USA > Kansas > Douglas County > Lawrence > Minutes of the General Association of Congregational Churches and Ministers of Kansas > Part 4
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In what year
MEMBERS.
ADDITI'NS
REMOVALS.
BAP- TISMS.
1
1862|1870
6
6
12
3
1871
Geo A. Beck with,
2
50
Arkansas City,
las, -
1871
Luther H. Platt,
Chas. A. Richardson,
1187% |1871
13
6
1
1
1
5
1
Elk River,
1858
6
75
Fredonia,
14
2
1
2
Great Bend,
Edward A. Mirick,
1863 1873
20
1873
1868
Peace,
Calvin S. Shattuck,
36
-
1878
Tennessee Prairie, -
1870
60
1849 1871
5
12
1862 1873
1866 1872
5
1
1847 1869
2
-
-
NAME OF MINISTER.
4
1
-
2
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION-CONTRIBUTIONS.
CHURCH EXPENSES.
BENEVOLENT CONTRIBUTIONS.
Salary.
Church
Current Edifice. | Expenses | School.
Sunday
TOTAL.
Foreign Missions. |Missions. Asociat'n; Home
[ Am. Miss.| Cong'nl Union.
Bible Society.
Other Causes.
TOTAL.
Altoona,
65 00
10 00
75 00
2 00
Arvonia,
500 00
20 00
30 00
50 00
600 00
20 00
18 00
6 00
44 00
Augusta,
200 00
5 00
205 00
1 70
1 70
8 50
11 90
Burlington,
500 00
20 00
50 00
20 00
590 001
13 35
16 50
10 00
6 50
46 35
Council Grove,
400 00
1200 00
55 00
165500
Diamond Valley.
217 50
4 00
3 50
225 00
4 85
4 85
Dry Creek -
150 00
100 00
22 00
18 00
290 00
10 00
Emporia 1st,
1200 00
200 00
30 00
1430 00
11 30
15 40
5 00
7 00
38 70
Eureka, -
500 00
38 00
27 75
26 50
592 25!
20 00,
5 00:
25 00
Fredonia,
250 00
40 00|
50 00
340 00
11 06
Geneva,
275 00
9 60
7 25
291 85
4 451
3 90
8 35
Independence,
425 00
800 00
300 00
100 00
1625 00
27 00
$7 00
Neodesha,
180 00
636 34
50 00
3) 00
896 34
3 00
13 60
16 60
Neosho Falls,
300 00
30 00
35 00
385 00
10 00
10 00
20 00
Oswego,
175 00
5 00
18 00
198 00
5 00
Petersville,
87 50
5 00
10 00
102 50
12 00
19 00
31 00
Verdigris Falls,
75 00
75 00
9 00
9 00
300 00
40 00
20 00
50 00
410 00
14 00
14 00
TOTAL.
8252 44
3704 34
1227 35
686 73
13870 86
47 75
336 76
22 00
35 40
155 50
98 92
696 33
.
5 00
15 00
75 00
9 50
22 00
31 50
Cottonwood Falls,
400 00
50 00
25 00
475 00
5 00
10 00
15 00
Douglas,
55 00
55 00
4 40
3 45
9 00
16 85
Emporia 2nd,
350 00:
54 001
105 00
: 509 00
20 00
32 00:
52 00
Fort Scott,
737 44:
200 00.
79 48
1016 92
£4 25
12 00
13 50
28 42
78 17
Great Bend.
25 00
20 00
5 00
50 00
20 00
10 00
60 00
Mound City,
500 00
500 00
20 00
15 00
35 00
Osage City,
80 00
80 00
5 00
1 00
10 00
5 00
3 00:
6 00
28 00
Peace,
-
-
-
-
-
100 00
850 00
15 00
3 00
968 001
5 00
5 00
Winfield,
-
-
-
-
-
-
.
6 :00
6 00
5 00
Sedgewick,
-
-
-
2 00
Arvonia. (Welsh)
150 001
150 00
18 00
9 00
27 00
Blue Ridge, -
55 00
18 00
28 00
1
!
11 06
5 00
SUMMARY.
CHURCHES with Pastors, 5; with acting Pastors, 79; supplied by Licen- fiates, 3; vacant, 22. Total, 109; gain, 19.
MINISTERS-Pastors, 5; acting Pastors, 59; others, 18. Total, 82. Li- rentiates, 2.
MEMBERS-Male, 1484; Female, 2,072; not specified, 317. Total, 3,873, including 478 absent. Gain, 490.
ADDITIONS-By profession, 362 ; by letter, 438; not specified, 92. Total, REMOVALS-By death, 43: by dismission, 251 : by examination, 30; To- 892.
tal, 314.
BAPTISMS-Adults, 151; Infants, 132.
IN SABBATH SCHOOLS, 5,595. Gain, 1,001.
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR HOME EXPENSES, 72 Churches reporting. Salar- ies, $30,552,43; Church Edifices, $17,109,09 ; Incidentals. $7.861,151 ; Sab- bath Schools, $2,759,13. Total, $57,282,16.
BENEVOLENT CONTRIBUTIONS, 70 Churches reporting. Foreign Mis- sions, $383,95 ; Home Missions, $1,110,16; Am. Miss, Association, $211,89 ; Congregational Unions, $1020,30; Bible Societies. $375,50 ; other causes, $701.54. Total: $3,801.34.
CHANGES IN CHURCHES-(New)-Bethany, Brookville, Cherry Creek, Do- ver, Ellis. Gove, Great Bend, Hays City, High Prairie, Hill Springs, Osage City, Osborn City, Peace, Plimb Creek, Russell. Sedgwick, Smith Center, Sycamore, Tiblow, Valley Brook, White City.
Dropped from List-Osawkee, Wakarusa, Westmoreland.
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF MINISTERS.
Samuel L. Adair
Nelson Alvord ..
Aaron H. Annis . Centralia. Brookville.
Peter McVicar. Highland.
. Topeka.
Charles T. Melvin . Emporia. Edward A. Mirick. Diamond Valley. J. Franklin Morgan . Leavenworth.
Luther Neweomb
Morris Offieer. Pomona.
Rodney Paine . Ellis.
John Parker
. Topeka.
R Davenport Parker Wyandotte.
James B. Parmelee Manhattan.
John Phillips Winfield.
Luther H. Platt
Joseph C. Plumb Eureka.
Fort Scott.
Richard Cordley Augusta.
Henry Davis .. . Lawrence.
James G. Dougherty Balla.
William P. Esler
. Wyandotte.
Richard B. Foster .Milford.
James W. Fox . Osborn City.
Ridgeway.
J. G. Freeborn. . Cottonwood Falls. Robert Furness
Calvin Gray White City.
Albert F. Hale Geneva.
Lincoln Harlow
. Eureka.
Henry Hoddle
Alva A. Hunt. Muscotah.
Francis T. Ingalls Atehison.
Leavenworth.
Harvey Jones
Junction City.
Ozra A. Thomas Quindaro.
William Todd. Albany.
Robert M. Tunnell Madura.
Thomas W. Jones
Russell.
Alvin B. Jones
Topeka.
. Paola.
William Kincaid
James D. Liggett
Leavenworth.
Samuel Y. Lum
Leavenworth.
Lawrenee.
Samuel G. Wright
Burlington.
LICENTIATES.
Milan C. Ayres M. Johnson
Hamlin. T. C. Kinne Quindaro. Total
Wellsville.
82.
John M. Barrows
George A. Beckwith
George Bent
Linus Blakesley Topeka.
Hiram A. Brundidge. .Great Bend.
Alfred Connett Ottawa.
Jonathan Copeland Carbondale.
Lemuel Pomeroy Muscotah.
Charles A. Richardson Lawrence.
Harvey P. Robinson
A. W. Safford Highland.
Leicester Y. Sawyer Cawker City.
John B. Schlichter Burlingame.
John Scotford. Peace.
Leonard M. Scribner Westmoreland. J. S. Slie .. . Manhattan. Calvin S. Shattuck. Baxter Springs. White Cloud. Horatio M. Shaw
Lewis E. Sikes
Ira H. Smith Vienna.
Isaac B. Smith
Sylvester D., Storrs . Sother.
Topeka.
George A. Jackson
Isaac Jacobs
C. D. Jones .. Wabaunsee.
Henry M. Jones Arvonia.
Independenee. Samuel A. Vandyke.
Blue Rapids.
John E. Weir
Leavenworth.
Levi B. Wilson .. Grasshopper Falls. Harry E. Woodcock Tonganoxie.
Ossawatomiie. Alexander McConnell. .
Lauren Armsby. Mound City.
Frederiek A. Armstrong ... Oswego.
J. Mills Ashley . .. Sedgwick City.
John A. Banfeld . Leavenworth.
Arvonia.
.Neodesha.
. Seneca.
John M. Cheeseman
James Chew Sycamore.
Henry Rees Emporia.
Albert M. Richardson
Fredonia.
Burlingame.
Neosho Falls.
Louisville.
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF CHURCHES.
-
Gove.
Albany.
Grant.
Grasshopper Falls.
Altoona. Arkansas City. Arvonia.
Great Bend. Hamlin.
Arvonia 2nd, (Welsh.) Atchison. Augusta.
Hays City.
Hiawatha.
Ridgeway. Russell. Sabetha.
Barkers.
Hill Springs.
Sedgwick.
Bavaria.
Independence.
Baxter Springs.
Junetion City.
Bethany. Blue Rapids.
Kanwaka. Lawrence-Plymouth.
Sother.
Blue Ridge.
Lawrence-2nd.
Stranger.
Brookville.
Lawrence-Pilgrim.
Burlingame.
Leavenworth-1st.
Sycamore. Tennessee Prairie.
Burlington. Capioma. Cawker City.
Leavenworth-3rd.
Tonganoxie.
Centralia.
Leghorn.
Cherry Creek.
Louisville.
Clear Creek. Cottonwood Falls.
Manhattan. Milford.
Council Grove. Diamond Valley.
Muscotah.
Wabaunsec.
Douglas.
Neodesha.
Wamego.
New Malden.
Waushara.
Elk River.
Ogden. Olathe.
Wellsville. White City.
Ellis.
White Cloud.
Ellsworth.
Ossawatomie.
Wilmington. Winfield.
Eureka. Fairview.
Oswego.
Fort Scott.
Oxford.
Fredonia. Geneva.
Paola.
Peace. Petersville. Plumb Creek. Plymouth. Pomona. Quindaro. Reading-(Welsh.)
Highland.
Bala.
High Prairie.
Seneca. Smith Center.
Leavenworth-2nd.
Tiblow.
Leavenworth-5th Ave.
Topeka-1st.
Topeka-2nd. Topeka-North. Valley Brook.
Mound City.
Vienna. Virginia Falls.
Dover.' Dry Creek, (Welsh.)
Osage City-( Welsh.) Osawka.
Emporia. Emporia. 2nd. ( Welsh.)
Osborn City.
Wyandotte. Westmoreland.
Total. . .112.
Ottawa.
St. Mary's.
DISCOURSE
OF
REV. PETER McVICAR,
DELIVERED BEFORE
THE CONGREGATIONAL ASSOCIATION,
IN LAWRENCE, JULY 16, 1873.
-
DEUTERONOMY, 4: 1.
"Go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you."
These words were addressed by Moses to the children of Israel while in the wilderness. In many respects they were pleasantly situated where they were. Hemmed in by moun- tain fastnesses, with an attractive tabernacle in which to wor- ship, comfortable tents and fed daily with bread from Heaven, why should they change locality. They had Aaron, aiso, to minister at the altar and one of the most noted prophets that ever lived for their religious teacher. Under the circumstan- ces, many, doubtless, felt that they were prospering as well as could reasonably be desired, and that if there was to be a move- ment in any direction, it might better be back to Egypt than on to Palestine. But God's plan from the very first concerning his people was, that they should advance through the Red Sea, into dark mountain passes, across the rushing waters of the Jordan, and into the full possession of the promised inheritance.
One reason why the children of Israel were comparatively in different in pushing forward to their appropriate place among the nations, was the fact that they neither adequately apprehended the grand possibilities of the future, nor did they fully appreciate the inestimable value of what God had entrusted to them. They were to be the representatives of a purely spiritual worship. To them was promulgated a moral code destined to outlive the ages. With them was the mercy seat, the tabernacle and the
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glory of the Shekinah. All this, however, they failed to realize. The injunction was, "go in and possess the land." But the first generation for the most part, died in the wilderness, without ever having seen the land of promise.
Taking the text in its historical relations, the proposition which we deduce from it and to which we invite your attention is this :
That a correct appreciation of the faith and polity of our own denomination is essential to a successful. prosecution of the work to which God has called us, as the associated Congrega- tional churches of Kansas.
To us, as to Israel, God has given a land to be possessed,-a state in which six Palestines could be placed side by side and still leave quite a margin, a state larger in area than all New England with Deleware and New Jersey added, a state including more ter- ritory than two thirds of the area of Great Britain. And the divine injunction, as to Israel of old, is-"Go in and possess the land." Take it. Hold it. Mould it for Christ. How can we do it?
In the first place we must realize more impressively the fact that ours is essentially the faith of the Gospel.
Congregationalism is often accused of laxity in religious be- lief. And denominational capital is made by the charge. It is not incumbent on us to rush to the refutation of every accusa- tion arising either from ignorance or rivalry.' A calm and vigo- rous heralding of the faith "once delivered to the saints," will be the most effective refutation.
It is a significant fact, however, that the lapse towards Unita- rianism in New England cannot be justly charged upon our churches. The general defection was occasioned by the spread of French infidelity and the long continued spiritual declension which followed the powerful revivals under Whitfield, Tenant and President Edwards. The first open avowal of Unitarian- ism* in Boston in 1785, was not in a Congregational church, but in "King's Chapel" under the rectorship of Rev. James Freeman. It is said also that the leader of the innovation was at heart op- posed to the Congregational polity and desirous of introducing a different form of church government into New England. These are facts in the case, and may be modestly stated when others accuse us of heretical tendencies.
If there is one feature which, more than any other, has always characterized our religious bodies, it is the tenacity with which they have clung to the word of God as the only infallible rule of
*New Am. Clycop. Vol. XV. p. 709. & History of Cong. churches in Mass, p. 220.
-3.
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religious faith and practice. As early as 1552 the principle was established on English soil, that "not even a ceremony should be tolerated, unless it was enjoined by the word of God."* That was. an impressive charge delivered by John Robinson to his Pilgrim flock as they were about to embark for the new Continent,-"I beseech you remember it, 'tis an article of your church covenant, that ye be ready to receive whatever truth shall be made known to you from the written word of God." "Puritanism," says Ban- croft, "admitted no voucher but the Bible-a fixed rule-which it would allow neither parliament nor hierarchy nor king to in- terpret." That noble utterance of the National Council of Con- gregational churches convened at Oberlin less than two years since, is familiar to you, in the statement. "They agree in the belief that the Holy Scriptures are the sufficient and only rule of religious faith and practice, their interpretation, thereof being in substantial accordance with the great doctrines of the Christian faith commonly called Evangelical, held in our churches from early times."
While preserving, however, the purity of doctrine, it may still be true that, as a body, our churches are disposed to be libe- ral in all practical constructions of duty. It is not desirable, perhaps, that every one should be laid on the same Procrustean bed of exact dimensions, or that every limb should be cut down to an iron rule of literal conformity. Material bodies, though moving in fixed orbits, have yet their maximum and minumum variations. We cannot expect to be more rigid than the laws of gravitation. It seems to be incident to human souls struggling for the light, that they perceive truth at first only in part. It may be that the most clear sighted of ourselves, see as yet only through a glass darkly. In the language of the venerated pas- tor of Leyden. "The Lord has more truth yet to break forth from his holy word." Not that we shall necessarily ever dis- cover other or higher truths than those already held in the gen- eral belief of the Christian world, but. future ages may be in ad- vance of ours, as this age is in advance of other times in better adjusted views of religious truths as correlated one to the other. Many of the discussions waged in religious Quarterlies thirty years ago, would now hardly produce a ripple on the surface of religious opinion. By the ancients the Earth was thought to be the center of the Universe. To-day the Earth takes its proper place among the planets, and all are viewed in their relation to one central Sun. It is so in the glorious system of religious
*Bancroft, Vol.1. page 279.
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truths. Each is important only as related to Him who is "the Truth and the Life." .:
That was a corrective principle first promulgated by the great Head of the church, when one of his disciples, and he, too, the be- loved disciple, full of zeal and love, came to Jesus, saying, "Mas- ter we saw oue casting out devils in thy name and he followeth not us, and we forbade him because he followeth not us." But Jesus said "Forbid him not, for there is no man who shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us, is on our part." If there was one truth that Christ ever emphasized, it was this, that supreme personal allegiance to himself is the paramount consideration. "Follow me," "Come unto me," "Lovest thou me," are the sententious commands, invitations and tests, as if the whole gospel practical- ly concentrated itself on securing the soul's personal acceptance of Jesus, as a personal Savior. In our revival's, in our modes of thought and feeling, in our fellowship with other denominations, we seem to be approaching more and more the Pauline idea, "Christ and him crucified, "until we all at last, somehow or other, come to believe, in our inmost soul, with the sainted i'ay- sou, that "One who in heart and life makes Christ prominent will not greatl'y err."
Thus, bound by no catechism and controlled by no ecclesias- tical authority, it cin yet be easily shown by reference to church. manuals and associational statements of belief, that the faith of our churches is substantially that taught in the scriptures and accepted by all commonly known as the Evangelical churches of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We must make more of the fact, then, that the upbuilding of each Congregational church in doctrinal fellowship with us, is the further establishment of the faith as it is in Jesus,-the faith that builds and saves the world.
. Again. To the successful prosecution of our work, it is essential that we more fully appreciate the value of our church polity.
Many connected with our churches have but little idea of the nature or worth of that government under which they are asso- ciated. Consequently there is comparatively no denominational attachment. If the wife happens to belong to an Episcopal church, the Congregational husband becomes an excellent Epis- copalian, or if the husband is a member of a Presbyterian church the good Congregational wife follows her dear husband into the Presbyterian fold. Not a few Congregationalists direct from
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the East, with letters of church membership in their possession are often very uncertain as to their new ecclesiastical relations. Whether they continue Congregation tlists or not, will depend on the house of worship, the kind of minister, the social circle and the persons who muy chance first to call upon them. How often is the rem irk made by Congregation wlists themselves, that "It makes but little difference to what denomination one belongs." Such liberality in many respects is commendable. It affords cause for congratulation, also, that Congregationalists constitute such excellent material for other denominations. This lick of denominational attachment, however, indicates a defect some- where. It evinces the fact that as Congregationalists we do not value the polity entrusted to us. So far as religious belief is . concerned, it is true there is no essential difference between Evangelical denominations. But in respect to the form of church government, there is a wide difference. It is the differ- ence between a government exercised by the people and a gov- ernment exercised by the iew. Or to state it more specifically, as distinguished from all other denominations not Congregational in form, we hold :
1. That all the members of a local church including its pastor, constitute a brotherhood of equals.
2. That each local church is a complete organization, having exclusive jurisdiction in the management of its affairs.
3. That the relation between local churches is not that of or- ginic union, or authority, but a relation of Christian fellow- ship.
This we believe is the scriptural polity.
The desire for undue pre-eminence seems almost instinctive. It cropped out in the disciples themselves. Which of them should be the greatest-was a question discussed more than once. Even the "sons of Zebedee," James and John, not less than their fond mother for them, desired the position of distinc- tion nearest the person of the Messiah on the throne of his com- ing kingdom. The indignation of the ten, also, at the aspirations of the two brethren might have been tinged with a touch of jealousy, as well as righteous displeasure at the very thought of any promotion above themselves. But Jesus called them to him and said unto them. "Ye know that they who are account- ed to rule over the .Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever of you will be great among you, shall be your minister, and whosoever of you will be the
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chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of. Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life & ransom for many." In the spiritual kingdom which the Mes- siah was establishing, the test of superiority was to be that of moral worth, of consecrated heart, as manifested in lowly min- istrations and holiest beneficence. Thus the humblest and the most obscure subject could become a king and a priest unto God. Christ's kingdom upon the earth was to be one of royal brother- hood. In prescribing the mode of discipline the final step is. "Tell it,-"not to the session. not to the preacher in charge,not to the vestry,but-"Tell it to the church," to the ecclesia, to the as- sembled christian brotherhood. Such was the spirit destined to give life and beauty and form to the churches subsequently to be organized. The Apostles remembering the words of Jesus, would not elect one to fill a vacancy in their own number, nor appoint a deacon, nor settle a question of doctrine, without submitting the whole subject to the body of believers. The apostles were inspired. They could not err. Had they assumed the entire authority in each case, their action would have been accepted.
The early Christians closely followed the teachings of Christ and the example of apostles. "All the affairs of the churches," says Neander, "were conducted in an entirely public manner, so that every deliberative meeting of the church resembled a strictly popular assembly." "The highest authority" adds Mosheim "was in the people, or the whole body of Christians, for the apostles themselves inculcated by their example, that nothing of any moment was to be done or determined upon, without the knowl- edge and consent of the brotherhood,"
We may claim, therefore, that our churches, holding as they do, the faith of the Gospel and organized upon the basis of such a scriptural polity, are the true apostolic succession.
Our church polity is, also, in unison with the whole genius of our republican institutions.
.When the Pilgrims at Leyden in 1617, sent an embassy to England with a petition to the king for a patent to carry with them to America in which "Liberty of religion shall be confirm - od under the king's broad seal" it was asked, "But who shall make your ministers ?" and the reply was. "The power of mak- ing them is in the church." "This right," says Bancroft, "exer- cised by each congregation, of electing its own minister, was in itself a moral revolution. Puritanism exalted the laity. It constituted not the christian clergy but the christian people, the interpreters of the Divine will." In the cabin of the Mayflower
before landing on Plymouth rock, the Pilgrims formed them- selves by written compact into a body politic, on the basis of equal laws for the public good. "That" in the words of the his. torian just alluded to, "was the birth of popular constitutional liberty." Itis not too much, to affirm then, that if it were not for the love of civil and religious liberty which characterized the founders of the New England Colonies, the United Colonies would never have become a Republic,and the Republic never could have been maintained. Look at it. During the recent rebellion, where was found the heartiest support of the government? At each successive call, where was heard longest and loudest the loyal chorus,
"We are coming, Father Abraham,
Three Hundred Thousand more."
It was in New England. It was along the hills and valleys of the Empire state. It was in Pensylvania, Ohio, northern Indi- ana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and California. Ina word, it was in the North and. in that part of the North, too, settled largely by New England people and permeated by New England principles. That we are a nation to-day weowe it, then, under God, to the faith and polity of the Pilgrims and their descendants. This same polity also, so effective in the origin and maintenance of the govern-' ment, is indispensable to the perpetuation of the nation. Civil government is never so stable as when its fundamental principles become rooted in the religious convictions of the people. But let all the churches or a majority of the churches of the land be- come monarchical or aristocratical in their forms of government, and who does not see that the Republic itself would ultimately be weakened if not destroyed. We must value our faith and polity, therefore, as we value the perpetuation of our republican institutions.
Once more, we observe, that in the effective prosecution of the work to which God has called us, we need a deeper conviction that the faith and polity of our denom- ination are adapted to the people.
It is a somewhat humilating fact that a denomination so early on the ground and with peculiar advantages, should have fallen so far behind other denominations numerically. In the United States, the Presbyterians have double our number of church organizations, the Baptist five times as many,and the Methodists eight times our number.
One reason of this disparity is found in the fact that during the existence of Slavery our denomination, with few exceptions,
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8-
never secured a foothold at the South. This exclusion from the pro-slavery States, under the circumstances, was a credit to the denomination. It was in proof that Congregationalism, with its fearless utterance of the gospel as applied to the inalienable rights of humanity; could not be tolerated except on free soil, where a man by virtue of his humanity was deemed "more pre- cious than a wedge, of gold."
Another reason for this disparity, as compared with other denominations, is owing to the impression which, as you know, extensively prevailed at one time that Congregationalism was adapted only to New England. For scores of years that line of argument was organizing, with Congregational members, a majority of the Presbyterian churches in western New York Pennsylvania and Ohio. Dr. Nott is said to have remarked' once, that, "in a degree he was responsible for the fact that the early churches in the state of New York which all bore the name Presbyterian, took upon themselves that name .* In Kansas and in all the new states we are to-day, as a denomination, experienc- ing the effect of that polity in the immense immigration bearing to other denominations a wealth of membership and means, a large share of which might have been retained in our own. That this polity proceeded from any intentionally wrong mo- tive cannot for a moment be assumed. They were noble Chris- tian men and women who advocated it. In many respects, God has overruled it for good. Other denominations have become leavened by the process, and Congregationalism has "wrought wider than it thought." Yet the idea that a faith and polity which had done so much for New England and the nation, could not produce equally salutary effect, at the West, was a mistaken idea. But, strange to say, the same fallacy seems to be somewhat prevalent even at the present time. Congregationalists themselves entertain it. "If you have a good New England element,". say they,"You can build up a Congregational church, but if you have not, you cannot." It is not uncommon for Congregational ministers even, when casting about for a field of labor at the West, to inquire particularly, whether there are many "East ern people" in the place, as if ultimate success depended largely on a favorable response to the inquiry. In one sense the argument honors the denomination. It is a tribute to the Gospel that it commends itself to the cultivated tastes and judgment of men. But it dishonors the Gospel to assume that, therefore, it is not adapted to all classes and conditions of society. The comman !
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