The Portland daily press., 1895-04-08
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.
DR.. Dalton's Sixth Observation-Disclosures.


that according to Lecky. the historian of
the eighteenth century, England owes to
Mathodism her exemption from the horrors
OF the french Revolution. America owes
no less, and should be forward to ackncwl
eage Uhe debt. ssAlore than any other, Metho-
d1sts have advanced Westward with our
rapidly growing population. The first wave
Is turbulent, and had often threatened the
stability of our institutions. Gamblers,
saloon keepers and toughs. are among the
foremost, ready 10 shoot at sight all who
and IN their way. Disorder is apt to Ire
vail until Methodist missionary appears
on the ground to set up a Sunday School,
and begin church. From that day, order
Is evolved, and the new town attracts /,
mcrs desirable class of people from Europe
and the East. In this and kindred ways,
the Methodists have been th. vanguard of
our growing empire. Nor have they been
ldle elsewhere. AL over tie country their
churches may be found in nearly every
vlllage rs well as in the cities, and their
| colleges are now amongthe most prosperous
and ei1icient in promoting the higher edn-
cation. in popular pulpit oratory. their
preachers are the peers of the older and
mtre conservative churches. and the de-
nomination shows no sign of decline or even
halting, and they retain the motto given
4 them by their great founder when he was
Tdying. 1.-The best of all is, that God is with
u.s."
DR.. Dalton said that if time lad permitted
he would gladly have spoken of other de-
| nominations, giving them due credit for
heir good works. The true course is for
each to do that for which it is best fitted,
and IN due time. unitod church for Am
erica may be evolved, which will include
tue excellences of each. Tho fact is that
each Christian denomination originated in
the need felt of supplying or r, medying
some defect in current creeds The ten |
dency OF maJorities is always to claim prac-
tlcal II not theoretical. in alliblity for them
selves. and to deny that the minor has
any right which they i.he majority are
bound to respect. The oppressed. or dis
1ranch1sed minority. try to make the best
OF the situation. till submission ceases to be |
virtue, when resistance follows, and a |
scnlsm III the body enSues. The question |
then is. who are the real schismat tics. tnose |
usually so-called or the part whose tyranny
caused the schism? This has been the his |
tory of all parties, political and religious, |
thus far, and will continue to be, till |
maJorlties learn to respect and consider the |
rights OF the minority. To illustrate, Wes- |
ley and Whitefield n hundred years ago and |
more earnestly endeavored to breathe the |
breath of life in to the chilled body of the |
English chuI ch, but usually happens, |
tneir well meant efforts were met with |
scorn. derision. and the boast ~ am rich |
and increased in goods, and have need of |
nothing" In the end, they were "kio ked |
out and bade begone. and trouble the true
church no more. So they departed as the
Purita!s had before with the result that
now, after hundred years, they nearly
equal the Mother church in numbers and
inf1unece wherever the English speaking
race has spread. just as the Pnritans were
driven out of Old England to found a New
and greater England in America.
Jesse Lee WIS the frst Methodist preach
er in New England. AS a missionary, he |
achieved great results by great endeavors |
His agency in founding Methodism in
New England places his name high in our
history. Entering New England solitary
stranger from Virginia, when he died in
1916 there were more than a hundred it:n-
Grants in this circuit. He lived to see this
little band of New Eng and Methodists in
creased to more than 100000
His first sermon in Boston was on the
Common. He laid the corner stone of the
first Methodist chapel in Hanover Lane.
He travelled over all the New England
>tates planting churches and laying the
foundation of fo1risAirg societies.
The first Methodist sermon in Maine was
preached by him at Saco in 1793 and the |
first class was formed at Monmouth and in |
1895 the first Methodist church was dedicat-l
ed by hin at Read field.
Elijah Hedding wns stationed in Boston |
in 1876 and served as Presiding Elder |
over the Boston District before he was
elected Bishop in 1924. He was good |
Greek and Hebrew scholar without collie
giate training. He received the degree of |
D. d. from Harvard College, A sound |
theoIoi ian, a most impressive and success
full minister.
Among the Methodist preachers in Boston
may mention: George Pickering. who
for more than half century manifested
all the peculiaIities of the early Methodist
itin Grants, in entire devotion to ministerial
duties.
Some quite noted Maine ministers have
filed the Methodist pulpits in Boston-Tim-
othy Merritt, long a resident III Bowdoin-
lam. vigorous writer defending The doe
trines of Methodism, Mark rrafton. still |
living. al erect octogenarian, defying the
an able preacher, who has been Repre-
sentative in Congress, still vigorous and
active.
Statistics 1890 by U. S. Census
organiza,ions. s5.Sao