Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-02-03

Horace Leslie Wheeler .......... 1S9l-lS93
Joel Hastings Metcalf ............ 1S93-19)3
Charles Jason Staples ............ 1904
This tablet ls erected In praise and
Thank sgiving to God for the Sun
shine and Shadow Of One Hundred
Years.
January 29th 1910,
F. Z. Burgess presented the tablet for
the committee which had the matter in
charge and j. II. Mac0mbcr Of the pru-
Dental committee accepted It for the so
ciety. The brief ceremony OF unwilling
was concluded with prayer by the Rev.C.
]. Staples and at 1880 tho service of wor-
ship began in the church.
The organ prelude was the Spring Song
by Mendelssohn and was rendered by a
trio of organ, clarinet and violin Miss
Vernice Gay. W. Il. Sherman and Bert
Waterman, respectively. The doxology
followed and then came responsive read
Ing from the psalms. The anthem was
Holy. Holy" from THE Solemn Mass''
by Gounod and including tenor solo
BY T. p Mitchell Of New York. former.
iy OF Burlington. After the reading OF
the scripture came the prayer. which
md then the response. Into Thy Hands
D COD" from the Seven Last Words OF
Christ" by Du Bots, was sung. The Of
fertory was How Long. o Lord from
The Triumph OF DAVID by Buck and
sung by Mitchell.
THE SERMON.
The sermon was delivered by the Rev
Wallace w Fem, d. D., Of the Harvard
Divinity school. The subject was Chris
tianity, A Layman's Religion" and the
text was taken from Luke 1857, why
do you not, even OF your own selves
Judge that which is right?"
Dr. Fem said that tho average mar
shuns responsibility and prefers to TAX,
orders rather than Judge for himself IN
matters OF right and wrong. He tries
to shift the responsibility for his life
and the advice contained in the text is
the last thing that the average man
Is willing to take COwardice in the
face Of responsibility in religious mat
tiers Is the rule. Most Of US arc willing
to fall back upon authority and lea
some one else tell us what to do.
But every one of us must account to
God for himself. Responsibility for his
own life is laid on each man BY Chris
t1..nity. Our sins which are committed
by tho score, must be paid FOR, one By
ono. The priest cannot wipe them out
for Chris 'ianity, essentially, neither pro-
ceeds from, no. depends upon, an Official
class
Christianity is a layman's religion. 1,
Is such In that 1t originated with a lay.
man, for Jesus. tho source was neither
v,,-t<
the gospels are not OF a technical charac-
ter. but are plain and clear. They are
simple and couched In tho terms OF
nature. Moreover. Christianity has nc
artificial mysteries, such as It has are
the normal and natural great mysteries
The original Christianity did not ever
have a ritual or rites. for even baptism
and the Lords supper are synnboiica
and not essential.
No mediary is needed between the
heart Of man and God in Christianity
and In what It requires of It's follower,
1t IL layman's religion. Jesus's way o.
life 10 the true one for all human souls
Christianity may DE perfectly expressed
by Christian character at Its highest ant
best and II can only be adequately de
aned In terra~ - human personality.
Our religion, however, soon lost 1t
original character the priest and tn
scribe soon came to the front, and thi
was largely through the influence o
Paul. He interpreted Jesus by his pre-
conceived notion Of the Messiah. But tn
true Christianity asserts the priesthoo
Of every man. Jesus and the characte
Of his religion are coming to be NOR
completely revealed after many centurie:
Every man is now made responsible 10
Sim own life, and authority and con
lOrmity are negated.
The apostolic succession is denied an
men now believe in the succession Of tn
spirit In and through the people. Tn
religious experience OF Jesus can b
duplicated In tho heart Of every mar
and the deepest satisfactions of life ar
open TO every man.
DR.. Fem concluded with some senten
ces Of particular force and beauty. II
said:
Every nan has eyes, and before hir
Is unrolled the lovely panorama of tn
world, here are beautiful pictures 1
me galleries Of rich men aud in the treas
urc houses of the world, things innumel
neraDle OF grace and gladness which onl
the wealthy can enjoy. But not one {
them stirs the heart so deeply as tn
sight Of sunset from the universtt
building yondor on the hill. In the wiz
Ter the bare twiss are dclicateiy pei
cilled against the sky and the might
mountains stand out strong and clear
cut stripped OF the soft lu.Suriance {
sumner foliage. What can equal tht
orief season IN the spring which ! ha\
scel come and 20 In single- day, whe
the trees put forth their leaves and ii