The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-05-16
The SUNDAY SERVICES.
The Rev. Dr. H. !. Cushman Gel
ebrates His 25th Anniversary.
A SERMON ON UNIvERSALISM
what He Says OF the Progress OF HIS Dc
nomination--The Rev. DIR. Tiffany Of
Boston Presches-A sermon on the OBJ
ssrvance OF the sabbath.

The Rev. DR.. II. l. Cushman, pastor of
the First Universalist Church, attained
his twenty-fifth consecutive year OF ser
vice at that church yesterday and cele-
brated the event by an address, during
which he considered the Universalists at
large rather than his relations to his pres
ant flock. Said he: "It seems but fair
"a saw that there has been no appreciabe
gain of universal strength In the Univer
salist Church during the past twent y-five
wears But il would not be just to infer
from this that there had been no import
ant changes in the denomination, nor that
there had been so much progress. There
has been great gain in methods, in ma
terial matter, and in church life during
the past quarter of n century, and GER
tainiy there has been changes enough in
the personnel of the ministry OF the
church. For of the s29 ministers reported
ia the years register, 400, or 6s1s per cent,
have been ordained since the date of my
ordination.
"There has been advance, too. in the
number. resources and efficiency OF our
educational institutions. The Tufts
Divinity School at Tufts College; the
RYDER Divinity School at Galesburg, ILL.,;
Buchtel College at Akron. o., and Throop
University at Pasadena, Cal, have come
into being during this period. and the
other educational institutions under the
auspices OF Uniyersallsts have been much
more strengthened. Again. there has
been some progress in our body in the di-
rection of church life or the 40 churches
OF believers reported this year. 4J4, or 54
per cent, mole than half, have been or
ganized since 1867. An in all our parishes
the institution of the church holds "a far
more important place than it held twenty
five years ago. So, in methods, In ma
terial resources, in education and In
Church life. there has been some gain In
the Universalist body during the past
quarter or a century.
"Of the 729 ministers reported this
year, only 800 are reported rs pastors. or
stated surplus of parishes 339, 46l3 per
cent, almost hall, have no pastoral
charge A few of these are professors in
schools and colleges, where they are doing
valuable work for the church. And yet
it would be a generous estimate of the
actual working ministerial force OF the
Universalist Church, III we were TO place
the number of our ministers at $50 rather
than $50. And then, rs we look back
over the field, it is evident that the chief
strength OF the Universalsts denomina-
tion Is confined to the States of Maine,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and New
York. Outside of these States the denomi-
nation is strongly represented only by
single churches. at certain centres, as
Hartford. Philadelphia, Chicago, Grand
Rapids, Minneapolis and Pasadena. Cal.
"The church has done much towards
the bringing in of better thoughts Of God
and of human life.
''In giving you this swift outline of the
history OF the Universalst church and its
ideas during the past quarter OF "A century
i have tried TO be severely just, even
though some things which i nave said
may be surprise to some of you. Let
me recapitulate in word. The Univer-
salist church has made no appreciable
afv, ff fr nf N m m M
ical strength, during this period IL has
made some advance in methods, material
resources, matters OF education and
church life; but in theae directions has
done no more than to keep pace with the
general advance of the times. 1t has not
become conspicuous as missionary body.
But the cheif ideas concerning God and
man, for which it stands, have made great
progress In the Christian church"
Keeping the sabbath.
At the Greenwich Street Free Baptist
Church last evening the Rev. q. Q. Water
man preached, taking his text from Lev.
xIx-36: "Ye shall keep my Sabbaths and
reverence my sanctuary"
He spoke on the proposition to have the
Worlds Columbian Exposition open on
Sundays. He said:
1.-THE question at issue is, Shall we OBJ
serve the Sabbath 2 There is growing
tendency, even here in the heart of New
England, which was the home of the
most rigid Christians, to openly deny the
signidcafion of Sunday further than n
day of rest pleasure, and amusement.
People close up their stores on Sun
day and patronize the excursions and
pleasure resorts. In the West the author
tties are very lax and Sunday becomes a
weekly gala day.
'.As to the Worlds Fair DIR. johnson of
Chicago makes the following strong
fQ m DO
contrary to all precedent in the large fairs
OF the Anglo-Saxon people Ii is con-
trary to the best traditions of our coun-
try against Sabbath breaking. A large
proportion OF the population is opposed
to it. 1t would set an example for further
license. The principal arguments in its
favor only covered greed for the almighty
dollar On Oct this question is to be
decided. and strong efforts are being
made by petitions e, Congress to influence
il the fair Is to be kept open on the Sab
bath. The nation should give the world
Sunday"
The Rev. Francis Tiffany.
The Rev. Francis Tiffany preached yes
terday forenoon at the Westminster
Church. on Mathewson street. The text
was taken from St. John xviii, IL THE
hour is come; glorify Thy son, that Thy
son may also glorify them"
The Rev. Mr.. Tiffany spoke as follows:
Every relation of life must be viewed
at q distance, that IL may be judged cor
rectly. To the happiest of people life
sometimes seems great burden.
THE day was when. by loss by death,
your mind was distracted but now you
can commence with the mother love that
would have died for you. This process of
reconstructive imagination of the death
Is q comfort for you. You, too, will enter
into the glorifed realm of the ideal.
Three grand realms are there In which
man should believe. The realm OF the
transhgured past, the dull, clouded pres
ent and revealed future
The realm OF the transfgured past.
Men are always deploring that the quail
ties OF the great men Of the past are not
those OF the men of the present. The
faults OF those great men as known by
their neighbors are all eliminated and
they are held mp as ideals.
Let us thank God that We have the
lesson OF the transfgured past"