The Press., 1889-01-03
Continued froIrilast weekly . HISTORICAIs DISCOURSE E


 Continued fromla weekly
 A HISTORICAIa DISCOURSE E
 and Fiftieth Anniversary N the Congregational | Church in Union, Conn.
 Dem ss:7-1st c,ause- "Re,s,pber the dags oy old,
 The next 50 years after, following Mir. Hor- tons death, which was gust a month more than 50 years after the formation of the church, was broken time of an irregular ministry, and of some pretty irregular con- duct in the way of internal divisions and dis sentions Two men, MT. Gary and MT. Page, supplied two of the years that remained of Mr. Horton's life time. A1ld the year of his death Rev. David Rathbone, Baptist minis- 1 ter, supplied for time, long enough to be the means of starting Baptist society, that was short-ived. The names of Rev. Calvin Ingalls, and of a Mir. Mosely appear as sup plying the church for Q part of the time mouth or go-without method, till April, 1797, when Rev. David Ayery, Yho had preached as supply the year befors Eas installed, and, as my father remarked, twas in some sense dismissed" August, 1799 Ehaving been the set tied pastor little more Sdan two years. It is said but two indiduals united with the church during the almost IA years it was without pastor, and but one persons name recorded as joining the church, during Mir. Avery's ministry. MT. Avery had been a very popular preacher as chaplain in the revo- lutionary army-was convert under the preaching of Whitfield.
 In 1779 the church adopted a new creed. Although have no evidence that the Uni tartan controversy, which was beginning to wax warm in some quarters, led the church to formulate a more elaborate and decidedly Calvinistic creed, yet this fact is significant, that just at this time, October, 1799, certain ministers of the Windham Association, to which the minister of Union, as it was then had leave to form new association, and it was understood that those members of the new association were inclined to Armenianism Whether this creed was too much for the church to carry, or the poverty of the soil or internal divisions, or all combined, was the cause of the peoples being without pastor for the next 25 years, do not know, but such was the case. They certainly had fit- ful variety of preaching, and under that method got so low that at one time, according to MT. Hammond, there were but resident members, and for 10 years, from 1903 to 1913, the Lords supper was not administered.
 About the year 1900 the church applied to the town to repair the meeting house. The town declined to help, and the Ecclesiastical Society repaired it, lathed and plastered the house on the inside, painted it on the outside and put in pews instead of benches.
 l There was high gallery and a long high board in front of the somewhat high pulpit This mysterious board fence, as it used to be called, have been told, came from an old Methodist church. Its chief use in the form CT times was to hold the communion service at sacramental seasons, and on other Sundayi to hold @ motley collection of Sabbath schoo books, consisting largely6f certain well-pre served volumes of tracts bound in sheep I am almost tempted to- think that the pipe O the stove went out at the 6out -east window and that the chimney z fler.f thought At any rate the stQ1 r 0Ilfhfeas , corner, then b5es< s process got into the norta- ?, (lI = {ner. then va transmitted into two stoves, and occupied tw, corners, southeast and southwest.
 For about 10 years of the time they had strict Calvinistic creed and an Armenian , lpreacher Nathaniel Chapin-a Metho dist minister. 27 united with the church b, profession and letter during this qua1 ter of century, IA of them in revival in 1914, un der the preaching of Rev. MT. Fuller ant Elder Bloss, Baptist.
 In 1877 Rev. Ludovicus Robbins preached as supply. Rev. Dr. Asahel Nettleton Ia bored as 8 revivalist in 1918. Rev Aaro, Putnam preached here few months in 1920 !, Fl Rev. Daniel Kendrick in 1921, and in tn . summer of 1923 Rev. William Woodbridg . supplied, and established the first Sabbatl school. Then in 1924 the church has pas , tor again, Rev. Nehemiah B. Beardsley, in stalled April IA, 1924, and served years till he was dismissed, April IS, 1881. Ant he served well. 12 were admitted to tn 3 church during his pastorate.
 In the fall of 1881 there came an attractiy and winning revivalist to this place in tn { person of Rev. Andrew H. Reed, and gather ed precious fruit unto life eternal. II ioine, . the church Nov. 20, 1881, by profession an, by letter, and the next year Is were adde, to the number of the believers.
 , Rev. Elliott Palmer, pleasant spoken godly man, ministered to the church in 1882 ' and encouraged the people to arise and build : and in 1883 the present structure arose, tho : not exactly as it is now
 U U Rev. Alvan Underwood supplied in 193 and 1884, Rev. Abiel Williams in 1885. am Rev. Isaac E. Heaton in 1886 and 1887. The 2d century of the church's existenc begins with the gift of Sundays preaching leach from the ministers of Holland Go. MI Leonard, of East Windsor Seminary, supplie during the spring and June and July of l83e and Rev. Samuel !. Curtiss preached for tn people three months, commencing some tim in August. The people were without 8 mir ASICA uuAAuB luo W1uU0F IQOnCQS, ana In lS4 If MT. Curtiss came and continued three veal
 as stated supply.
 And now 1 have arrived at delicate an . difficult task, to commemorate worthily an briefly the ministry of him whose work file
 so large a part of the half century complete
 to-day. There is less need of my sayin h much because the events of the period al
 known to many of you, and the memory (
 my father is still fresh in mind, and it cannt
 be other than blessed. Beside, not very lon
 ago, he made an extensive review of his mi,
 istry, and if he preached all that he has wri
 ten, he laid before you his personal sorrow
 and joys as never knew him do before.
 Rev. Samuel I. Curtiss was born in Mer n den, March 5, 1903. From early childhoo
 he was noted for his sedate department, an
 as always being good boy. Of naturally = serious turn of mind he was often deeply il . terested. in the subject of religion, and the Il
 bors of MT. s. s. Joselyn, a man who wrougl
 at trade, and also helped ministers, as occ
 sions offered, in the gospel, led him to cons ? crate himself publicly to the service of Chris After this he had a divine call to enter tl ministry, and prepared himself as best
 could at Bangor and New Haven seminaries
 He was ordained and installed pastor of tl
 church in East Hampton, Conn.,, Noyembe
 1882, and continued there years. Aft.
 supplying for 8 time in West Woodstock l s came to Union, as already stated, first as
 supply for 8 few months, then for 3 year
 and was installed April 12, 1843.
 A~vR Rn41