The Portland daily press., 1888-06-18
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL.


At Congress Square church yesterday
morning, the pastor. Rev. Henry Blanchard.
preached a sermon on 1.-THE light which
comes from the battle of Bunker Hill to
light us on the way today" The text was
taken from / Maccabees IIl-19. ''For the
victory of battle standeth not in the multi
tude of an host; but strength cometh from
heaven" In opening, Mr. Blanchard said:
This day, Sunday, June II, 1888, is the 18th
anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill. To
the patriotism of all who are in this church,
the day ought to make appeal To me it has
special interest. My ancestors and rela-
tlons were citizens of Charlestown before
and after its burning by the British The
first child born when the town was rebuilt
was great uncle. The ashes of my grand
father lie within one of its grayeyards. As
boy of ten, remember the crowds in the
street when Webster pronounced his Grafton
at the completion of the monument which
commentaries the battle. He then spoke
Of the growing determination of the colonists
not to submit to taxation without represen-
tation-of Putnam and Prescott and Warren
of Gage and Lexington and Concord. He
then described the intrenching on Breeds
HILL Prescott listening TO the sound of the
sentinels' voices on the ships of war, the
surprise of the sailors, the alarm in Boston,
the attack, the two retreats, the final charge,
successful because of the American supply
OF powder the burning city, the death of
Warren. The battle showed, as Franklin
said that the americans would fight; that
England had lost her colonies forever What
was the light to be seen in the momentous
battle brighter than the flash from the he
roes guns? The light which came from
freedom, enlightened by education and glor-
fed by religion. Of this, Prescott, Putnam
and Warren were incarnations.
He would have young and old study this
great story of the battle. He would have
them see how the sons of that day inherited
from fathers who founded Plymouth and
Massachusetts colonies The light which
shone on that hill in battle is the light to
light America on its way to glory. Not the
light OF freedom, but the freedom of educa-
ton and religion.
Let us see that we have this as we 90 for
ward in our history. Let us see the freedom
| OF today won though Bunker Hill, the war of
aSl2, the awful days of the civil war. At the
Third Party convention, the motto said ssNo
"a A.
tor thanked God that slavery was dead-that
he was now an American citizen. But
with this must go education The
new day must have the new education. The
rising generation must be trained in body.
mind and soul. Two enemies of the broad
est education exist in America the Roman
church and the great flood of immigration.
Against both America must stand on guard
Education comes through public debates as
well as in schools: In the future, the ques-
IF nj hn knlI Ok& q
reform of the tariff, of extending the presi-
Dental term to five or six years, with proyiso
OF ineligiDility for reelection will be consid-
cred. SO also the foremost practical reform,
the reform OF the civil service. But these
are for the platform and other days. The
church, however, must consider and con-
denim the saloon in politics. and must de-
mand arbitration instead OF appeal to arms.
mat education must 90 with religion. He
nad tried, In former sermons, to show the
spoken of choosing the religious life. This
is the one in which thought of God is the
master thought, and faith in God the master
feeling. This is what America needs. Its
highest form, he must believe, is Unitarian.
Universalism. In all the churches there are
men and women who have abandoned the
old beliefs, but still make outward show of
assent. Men in high position have utterly
abandoned the old theology, but still help
old organizations. The future needs sinceri-
", courage, reasonable religion. Freedom
and education alone can give such religion.
The leaders of this must everywhere be hon.
ored and followed.
Mr.. Blanchard here pronounced high eu-
logluln ON James Freeman Clarke, claiming
him as one of the leaders of Liberal Chris,
tianity, of Unitarian Universalism.
In closing, the speaker made an earnest
appeal for patriotism. In the coming cam-
paign, men must rejoice in the Republic /;
put away ~ s;ectlonalism; be generous to oppo-
OF the country. 1t was hateful to see anv
party claiming that it had all the brains or
PATRIOTISM Oh the country. BY the light
which comes from Bunker Hill the country
Hmay,progress In freedom, education, religion
Some future orator may say with Webster.
THANK God, IL also-am an American. p
HIGH STREET SUNDAY SCHOOL.
The High Street Sunday School celebrated
its fifty-ffth anniversary last night. and
there was large attendance at the exercises
which were very ples The floral deco
rations were elaborated nG,s beautiful The
communion table wa$s bed 81. flowers and
numerous bouquets bad and pyramids of
flowers ado rned the font and back ~of the
platform. Besides the bouquets there Wsre
large palms and other tropical plants ar<
ranged to form back ground and over these
was the text taken from III. Corinthians. tx,
Is, "Giver, God; Unspeakable Gift. Jesus.
Receiver, Man." The words "giyer. nm
speakable, gift and receiver" were made of
white letters ON background of evergreen,
and the words "God, Jesus and man" were
made of evergreen, each on pure white
banner.
The exercises were exceedingly pretty and
appropriate, and the address by the pastor.
Req, II Fem. ID. d., in which mention
wa "a Ihe gift of God as Savior was
wehsAAted to the occasion. The programme
follows;
Anthem by Choir.
Scripture Reading