, 1869-05-29
NEW YORK.
The Meetings Of the General ARscl,,-
btfc.-yhC Church OF the Covenant
Tic Old Brick Chnrch-Sernso ons
OF Dr. StcoEas md Dr. MusEruvc.
lrRoM orK srEcta1 CORRESPONDENT

- 4 AC VIII nElCA CAuTCn-SETf10 0NS
OF Dr. StcoEns md DR.. MusErnvc.
1fKoM orK srEc1A1 CORRESPONDENT
NEW YoRK, May Is,
lite righteous men were enough to redeem
soluin, surely New YORK ought to be thoroughly
!rayencd, The cit, Il olse with back coats. Like
the frogs Of Egypt they come into the houses anc
Into the 'edchambers, and upon the beds and upon
the people. and, Indirectly. into the ovens and
kncading troughs Gotham has Prcshyterial
aroma Every group upon the corner suggests q
session or prcshytery. Scores Of cousum1nate ras-
Gals Ia black acquire temporary tinge @. respect
abty by the suspicion Of being Calrinisttc d.
vines. The layor OF the Westminster confession
Il IN the New Workers. tea cup, and the social
gatherings In Fifth and Madison avenues arc rcdo-
Lent cf dcliyerances md oyert1res. The heavens
arr propit1ous. New York Is looking her best.
The New School Assembly ls In session at the
Church Of the Covenant on Park aycnnc. at the
ccsuer OF Thirty f!ty street. Locally, Mt least the
two bodies are now close together. Fye minutes
walk takes one TO the "ulA Brick" the meeting
place Of the other branch. The Church OF the
Covenant, now under charge Of the Rev. Dr.,
FEent1ss, Is fully IN Keeping with the art5tocrat!c
ntlchborhood IN which 1t stands. \ beautlfnl
structure It Ia, an honor to New York PresbyteIt-
ansu. 1t Is built Of rough-dressei free stone,
with transert, md a session house on the rear.
communicating With the. he.aut!ience-room. To some
tastes the Interior would appear TOO highly COL
orc but the blending of tlnts Is go artistic as to
destroy all impression Of gaudiness. TIE
walls arc OF Hch crcaE. tint, relieved
4! intervals will a77igntly Illuminated notices.
Over the hearr black walnut whnseotng IN the rear
Of the pulpit appears In f1ch scarlet letters: ~
irtu mate an eeerlastina eortndnt Min -oa-
Aborc this Is, series OF entahltscsa5, VIII Scrip
tu1e notices IN gold On blue ground. The
archea Of the roof. which arc pointed, aud gruucd
at tho intersection Of the transept, rest On Light
anu graceful iron columns, With hcary capitals,
around which a1e arranged lets OF gas, produc-
ing, when lighted. most unique and beautiful eff
feet From the pulpit, the eye Is met By the OF.
gan-Eaiefy. The organ, superb instrument, nas
no case. A light iron framework encloses the
pipes, which are ptcturesquely grouped and high J
illuminated. The seating capacity Of the ehutch
Is about eight hundred. 1ts chief defect Is tts
acoustic properties None but the ver5 loud
est voices arc audible at the rear Of
the auaIenee-room; and any discussion Of
general interest therefore draws the assembly
Into hand tnet round the pulpit To make the
matter worse, excavations are going on in the lot
Immediately adtotutng the church; and not un-
fFeQGentlysth place is shaken together, Hheu the
brethren are assembled and some orator arrested
in the full tide Of his eloquence, By an explosion
which leaves behind 1t anything but churchls
ssyoE. 1t has been suggested that this accident
might be turned IL practical account; and that II
both assemblies might be brought Into the
Church Of the Covenant, and together hois,ed
towards the skies, they might possibly
come down 50 Intimately blended that the acutest
heEesy-hunteE could never distinguish An Old
School from New School man IN this event the
emblem Of the Cnlted Church wuu1d naturally te
a key OF Eunpowder or a case Of nltfo-glE Ecetine,
with the motto, "Dieiiai Ut ssana, Hat.ea ~
,ran''
The "old Brick Church as It IS 1auuslia7ly
called, 80 long known IN the city BY the minIssra
tons Of the venerable Gardiner Spring, D. D., Is
structure Of quite different orsiezy though no
less costlS. Though built before the tines
Of high prices 1t cost about a1so, go. II
Is larger than the Church Of the Covenant,
and much more plainlJ finished, but everything
about IT, within and without, Is OF the most sol
and expensive character. The a1dlenceruotn Is
SQUARE with side galleries. md capable Of seating
with ease thousand hearers On entering, the
eye is met BY the pulpit, with the organ-gallery
above and behind It. faced with four beautiful
columns Of seaglioia and i.aped, Ike the pulpit,
with crimson. In the pulpit always stands the
large, deepV.cushioned armchair appropriated
to the venerable ex-rastor, whose white locks
and por1ly form may be seen there on almost AM
fatr Sabbath morning. The building itself prr-
sents significant blending OF Puritan
l0G@4a AtA ANeAVp5AtaA E+aSEs1 WI ~4V4Eu
all Is elegant, costly and TASTEFUL the
solid rather than the elegant predoninstes
Dr. Stearns opened the New Schoo: Assembly
with a sermon on tie words, *t'4hat they may ali
be one" Physically, as well .ass otherwise. the
doctor Is In high standing tn the church. Tall,
well proporioned, With a.tght tendency to stoop,
in the fun vtgor Of manhood With squarely-cut,
compact face, keen ere, Light ha!r and beard
the ex.moderasor makes the Impression at lrst
sight Of q man Of nervous energy and Practical
power. This impression Is boEue out both By his
style OF composition and By his delivery. He Is
earnest without being noisy, not excessive in
gesture, With a little tendency to monotony OF
voiee. As production, the sermon was thor
ougnly elaborated, direct and forcfhfe In state-
ment, simple IN analysis. II was an exposition Of
the tue natu1e Of Christian Unity, with an earnest
plea for It's realization In the Presbyterian Church
Though your readers have, doubtless, mostly seen
the printed sermon h full, venture 10 send 5ou
rho closing paragraph:
And Oh bow beautiful. a. we'll as strong and
holy, WIN the united Church Of God then be,
beautiful Is HszA couely a. Je1usate mi" its In
dv1doA1f{ nnlnpatred, and tt1 harmony and unity
perfect. The multitude Of so11s REDEEMED as