The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-05-30
THE CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATION.
Historical Review by Rev. a. ~.
Wright Of Portland.
Centennial Sermon by Prof. smyth
Of Andover.
Interesting Letters from Former
Well Known Pastors.


The services connected with this anniver-
sary continued yesterday and opened in the
morning with season Of prayer, conference
and song Rev. Arthur Shirley Of New
Gloucester presiding. After singing, Revs.
Mr., Wilson, Of Portland. offered a fervent
prayer, and Mr.. Shirley followed in remarks
upon the great changes that had occurred In
the association within the past hundred
years, and In suggesting thoughts Of the en-
couragement and support 10 be derived
from the unehangeableness OF the love
and promises Of God as presented in the 9Oth
Psalm which the speaker had read as the
Scripture lesson. Other brethren followed
In prayer 80 that the time was fully and ae.
ceptably occupied
Rev. MIR. Ilsiey who was united with the
church sixty years ago referred to his
pleasant memories Of those other days. The
hour OF prayer closed with singing the
hymn, 'Oh. could | speak the mateless
worth"
The regular session opened with prayer by
Rev. Mr. Nichols, Rev. Mr.. Cousins of Cum
berland Mills, presiding. Revs. Messrs.
Shirley and Byington were appointed a eom-
mittee to bear to Rev. Dr. Carruthers. at his
home. the fraternal and cordial greetings Of
this body. Rev. Mr. Wrisat. Of the st.
Lawrence street church, then gave tho his
tOrlcal sketch Of the association.
THE msToRcAL REVIEW.
Fifty years ago OF more there was stand
ing on the old country road which leads
from Portland through Deering and West
brook, an old farmhouse OF ancient appear
ance, which was then pointed out TO the Gu
rious stranger as the residence OF Parson
Browne, the first minister Of the Str0udwater
parish. The site ofthis old house was very
near the corner OF the present Deering and
Lincoln streets In the town of Deering The
greater part Of the village Of WOodfords, oc-
eupies ground which once belonged TO the
Rev. Thomas Browne, whose extensive farm
OF more than 100 acres, stretched from the
Back Cove on the east to the old Saccarappa
roed on the west. Pars0n Brownies old
farmhouse, with its large old fashioned
kitchen and huge freplaces, Is remembered
still by the oldest residents at Woodfords
On themorning OF May 28, 1888, there must
have been an unusual stir of preparation In
that old kitchen, for the clergy OF Cumber-
land county were expected there to dine that
very day. There were Rev. Ephraim Clark
PurpoOduck parish, now Cape Elizabeth,
Rev. Thomas Browne OF the Str0udwater
parish, Rev Samuel Deane Of the Old First
ter OF the First Church, Scarborough, Rev.
Tristram Gilman OF the North Yarmouth
parish, Rev. Ebenezer Williams OF Falmouth,
Rev. Benz. Chadwick Of the Second Church.
Scarborough and Rev. Caleb Jewett Of Cor
ham, who assembled on that occasion and at
that meeting formed an association for the
purposes Of edifcation which are the useful
designs OF such establishments" Rev.
Thomas Browne was elected moderator and
Rev. Samuel Deane, clerk, and Ii was voted
To hOld mQattnus on the first WaduQadaV Of
May, July, September and November annu-
ally, an d that at each meeting a sermon
should be preached In the meeting house Of
the place, where Ii should meet at IL a. m,
the host nominating and the association
electing the preacher, and that the meetings
be held in rotation according TO seniority.
When this association was fOrmedPortland
had 1000 inhabitants, the Second Parish
church had been bat two months incorpsr-
ated, and its first pastor on the ground as a
candidate. The old first Second Parish
church was in process OF erection, the town
contained only the First, Second and old st.
PauPs church editices, and there We're only
fifteen organized churches In Cumberland
County. Three years before the Calvanist
Baptists Of York County and New Hamp-
shire had formed the York Association Of
Baptist Ministers five years before the Free
will Baptists had organized their first quart
Bowdoinham Baptist Association wal form
ed. representing but three churches. No
Methodist sermon had yet been preached IN
Maine, nor was to be for fiye years TO come.
The first Methodist class meeting 10 Maine
was formed in Portland in 1875.
Mr. Wrights paper then gives Sketches of
each Of the eight ministers wins formed the
Cumberland Association. (Ephraim Clark
was &c; Ebenezer Williams, 53; Thomas
Browne, %; Samuel geane, 81; Trlstram
Y Gilman, 80; BeniamlRC Chadwick, 40; Thomas
Lancaster, "a; and Caleb Jewett. 35, at the
time Of its iegmatl6n. With the exception
OF Ephraim Ciafs, they were all graduates
Of Harvard College.
The Cumberland Association began its ex-
lstence and continued TO live Tor thirty. two
years, without any formal statement Of doc
trine, as basis of union. DR.. Deane was
Its scribe for seventeen years, and was sue
ceeded by Rev. William Gregg In 1906. who
succeeded Mr.. Clark in the Cape Elizabeth
parish. and was school teacher by profess
sion, and succeeded DIR. Payson as teacher
in Portland Academy DIR. Gregg's success
sor was Rev. Caleb Bradley, who for fifteen
years was scribe. At the original meeting
and Rev. Peter I. Smith, neither In active
ministry at the time, were voted In. The
former had but recently ended a long and
troubled pastorate in New Gloucester. and
continued to reside there, greatly respected
for his virtues and public spirit, until his
death, in 1908. at the age Of ".
Peter L. Smith, the son Of the Rev. ThOs.
Smith, was, like Mr.. F0xcr0ft, graduate OF
Harvard College, and also like him without
pastoral charge for the remainder Of his life.
He had been for twenty-eight years pastor
at Windham, and was dismissed In 1870.
AT the last meeting of 17SS, the association
appreciated its first candidate for the minis
try, Mr. Nathan Mussey. and voted 10 petit
tiOn the general court for the establishment
and endowment Of a college In the county of
Cumberland. Bowdoin College was ineor-
pOrated six years later in 1874, and doubtless
1t had its inception in this action Of our as
sociation.
In 1883. Rev. Elijah Kellogg, then young
man of 20 years, was admitted TO the assoei-
atiOn He had served In the Revolutionary
war, and had graduated from Dartmouth,
and was, Oct. 1. 17SS, ordained the first pas
tor Of the Second Congregational church Of
Portland.
The paper goes on to mention many inter-
esting facts about the association, for which
we have not space 1t dwells on the lack Of
books; the effort to supply destitute parishes
with missionaries; their being exercised
over "the errors of MethOdism.' a fore
shadowing Of the on-cOming controversy
with the Unitarians from the records Of 1901
the decline Of religious interest in the eOun-
try in 1904, on account Of which quarterly
fast was established. the decision in 1905
that which musical instruments may be used
TO advantage In public worship. 1t was Deem
ed best not to use them in Difference 10 the
opinion Of aggrieved brethren, another that
the children OF those who profess Christian
lbJe Dut uu Hot CUuunuut oudiit w hlOWtu
baptism. Subjects for sermons were ap-
pointed In 1908. Rev. Edward PaysOn OF
Portland became a member the same year.
Soon after, John Dutton Of North Yarmouth,
Asa RandOf Gorham, and Francis Brown OF
North Yarmouth, afterwards president Of
Dartmouth College. became members. The
second member who united after DR.. Brown
was IchaDod Nichols. and could not have
been considered as decidedly evangelical .
But this was doubtless true Of the six others
who came into the association before 1872.
viz: Benjamin Sawyer Of Cape Elizabeth,
Reuben Mason Of Freeport, John Turner Of
Btddeford, DR.. Beeman of Portland, Allen
Greeley Of Turner. and Perez Chapman Of
Pownal.
The paper then goes on to give the denom-
national preferences of the members. Until
1910 the association preacher was virtually
appointed by the brother who entertained
the body. 1t was now voted that members
should preach in rotation, the minister en-
tertaining, holding the right Of negative, In
which case be was to provide the preacher.
| The trouble arising from this plan when DIR.
Payson objected to DIR. Nichols, Is set forth
at some length aud in July, 1912, the vote
was repealed and the association nominated
the preacher. From 1872 to 1920 there was
q disturbed feeling In the association owing
to the unsettled condition Of religious
thought in New England aud the wonder Is
the records display so little Of the bitterness
| Of the controversy.
In the meeting Of the 7th OF September,