USA > Maine > History of the Baptists in Maine > Part 24
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paper was burned-did not bring disaster to the Advo- cate. The week following the fire a small sheet was issued. Then, for several weeks, the paper in its usual form was printed in Paris, at the office of the Oxford Democrat. Meanwhile a temporary building had been erected in Portland in which B. Thurston & Co., the print- ers of the paper since 1853, re-established their business, and the Advocate returned to Portland, where it has since remained.
In September, 1873, Dr. Shailer sold the paper to Rev. Henry S. Burrage, then pastor of the Baptist church in Waterville. Dr. Shailer was desirous of relieving himself of some of the burdens which he had hitherto borne. He felt that he must give up either the pastorate or the Advo- cate. But there were reasons why it seemed to him best to retain awhile longer his relation to the First Baptist church, of which he had been the pastor since 1854. The erection of the new house of worship after the great fire had entailed a large and unexpected indebtedness, and Dr. Shailer thought he ought not to leave the pastorate under the circumstances in which the church now found itself. So he closed his connection with the paper Oct. 15, 1873, and since that time the Advocate has been under the edi- torial management of its present editor.
In all these years Zion's Advocate has been of very great value to the Baptist denomination in Maine. In all its history it has aimed to be a welcome guest in the Chris- tian home. But especially has its influence been felt in bringing our churches into closer relation and in aiding our various missionary, educational and benevolent insti- tutions. No worthy enterprise has failed to receive its advocacy. It has fearlessly supported whatever meas- ures of reform it deemed of permanent value, rejecting nothing simply because it was old, and adopting nothing simply because it was new. Other state religious weekly papers in New England have passed away, but Zion's Advocate continues its helpful work in the interest of the Baptists of Maine.
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At the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention at Rock- land, Oct. 7, 1903, the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the paper, Nov. 11, 1828, was made the occasion of a review of its history. The committee on publications in their report fittingly alluded to the use- fulness of the paper. "Heartily thankful for the many years of its history, largely indebted for its past services, greatly dependent for its future help, we, the Baptists of Maine, should not fail to see the blessing and the value of Zion's Advocate. More than any of us can measure has our State paper been to the prosperity, the progress and the efficiency of the Baptist denomination in Maine." There was added a strong plea for a heartier and more generous support of the paper, and at this meeting a con- siderable addition was made to its subscription list. With this heartier and more generous support there is no reason why Zion's Advocate should not continue its helpful work.
CHAPTER XVIII.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
The beginnings of Sunday-school work in Maine are to be found in the second decade of the nineteenth century. There is a doubtless well-founded tradition that a union Sunday-school, supported by the members of the First Baptist church and the Second Parish church, Portland, was organized in 1816, with Gen. John K. Smith, a prom- inent member of the First Baptist church, as superintend- ent. In 1817, each of these churches organized schools of their own.
The first mention of the Sunday-school in our Maine Baptist Minutes is found in the Circular Letter of the Lin- coln Association in 1818. In the earlier part of the letter, which was written by Rev. Hezekiah Prince, reference is made to the missionary spirit that had been awakened in the churches of the association. Then occurs this para- graph : "There has been considerable attention within a few years past to the instruction of youths on the Sab- bath in what is called Sunday-schools. This is truly a praiseworthy institution. Children are taught to search the Scriptures and commit them to memory, and receive religious instruction. It is computed that more than one million of children attend these schools in the Christian world. If we believe this is the Lord's doings we shall doubtless see greater things than these. Oh, how import- ant it is that we who have named the name of Christ should train up those committed to our care in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
The Circular Letter of the Eastern Maine Association, held at Surry Oct. 3 and 4, 1821, was written by Rev. Enoch Hunting, and urged the duty of "Family Religion
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and the Religious Education of Children." "We wish," said the writer, "that the charge of inattention to the religious instruction of children, which has been so often brought against us, had no better foundation than the illiberality of those who mistake, or are willingly ignorant of our sentiments and our practice." In urging the duty reference was made for the most part to home instruc- tion, but these words are added : "Sabbath-schools and catechetical instructions afford pleasing aids to us in this laborious task." The books recommended for use in the religious instruction of the young were "Watts's Cate- chism, Baldwin's Catechism, Emerson's Historical Cate- chism, Lincoln's Scripture Questions, Watts's Hymns for Children, Hymns for Infant Minds."
The Circular Letter of the Bowdoinham Association in 1821, prepared by Rev. Jesse Martin, referring to the instrumentalities employed in giving the gospel to the world, makes mention of missionary societies, education societies, tract societies and Sabbath-schools. The Cir- cular Letter of the same association in 1822, prepared by Rev. Daniel Chessman, refers to Sunday-school teaching as "a system of instruction" rapidly gaining ground, and adds : "The Sabbath-school originated in the benevolent exertions of one individual. Little did he think of touch- ing a spring which would set in motion such vast machin- ery. It has given instruction to hundreds of thousands, and has been the means of the conversion of multitudes."
At the meeting of the Lincoln Association at China, Sept. 18 and 19, 1822, this resolution was adopted : "That we will urge the persevering attention to Sabbath-schools and catechetical instruction, that the interests of our chil- dren so happily advanced by this practice may not be suffered to decline."
At the meeting of the Cumberland Association, held in Hebron Sept. 29 and 30, 1824, the churches were requested to furnish information in their letters concerning their condition, work, &c., and among the items required was the following, "whether Sabbath-schools are established."
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The same request was made by the Eastern Maine Asso- ciation at Eastport in 1825.
An added impetus to Sunday-school work in Maine was given by the organization, Jan. 11, 1826, of the Maine Sunday School Union, comprising members of the various evangelical denominations in the State. Many clergymen and prominent Sunday-school workers from all parts of the State were present. Gov. Albion K. Parris presided, and Rev. P. S. Ten Broeck was made secretary. After prayer by Rev. A. Wiley, Rev. Mr. Wilbur, agent of the American Sunday School Union, addressed the meeting, having reference especially to the character of the work in which the Union was engaged, and the benefits to be derived from connection with it. It was then voted to organize a State Sabbath School Union, auxiliary to the American Sunday School Union. The following officers were elected : Albion K. Parris, president; Rev. William Allen, D. D., Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, D. D., Robert H. Gardiner, Esq., and Rev. Allen H. Cobb, vice presidents ; Joseph Harrod, treasurer ; William Cutter, corresponding secretary, and Rev. Thomas B. Ripley, recording secre- tary. The following comprised the board of managers : Rev. P. S. Ten Broeck, Rev. Asa Cummings, Gen. John K. Smith, Rev. Joshua Taylor, Mr. Stephen Waite, Mr. Joseph Adams, Rev. Samuel Rand, Capt. David Nelson, Rev. James Lewis. The Baptists on the board of offi- cers were President Chaplin of Waterville College, Rev. Thomas B. Ripley, pastor of the First Baptist church, Portland, and Gen. John K. Smith, a member of the same church.
The organization of the Sabbath School Union was fol- lowed by the establishment of auxiliary societies in differ- ent parts of the State. In the first annual report of the Union, presented Jan. 4, 1827, a glimpse is afforded of the work attempted in the Sunday-schools of that day. "The practice of hearing long lessons and estimating the merit of the scholar by the quantity committed to memory has
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been discarded to a considerable extent, and many advan- tages have been found to result from limited recitations, accompanied with full and easy explanations from the teachers. . . . The classes should be small, and the lesson confined to a few verses; and the same lesson should generally be assigned to the whole school, and always to the members of the same class. Then, the teachers should converse with each scholar, to see, as far as possible, that he understands the lesson, and compre- hends the manner in which it ought to affect him."
The influence of the new movement was soon discover- able in different parts of the State. At the fall election in New Gloucester, in 1827, the successful candidate for representative to the Legislature, when called upon at the close of the day by his enthusiastic supporters, addressed them with reference to the evils of intemperance in con- nection with the custom of "treating" at elections, and in closing informed his constituents that instead of follow- ing the old custom on such an occasion he would make a donation of ten dollars to the Sunday-school recently organized in the town.
At the Eastern Maine Association, which met at Sulli- van Sept. 12 and 13, 1827, this resolution was adopted : "That we view, with gratitude to God, the increasing attention to Sabbath-schools in this association, and ear- nestly recommend perseverance and greater effort, and that our Sabbath-schools become connected with the Maine Sabbath School Union."
The annual meeting of the Maine Sabbath School Union was held Jan. 10, 1828, in the meeting-house of the First Baptist church in Portland. Gen. Alford Richardson, superintendent of the First church Sunday-school, pre- sided. One of the speakers at the meeting was Rev. Elon Galusha, of Whitesborough, N. Y., one of the best known Baptist ministers in the Empire State, a forceful and eloquent preacher, whom the members of the First church shortly afterward desired to make the successor of Rev. Thomas B. Ripley.
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At the Bowdoinham Association at Bloomfield, in 1828, the following resolutions were adopted : "Resolved, That it be recommended to the churches of this association to establish Sabbath-schools, with libraries connected for the edification of the children. Resolved, That it be recom- mended to establish Bible classes, and that they may be encouraged to become auxiliary to the American Bible Class Society, by contributing annually what may be con- venient ; and that the ministers report annually the state of their Bible classes to the secretary of that Society." Evidently there was already a broadening of the scope of Sunday-school instruction.
In the Corresponding Letter, written by Rev. D. Chess- man, there was a reference to Sabbath-schools as "one of the most interesting objects of benevolence at the pres- ent day." "Wherever instituted," it was said, "they have been attended with a blessing. And if any of our churches have doubts on this subject let the experiment be fairly made, and the result will be satisfactory." The friends of Sunday-schools evidently had faith in the new order of things. The action with reference to Bible classes, taken by the association at this time, receives an explanation in the same Corresponding Letter. "Bible classes are of more recent origin [than Sunday-schools], but they bid fair to be equally useful ; indeed they may be considered as a branch of the Sunday-school, and are designed to take the youth, when they leave the Sunday- school, and continue that religious instruction in a man- ner suited to their advancing age. They are also useful in providing teachers for the Sabbath-school, and qualify- ing them for that responsible station. God has in a very wonderful manner blessed them for the conversion of many ; and in some instances every individual connected with Bible classes has been hopefully brought to a knowl- edge of the truth." The development of the Sunday- school idea is strikingly illustrated in this letter.
The Bowdoinham Association, at its meeting in Greene, Sept. 23 and 24, 1829, recommended "that a school be
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established in every church belonging to this body," and the churches were requested to give an account of the work of their schools annually in their letters. A commit- tee was chosen by the association with reference to Sun- day-school work, also a committee by the Congregational conference. Upon the recommendation of these two com- mittees a meeting of the friends of Sabbath-schools was held in Greene at the close of the association, at which it was resolved unanimously "that it is expedient to form a Sabbath School Union for the County of Kennebec." A constitution was adopted and the following officers were elected : Rev. Dr. J. Chaplin, president ; Rev. D. Chess- man, Rev. David Thurston, Rev. John Butler and Rev. George Shepard, vice presidents ; Rev. B. Tappan, corre- sponding secretary ; T. D. Scudder, Esq., treasurer ; these with John Hovey, Esq., and Hon. Mr. Rice, constituted the board of directors.
But at least one of the churches in the Bowdoinham Association (and there were unquestionably others in Maine) continued to have doubts with reference to the usefulness of such an organization as the Sunday-school. The First church in Lisbon, at the meeting of the Bow- doinham Association, in 1830, brought this question before the association : "Is it proper to give our support to for- eign missions and Sunday-schools, and neglect the means of the gospel at home by draining the country of money and starving our ministry ?"1 The committee appointed by the association to frame a reply to this inquiry under- stood well its source, and made the following answer : "By no means; and if our brethren who proposed the ques- tion feel that their efforts to support foreign missions and Sunday-schools have deprived them of the 'means of the gospel at home,' they are desired to reform and obtain and support the ministry among themselves." The committee added the further suggestion, that as far as their obser-
1 The First church in Lisbon at that time was pastorless, but reported sixty members. In 1835, a membership of twenty-eight was reported. In 1836, the First church in Lisbon was "dropped from the Minutes"; its light had gone out.
19
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vation extended "the gospel ministry is best supported in those places where the greatest efforts are made to send the word of life to the destitute." The scene at the read- ing of this report can easily be imagined.1
In 1831, Rev. Asa Bullard, a Congregationalist Sunday- school worker, became general agent and corresponding secretary of the Maine Sabbath School Union. At that time, he says, there were connected with the Maine Sab- bath School Union not over five hundred schools, con- taining perhaps a total of twenty thousand teachers and scholars. Strong, enthusiastic endeavor characterized Mr. Bullard's three years of service in connection with the Sunday-school interests of Maine. At the sixth annual meeting 'of the Union, in January, 1832, the following resolution was presented, and after earnest advocacy it was unanimously adopted : "Resolved, That relying upon divine assistance, we will establish a Sabbath-school in every town and school district in the State, where it is practicable and advisable, within a year and a half from this time."
This action of the Union deeply stirred the hearts of Sunday-school workers in all parts of Maine. Mr. Bul- lard traveled extensively in the State, held meetings in which committees were appointed to take charge of the work, and a vast amount of labor on the part of voluntary and unpaid workers was secured. Young ladies were
1 Rev. H. C. Estes, D. D., in his discourse at the centennial of the First Baptist church in Paris, said the earliest mention of a Sunday-school connected with that church was in " 1837, though there was Sunday-school instruction in Paris twenty years before by Miss Nancy Pierce, who, in 1818, taught the village school. "But her Sunday-school had no connection whatever with the church. Elder Hooper was decidedly opposed to Sunday- schools, and therefore there was no place for one in this church during his administra- tion. He regarded it as wrong for parents to delegate the religious instruction of their children to others, because God had laid the duty upon them. But some members of the church must have had an interest, and a deep interest, in the Sunday-school as an insti- tution which gave great promise of doing good." Dr. Estes mentions a bequest of one of the deacons of the church, Dr. Benjamin Chandler, who by his will dated March 21, 1827, bequeathed a piece of land to "the Calvinistic Baptist church" in Paris, a part of the income to be "expended in the instruction and encouragement of a Sunday-school on Paris Hill, to teach the children and youth in morality and the religion of Jesus Christ. . The use and income of this land, with its fine fruit-bearing trees, situated hardly ยท half a mile from the common, has been of great value to the Sunday-school in all the years of its history."
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obtained to teach district schools, with special reference to the establishment of Sabbath-schools in the towns and neighborhoods where they taught. Merchants were engaged to converse with their customers from adjacent towns or districts, and persuade them, if possible, to see that the work was accomplished in their respective com- munities. Juvenile sewing circles were formed to help furnish funds for carrying on the enterprise." 1
In 1834, to such an extent had the work been advanced, that it was decided to dissolve the Union in order that each denomination might have a Union of its own. At the meeting of the Cumberland Association, held in Bath Aug. 27 and 28, 1834, it was recommended in view of this decision that the churches in the association unite with the other Baptist churches in the State in organizing a Maine Baptist Sabbath School Union, and the delegates to the Convention from the association were instructed to advo- cate and promote this action.
Like action was taken in other associations. The dele- gates met in Topsham on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 1834, the day preceding the meeting of the Maine Baptist Convention, and after an interchange of views organized the Maine Baptist Sabbath School Union. It was decided not to commence work at once, however, as the Maine Sabbath School Union had not yet closed its operations. The organization accordingly was not completed until the spring of 1835, when the board met and voted to employ an agent as soon as a suitable person could be secured.
The Bowdoinham Association, at its meeting in Wayne, Sept. 23 and 24, 1835, recommended the observance of the monthly concert of prayer for Sunday-schools. Every pastor was urged "to manifest a deep interest in the Sab- bath-schools connected with his own congregation," and to endeavor to encourage and benefit both "teachers and pupils by his frequent presence, his assistance and his unceasing prayers."
1 Bullard's Fifty Years with the Sabbath School, p. 21.
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At the annual meeting of the Union, held in Portland Oct. 6, 1835, officers were elected as follows : Alford Rich- ardson, president; Henry B. Hart, secretary, and Byron Greenough, treasurer. They were all residents of Port- land, and all were held in deserved honor. Henry B. Hart and Byron Greenough are names which the Baptists of Maine have occasion still to remember. Mr. Purket, secretary of the Massachusetts Baptist Sabbath School Union, was present at this meeting, and laid before the society a plan for a Sabbath-school convention, to be com- posed of delegates from the several Sabbath School Unions in New England, and Rev. Adam Wilson, Rev. J. S. Maginnis and Dea. Alford Richardson were appointed delegates to the proposed convention.
During the year that followed auxiliary unions were formed in nine associations, and depositories, where the books published by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Union, the American Sabbath School Union and the New England Sabbath School Union could be obtained, were established in Portland and Augusta. Eight of these Unions were reported in the Convention Minutes for 1836, in connection with the first annual report of the Maine Baptist Sabbath School Union, namely, the Unions in York, Cumberland, Oxford, Bowdoinham, Waldo, Penob- scot, Hancock and Kennebec Associations. The whole number of schools reported was 225, with 1,471 teachers and 10,408 scholars, 192 conversions and 16,305 volumes in libraries.
Lincoln Association, in 1837, recommended the observ- ance of the monthly concert of prayer for Sabbath-schools on the second Monday evening of every month.
At the annual meeting of the Maine Baptist Sunday School Union in 1837, it was voted to make the Union auxiliary to the New England Sabbath School Union.
Rev. Joseph Ricker was made secretary of the Union in 1841. He soon entered upon an effort to secure better statistics concerning the Sunday-schools connected with Maine Baptist churches. In a report for the year ending
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September, 1842, presented in June, 1843, Mr. Ricker expressed regret that the materials for his report were so meagre, but they were much more abundant than in any preceding year. From eight associations he obtained these statistics : 137 schools, 932 teachers, 6,806 scholars, 289 conversions, and 16,460 volumes in libraries. Bow- doinham, Kennebec, Waldo and Piscataquis Associations furnished no returns. The report closed with a vigorous appeal for complete Sunday-school statistics.
Mr. Ricker's next report, presented at the annual meet- ing, June 17, 1844, and which was for the year ending on that date, contained statistics from thirteen associations, indicating, as the report said, "a growing attention on the part of the churches to the importance of sending up annual reports of what they are doing for the reli- gious training of the young." The associations report- ing were York, Saco River, Cumberland, Oxford, Lincoln, Penobscot, Washington, Hancock, Kennebec, Damariscotta, Waldo and Bowdoinham, and the summary was as follows : 214 schools, 1,399 teachers, 9,338 scholars, 419 conversions, and 19,770 volumes in the libraries. Of the churches in these twelve associations one hundred and nine failed to report Sunday-school statistics. There was no report from the twenty churches in Piscataquis Association. "Many of these churches are large," said the secretary "and are known to have interesting Sabbath-schools. Upon this fact we have no comment to offer. We simply submit it to this Union, and respectfully ask whether some measure cannot be devised which shall help to remedy an evil so unnecessary? If it is worth while to have any statis- tics whatever, it is worth while to have them from every school in the State."
This appeal seems to have had the desired effect. In the report made by secretary Ricker at the next annual meeting of the Union, June 16, 1845, there were reported 1 266 schools and Bible classes, 1,764 teachers, 11,663 schol- ars and 24,955 volumes in libraries, an increase of 52
1 The report was for the associational year ending September, 1844.
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schools, 365 teachers, 2,325 scholars and 5,185 volumes. The Piscataquis Association made a report, and the statis- tics were the most complete that had as yet been received from the Baptist churches in Maine. Only three conver- sions were reported, and secretary Ricker referred to this "one painful fact." "Last year, it was our delightful privilege to record the hopeful conversion of four hundred and nineteen children and youth connected with the Maine Baptist Sabbath School Union. This year, the meagre aggregate is three only ! Now the question at once occurs, Is this to be regarded as a correct index of our compara- tive efforts to sustain this heaven-originated institution during the two years last past ? If it is, the Lord have mercy upon us, and forgive us our crying guilt. I am not anxious to abate one jot the pungency of the rebuke which the disclosure is adapted to administer. Let it cut-let it startle-let it lead to vigilant self-examination and humble prayer. But let it not discourage." How strikingly do these sentences remind us of passages that will be found in some of Dr. Ricker's later reports, when he was secre- tary of the Maine Baptist Missionary Convention !
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