Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-12-25
FOREFATHERS' DAY.
THE CELEBRATION OF THE ANNIVERSARY
ON MONDAY EVENING.


auspices of the Historical society. The
exercises were in the Congregational
church and vestrv and began at 6 80
o'clock. The attendance was large.
Hon. John w. Stewart presided. First
on the programme was voluntary by
Mrs. G.. ID. Miner, followed by the sing
ing of the anthem, ''God is Our Hope"
by male quartet. Then came the invo-
cation and the reading of the S5th Psalm
by Rev. F. G. Heaxt, the Methodist pas
tor. Mrs. Hemans' well-linown ode,
"The breaking waves dashed high" was
rendered by the choir and congregation,
after which Rev. 7. G.. Lyons, the Bap-
fist pastor, offered prayer. Dudley
Bucks bass solo and quartet, "God is
Love-" Nas then sung by Mr.. F. W.
Thomas and the male quartet.
Rev. DR.. w. S. Smart of Brandon, the
orator of the evening, was introduced by
Mr.. Stewart. DIR. Smart announced as
his topic The Puritan Spirit" He spoke
: eloquently and ably, saying, among
other things:
1t is difficult to reproduce the past, to
reanimate the dead habiiments of de-
parted generations and catch sight of the
spirit which alone confers perennial i'll
! terest upon the deeds of men. The Puri-
tan spirit has been misrepresented and
maigned by those who persist in Judging
him by modern preiudices and standards,
He should be studied in the light of
his own age. He not only raised great
question in his day, but he bequeathed
one not vet settled. lie had the true
marks of his own age, but he was some
thing more than lusus naturP, II
worlds wonder, dying in blaze of glo-
ry. It's great claim upon us is that 1t
} was not local, nor racial. nor epochal,
but eternal; that ancient word which
has appeared again and again to lead to
! advance of the world.
He has been charged with intolerance,
which the modern spirit condemns. But
when man has you by the throat and is
. choking out your life, tolerance ceases to
be virtue The law of self-preserva
ton overrides even the law of liberation
The Puritan had to contend with the TOP
and bottom of society. Rascaldom
which hooted him for his morality, arts
tocracy, which despised him for his lib
eral ideas, joined forces to crush him be
tween the upper and neither millstone'
l of their natural hate.
He has been msconceived as simply
l the inventor of new religion. He be
gan with the Bible, and filled his sou
with lofty ideals, its eternal hopes. He
became an idealist, a theologian, mys
tic. and if Charles and Laud had had TIN
sense to let him alone, he might have re
y NAMED dreaming his dreams, celebrating
, his creeds, and harmlessly musing on hi
divine hopes. But the hand of persecu
ton awoke him from his dream. III
could find no place to dream his dream
not even the humblest conventicle, wheI
in peace he might feed his soul on tn
strong meat of Gods word.
- Then it occurred to HIM to ask "Wh
not a kingdom of God on earth? VIII
not?" And the Puritan spirit came
2 its birth and entered upon its mission, t
apply these cherished ideas 10 churc
-, and state and society. 1t was nothin
less than an attempt to reconstruct Sc
nd cety from top to bottom on the basis {
righteousness. 1t was a grand design
m and although the world refused to /
te' puritanized, it has borne noble fruit, &
~ the history of four great nations he err
IN, ated shows. 1t was one battle in llo
lr' land and Scotland and England and Ne
~ England, fought out under one banner
RS the same results in all these countrie
I'm 1t was the determination to mix religiC
,tl with everything human which most a
curately defines the Puritan spirit al
M which has made it so healthful an inf
M ence in the life of these nations.
I'D, Ii is fact that out of this intensel
:" spiritual conception of life, and the a
s.. tempt TO apply it everywhere, the
les came an intellectual vigor, love
ty, nnlturn a refinement of ia and "A WO
~e' derful thrift which have made New En-
mr. land distinguished alike for ntellectu
1ks gifts and successful industry. And [
90. day there Is the same blending in {
GU children which we have seen in the fol
tet- fathers, of idealism and realism, of hi!
lie thinking and practical industry.
;,,, In the life of our people the love
"9 learning and the cunning of thrift Il
tremendously combined. The collie
and the factory stand side by side. L
RI scholar and the man of affairs, the the
Y Logan and the poet, the philosopher a
!, the merchant, the artist and artisan ii
room in her ample life and flourish IA
prevail increasingly on the earth.
In conclusion the speaker said: 1t
good for Us to recall this mighty age, IA
- these mighty men and their noble serv
Ia to manhood. If Forcfathers day sh
. revive our interest in the men and dee
of long ago, and sends US To Il fresh "A
y revcrential study of their work, it "
y confer upon Us an ineStimabe blessil
Y for il will enable Us better to understa
\ J ourselves and our times, for we are WI
~ we are because they were what IL
were. If they could come back to ca
doubtless they would be surprised TO
what manner of men we have becon
for we have better light, and they mls
tn do yxthinh N 4