The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-06-07
STATE HONORED,
Eloquent Tribute of Rev. Alex
ander McGregorof This City
10 Rhode Island at the Congregational
Missionary Convention in Omaha.
BN The Assoelalei Pr1s,.

bu INC Aeovctdtct JfcSf.
OMAHA, Neb., June Y-The following
ADDRESS by Rev. Alexander McGregor of
hhode Island on sour Auxiliaries," was
delivered at the Congregational M ission-
airy convention in this city:
a year ago today aud just about this
tlne, took part IN services commemora-
tive OF the simultaneous founding 1850
years ago. OF the Newman church and the
town of Rshoboth in Rhode Island. The
circumstances OF this occasion have lent
a special vividness to that occasion as IL
fingers in my mind. When Samuel New
man, the pastor of the church in question
and the author OF the now famous concor-
dance bearing his name, felt constrained
IN 1888 10 bow himself out OF Boston, he
or one OF his party is reputed 20 have said
I'VE came from England because we
dld not like the Lord Bishops, but we
cannot join with you because we would
not be ric her than the Lord Brethren"
Accordingly when this same Newman
and party reached the spot in the
wilderness where they resolved to
set up their banners in the name of
their God, he exclaimed "Rehoboth, the
Lord hath made room for US" These
men found what they wanted room.
There were giants in the earth in those
days" IL does seem TO me and has seemed
TO me as we travelled over he wide rolling
prairies that intervene between Nebraska
and Rhode Island as If assuredly the Lord
OF the earth saw in the Ameri-
can people giants in embryo, and
so prepared plenty of room
for them even from sea to sea, with un-
limited capabilities and resources. Then
again, recall, that in last October par
ticipated in exercises commemorative OF
the l50th anniversary OF the Beneticent
church in Providence, whose first pastor
was Rev. Josiah Cotton and It's last but
one our esteemed late secretary, DIR. Clapp,
who gave decade of his best years TO its
pastorate.
am led in this comparatively youthful
presence TO refer 10 these anniversary
occasions because they held in 50 alton
the war whoop of King Philip e. ell as
the story OF Roger Williams adv { and
successful settlement in the State
of Rhode Island and PrOvi
dence Plantations. The zeal OF this brave,
good man in securing perfect i
religious freedom is known and admired
the world over. To this day his stamp is
manifest in the character and energy of
the inhabitants of the State, as in wealth
and population TO the square mile
Rhode Island stands the first among
all the States OF the Union. "Lit-
Tie Rhody" TO be sure, aud yet not
so little when looked upon from the
standpoint of her resources. Take her
cotton and spinning and weaving capicity
and she will then rank second in the
Union. There are about fifteen million
cotton sDindies IN active operation in this
country, and Rhode Island has II of
them: there are about three million bales
of cotton consumed, and Rhode Island
uses about one-tenth of it.
But truce TO Rhody's glorifcation.
My main object i'm SO referring TO its past
history has been TO emphasize he thought
that there come To us history making
periods-ti that are of vital interest
in their bearing upon North and
South, East and West. The forma-
tive period OF Congregationalsm in
Rhode Island-in New England |
Is infinitely associated with the formative |
period OF Congregationalism in this and |
other Western states of the Union. New |
England Congregationalism has proved a |
fruitful bough whose branches have to |
run over the wall a. to bring light and |
life to full many an early settler, through |
its sturdy pioneer missionary, by whose |
hands schools, churches and colleges have |
been planted which, in their turn, have |
been as eyes in the wilderness on the way |
home.
The share our own noble Home Mission |
ary Society has had in SO bcneficent and |
gracious ministry is fast becoming his |
tory. Alas that the financial crisis |
through which it is now passing should |
suggest the need OF great searchings of |
heart. In Rhode Island we have 80 Con |
gregational Churches with $500 |
upwards of 5000. Last year these |
To foreign missions |
81 900; to state church expenditures and |
other associate benevolences a bout S195. 900. |
We employ n state missionary annually, |
who has made full proof of his ministry |
as an Evangelist during the past winter. |
At our State Conference held last week, |
most CHEEKY reports were made by all the !
OF the pleasure of the Lord pros |
pering in thcir hands.
In closing, General Howard, suffer me a |
allusion. 1t was in 1866, the wear |
i'm which the international gathering OF |
the Y. Nj. {. a. met in Portland, Me-, that |
/ first had the pleasure of seeing and |
hearing you. ] shall never forget the en- 1
thusiasm you created in that vast assem- |
bly, when you raised that empty sleeve
he significant and honorable emblem |
Of your love and devotion to the |
nation in its darkest hour. IL il was in |
deed possible to have mems hearts so |
touched by that transfigured sleeve, |
surely, surely the King in his beauty as |
revealed to the eye of faith ''with visage so |
marred more than any mans, and his |
form more than the sons of men, /" should |
rouse to high and holy enthusiasm in his |
work, while in the ear of faith he whis-
pers, "Ths have l done for thee; what |
what doest thou for Me?'