TORS ee. a eee = & 
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100th 
_ The services in commemoration of 
the 100th anniversary of the building of 
the Congregational Meeting-house at 
Manchester, held last Sunday morning, 
afternoon and evening, were carried out 
in accordance with the program  an- 
nounced last week. The day was 
splendid as far as weather conditions 
were concerned, with the exception of 
the heavy shower of the early evening, 
after the last services had started. 
All the exercises were well attended, 
especially the evening. Many former 
residents of the town returned for the 
exercises and to hear of the former days 
when they were active workers here. 
The church was prettily decorated 
with palms, ferns and cut flowers about 
_ the pulpit, while a rope of laurel extend- 
_ ed the entire length of the gallery, and 
10.45. 
potted geraniums occupied a prominent 
place in the vestibule. 
The forenoon services opened at 
The regular morning service 
was observed, with sermon by Rev. E. 
P. Tenney, D. D., who was pastor of 
the church from 1863 to 1867, leaving 
- to accept the presidency of a college at 
andthe choir rendered 
~ ** The little handful of neighbors,”’’ 
Colorado Springs. The -music of the 
morning consisted of congregational 
singing, “Sing the Glad Tidings,’’ 
*“Great is the Lord our God,’’ and 
**Oh Thou whose Own Vast Temple 
Stands.”’ Fred K. Swett sang “‘ Zion,’’ 
as an anthem 
*“The Lost Chord,’’ and as a response, 
“* Our Father.”’ 
** Behuld I build a house in the name 
of the Lord, my God,’’ II Chron. 2: 4, 
was the text selected by Rev. Dr. 
Tenney. His sermon was largely _his- 
torical and reminiscent in its character. 
he 
said, “‘ who built this house 100 years 
ago, built as well and as wisely as did 
Solomon, and far better in proportion to 
their means.’’ 
He gave briefly a history of the build- 
ing of the church and the pastors who 
have filled the pulpit, referring particular- 
ly to the interior of the church before it 
was remodeled, with its high pulpit, 
above which was the sounding board, 
and which was reached by a flight of 
winding stairs on either side, the deacon’s 
seat in front of the pulpit, facing the 
congregation, the old square pews 
which, he said, were built like sheep 
pens, for the lambs of God. He spoke, 
too, of the spire with its ancient weather 
cock, which has been in position for 155 
years. It was a question, he said, 
whether our forefathers put this weather 
cock on the steeple to show the direction 
of the wind or to remind present-day 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE. 
iniscent Vein. 
Peters not to deny their master. 
He related many incidents and le- 
gends of the early days of the building, 
which from its tall spires was a promin- 
ent feature of the landscape, especially to 
the sailors, and which was used by them 
not only in finding the. channel as they 
entered the harbor, but as a guide in lo- 
cating the best fishing grounds. 
““This steeple points heavenward, 
holds up to the neighborhood a con- 
science regulator; otherwise it would not 
be worth propping up. One of the 
most dangerqus things in the town is the 
drifting about of moral derelicts. The 
chief use of the church is to help brace 
up men morally. “There are many in 
this town who need the church to guide 
them on the moral sea. 
**Let us commemorate those who 
built this church by a supreme resolution 
that the God of our fathers and mothers 
shall be our God and we shall live as his 
loving children now and forever.”’ 
Afternoon 
The afternoon service at 2.30, was 
opened by an organ voluntary by Miss 
Jessie Hoare, the organist, following 
which: Miss Josephine R. Lincoln of 
Boston sang ‘“ The Way to Heaven.’’ 
Prayer was offered by Rev. T. L. Frost, 
pastor of the Baptist church. “The con- 
gregation sang ©‘ O where are Kings and 
Empires now.”’ 
Rev. L. H. Ruge, the pastor, then 
made a few remarks. He _ referred 
pleasantly to the occasion, and spoke 
briefly of “‘the movement of the unseen 
God among the nations.’’ He said that 
a study of history showed that religion 
was the inspiration of history, and the 
life of any community shapes _ itself 
about the church. In these days nearly 
as much attention was given to church 
matters by the secular press as by the re- 
ligious press, and he thought that the 
power of the press might be the power 
which would renew and keep alive the 
interest in the church. 
An historical address by J. A. Torrey 
was next given. Mr. Torrey prefaced 
his remarks by a quotation from Cotton 
Mather in his Magnalia, who in asketch 
of his friend Rev. Nathaniel Rogers of . 
Ipswich, compared Adam the first Sin- 
ner, and Nathaniel the first Believer, 
each of whom God discovered under a 
tree. 
Another important event which oc- 
curred under a tree was the first public 
worship by the settlers at Jeffrey’s Creek, 
now Manchester-by-the-Sea. 
- The villagers communed with the 
church at Salem, whither they repaired 
by boat or: bridle-path. This Sabbath- 
-the harbor. 
33 
ANNIVERSARY OF BUILDING MANCHESTER MEETING-HOUSE 
Interesting Services Held Last Sunday. Former Pastors Present and Review Events of Old in Rem- 
day’s journey being inconvenient, they 
frequently employed ministers to conduct 
a home service, in groves or private 
houses. 
In 1656 was built the first meeting 
house, a primitive structure of logs 
chucked with clay, with windows or 
oiled paper and floor of beaten earth. 
_ The seats were plain benches without 
backs. There was a fine of five shillings 
for non-attendance. 
The second house of worship, built in 
1692, the witchcraft year. It was an 
improvement on the previous and fur- 
nished with abell. In architecture it re- 
sembled the Old Ship meeting house 
now standing in Hingham. Rev. John 
Eveleth was minister at this time, a man 
of various gifts and abundant labors. He 
was minister, schoolmaster, farmer, 
blacksmith and the best fisherman in 
town. A weekly contribution was taken, 
the money wrapped about with paper, 
having the contributor’s name inside, a 
fore-runner of the present weekly envel- 
ope. 
In 1716 a regularly organized church 
was formed, nine men and ten women 
being dismissed from, the churches in 
Salem and Beverly, “‘in order to their 
coming into a church state by them- 
selves.’’ Rev. Ames Cheever was 
called to the pastorate and served worthily 
for 27 years. He laid the foundations of 
a church which had so long as a congre- 
gation enjoyed only transient preaching 
and unorganized administration. He 
was the grandson of Ezekiel Cheever, 
the famous schoolmaster of Boston. 
In 1719 was built the third meeting 
house which stood for ninety years till 
the present, fourth house was built in 
1809, at a cost of $8500. 
It was built partly by subscription. the 
town contributing half the cost. Exte- 
riorly the house retains all its original 
features. Its beams of sturdy oak seem 
good for another century. Its architec- 
ture, as one of the best types of ‘its 
period has been much admired. Its open 
belfry is a feature almost unique. It 
stands upon the open village green. Its 
spire is a landmark for vessels entering 
In 1845 the interior was 
modernized with new pulpit and pews, 
the Parish was reorganized, and pew 
ownership relinquished. 
It is a matter of surprise that this small 
village should have built so beautiful and 
comparatively costly edifice. It must 
have been in shining contrast to the pri- 
vate dwellings of that day. It was not 
twenty-five years since the Revolutionary 
struggle. The loss of life in army and 
navy and by shipwreck had left many 
