But not only were the families of the two churches closely allied, but there was added another bond, which had a stronger, more positive influence in healing the soreness of separation. Within three months two young men were ordained as pastors, -William Greenough at West Newton, and Jonathan Homer at this place. They became intimate, lifelong friends, dwelling side by side fifty years, holding frequent conferences, and by their cordial fellowship promoting pleasant relations between the parishes, and softening the asperities of the disputes which continued to break out touching the common ministerial woodlot. These men were so unlike in character as to become all the stronger friends. It is now an open secret that by the strong bonds of Mr. Greenough's influence Dr. Homer was held from breaking away in the great doctrinal defection of those days. Dr. Gilbert, who was Mr. Greenough's successor, has left on record an illustration of this influence. At a council in a neighboring town where the test question came up, Dr. Homer waited till he saw Mr. Greenough's hand go up in the minority, when he followed, and being bantered about it replied, "I'll never leave Brother Grènno." These good men left a legacy of goodly fellowship, and since those days naught has occurred to disturb the pleasant relations of mother and daughter. The pastors have mingled in association, conference, and by exchange of pulpits.

It is my privilege to bring a personal testimony covering a period of nearly thirty years. When I came into this family of churches I received a cordial greeting from the pastor of this church, whom I found to be the truly "beloved Daniel " of our brotherhood, and to whose wise counsels and genial fellowship I am glad to acknowledge my indebtedness as greater than to any other brother. No man was more welcome to the West Newton pulpit. One of the former deacons of that church used to call him "the silver trumpet," doubtless because of his clear tones and the no uncertain sound he gave.

And then he had a better half with whom, on our exchanges, it was a great privilege and delight, in those former days of two services, to spend the hours between. What a grand woman she was, and what impressions of lofty thought she left upon us in every interview! In this beautiful memorial of

flowers to those who have gone home, our thoughts cluster about her memory, fragrant with good deeds.

And this ministerial fellowship is perpetuated in the present pastorate, may I not say, without any weakening or abatement.

In these latter days there has been added another bond uniting these churches which has already revealed its influence, the bond of the steel rail. These two miles have been constantly increasing in length, till it seemed quite a journey from one meeting-house to the other, and the lack of public communication proved a barrier to fellowship. Our churches had less and less to do with each other. Now our Circuit road has renewed the strength of the bond, and it has materialized in our Congregational Club, which has already unified our denominational body in this city.

We felt sorry when you passed your two hundredth birthday so quietly; but the sad days of the war were upon us, and you had no heart for celebrations. To-day you are making full

amends.

Again the first-born brings her congratulations to her venerable mother to-day on the increase of her family. She enjoyed the monopoly of an only child sixty-four years. Then the Eliot was added, and in succession, Auburndale, the North, the Central, and the Highlands were born into the family, and now we are seven."

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With pride can the mother look upon her six daughters and rejoice in the growth and vigor which she finds in each housePresent prosperity only betokens a more glorious

hold. future.

The successive celebrations of semi and quarter centennials will follow one another, in which we shall mark our progress. In six years we shall expect a summons from our big sister Eliot to our Congregational cathedral of stone, in its elegance and beauty, to mark fifty years of her history, and those of us who may be there will find that the family is still increasing.

These hills and valleys are to be covered more thickly with beautiful residences, the uninhabited spaces on our Circuit road to be filled up with new communities, and their intelligence will be sure to demand in the future, as in the past, the church of our fathers with its simple polity and forms, its

sound doctrine, strengthening fellowship, and enterprising spirit.

With our sixteen hundred members in our seven churches, we lead our sister denominations, and hope to go on increasing in strength and in good works. We have only friendly words and helping hands for all who love our common Master and are strong for the upbuilding of his kingdom in our communities.

We turn from these festivities craving the benediction of the mother of us all, who, as queen, held sole spiritual sway over all this domain for one hundred and sixteen years, but now counts thirty-one churches and religious societies covering the same territory.

And we will leave our best wishes and most devout prayers for her prosperity as she moves on through her third century of life.

THE CHAIRMAN.

If the mother loves most her first-born, she takes the greatest pride in that child which has achieved most. And we look with pride, unmingled by the slightest trace of rivalry, at the great church and work carried on in it by the colony which went from this church and is now at Newton. Large as the work of this church in its scope has been, that church is starting upon a career which has a promise of usefulness larger than that of the mother. And we welcome here the distinguished pastor of the church at Newton, the Eliot Church.

ADDRESS OF REV. WOLCOTT CALKINS, D.D.

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MR. CHAIRMAN AND DEAR BRETHREN, I have listened with profound gratitude to the remarks of Brother Patrick, the minister of the Second Church, and of the first offspring from this church. I always knew what a blessing it was to be a daughter of this church; but I never knew before how grateful we ought to be that we were not the first child. The oldest child always has a hard time of it, as all the experiments are tried in the beginning. The mother found out, by the experience which has just been recounted, that Eliot Church, her second daughter, could bear a good deal more letting alone.

On Sunday, April 1, 1888, in preparation for the laying of the corner-stone of our third, and, as we hope, our last meetinghouse, we opened with great reverence the casket taken from the corner-stone of our second meeting-house, consumed by fire, Feb. 16, 1887. We found within, another casket, still sealed, which had been placed by the founders of Eliot Church under the corner-stone of their first meeting-house in 1845. The reading of the papers therein preserved made a solemn impression on our community. A letter from the minister and committee of the First Church revealed the immense sacrifice you made then, in releasing many of your most efficient members to form the new church. But it was a generous and freewill offering. I felt then, and I feel still, that the enterprise which we have now completed does not deserve to be called a sacrifice. I have expressly repudiated all claim to praise or honor for the work we have done. To God be all the praise. And to the noble band of men and women whom you gave so freely, we now accord our hearty gratitude.

Your early history sheds some light on a recent event in ours. I have discovered from your recitals, that you had no fire in your meeting-house for the first one hundred and fifty years. Perhaps our big fire, two years ago, was making up arrearages! At all events, whether cemented by fire or by love, we are one now, and we have always been one.

You have been making a very remarkable record in these two hundred and twenty-five years. A few years ago I attended the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the First Church in Hartford, where my own ministry began. I was pained to learn how grievous the dissensions and the decay of vital piety had been during the prevalence of the disastrous half-way covenant. The contrast which your history presents, in almost every feature, is very grateful. Some dissensions have been discovered. Family quarrels, church quarrels, and political quarrels were inevitable in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. But in comparison with the scandals of many New England churches of those times, your record is almost without a blemish. We unite with you in thanksgivings to God for your glorious history.

I desire to express my thankfulness for the affection and

sympathy we have always received from you.

When we were

burned out, you made the generous proposal that we should come back to the old home. We received many such offers of hospitality, some from neighbors nearer at hand, but none that compared with this in the appeal to our hearts. On the Sunday of that disaster, the minister of Eliot Church was absent. Dr. Furber was sent for to pray for the desolate church, and preach to them in their distress. He would have been sent for, all the same, if I had been at home. My dear friend! you welcomed me to my arduous work by your side. You have been, for ten years, my counsellor and my father in Christ. And another of my intimate friends, an old friend in college and in Hartford, has been called to continue your great work in this church. Ministers of the First Church, and of all the churches in this city, we stand together in a communion which is nearest to heaven of all the fellowships which this world affords. I want the historical discourses preached here last Sunday repeated to Eliot Church. The whole city ought to feel the impulse for good flowing from a history which has few parallels in the whole country.

Beloved mother of all our churches: Your children rise up and call you blessed! Some of your children are not following you in all your ways; a hen sometimes hatches a progeny not of her own brood. Some of the offspring of this church have taken to the water; but none of them will repudiate their relationship to the dear old mother, or foster-mother, least of all Eliot Church, now grown to be a little larger than the mother, but still a most dutiful and affectionate child.

The next church anniversary in Newton, I believe, will be the semi-centennial of Eliot Church. I feel as if it had already begun. I wish we could prolong these services, while we are in the spirit. The first invitation to that sweet festival I give now to our revered and beloved mother.

The anthem "Before Jehovah's awful throne" was then sung by the choir and chorus.

THE CHAIRMAN. We come with the utmost reverence and the most filial emotions toward our mother. The ancient