The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-02 00:00:00

THE LAST SERVICE IN A CITY CHURCH.

Yesterday morning a special service took place
in the parish church of St. bl.ay Somerset, in the City of
London, this being the first of the churches in the City
which is doomed to destruction under the Bishop of Lon-
don's Act for the Union of City Benefices. The church is
situate in Tharnes•street, and is a large, square, harn•like
structure, with no pretensions to scclaiaatical proprieties
of any kind, and with scarcely any parishioners to attend
its services. It has had connected with it the parish of St.
Mary Mounthaw, whose church having been destroyed in
the great fire of London was not rebuilt, and henceforth
it will be united with two other neighbouring
parishes, the church of St. Nicholas Cole Abbey,
of which Dr. li.*miston, the head master of St.
Paul's School, has been for some years
the rector, constituting the church of the united parishes.ts
Henceforth, however, the Rev. Dr. !Stabbing, the rector of
St. Mary Somerset, will be the rector of the four united
parishes. There were many strangers present at the morn-
inga service, and the *ery small body of parishioners was
tolerably well represented. The Litany service was read by
the Rev. Dr. Stabbing, and the Communion service by the
Rev. E. H. Fisher, 111. A., Fellow of Trinity College, Cam-
bridge, resident chaplain to the Bishop of London. At the
close of the Communion service Mr. Fisher, still standing
within the rails of the Communion-table said, lam de-
sired by the bishop to read to you the following letter:
To the Incumbent and Churchwardens of the United Parishes of
St. Nicludas cote Abbey, St. Nkholas Olare, Bt. IlaryBomersct,
and St. Mary Mounthaw.
Fulham Palace. Feb. 1, 1867.

Brethren,—You are met together to worship in thin church
for the last time. I should have been glad If circumstances had
allowed me to be present personally at the closing, as in distant
times some one of my predecessors was doubtless present at the
opening of this house of thud, fur a solemnity certainly attaches
to the discontinuance of public worship In a place en long re-
garded as hallowed, In and around which Ile the mortal remains
of so marry who have fallen asleep in Christ. HOMO two hoe-
dred years ago a great visitation from God devastated the City
of London. and laid many of Its parish churches In ruins. It
was then found that the changed circumstances of the time
were such as not to require the rebuilding of more
than about (oar-sevenths of the churches which hail been thus
destroyed by fire, two of the churches then found to be unneces-
sary being those of St. Nkholasolave and wt. Vary M oun haw. The
same sort of changes in reference to population which had then
begun to operate had in the present century been making rapid
strides. The great body' of those who used to reside within your
parochial limits have sought their homes elsewhere, and It is
accordingly found Impossible to provide fit congregations to
worship In all our City churches. Feeling that the services in
these thinly attended churches are not conducive to that
which is afforded here In superfluity to very little purpose, In
greatly needed amongst the teeming thousands of the poor
in other parts of the diocese, sod that the energies of the
clergy are wasted here in inactivity when they are greatly
needed elsewhere, the legislature so long ago ea the year 1856
wive Its consent to a bill Introduced into parliament by my pre-
decessor fur uniting City benefices and removing elaurches which
were not Imeded. The pro‘ Mona of that act having been found
impracticable, I, In the year 18.:7, asked sod obtained the con-
sent of parliament to an ;unending act. Under the provisions of
this latter act, with the consent of ell parties concerned, this
church is after this day closest. The greatest care will be taken
of the remains of the dead, of the nacturmenta, and an that has
become the subject of sacred associations. But prayers
will not be offered here again, nor the word of
God preached the building will he removed, and in-
stead of this church, another hearing its name will
he erected In the thickly peopled district of St. Mary Heaton,
while the spiritual wants of all who live In this parish will he
provided by the rector of what has now become the United
Rectory of St. Nichulas liNale Abbey with Mt. Mklo4• Olave and
St. Mary Sumenst With St. Mary Mouuthaw, and who by a
clause in the act of parliament and the scheme for union is
required to residewithin the limits of the united henefice. The
scheme also presides that the church of it. Nicholas Cole Abbey
shall henceforward he the parish church of the united parishes.
I toot, brethren, that the blessing of almirrhte God may,
through the Lord Jests Christ, rest on the more completely
organized arrangementsof the united parishes, and that the new
St. Mary !lotto'', may lie a source of reit-Solo instruction. and
comfort the many who have hitherto been much estranged from
the mean, of grace.

The bishop ordered that the letter should be entered in
the vestry books of the respective parishes. Mr. Fisher
then ascended the pulpit and selected for his text the 4th
chapter of St. John's Gospel, verse 21, " Jesus slab unto
her, woman, believe me the hour cometh, when ye shall
neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship
the Father." At the close of the sermon Mr. Fisher pro-
nounced the benediction, and the congregation of St. Mary
Somerset left their church for the last time.

[Advertisement.}—Hottowmem Ournnurr AND
Ptiths.—Ntruen's llonittth.— Pain Is the indicator of some dis-
order or disease, end should never he neglected, for the pain of
to day may prove the *poly of to-morrow. Holloway's medica-
ments stand pre.emitiently forward, and are everywhere com-
mended for quickly removing all maladies when the least an-
imation has discovered their seat and kind. These remedies so
purify the blood and regulate its cirenlatbm that every organ
act, perfectly and every secretion is natural, which is health, and
may be secured by every invalid at a trifling outlay. The pur-
pose of Holloway's remedies is to mitigate suffering, abolish
pain. and extinguish theme*, and they nobly effect this °bled.
One trial will convince the most