The New York herald., 1869-06-04
TIE OLD NORTH DUTCH CHURCH.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD
saw notice in your columns few days since
Of the centennial celebration OF this church. was
not present on the occasion, but think that while
Its friends listened with delight and just pride the
glowing rehearsal or all Its glory, by the learned
doctor who delivered the "memorialn they must
have been astonished, grieved and mortified when
they heard him proceed to pronounce sentence OF
death by stating that the consistory with whom
rests the government OF the church) have decided
to condemn 1t to the axe and the hammer OF the
spoiler, and that In very short time MortIying to
the last degree must be to every Dutch
to hear sacrcge cried from every quarter and to
have heard strangers, Methodiss and Episcopalians
passing out pronounce 1t shameful ~ "disgraceru" I"
saying, 'r we Methodsts can keep John street and
the Episcopalians two churches down town, can't
you keep one ~ Why Is thiss The reason given by
the consistory-as stated by the reverend gentleman
In the aforesaid memorials that the church costs
too mu en- In proportion to lis usefulness We should
Ike TO be informed Twenty-ninth street. which Is
the richest OF the collegiate churches Is sefsus-
tainings How long would she stand II IL were not
for the fund OF the church, And yet do not hear
OF any proposition TO tear her down. II was stated
that the annual expense OF the North church Is
$4,000. How much OF that expense Is caused by
the noon meeting Is best known to the consstory,
and although that meeting may have been very
beneficial to other denominations and even to other
Dutch churches, 1t has advanced the growth OF the
North very little, and, therefore 1t Is not fair
that its expense should be made to tell
to her injury. They further say. "that they
have tried 70 aid the church by placing
one minister over her, so that she might have tue
advantage OF all his time aud labor, and that the
pertinent has faied-the church has not grown.r
TO that we answer that II Is but little more than
year since he was placed there and because In that
mixed neighborhood he has not already filed the
building from ioor TO ceiling they call it failuren
pronounce the church dead, give her grand fune-
raj, and In the course OF few weeks Will meet to
divide the property.
1t is shrewdIy guessed in some quarters that the
old lady has lived rather long already for the
vcnience OF the expectant heirs, and that some OF
the building committee may do a good private joD
IN the painting and upholstery OF the new buildings
and therefore this haste TO bury her, even though
Ts no @ be- Si nST 9g %Sas
say OF It, then, when perpetrated by Chris
tan ~ corporationi Why, we educate and
where they must lose much time In acquiring
another language and then II they obtain four or
ve converts Ia as many years tne church thinks IL
pays. Yet the North church has scarcely held a
communion for the last dozen years without an ad.
dition TO her menbership, aud at her last CON-
munlon she received nine. Is not this GROWTH Az
much cannot always be said for the upper churches.
We are forgetting that the heatnen at our door.
No, the Old church n not dead. The changes OF
time nave Topped of some OF her goody brancbes:
but she Is s sound at heart ana II it were not for
the Tobahs. Gersnoms and sanballais. who con-
stany send letters TO keep IN fear the hearts OF the
people-who say, whats the use OF undertaking
anything; we are continually threatened with
old age. am Informed that h lourishing
Young Mems Christian Association under,
very threat. The congregation give cheerfuy Of
their ability. Within the lpst few months there has
been sixty dollars collected from them for for
egn MISSIONS In addition 10 a special collection OF
over 500 10 the same object some time snce-over
sixty dollars Tor the Bible Society and over nfty
dollars TO support Bible reader IN the Tenanas OF
India. Besides this there have been the regular
weekly collections for the poor. such collections
would be considered generous In rich country con-
gregatoDs they ought therefore, To be estimated at
their proper worth when taken IN poor nelghbor-
hood. Is all this to be thrown overf "Nop say the
consstory, 1--WE Will build q chapel In the rear
which Will answer all purposes" Inc building wIli
cost almost as much as the annual expense. why
not then, let the old one stand, especially as YOU
drive out and scatter the old workers, and II Is no
worse TO let $4,000 stand In stone and mortar down
town than TO build up t3l0 900 In Fortyegith street.
We have heard IL said that one service In German
on sunday would materially add to the growth Of
the church, as the population In the vicinity con-
siss largely OF that nationality and they MAKE
Ignorance VI the languange The only objection to the
church.
Oh stewards Of the Collegiate Church, remember
that you will soon be called 70 give an account u