The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-06-20
FIVE POINTS MISSION.

To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:--
III the year 1s4S several Christian ladies' OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church had their attention
drawn to tue Five Points as a proper Held for
missionary effort. They had year or two before
organized q society for missionary work IN the neg
lected parts OF the city. In their report OF that
year they SAY 1--WE intend to make new point
in Centre or Elm street, IN the vicinity of the
Tombs We expect to employ missionary there,
who viii avail himself Of every providential OPEN
Ing Tor usefulness" TO the Christian men OF that
day the undertaking seemed hopeless and vision
Gry; but what is too difficult for women animated
by tie love oil Jesus TO accomplish In 1850 they
applied ''for missionary in full faith that way
would be made for him TO &C, efficiently and
probably
They found room on the corner of Little Water
and Cross streets NOW Mission place aud Park
street,, twenty by forty feet. Their first congre-
CATION was described by an eyewitness as "a
more vivid representation OF hell than she had
ever lmagined.r They opened Sabbath school
with seventy scholars Immediately they felt the
need OF DAY school. II was necessary TO have
the childen continually under Christian training
to exert that influence over their homes essen
tial TO the moral Improvement or the neglected
multitudes at the Five Points.
IN 1868 their work mad SO far progressed tina &
they had erected mission house, seventy-nve by
foTty-flve feet, five stories nigh, having roeM5
for schools, chapel and nome Tor the mission
arF. Since then their accommodations have been
largely increased, and they have TINS year taught
093 children Ia the day scnool and have between
500 and GEO cOdren in attendance upon their
Sabbath school. Chapel services are held
at haltpast ten A. 81. ana nalf-past seven
tuesday and class Oh Friday evenings.
The children or the Mission are fed daily ana
clothed, 20 lar as the means OF tue Missien win
allow. In all the years since the foundation OF
TINS Mission some OF the ladies' who were instru-
mental In It's foundation have labored as.iGuously
nm ant nlaQf frfe nnnN
ward, for tne moral and religious welfare OF this
section. The principle upon which the MlssIon 10
carried on Is that home and the family ~ the
place TO rear the child. Asylums and prisons,
winch herd the children together, cannot cxere
THIS influence, ana, necessarily, are 70 Tolls extent
detective as means OF moral training OF the
child. Besides, TIE euect of these children trained
In our schools Is constantly eleyattng upon the
homes IA which they dwoil. Already very great
moral transformation Is apparent as the Five
Points. But there Is al great work to be done,
aud no outlay OF money for benevolence yields so
rich a return as the money expended under the
Supervision OF these ladies. Their means OF use
fuiness nave Deen somewhat GU tailed during tie
last year or tive, as natural result OF the panic
It ID hoped that all WHO feel that they are
stewards OF tao Lord and desire to use
viii look into the history ana work OF this MIS-
sion. We are sarislsd II they do so taoy win 1nd
that this, the original MISSION at the Five Points
ana from which all similar missions have origin
aied, IS doing to-day, for means expended, the most
e1sent wVrN ps ~ ro se "a ise orssen
tendent OF the Mission. 70 wnom ali inquiries
should be addressed, all donations sent aad VINO
will take great pleasure IN explaining the work
inga OF Inc institution Toe sunday school, half.
past two O'Clock I. n. every sabbath, Is marvel
81 success and las Visitors rom al parts q me
WHAT WE LOSE DY NOT TAKING CHURCHES.
To rHg EDITOR or THE HERALD:-
The arrangement for calling forth and publish
ing various religious views 10 the SUNDAY HERALD
is worthy Of general appreciation as In It there IL
room Tor hope Of counteracting the power OF re-
iglous bigotry, ana thereby eradicating some OF
the erroneous doctrines which have got into tho
churches. In consideration OF the views recently
published In the SUNDAY HERALD fayorlng the ex.
empuon OF church property from taxation, pro-
pose, through the same source, TO oner lew op.
posing remarks. In consequence Of the exemp-
ton OF such property In Brooklyn and New YORK
10 the amount OF nearly $3.50 oOO OOo, taxation is
increased to about sl2OOo,oO0 annually, waicn
amount IL forced uniustly from he hard pressed
taxpayer. Moreover eyory dollar or THIS large
amount has 70 be produced by the laborers, the
most OF whom are terribly overworked-
and needy, 6uI for increasing the riches
OF wealthy churches, tecause u Is urtu.
ally giving them sl2O00,o00 annually, who
Door church orgasizations without properly
are lett without any government support, which
should also be the condition or the churches OF
or individuals, why not tax Il In the same rdtlof
This kind OF government support OF sectarian re-
giOn jgst a a. improper snd ao.SssepsSs % \
cannot perceive auI justice IN compelling indl-
yldual aid Tor tho support OF religious dogmas.
TO me IL looks too mucR like an attempt to build
up q theocracy, IL Is an absurdty Tor Protestants
to virtually advocate thing they Vigorously con-
denim IN the Roman Chutoh-one WHOM ~ antaX.
onlstic TO the views Of many from when such