Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-07-29
.inpEspame pAGAAisa IN MAINE AND rs
ALLEGED CURE"


BY Jsxgs s. waLIassos, pastor Of the
church Published by request
An article by Presbless Hyde in recsnt
number of the Forum 90 .'impssding fsz-
suism in New Esaxisisd- has created ssf:h
al amount Of criticism and Comment none
Of which haz seemed 10 me 10 reach the
exact trutb---shaf feel impeissd to g1ss ysi
the rsssl, Of my stgsiy and Thought on ;ise
,abieet. Pzgznism then 10 impending and
aIxay. has been, possibly more ses Man
syry before, but cannot think that the
picture Is ~ lark a. painted 10 this article.
cannot believe the esase Of the danger 70
ie AZ reprssentrd, nor the remedy 20 lie in
the proposal advocated in a sermon recently
delivered in this city
Pfgnfes are given 10 shos the spirit
nal condition Of the state Of Maine
hat figures are ike tso-esiged ;oois, dan
ger9as things 20 handle aaless one knows
all about them. As 10 impending Paganism
ia Maine. iavite yesr attention 70 three
thoughts. T. The Facts, H. The Cause, III.
The Cure.
I. The facts The figures quoted in
President ffyaes article are asei to fes;ser
a seetarian arroS In the sermon 10 which !
have referred, arr taken from the report
Of the Bible society Of Mains soms Of
these hgaEes were gathered fran i've TO
ten years agO They show that 10 oar
rural communities from 80 Ia 20 per csht-
81 the population 10 not attend efsHreh
services and their moral character Is Judged
according 20 this fact, bat are they there
fore Without love In the home. honesty IN
business, and energy IN the conscientious
performance Of days work. WIN they
not watch with a SICK nsighbor! II they
are not found inside the walls Of the church
building. may they not come inside the
uriuei pie 'sinasmpeh ys did II unto one
Of these ye did q unto Me- The evils of
th. spirit Of bgotry and Intolerance are
laid bare the quality Of the rural religious
service 10 many il truthfuliy stated
The pitiabls condition of some of the com
sannitiss IL candidly exhibited lH this pointed
article. !, FOR one, respect AMI
honor President Hyde for this man
iy, courageous. nnseetarian presentation
of what seems 10 him To be the truth As
evangelical christians We should be- as Will
Jag To know our sins IN order To flee from
them. as TO be BATTERED with what virtues az
may be- supposed to possess. have no
Doubt that a knowledge of the facts 10
which sc have had our attention drawn,
will intensity our zeal for the practical evan
ReiiyatiOn OF the country towns, and fof
bringing the gospel IN its broade-t AMI most
far reaching power to the waste places ot
our beloved State. ! consulted the abiest
lawyers whom couli find 10 their offices
the other day, and their unanimous testi-
mony j.. that among our native population
in the State of Maine, they believe crime Ia
be decreasing rather than increasing. sta
ti-iies show that Maine has smaller per
e.ntage of ilterute, than almost any other
state ia the union. wbile in the country
towns prohibition does prohibit can say
for th. encouragement of those Who take mp
this work and AID Ia preventing the impend-
ing paganism from becoming real, tina; III
many of those rural districts they will find
~ law abiding. temperate. whole-hearted
and-considering their advantages in-
telligsnt and teachablc a peopl" a. can be
found anywhere on Gods enrth. | have
met in some of the hamlets of oxford
county where they have no aesthetic
church buildings OF stained glass
windows, aud seldom If ever listened to the
reading of printed prayer as bright and
promising young men, AS modest and yirtu-
Gus young womrn and as intelhgently re-
ixious fathers and mothers as | have met
ia any uther part of New England II ever
the immedinte presence of i,ods holy spirit
has been felt by me, have been more con
scious of that presence IN condneiing re
Iigiuus service in AN pBpdiRfed sche0ih"Hse
in oxford county than in any other place
80 d., ri,,,lrv anal ro,,lI
me-. ,.,,l,,i,. iIiustra,;o, ,hn
T. ,,.,,iIa,,, II v,l., ,h,s ,,.n,;,,. -,
~ - ,h', ,ula,. az tLars ar.
-, ZOO AMI inno n.,,,Ie Tn. ra,i,.
49, ,,,,;,;,,,, re. ,I,,ovs b..u ur,ttv avon.
-, .,i.i.ta,, h.,,s.,, F,ae win Rartisi con.
.,.,;,..,.t;., un,hoii.t .oA f'nivsrs,t;s,
't.,,1'a''n,,;nns por =, INN, all xo,sbinrod
-, l., y, min, chu,,h biri,y in NV,
,' I'r,,,,nan ~ .,,h druon,,notion 'rhus
aacl, n,on,h ona norton of tb,. congregation
l...Its n,., Theological tn.t. satisfied al
,hhn,b ,s mn. T,dv remarked Won ranno,
an ubi,.h vas which nv the nreacting
ss,,,ria, nuh,tinr howrver led first III.
tb.n tho N,thn,lists tn withdraw
ma ,llcg,I immoral roudurt IN the mart
a, -, p.ptist CLERGYMAN cpmp.lled the
..u,~,,, erganization of a Congregational
church The hitter we're swin,lled by their
.,rs, minister who sold them the plans for
th.,..,.hur,b At an exhorbitant price. The
Ne,h,sli.t churr h occasionally has a settled
81, alto, and .omr wears it has none. The
RAM, ami niyersalist churches are snp-
nl;,'d n, ministers who drive over on sun
i,v ,f,.rnosu. from noirhboriug towns
m. CONGREGATIONAL church has \ student
from ,he seminary three months in the sum