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

history, ends as the smallest, the pastor
preaching for nothing during the last two
years OF his ministry, and being obliged to
go to law. to secure not this but arrearages of
the previously reduced salary; and the un.
animity with which he was first settled was
| equalled only by the unanimity with which
ne was at last dismissed, October, 1873. The
dlssenslons which were originated under the
former ministry were intensified by the un-
| fortunate circumstances OF the second min
| lstry. AS one consequence of the want of
harmony under MIR. Johnson's administra-
ton, two new religious societies were form
ed, the Methodist and the Baptist, so that
there were three in our little village, neither
OF them, as is usual, strong enough to do
much good alone, and neither of them broad
enough and Christian enough to act with the
| others.
1t would be very unjust to attribute all
thls to the pastor in those days sectarianism
| was in the atmosphere Mr. Crosby in
his sketches of Belfast pays a very high
tribute to the intellectual ability of Mr..
johnson, so high that one is almost disposed
to think that the Governors memory had
1ailen asleep, and that he must have been
tnlnklng OF his more gifted son. Judge John
son, who bore his fathers name. The few
published sermons of Mr.. johnson would not
seem by any means to bear out the high es-
innate
On the whole, 1 think that Mr.. Johnson's
cnlef claim to the memory and the gratitude
family which in the successive generations
| ana IN It's various affiliated branches has
Done so much for the business enterprise,
1or the wealth, for the intellectual life and
| culture OF the community.
| think that all who have followed me so
| lar Will agree with me that our good fathers
mad mad hard time in their efforts to es-
| tapllsh the institution of the gospel. There
IS something very pathetic in their condi-
tlon. ihey are growing old their hairs are
whitening for the grave; they have fought
| tnelr way through two great wars, the Rev
olutionary war and the war of 1872. There
has been no form nor degree of hardships or
| OF sell sacrifice which they have not suffer-
ed and suffered willingly for the good of the
town OF which they are the fathers. And
nov now the worn out old men are passing off
the stage, without leaving behind them that
which they deem the chief good of any COM
munlty, firmly established religious insttu-
| tions.
From the day when they first began to
agltate the building of church up to the
enjoyment OF religious privileges; it has
been constant conflict and storm. Grant
that partly this has been their own fault
The per feroidum iagenium' which their
earnest historian attrl butes to the Scotch
this heightened by the fiery and possibly
somewhat contentious quality which the
irish element mingled with their blood, may
have been somewhat responsible for it, But
before we condemn them, let us consider
how closely this very persistency, this un-
yleldlng, perhaps somewhat contentious
element, may have been connected with
that strength and earnestness of conviction
and that intense love of liberty, which led
them to abandon their native country rather
than submit to a form of worship which
they did not approve, and to found govern
| ment IN this wilderness, the ha.dships of
which they endured the blessings of which
we are reaping. And as we see them now
| drawing TO the close of their career seem
| lngy batf1ed and foiled in their purpose, we
VIII give them our sympathy and our pity.
| NO wonder that their thoughts turned back
| longingly to the dear old home IN London
derry, where are peace and harmony and
! all the privileges of the Gospel" In very
! touching letter addressed to the old church
| we find, among other things, these W ortls:
/ We hear Of youl prosperity both telIl-
| poral and spiritual things, that you have
! become rich in this worlds goods, that you
are united ami happy in the support of the
truth that you are favored with active, de-
voted, faithful pastors. Alas 1t is rot so
with us w hen we emigrated to this town,
, 1t Is alnentabie that we departed from the
good example of our Fathers in not bringing
/ our spiritual guide with us. But uotWlth-
standing our cmharraSs ments and our d.
visions, We indulge foud hope that IN some
way, the Lord viii enable us soon To settle
| Davidson, MOrriSon or Il MrGrtror one
the consultations anti the faith of the Gn4pel -"
( rms fond wish was not tu be gratltied-at
/ once certainly. A worse trial, a sorer con-
! tilct awaits them than any previous one.
MI johnson retlres from the stage. MIR.
! rockingham enters-Mr rockingham, a
minister to be spoken of with all respect, a
/ deVouti studlous man, happier among his
| books than anywhere else in the world,
averse through his whole nature to strife
| and contention, fond above all things of
/ nanp h.
cure it to keep in the back ground as far as
he conscentlOusly could views an senti-
| mentS which might lead to controversy and
division. 1t was not Mr. rockingham who
| was responsible for the fierce contention on
| which the church now enters. 1t was The
great Unitarian controversy which was
| sweeping over all the New England
| churches, and which was sure, sooner or
| later to strike on our shores, and which
reached us with the advent of Mr. Froth-
| ingham; none too soon. 1t was needed to
| purify the religious atmosphere, heavy and
| fetld with an almost deadly Calvlnism. |
| should be insincere If | did not frankly say
that do not regard the original Unitarian
detection as an unmtigated evil by any
means: rather, perhaps, one of the great
| est blessings which ever came to the Purl-
tan church. Remember, it was not the or
| thodoxy of to-day against which the re-
| volt was. 1t was a kind of orthodoxy which
| if 1t were preached in our pull pits to-day the
great majority OF the church members and
| the congregation would Use against it with
a protest as indignant that which came
| from the unitarians three quarters of cen
| tury ago. PredestinatIon, election, repro
| baton, God ordaining sin, that ne might
| overrule it for his own & lory, total depravity
| inherited, necessitatlng sin for which never
| theless the sinner is held accountable to
such an extent that he is righteously doomed
| therefor to a punishment eternal in time
| and terrible beyond conception, Adams
| guilt arbitrarily imputed to his posterity and
| Christs righteousness arbitrarily imputed to
| the beliver,-these with other kindred doc
| trines, making a fearful caricature of that
| blessed Gospel of Gods love which the New
Testament teaches and which the church of
| to-day procaims; it was against this system
| that the protest came. and as | said 1t came
none too soon for the good of the church OF
i OF the world: only e reaction, in its in
| tenslty and violence, went too far as is apt
| to be the case with all reactions, and passing
| on beyond the obnoxious doctrines which
| Were the real head and front of the offence,
| fastened upon the Deity of Christ, God man
! lfest i'll the flesh, IA truth in which the
/ church has always felt that the love of God
| shines forth III It's most attractive and di-
| vlnest light Even this truth Puritan Calvin
| ism had more or less darkened and deform-
| ed,-the humanity being lost sight of behind
the divlnty,-the Infinite Friend and Guide
| lost sight of in the Infinite Sacrifice. The
| idea of the wrath of the Father appeased by
| the blood of the Son, gave harsh, narrow
| and material aspect to the truth in which