, 1875-12-06

me et1nE-honse mnst come to them. where paths
Aat Hhero tue public carriaRra meet.
. necon't material argument mar bo found Ia
the peculiar shApe Of our city. l.s business ID
not sp'oad ont Tor miles alonR sou. QUO street.
1t 10 Insasrd into solid square NILS, and hence.
in that sqnase mile, th.ro ara Thousands Of
kuhiIlrse young men Who arc ail quite far rc-
moveti from the great family churches aud .tss'
1onk1 i" quite BEAT 10 soHls csbttat churst- vF
cnuEuteh. On account Of &h!s peculiar n,4asnK
ara located III most unusual mhnner. --1nstead
Of rohcllug along i rnites n etfai;t. line theY
hro III ciic[o. about d0zen tisnhe, and all
Within threo or TOUR sInares of tl,ta theatre.
Owing tn tcctht destruction Ut dwe,liug-l1u
Aud tho marvellous hsauty, and cotufort, s4,u
'inic: Of theso hosola, thof ats the hnmes now
II bundrcaH almost thpns.ndf. Of porsnna who
ones lived along tho sveunes, and ~llo unco at-
te,.dcl tho old chutehes ot the for1ner c,ty.
These statements will give yuu Ahs outn. OF
tho material aryuuscn, Tint nos Nous juatiflc.
This oleui.g Of 4 now CentrE Ciu!ct,, hit winch
cntHcats us all 10 entsr upsn sht* work will, zeal.
aud without delay cr nIsRivine, To nAse
church 10 which 40 many eau cotne no easir. not
only from tic ceusrai portion Of tho place. hit
from tho thteo dlvisionH OF the city, |. m tden
that should long ago llAyo touched four brnrss
and Aavo swopt your Judgments.
Let us coma now to tho moral Asperss at thn
CA5l. 4AtlQ DuE CQle{ kkAh Viii D1 Au mGHk Ofs.
lections. for, iu tho brief ssasemonsa already
uade, hayo absolutely given roaHon enough
fnr tho existence ut this new Sociely.
:, Firt!-Ths need not be called All experiment.
It To d Aetvlce TO- which most III US coma hack
nftor two soats' absence. 1u this very room NO
bang ont hynsus and eent up our rrsyorr, and
e1alnlnod into tho high tsutha ot life for
almost two years, And t'lohn two Tcars
confirmed all I have said about having
church accenaible to the public. So great
Ina 4,rA tkpkT
beat mon OF tho Fontth Church dcbated with
many Of you M to nonlo method by which Ibis
Horsiec l.ro could bo G. ntinned. Thoy thom-
solves went OF to their 1itt1e church, and nac-
cessiblo chnrch. win 'n;ssasings as tn tlnty. and
for month"; dnbatcd with you, and With them
arlyos, ~ To tho duty OF tho future.
Thus NO return hero chcornd BY two years of
cxpetienco-an experiences whch even s;or: b
Ntdn tnterost could not rcadily concenl OF erLha.
The rnuaa gentlemen who s.aud "a responsible
hgo-.hus showing that tkero Is nothing ot
moro impulsu or novelty iu thor conduct,
but that their action is based upon ther export
enco oG tSo year., and the reflection OF two yenra
moro. Thus wuu!d Becm huicicnt anewcr to any
who may feel that Aere NO arc to make an cxper-
iment. 1t Is not 80. Horn NC rcsutno to-dsy =
reasonable most wles, union Of hearte. that wAs
intpFrnrtod by ~ acc'dcns.-a beautiful and boz
loved ',ttio aecidon. called tho Fourth Church,
And. now that Prof. patton lIaa removed That
accident by hia twonty-eisht tcsrH. rllcd before
the Synod l am free. not to embark upon an
nntrod Sea- but To return "HomH again from 3
foreign Shore" We sEe not upon ttrapse watera
today. We know al! about this ctlanuoi and tins
ahip. You have heard thoae hvmnn H.ng III
ruc' chor1s, you htro soon thceo lacos all il1ppy
hero au other 1ayH.
You wlIl please rcmombtr, too, t.,at those
other two yensH OF worship III this hpuao ended
whitc your minister was III full camn,,Lniou with
thn Presbyterian Church. No trial for hereey
11nH At0xr zft ruk NJ rnypinr
into thoso mcctinyn thorc ontcred No se,,aatlon-
nj element, and they draw their llfc from I'm
party heat. Hence tho return Of AZ all to this
place has not in 1t tho lcast element of lebukc to
Prot. Patton, nu- OF yindicatlon Of me. This
service began before aay war besweeu that
brothcr and myself began, and bolioyo Cen
trn1 Church will 20 forward near whcso no afo
now after Prof. Patton and shall tiuyo passed
from life and from lnemory. 70 mo aud to all
with vhotn I have conrerscd this noyon,ent
ecetHs 10 spring only from public need and
contains ID 1t almost no clcnent c tho crpcri-
mental and sensational. A city ofhalf million
OF people needs this Central SocIety.
"You Mill bayo 40 church social lite. NJ prayer
mectingu, no church eocials, no sowing Bocio:y.
10 fellowship with each other"
Frat, lot US deny this gentlo charge. Out of
this certainly mutt cosne. and within yoar or
two. lot III hope, rcgrlAs church. lndesrndeas
or Congregational. With its oHn ball f5r uor-
ship, aud NTH Ito rooms for eIl kiuds OF church
llfe. Thero arc no Ecasons whatever against
tho formation and eucccsa Of = church where all
tfese highways ueos. II can easily come, SUI
will qoon como.
But let us mako second annwes 10 tho objoc-
tiou. It ia III thcBo words: Tho value of 4 toi-
ereRasaon dcpends upon tho number and the
righteousness OF tue people that attend lss Sun
day morning service. When out of l,oo0 or
3.c1o people in = congrcEation SONS seventy
or 100 gather It ''cbntch social" you muas
mt point me TO that ncoue and cali 1t "cburch
hfe." Our opinion ~ 70 the va}ne Of tho plety
and intelligence of tho vast congregation. 10 such
no s''anId rather look to thom Of Sunday ii,
taelr pa Nc, than to taosc little playing. teastfnG
6ronrs. laughing tho happy hou1n Away. The
pooplo who asae11ble Sunday morning determine
tho value Of tho sanctuarr. II thcv arc good.
righteous citizBpB. then that 1000 nre noble
clurrh.
And whcn, out Of Thousand persous. twenty
1ades nloet to how for tho orphaus, you ulust uot
point Us to that scene, and cAll It church Ito.
our thought will STILL run after thu .hnnaand
persona not there, with feeling that in thai
thousand 1ios tho worth of tho Rocety. Tho
service that blestea tbs most Ia tho CHIEF ser.
ylco,
Aud pot much oLould Ia said Of tho fellow
ship and friendship that sPruug up IN tho zeglt-
lar house OF God. We know all about This. We
meet only for tho worship OF God. aud do not
stand heart 70 heart aud hand Ia hand anay
FROM tho alt.rs. Esoh olty IL full OF
strangers. Wo 1.-Two each door to each other sud
live unknow'ng and unknown. Here. where
Tou will all bare your regular seats, aud wAaro
some OF Tho stiffness OF tue mora for.
mai churches will 10 wanting you ~,ll
soou reach An acquaintance with your neghbor,
and naltnosledge of all NOT 10 DO found by you
In chu,chea Which would Aoam 10 promise more.
Hence while NJ some remots dkY wo msy
have what ts called ''Chusch life, " We must not
oye1fase tho market-va!ue Of shat ''hie," and
feel that tho CLurch's glory lies IN that dtrec-
tion. Tho grand churches Of tho seventeenth
century that transformed Clleiet INTO frion!,
and made God to DO Loye, had no 80 wing society
aud no church festivals they hsd religious fnen
in the pulpit aud in tho pewe. Tnis IL tho ain,
that should bc bcfose LIS all-rellRtou II the deak
aud down In the cushioned soats. All else viii
be insignlacant II NO can reach 1t la,t iutelii-
gcnce and religion.
Illtts hayo 1 alluded to the objections pso.
posed to You aud to mo. pass now to adv4u-
lagos and intentlona. In our Independent or
Congregational seiAtloau we, from preacher to
people, expect to oDioy frsedom Of thought.
Anutr F.,f1 4N. A.