Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-24
SOME OLD SCHOOL CLERCYMEN.
Chat About Some Who Served Augusta Long
and Well.


| mcrcia Editor Samuel L. Boardman.
formerly of this city has the following
interesting chat regarding some OF the old
! school orthodox clersymen whose mem
orics are particularly revercd in Augusta
The death of Rev. DIR. Edwin Bonapartc
| Webb-which took place in Wellesley
Mass, on Monday. is more than the pass
ing Of Il single individual. however dis
tuGuished. it is thu. severence of assocIa-
tons and work. and influence which af-
.Cct an entire denomination. the loss of
which Is not confined to a single state.
IN Webb was one Of the most eminent
81 the old school divines of the orthodox
| taith ana one of the most disting uished
OF the many eminent sons OF Maine who
have won professional distinction among
The gifted and cultured at the intellectual
centre of New England. Few among the
leading representatives of Congregation
a,ism in this State and New England in
the decades between 1850 and 1850 Were
or drew larger audiences than DIR. Webb.
! his successors and the members of the
Born in Ncwcast in 1870 Mr.. Webb grad
uated at Eowdoin in 1876. and from the
Theological seminary in li,s city in $50
Amer years study at Princeton he was
called To the paStorate OF the South Con-
greGdtional church in Augusta to succeed
the late Or Benjamin Tappan, who for "A
period Of - years-oue Of the longest pas
torites on record. in any dcnomina ton
during 4 time noted. TOR long pastorates
There MIR. webb married one of the
daughters Of DR.. TAppan, another having
previously married the late Rev John Orr
Fiskc, for MANY years pastor of Con
grcgational church in Eatii-who was Il
graduate, of Rowdoin in the class of Isl.
George ". Field Of this city 4 son Of
DR. Tappan. BeuiafniYf' Tappan, Jr., was
a graduate of Bowdon in 1883. of Bangor
seminary in 1881. and was afterward pas,
tor in Ham"den. Charlestown. Mass. and
Norrdgewock. where he died in lo.a.
During the period when DR.. Webb was
pastor of the old South at Augusta. Mr.
Fske at Bath. Mr.. Tappan al Norridge-
wock il was a time of great success and
profound intiuenc. of CongreGationalism
throughout the State The old landmarks
of the denomination in those places as
low. Litchneld. Winthrop. Yarmouth.
Bangor. Farminston Skowhegan. New
Gloucester. Calais. Searsport and Ma
chias. were At the high tide of their
strength and influence. The ministers at
these places were profound. thoroughly
educated m many We're eloaueaht, am, ana
entail both in and out of their own de-
nominations. Indeed, in those days the
dominant religious body was the Congre-
sational and the ministers of that church
the leading men in the several places
where that denomination was the strohS-
est.
smaller churches in the back towns
when once in Il long time state or coun-
~ conference would be held among them
and these great lights of the denomina-
lion would come among them to give the
occa sional sermon. At such times they
filed the little churches TO their utmost
and the people who listened to them
would talk for a year OF the eloquent ser
mons which were delivered and how the
multitude was fed by their wonderful I'M
folding of obscure scripture texts. me
influence of the "old DR.. Tappan family
in those days-consisting of the venerable
j;vina himself his son. and the two elO-
uuent ministers. DR.. Webb and Dr. flske,
who married his daughters. was greater
than has ever been welded in behalf OF
any religious denomination in Maine, at
any period of its history.
The Influence of that OLD Augusta
church has also been dominant in the or
thodox order down to quite recent years
DR.. Webb was succeeded by DR.. AleXan-
der Mckenzie. native of New Bedford;
from Andover in 1861. lie remained as
pastor OF the old South in Augusta but
Six wears. iS6l-1SG.; married Miss Ellen ii.
Fvcleth of that city in 1850, ana was
rallcd to the pastorate of the Shepherd
memorial church. Cambridge. Mass. in
1857. where he has remained ever since.
one of the more recent pastors was N
Y. and Colorado Springs. now pastor of
one If the leading Unitarian churches i'll
Philadelphia
and devotion are not as common now IN
the work of the ministry as in the days
when Tappan, Webb. Thurston. Sewali,
Halves. Pect Shcrley Hathaway. Fiskc,
and many others were among the great
nreachers of the Orthodox denomination.
GOOD men there are, and those devoted
n church work. but they are less pro
found, not 50 thoroughly educated-inn
mant cases the classical course has not
preceded the theological course. which
was invariably the case in the former
days-and there has ,been. no doubt. an
easing up of strong UNCONVENTIONAL lines
which were drawn SO taut in the earlier
DAYS of the church. When shall we again
soc in the UNCONVENTIONAL pulpits of to-
day men of the scholarship and eloduence
~ which the late DIR. Webb was a mag
nif;cent example. and of which DR.. Nc
Kenzie is so eminent representatives