Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-28
OLD HoPEDALE COMMUNITY
interesting Volume by Adm eaIIou Edited
BY w. S. Haywood.

"History Of the Hopedale Community
from it's inception to its virtual summer
gence in the Hopedale parish; by Adm
Ballou, VIM. S. Haywood, editor" This
volume Of AIS pages, just printed, the
editor, Rev. VIM. S. Haywood. says in
his introduction to the work, is the sec
ond in the list Of those prepared by the
author, the late Rev. Adm Ballou, and
left in manuscript at the time of his
decease with definite instructions in re-
gard to their publication. This volume
contains the story of an undertaking
with which Mr.. Ballou's name was
more closely identified than that Of any
other person, to which he devoted the
best wears of his life, ami for which,
out of a disinterested desire to promote
the well being and happiness of his fell
low-men, he was willing to both labor
and suffer reproach."
It's acknowledged founder, and the
Trainer of its constitutional polity, &C
uuainfed with all its members and IA
miliar with it's methods Of operation,
throughout its entire career, beginning
upwards of fifty years ago, Mr., Ballou,
above all others, was qualified to be its
historiographer and It's ambassador to
United States history beginning with
the year 1910, was characterized by an
unprecedented manifestation among the
people at large of that enthusiasm
for humanity" out of which great NOR
al reforms chiefly spring, and all endea-
vors for the amelioration of the condi-
ton of the suffering masses OF men, and
for the betterment of the world, have
their origin. These great movements,
benificent in their object and intent,
however small may have been their
pecuniary dividends, Included the we'll
remembered Brook-farm community at
Roxbury, Of which more or less has
been already said Of late, and the North
ampton community, merged in the pres
ent village of Florence, a suburb of
Northampton, and similar attempts to
revolutionize the world on moral and
Christian plane, in other places
The Hopedale community was espec-
Tally q Systematic attempt to establish
an order of human society based upon
the sublime ideas of the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man, as
taught and illustrated In the gospel of
Jesus Christ'' an attempt to actualize
in this present world, under the limita-
tionS of time and sense, the scripture
idea of Kingdom of God on EARTH
OF the more than sixty communities
referred to above, based on a similar
object, not one now remains. Hopedale
was one Of the first to be organize and
started on it's experimental way, and
one of the last to be finally abandoned
The primordial germ, of which the
Hopedale community was the natural
growth and contamination, first mani
tested itself in Mr.. Ballol's mind, as
he says, about the time Of the opening
of the year 1889. At that time he was
pastor of the ancient first church and
parish in old Mendon, where he had.
been eight years. After Conferences
with Others of similar views, a stand
ard or platform of principles was adbnt-
ed, in April, 1899, signed by "Adin Raj
lou, David r. Lamson, George w sta
cey Daniel s. Whitney, and VIM H
Fish, ministers; Charles Giadding VIM
W, Cook, laymen concurring," intended
to cover the whole ground OF personal
and social righteousness -on the hipb
plane Of practical Christianity s,1s-
tained and upheld by frequent ouofa-
tons of texts from Scripture. They
styled themselves as Christians. their
creed that of the New Testament. their
religion as love, their supreme law the
will of God their grand object the res
toration OF man to righteousness. by the
promotion Of useful knowledge, moral
Improvement, and Christian perfection;