Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-06-23
The Congregational Church.

s.
Republic will.last as long as the Con-
gregational church from shich not a
little Of lis early inspiration was
drawn. And it is true that the Con-
gregational church has done much to
pr 1mote individuality in thought; its
birth was conceived III the idea that.
the people should rule in ecciesiasti-
cal matters; its organization was a
protest from the domination of bis
hops or any strongly centralized
authority i'll church matters, just as
the American democracy was a pro-
test from monarchial or kiugly rule.
And the Congregational church is
much older than the great Republic
of the new world. The Pilgrim faith
ers brought with them to America Con-
gregationaliSm and its establishment
in this country antedates the found
alton Of the republic by about $50
years. While it may be an exaggeration
to say that the perpetuity Of the re-
public is dependent upon Congrega-
tionalism or individuality in religion,
history will show that it has done
much to promote and foster republic
can ideas in government. Its very
name is derived FROM the idea that
the congregation or people shall rule.
Still the early Puritans while stro Ag-
ly imbued with the democratic idea
were not always willing that people
should believe as their conscience
dictated. But it cannot be success
fully denied that the Congregational
church has been the great religious
democracy and has done very much
to promote individuality.
It has been said, too, that individ-
uality has been the "uyse of the age.
Very few intelligent people, however,
believe this, Through it is undoubtedly
true that there is danger of perver-
ton Of the democratic idea.
But if the success of the Congrega-
tional church be measured only its
gro With numerically, it cannot be said
to have been as successful as some other
churches in this coantry, since it is
the oldest we'll established church in
the United States, and today in re-
spect to numbers there are nearly q
half dozen churches that out rank it
numerically is in the republic which
it did 50 much to establish. 1t:
policy in promoting thought and Civ
ing liberty to individual opinion ha!
perhaps been a source Of weakness tt
it. Had it bound the intellect in
iron bands it might perhaps have had
more numbers but not more glory
It has fostered education rs very few
churches have. The two great uni
versities of this country, Harvard
and Yale were founded by it. Ant
while these two have been The leading
colleges Of the country it will be
found upon examination that tho
Congregational colleges hold frs
rank in ne rly every state. Harvard
in Massachusetts. Yale in Connect
cut, Dartmouth in New Hampshire
and Bowdoil in Maine are certainl.
the leading colleges in tn ,se states
But it may be said that New England
was the home of Copgregationalism
hence its colleges there excel. Bur
In the West the same holds true
Carleton at North ie!d is the leading
UNCONVENTIONAL college of Minnesota
Beloit Of Wisconsin, Iowa collese o
Iowa, and OberIin Of Ohio, all Con
gregational colleges.
No church has LOST more by seces
sions than the Congregational. Free
thought has promoted them. Thu
Unitarian one OF the most cultured
churches of this country came wholly
from the Congregational md the Uni
versalist very largely, besides others
The achievements of Congregational
ism are to be measured rather by tn
influence it has had on the thought o
the age in all churches and in govern
mcnt rather than by the names upol
its church books. And no church
has reason to be prouder of its recor>
than it.
i German day at the Worlds Fai
attracted over 100000 people t. the