The New York herald., 1870-10-24
LAICMT STREET BAPTIST CHURCH.

Closing sorvices-Old Memories Revivee-The
Character the Timo and tao Place Of
Prnyer-Necessty and Importance of Mis-
sionnry E6orts.
The Laight street Baptist church, corner of varick
street, about which 80 much has been said and
written heretofore, ceases from this date to have
corporate church organization. For some years
past there have been in this as in other churches
two parties--an uptown and downtown party.
After great deal Of religious. financial and techni
cal sparrng and voting the uptown party succeeded
In carrying the day, and having purchased the Gen.
tral Baptist church edfce In F0rty-secOnd street.
they united with Its congregation and have been
worshipping there together since September. But
the old house OF God had not been formally and re-
ligiously parted with, and yesterday, old and
young, uptown and downtown folk gathered
together meet and greet each other socially aud
rellglousy ere they separated, perhaps forever.
THE CHARACTER OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP.
The venerable and reverend DR.. Coxe-the pastor
OF the old Presbyterian congregation that worship
ped in the church for SO many years, and who, 1t
viii be remembered was, with his people. mobbed
and insuted during the exciting anti-savery con-
,ests--occupied seat In tho pulpit. The Rev. DR..
Eyarts-tne arst pastor under the Baptist organza-
tion-Was aiss present and preached an admirable
sermon on the character Of religious worship the
time and the place and the necessity for maintain
ing the same. The discourse was based upon Psalm
Xcv., 6"0h come, let MS worship and bow down;
let us kDeel befere the Lord, our Maker let all the
inhabitants of the earth worship HIM. The univer-
sal necessity for religious worship Is found In the
universal sinfulness OF man and his natural craving
Tor something TO worship. The angels OF God wor-
snip Hun, and why should not sinful manf Cities
have been found without defences and people with
out language and laws but never withouts God.
and universal, IL also an ndestructble principle;
and az cannot destroy IL We should build upon iG.
NAal h0u fhufra
. necessity for every honest man and every pro-
found thinker; aud n we do not cultivate true rell
gion, the false the supcrstitous will spring up.
They are slailcw-nlinaed persons who seek TO de-
stroy RolnaDlsm by
HEAPING grDlouLE ON IT.
Rather should they teach the religion first and
then men Will naturally cast the false away A man
who never worships IS q dwarl--pervcrted ana de-
stroyed morally and intellectually. True men every
where worship God. The purest and Test men Int
up their hands TO the Almighty.
But while we may worship God anywhere and
everywhere there is an absolute necessity that we
| have place. Abraham Norshpped God In grove,
and wherever he went he erected all altar unto God.
Daniel lifted UP his heart i'll his own captive cnam-
per- and Peter and Paul IN prisons. We have not 10
go to Mecca, or Oxford, or Rone-if we had what
would become OF uss But place, q location, Is q
necessity OF our also and hence the sraeIes
as soon as they left the land OF Egypt, and while
yet in the Wilderness, erected a tabernacle. And
wnen they got into Canaac tney reared temple to
Jehovah, ana we continue to build synagogues and
Christan churches that we may meet together and
sympathiZe with each other in our common suffer-
ins ana pray together for the supply OF common
wants. A Christian church speaks more elouuentlg
OF mans necessities aspirations, hopes than the
Pyramids OF Egypt the ptoudesr monuments OF
human greatness There are ASSOCIATIONS connected
with the mace OF prayer tnat are never known else
where, and Lney should not wonder that ne (thc
| speaker had come nom Chcago TO worship With
them this occasion. He came as their pastor first
| Ia 1853. when the church numbered but 300 MEM
| bers. Alter three years ministry the membership
! haa Increased to 800. He mnistered among them
Tor eight years until MS health failed, ana he had TO
| seek recuperaLion In travel and rest. But while
here the c,ly, which when ne came mad but 2.5 600
souls, rad grown last that the up town movement
| had alrealy commenced, aud they sought larger
and higher quarters. The old Broadway Tabernacle
was OIered 10 Them for aoi o00tne property Is
worth hail n million. 1t was easier then TO raise
s1sS slss'' '' 'a'''a purposes ' Il Is ~" % r'i''
TIE qYaE or WORSHIP.
The Doctor, the further discussion Of his sub
ject, mainaucd the necessity ior tine as well as
place, OF prayer The man who prayed every
where ana yet had no special tme 70 pray,
| the power OF Christian lie is IN the closet
| ana the prayer meeting or the secret place
| or prayer TbIs thought was enforced by ex-
ample and illustration At the cicse OF the service
collection vas taken up to sustain mission IN the
vicinity OF the church, as the congregation do not
design TO give up the neid altogether. Ia the ter
| noon miscellaneous service was hed al whic n
! ministers and people mutually addressed each
other and in the evening the Rev Dr. Coke preached.
! The PASTOR is Rev. Frederick W. Evans, q Welsh
| man. young and eloquent, and with promise OF a
brilliant future before him. lie win be TemcMbe cred
the pastor Of little Welsh congregation at Avon
! dale, "a, where fhe 200 m,ners--many Of them
! members OF his nock--were lost in that terrible
mining disaster year or two ago. There his laocrs
! were ceaseiess ana while the pulpit and the press
| of the country were diatinE on tie disaster as a
visitation from GOD he was the iirst TO proclaim That
1 the PENNSYLVANIA Goal Company and NOT the Al.
mighty was be blamed, his untlrng efforts
| Whatever improvements have been made iu ths
mining facilities for escape since due. shortly
after tnaC event he was called W this city, where he
| has been teaching and preaching very acceptabt
/ ever since.