The New York herald., 1870-06-20
AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN FREE CHURCH.


Church Observation-Disclosures Tempe-
rance-Father Forgive Them--ScrmOn by
Rev. Charles IL. simyth.
At the morning service in Masonic Hall yesterday
the Rev. Charles b. Smyth dispensed the word OF
life to thlry-oDe souls. Shortly after eleven O'Clock
the reverend gentleman entered the hail ana took up
his position on the rostrnm. He seemed haggard
and weary. He cast piercing glance around the
hall, his eye lighting up at times as IL fell upon
some faithful follower; he then threw himself back
in his chair as though controlled by powerful
emotion. After q few moments he proceeded with
the usual services. Before the the reverend
gentleman referred to the aid he derived from the
suggestions Of correspondents when
he SAT IN THE EDITORIAL CHAIR.
he believed M Ihat the same system could be carried
would adopt IL in his free church. lie wpulq reply
from the pulpit TO any letter he received provided
the same were respectful and suited TO the s0emnty
Oh the house OF God. lie quoted from several letters
he mad received SINCE lie left the pulpit OF the
Eleventh street church and replied to them in briei
terms He had received numbers OF communications
from friends In high position congratulating hun
the independent course he had pursued and request
ing an expression OF opinion on the situation To
all such he returned the thanks OF his innost soul;
| he had not the slightest ifeeng towards
tnose who had hunted him down in the late
trlal; tney would live long enough 10 know better
and their ignorance OF life their excuse, and ne
would say with his Divine Master, "Father forgive
them, for they know what they do.n He mad
received many invitations to deliver lectures in the
city and ylcinily These he would hold under con-
slderation, and would make his conclusions known
At the request of several friends in whose judg
ment he placed implicit reliance, he had accepted an
lnvltatl0n TO deliver lecture in Stelnway Hall on
"PRAcrIcAL TEMPERANCE
In ContradistinctiOn to Teetotlsm'' He trusted
that his friends would rally In strong force the
occasion, as the question was one that needed 10 be
placed before the public In its true light.
The reverend gentleman took his leXt from St.
Luke xii, l9:-"Ihis do In remembrance OF me.n
lie sad:-You have heard that there are measures
under way looking to the erection OF monument TO
that immortal literary genus whose light has
just gone out-M Charles Dickens. You know that
from the beginning OF the world all nations have
shown disposition to erect lasting memorials IN
honor OF their lusriOus dead and daily receive
souvenirs and remembrances from absent friends or
when we are about TO depart from those whom we
hold dear. Our Divine Lord, Knowing the sympa-
thies and tendencies OF the human heart treated His
disciples after this established system when lie was
about TO leave them. He took bread. and blessed 1t
ana ana broke II and gave It TO them to eat, saying,
"This Is My body" and having taken the wine He
blessed 1t and gave 1t to them and bade them drink
saying,
''THIs IS MY BLooD;'
and having done this He looked on His apostles and
lald on them the solemn command ''rhi5 do in re-
membrance OF Me-" thereby insttutng and perpetu-
atng the Sacrament OF the Lords Supper, which Ii
TO bc continual bond Of union between Christ and
His Church. The Bible narrative is distinct IN the
fact that Christ Is both God and man. He is
perfect God and perfect man entire within the
| one person. Christ took upon Himself the
and bearing surerings. He could have taken the
- g s hs y 1 sa9w Ms
| own form. But Christ Is also true God. However
men may diner In religious matters. all, even skep-
tlc5 admit that no discourse has ever been deliv
dignity and God-ike precept as the sermon on the
| Mount. Even the Jews, when they heard His Sill
| very tones and the heavenly sentiments He ut
| tered, declared that 'never man spake like this
| man." His words and His deeds were alike. He
went about doing good to ALL healing the sick ana
comforting the afflicted. At the communion to-day
reflect on His lie and death and gather from Our
lneditations strength to walk in the path OF the
| righteous during our earthly pilgrimage.
AT the conclusion or the regular services the
| reverend gentleman proceeded with the Inaugural
ton services of his Free Church. He said-To.day.
beloved brethren and friends with the appreciation
| and blessing or God, we inaugurate the American
Free Church In sodong we are not nstituting new
sect There are sects enough already. God knows.
We are merely establishing another congregation
upon the foundation Of the apostles and prophets.
Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.'
| Will be a liberal rallying point around which all
| members OF any Of the sects may gather who sin
cerely believe In Him. We have
| NO THEORIES TO PROFOUND,
no course OF procedure to advise but what the Scrip
| lures always taught and the Westminster Fathers
adopted and many OF you have been accustomed 10,
! more or less, from your childhood We have not re-
quested any ito come with US to join us who at
tended our lae congregation. All who have come and
| joined have done so spontaneously, of their own
1ree Will and accord. And yet there enrolled al.
| ready about twenty-five Communicates, q much
larger number or persons tina that with when many
| OF what are now the most nourishng
churches OF the period were commenced. We trust
that the nucleus OF this congregation so constituted
will be like the good seed sown in good ground, that
| will bring forth fruit in abundance, or ike the
acorn from which grows up the deep
rooted. wlde-spreading and luxurlant oak. In the
meantime let us oil cling tenaciously to the truth a
1t Is In Jesus, and Zeaously uphold, both In theory
and practice, the grand principles Of Chrlsts own
| Christianity pure and entire.
The regular inaugural services were then gone
through with according TO the ritual Of the Presby-
| terian Church
nrvus, nr, vr ,y,v,