The Portland daily press., 1895-03-25
ST. STEP HENS CHURCH.
DIR. Dalton on the Episcopal Church In
and Around Boston Fifty Years Ago
Then and Now.

One hundred years ago Kings Chapel
was lost to the Episcopal chucrh. but
still stands a monument OF the best
colonial style of building, dignified,
massive and impressive. The original
parish was the Oldest of the Episcopal
churces in Boston. organized in 1859.
Next came Christ church, at the North
End III Salem ST.. where its spire is
conspicuous landmark with it's tower
and chime of BELLS 1t was from the
belfry of this church, that Paul Revere's
signals were given to the patriots of Lex
1ngton. Trinity church was in Summer
ST., battlemented Gothic church. st.
Matthews church was in South Boston.
Church of the Messiah and St. Marks at
the South End. ST., Faul's on fremont
ST., Grace on Temple, and tine Advent
on Green street. ST. James was on St.
James street, Roxbury Boston High
lands St. Johns at Jamaica Plains,
St. Paul's Dedham, st. Mays Dorches-
ter, st. Pauls Brookline. Christ Church
Waltham. Christ Church, Cambridge. and
St.John's Chalrestown formed a circle
around Boston.
Trinity was rebuilt on Copley Square
the new church being FAR the finest in
New England, If not in the cou ntry.
Emanuel is near by on Newb bury St., a
beautiful Gothic church. Grace church
was sold to the Methodists. The Advent
in Greene st. migrated, first to Bowdoin
and then to Brimmer st. (West). The old
Bowdoin st. church is now known as ST.
Holm the EVanOa1jat Nayr parichQa h q va
been formed in nearly all the towns and
villages around the city. The ministry
of Phillips Brooks gave an impetus to
the growth of the Episcopal church far
beyond anything known before, SO that
the Protestant Episcopal church in Bos-
and influential as any other. Phillips
Brooks was son of st. Paul's, who
then was rector, DIR. Alexander III. Vim
ton, the ablest and most widely
known Episcopal minister of the Iorties
in Boston. He had majestic presence
equal to Daniel Webster's, and of better
proportions, more cOmpactly built. DR..
S. M. .CIark was at Grace church, an
eloquent preacher and popular lecturer,
followed by Dr.. Chas. Mason.
The best kno WI rectors of Christ
Churc in this century were Drs. Asa
Eaton and VIM. Crosswell. DR.. Clinch
of St. Matthew's was for many years Sec
IL
EN-. P. Wells was at st. Stephens, Pur-
chase st. DR.. f. d. Huntington was the
first rector of Emanuel, New bury St.,
Dr.. Randall of the Church of the Messiah.
Rev. VIM. r. Babcock was at Jamaica
Plain. Rev. L. M. Fales was fifty years
at Waltham. Rev. d.. Hoppin was about
as long at Christ church, Cam bridge.
little later Rev. Mr.. Bent was at St.
johns, Charlestown, where he was fol-
lowed by Rev. DR.. Lam bert, socially very
popular.
Trinity and St. Paul's had the longest
list of distinguished divines. Dir. Vim
ton was preceded by Drs. Alonzo Potter,
followed by Rev. Drs. Nicholson, Walden
Courtney and Lindsay. Trinity, at and
after the Revolutio ion, had Drs. Samuel
Parker, Gardner Doane, Hopkins; and
later, Bishops G riswold and Eastburn,
who resigned tine ectorship to Phillips
Brooks. These two parishes have had
succession of pastors second to no other
in Boston or elsewhere.
The Bishops, too, have all been men of
mark, VIZ: Bishops Bass, Parker, Girls
void, Eastburn. Paddock Brooks and
Lawrence. IL ICY, 1f9f3
Fifty years ago there were no very
m arked doctrines or ceremonial differen-
ces; the only exception being in the
Church of the Advent, then newly
formed under the auspices of DR.. VIM.
Croswell as rector, and DR.. Shattuck, a
wealthy layman.e who furnished the
sinews of war (money.) The open purse of
this gentleman aided by few others.
enabled the Advent to begin its course
as a free and open church. 1t was the
first church in Boston and New England
to adopt the principles and methods of
1.-The Oxford Movements" initiated in
England ten years before by the late
Cardinal Newman, and now called the
Catholic Revival" The principal feat
ures OF the new party as proclaimed by
their leaders, were the restration of GER
tain ecclesiastical features obscured or
effaced by the Reformation, viz: The
authority Of the Church and of Tradi-
ton; Apo stole Successionas essential to
valid ministry; the priestly character of
that ministry with sole power to offer
the sacrifice of the altar, receive private
confessions, and pronounce absolution to
individual penltents. 4F@
1t is these fundamental principles en-
bodied in catechetical teaching especially
to children, which have caused the late
contentious in this church far more than
the so-cal!ed high ceremonial" which
has been connected with them They
were not introduced all at once, but
cautiously and gradually as experience
proved that the people would bear them.
Bishop Grlswold, universally revered in
his day, scented the danger from afar,
ana uttered vigorous warnings. But the
brunt of the battle was met by his sue
cessor, Bishop East burn, who was
brave man, firm in his adherence to the
old order, and outspoken in his condem-
nation of "the novelties" which were
destroying the peace of the church. But
in vain so far as many of the clergy
were concerned, as appeared later, when
DR.. DeKoven, the typical ritualist, came
Eear being elected Bishop by the clerical
vote. The subsequent conflict, ending in
the election of Phillips Brooks, is of to
recent occurrence to require reinstatement
here. 1t was said at the time that DR..
Brooks's election to the Episcopate was
owing to his great personal popularit y,
and it was confidently expected and
claimed that his successor would be of
the sacerdotal school. But DR.. Lawrence
who succeeded him, is of the same school
as Phillips Brooks, also the laity of that
and most other dioceses. majority of
the laity, dou btless, are of that school,
and would SO appear if not cribbed,
cablned and confined" by the clergy.
The new Church of the Advent was
recently consecrated 1t is the head
quarters of ritualism, whose services are
model and object 1aSSoDs IN riAOnh vteS