The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-05
HIGH STREET CHURCH.
BY THE PASTOR, REV. W. H. FEM, D. D.


December 20, 1880, number OF residents of
the westerly part of Portland gathered at the
house of Nehemiah Cram on State street and
voted it expedient to build house of worship in
their section of the town. Jan. %, 1881, land
was bought on High street, and May % of the
same year the corner stone was laid. August II,
a joint convention of the Second and Third
churches nominated twenty-five male members to
be set off from the Second church and five from
the Third church to form the spiritual nucleus of
The new organization.
September at a council in the vestry of the
Second church 60 persons, 81 from the Second
church and eight from the Third church, entered
into covenant with one another and organized the
High Street church. OF these church members
only three survive. Mrs Clarissa E. Baker is the
only one who is still united with us. The meeting
house was dedicated Jan. IS, 1882, sermon by
Rev. B. Tyler, D. D., of Second church. August
8, 1882, Rev. George C. Beckwith was installed
sermon by Rev. Justin Edwards, D. d. of Ando
yer, Mass. In December, 1884, his office was re-
signed and he was dismissed by council. April 2,
1886, Rev. John w. Chickerng, of the Hillside in
Bolton Mass, was installed, sermon by Rev. Ne
hemiah Adams of Boston After a favored minis
try of thirty years duration he was released from
his charge March 20, 1865 Rev. William H.
Fem, d. D., present pastor, was installed July
%. 1866.
The back of the church was burned February
2, 1869. The corner stone of the new house was
laid July II, 1869 1t was finished the same
year, and was dedicated Dec 80, 1862 sermon
by DR.. j. NJ. Manning of the Old South Church.
Boston. In the autumn of 1879 the interior of
the church was decorated, under the direction Of
1880, the vestry and the ladies' rooms above it,
were retitted, decorated and papered.
The membership of the church today is 400, its
annual contributions for various benevolencies
average $500. The moving cause for the exist
ence Of our organization was the plethoric health
had long been making itself felt to provide con-
yenient place of worship for the people who lived
| in the more western pant of the city.
Thus fifty years and more of our church life
show marked changes, which are commended to
l. And first as to the church in herself. This
loved body is hetter informed, more liberal and
correct in life than at its BIRTH but there is not as
much OF special and social affinity and conference.
We miss somewhat a certain sacredneSs in their
mutual bond of union. Families change their re-
ligOns as lightly as their municipal homes There
is deep faith in truth as before and deeper as re
lated to works of charity and labor but it is less
| formal as touching beliefs. Our predecessors
| put themselves into us. We are wiser. more toll
| Grant, more scriptural; there was more of au-
the deacons. Fifty years ago this church held
more to the power of the keys, and could govern,
and that is what in our day men of broader
| thought and deeper intuitionS seem through some
some inexplicable weakness unable to do. Apol-
ogze for it as we may, there is almost disuse of
discipline. The modern church is quite marked
| in her training toward the young The heart of
the fathers is now turned to the children. Half
seek the Lord till in adult life Probably this
| church at the start had not single young man in
| it. Since we have believed the conversion of
additions are from the young-often children
Everything is done for the children. Indeed the
work is often forced and oyerdone. The day of
Sunday school libraries is happily almost over
They are too secular. great change is to be OBJ
served in the attitude of women They have come
to the front. The masculine type of hymn prayer
and sentiment seem to be giving way before the
feminine, Women used to be the listeners now
| they are the workers. the medium of all giving,
SoclabeS and fairs. Indeed they are doing so
much that the men seem inclined to lie back and
| let them Men feel less responsibility.
This is prominently the time of missionary
spirit with this church. Never was so much de-
liberation, prayer and service. This is the power
propably must, when you sum up all the inner
characteristics of our Christian power and endow-
ment it seems probable that there is more in the
amount OF this church today than at the begin
| ming.
2. But we:pass in the contemplation of this
piece OF local church history to consider rela
| tive position to sister churches, and to the
| kingdom of God. What changes do we note in the
half century? Great every way. Noticeable up
on the surface is the decay of dogma as SUCH the
declining yigor and rancor of UNCONVENTIONAL be-
| the landmarks being fixed, the border lines are
not continuously drawn out Fences have gone
out of vogue in homestead plots, and even church
prickly hedge of creed but it is short lived for
| everybody plucks at it, and when dead will never
be replaced In architecture, form of worship,
| and in general features of charity work all the
| churches have greatly assimilated and they grow
more rapidly like each other, Perhaps the form
Of church government is as characteristic as any
other one thing about them. And yet, for all the
assumptions OF hierarchy there is not a polity,
Methodist, English, or even Roman, which is not
| steadily Welding TO fhp incurSi0nc M Christian
democracy and becoming wonted, however indi-
rectly,. to popular control. Nor is there a
not slowly being converted to the culture and re-
| finement OF worship of the more traditional and
er, fuller worship. More music ritual liturgy re-
Sp0nSive service
l have observed these tendencies in rapid ex-
| ercise in this, congregation. They are full of
| meaning and suggestion, but 1 hasten to speak
g. The relation of this church TO the outlying
world. What about its relative spirituality, its
individuality and distinctive quality as compared
with its former years? 1t will be my aim to show
change in our church conception of what the
world is. But speaking now after the arbitrary
world had gotten more into the church than form
erly. Note the increasing dependence of the
church upon the parish-the predominantly bust
methods of operating it. The worship is being
secuarized to adapt itself in music and tone to
the public. The church must pay. 1t must adj
yertize, employ every known way of winning
and catching the popular drift. If deficit is to be
raised you must return to the buyer an equivalent
for his money. 1t is the business idea, SO much
for so much. The Christian idea would be- the
grace of gift. The parishioner will bear only
an indirect tax, when the scriptures enion an out
and out offering to Christ.
1t will not be doubted that our city Christians
indulge in many diversions which would shock the
average country saint. But it must be borne in
mind that the things often set upon are but eXter-
nal, and the underlying test exceedingly artificial
Beside these are only negative estimates on the
positive side-liying, giving rzWorking-the church
idea means more with us than with the Directors
There is no such chasm between ourselves and
modern society as existed when this institution of
ours was founded. The church has enteredjinto the
so called world, far more than the world into the
church. Sometimes this is greatly for good. Some
| times, however, the aim and the result are more
! equlvocal. The higher the church at times the
more she gives the tone to fashion. Then the
| governing spirit of the denomination is naught so
long as 1t is not repeant to the spirit of the age
Ii the church principle will only not be a harsh
Stepmother, 1t can be tolerated. But if such local
| Christian body will term dowager graciously
| countenance and chaperone these giddy daughters
| of the world so much the more a lady, and of
| God would mother church appear. None the less
for such questionable practices the true chill
dren OF God also the children of the Fathers when
we go into all thei world, if I'VE inculcate and il
lustrate the supreme authority of religion in every
province of human life. And this by the grace of
God, in this church believe men are more and
more learning to do.
BETHEL CHURCH.