Norwich bulletin., 1910-03-03
EMANCIPATION
FROM MORTGAGE.

| CONTINUED i4om Page Five.)
her stakes" for a new spread of can
vas to cover growth
Standing as you do today upon this
removed which must have been at
many times as an Obsession hindering
| advance, you have occasion not only
to express profound gratitude to God
for His precious leading, but you will
| see in a marked degree. believe. His
reckoning hand inviting to a greater
and more gracious service in His
Kingdom than ever in your history.
During the first % years of organic
| alton and development under Elder
| Sherry's ministry, there were but two
recorded times of refreshing, viz, 1911
| and 1919. Considerably more than a
| fourth of those baptized into the fell
| lowship of the church in that first
| quarter of century came through
| these revivals.
| Ten years later Brother Kneeland
of grace. Six years later, in 1885, I'M
| der Pastor Smallery, came d season of
| great refreshing. Rev. John Blain as
| sisted the pastor in this ingathering.
| 1t would be exceedingly interesting to
trace the relationship between this in
| gathering and the sAarming of five
years later which resulted in the
establishment of the Central church.
Some time we may know what that
revival had to do with the wider work
of this church in the growth of the
1S45 witnessed the wonderful and his
toric revival under Elder Swan, as
sisted by Elders Lyon Weaver and
Cross. More than 100 were baptized
at that time. Among the other nota-
BILE things which came out of this
movement was the assumption by the
church of another debt.
Revivals are recorded for the years
1855, 1868 and 1870 In the latter year
it is of peculiar interest to note that
Rev. John Blain of revered memory,
after an interval of 35 years, was again
invited to assist in a series of evan
geliStic meetings.
Two things have i observed in the
30 years since the Lord called me into
Christian work. One is that some
churches have succumbed from too
great a financial burden and others
have died spiritually from too little.
A debt honorably and worthily carried
has not prevented your pastors from
preaching Righteousness and thereby
winning for the kingdom. Neither has
it deferred evangelists from coming to
your aid in gracious reapings.
He counseled them that should there
be a spiritual deadening from this re-
lief. to look about and find some wor-
thy cause for the glory of God and
place another mortgage to that end
The relief from interest payments
does not call for less sacrifice and
If there is no other good cause, use it
on evangelism.
You have a fine property, a superior
locality and a Code given opportunity
L am sure that if you resolve today
to reinveSt these three in a new and
stronger emphasis on the spiritual side
of your work, in new consciousness
of the value which your divine Lord
puts upon material things dedicated to
His service and glory, and new de-
termination to have the truth of God
in all its evangelical fullness and fer
vor, presented through your church to
your world, then nothing can exceed
11a aa-tl iV1fx xr~itI hit f1aa Mo
of the Lord will prosper in your hands
Supper Served.
Remarks were made by Rev. DR..
Coates and Rev. J. r. Very, pastor of
the Third Baptist church of Greene
vile. Rev. Mr. Very brought greetings
Prayer was offered and benediction
pronounced by Rev. Mr.. Very.
Mr. Thayer cordially invited all to
the dining rom, where a bountiful sup
per was served by the Church Aid So
ciety Grace was offered by Rev. DR..
Coates. followed by singing Praise God,
From Whom All Blessings Flow.
Evening Session.
At the evening session the services
opened with an organ voluntary by the
word Of welcome was given by Rev. Mr..
Thayer to all who had gathered to
help in the celebration.
History of the Mortgage.
Prayer was offered by Rev. C. K.
Flanders. The mortgage history was
given by the pastor, Rev. Mr.. Thayer.
In giving the history of the mort |
gage, Rev. Mr.. Thayer stated that it |
was first put on the church January
16 1885, amounting to $4,000. This sum
was needed to repay Captain Morgan
of Groton, who had loaned the church |
that amount of money without inter- |
est and had never intended to call for |
it, but through financial reverses had |
to ask the church to repay him. A
committee of sixty was at once form |
ed to take steps to cancel the mort |
gage. but the records did not show |
how much this committee accomplish |
ed
BY 1898 the mortgage had been re-
duced to S4,2S3, to $500 in 1894. In |
1898 in the pastorate of Rev. H. E. |
Wise 1925 was paid; in 1899 $500, in |
1900 5000, and in 1904 the sum of $500. |
through a bequest, reducing the mort |
gage to $2,575. In 1908 the junior
church paid $40 and the Sunday school |
800. About this time there was a |
the floating debt and $1,000 on the /
mortgage was paid. At the beginning /
of 1910 the mortgage was $1,275. This
was all paid off Feb. 10.
Commencing those who had especial
Iy assisted in paying off the mortgage
finally. Rev. Mr.. Thayer mentioned A.
r. Aborn and John Morgan. who had
both, unsolicited, requested the privil-
eye OF paying OH the last SlUu- he
thanked the Junior church as origin
ators of the effort to pay it off: the |
Mems society. for a pledge of $1,000;
the Sunday school for $500, the Church
Aid society," the church membership,
those outside the church, and the debt
committee for their unfiagging per-
sistence. The interest had amounted
to $4279, so that in all these years
there had been paid out over $4,000.
Now in unity and harmony the church
st sod to face a more glorious spiritual
work and was committed to the object
of a permanent endowment fund and
the winning of the men and women
who frequent the streets in front of
the church.
Letters were read from Mrs L. 3.
Davis of Hartford, Miss Jennie Denni-
son of Norwich, Mrs. Jennie Rogers