Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-07-01

the scripture lesson. Prayer was made
by Prof. l.. d. Bragg, class of 10, of
Rust university, Holly Springs, Miss.
Miss Carrie Bond rendered a solo, "Show
me thy ways" Then came the address
by Rev. DR.. Richard S. Holmes. d. D.,
Pittsburgh, Pa, whom MIR. Hesselgrave
introduced. Prayer by DR.. Holmes, the
singing of hymn 526, Fountain of grace,
rich, full and free" and the benediction
brought the service to an end. 7Is
The main feature of the evening was
of course the address, although the mu-
sic was notably good. DR.. Holmes took
for his text these words from John iii 3,
Except man be born again he shall
not see the kingdom of God" The dis
course was a discussion of the theme,
Regeneration, and two principal prop
ositions were laid down and defended
First, the spiritual, supernatural new
birth is a logical possibility; and, sec
ond, if man rejects the spiritual because
he cannot answer how, he must logically
reject the natural for the same reason.
No discourse of the week was more at
tentively heard than this. Dr. Holmes is
a torcible and taking talker and the young
men of the association are to be congrat-
utated upon having had the good fortune
to secure him for the occasion:
PRELIMINARY MEETING OF THE ALUMNI.
The first thing on the programme of
alumni day, Tuesday, was the meeting of
the alumni at the college chapel at II
o'clock. Neither the president nor the
vice president of the alumni association
was in town, so Prof. Bragg was called
to preside. The only business done was
the appointment of a committee to nomi-
nate officers for the association for the
ensuing year and report at the annual
meeting on Wednesday morning. The
committee consisted of Prof. SeelY, Prof.
BOyce and Prof. Bragg.
THE ALUMNI ADDRESS, POEM AND DINNER.
The alumni and their friends gathered
in good numbers at the Congregational
church at II o'clock for the literary eXer-
cises. Prof. Bragg presided. The music
was by Brehmer's orchestra of Rutland,
who did we'll Col. I. NJ. Chapman of
Mddlebury was the marshal. \ selec-
ton by the orchestra and prayer by Rev.
f. +. Stone of Lapeer, Mich, class of '53,
preceded the address by Hon. Francis
Church of Denver, Col, member of the
class of 60, whose Grafton was a masterlv
discussion of the topic, "Conflict the
Law of Development" in the course of
which he said: With its many sciences
and many speculations the 18th century
might he called = an eager and hungry
age; for never before in the history Of
the race has the human mind been so in
tense in its activity, so observant and
critical in its Investigations. What we
see of civilization, of art, of science and
of inventions is but the unfolding of that
which existed as the property of the first
man. The dawn holds the glory of the
meridian. The struggles and conflicts
develop and build up the latent forces in
human nature-the divinity in man. Out
of seeming evil we see good resulting;
everything working together to Il pur-
pose, and we are forced to conclude that
there is "a soul OF goodness in evil. and
that there is a "dyinity that shapes our
ends, rough hew them how we will" We
see that the greatest care has been eX-
pended on the tiniest objects in nature
and that all eXstences in the animal and
vegetable worlds are adapted to their own
spheres and seek pleasure according to
the plane of their being. Mans record,
written in his own blood, is but a memo
randum of IA series of conflicts and STUN
blings incident to his destiny. We see
as through glass, darkly, and all of our
judgments are tinctured with errors from
within and without. Only by obeying
such thoughts as come to US in logical
form and by closely observing such phe-
nomena as present themselves through
the senses can we expect or even hope to
solve the problem of the universe. Ma
tuIe is no respector of persons, and her
| laws permit no man 10 escape from her
phenomena or from the laws which con-
cern him individually, such az those of
heredity and environment. And this is
as true of nations as of individuals. Even
] 81
ma! laws; one cannot will to believe or dis
believe. But everything is moving on an
ascending scale. New truths are con-
stantly dropping from above and old
truths are receiving new applications and
are being amplifed; There are no acci-
dents in history or nature. No idea preg
nant with good is ever lost. The sword
has ever preceded the banner of the cross
and every advance made has been marked
| by strife and conflict; and we are forced
to conclude that these conflicts are the
result of fixed laws and are means to the
! development OF national life and charac-
ter The strife which now agitates social
and political life is a process of the evo-
/ luton of the individual. In closing the
speaker said The struggle must go on
and stop not until the human mind Is able
/ to grasp the truth in fuller sense than
at present. The mind will continue TO
develop and expand until it has become
familiar not only with the secrets of ma
ture. but also how to utilize them for the
advancement of the human race. This.
and this only, can be the legitimate out
come of that mind which is capable of
/ infinite expansion and growth. Through
it all and in it all we see that conflict is
the law by which the truth is brought to
/ light. We see that this vast universe of
mind and matter is controlled and under
the direction of a power that is infinite,
omnipotent and Omniscent. God is steer
| ing time, God is plotting the world.
James Clarence Harvey, class of 81, of
New York city gave the poem. 1t was
entitled "Lite's Heroes, and, as was to
have been expected from the source. was
worthy of the occasion and the theme
/ This is the lesson he strove to enforce:
our yesterdays are blocks with which we
/ build
Foundations Tor the structure OF today,
| And our tomorrows are but fleeung clouds
The breath of circumstance may blow