The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-06-14
OBSERVE 225TH
 ANNIVERSARY
Former Pastors Join In As.
 sisting Dr. w. H. X k Day

yesterday morning with an impress live ar! largely attended Anniversary Service. pr. Wn. Horace Day, pastor of the United Church, was assisted by the Rev. Henry Hallam Tweedy, professor of Yale School of Religion, and q former pastcr of the Second lchurrh, the Rev. Dr. Richard l.. Swain, pastor Of the Second Church lat the time of the union, and the Rev. Herbert D. Gallaudet of Waterbury. pastor of the First Church at the time of union.
 The church was beautifully deco rated in honor of the occasion and for Flag Sunday. Several of the flags were historic treasures of the past wGLra Of particular interest vaS Colonial flag, a reproduction O. the Colonial flag of the days of James the Second. of approximately the time the church was founded The flag was made for the two hundredth anniver- sary 9 years ago
 A feature of the service was the roll cau of the original members of the Church of Christ in Stratfield, which was the name by which the chRrch was first known This roll call was responded to by their descendants. Richard Huboell, ST., was represented by Mrs Charles E, Weeks, Isaac
 
 Bennett by Miss Annie Kelsey, Sam ueI Beardsley by Samuel F. Beards- ley. Matthew Sherman by James F. Beach, Richard Hubbell, by Frank A. E,cobeIl. David Sherman by Ol1vef Hunter. and John Odell, Jr., by A. E. Whitney. As the names of the found- CTS were, read and the representative descendants came forward, others in the congregation who were akso de- scendants also rose, and "Faith of Our Fathers was sung-
 pr. Day gave the historical address on "Our Church Inheritance" Two Hundred and Twenty-Five years ago today, in the middle of what is now Park avenue, on Westinghouse Hill, between what we call Benham avenue and North avenue, a little company of farmers and their laborers with their families met little group of ministers, for the General Court had acknowledged and granted their pe- tition for a new parish with it's own church." said pr. Day. The Rev. Charles Chauncey was ordained and .instalied in the newly recognized Church oE Christ in Stratfeld. This young man was first a school master, Ia graduate of Harvard of the class of 16S6, his gran dfather being the sec ond president I suppose the Rev.
 
 Church, attended this service of or dination and installation. He was very much in favor of this new parish, though so1ne of the farmers in the Fairfield parish opposed the action of the General Court lest it shoud reduce the church rates in their own parish and trey find it a little harder to maintain the church at Fairfield. Also present was the father of the pastor, the pastor of the church at Stratford. the other Mother Church, tho Rev. Israel ChaMncey, one of the founders of Yafe Ccl1ege-
 In his address. Dr. Day referred ito a fe>- Of the outs landing pastors of the First Church and of the Second Church which separated from the First in 1880 because they thought tho Rev MT John Bla tchford. tn c pastor. was too liberal He mention cd i'm particular Parson Ross, who was pastor in IT'S and was called out of his parsonage at the corner of Laurel and North avenues to find his front yard filled with the Stratfield company in buf and blue. ready to leave for Canada to attack Fort St Iohn- and waiting for his blessing He spoke also oi the Rev. Elijah Water man, a great citizen as well as great l lnercfal community beside the har- bor- Dr. Waterman was the first to organize a community water system Because some BridSeporters were overcharging people who came in their ships for fresh water, he had logs DE ought and a conduit made from his spring on the side of Golden Hill and a water trough established in Main street marked This water is free" In closing his address pr. Day quoted the great passage of St Paul "I laid the foundation and another bui1ded therecn- but let each man take hf ed -ow he buildeth thereon, for other foundation can no man lay thar that which is la i'd, which is Jesus Christ" The men who built in line with the great Cornerstone have al ways been successful pastors and the church has grown under their admin istration and today we are the inner itors of their faith and of their Joy aity to that Christi
 We are thinking this morning not of union Z3.zt of reunion. not of mar riase but of a family regathering- mot of a new alliance but Of q brotherly reconciliation ss the stream of relig. ions influence and power coming dowr through 'ae years and divided for 2 time again comes together in the on ward sweep of it's course. So this an riversary is not only a commemora- ton. it is a consecration, it's a look Iirg-foryard, i.'s a seh-dedication. ana wish you God d-speed and I congrat uiate you not only on the history O this church but upon the outlook ant the future
 Dr. Swain's subject was ''whon God Hath Joined Together" H. made particular reference to the com rnittee of twelve who through yea of constant meetings and worl drought about the union of the Ffrs and Second chTrchos. and of tn splendid spirit of the two churches ii uniting and since. He looked forwar into the future when the churc would be celebrating its five hun dredth and one thousandth anniver sarieS. when the pastor at the time c the latter anniversary would "delv
 into the archives and find that ther
 was one erudite professor. Henry Hal lam Tweedy, and that there was on
 fighting parson, the patriotic Captai
 GaEaudet. and that there was on
 Iev. William Morace Day. a leader C
 hosts. And then some of tha saint