The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-07-10
CAMDENME. CENTENARY CHURCH.

Laying Of the COrner-StOne Of the Chanel
OF the Centenary Methodist Episcopal
Church, In Camden, Yesterday-Inte-
resting Ceremonies - Addresses by
Bishop simpson and Others.
About two years ago eighty members of the
overcTowded Third Street Methodist Episcopal
Church (Rev. s. Vausant pastor) lett that
church and formed a new interest. Since then
they have worshipped in MOrgan's Han, having
called 10 the pastorate Rev. Mr.. Baker, a young
but very efficient minister.
The little flock have prospered, and yesterday
their project of building a suitable house of
worship was realiz ID in the laying of the corner
stone OF the chapel This building, which is 40
by 80 feet, will be constructed OF Trenton brown
stone, IN the style OF the decorated Gothic, with
q steeple 65 feet high: lt is but a part of the
design a church 55 by 100 feet being in contem-
plation, which will be erected as soon as suffi-
cientiunds can be raised.
The members OF the congregation have been
very liberal in their contributions the largest of
which are as follows:- Benjamin III. Browning,
$1,000; j. @. De Lacour, Sl0U0; William Barlow,
$1,000; and O. Sloan $1,000. $4,000 in all have
been contributed towards the amount (S25,000)
which 1t Is expected the chapel will cost when
completed.
The exercises, owing to the threatening aspect
OF the weather, were conducted in Morgan's
Hall. After the singing of hymn, and
prayer Rev. DIR. Whltecar was introduced. He
congratulated the minister, officials, and
members OF Centenary Church on the happy
occasion which assembled them together. He
saw in this imaginauon the noble edihce that
has sprung up, not to be merely temporary
thing, but TO serve great moral purpose in the
community, and he regretted that, owing to the
UNI ropitious state of the weather, they were not
permitted to assemble in the open air, on the
site of the building. The society had pal aS9500
for the lot. and he might refer to the fact that
not more than century and half ago hun
dred acres, extending from Cooper street to
Kaighn's line, was sold for five shlllings The
speaker then gave short history of Methodism
in Camden, and concluded by bidding the
brothers SOpp0 noble
work.
Rev. j. B. Dobbins was then introduced. He
spoke substantially as follows:-There are three
things implied in this cornerstone laying, and
in this church building. The first is a religious
faculty or nature in man. Man is inherently
and essentially religious, and there never was q
greater mistake than that which flippant in
fidelity has charged, that religion is the result of
the priestcraft, on the part of designing men, to
accomplish certain purposes through the me-
dium of the Church. Man is religious wherever
you find him. We have no history of any tribe
or of any race or community that have no re-
hRion. 1t was affirmed, as the result of an inves-
t1gation, that tribe or number of tribes had
been found in Central Africa who had no
religion. This was found to have been based
upon a superficial investigation, and 1t was
found not to be so. To talk of religion as the
fruits of priestly Intervention is simply absurd.
You talk Just as nationally if you say that the
butcher and the baker created hunger, forgetting
that hunger and appetite created them. 1t is
Just SO about this religious nature OF ours.
building. 1t is our faith in the peculiar form of
revealed religion 1t is not only worship, it is
not only church. but it is Christian worship.
1t is Christian Church which we are here to
organize to erect and prepare for the worship
and service of the great Jehovah. The speaker
continued at some length and was listened to
| with deep attention throughout his able address.
Bishop Simpson was next introduced. He
| said We are here gathered around, in fancy,
| the cornerstone of the new church, where we
expect shortly to go in person, to praise God for
| lC nnn n tay % 90 frnn
what He Is doing for us now, and to look for
ward with hopeful joyful pleasure towards the
future, which we expect to realize here and
! hereafter. These earthly temples are types o {
! the heavenly. We meet to sing and hear and
speak and pray, anticipating the time when in
the glorious Church triumphant we shall meet
with the whole OF Christs glorious family, where
| the songs shall be those of Moses and the Lamb
! where prayers shall be turned into praise,
where God Himself shall dwell in the midst,
and there shall be no need of temple made
! with hands.
We are here to bid God-speed to this new or
| ganizaton. Two or three questions naturally
| spIlng up III the mind, and the first one is, Is
this new Church apparently necesslty9 think
! from the remarks that have been made by my
! brethren, as we'll as from my own knowledge of
| the wants OF this great city, you cannot but
respond that the new organization is greatly
| needed.
This city is growing rapidly, and while
| Methodism has done something here it has not
! kept pace with the growing population of this
| young and vigorous place. As 1t is enlarging,
| there must be a new church edihce; accommo-
| datiOns must be furnished, or Christianity will
not properly influence the public mind As one
OF the families OF Christ, we must keep pace
! with this growing population, and add church
| to church. 1t is known that, IN selecting the
| ground for this edidce, you have fixed upon
| place OF prommence-a place beautiful and
| central.
1t is known further, that the design of those
| who have undertaken the erection OF the build
| ing is that 1t shall be one of permanent archi-
| tectural beauty. 1t shall be both commodious
| and neat. The question may arise, Is it right
| 10 build church of more architectural beauty
than the other Methodist churches of this city (?
desire to say that there is nothing in our holy
religion incompatible with beauty We have
the Divine sanction for erecting neat tasteful
and commodious churches, and there is, there.
fore no impropriety in II. Wherever God has
given us, in the Holy Scriptures an indication
| of His will, He has shown us that the House OF
God ought 10 be the most beautiful building
among the edihces of men.
When the Israelites were camped in the wilder
ness, when the tents were arranged in that
square, four tribes on this side and tour on that,
and four on this side and four on that, there was
reared in the midst the Tabernacle OF God. God
showed Moses the pattern in the Mount, and he
reared beautiful tabernacle not from his own
device, not from his own architectural skill; but
since there must be tabernacle of Gods placed
among the people, on the top of Mount Sinai
God showed him the pattern for the Holy Taber-
nace.
; Coming down to earth He made that taber
nacle, while the tents of Judea and while the
tents OF the other triOes were spread abroad IN
l | their lowlness, and yet with some degree OF
r beauty here, in the centre, he raised taber-
, nacle more beautiful by far than any other in
t which the princes of the children of Israel
dWelt. LOOK at III reared upon ITS pillars, see