The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-04

journey he preached at Kennebunk, Cor
ham. Freetown, Falmouth and again ut
berwick. Several persons were baptized
who were afterwards received A. mem
bers Of the church In HaverhilL The
next year Mr.. Smith with a committee
from his church again visited Maine,
and on June 20, 1768, organized q church
In Gorham. SIX days later he gathered
church 10 Berwick which, az the North
Berwick Baptist church, the Oldest Of the
denomination In the state. strong In
youth which has been ever renewed, we
hail today. The Baptists were back
again In York County. The dawn of
the permanent Baptist movement In
Maine had come. There was ridiouls. or-
position, persecution. The taxes for the
support Of the town minister must Be
paid though tbs only horse or cow Of q
Baptist household must be seiznu to do It.
Jet In many places were many people
utterly neglected who were waiting for
the gospel and (others troubled ct the low
state OF religion were ready to welcome o
preaching which was In demonstration Of
the spirit and Of power. Through the labors
OF Smith Of Haverhi1l, Vim. Hooper.
who was ordained at Berwick Aug. IA,
iI76, and Nath'l Lord Of Wells, several
churches wers formed in York county,
while in missionary lsnor these men trav-
elled rs far rs the Kennehec. In I77e
we have the beginning OF ssociationsl
fellowship In the brentwood Confer
ence." This was organized in Berwick
and embraced the churches In Der wick
and Sanford and Brentwood N. III. Out
OF this grew the N. II. Association, in
1885, which finally
TOOK THE NAME OF YORK
In 1918. True to the missionary spirit
the pastors of the association Ia I7gs
agreed to furnish occasional supplies for
pastorless churches. and in 1900 oom-
mittee was authori zed to employ mis-
sionary to travel In the eastern part OF the
state. and contributions to that end wers
taken. Meanwhile other centers OF Bap-
list influence had been established. In
1872, Job Macomber,.a chaplain In the
revolution and a member of Isaac Buck
er's church at Middleboro, Mass, came
Into Maine for missionary service.
A letter to his pastor In which Mr..
Maoomber described tine spiritual dssti-
tuition OF the province was read by Isaac
Case, young man or % years, q men,
Der of the church In Dighton, who Tiled
with an intense desire 20 lead men TO
Christ already had rendered important
missionary services in northern Mass.
The new APOSTLE heard his Macedonian
cry. Ordained at Dizhton, Sept 10, 1856,
he at once set out for Maine. AT Bruns-
wick he met james Potter a man in mid
die life. who by independent study and
prayer had come to the baptist position.
The three, Macomber, Potter and Case,
engaged In missionary work as evange-
lists, and with great success. In June,
1884, MIR. Case crossed the kennebeo river
and went to Thomaston. In this place
remarkable revival attended his labors
May ~, 1850, the Thomaston church was
formed with fifty m I'm bsrs. Three days
before the Bowdoinham church was or
ganized and Job MAoomber became its
pastor the Harpswell or East Brunswick
church he'd been organized, Jan 10, 1855,
snd bad James Potter as its minister.
May "a, 1887, the three pastors with dsie-
gates from their churches met In the
mouse of Rev. Job Macomber In Bow
doinhain, and organized the Bowdoinham
Association It's membership was 1888
persons 4
In 1893 the two Associations appointed \
ISAAC CASE AS THEIR MISSION
AIRY
and he resigned his pastorate at Readfeld
to undertake the service. In 1902 the
Massachusetts, Missionary society was
formed. and as their first missionary
designated Elder Isaac Case and John
Trip of Hebron for the Province of Maine.
The Maine Baptist Missionary society
was formed at Readfleld. Sept. 81, 1874,
with Rev. Sylvanus Boardman as presi-
dent, DIR. Cyrus Hamilton, secretary, and
Kew. 0. Billings treasurer. Its purpose
was to provide the preaching of the gospel
In destitute regions.
'The Bowdoinham Association had
now become too large for efficient service,
mum boring 4s churches, 80 ministers
and 2lsl members. In 1905 the sixteen
churches east OF the Kenneebscss were set
OF to form the Lincoln association. In
the same year Rev. Daniel Merrill, pas.
tor OF the Congregational church In
SedgewIck. then the largest In the state,
became Baptist. Immediately he be-
came leader In the denomination, while
several OF his pupils IN theology, VIM.
Allen. Phineas Pnlbsary, henry Hale
and others became successful as mission |
aries, or In the gathering of strong and |
stable churches.
elm 1904 we have the beginning of the |
educational foundations of the Baptists
or Maine. In that year the Great and |
General Court of Massachusetts granted !
to Rev. John Trip, DIR. Cyrus Hamlip, |
William Barro VS. and others the right |
ITO establish Hebron Academy for the |
purpose of promoting piety and virtue, |
and for the education of youth" This |
beacon ON the Oxford hills has never gone |
out. and ii Secretary John ID. Long, |
Hannibal Hamlin, Psroival Bonney and |
othe: such men reioiced In Its earlier |
light, what may we expect from the elsc- |
trio briIl.ancy Of / is present magnificent |
equipment.
FAN event of even greater Importance |
marked
THE SECOND DECADE OF The
CENTURY.
On February 81. 1918, charter was
granted to Daniel Merrill and others for |
a corporation to be known as "Ths Presi- |
dent and trustees of the Maine Literary
and Theological Institution." For its |
support township of land situated far |
up on the Penobsoos river was granted,
but with a wisdom almost prophetic the |
trustees located the institution at Water |
Vile. Rev. jeremiah Chaplin WAS first |
president, first In the succession of noble |
men which includes ChsmpIin Robbins, |
Pepper Small, and the present honorsd |
head Of Colby College DIR. Butler
"These. with the line of professors |
which include such men as Kelley s. b. |
Smith, III. b. Anderson, Q. 4. Hamlin |
and many others have rendered to the |
an inestimabls service not |
only In the class room, but by Itheir high |