Worcester County, Massachusetts - Chapter 181: Worcester - (a?«//«h<'a'.), 1889 (part 3 of 3)

All iSnuls Church. - "In the spring of 1883 a committee was appointed at a meeting of the First ITniversalist Church to see if a room could be hired at the south part of the city in which to open a Mission Sunday-school for the extension of our church work in Worcester.'' This was the beginning of the Second Universalist Church. No suitable room could be hired; then two friends of the cause, who "could not let the movement die for want of a place, offered the free use of their rooms." Accordingly, at one of these rooms, in the house of Mrs. Martin Russell, No. 10 May Street, the new school was organized on the afternoon of January 27, 1884. On the Wednesday following, a prayer-meeting was inaugurated ; this and preaching by Mr. Harris, of the First Church, were maintained alternately throughout the winter. The natural result of this devcjtion to the work was growth ; by spring " more room " was found necessary and this led up to thought of building. Money was not abundant, and Mrs. Lucy A. Stone, seeing the need, gave the land on which to build a chapel. .Another act of encouragement was the gift of one hundred dollars by the sister of a former pastor of the First Church. As the women had been thus active in beginning the enterprise, so they were relied upon to carry it forward. Accordingly, '" at a meeting to form a parish held on the 31st of July, 1884," Mrs. Stone and Mrs. Russell, were appointed to obtain subscriptions for the purpose of building a chapel. The result of their efforts was a subscription of one thousand three hundred and two dollars. By the last of October the building w:is begun and before the cold weather could interrupt was completed. In just one year from the time the Sunday school had been organized the chapel was dedicated. This was on the 27lh of January, 1885. On the 21st of June following the church was duly instituted. During the summer the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Lee H. Fisher, a student at Tufts College. His services proved so acceptable that he was engaged to continue them till the next annual meeting. On the 1st of April, 18S(>, the Rev. Frederic W. Bailey entered upon his duties as first pastor of All Souls. Mr. Bailey immediately set about providing for a church edifice. Through his efforts the sum of three thousand four hundred dollars was obtained, with which a lot on the corner of Woodland and Norwood Streets was purchased, and the same was conveyed to the parish on the 20th of March, 1887. How to raise the money for the building of the church was the next and more pressing question. This was happily solved by Mr. James A. Norcross, of the famous firm of Norcro.ss Brothers, builders, by the gift of fifteen thousand dollars in the name of himself and his wife, Mary E., upon three conditions: 1st, That the parish should raise seven thousand otherwise than by incumbrance on the property ; 2d, That a certain room in the proposed edifice should be legally conveyed to Mr. Norcross and his heirs ; and 3d, that the following inscriptions should be placed on tlie front of the edifice : " In memory of our leathers and Mothers who are in Heaven. Our hope is to meet them in that heavenly home;" and- "All Souls Universalist Church Edifice." The exact form of the gift was, " all the brownstone required for the exterior of All Souls Universalist Church cut and set in place." It was assumed that fifteen thousand dollars would cover this expense. Mr. Norcross' proposition was presented on the 9th of November, in a long letter full of details. On the 20th All Souls Parish had a meeting, accepted the proposal, unanimously voted thanks to the donors, and took measures to comply with the first condition. The proposed building is of unique design, of bold architecture and studied simplicity. The main structure is seventj' feet square with a round tower one hundred and fifty feet high on the corner of the streets. The principal audienceroom is designed to seat about five hundred persons ; other rooms adapted for all modern church requirements are embraced within the plan. It will be a central attraction for the important neighborhood in that quarter of the city.

Friends. - "Meeting" and "meeting-house'' are characteristic terms among the Friends. The Preparative, or, as it is called in England, Particular Meeting, is the unit. Several of these constitute a Monthly Meeting; these in turn constitute a Quarterly Meeting, and several Quarterly Jleetings constitute the Yearly Meeting. The Monthly Meeting, which is the lowest corporate body, takes arid holds property through trustees of its own appointing, for the benefit of its Preparative constituencies. All meeting-houses are .so held. The Preparative Meeting e.xercises no discipline over its members. Discipline is administered by the Monthly Meeting upon an overture or complaint from the I'reparative Meeting. Any party not satisfied with the discipline dealt out by this body may appeal to the Quarterly Meeting and to the Yearly Meeting in the last resort. There is no salaried minister, no s.acrament, no set singing, no voting, no business official except a clerk. The clerk is the one important and sufficient official, lie records no votes, since there are none to record ; but he "takes the sense" or consensus of the meeting, and makes a minute of that. This sense he gathers from what any Friend may choose to say at the meeting. Having made his minute, he reads it, and if it is approved it .stands as the sense of the meeting; and so standing, it is as binding and absolute as a vote elsewhere. In this way tlie clerk himself is made such. In this way one Friend may become an "approved minister" and another, because of bad behavior, may become "disowned."

From 1810 to 1837 families of Friends residing in Worcester went up to worship at Mulberry ((rove, in Leicester. Later on they obtained leave to hold a Particular Meeting in Worcester. The place of meeting at first was in a room over Boyden & Fen no's iewelry store, in Paine's block. But in 1846 they built their present meeting-house on land given by Anthony Chase and Samuel H. Colton, two leading members of the Society. After this- tlie Mulberry Grove Meeting gradually diminished and finally died out. The Worcester Meeting became a part of Uxbridge INlontbly Meeting, of which the Uxbridge and

Northbridge Preparative Meetings were the remaining constituent parts. The Uxbridge Monthly Meeting is held in the three places just named twelve times a year, five of which are in Worcester. In due gradation, Uxbridge Monthly Meeting belongs to Smithfield (R. I.) Quarterly Meeting, and this to the New England Yearly Meeting, which is now held alternately at Newport, E. 1., and Portland, Me.

The Worcester Meeting, though small in numbers, has included some of the best known, most worthy and most prosperous of her citizens. The names of Chase, Colton, Earle, Hadwen, Arnold and others have figured prominently in the past history of the city. Anthony Chase was for a generation the tre.asurer of Worcester County ; John Milton Earle was known far and wide as the proprietor and editor of that child and champion of the Revolution, The Masaachusetts Spy; Edward Earle became mayor of the city. But the Friends of AV^ori'ester have special reason to remember the name of Timothy K. Earle as one of the three principal benefiutors of the Society. Choosing to be his own executor, Mr. Earle, shortly before his death, which occurred on the 1st of October, 1881, made a gift of $.^)()00 to Uxbridge Monthly Meeting, to be held in trust for the benefit of Worcester Preparative Meeting. The fund was to accumulate for ten years; then the income was to be used for repairs and improvement of the meeting-house. The surplus above what might be used for this purpose, when it should reach the sum of .$2000, was to be set aside as a fund for rebuilding in case of fire. On the other hand, if the meeting should ever come to an end, the deed of gift provided that the fund should be made over to the Friends' New England Boarding- School at Providence. Other gifts from other sources and for other purposes, but of less amounts, are also held in trust for this meeting. Tlie clerk for a quarter of a century, first of the Worcester Meeting, and then of the Uxbridge Monthly Meeting, is James ii. Arnold, a lineal descendant, through intermediate and unbroken generations of Friend.s, of Thomas Arnold, the earliest emigrant of the name and faith into the Providence and Rhode Island Plantations. But it must be said that the present prospects of the body do not justify the expectation that the future will be as the past. The number of members reported is about eighty, and this is less than it has been.

Second Adventists. - The Second Advent movement in Worcester was made in anticipation of the fateful 15th of February, 1843. On Thanksgiving Day in 1842 a meeting was held in East City Hall, at which a committee was a[)pointed to secure a hall and hire preachers. Thenceforward, for a period of time, meetings were held almost every evening. For a part of the time the " Upper City Hall " was occupied as the place of meeting. When the 15th of P'ebruary came and went and the sun continued to rise and set as usual, the time for the world's crisis was adjourned to a day in Ai)ril. Disappointment then led to further adjournments, but as time wore on and showed no sign of coming to :m end, the Adventists, who had been gatliered out of almost every denomination, gradually consolidated into a regular church organization. For the first seven or eight years no records were kept, because it was held to be inconsistent with the fundamental ideaof Adventism. The first record appears under the date of April 14, 185(1, and the first important thing recorded was the one Article of Association, which served as the basis of organization. This was in the nature of both creed and covenant. " The personal advent and reign of Christ on the earth renewed," was the distinguishing belief, and the solemn agreement to be governed by the Bible as the rule of faith and practice was the only covenant. Religious services were held in various halls until the year 18fi6. when a chapel was built and dedicated. The building was erected on leased land on Central Street, at a cost of $3113.28. The dedication took place on the 14th of June. A succession of elders ministered to the church until the ITith of December, 1870, when Elder 8. G. Mathewson was called to serve "one half the time." He remained in charge till October 17, 1875, when he preached his farewell sermon. Of late years preachers have been supplied by a committee chosen for that purpose. In 1883 the chapel was sold, and a hall for religious services secured in Clark's Block, on Main Street. In 1877 the membership was one hundred and tbrly-five, and one hundred and eighty-live in 1888. The amount of money annually raised for current expenses and care of the poor of the church exceeds $2000, while contributions are made for missions abroad, and particular'y in India.

DiscipIjEs of Christ. - The church of which the lamented Garfield was a minister is an exotic in New England. It had its origin in Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio in the early part of the nineteenth century. Thence it spread through the Southwest and West until, in 1888, the number of communicants in the United States was reported to be about seven hundred thousand. Six universities, thirtyone colleges and six collegiate institutes provide the denomination with the higher educational facilities, while fifty-nine missions in Japan, China, India, Turkey, Africa and Australia, as well as other missions in various European countries, attest their zeal in the propagation of their faith. The central principle of the denomination is the union of all Christians on the basis of the Apostolic Church with the person of Jesus Christ as the only object of faith. Hence, discarding all sectarian names, they choose to denominate themselves simply " Disciples of Christ." They hold the great cardinal doctrines of the gospel but not in the terminology of the schools. They abjure speculative tenets touching Trinity and Unity but adhere to the " form of sound words " given in the Scriptures concerning the Father, the Son and the

Holy Spirit. Their polity is congregational, but they are not Congregationalists. Their distinguishing tenet is of baptism, but they are not altogether Baptists. They agree with the Baptists as to the mode and subjects of baptism, but differ as to its design. While the Baptists baptize believers because they are forgiven, the Disciples baptize them in order to secure the promised forgivenes.ss. " He that believeth ajid is baptized shall be saved." The state of salvation follows, not precedes, the baptizing as well as the believing. Baptism will not save if repentance and faith are wanting. Baptismal regeneration they deny. Baptism is the only form necessary for admission into the church ; there is no creed nor covenant. No one is excluded from the Lord's Supper, and this is observed every Lord's Day. The New Testament is held to be the sole book of authority ; the Old Testament is helpful, but not now authoritative.

Only one church of this order exists in Worcester. It was organized on the 5th of August, 1860, with two elders in charge of its spiritual interests and two deacons in charge of its temporal interests. There was no ])ari.sh organization, but the church itself was incorporated v,'ith trustees annually chosen to hold the property. Their first house of worship was the old Central Chapel on Thomas Street. But the surroundings were unfavorable and they felt hampered in their work. They therefore, in September, 1885, sold that property, and while making ready to build occupied the old (Central Church on JMain Street as a place of worship. In the next month they purchased a lot on Main Street opposite King, and there proceeded to erect an attractive church edifice at a cost in all of twenty-three thousand dollars. Its dedication took place on the 12th of September, 188<i. In the twenty-eight years of its existence, the church has had for its ministers, William H. Hughes, William Rowzee, Alanson Wilcox, J. M. Atwater, T. W. Cottingham, Frank N. Calvin and the j)resent minister, I. A. Thayer, who came from New Castle, Pennsylvania, and began his work in Worcester in October, 1887. To none of these do they apply the epithet Reverend, as the distinction of clergy and laity is not recognized. In 1888 the membership of the church was three hundred and seventy-three and that of the Sundayschool two hundred and fifty.

FiiEE Baptists. - Two tenets - free will and free communion - distinguish the Free Baptists from other Baptists. They might perhaps be named the Arminian Baptists and the others the Calvinistic Baptists; but those names would not mark the radical distinction growing out of the terms of communion. Enough that each has chosen its own name ; " Baptists," pure and simple, and " Free Baptists.'' This denomination had its origin in New Hampshire somewhat more than a century ago. Benjamin Randall had been a Congregationalist, afterwards became a Baptist, and then, by adopting and preaching the doctrines of the freedom of the will and free conimu- nion, became the founder of the Free Baptist denomination. This was in 1780. Within tlie century following, churclies of tliis faith multiplied and spread east and west, until now the meml)ership througliout the country is reported to exceed eighty thousand. In the county of Worcester there are three churches, one of which is in the city. The first preliminary meeting here was held at the house of Newell Tyler, on the 14th of September, 1880. Meetings continued to be held at intervals until the 7th of April, 1881, when the church was duly organized with thirty members. It continued to live without parish powers until the yd of August, 1887, when by-lawt were adopted preparatory to incorporation undej Chapter 404 of the Acts of that year. On the Isl day of September following the church became a corporation by the name of the " First Free Baptist Church of Worcester." The Rev. A. J. Eastman, who had been the originator of the movement, watinstalled on the 7th of April, 1887, as the first pastor, and so continued for one year. The second pastor was the Rev. H. Lockliart. His term began on the l.st of May, 1883, and terminated on the 1st of March, 1887. On the 18th of May following the Rev. D. D. Mitchell became the pastor. The place of worshiii is " Free Baptist Hall," in Clark's Building, 492 Main Street.

Afbican Churches - African Methodist Zion't Church. - This church was organized in ]84ti. Its first place of worship was the " Centenary Chapel," which had been erected on Exchange Street in 1840, and which, at a later day, came into the hands of Zion's Church. The house was dedicated for this church in the year of its organization. Rev. Alexander Posey was the first pastor. To him succeeded the Rev. Levin Smith, in 1849. The third and most noteworthy pastor was the Rev. J. A. Mars. In 1854 the house was burned in the great fire of that year. In July, 1855, another house was begun, and by the 25th of September was completed and dedicated. A large part of the money for this expense was collected by Mr. Mars outside the society. After him came a succession of pastors whose names w ere not obtained.

African Methodist Episcopul Bethel Church. - Thischurch was organized in the summer of ]8<57 in Lincoln House Hall. Dr. Brown was a leading spirit in the enterprise and continued to manage until a pastor was assigned. The original membership of the church was fourteen. The first pastor assigned by the Conference was Rev. Joshua Hale, whose term ol service was two years. After him came in suecessiou twelve pastors, whose names were Mr. Johnson, James Madison, Perry Stanford, Ebenezer Williams, Jeremiah B. Hill, Joseph Taylor, Elijah P. Grinage, D. A. Porter, Charles Ackworth, Mr. Grandy, A. W. Whaley, Mr, Thomas and G. B. Lynch. Then in 1887, Rev. J. B. Stephens was appoiuted to the charge, which he was keejiing at the close of 1888. For a number of years their place of worship was at the corner of Hanover and Laurel Streets. But in 1887 that property was lost and since then their place of worship has been at 302 Main Street. The number of communicants in 1888 was twenty-five and the number of families eiglit.

Thr Mount Olive Baptist Church was a child of the Worcester Baptist City Mission Board. At first and for some years it was maintained as a mission. But the brethren of the mission having repeatedly asked for organization and recognition as an independent church, the Board at length yielded to their wishes. Accordingly, on the 24th of February, 1885, a council of the city Baptist Churches convened in the Pleasant Street Church and after due examination of twenty-two [lersons constituted them a church with the above name. For a long time the Rev. Charles E. Simmons served them in the gospel without compensation. Then they set about procuring a pastor. On tlie 24th of March, 1887, at their request, a council convened for the pur[)Ose of ordaining Hiram Conway, a student in Newton Theological Seminary, to the Mount Olive ministry. His examination having proved satisfactory, his ordination and recognition as pastor took place on the 29th in the Pleasant Street Church. In the summer of the same year house No. 43 .lohn Street, with the connected lot, was purchased and fitted for public worship at a cost of about one thousand dollars. On the 10th of October, 1888, a membership of forty-one persons was reported.

The number of |)ersons of African blood in Worcester by the census of 1885 was eiglit hundred and eighty-three; in 1888 the number was thought to be about one thousand.

Chkistadelphians. - The Christadelphians, or "Brethren of Christ," constitute a small body in Worcester. The oi'der had its origin in the year 1832. Its founder was John Thomas, M.D., of New York, who believed and proclaimed that the true teaching of Christ was for the first time discovered in this nineteenth century by himself. Dr. Thomas became an itinerant, and went through the United States and the British Empire publishing his new-found gospel. Disciples were made and are to be found scattered through this country, Great Britain, Australia and India. Their belief will, perhaps, best be seen by what they do not believe. In their own printed words, then, "Christadelphians do not believe in the Trinity, in the co-equality and co-eternity of Jesus with the Deity, in the existence of Jesus before his conception at Nazareth, in the personality of the Holy Spirit, in the personality of the devil, in the immortality of the soul, in the transportation of saints to lieaven and sinners to hell after death, in eternal torments, in baby sprinkling and pouring, in infant and idiot salvation, in Sabbatarianism, in salvation by good works apart from the gospel, in salvation without baptism, in the validity of baptism where the gospel was not understood and believed at the time of its administration, in conversion apart from the intelligent apprehension of the Word, in the conversion of the world by the preaching of the gospel. They do not believe that the Old Testament has been set aside by the New, but, on the contrary, they base their faith on the writings of Moses, the Prophets and the Apostles comprehensively viewed, and reject everything contrary to their teaching."

To this non-belief they add the lielief that " the faith of Christendom is made up uf the fables predicted by Paul in 2 Timothy 4 : 4, and is entirely subversive of the faith once for all delivered to the saints." They have no pastors, deacons or paid officers, but in the place of them have "serving brethren, presiding brethren and speaking brethren."

The first meeting of the "ecclesia" in Worcester was held in Temperance Hall, on Foster Street, in 1867. In the beginning there were only twelve memhers. This number iucresised in a few years to about sixty, then in twelve years fell back to twenty-two. The place of meeting is Reform Club Hall, at 460 Main Street. The sum of one hundred and fifty dollars covers the current yearly expenses.

SwEDi.sH Churches. - By the census of 1875 there were then one hundred and si.\ty-six Swedes and Norwegians in the city of Worcester. In 1888 the number was estimated to be over six thousand. For this rapidly-growing part of the population five churches have already been provided. Two of these are Methodist, one is Baptist, one Congregational and one Lutheran. The oldest is the

First Swedish M. E. Church. - Work was begun among the Swedes in Worcester as early as 1876 by the Rev. Albert Ericson of the M. E. Church. By him a church was organized, to which the Rev. Otto Anderson afterwards preached. In the lall of 1879 Mr. Ericson removed to Wiircester, resumed his work and remained in charge till 1882, when he was succeeded by the Rev. D. S. Sorlin. In 1883 a church was erected at tjuiuoigamond at a cost, including the ! lot, of six thousand seven hundred dollars, and was dedicated on the .Slst of March, 1884. In the same year the Rev. C. A. Cederberg was appointed assistant preacher and in the year following the pastor in charge. In 1887 the Rev. Albert Haller was appointed to succeed him. !

The Second Swedish M. E. Church was organized on the 9th of Ai)ril, 1885. This church, a colony from the First, embraced ninetj'-four members, including twenty-nine on probation. With these came the Rev. Mr. Sorlin, pastor of the First Church, under appointment as pastor of the new organization. On the 1st i of September, 1885, the church took possession of the chapel on Thomas Street, which had been purchased from the Christ Church Society for eight thousand dollars. By two successive additions at a cost of three thousand four hundred dollars, a seating capacity for more than five hundred was obtained ; nor was this , found to be sufficient. The growth of the society had | been so rapid that in November, 1888, there was a membership of two hundred and thirty-five. On the 29th of May, 1887, the Rev. H. W. Eklund of Stockholm, Sweden, became the pastor in charge. His ministry resulted in great spiritual and material enlargement.

The Swedish Evangelical Congregational Church in Worcester has its root in the Free Church movement in Sweden. This movement began about 1869 under Rev. r. Waldenstrom, D.D., who had been a minister of the Lutheran or State I 'hurch. lender his vigorous lead the membership of this Free Church had grown in the course of sixteen yeai's to be one hundred thousand. Some of this communion having emigrated to this country had found a home in Worcester. In May, 1880, a few of these people began to meet for prayer and conference on Messenger Hill, while others met at Quinsigaraond and elsewhere. In June, Rev. A. G. Nelson, pastor of a Swedish Free Church in Canipello, Mass., came by invitation and held several meetings. On the 15th of August the hall at 386 Main Street, over the Gazette office, was hired for religious services. Some old settees were borrowed from the Y. M. C. A., while a small yellow' table, still preserved as a memorial of that day of small things, was bought and used for a " pulpit." In this place, on the 6th of September, 1880, the Swedish Free Church was organized, and here, on the 26lh, Mr. Nelson held the first Sunday service. In October the Rev. George Wiberg was called from Iowa to become the first pastor. In May, 1881, the church, finding the hall on Main Street too narrow, removed its place of worship to a hall in Warren's Block, near Washington Square. On the 19th of August in the same year a council, finding this PVee Church in substantial accord with its own, gave it a cordial welcome to the fellowship of the Congregational Churches. Only one other Swedish Congregational Church then existed in the country, that one being in Iowa. On the 14th of January, 1882, a parish was duly organized in the office of Henry L. Parker, Esq., in Flagg's building, under a warrant issued by him. Membership in the church was made a condition of membership in the parish. In November, 1883, Mr. Wiberg resigned his charge, and on the 1st of December following, Mr. Nelson, the first preacher to the church, became its second pastor. Leaving in July, 1885, he was succeeded by the Rev. Eric Nillson, who began his work on the first Sunday in August of that year and was dismissed on the 6th of December, 1888. At the same time occurred the installation of the Rev. Karl F. Ohlsson, who had been called from Hedemora, Sweden, to the Worcester church. Its membership was then two hundred and fifty.

As early as 1882 this Swedish church eiiter|)ri8e had enlisted the lively sympathies of the Congregational body of the city, and a movement Wiis then initiated to erect a church edifice. Through a building committee, of which S. R. Heywood was chair- man and G. Henry Whitcomb treasurer, the money was raised, a commodious edifice erected on Providence street, near Union E. R. Station, and on the 25th of January, 1885, was dedicated with services by nearly all the Congregational pastors of the city. The cost, including land and furnishing, was nine thousand three hundred and ninety-five dollars, ol which the Swedes contributed one thousand five hundred and ninety-five. As they gain financial strength the whole cost will probably be assumed by the parish.

A most active, efficient and leading person in all this enterprise was Dea. John A. Corneli. He had been a Lutheran and been urged by his Lutheran pastor in Boston to forward that interest on coming to Worcester. Being, however, converted at one oi Major Whittle's meetings, he had left the Lutherans and united with the .Summer Street Church. Afterwards he took a dismission from that church to assist in building up the church of his Swedish brethren. To him both its .spiritual and temporal prosperity was largely due.

The Swedish Baptist Church grew out of a movement begun in 1870. In that year Mr. Anderson, a Swede, came from the Union Temple Church in Boston and united with the First Baptist Church in Worcester. Soon he had a Sunday school class of si.x or eight Swedes. Then he and his countrymen began to hold meetings in the vestry of the First Baptist Church. In 1881, the Swedish Baptist Church was constituted with a body of nine members. The Baptist City ilission Board now came to their help, and board and church co-operated in hiring a hall for religious services in Clark's Block, now Walker Building. In 1882, Rev. Peter A. Hjelm was called from Sweden to the pastorate. He remained till near the close of the year 1888, and was then succeeded by the Rev. L. Kalberg. The Jlission Board had built, in 1855, a chapel on Mulberry Street at a cost, including land, of $9500. Of this amount the church from the first assumed $3000; in the end of 1888 that body had become so I prosperous that it re.solved to relieve the board entirely. In the same year the membership had increased to about two hundred and forty.

The Sweilish Evangelical Lutheran Octhsrmane Church was organized in 1881. In 1882 the Rev. Charles E. Cesander became the pastor. He was succeeded in j 1883 by the Rev. Martin J. Englund, who was or- ' dained on the 17th of June. In the same year the church was erected on Mulberry Street at a cost ol about $15,000. The Rev. Oscar M. Holmgrain was Mr. Englund's successor, being installed in October or November, 1885. The installation of his successor, Rev. S. G. Larson, took place in April, 1888. The : Augsburg Confession is the basis of the church organization. The membership in 1888 was about one hundred and seventy.

Jew.s. - Polish Jews began to multiply in Worcester about the year 1874. In 1888 the number of .souls was thought to be not less than five hundred. There are \

I among them two incorporated religious societies. The oldest of these made ati attempt to become incorpo- I rated in 1880, which, through no fault of the society, I resulted in failure to obtain what they sought. But , in 1888 the society became a corporate body by the name which it had borne from the first,

Sons of Israel. - ^The method of admi.ssion to the synagogue, or church, is by ballot after the candidate has been proposed and personally examined as to his fitness. Five black balls defeat an election. Membership involves an obligation to make certain annual payments, and secures certain pecuniary advantages touching sickness and burial. A prime requisite for membership, whether in the outset or in continuance, is financial integrity. This society has had five ministers. The first was M. Metzer who came in 1880. After him came M. Touvim in 1882; M. Binkovich in 1884; M. Newman in 1885, and M. Axel S. Jacobson in 1887. In 18SS a synagogue was built on Green Street at a cost of $11,0(10, including land, and was occupied for religious services in August of that year. About fifty persons are members of the synagogue and two hundred belong to the congregation. The synagogue possesses three rolls of the five books of Moses written on parchment, the finest of which cost $150.

Sons of Abraham. - It became incorporated in 1886. Besides Polish Jews it embraced some of Swedish nationality. Tho.se constituting the society went out from the older body because of lack of agreement on certain matters. But their organization and doctrine and way of the synagogue are the same. In 1888 a synagogue of brick was erected by this society on Plymouth Street, and was to be ready for occupation by the end of that year. The cost of this, with the land, was also about $11,000. In that year the membership was said to be forty. This synagogue, like the other, is the possessor of several copies of the Torah, or Law of Moses, executed in the same costly style, and kept in an ark or chest for use in the synagogue service.

Arjienians. - The Armenian nation was great and historical centuries before the Christian era. As early, perhaps, as any Gentile nation, they received the Christian religion; but not till the opening of the fourth century, and in the year 802, did the Armenian Church begin to be established. To St. Gregory, the Illuminator, belongs the honor of being its founder, and hence it is distinctively styled the Gregorian Church. Independent alike of the Greek and the Romish Churches, it resembled them in holding a hierarchy and the seven sacraments. This ancient church, through varying fortunes, has come down to our day and still exists in its native seat. An important city of that country is Harpoot, in the great loop made by the river Euphrates, and there, early in the century, the American Board of Commissioners established one of their missions. In tliis way the Armenians came to have relations with Americans and to have knowledge of the United States. From Harpoot and vicinity many of them found their way to Worcester. The special attraction for them in this city was the great Washburn & Moen wire establishment. They began to be employed in that establishment in the year 1882, and in 18SS there were about two hundred and thirty-six on its pay-roll. This particular set towards Worcester was the means of drawing others who came and engaged in other employments. The whole number in the city was last reported at about five hundred. This is said to be a larger number of Armenians than is to be found, not only in any other place in the United States, but also larger than all those in Boston, New York, Brooklyn and Philadelphia together.

It was an obvious duty to provide for these Asiatic strangers edifying religious instruction. Accordingly, about the beginning of the year 1888, the Rev. H. A. Andreasian was invited to come from Harpoot and minister to them in their own tongue. Mr. Andreasian was a disciple of the American missionaries, and had become an evangelical Protestant as towards the Gregorian Church. He had been an ordained minister and preacher at Harpoot for twenty-one years. On receiving the call from Worcester he was given leave of absence from his charge in Harpoot for from one to three years. A place for worship was secured in Summer Street Chapel, and there every Sabbath a large portion of the Armenians in Worcester have diligently attended upon his ministry. There is yet no organized church, and the congregation embraces Gregorian as well as Protestant Armenians. The communion of the Lord's Supper is observed four times a year, and to it are invited " all who love the Lord Jesus Christ." The version of the Bible in use is that published by the American Bible Society in the Armenian language. The singing is congregational, conducted by Mr. M. S. T. JVahigian, who came to Worcester almost before any other Armenian. A serious drawback upon the future of the Armenians in Worcester is the almost entire absence of Armenian women, caused by the refusal of the Turkish Government to allow them to emigrate. The entire congregation on the last Sabbath of the year 1888 consisted of men, and mostly of young men. Mr. Andreasian regarded this as such a serious matter that he was determined to discourage the Armenian immigration, unlesi the women came also. About fifteen hundred dollars a year have been raised among them -elves for church and burial purposes here and contributions to their poor at home. They have manifested their gratitude and a fine sense of the fitness of things by also making a voluntary contribution of two hundred dollars to the funds of the City Hospital.

Germans. - In 1875 the number of persons in Worcester born in Germany was four hundred and three. Thirteen years later the number of this nationality was estimated at somewhat more than one thousand. Of these a small portion are of the Roman Catholic faith, but without any separate church organization. The bulk of these are free from all ecclesiastical connection, except - as a leader of this sort put the case - '" each is a little church by himself." Formerly, and from time to time, the Protestant Germans essayed to establish a German church, but with more of failure than of success. In 1886 Charles H. Stephan, a layman of German birth, came to the city and was much dissatisfied at finding such religious desolation among his countrymen. He at once bestirred himself to do what he might to remedy the evil. The result of his etibrts was that, on the 30th of November, 1886, a company of Protestant Germans was brought together for religious service and worship. This first meeting was held in the Swedish Lutheran Church on Mulberry Street. A mission service continued to be held from that time on until April 10, 1888, when a church was organized under the name of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Ten persons became members by signing the "constitution," and Charles H. Stephan and Walter Lester were elected deacons. The " unchanged " (iH»artato) Augsburg Confession was made the basis of the organization. The two sacraments are baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is uniformly administered to infants a few days after birth by a ternary pouring of water from the hand upon the infant's brow. The Lord's Supper is administered four times a year, under the imperative rule of the Lutheran Church. In regard to this sacrament, Luther's doctrine of consubstantiation is strictly held by this Worcester church ; the body and blood of Christ are received under and with the bread and wine, but not in, the bread and wine transubstantiated, as the Romish Church teaches. The minister of the church is the Rev. F. C. Wurl, of Boston, who serves as a missionary under appointment by the German Home Mission, at Brooklyn, N. Y. Preaching is held in the hospitable and catholic Summer Street Chapel every alternate Sunday, while a Sunday school is maintained every Sunday. The average attendance upon the preaching is forty-five and thirty at the Sunday school.

City Missions. - The Trinitarian Congregationalists had for many years maintained an unincorporated City Missionary Society. But under the efficient and stimulating lead of the Rev. Henry A. Stimson, D.D., with the hearty co-operation of others, both clergy and laity, a corporation was legally organized and established, December 10, 1883, under the name of the Worcester City Missionary Society. The object of the society was "to promote religion and morality in the city of Worcester and vicinity by the employment of missionaries ; the establishment and support of churches, Sunday schools, mission stations and chapels for the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; for the diffusion of Evangelical knowledge and for the fostering of such works of benevolence as are especially adapted to commend religion to those who undervalue or are ignorant of it." This step rapidly led to a great enlargement of Christian activity and giving in the direction of city missions. Before the incorporation, the sum of $500 was about the limit of the fund annually raised for the uses of the society. After the incorporation, as appears by the several annual reports, the amount raised was, in the firot year, $2778.23 ; in the second year, 13670.69; in the third year, $3764.81; in the fourth year, $3886.58; and in the fifth year, $4006.71. With these means in hand a superintendent and assistants were employed, the city was canvassed, missions were established and preaching in them was maintained. Outof all this three organized churches have grown uj), one of which speedily took matters into its own hands, became strong and erected one of the finest churches in the city. The Rev. Albert Bryant has been the efficient superintendent from the beginning. At the close of the year 1888 the society owned three chapels, valued at $15,000.

In the autumn of 1881, the Baptist Churches took measures for the united prosecution of city mission work. On the 25th of March, 1885, this enterprise took body and form by becoming incorporated under the name of the Worcester Baptist City Mission Board. The object of the association, as declared in the Articles of agreement, was " to promote religion and morality in the city of Worcester and vicinity, the establishment and support of churches, Sunday schools, mission stations and chapels under the general management of Baptists, the employment of missionaries to labor in said city and vicinity for the furtherance of the above-named objects and the advancement of the cause of evangelical religion." The policy adopted was to have all the Baptist Churches represented in the Board and all contribute according to ability. Moreover, it was held to be good policy for each church to have special charge of some one mission, and, if able, to bear all its expenses. The French Mission was reserved from this arrangement and kept under the control of the Board. This mission was organized in 1881, and was placed under the charge of Rev. Gideon Aubin in 1886. Its support, in part, is furnished by the Home Baptist Mission of New York City. Other missions under the charge of this Board are, one at Quinsigamond and one on Canterbury Street, both of which were organized in 1885, and a mission at Adams Square, which was begun in 1886. The amount of property held by the Board and invested principally in three chapels is somewhat le s than $10,000.

Worcester. Such a mission had been established in 1874, had been continued for nearly four years and had then come to an end. The numbers embraced in the new mission did not exceed a score at the close of the year 1888, and were all women. These provided a place of assembly, which is in Walker Building, and there on stated Sundays the Rev. Willard H. Hinkley, of Brookline, Mass., a secretary of the General Convention, ministers to them as a missionary of the New Church. There is no church organization ; the members belong to different churches in Boston and elsewhere. It appears from the New Church "Almanac" for 1889 that the number of societies in America then in "organized existence" was 141 ; the estimated number of " New Churchmen," 10,178 ; the number of churches and chapels, 82; and the total number of clergy in active service and otherwise, 113. Swedenborg died in 1772. His doctrines were first introduced into America in 1784 ; and the first New Jerusalem Church in the United States was organized in 1792, in Baltimore. The first society in Massachusetts was instituted in Boston on the 15th of August, 1818; the whole number in the State in 1888 was nineteen.

In 1888, the total valuation, by the assessors, of church property, exclusive of schools, parsonages and other parochial property, was $1,794,900. This amount was distributed among the several denominations as follows: Trinitarian Congregationalists, $577,300; Roman Catholics, $451,800 ; Baptists, $193,300 ; Methodists, $171,500; Episcopalians, .$165,100; Unitarian Congregationalists, $98,400 ; Universalists, $69,300 ; Disciples of Christ, $27,600 ; Swedish Lutherans, $11,500, and the balance among the smaller organizations. The cost of the New Old South, not yet exhibited on the books of the assessors, would increase the total valuation by more than $100,000. The real value of the whole would no doubt exceed $2,000,000.

Our historical review shows ihat while the largest growth has been in the line of the oldest church, the city has also been greatly hospitable towards other creeds of later advent within its bounds.

In the preparation of this sketch of the Worcester churchfs the following is a partial list of the authorities and sources of information which have been consulted: Lincoln's "History of Worcester," Lincoln's " Historical Notes " (in manuscript), Smalley's " Worcester Pulpit," Bancroft's " Sermons," Austin's " Sermon on War of 1812," "Pamphlets on the Goodrich and Waldo Controversy, 1820," ei seq.; "Sketches of the Established Church in New England," Hofl!'mau's "Catholic Directory," Hill's "Historical Discourse," "Journal of Convention of Protestant Episcopal Church," Dorchester's " Early Methodism in Worcester " (in manuscript), Roe's " Beginnings of Method- ism in Worcester" (in manuscript), Green's "Gleanings from History of Second Parish in Worcester," Davis' " Historical Discourse on Fiftieth Anniversary of First Baptist Church," Wayland's " Sermon on Twen ty-fifth Anniversary of his Ordination as Pastor of Main Street Baptist Church," Barton's " Epitaphs," Drake's " American Biography," Liturgy of New- Jerusalem Church, New Church Almanac ; printed manuals of the various churches and societies, manuscript records of same, including records of First Parish at City Hall, and of the church therewith connected (Old South) in the last century, in the handwriting of Rev. Mr. Maccarty ; Worcester Spy newspaper, ancient copies of Psalm-books, " Twentyfifth Anniversary Exercises of First Universalist Society," '' One Position " of Disciples of Christ, Thayer's " Christian Union." Much information has also been obtained from pastors and other living persons, actors in and having knowledge of what took place. In this way knowledge of what is written about the Swedish, Arminian, German and Jewish ecclesiastical matters were chiefly obtained.