The Republican journal., 1896-12-31
The Republican nal Thursday Morning December 3D. 1896

uays LOT tne mail to carry the intelligence to
olm IN his Vermont home. Now we flash
our words across the continent if need b.. in
few minutes These, and ten thous nd
other things like them which might be men.
tloned, are only typical of similar chan yes
which have taken place in the Intellectual
and moral worlds. There is not book UPON
any branch of science used in nv ch,Idhnod
men would not to-day be accounted
ludicronsly deficient All history has been
re-wrltten Philosophy in some departments
mas been re-arranged. 1t would be
sad pity if such advances had been M .de
IN every other department and theology
had been left tagging in the race WITH
out some corresponding advance. II has
not been so. Perhaps at no period sine. the
church began to he, except at the Reforma-
ton, as there b en- UGH foment of III ought
within the church as within the last so wears,
olch change and progress, such quiet drop
ping OF great deal that had gradually be-
come obsolete-of great deal that had
come down to us from medieval theology
such return on all sides to the simplicity of
the Christianity of the early ages +; such an
increased emphasis given to those simple.
grand truths OF Christianity which are potent
upon the life and character, and such a
dropping ut of pulpit endorsements and
out OF popular religious thoughts of the
truths which are Indifferent in their intiu-
ence on character. The change Of the
central point of our theologt from The decrees
OF the Sovereign Ruler to the love Of the
, Infinite Father manifested in the person of
christ, the new way of reading the Old
testament, made imperative by the new
hight thrown upon it by scholarship and
research; the reaction in our preaching of
| character above either formal works or
a formal faith; in the substitution
IN the place of excessive and unwhole-
some appeal to fear as a motive. the
more Scriptural appeal to conscience, to
love, to all the higher and nobler impulses
OF our nature-the larger hope for the future
life-the assertion that if any are finally lost
u Is because the infinite resources of Infinite
Love are batf1ed in its attempt to save them
1t any are eternally lost it IS because thew
eternally choose to be lost. These are few
OF the things which indicate the change
that has come over the faith of the church
and the preaching of the pulpit during the
century that has elapsed since this church
was organized. And in this we see def
mite hope for the future-in this and in every
way we see hope. The progress of the past
the past that we, ourselves have seen-the
past that this day reveals to us-the sugges-
tions and intuitons of our natures, Still
more the teachings and the whole spirit of
the Bible, lead us to look forward hopefully
The same agencies that have wrought i'm
provement hitherto will do the same in the
future and in larger measure, because these
agencies are constantly having freer scope
and wider range of action and therefore T
come, in indefinite progression till the bless
ed time shall come of which the Bible
speaks, when love and praise to God, peace
and good will to men shall fill the earth.
even as the waters cover the sea
Who can doubt it that believes in
a God OF love, sovereign in the Uni
verse? Let those who reject the Bible
who believe that the world is the result Of
chance or of unntelligent and unfeelng
laws = let them despair, let EN- look for
ward gloomlly to something worse and vet
worse, to the final doom that sweeps every.
thing back to nothingness. But let those who
believe in Christianity, who believe that in
Unite love and wisdom are supreme in the
Y nlVerSe-thoSe above all who believe that
God appeared in the form of man to show
his interest in humanity and to reveal his
purposes OF mercy-let them hold on to large
hope, which is their right and privilege and
look forward to what the coming years and
generations and centuries are to bring with
cheerful and rejoicing assurance
Tine latter part of DIR. Fields address we were
unable to have revised by him and it contains
errors for which he must not be held responsible /
Following the address the congregation
sang the Centennial Hymn, which we here
give:
do this in remembrance of me-, said the Christ
Disciples OF Old heard and needed the call
AND SO there was formed the first Church of our
Lord,
Opedlent TO Him who is Sa Jour of all.
And down through the ages Christ's call has been
heard
And brave and true men His word have
obeyed,
Oh, thank Him tonight for the faith of the past !:
On, thank Him for conquests our fathers have
made.
Give thanks for own Church, century old,
win honor and love we would greet her to-
night;
century long she has stood in the world,
AND strven to show that in Christ is found
light.
rms past snail now teach the goodness of God :;
HIS manifold mercies let every sing.
we turn from the past-and the present is here
Demanding allegiance to Christ, our great
King.
The past is forever beyond our recall;
The present God gives us to for Him still
With love and with loyalty so let us work
That each one shall daily be doing His will
The benediction was pronounced by DR..
Field.