The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-12-31

keen vision and ready utterance of your
historian will not present to you, while
the living ex-pastors will turn over the
later pages of your record with an inter
est impossible to such casual and arm g.
length acquaintance as mine."
From Prof. F. B. Denio, Bangor.
/ give my hearty congratulations for the
blessing which your church has been to
the community during the past century,
and hope that in the hundred wears
following you will be able to grow into
more power and usefulness.
Prof. John S. Sewall, Bangor.
would give me great pleasure if l could
be present and share in the festivities of
enter on her new century with increased
vigor and faith and will accomplish in the
Masters name still greater things than
she has in the past
From Rev. j. E. Adams, Bangor.
shall be with you in spirit, for have the
most pleasant remembrances of the grand
| old church. 1t has had a noble record.
and 1t is stronger than ever to- day
Among the pastors, Rev. Silas NJ Keen
| comes to mind, who in 1888 impressed
| me, BOY, as a stern, reSolute, vigorous
leader, yet man who had loving heart,
and who labored for the salvation of souls
and to build up the church." Mr.. Adams
| then spoke in complimentary terms of the
other pastors, Messrs Cutler, Cutter.
Parker, Ross and Hack, and concluded !:
May the history of the new epoch, OPEN
ing at the threshold of the Goth century,
be full of grand achievements and rich
privileges -
From Rev. S. H. Hayes, Boston.
rejoice to think your church has such a
history, the very thought OF which stirs to
the depths the best minds and hearts,
have personal interest in this church.
In 1916 | married Elizabeth Bean, whose
pious life was consecrated to her family
and to Christ and who died early in 1868. -
From Rev. E. P. Parker, Hartford, Ct.
-''1t would be pleasant for me on many
accounts, to be with you and your peoIs
on that occasion, but do not see my way
clear to do so. The church in Belfast,
associated as it is in my thoughts with
my honored and beloved fathers pastor
ate there, will ever be dear to me.''
Mrs. Sarah Z. Buck, Bucksport-''T
most pleasant associations of my youth
are in connection with my Belfast home
in the family of Uncle and Aunt Beaman,
when l was closely identified with your
church and parish. | have always con-
sidered myself fortunate in my youth in
having Mr.. Parker for my pastor and
warm friend as well. l extend congratu-
lations that you enter upon your second
century under so favorable auspices and
with the hope that you may be strength
ened in every good word and work.
After the reading of the letters the choir
sang Coronation, and the exercises closed
with benediction by Rev. G. G. Winslow.
The members and visitors We're then in
vlted into the church parlors, which were
very prettily decorated, where an in
formal reception was held and tea served
The evening congregation Was large and
all We're well repaid for their attendance
by the Interesting exercises, especially
the able address by DR.. Field, and the
singing of the Centennial Hymn written
10y Mrs. Anne A. Starrett raig. The ex-
ercises opened with an organ voluntary
Meditation, by Leyback, followed by
the anthem, "lraise ye the Father by
Gounod, and responsive readings. Prayer
was offered byRey j. p. Cushman, and the
chorus sang the selection, Redemption, -
by Gounod. The historical address by
Rev. Geo w. Field. D. d., of Bangor
was as follows:
II sh from Londonderry, n. H, landed ON
these shores aud gave to the place the name
OF the most prosperous and fortunate city.in
that part of Ireland from which they came
Belfast: place which in its general features
is not unlike our own, divided bv a river
which (there as here emptes into Belfast
bay. which loses itself i'll the larger Irish
Sea, as ours in the Penobscot Bay, and then
becomes part of the great which
washes either shore If the word Belfast
means "beautiful harbor' i'll the Old Irish,
as have heard affirmed on the strength of
learned authority then the nan has
an Inherent appropriateness beside that
which comes from Its association with the
parent city,-for beautiful harbor it certain
ly ls, when seen at its best, with full tide
and in the glory of its summer surround
lngs, surpassed IN quiet picturesque beauty
by few places in the land
We are here to celebrate the centennial of
our church, but the real history of this church
goes back beyond the time when hundred
years ago it was enthusiastically organized to
the day when the town first came into eX-
lstence. The original settlers We're pious,
God-fearing men, and their object in coming
here was to found a church as we'll as a
town, and they kept this object steadily in
view from the Iirst day of their arrival to
the last days of their lives The most i'm
portant part of the history of the church. GER
tainly the most interesting and picturesque
part OF 1T IS that which transrired before the
church came into existence enthusiastically
can only touch upon it briefly.
Inns, let me say, that my study of this
early part of the churchs history has given
me very hearty respect for the original
settlers as men of earnest and genuine char
aeter, as well as profound pity and sympa-
thy for them in the difficulties and hard
ships of their work. They were Scotch
irish, as we have said, of as good blood as
the world owns, of a race famous for their
strength and persistency of purpose, for
their love of liberty, for their general intelli-
gence, and for their religious zeal And their
lives We're full of hardship.
From the first day of their landing, when
one homesick soul wrote back to friends in
Londonderry: eff ever L felt to cry in nv
life, it was when we first set foot on this
shore; no cleared land in sight, and no house
except our cabin, composed of logs, through
which holes were cut for doors and windows,
with hemlock bark for roof,' on from this
hrst day through all the privations newt
ahe to new settlement in the wilderness
prlvations aggravated by the troubles and
dlstresses OF the Revolutionary war; and of
the second war with England, on up to the
last, the life of these original settlers was an
unbroken experience of hardships, difficult
tles and dlsappontments. If sutferings call
for sy mpathy from all men, how much more
from those for whom the suferngs were en-
dured, or to whom good has come in conse-
quence of them 1t would be shame to us
II we could look back upon what our fathers
went through without feelings of deep SYM
pathy and OF profound gratitude.
Their religious zeal and their high char
acter is Seen all through their history, nota-
bly, in two votes which proprietors of the
nav soft +l l. r.