The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-02-28
AN ANNIVERSARY SERMON
(continued from Ninth Page.)

stallation the old order of worship which had come down from the times of the first settlement of the country, was in use here. It was very bare and uninspiring, and the congregation had little part in it but to sit as listeners. Two reasons, suppose, may be assigned for this order of service. One was the introduction of choirs and choir music in place of Congregational singing. Originally the whole congregation sang. The chorister or precenter, stood in front of the pulpit and the whole congregation joined in the mu- sic There might not have been the harmony in the music, which we have in the present day, but they sang with the spirit and the understanding. and to the edification of each other but after awhile choirs were introduced. and then fuge tunes, in which the con- gregation could not join,, and so the congregation at length became silent listeners. if not admirers of the music by the choir, The other reason was the purpose of the early New England Pur- itans to get as far from the order of service of the Church of England as possible. They accordingly would all low no musical instrument in the church. The Puritans of England had in 1857 expressly declared that the people could join In singing a plain tune but not in tossing the plasm from one side to the other with mingling of organs.
 The Round heads had in 1864 gone through England destroying the noble organs in the churchs, and cathedrals. Only five, it was said, were left unin- jured in all England. For this reason New England Puritans would not adopt readily musical instruments in the churches. The ministers preached against it as though it was relic of Popery. And one of our eminent di- vines of Connecticut, I think it was Dr. Chapin of Rocky Hill, when they introduced base viol into the choir got up and pronounced the hymn to be sung, in this way: "Let us fiddle and sing" then announcing the hymn to be sung.
 Both of the reasons have suggested had influence in giving up singing by the congregation, and having that part of the service performed by the choir. As a result the audience were mere listeners and failed to have any active part in the service of song.
 | A like objection to responsive read I ing what, that it was practiced in the | Church of England and was tendency of popery. Very strenuous objections were made against it's introduction in- to our Congregational churches, but it is now quite generally in vogue. Then l musical selections, such as solos and | quartets were quite out of place in | the sanctuary, but all the objections to 1 the different parts of the worship | which have named have ceased to ex- | ist, or have force, and In place of the bare hymn and reading portion of 1 scripture, prayer and the sermon, our order of service Is enriched with re- l sponsive reading. Selections, chants | and the apostles creed on special occa- sions, and is admired by strangers who occasionally worship with us, and be- comes helpful and inspiring as we unitedly joint in it's different part5. | Another change which has taken place is in having but one sermon on the Sabbath, and giving the afternoon, so ! much as is desired, to the Sabbath school, and the evening to the Christian Endeavor society. This change came about gradually, and seemed a natural l growth, and was rather the imitation of others or patterning after others, rather than an original movement of our own. The change seems to have it's advantages, and the fears of some of us as to it's influence on the parish 3do not seem to have been realized and | I doubt whether any on the congrega- tion would wish to go back to the old order of things.
 With these notices of the changes which have taken place in the sanctu- ary and it's surroundings, and in the order of service and ministries of God house, we turn to the changes which have taken place in the congregation. | But in the first place I notice the change with those who were present on the council for my installation. It I was the 22d of February, a beautiful sunny day, more like day in May I than like the 22d which we have just passed The house was well filled and
 the services were interesting and inn pressive. Many had come from the
 neighboring towns and from the city
 to participate in the marriage of the
 church to it's new pastor.
 Father Putnam was moderator and
 Rev. MT. Frisbie was the scribe. The
 other members of the council were Dr.
 Eustis of New Haven, MT. Staats of
 Orange, Mir Willard of Westville, MT
 Carpenter of Birmingham pr. Eddy Of iWinsted, Dr. Elwood and MT. Dicker-
 man of Seymour. Of these brethren
 only one is now living, the Rev. Mr.
 Frisbie, who was then preaching al Ansonia, but soon was called to the
 First Congregational church of Des
 Moines Ia., where he is still preaching
 as pastor of that church.
 The deacons of this church at that
 time were Deacon Reuben Beecher
 Deacon William Peck and Deacon Hor.
 ace Peck The superintendent of the
 Sabbath school was Brother Nelson
 Newton. These have all been deat several years. Of the society's com
 mittee and of the church committee
 who conveyed to me the call of tht
 church and society only one is still liv.
 ing. The sexton of the church at thai
 time, Davis Newton, is dead. Of tht
 male. members of the church at tha
 time only two are living in the place
 and are connected with the church
 There are some twenty females, wht