The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-04-18
CATH0LIOITY: THE OLD PORTS
MOUTH CHURCH.

CATH0LIOITY: THE OLD PORTS
MOUTH CHURCH.
WE find the following interesting
article in the Pawtucket, r. l., Gazette
and Chronicle. If we are not mis-
taken it comes from Rev. Massena
Goodrich, of that city, who has fire.
quently contributed to The UN1vER-
sALIST'
"On Saturday somewhat old meet
ing house in Portsmouth, N. H., was
burnt. 1t was an attractive edifce,
and was nearly century old. It was
in some respects historic structure.
1t was occupied by the Universalist
parish, the third Universalist parish
established in this country. The
writer was won't to worship in the
fame in his late boyhood and earlier
manhood. Among those whom he
occasionally heard preach there were
the Rev. Hosea Ballou, the Rev. Sc
bastian Streeter, Rev. Walter Balfour,
Drs. Hosea Ballou, I'd, Thomas Whit
temore and Sylvanus Cobb. Among
the pastors to whom he listened were
Rev. T. F. King, father of t. Starr
King; Rev. Moses Ballou, and DIR. Il.
w. Montgomery. Of these the only
one now living is DR.. Montgomery.
But last Saturday, in a violent north
west gale, a fire broke out which
utterly consumed the structure.
Flakes of fire foated from the doomed
fame, which set forty or fifty build
ings afame, though fortunately most
of them were extinguished.
ga pleasant incident occurred during
the fire. There was in the pulpit a
large Bible, printed over two centur-
les ago, which was snatched from the
devouring flames by Rev. DR.. Hovey,
the pastor of the old historic st.
Johns chapel, of the Episcopalian
denomination. A century ago or
more, Rev. John Murray, the pioneer
Universalist preacher in this land,
used to preach occasionally in that
church. Mr.. Murray had migrated
to this country to get rid of preach
ing. He was SO importuned by per-
sons in our land, however, who had
heard of his fame, that he consented
again and again to preach. His
labors were confined at first to the
Atlantic seaboard, and he pushed as
far east as Portsmouth. In one of his
visits he preached to a Calvinistic
congregation that had lately lost its
pastor, and received an invitation to
settle with them. Leaving the town
for short time, however, that he
might deliberate about the matter, he
found on his return that stories had
come from abroad, charging him with
heresy, and that the invitation was
withdrawn. But the Episcopalian
parish promptly held a meeting and
invited him to preach in their church,
and accompanied this request with
an invitation to preach for them
whenever he was in town; and begged
him to regard the privilege, not as
benefit conferred on him, but as
favor granted to them.
cit is pleasant to think that the
present pastor of st. Johns parish
rescued the ancient Bible from the
threatening flames. Parishes and
homes of every denomination have
still use for the old Scriptures. The
stricken parish will think with pleas
ure that the rector saved for them
those living Oracles. And it is graft
flying to mention that the old North
Church Congregational, rendered
their Westinghouse to the Universal
list parish for meeting on last Sab
bath afternoon. The bell that hung
in the steeple was saved. 1t was cast
by Paul Revere, of Revolutionary
fame"