New-York tribune., 1873-05-05
THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY

THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY,"
ANNIVERSARY SERMON By EX-PREsIDENr wooISEY
The exercises of the 47th anniversary of the
American Home Missionary Society were begun by a
service at tho Broadway Tabernacle last night printed
abstract OF the annual report presented from which
the following facts appear:
Number OF ministers employed by the Society In 80
different states and Territories, 9j number OF congre
cations stations IN part or wholly supplied 2l45i
churches organized during the year. 49, OF wcn "a nave
become scsuppOrtng; additions to the churches' Oy
letter, 252; profession 1885, total 5725 receipts of
the year, s26769l AZ; expendures E6o5O 24 hll que
to missionaries for labor performed, s23,5j0 22
The exercises consisted OF preliminary services con-
ducted by the Rev. Dr. Taylor appropriate music and
the annual sermon, praye ana che benedicton by
the Rev. Theodore D. Woolsey ID. D., LID, exPres-
dent OF Yale College aud President OF the Society Cnoos
ing hs texts lst Corr *, 16 last clause YEA woe Is
unto mo IL preach not tAe GospelP and Rom, xyy O
Yea, where striycd 10 preach the Gospel not where
Christ named, lest should build upon another mans
foundation President Woolsey in substance, said that
these passages showed, first Pau rule for preaching,
and his rule for choosing Held lie made IL pont OF
was most applicable TO CHRISTIAN churches a woo was
on them If they did no outside work, whether nome OF
foreign for each suppeheled tle OthSr' was US VuaV
churches could do Atte more than sustain them
selves, but the Eastern churches gencraly were not
OF this class Falling 10 do such work woe, first,
to the strong churches them ives reuet wIOuI lt5
practical character nndVlduas, and
Ia churches aud bodies OF churches as we'll so that with
outside WORK the churches would not prosper olCh
work would tend 10 give an element VI unity " the
churches, which was much needed. Ah9 II TINS Work
not carried on by IT, the Weiieatheu reputation OF
the Congregational Church Tor missionary euoFt III the
past would be be1ed
The history Of congregational Home Mission work was
here briefly sketched. Not to work in this way would
be a WOe secondly, TO the Western settlers VINO were
exposed peculiar social DANGERS aud were related 10
the older churches child to parent by and oy
these churches would NATURE aud the part OF the East
ern churches in home mission work would become sec
ondary the churches or tho present west taking most
OF the work. but this time mad not yet arrived Failing
surest method to thwartng national corruption would
thus be ignored. During the war; there was such earn
estues and prayer aud herOsm that the whole nation
liited to higher tone, and IT seemed as II, WIN
victory, noble open to the land.
But, now that twice the years OF the war had
passed, there was such corruption had
never been seen the nations history. COrrup-
ton OF public officials corruption in the party which
was foremost in loyalty during the war; alliance for
party ends with men OF known want OF principle o
Ieyefish thirst speculation era OF crime the
weakening OF family feeling and puritythese things were
most OmnOus and especially since they were dem0raliz
fng Ia their influence the best OF In the great
agricultural regions or the West whore labor and simple
tastes the rule II the elements or Christian char
acter could be broadcast great conserving ele
ment would be introduced, Tor sucn nations
strength. Finally this work must be carried on fear
essy with trust that tire spirit Of Christianity will
preserve the seed from the dangers TO which it
exposed under the pJcy OF occupying only new
fields leaving the older TO for themselves.
To this hope the past lent much encouragement. During
the At years of the SOcetys existence IL had raised
S554OO had established about $500 churches, OF which
about 500 had become sefsuppOrtng II mad occupied
$500 missionary stations and mad enrolled membership
o 2yO,COO