Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-07-08
A UNION SERVICE.
Drs' Crothers md Atkins the Speaker.
SMNdNy INcnlnr.

DIS. Crothcrs md Atkins the SPEAKER,
sunday Evening.
Seven clerygmon were present at thu
union services which were held in Aha
First Church Sunday eve. at 7.3o. They
were tho Nevs. s. NJ. Crothers G.. n
Atkins. r. n Penney. c. J. staoles. e
V. Grismer. F.. g. Guthrie and T. g.
Smart. The regular choir was Increased
to nine and all of the music was 1neiv
rendered. The opening services were
conducted by the Revs. Penney staplee
ana Grismer. Mr. Guthrie Introduced
| the Rev. DR.. Crothors. Of the first parish
Of Cambridge, Mass. and the Rev DR.
Atkins Of the First Congregational
Church Of Detroit Mich. The Re,. Dr.
Crothers spoke somewhat as follows.
This celebration. in which we ara
about to participate. Is not Of merely
local significance. it Is Of national I'M
port. and more than national imnort We
are In the habit Of measuring tho INT,
ted States with ono country of Eurone.
that IL not right. We should measure r.
with Europe as n whole for America
| is the great prophesy Of European pact
fcation in parliament Of mon. tn tho
old world this consrmnation seems afar
"ll' ou' WIN us II has been made ac-
tual by tho amalgamatlon Of races We
are not nation. but nation Of ma
tions We are accustomed to speak NJ
the Pilgrim Fathers. but theirs Is not
the only strain Of blood in America
There were churches in Arizona and
New Mexico before tho Pilgrims land
cd. We have always been most closely
| connected with the life Of the old world.
and ne have always been in process OF
making something In the history of the
world. The American idea is not OF a
single strain of blood rather ia it a
great human ideal Of brotherhood and
friendship.
France has made three great contr,-
buttons to our growth and to our life.
Champlain, by his discovery was the
first to give something to our life In
our struggle with England. Franco.
through Lafayette made possible orr
independence. But a greater debt. even
than these do we owe to John Calvin
and his influence In the religious lfe
His spirit, tempered and interpreted.
came over in the Maynower and his in
fuence IS still strong IN our inmost life.
All these great influences. woven into
our national life. have become part OF
rs and have aided the brotherhood Of
man to work out
AS we think Of this which has been 90
ing on in the past. this building UP Of a
national life by great and diverse forces.
+ is our duty TO coreecrato oilrselvos ~
the betterment 81 the future Our ma
ton is on 4 pilgrimage to the high goal
Of the fusion Of races This is the path
and we must follow It TO the and.
DIR. ATKINS.
Or Atkins followed DR.. Crothers and
said in part:
All dav. in the public events which
have taken place. the spiritual and the
material have been interwrought; the
memories of noble past with reverence
and worship. We have begun our cele-
hraton in the presence Of the altar Of
God. This fact has something more in IL
than mere ceremony; it is deeper than a
custom Where shall we go for tho
meaning Of history II not to the churches
Of history? History is a spiritual pro-
cess and We can only understand IL az
We understand the motives Of men Be-
meath the names, and dates. and facts o.
empirical history are the will and the
desires. and tho faith of men, A battle
field Is in the last ANALYSIS the meeting
place of hostile wills. PHILOSOPHERS and be-
liefs There Is reality behind appearance,
spiritual force behind moving bodies Of
men.
And because We are dealing with spirit
ual qualities in history we must under
stand how men stand toward their
faiths and what is their relation II tho
divine. We must interpret their
acts in the light of their aims and
ends, Hence. what we do on earth
must be in relation to the Will 81 God
or 1t is empty OF real meaning Al
ways men have come back 10 things
of the spirit for their Interpretation
of the past and for their strength n
the fight of the immediate present.
We start from the church on our car
Ger of social development, and we
come back to the church to know the
past Neither state nor citizenship
that Is not based on true religion can
endure, we must have the vision os
the city of God to build beautiful
city and we must know submission
to the will OF God in order to create
a regnant city. Every great epoch In
the worlds history Is the meeting OF
what has been with what is 10 he. II
Is then that the present is Illuminated
and we can see to so on Let us. then.
come back TO our affairs for guidance.
and to thank God for what has been.
and to bow our heads for consecra-
ton by the touch OF what shall be. Il
this is done all will be well with the
republic.
After DR.. Atkins had concluded Mr..
Guthrie made short prayer. MI
Smart. of the College Street Church.
pronounced the benediction. the
church was hlled to overfowing with
n large congregation which heard
with deep interest the two sermons