The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-14

his important functions-'To carefully
inspect tn behavior of all persons on
the Sabbath day'-which mission in
cluded any proclamation of the Lords
ship, any rude or indecent action in
meeting. Sleeping in church was
termed an indecent performance. A
droWzy brother who was was ham
mered on the head by the tything man
and suddenly awakened, sprang to his
feet automatically and knocked the Of
ficer down. His punishment for the
offence was severe public whipping.
Did the parish system show certain
advantages as compared with later
methods of transacting the business of
religion? Yes. One advantage was
lister served every person within a
specified territory. Watchcare includ-
ed all the inhabitants, without regard
to class or station, or race or worldly
estate. In the voluntary system there
are large numbers of people who iden~
inevitably therefore live beyond the
pale Of any stated religious instruction
or sympathy.
Another advantage was manifest in
that everybody shared the support of
church and minister, and shared this
support proportionately- land be-
ing taxed pro rata, land being the chief
interest and property of the citizens.
While such tax has it's objections, let
us remember that it likewise serves as
when fairly interpreted. Its inner
meaning and helpfulness consists i'll
the fact that religion is to serve every
individual and therefore every individ-
uaf ought, for the sake of honor, con-
science and community improvement,
IT.. ;c%r ;ryo
Another advantage appeared in the
thoroughness with which children were
instructed concerning religion. No
child was neglected. Each child fol-
some generations being disciplined in
the catechism and the Bible, and sub
ject to careful examination, had rudi-
mentary knowledge of Christian truth.
Today we find large sections of coun-
try where the Sunday school is the only
place of religious instructions, and
even then attendance is voluntary, so
that a considerable population is grow
ing up in America both in city and
country, utterly ignorant Of all prin-
ciples except such moral instruction
as may be received internationally in
our public schools. There were no
unchurched masses during the early
period of New England history.
I'VE shall never return to the dis
carded oldtime parish system, but it is
fair and right that we should recall its
advantages and praice those helpful.
important features which contributed
to the moral progress of previous gen.
erations.
These Puritan idealists saw the
kingdom of God come down to earth.
Church and state were identical-two
phases of one misunderstanding sides
of a single society. They believed that
the religious spirit, pervading all
classes, was to act like leaven, so that
Christ might verify become the in
forming life of the world"
Struggles for Religious Liberty.
The last number on the program was
one of the best, but was sadly cut
"cut till it bled," its author, Rev: Mr.;
Strayer, the pastor, said, because or
limita tons of time. 1t was scholarly
address. Only the concluding para
graphs are here given, as follows:
I'm the one supreme lesson which
this country has taught the old world,
Congregational New England and Con
necticut had little or nothing to do.
The one new thing in religion and the
science of government which we have
taught Europe, is the absolute separa-
ton of the church and state. In Con-
necticut not until 1918, and in MaSsa-
chusetts not until 1884, was disestab-
lishment brought about. But little
Baptist Rhode Island with its tumul-
tOuS SectS; Staid Quaker pennsylvania,
Maryland with it's mixture OF Roman
Catholic, Cavalier and Puritan etc
ments were the school masters who
taught this great lesson. Indeed, to
my native state of Maryland belongs
the distinction of having adopted the
first federation Act. But in its nearly
two centuries of religious persecution,
Connecticut Congregationallsm learned
we'll the lesson of religious liberty. No
church today offers larger degree of
freedom of thought or of utterance.
In its ministry, working together with
perfect harmony, are round men rep
resenting every shade of Theological
thought from extreme, conservatism to
extreme radicalism. In the olden days
just under review, the Established
Church of Connecticut, was bent upon
maintaining itself and suppress1ng all
other denominations at whatever cost.
TODAY there is no other church which
places so little dependence upon mere
ecclesiasticism. In planting academies
and colleges no denomination has rem
dered a finer service than the Congre-
gational churches of New England, and
It has been done with no purpose to
put upon such institutions a denomina-
tional tag. In foreign missions these
same churches point to the proud his
tory of the oldest foreign missionary
society in the United States, and here
likewise the interest has been, not the
making of Congregationalists but
Because of its lac kof ecclesiastic-
cism and the large liberty which it
breaches and practices, in both of
which points it is in perfect harmony
with the spirit of the times, a great
future is before the Congregational
Church or some other denomination
which embodies its dominant ideas
The religious movement which shall
,listinctively characterize the first half
of the twentieth century will be con-
solidation of churches. On every hand
over-churched communities are a drag
and reproach to religion. If the church
is to do more than mark time, many
of these must come together. The con-
gregational idea will prove to be a
unifier of denominations.
Not of necessity should there be one
great Protestant church, as there is
one great church Of Rome and another
bearing the name Greek. But of de-
nominations contending for life or su~
premacy in the same field there are
undeniably too many. Scan the hori-
zon and you can find no church sys-
tenn, no church faith so adapted t.
harmonic and unity conflicting eIe-
ments as this church, which having
once led in war now leads in peace.
The church of the democracy of the