Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-26
New England Pagans.

The New England states are in bad
way, if we are to credit the word of
President William Dewitt Hyde, of
Bowdoin college, in The Forum. There
is actual danger that New England viii
fall away from Christianity and 90 back
TO heathendom. This is not, either, as
one might suppose. the result of Boston
culture; it is simply that the rural pop
ulation is dropping out of the church.
In Maine. for instance, which may be
taken as a sample state, in fifteen coun-
ties only half the families attend church
at all. The church seems to make little
if any impression on the community at
large. President Hyde thinks he knows
the reasons for it too. The first one he
gives as follows, Excessive emphasis
ON the transcendence as distinct from
the immanence of God" This is sad
indeed. 1t would be enough, one would
think, to turn any common person into
a heather.
But Mr.. Hyde mentions as well a
good working reason which a common
person can lay hold of with his mind
1t is the prevalence of sectarianism in
the New England states. The DISPOSE
ton of the native New Highlander is to
think for himself and make other people
think that way too; at least that is Mr..
Hydes opinion. Consequently the rural
districts are split into feeble little
rival congregations, each on the
verge of bankruptcy and supported
practically by club Of women" The
only remedy is for the large hearted
citizens Of community to sink denomi-
national differences and unite and found
town church, regardless of what sect
its pastor belongs to. provided only that
he is an earnest. live Christian.
What, he believes to be a typical New
England rustic community Mr.. Hyde
describes below;
In and about the village of K there are
between SO and 1000 people. The religious
opinions have always been pretty evenly d.
vtded between the Free VIII Baptist ConQre-
gational, Methodist and Universalist denomi-
nations. For time all worshiped together
in a union church, hiring In turn clergyman
of each denomination. Thus each month one
portion OF the congregation had It's own theo-
logical taste satisfied, although as one good lady
remarked, you could not tell which was which
/ by the preaching" Sectarian ambition, how
ever, caused first the Universalists, then the
Methodists to withdraw. and alleged immoral
conduct on the part of the Baptist clergyman
compelled the separate organization OF Con
! QrpgaffOQal church. The latter tra -.
died by their first minister. who sold them the
plans for their church at an exorbitant price.
The Methodist church occasionally has resi-
dent pastor, and some years Ii has none. The
Baptist and Universalist churches are sup
piled by ministers who drive over on Sunday
afternoons from neighboriAg towns
The Congregational church has a student
from the seminary three months in the sum
mer. The strongest churches are the Univer.
salist. with ats membership Of thirteen women
and one man. and the Congregational. with it,
membership Of twenty women and four men
There Is hardly representative man In any
Of these four churches. though the Masoni.
lodge gathers from this and neighboring towns
Its hundred members.
Each congregation has on sunday from lftJ
TO sixty persons. Ny informant reports thai
II would be useless for man 10 60 there a,
pastor Of any church unless he would max.
up his mind 70 stay for period Of years, fol
the immediate effect OF any attempt on thu
part Of one church TO do work for the com
nunity would be 10 stir up all the others L
fresh competition.