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

convention IA established on good
business basic. 1t halls with gratitude
and hope the increased interest on the
Fart OF many pastors aud churches In this
work. The favor of God through which
the success OF the past twenty five years
has been secured, has besn clearly seen
In both the financial and the missionary
history OF thu past year. The doors Of
opportunity are open wide. A divine re-
source Is available to the prayer of faith.
Loyalty to the worlds Redsemer will
bring every buInan power into service
The methods Of the past year have proved
successful and II prayeRfully and earnestly
employed are capable of the broader sue
cess which the future will demand. Re.
spectfuiy submitted on behalf OF tho tx
ecutive COMMITTEES.
The report of Secretary A. L. Damn
was next in order, followed by addresses
by State Missionaries U. X. Young and
Nathan HINT.
This evening the principal business was
the historical address of Rev. K q. Whit
temcre, OF DaInariscotta This address,
which was OF great value and interest
reviewed the whole histUry OF the Baptist
denomination In Maine. MIR. Whittemore
said In part:
sin 1851 there appeared before the First
Baptist Church Of Boston, William Screv-
en-, probably son or near relative OF the
English William, ana Hum phrey Church
wood, both OF kittery in the Province of
Maine.
"They sought admission Ito the church
and license to preach for Screven on the
ground that "there was ut hittery a oom
petent number of we'll established people
whose hearts the Lord had opened, who
professed their hearty desire
TO the following of Christ and to partake
Of all his holy ordinances according to his
blessed institutions and divine appoint
tul
Mass law which established the Congre-
gational church as a department of the
state to he supported by taxation while
neglect of its functions AMI opposition TO
its teachings were to bs punished as
penal offence was in full force in the
Province OF Maine. All this In the oon-
vicsion that the established religion and
church order were essential to the COM
monwealth. These laws made immediate
trouble for William Screven and the little
band of Baptists who held to
PERSONAL FREEDOM IN RELIC
IoUS BELIEF
and worship. They were brought before
magistrates charged with holding relig-
ious gatherings contrary to law. Sereven
was accused of blasphemous words against
the holy ordinance OF infant baptism. He
was imprisoned, but the Baptists oon-
tinued their meetings for worship. At
their request Rev. Isaac Hull and two
brethren of the First Baptist Church Wis
tied Kittery, where. Sept. IS, 1852, the
first Baptist Church on the soil Of Mains
was organized and William Soreven was
ordained as its pastor. PROSECUTIONS were
redoutled until early in 1854 both church
and pastor lsft Kittery for South Corlina,
convinced that the days of religious free
dom in New England were not yet. At
Somerton on Cooper River, and at
Charleston, they originated the movement
which has produced the great Baptist
Denomination in ths South. Thus early
did the Baptists Of Maine become the in
voluntary missionaries of the faith. For
over three quarters Of q century the voice
OF the Baptist was not heard preaching
In the wilderness of Maine. Let US not
forget. however, the exiled church OF
Sereven. 10 il there came In 1859 a
young man who had just bssn graduated
at Prineeton college In the class with
James Manning. the first President of
Brown, Hezeklah Smith, magnificent
specimen Of physical. intellectual and
spiritual manhood. He was ordained as
an evangelist. In 1894 he came to New
England and gathered the fret Baptist
Church In HayerhilI Of which he became
pastor, May ., 1895, with the privilege Of
travelling as q missionary evangelist
wherever duty might lead In the even
ing OF Lord's Day. June 81, 1861. We ind