The Portland daily press., 1898-11-25


day of trial, allegiance to the venerable
prelate on the Tiber would take prece-
dence of national demands. But in the
swamps and hospitals of Santiago and on
our great battleships, North and South,
East and West, Protestant and Roman
Catholics stood side by side We have
"a union of lakes and union Of lands
A union of states none can sever.
A union of hearts a nd UNION ol Manu-, ~
And the flag OF our union ioresef.
Secondly. we are thankful for our
church. Not my church, not your ohuTcn,
but the church esteemed by each one Oh US
the best help to our highest life. Inc
Pilgrims on the beach at Plymouth the
Dutch in New Amsterdam, the Hugueno1s
in the Carolinas. took possession IN tne
name Of God. Our nation Is nothing II
not devout and reyerential. But the
peculiar charm is in the perfect freedom
accorded each man to worship as his con-
victions dictate. There is no chain IN this
Book, no gag on my lips, no sentinel at
yonder door. 1t is not, II am SO good rs
you are" but, s'you are as good as AM,
that +. expresses our spirit today. how
much this has COST In nothing Is 1T SO
hard to be magnanimous as in religious
opinion. Who can tell the story of the
long struggle from the days OF Paul, the
first evangel of the broader faith; OF st.
Bartholomew blood and Smithfield fires,
of IPolycarp the aged and Perpetua and
Felicitas in the ampitheatre, of Alden
the missionary and Oswald the king, and
Caedman, first English Christian bard;
of Boniface, and the venerable Bed1, OF
Gregory the VIII, and Bernard of Clair
raux of Francis of Assist and Dorumic
with his fiery zeal, of Wycliff, and Huss,
of Savanorola and Luther, of Latimer,
Knox, Bunyan aud Wesley. Nor has the
conflict been confined to other shores.
1t is not surprising that our forefathers
who had never known liberation should
have put the thumb screw on dissenters
in New England. The Roman Catholics
were prosecuted, the Episcopalians adj
mitted ON sufferancs, Roger Williams
banished for his creed and Jesse Lee
found no torchlght procession to greet
his proclamation of the Gospel as he
believed it. But here we are today the
representative OF staid New England
orthodoxy by the side of restless liberal
list; lineal defendant of the itinerants
saddle bag speaks with freest utterance
and this is Baptist meeting house. We
sskeep the unity of the spirit in the bond
of peaceP'
But I must not forget that this is pre-
eminentIy home day. Last night the
trains were crowded, going home.
Whether in city, palace or tenement OF
generous country farm house, as the peo-
pie of the land celebrate this holiday the
central thought will be the home. Not
the Roman home with man the master;
not the Teutonio home with woman the
purchased chattel; not the Oriental hom G
with woman mere toy; but the Chris
tian home bounded by love, canopied by
love; men and women standing side by
side, sharing the burdens, helping one
another, sacrificing everything for the
little ones. oh what memories cluster
about the old home! They cool our few
cred temples like the tanning of angel.
wings.
| Go home then and make this for your
Children and friends the happiest day of
the bounty prepared for you be sure your
generous hand has added bounty to some
less favored table. IT a shadow falls
across the hearth with the memory of the
brightest. cheriest, in last years group,
who is absent today-absent from earth,
absent forever, and you bow your head in
grief. let your thanksgiving for the love
of the dear ones gone, and the joy of the
dear ones present, and hope big with i'm
mortality, make this dag ring with the
melody of Christian gratitude.
The suggestive discourse was listened tc
with the closest attention and apparently
deep satisfaction by the audience.
The concluding prayer was made by the
Rsv. Mr.. Ayres, the national anthem
America" given out by the pastor, and
the benediction pronounced by DR..
Fem.
Among the churches represented by pas
tors were the Baptist, Methodist, Con
gregational, Episcopalian, Universalist
Unitarian, Free Baptist and Lutheran
In the congregation were affiliants O.
other churches.
THANKSGIVING SERVICES AT
CATHOLIC CHURCHES.
Large congregations assembled at al
the Catholic churches on Thanksgiving
day. At the Cathedral the solemn high
mass was celebrated by the Rev. G. W.
Collins The Cathedral choir rendered
appropriate music. At St. Dominic
Father Hurley oficiated and the must,
was fine.
| THANKSGIVING AT DEAF SCHOOL
At / p. m, regular old-fashione'
Thanksgiving dinner was served at tn,
School for the Deaf.
At 7.30 the play of Cinderella in panto
nyi van NV tho cv,, nh 11,av, z,