July 28, 1916. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE. Ghd Reminder | ‘59 
Manchester Church Observes Bi-Centennial 
Orthodox Congregational Church Organized in 1716—Present Church Home Built in 1809—Impressive 
j 
ON that day back in the early part 
of the 17th century when tradition 
says the few settlers of ‘‘Jeffrey’s 
Creeke”’ gathered beneath a tree on 
“Gale’s Point,’ under the leadership 
of a minister whose name 
is unknown, and held ser- | 
vices of worship the } 
church history of Man- ; «|. 
chester began. Through | ~~ } 
the hardships of early col- eta me 
onial days the little congre- 
gation struggled, survived 
and grew until just two 
hundred years ago the first 
ehurch organization in 
Manchester was establish- 
ed. In commemoration of 
its founding an all-day Bi- 
centennial celebration was 
held last Sunday at the 
Orthodox Congregational 
church, Manchester. In 
spite of inclement weather 
large congregations gath- 
ered at the three services 
in the beautiful colonial 
church which has occupied 
the site of three predeces- 
sors for over a century. 
A splendid program was 
arranged by the pastor, the 
Rev. Charles A. Hatch, 
was assisted by the sugges- 
tions of the Bi-centennial 
committee, composed of the 
members of the standing 
committee of the church, 
Joseph A. Torrey, Oliver 
T. Roberts, Edward A. 
Lane, Frank P. Knight, 
George W. Jewett, Albert 
Cunningham, Mrs. Hattie 
B. Kitfield, Mrs. Emma E. 
Stanley, Rev. Mr. Hatch 
and Miss Annie L. Lane. 
At the morning service | 
te Rev. Dr. John H. z 
Quint, pastor of the First 
Congregational Church of Chelsea, 
preached the commemoratory sermon. 
His text was taken from the third 
chapter of Malachi, the sixth verse, 
reading, “I, Jehovah, have not 
changed, but ye sons of Jacob have 
not finished.” Dr. Quint told an inci- 
dent of the visit of Dr. Edward Steiner 
to Plymouth. “The famous Chris- 
tianized Jew, who has done so much 
for the immigrant in America, was 
profoundly impressed upon his first 
visit to the landing place of the Pil- 
grims, Gazing about him for some 
time without comment. he finally 
Congregational C 
RALPH P. YOUNG 
looked out over the water and _ said 
simply, ‘The same sea,’ and looking 
above, ‘The same stars.’ This same 
thought applied to the natural world 
is lifted up and exalted in the words 
at tion imie 
hurch, Manchester, built 
of the text. Mankind is in a state of 
evolution, but God is unchanging. 
“Perhaps I cannot enter into the 
spirit of this anniversary as can you 
to whom it signifies so much. How- 
ever, I am reverent as | view the past. 
This occasion does mean much to me, 
for here in this church my wife re- 
ceived her Christian training and be- 
fore this very pulpit took her Chris- 
tian vows. The voice of the past 
breathes of strength and not of weak- 
ness. It bids us labor on until our 
work is done. 
“There is an individual psychology 
Sikes oc aluaiondat acs 
in I80O 
and Interesting Services Held Last Sunday 
associated with men as they grew old. 
They are inclined to live in retrospect. 
They live over the past and boast of 
the achievements of their youth. 
There is a like corporate pyschology 
which applies to churches 
as well. The church lives 
in the past and tells of the 
glorious men and women 
who lived and worked in it 
and often mingles fiction 
with fact in idealizing its 
history. A church should 
have the pyschology of 
youth; it should think in 
terms of the future. The 
church is not declining. 
Although in some localities 
there may be evidences of 
decay, I have no patience 
with that pessimism which 
can see only the failing 
strength of the church. 
Christianity has _ passed 
safely through a critical 
period during which the 
wonderful development of 
natural science has brought 
us out of ignorance into 
the light. Never has the 
church played so vital a 
part in the world as today. 
Never was such _ great 
charity displayed-as in the 
present; never was there 
such unity of spirit in the 
Christian church as there 
is today. The church is by 
no means ideal; it never 
was and never will be un- 
til a perfect human nature 
understands the will of 
God. In these dark days 
of world war I hear men 
exclaim, ‘Christianity has 
failed.” Why! Christianity 
has not been tried. 
“When the Church burns 
with a great love for its 
fellow men there is no fear of the 
future. For this grand old church, 
celebrating its 200th anniversary, if 
it maintains its great love and loyalty 
to its ideals of the past, there is 
nothing impossible. I bid you have 
Faith. An achieving church should 
remember that all its power comes 
from God. 
“Many changes will have occurred 
before another hundred years. will 
have come, but the same God who 
has been with th’s church since the 
beginning will watch over it then and 
forever. In the words of Goethe I 
