Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-11
Dean Fenn's Address

liam w. Fem, D. D.. of the Harvard
theological school treated Of Sylves-
ter Judd, who from 1910 to the time
OF his death in 1858 was the Unfair
ian minister in Augusta. During
that period he published three books
as his contribution to American lit
erature. Margaret" "Philo' and
Richard Edney."
The main interest in Sylvester
Judd, however, is not in his work as
a writer, but because he was cham
pion of religious idea, the idea of
the birthright church, the full sig
nificance Of which was not perceived
by Mr.. Judd's contemporaries.
Dean Fem gave a short biography
of Sylvester Judd. who was born in
West Hampton, Mass, July %, 1918.
He was brought up Calvinist of
the, Calvinists and in 1926, cf+"r Eek
periencing religion" he determined to
become minister. AS boy he was
studious and fond Of books but FAM
lily circumstances prevented his crav-
ing for an education from bearing
fruit. He tried elerking in Green
field and Hartford and finally he
was enabled to enter Yale college in
1882, graduating in 1886. Religious
doubts prevented his entering the
!. Congregational ministry and in 1887
he entered the Harvard divinity
school, from which he graduated In
1910. On October of the same year
he was ordained as minister OF the
East Parish in Augusta, remaining
there unfit his death in 1853.
Dean Fem then went on to say
that in the churches of Augusta in
Mr.. Judd's day, there was a division
between the inner circle of the
church and the larger circle of the
society. Church members alone had
the right to partake of the commun-
ion or present their children for
Christian baptism. Most ministers
took the situation for granted with
out discomfort or inquiry but Judd
was not satisfied to do that. Whe-
Their his democratic sense was Offend
ed by these religious separations We
connot say but he forthwith set on
Since this evil of church division
was not local but universal through
out New England, no local expedient
could remedy it. The only cure lay
in the discovery ond application of a
principle.
Judd met the objection of two
moral standards, one for church
mem bers and one for non church
members by preaching the doctrine
of universal obligation, that is, one
standard of moral conduct for church
members and non&church members
alike. Therefore, Ne declared, all
men ought to be in the church SUBJ
ject to it's influences, obedient to it's
standards and the church errs by
setting up standards which exclude.
To Mr.. Judd, who had always been
interested in children, child be-
longed by birthright to family. state
and church, and is liable to all the
obligations and welcome to all the
privileges of such birthright men,
bershp.
Judd reached this opinion inde-
pendently and without knowing that
the whole trend of RELIGIOUS thinking
in New England had brought its
leading opponents to the same con-
custom.
sylvester Judd died prematurely.
He had conceived an idea which had
enormous possibilities of benefit not
only to the New F. 49, churches
but also to the entire Protestant
population. Had he lived to cham
pion his idea by living presence and
speech he might have wone for it
wide acceptance amonr Uriitarians
and side by side with Horace Bush
nell among Trinitarian, Congrega-
tionalists might have worked, with
wide consequences impossible to
measure. BY and by perhaps we
shall recognize the significance of
our religious Inheritance and of the
church as Christian Institution.
Then we shall recognize the birth
right membership II our children.
teaching them from infancy to think
of themselves as Christians belong
ing to the Christian church, and
bringing them up within it's noble
traditions and teachings. Then Syl-
vester Judd will come to his own
among UnitarianS"