The New York herald., 1870-02-21
COLLEGIATE REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH.

The Personnel Of the Church and lts Wof-
shippsrs--The Pastor, His Preaching and
His Discourse ON Faith.
on the corner Of Fifth avenue and Twenty-nnth
street stands the principal church edince OF the Re-
formed Protestant Dutch denomination In this CITY,
It was built about twelve or fourteen years ago and
cost s250,O0o. nis IA fine granite building, with
tower pointing heavenward second In height only
10 old Trinity itself. On the pinnacle y golden
rooster swings himself around with every passing
breeze aud indicates the changes in our changeable
weather. He does not, however, indicate the
instability or wav eringness of the doctrines
preached within. which are OF the parest KIND
and delivered with commendable earnest
ness and el0quence. fine clock that has
stood many storm sti truly indicates the hours OF
passing day, and doubtless OFT reminds the wor-
shipper and the careless one OF the coming Of the
angel to announce that s,ime shall be no more.n
few trees shade the sidewalk, ana IN summer
time the sparrows make merry therein, and for their
accommodation In winter TWO or three neat little
houses hang against the church was; so that the
birds OF the air nave nestso and shelter themselves
beside Gods house. The church Ia large aud roomy
and the audience Is accessible from the avenue
ana the street. 1t Is capable OF accom- modating
about 2 900 persons but the ordinary congregations
do not number much more than one thousand The
church built by the New York Collegiate Board
WAYS supplied by the same minister. AZ present
the Rev. Dr. Thomas $. Chambers nstrncLs the
people from sabbath 10 sabbath. The venerable DR..
Do Witt, Dr. Duryea, 0t Brooklyn, and Others OF
equat name and fame, have minlstered TO this
church. Among its membership are bankers mer-
chants editors lawyers ana professional men. In
| Guided among them are such names DE Peyster,
OF Thfrty-sixth street; ogden, OF Twenty y-eghth
street; BeeXman OF Twenty eighth street; DE WItt,
Stnyyesant bourne, G. G. and j. r. smith, Duryee,
Vermiyea Bower, Burnap Hosford, Van Wyck and
their families, anu many Others OF standing In
society.
The Rev. Dr. Chambers preached yesterday norn-
ing from the text, ucorews XII. i-.Now Mith Is the
not seen.n Basing his remarks upon this verse ms
discourse was an eloquent argument against
ss ,ns s0us pisce. TsssCn above ne h aa
throws overheard ~ unworthy OF credence
| whatever cannot DC reconciied with reason This
] who had been edncated In rites and cereHi0niais
thai appealed most strongly 10 the senses, and the
Apostle designed oyit TO relieve their minds from
any undue expectations thai they might OF
posing ceremonies connected with tue religion.
The lext popular expression Of what latin actu-
| ally is and not 4 scholastic definition of it. Tne
active principle Of Christianity Ia al ages, he tn
\ the CONVECTION OF that whcn il not seen. We may
| acquire knowledge by intuition or by reason. As al
| Illustration OF the former we may say tnat whole
Ii greater than It's parts, and II 4 naa denies tnl
there end OF tue argument for IL he per
cetve 1t by the mere statement OF the proportion
argument WIN convince him. But reason says tor tin
that he must study aud examine only chat which he
sees-the material. Faith, on the other hand. BIDS
terlal to the spiritual. The faith OF the SCRIPTURES
always intelligent, always reasonable. IL take
facts-naterW luGes--unu from tDeqn deouces Ger
tain other facts that are not OF the earth earthly
and these II builds q structure OF religion. benz
or destroy personal God and there Is an end Of u
| religion. There evidence IN history that man
kind has ever wOrsnipped that which they believed
10 be inferior to themselves: but reason would
Us turn away nom the rational aud intelligent Ia
that which is gross and incapable OF reason. And II
/ we admit the existence OF a personal GOD we must
also admit the possibility ut least OF y revei alton
by Hin to Ills creatures. There are some
truths which amount Of reasoning soever
| the belief IN tue Trinity, the divinity OF
Christ ana kindred doctrines. These We accept by
faitn But faith IS not disputed except IN religious
! matters. We exercise II daiy In commercial mat
ters and one 6nda fault with II Raises op.
| lection to its exercise We correspond with men
] whom we have never seen, and upon each other Il
mere assurances immense cargoea Of the products OF
| the earth are exchanged. God mas certain
promises TO US and given us certain ASSURANCES and
II accept them this is aith--,ue faith the Cos
pei and the fath OF commerce, aud the same IN
| teigent and reasonable.
The foregoing Is but brief outline OF the drift OF
The DISCOURSE. which was delivered III steady clear
voice, and with the most perfect articulation. The
! DoctOr's reading, however, partake5 more Of q
priesty lntonaflon than is usually tO be heard III
| reformed churches Next Thursday being the lag,
thursday in February, he announced that there
would be union religious service in Madison saar
Presbyterian ch1rch, at which prayer would be
offered for colleges and addresses be gwen vy Dr.
| Paxton, Adams and John Han.