South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-11-26
DR., PARKER SPEAKS
AT UNION SERVICES
Refers to Debt Humanity
Owes to the Pilgrim
Band.

TDi0n THANKSGIVING services were
held in the First Evangelical church
TUesCay morning and were well at
tended. DIR. j. A. Burnett deliver
cd the Invocation. Rev. O. w Titus
read The presidents Thank sgivirg
proclamation. Rev. ~ +. Hawkins
read from the scriptures. and Rev.
Dr r. r. Parker preached the
Thanksgiving sermon. Twenty-one
Sd0lllrs which VIII be used for ben
evalent purposes was subscribed
by the audience. Rev. J. IT. Evans.
pastor Of the First Evangelical
presided Miss Nitczhe rendered
pleasing vocal solos.
In the course Of an excellent dis
course. Or. Parker said. Nearly
three centuries have elapsed since
"a storm battered vessel OF $50 TOPS
burden was swept aside from Is
appointed course and blown by the
winds Of providence into the shell
tered harbor OF Plymouth Begin
ming early last August the impOr-
tant ter-centenary anniversaries Of
the events Of that voyage were col
cbrated with pageant and pOmp by
the PEOPLE of three nations. In the
exalted consciousness Of the debt
that humanity owes 10 the Pilgrim
band some very extravagant and IN
discriminate things have been SAID
The members Of that little COM
pany would not recognize them
selves II they could hear what som
emotional writer's and orators have
had 10 say about their virtues. The
MayflOWer was not an ark loaded
with super saints or msn OF excep-
tiOnal learning. The Pilgrims from
Holland were OF the middle class.
traders and craftsmen, and they
were Joined I'm England by a num-
her of representatives Of the bond
ing company that financed the un
dertaking whose chief business was
10 see that their employers got all
that was coming TO them
In Quest OF an Ideal.
John Alden was not a member
OF the Pilgrim church when he en-
barked on the voyage at South
Hampton and Prisilla Mullins was
the daughter OF a London merchant
whose adventuresOme spirit quite
as much as her religious zeal leo
her to cast lot with the Pilgrim
band In 1872 the discovery Of Gov.
Bradford's history OF the Plymouth
colony clarified our understanding
of this immortal company and lift
ed our thoughts Of them out Of the
cloud-land Of myth and tradition 10
the sun-Iit rocks Of historical fact
In this history we see them as they
We're not wholly good and far from
bad In the main they were adj
venturesome and God fearing youth
who came to our shores in quest OF
"a great ideal. They were not seek
ing fame or fortune. but aspired TO
build a new order of society in a
new world. The MayhOwer did not
bring a harvest 10 our shores. but
10 brought the seed of harvest
that has been ripening these 300
years The principals they sought
are more finely expressed in the
republic today than they were In
the Plymouth colony and i'm men
like Washington. Lincoln. ROose-
Welt and William Jennings Bryan
we find "a fine a type Of Puritan
manhood as trod the decks Of the
MayfOwer. Their Ideals have no.
been surpassed I'm three Centurie:
but We have e0ocelled their practice
Of Them In many respects. on this
Particular Thanksgiving day
think we can not do better than tC
consider some OF the blessings W.
have as a people today, blessing.
that trace back 10 the ideals they
hequeathed MS from the wiiG
Religious federation.
The minister said In this pioneer
community we have the fountain
source OF the finest Americanism
religious liberation. and the true
American home. They gave Us
staia without a king and churcl
with an ecclesiastical heiraCrhy
Every man is a prince i'm his owr
church and a priest for his owl
household Those Pilgrim laymer
exalted the church and taught then
children 20 love and respect its min
istry In this age when more thar
half OF the youth I'm America undo
the age OF rs never cross the thres
hold Of any church when the chill
dren i'm our Sunday school wall
away from that service as though
10 were sort OF protestant earl,