the privilege of publicly
preaching in this community. Just previous to
the year 1900 a few disciples who esteemed a
change of heart essential to salvation, and con-
yerted ministry and membership necessary to
meet the requirements of gospel church, found
themselves obliged to withdraw from Others and
moved by desire to know and do the will of God
as revealed IN His word they were baptized, and
they united themselves for work and worship.
They were called ''renegades" aud "ap0states"
they were insulted in the public streets bv rude
fellows throwing mud at them. In 1901 little
band of ten persons organized the First Baptist
Church of Portland AT the end of ten years the
number had increased to Ill. In 1885 the mem
bership was 271.
1t was about this time qs35) that some saw
the needs of the growing locality in what was
then ''the western part of the city," The call to
service came to those who were young and
vigorous; and, IN August 1886, fifty-four men
and women joined in organizing the Free st..
prayer and they were executed with care and
delberation. The brethren were united in call
ing their first pastor, Rev. T. o. Lincoln, who
also was a young man possessed of ability TO ad-
minister affairs and excellent powers as pastor
and preacher.
Our history had beginning bright with
promise; and, il the after records are not cor
respondingly bright, the blame cannot be placed
upon the founders. They were surely of the
number of whom "God hath set some in the
church."
characteristics Which have grown from certain
principles, all of which are honorable to the past
and should be serviceable to the present and the
future.
From records written both in books and in the
lives of men, we discover:
1st-That this church from the beginning has
possessed firm faith in Gods word, and reliance
| upon the message and mission of Jesus Christ
The preachers have been grounded in the faith
| No uncertain sound" has gone forth from this
pulpit ming the fundamental doctrines Of the
! Word. No visionary hopes have taken the place
| of Gods eternal yerties. This fact is best seen
| in the lives of men and women who have beer
| ministered unto. The prayer meeting has eyel
| been an important factor in the working force:
| Of the church; and this could not be so were i
/ not true that men believed in prayer and wert
/ constrained by sense of the sinners need Il
| call upon God.
| Another evidence of prayerful, scriptural-lov
/ ing ancestry is the fact that SO many have here
| been born and trained for preaching the gospel
| Eight sons of the church are now engaged in thi:
i work. The fact that young men have aburnlnl
zeal and ardent passion is sure proof that those
who trained them under God were jealous anC
| ardent lovers of the Word.
| 2d.-We discover the true and evangelistic ant
| missionary spirit. Firm faith in God and hi!
| Word leads men to work. The house filled ha
| been carefully watched and tended, and good re
| suits have followed. Six hundred and sixty
| eight persons have been baptized and doubtless
| many others have here commenced the Christian
l
| other sections of the city and suburbs. The i'll
| terests of the church throughout the State hay
| received the attention of our brethren; and in tn
| broader and more distant fields they have Seel
| the ''open door,.
Some plan of systematic giving for missions has
been employed BY the church & IN nearly Early all @ Its his
other churches, in other States and lands. In TIL
peaceful, quiet hamlets of our own state; in thu
crowded. buStling cities near and far; in the scene
O. southern life, and the activities of our we.
ern lands; in the jungleS beneath an eastern SIX
made glad by the missionary's yoice,-there ar
| to be found those who recall with us this mornln
the scenes of by-g0ne days and Join in our thanks
| giving. The Fathers kindly hand has been eS
| Tended with blessings. and these have been shar
| ed in proportion to the evaDgelistic and mission
| ary spirit of the church.
| 3d-We may discover the spirit of brother
| love and union. This appears at the beginnin
and as the years advanced it continued. Ques
tions of social, financial, political, as well
religious character have arisen, and differel
views have been expressed; but there has bee
little of strife and bitterness, which are too col
mon under similar circumstances. Love for trui
and each other has been stronger than mere pc
4th.-We may discover a spirit of loyalty to Il
church. This has been prominent feature an
it has proved, as it always VIII, an element
| strength and efficiency.
When one so loses his identity as a churchm;
| that all churches seem alike, or that church al
ance stands for nothing, he is on the border laI
of ''desuetude," though unfortunately not aiwa!
'nnocuous."
The prevailing idea in this church appears
| have been that If the welfare of the individu
church is neglected the interests of the church
| large must suffer.
, Loyalty which springs from love and knowled
will make an individual strong. ana
church unconquerable. Loyalty to the church
, an essential element to church activity and pt
Il nancy.
Combining these four characteristics:
: 1.-Firm faith in God,
: 2.-True evangestic and missionary impulse
3.-Harmony of action,
i 4.-Spirit of loyalty to the church,
We have the lesson which comes to us tod
: from the history of our fathers. AS we ap
these principles we may hope for success. .
:. From the history of fifty years of church II
from the successes and failures OF godly men a
women there comes to us TO-DAY voice ueiaIh
"Speak unto the children OF Israel that they
= forward -, H.. l.,
: toiled and entered into rest? We shall best
this by contending for the once delivered fal
G | and by supporting the work which they &C
e menced so successfully Thus may we best
) low the fiftieth year.
# At the close of the sermon Rev. DR.. j.
= Stockbridge pronounced the benedict
4 which closed the morning exercises.
; After the church services there was a sh
session of the Sunday School. Superintel
> ent Moves introduced former superintende
O who made brief remarks. These were I'll
son NJ. Hart, Esq, one of the oldestex-sur
L intendents, Lewis B. Smith, ESQ.,, who
p charge of the school thirty years ago, Dea'
Thomas Lynch, Deacon j. G. Phenix, Geo
, f. Emery, Esq, and Major Ell. S. Melcf
i. who was a superintendent for thirteen yei
n DR.. G. w. Bosworth also responded for
IS son. an ex-superintendent, who was una