Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-06-13

not church spre or Christian prayer
lifted Godward, could not have made
this place like garden in physical, men,
tai, moral or spiritual culture. There is
only one Calvary spot in this world. and
that near Jerusalem, but 1t might have
been elsewhere; but wherever its place,
there it would have been in all the s,gni-
ticance of its relations to mankind. 1t
was Jesus who made it what it was, not
merely because of the physical and men
tai suffering and death he there endured.
but because of the spiritual meaning that
preceded it, attended it and still accom-
panies it for the salvation of the world.
SO when church is founded on this his
tcric Christ, there the place, there the
founders become historic in the noblest.
loftlest sense as representatives of the
Lord of all, who came down from heaven
rs the redeemer of lost man. And what
does all this imply on the part of those.
our ancestors, but that they were devout
believers in personal God and Saw
Jour, having profound sense of Him as
personal power and presence for their
good, person, power working for His
own sublime love and ideas of righteous
ness, to be the individual possession, the
everlasting joy of mans soul i'm the
inspiration, building and keeping of pur-
est character-GOd IN Christ then loved,
honored, adored as the supreme delight.
the resting worshipping place of the soul
now and forever? And too. it implies
that they believed in the exalted worth
of mans nature-man as made in the i'm
age of God, capable of knowing Him. en-
tertaining him. that is. dwelt in by Him.
as said Christ, 1--WE, the Father, Son and
Holy Ghost, will come and make our
abode with you" The Individual soul,
then, whether in log cabin or palace, in
black or white temple of body, our
fathers believed to be the mightiest
thing on this earth: for which the Master
organized the church by and around him
sell nearly 1000 years ago, and for which
he was uplifted on the cross to draw all
men possible to Him, that man. restored.
redeemed, might be passed through the
upper golden gates of light to remain a
clean man. holy temple of character
forever. How much weight then, at
taches to the purposes, sacrifices and
labors of those who founded this church
to reach all their children and child
ren's children and all others possible
to the latest generation with the
benign and saving forces of the
gospel. How full of meaning. then.
the uplifting spire of this holy
temple IN the Christian name. How
sacred the memory of those who laid its
foundations in prayerful purposes. that
here God revealed in His dear Son might
be made known to and received by the
children OF men. How well. then, to
remember this centennial hour with
heartfelt gratitude and with devoutly re-
newed purpose, "As for me and my
house, we too will serve the Lord
And, too, noticing the names of colo
nels, captains and majors on the list of
those who represented and had more or
less to do with those of the church and
society in the support of these higher in
terests, ard also learning that one by the
name of Wilcox and another by the
name of Smith were of the Allen party
that entered old Fort IT,, can but refer
to the fact, ever worthy of remembrance.
that our fathers who founded this church
also believed in the largest ideas of civil
and religious liberty and intelligence, as
witness the common school, the high
school and the college. But to secure
and establish all these it cost their leav
ing home, and the griefs and sacrifices
of those left behind. to engage in the
conflicts of war: some of whom were
V.
today is to hold in lasting gratitude their
names, services and principles and the
cause for which they stood in the hour
of the Revolution of 1716 and in 1872
1t Is in the memory of mankind, their
cherished regard for these things. that
we can most safely deposit the record
of any noble life or principle illustrated
Our memorial or rhetorical flowers Will
last but dav, and the granite shaft
will crumble with the touch and lapse of
time: but the sacred remembrance of
these things, passed along from father
to child. perpetuates them IN one of the
best possible ways. And this is one of
the motives to observe this centennial
of the Bridport fathers because they
stood as true representatives. defenders
and sacriticers for both church and
state. 1t is not to foster spirit of
selfish pride. it is for higher. purer
nobler purposes. 1t is to cultivate and
send along down the generations the
spirit of the truest independence, the
spirit of liberty born of the scriptural
idea that God is my father and man NV
brother. alike good f1r individual. State
and nation, and no more disturbing our
individual relations than gravitation
disturbs the atoms. but rather holds
atoms. stars and systems alike together
in one grand harmony and safety. The
moral power in this principle of liberty
can never be overthrown because there
is too much truth in it; for it is the liber-
ty of the equality of rights. This principle
our fathers incorporated in church and
State. This is the principle that sustains
and survives the shock of arms and out
lives all the ages. namely. liberty in
spired and regulated by Christian love
and truth-Christian love-as law. 1t
makes a man moral hero anywhere,
in home or field, in peace or the needed
camp and conflict of battle. 1t makes
true hero of woman as wife, mother,
daughter, helper, in home, society and
government But let us not forget thar
this principle of the equality of rights
comes of the knowledge of the golden
rule and truths taught by Christ and
handed to the world by his church, his
people of every name. 1t is because
these truths are heaven, not human born,
that ever since the sermon on the mount
the inspiring power in every pentecostal
day, the glory of the reformation, the