Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-12-27


childish in their hostility to every thi ~ that
savored OF ceremony or form. OF COURSE the
explanation is to be found in past expert.
ence. The prosecutions which drove the
SCparatists TO Holland and those who wer,
not Separatists to Massachusetts Bay had,
perhaps, more to do with mere modes and
rites than they had with dstinctively doc.
trinal beliefs. Indeed it is quite likely that
these departures would never have occurred
on the mere ground OF differences with the
establishment IN the matter OF pure theolo.
gy. 1t was largely because the Puritan rec
ognlzed the features of the Papacy in the
vestments and heard its voice in the liturgy
that he refused to employ them, suffering
rather until he could endure no longer, then
seeking relief in flight. II was long contin
ueC rebellion against the iniustces of the
past thai impelled him, in the New World, to
SIT and freeze IN the cherries meeting house,
to forbid the public reading of the Bible, to
turn Sunday into II grim torture worse than
solitary confinement 1t was his unbending
purpose, II purpose he was ready mt any mo-
ment to seal with his blood, that nothing hu.
man should ever again be allowed to come
betw cen his soul and God. And this is why,
in his frenzy, we almost call it, he so stamp.
cd his spirit upon the religious lite OF New
England that we hardly yet know il it is safe
to bring flowers into chur h, or to observe
Christmas ana Easter with religious exercis
es. II the Puritan had never done another
thing for mankind, he paid Tor himself ten
thousand times over as he laid destroying
hand upon II false and corrupting ceremonial
that had outlived the Protestant reformation
and was disclosing itself in so called Protest
anisn. No doubt we are wise in refusing to
hia 1unI in, oil
safe as well as wise in so doing it is because
we have had the benefit OF his leadership III
this particular. We can never afford to part
with the spiritual worship which the Puritan
gave, or gave anew, to the church. 1t was
one OF his richest egacies.
The speaker also discussed the won
derful faculty of the Puritan for blend
ing politics and religion, and the view he
took of liberty. In conclusion he said:
And so | sum up all that remains to be hint.
cd al, among the many virtues of the Puritan
by pointing out his Willingness to suffer- All
things considered, this was the Puritan's,
browning excellence. To mention it is to in
dictate more noble qualities than perhaps can
be done by any other phrase equally brief.
Whether it was in seltdetence or acting on
terist!c OF the entire history of the Puritan
He defed authority and took the conse
quenccs under an overpowering sense ct
right and wrong. lie gave his tolls to the es
Enlistment OF institutions. The church, the
home, the state, the school received his care
before his own personal interests For what
he conceived to be the moral good Ot others
he even denied the natural Impulses OF his
nature. He smut himself up to Il n trrow,
cherries existence. He closed his heart to
the incoming of Joy. He counted it his glory
to sacrifice the present to the future. lie
latd down his lite tor those who were about
him ANA tor those who should come after
him. In many regards he was not "a lovely
person. But ne was genuine. And the glau-
ness and worth OF our lives tonight, my
friends, are largely due to the way ne looked
upon God, himself his duty and his fellow.
men.
The exercises in the cl urch closed with
the singing of the doXology by the choir
and congregation, and the benedction.
THE LADIES SOCIAL PARTY.
This was held. as usual, in the lecture
room Immediately after the public per-
formance. The room had been hand
somely adorned with pictures, including
oil portraits of many of the notables In
the earlier history of the town, and with
draperies. potted plants and flowers. 1t
goes without saying that that the tables
were prettily set and that the ladies had
provided everything necessary or deslr-
able in the way of refreshments.
Hon. j. w. Stewart, who presided over
the after-dnner speaking, averred that
although this was only the 275th ami
versary of the event celebrated. he was
sure that it was the 27Gth time he had
performed that same task.
Rev. DIR. T. II. Archibald. the first to
he called up, said that the great fact al
ways suggested to him by the anniver-
sary of the Pilgrims landing is what the
world owes to these men who had clear
beliefs ana were ready to fight for them.
such men were none too common in our
time
Miss Elga Stewart gave song and
was recalled.
Prof. Eaton spoke at some length of
the character Of the Pilgrims and of
their fitness for founding "A government
that in all its essential principles would
endure.
Miss Bot sang and responded to an
encore.
W. H. Button, Esq, asked to tell
a.