The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-04

or requisites for membership All who join IN tho
acts OF prayer and praise are members. 1t Is the
cnurch Tor sinners They are the most welcome
sinners In rags. or sinners in velvet 1t sets FORTH
In It's services the doctrines OF particular branch
OF the Christian Church. It rather embraces the
essence OF all Of them. It is place OF worship for
the Presbyterian, the Roman Catholic, the Baptist.
the EpiscoDalian, the Lutheran. the Methodist the
Morayan. the Swedenborgian, the Reformed
Tor the Gentle and for the Jew, II he will IL Is
under the control or no denomination Its ministers
are all aymen. or ali shades OF Christian faith and
all unpaid Its creed Is the broad creed OF all
Christians. lis chief prayer Is the Lords Prayer.
1t has great altar, whose central ornament Is the
emblem Of the Christian faith-the cross. Around
1t are grouped candles and flowers and all OF light
and beauty and splendor that can contribute to the
glory q the triune Cod Its praises are offered up
In the ancient Psalms Of David, in good old Method
ist and other hymns, and In the solemn musical
masses OF the Greek and Roman Churches Not con-
anthems and Oratorios selected fitting gems OF
sacred melody. Thousands OF human voices, the
or praise 70 the Father Of all LET evsrythiaS ihas
hath breath praise the Lord ~ Its prayers, read
from an elevated reading desk are the devout we'll
considered short and concise prayers OF the early
Saurc, c9nseciated py Inc use OF thousands wno
the rambling, disjointed and sometimes blasphe-
mons extempOre appeals OF lll-traned and excited
men. Its liturgy and responses are adapted rom
those which are cOmmon to the Episcopal, Roman
Lutheran and Moraylan churches. Alternate PRAYER
alternate praise ill up an hour OF grateful worship
unmarried by the laborcd crotcneLs and conceils OF
tneologans and pulpit orators. There Is room
enough for these in the congregations OF fashion
ana In the peculiar tabernaces OF sects. The bust
ness OF our Church Is to hold communion with God,
not audience with men.
The services OF TINS church are daily 1t is always
open TO ALL Its readers are not pastors or priests;
therefore there are no sacraments. no peculiar cere.
denominations Tor which this church Is only an en-
tering gate. This is only the church Of prayer and
give their services voluntarily. There Is lack OF
them. 1t seats comfortably fifteen thousand per-
sons, and even more.
THE REASONS FOR THE CHURCH OF PRAYER AND
PRAISE
The population OF New York city is about one mil
lion. or these more than one half attend no church.
There Is not sitting room enough for them. But
they go to the theatre and to the sunday concert
hall. NIne-tenths or these would rather go to the
church II only as much labor and money were given
to lead them 70 worship as costs TO draw them to
his rags ne loves to pray. Perhaps then more
than ever. But he does not like to inIrude
his rags nor his yileness before men, he feels he is
The harlot, the gambler the drunkard-even these
have GUNNER left Of the Christian light OF their
mercy seat II they can, without attracting the notice
and the remark oil men. That same mere dis
thousands away from churches where pews are
property and where property fills pews. For all
these classes the Cnurcn OF Prayer ana Praise oilers
refuge, nome JOY ever pure and ever new. In
Its large expanse rags are unnoticed. The
worn sinner loses his dread CONSCIOUSNESS among the
multitude OF an equallzed humanity and yields his
spirit to the blessed influences Oh the hour.
Again, our people have been well instructed-in-
structed even to nausea Doctrines upon doc
trlnes, each widely differing from the other confuse
the seekers alter truth dlvines Jingle their with
sweet words and smart sayings. which have cloyed
upon the taste; dull preachers punlShthem with tire
some harangues-all this until they have learned to
desert the Church because OF the too much preach
ing. Our clergymen, too, are worked TO death upon
sermons. So much Is demanded from the head that
the heart grows cold within them. They have ceased
to be the almoners OF good gifts men. Weekly
sermons bar the way between them and Gods poor.
Last week q good true heart IN far-off land,
while In sorest need, was requested to call upon
clergyman at an appointed tiIne He wres:-''He
talked me about the good OF my soul in patron.
tZng way, and then told me that he was very busy.
ana handed me tract, which threw awayi'
Cheap EFFORT to reach human soul and save IL from
the depthsl How many such every dayl One OF the
Good samaritan.
the Church OF Prayer and Praise, broad though It's
foundations be- Is not churcn OF free love nor OF
those who deny Christ. Neither does 1t seek to
take The place OF other churches. they
have their own wOrshippers, their own clergy,
their sacraments and their own peculiar paths
OF duty May their work be blessed But they form
only the regular army OF Christianity. What shall
be done for that still greater multitude who hover
around their array, and who, though called Chris.
tians, are not YET armed with light. ana have not
yet ranged themselves under the CROSSE For them
the Church OF Prayer ana Praise chimes It's far-on
bells for them essays to open It's doors and spread
Its wide alsles free TO all. And yet its portals
all shadowy and fndlstinct It's chimes are distant;
for the church here pictured is not yet built.
Messieurs OF the bank vaults and real estate, II
this church be soon built you Will have another guar
antee to your bonds and stronger warrant TO your
deeds. j. b. BACON.