The Portland daily press., 1886-12-22
FoREFATHERs RS DAY.
The Congregational Club of Boston
Celebrate the Annual Anniversary.
Hon. James c. Blaine a Special Guest
of the Association.
An Interesting Speech by the DIstln-
suished Gentleman.

ID. d., President OF the Club, Principal Cecil
F. P. Bancroft, of Andover Academy; Prof.
Heman Lincoln, ID. d., of Newton Theologi-
cal Seminary; President Robinson, of Brown
University, Providence; and Mr. Blaine, who
was the special guest of the association, and
the final speaker.
Something of a sensation was caused by a
speech by Prof Heman Lincoln. This gen.
tleman is known locally as a spirited. though
somewhat bitter partisan writer for strong
Republican daily paper here, and his articles
deal severely with the Mugwumps Refer
ence was made to the intolerance which big
0try and tyranny would meet today II they
showed themselves in acts OF religious par
tlsans open to public criticism. The speaker
said, by way of Illustration, some years ago
celebrated Hungarian, whose hands were
red with the blood Of innocent men, came to
this country, and during his stay was feted
by Archbishop Hughes Of New York. Some
politicians, said the speaker, tried to make
him social lion, but one of your Congrega-
tional or Presbyterian clergyInen, forget
which, stopped the whole movement He
was in large company one evening, and
when some Of the fashionable sycophants
came up to this clergyman, leading this
plump magnate, and said in a rather digni-
ned tone, Il have the pleasure to introduce
Mr.: SO and-So," the Protestant clergyman
gathered himself up as if fearful Of contami-
nation. and said II decline the HONOR
(Applausel. And the papers from the Allan
tic TO the Pacific. approved Of the energy, If
they did not of the courtesy of the words,
and the visitor found 1t convenient to return
to Europe. (Applause).
In concluding, the speaker begged his
hearers TO remember that the Boston OF to-
day, the city of the Collins's and O'Briens,
is not the city Of the Winthrops and the Pill
grims."
Mr.. Blaine was introduced by Rev. DR..
Webb, president Of the evening, and was
received by storm Of applause which con-
tlnued several moments. When the audience
had quieted down Mr.. Blaine began to speak
as follows:
Mr.. President Gentlemen and Ladies Of the
Congregational Club:
In notable paper from Lord Bacon, he
defines the rank in which man connected
with states should be held in history, and in
MS favorite Latin he gave the highest rank
TO the founders Of states. One of the most
eminent of New England ministers not
many. years since in quoting that paper
from Lord Bacon, gave, / think, with great
Justice to the Puritans and Pilgrims of New
England, the classic title Of c0nditOreS rel
pu6hce, the actual founders of the republic
and have often thought since | have made
the personal acquaintance of Purtans and
Pilgrims or their descendants, not sharing
the blood myself, If civil influence can be
separated from religious, that the Puritans
a.
preston upon civil and patriotic America
than even ON religious America. They had
divisions and sects, they had their share of
differences, they were troubled with damna-
BILE heresies, they quarrelled with neighbors,
and had exactly that kind of trouble that
belongs to the aggressive theologian, but
when their descendants put into the cause
OF liberty the real teaching of their religion
they then had for forces the Baptists of
Rhode Island, the Dutch Reform Of New
nrlr Ehfa Tlus.ul ulswrtn rtar.- II
the Quakers Of Pennsylvania, the Catholics
OF Maryland, the Royal Episcopalians of
Virginia, the HuguenOts of Carolina and
the Methodists Of Georgia. loud applause.)
And they could not have made that union
upon a single tenet of creed with the excep-
tion of the belief in God, so that literally
when DR.. Bushnell spoke of the Puritans as
oeaadff0reS rel ntdlicee hs ePel<o- o-tho-%osSlioS
Oh history, Tor, according to Jefferson, COM
ing from region that did not have an over
degree Of admiration for New England men,
but for the Adamses, and he specially named
John Adams, they could not have conducted
the Revolutionary war andscould not have
made declaration OF independence loud
applause9 Now, as 1 have said, | do not
share the blood OF the Puritan, except as onr
Irish bull would have it, in certain birth
right. have from my children, Qaughter)
for they are all of good Puritan descent in
the ninth generation. (Laughter.) As / am
In club, and in club you may always be
aggressive Christians that have not lived in
region as facile and as eloquent in speech,
and have not always had exactly their share
Of the oratory Of anniversary days. have
for the Puritans Of New England, and in Tie
IS years that have been citizen of New
England, being myself New Englander by
adoption, and am going to do little talk
ing on behalf Of the Prcsbyterians Of Penn
sylvania.
Our distinguished friend, the President of
Brown University, arrested my attention by
his suggestive remarks ON Christian Unity
and would like to ask the Presbyterians of
Pennsylvania, and the Congregationalists of
denominations of Christians should stand
apart? Now have we any trouble between
the cranks to whom the President of the
Theological Seminary at Newton alluded to
and the Presbyterians. There is not certain
ly difficulty Of that kind between those
two great bodies. They stood shoulder to
shoulder in the contest for civil and religious
liberty, not only after they became America
but they fought through the same dynastic
and theological trouble in the Old World. Is
there difference between them? 1t happen
ed 10 me, twenty years ago, to be in Scot
land, and in the general assembly of Pres
byterians, who at that time were divided as
the old school and new school, union be-
tween which had been affected, and in q
general assembly Seotchman who was
creed, asked some of the American delegates
to tell the difference between the old and
new schools, and delegate from New York
went into theological explanation involving
an hours time, and when he was through q
new school member arose suddenly and said,
think can explain that little more prompt
ly and quickly than my brother has done.
1t is just this. The old school Presbyterians
believe that ''in Adams fall we sinned all, .
and the new school "Presbyterians believe
hat in A foil
laughter), and that is where the difference
would come between the Cengregationalists
and Presbyterians The difference being
that the new school are not so fond Of the
| doctrine as to put it into rhyme and sing it.
Now, think If the old school and new
| terians and dCongregationalists ought to come
| together. ] am specially reminded of this,
and it has been borne in upon me for SO
many years that rather waited for the op-
portunity to express it. For since thirty
| years ago you addressing the PRESIDENT left
us and your immediate successor, whom
| saw on this platform, we educated both
| for the Boston pulpit. The church has
taken up the task when the theO.
logians have left 1t, and after that we had in
succession three Presbyterian ministers
settled over the Congregational church, and
as they left us they went back and ioined
the Presbyterian church. Well, now, II
seems to me, that while the President q
| DIOWn university anu the PRESIDENT of the
| Theological Seminary at Newton might Sc,
some of the difficulties in joining the Con
gregationalists, i want to know exactl,
where / stand and what particular change a
theology is contemplated, and who il to b
installed over the church was connecte,
with for third of century, and what the,
renounced when they went back and tool
Presbyterian pulpits again. And, therefore
| wished if could by the slightest possibi
impulse start that ball in motion. I .gree,
gladly with the President of Brown Ifni
versity that you cannot make a nerfec
union, and 1t Is not desirable. You canno
plane men down to an exact length. an
height and breadth but when RELIGIONS de
nominations are settling and unsettling an
resettllng, and the same preachers talIxin
the same theology and the same kind of doc
trine every day from the pulpit, confess
| looks to me like--if | am permitted thi
being club and not chureh-like child
clay. (Applause.)
In further discussion of this tonic M
Blaine said: / went to one church a
through my boyhood, and from neeessit
when | came to New England went int
the Congregational church. / would raths
have kept in the Presbyterian, am fran
TO say, therefore | address myself To hotl
Now | do not think the Congregational Gin
the president of Brown University or N
distinguished friend whom | admire Il
many reasons, the president of the Theol,
gical Seminary, hardly think any ~ tha,
gentlemen Of the ministry or any Of ne
the pews with varying degrees of piety. an
at times no piety at all, can believe that M
| nf ha fnAo