Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-06-10

an artificial or Interchangeable creed for
mulated and adopted at any Nicean
council. 1t Is not merely a perfunctory
ceremonial for Sabbath entertainment,
but a practical religion for every day
in the week. Our faith is a belief in the
simple and beautiful religion of the new
testament, as actually taught by Jesus
of Nazareth. who assured his disciples
that his mission was to bear witness to
the truth; and he babe them be guided
| in all things by the spirit of truth. 1t
is faith in the pure and simple Chris
tianity as originally taught by him,-as
| it existed before it had become distorted
and obscured by supersttious dogmas
and subtle theological refinements that
were foisted upon 1t more than three
lcenturies after the death OF the Master.
1t is a belief in one God and the simple
religion of love to God and man and the
observance of the Golden rule as a guide
to the conduct of human life. For this
is all the law and the prophets"
We gladly recognize the fact that un-
der the constitution Of the United States
all religious sects are made equal before
| the law; that the constitution Of this
State declares that no differentiation
nor preference of any one (religious) sect
or denomination to another shall ever
be established by law: that the consti-
tutions of majority of the states con-
tain provisions of the same general pur-
port and effect and that the Massachu-
sets Constitution explicitly declares that
i moneys raised by taxation in the cities
and towns for the support of public
schools shall never be appropriated to
any religious sect for the maintenance
exclusively of its own school.
They rejoice TO have lived in a genera
ton which has been taught to cherish
with reverence the historic grandeur of
the work performed by the founders of
this government and the trainers of that
organic law the federal constitution,
which laid the foundation of great Re-
public with a representative Government
of law, and established the enduring
safeguards of civil and religious liberty
in this nation forever; and they are glad
| to believe that no attempt VIII ever
be made by any religious sect or denomi-
nation in any state in this Republic to
establish a union between church and
state or to organize any movement
either political or ecclesiastical, which
would imperil the continued existence OF
that religious liberty and equality guar
anteed by our constitutions.
Not many years before the organiza-
ton of this church in Augusta there was
A strong movement stirring the souls of
men into earnest protest against the as
sumptions of the popular theology with
,Nla
ture, respect for human reason and for a
salvation measured or determined by the
actual quantity of human goodness.
Thousands of noble men and women had
the moral courage and intellectual hon
esty to abjure the dogmas of the popular
creeds and give their adhesion 10 the
churches with one God Father OF all
above ALL through all and In all, ana
they were not afraid to admit It, But
not long before that the devout spiritual
and eloquent Claiming and the brave
and noble Parker found the doors or
some of the liberal churches closed
against them. Today their names are
glorified in the galaxy of the most gooly
men and honored patriots and reformers
of the land and their thoughts and deeds
| are immortal. Their loyal followers
have never permitted themselves to be-
come brakes on the wheels of progress,
but have zealously kept step to the mu-
sic of the onward march of the Christian
Soldiers in the enlightened progress on
both civil and religious hosts towards
equal opportunity and equal justice for
all Gods children And what a magnifi-
cent company of literary giants took up
! n
guished philosophers and renowned au-
thors in history and poetry and art be-
came members of our Unitarian church;
many of the most eminent statesmen
the nations men of might and grand In
soul, the wisest and the best have ac-
cepted the essential principles of our
belief Millions of English speak
ing people have been satisehd with
it. and the lives of a noble army
| of honest men and sanity women
have exemplified our faith as practical
and beneficent religion to live by and
comforting faith to die in. 1t needs no
ghosts or philosophers to tell US what
it means The child can comprehend II.
1t is the simple gospel truth OF the new
testament which was promulgated before
1.-THE creeds and dogmas were devised or
thought of and which must survive the
wreck of the mall.
The evening session was appropri-
ately closed with the Unitarian hymn
| Nearer My God To Thee"
Visiting Delegates
| The visiting delegates who have thus
| far arrived and were present at the
| opening session are: Rev. Lewis G.
Wilson of Boston; Mr.. and Mrs.
| Swami, Rev. and Mrs. c. B. Ames of
.HBelfast: Rev. and Mrs. Ar Scott of