The New York herald., 1871-03-27
FIFTH AVENUE BiPTIST CHURCH.

NemOrial Serv1ces-A Review OF the March
Of Civilization During the Past Thirty Years.
DIR. Armitage the Herald-It is the Pio-
Deer Of Civil and Religious Liberty Throu2l-
out the World.
Yesterday being the thirtiein anniversary OF the
Fifth Avenue Baptist church very large congrega
ton assembled in the church to take part IN the
morning services, which commenced at half-past
ten by the singing Of hymn composed for the occa
sion by Mrs. Lydia Baxter. The preachers desk
and platform surrounding were elegantly decorated
with natural flowers In baskets and pots, while on
the pillars In the aises hung the SUNDAY school ban.
ners, one on each side OF the platform. On the wall
was banner with the names Of the only two pastors
who have been in charge OF the church since its or
ganizatIon. On one were the words, a. w. Bene-
dict, Al to 1885," on the other
at. ARMiTAGE. lS4} To 1S7l.n
Aftef the singing OF the hymn selection from the
Scriptures read by the pastor and congrega-
lion, each repeating line In turn This was fol.
lowed by an anthem from the choir and prayer by
DR.. Armitage; after which a hymn composed by
himseli, was sung both by congregation and choir.
When this had been gone through the reverend pas.
tor began his sermon, which of great inter.
est to his hearers, the greater number OF whom had
been with the church for a long time.
He commenced by saying:-we have assembled
here this morning TO celebrate the hrtietn annlver
sery OF this church, and 1t ts ft and proper
that We should make t a monumental cee-
bration Were we raising monument to
any great military man we might take other
means OF doing III but when we raise one to Jehovah
Is only necessary that we do It in cur hearts In
the manner OF counting nowadays we number thirty
years generation. The living works Of God are the
best memorials possible, for they everlasting.
Cod mas never made an advance in single thought.
Unchangeabity IS an attribute OF the divinity. TO
change IS creaturey, and then 1t is natural for all
lor lie would cease TO be God If lie did. With Him
thousand years Is as day; then how easily do we
liability With what interest will not one OF a later
generation hear from some older member OF the
community OF what happened in years long gone by;
therefore, II Is that most or you Will hear with pleas
ure regarding the events of the past generatlOn
AT times III generation there Is Kind or stoppage;
the world seems to have ceased going round, as If
cobwebs were in the air. when soon everything be.
comes wide awake and the hustle and noise that en-
sue Is III perfect contrast to what has preceded H.
Thus II is that God raises memorial o his works
and makes himself felt throughout all ages Look
at a rosebud which you have lust plucsed early in
Tue morning, ana then take pencil and sketch It,
Keep your eyes on 1t until night; watchlwell for
every change which takes place IN it, You see none
though you examine 1t ever SO closely, and vet at
night compare 1t with your pencil sketch of the
morning and you Will perceive that it is wlthered.
GOD WORKS IN NATURE,
silently nut surely without being seen, but none the
less elt In every mlnutl9 OF nature in the small
est insect that crawls the earth In each cloud
mat passes through the sky see memorial OF Je.
promised before 1t was erected. But stiii lie
was, us 1t were, chtseling out the greatest monu.
mental work which He ever accomplished.
WONDERFUL CHANGES IN TILE WORLD.
lin tue generation which this church has seen great
events have occurred. which has made IL q remark
able epoch. II has beer period OF change period
or Improvement. Some things unknown before
haye have beeo peeome familiar to u.s. ana Inventions
esr wara Uegn q, a evh ana religious lib
Briain and Swz erlandandeven there ia their infan
CT. Russia held her 25,0JO sers Italy under the
sway OF the people; Scotland was struggling for re-
ligous liberty, and Dr. Chaoner was endeayorlng to
obtain footing for the Scottish Church; Ireland was
enueayoring to OBTAIN Catholic emancipation. under
the leadership OF O'Connell Richard Golden was
trying TO make bread cheap; the United States were
question.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
know OF no place where religious liberty is de.
nled. see now spain has thrown off-the yoke. l
nave oeen mic rmed that on the very ground where
the Spanish inquisltion held Its sway an American
CHRISTIAN teaches Sunday school. Is not this gen
Grafton OF Improvement To-day poor Italy Is a
free and united country. In Rome to-day / could
preach the Gospel as freely as / do here in thus
church. The Irish State Church Is DESTROYED and
are Sops are m G1 Rnad an equality From the way things
Englsh Church establishment Will fall, too. An
Lngilsh princess has
MARRIED A SUBJECT
% nna Liohea a ,ne barrier between royalty and the
people ana II the son OF the queen does not mend
MS royal mother goes toer grave that his services
are Lo longer required. Look at
during this time. when this Church was on,, wa
nad seventeen millions OF population IN the United
pIdtcss uOW We nave l0rty Millions Tnau
the Rocky Mountains were seldom tronhe1
BY sy the e,,dsSa footsteps Of white man. Now
had scarcely thousand miles OF railway In the
whole country; now they can be counted BY tens of
thousands. Less than thirty years ago no one
thought that IN the space OF second we could COM
munlcate across the Atlantic. Truly, We have had
mighty changes In this generation. Then in our
democratic institutions what changes Slavery ia
dead do not know who would restore II. And
We are at peace, but We have had to pay fearful
price.
NEW YORK THIRTY YEARS AGO AND TO-DAY.
Compare New York thirty years ago with New
York OF to day. There was no Fourteenth street, no
fwepty-ihird street, no Madison, Lexington Ffrh
avenue; the streets were crooked and narrow and
there was no gas But In no department has there
been SO grea. change as ~ the newspaper and
literary word. fousee an Immense change in the
welding or power OF the daily press. There Is no
city Ia The world which has such manly untram-
nelled press as ours. When was commencing my
ministry
THE NEW YORK HERALD
was surgfng Its way ahead and going into new
,aths or journalism, and 1t the first to begin
he reporting or sermons which has given 1t such