Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-07-29

the eastern position from 1852 TO 39lo
What is being done to check this growing
tendency TO make form, the most important
thing in worship? What is being done to
promote it is illustrated by a single staDza
from hymns to he learned by children in the
manual of the Extension Association Of the
English Established Church. Here is Il
specimen from them:
When confess with contrite heart
My sins unto the priest,
do believe from all their guilt
That moment I'm released.
Here the words of DR.. A. Dalton zone of
their own prophets may be seen to have some
point Men holding such views extreme
high church, are Catholics pure and simple.
They should be honest enough to have the
courage of their convictions and 90 over
into that church
No, so far from being ashamed of being
in new church, almost the only parts in
our history for which we blush today are
for those DAYS where IN the treatment of
the Baptsts and the Quakers as well AS the
supposed witches, we exhibited the intoier-
ance of the old church which sent us across
the Atlantic And again where we lost
sight of the necessity of the regenerate
heart and in order to meet an emergency
adopted the half way covenant, we came
near initiating confirmation without relig
ious experience The stupor which crept
over our churches and from which God
called the imperfect human instrument,
.Iohnathan Edwards to awaken US came on
account of this imitation of the old church
and does not weaken our attachment to the
new.
But in all this let us not forget that if
these assumptions are not the causes of the
existing need for extra effort there are
causes which we in our lot and place can
in some measure aid in removing.
III. The Cure am suspicious of the
ultimate practical working of the town
church which President Hyde suggests as
well as of the egotistical claims of the So
called Holy Apostolic ChurchN-on the
same principle on which should not like
10 see all the different political parties in
this country swallowed up in one-we should
have n thousand times more corruption IN
politics then. than we have now, but inst as
| would veto political bigotry and preju-
dice and would make room for as many
parties as the conscience of patriotic ma
ton would allow SO would veto religious
higotry and prejudice and would allow each
denomination to do its work and under God
fulfill its mission, would advocate union
of spirit in doing the Masters will as seen
bv the different members of Christ's body
But an organic union I believe would re-
tard rather than advance the kingdom of
our God. | would advocate therefore
First. spirit of tolerance. If we are
persuaded that a body of men and women
are at heart striving to do the will of Jesus
Christ let US join with them in practical
work for the development of the spiritual
nature of man, for the best interests of the
community in its social and business life
for the redemption of the whole man. in
telIect, sensibility and will.
=. Let us preach the love of the eternal
God for every man as unlimited as Jesus
lived and taught it and let us illustrate our
preaching by our conduct.
,. Let us under our Congregational poiity
this poitv because / think it meets the
needs of the case better than any other)
gather those little hamlets Maine into
separate churches Just as onr families are
gathered into cities and towns on account
of their position, and cultivate their self
respect not by appointing priesthood TO
lord il over them. but by allowing them to
come together and plan their work as our
county conferences come together only
with more immediate practical purpose.
1. The intelligent and vital application
of the gospel TO the needs of today as dis
tinguished from the needs of the past.
s. The giving of ourselves and our mon
ey for this work realizing that are in this
world for the sole purpose of preaching
the gospel and that we are only in business
in order to pay expenses.
cannot close without reminding you that
as a denomination We have not been wait
ing for President IIydes article or for the
sermon of which have spoken to sting us
into action. Over 10000 persons along the
coast of Maine are under the care of Cap
tain Lane. Let me illustrate what he is
doing -Four or five wears ago he visited
an island on our coast where they planned
to burn his Yacht while he was conducting
"A religious service. Now they have a neat
little chapel dedicated free from debt, with
a little church organization of about thirty
five members We have five young men
from Andoyer-the Andover of today. the
Andover out of which is supposed to come
no good thing-who each could receive from
$500 to s250o salary in regular pastoral
work and the pleasant social surroundings
which such churches would offer but are
now under the Maine Missionary Society
for about $500 in Franklin county trying to
10 the work | have suggested under my
third point. We have two general mission /.
aries and three county missionaries trying
to bring the gospel to those isolated parts of
our State. Our Maine Missionary Society
aids ll3 churches which otherwise would
be deprived of the gospel
The Morsviau is the only denomination |
which gives more money for missionary
work per capita than the Congregational, |
and we in Maine are doing our part. |
There is only one state in the Union where /
our denomination employs more home mis-
siouaries than in the State of Maine.
You as a church have been giving good
account of your stewardship instead of
PROSECUTING from other churches you have |
gone out into the country districts and have /
spent your time trying to teach not the |
theories of men, but the simple gospel of |
Jesus Christ. You did not wait till other |
churches had gathered into SUNDAY schools |
the children and then plant your missionary, |
Mr.. Shaw. as near to those as you
coulI to reach presumably only the !
infirm and aged, but with self sac
rifcing effort you went out TO the school |
houses round Augusta because the love of
Jesus Christ constrained you. and because
these people were your brethren. Yon have
had precious seasons of revival when the
Holy Spirit manifested himself in more
than the ordinary way, and YOU will receive
doubtless similar divine vista
tons again when you will
give the credit then, as in the past, not to
your imagined superiority of church polisy
but to the spirit of the living God who has
eoniescentiesi TO use you as instruments to
accomplish His will. In your Junior En-
deavor. your Sunday school, your Christian
| Endeavor. you are as church trying to
! exhibit your belief in Christian nurture in q
practical form. In your church covenant
| YOU guard the sacramenis of the church
not by a college of bishops but by the
/ emphasis you put upon the necessity of a
regenerste life. Your conduct Gods bless
| ing has been upon in the past. Is upon in
the present, will be upon in the future.
| have said what have this morning be-
cause have been led TO feel that some one
! - xx.xl.f 90