Norwich bulletin., 1910-05-16
Over 100 Received Into the Church.

| confession Of faith. Of all these just l one aged and faithful disciple still | lives to recall those days of spiritual | blessing in the early thirties.
 The Slavery Controversy.
 It is fitting that in the presence of | men and women who knew and loved pr Arms as they know and love the l church he faithfully served for forty | years, my words should be few. Dr. Arms ministry covered the period of | heated controversy over slavery the
 dreadful years of the Civil war. and the earlier years of reconstruction. In | lS42 there was a general revival, as | result of which eighty-three were l added to our church membership. In 1 lS49 weight were added by pro-
 fession. In the winter of 1866 a great 1 blessing came to large number un- | der the immediate leadership of Rev. I John D. Potter.
 Forward for Second Quarter Millennium 1 The years that have passed more l recently have not been unclouded, but clear skies are not invariably bless | ing and some good accrues from ad- versailles well met. There have been | times of strained feeling and in cases | all too numerous for us to look upon ! with comDlacency there have been de- | factions to other religious bodies. But | Gods blessing has been and is upon | us. The recent organization of the Young Peoples Society of. Christian | Endeavor has harnessed the youth of | the church and parish for religious work and the Christian life. Today | our faith is strong and the church has 1 for years been united. This historical | sketch has indicated less emphasis in 1 these latter days upon ecclesiastical | problems, and rightly so. The new, | the modern empha sis Is placed upon missions home and foreign. We live no longer upon the defensive New England has become the happy hunt ing ground, not of the Indians, but of every race of men under heaven. Our inIA fc fhn and we go forward with courage to the conquest of second quarter -millien- ium in the name of Christ our King. The anthem Jubilate Dec and the benediction by Rev. G. H. Ewing closed the morning services.
 Union Service in Evening. A large audience filled the First Con-
 gregational church at the union
 ice Sunday evening With the pastor, Rev. G. H. Ewing. were seated Dr. Lewellyn Pratt, Prof Williston Walk
 CT and Rev. IT. J. Wyckoff. Rev. Dr. s. H. Howe, Rev. c. H. Ricketts. Rev. Harry BeadIe and Rev D. F. MacLane
 were also present.
 The hymn. Holy Holy, Holy. preced- ed the reading of Psalm 90 by Rev. II. J. Wyckoff The anthem. I Will Lift up Mine Eyes. was sung with fine expression by the full choir. pr. est prayer of thankfulness for the rich blessings of the past of this church, and for their continuance through all the future. and that from this land might go forth streams Of influence that will make glad the city of our God
 Connecticut 250 Years Ago.
 The solo. o Rest in the Lord. by NendeIssohn, which was given in clear. sweet tone by Miss Pratt. was followed by the address Connecticut Two Hundred and Fifty Years Ago, by Prof TViIIicfOl, "a nf
 He said: I cannot help but think of a book written by Captain Johnson seven or eight years before this church was founded-The Wonder-W w orISing Providence of Zion's Saviour. If you had asked the founders of this church why they came here, the answer would have been a mixed one; perhaps gen eraI desire of betterment or land-hun- ger; but deep down in their hearts was the desire to serve God more perfect " and to lay strong foundations for those who should come after them.
 Two hundred and fifty years ago Connecticut had already been sketched out Hartford was founded in 1885. New Haven in 163S- Connecticut had already been pledged by the constitu- tion of 1639-the first written consti tuition of EngIish-speaking people any where Its ecclesiastical constitution was no less fully determined. There had been sEetched out democracy, lib- erty freedom, order and obedience to law.
 Governor Winthrop's Brand.
 Greatest of all the changes at this time was the great change in England when Cromwell died and the king came back. bringing the institutions which the Puritans had opposed. Connecti- cut summoned it's most diplomatic tal ent and sent Governor Winthrop across the Atlantic to win the favor of the king. He procured that most generous and liberal charter which lasted until ISIS. One change to take place was the absorption of the colony of New Haven by Connecticut. The new char ter made one colony out of two. and made our commonwealth foursquare. There were plenty of questions about the political outlook at home and abroad to demand thought. and con sideration, and earnestness, on the part of the founders of this colony.
 Intellectual Life at Meeting House.
 The intellectual life in those days was centered about the meeting house and what it had to give them.
 I think it well to say a good word for the theology of Calvin. It taught the people of old England, Holland. Scotland. and the Huguenots of France to think for themselves as no other people of that age thought for them selves, Calvin's doctrine Of election taught that if man was chosen by God he was chosen not merely to ev- erlasting life but to make Gods will regnant in this world.
 The COnnecIlCuC colony was dlNlueu on the question as to whether children of church members should be mem bers of the church. For t50 years the halfway covenant was in force.
 One other question, should only tax payers have a voice in church coun- | cils was source of division
 The legislature in 1644 decided that | the minister should receive his sup | port from a legally assessed tax. In | the earlier churches the people were | seated according to their dignity; this | heartburnings and this manner of seating was called dignifying tl-2 | meeting house. Thexe were no means of heating the churches until after ] the Revolution.
 New England singing was said to he l not worse than in other parts of the | world There were only five tunes | known in Connecticut,
 The preachers were men of force and ! power and the people of that time l were hungry for the Word of God. The | noontide hour drew people from long | distances. They enjoyed visiting and | over news.
 Our forbears were doing a great | work. far-reaching in it's influence be- |