, 1875-06-21

ont about 500 persons from tho city 10 witness
tho eeryicos 60 that. rlth tho congregation Of
the yictnage. tho church was crowded to lis ut.
moet capacity all rtan1ng-room being occupied.
tho church Ia 4 beautiful little cdldce, NTH
seating capacity Of about $50. II has windowe
Of stained glass. aud rails hpd ceiling a,o Lcanti-
fully ftescoed The choir occupies en erchtd
recess back Of and above she pulpit and III Il ia
also beautifully y-ornancnted church organ. Tho
I,ev. J. D. Mcclure began 10 preach 1t River
Park In Aprif. 1874. aud tho cofncr-ssono Of tho
present calace waa laid IN june OF lhe sAme
yeAs. Nov. q. 1871, shortly Aftor tho bu!!ding
was completed, Tho church was organized.
Yesterday afternoon tho front Of tho pulpit
vas beautifully decorated will flowers. An arsi-
ilcIal rock. grown over with viuss md how-
Tie front Of tho pulrit-dosk was oraamehtod
With clinging Ivy growing frnni pots aet near It.
Among the clcrEy Prrecnt weEo the Roy. Or.
Thomas. tho How. y. ", Dutiield, tho 1iey. J. II.
WalAer. Prot. Swing, and tho pastor, tho lsoy.
j. y. Mcclure.
began with tho singing uf All nnllIam BY quat-
teite choir, after which tho llymn begiintng-
Come; than Almighty Ring
lte,p lis Thy hatns 10 sing
was suns By ths congregation. Tho Issv. Dr..
Mr. WALKER delivered n prayer. Tho choir then
rendered another anthem. after which
rRor. RwtHo
delivered sermon On the valuo Of chnrch Or
EAnizatto,t aud church membership, from the
text: I" Date 80 despise tho Church ot aod."
Io eata that It ,ras faot TINT only small pro-
portion Of the classes possessing tho
church organizations. He supposed tliat not
moro than one cut Of flyo hluIts expressed any
sympathy OF love for church organizations
Thon again, It aeomot' as II there Was a warfare
it,-
and even bctween tho Secular press aud tho
Church. 1t did seem shht tic ltle, tho bsauti-
fut. aud The Ecod hlso.iIl 60 together, and alt
culture should ATTACH iao!f to some Of tho FORMS
moro tian tho tc'sgson Of tho soul. lie did nut
think TINT all should be brought Into ono crocd,
but somewhere ttt tho cooling shadow they
should find rest Tho problem Of dlscordaht
religion wns too ditiicals fot him to solve. Tho
fact remained that The Church moved along
hmoug those WIN wero at enmsy OF indifferent
to It, aud that, too, when It uuclcd all support,
attachment. and sympathy
Tho explanation fonnd IN tho dcurhrtty Of tho
hcntt would mol explain tho wl,ole at tho phe-
uomcnon. They found 30 many good pouple out
of tho Church that This explanation would not
do. Que reason scanned 10 10 that outsld3rs
eccmed to think tho Church had not moved AWAY
from the past. People feared that to join
away their montal freedom. II tho Church
power, would again b. It's instrument for
enforcing its orin!!ons: but tho M cnnrsh Of tho
II Should not be Judged by tbs OLD ,hoplogles.
Al they passed on 10 new ages thaY arrived At
new deilnttons.. Tho Church should no: bo ro-
gardtd rs hn old iinpoator clipping upon than
under pew gu:se. but tHey should accept OF tue
preaent, and giro 1t tlelr hpafta aud hands.
llibtory never repeated f.solf except in tho ANAL
Incidents. Ihn old bhllls:a sling, and crosa-bnNs
would not return into nse' nor would .hs thoolo.
gIes Of the past re'nrn 10 yex thb mind aud
heart Of the men Of to-hay.
What cbcckod tue gathering OF mon Into
cl,,irchos moro than this foht Of tho past tho
lack Of proper appreciation Of tho vAluo 0F
onu's own study, or under tho shado Of 4 troo,
bnt It Mas dangerous error to Imagine that
high religious culture could 10 reached By Bot,-
tary otloft. No 1nAn could become 80 good
n.oraliBs In !l,s stndY IA In company With l,1B
follows. Tho communion OF soul to soul forned
perpetual 1cstatamont Of religious ttuthH.
just nB 3 man who grow up in solitude
wns a narrow-n!nded and one-alded man, 30
tho soul That hid ita religion, npoko not Of it.
debated no: its doctrines, waa art onlv 10 ha!f
,eazo The great truths OF religion. The chlrcn
brotherhood took no tho ideas Of religion and
nre4entel tllom III nav and frcsn aspects: IL
that grent world OF experiment. the cburch aud
ths pEaser.'neuting, tho dignity Of ideas wsa
prominently forwarI. Tho eol.tarr growth was
full Of dsArroportion aud lncongruity. Tho
Church brotherhood WAS rapidly Abandoning
cant, nnd men could confer with one another on
c9tlsy aud aarnnstnOss. The valuable dtsentan-
god itdeIf from tho speculative In the com.
n,nhon OF church llfo.
As means Of spreading truth aud ~ an
agency Of charity, tho Church stood without
riynl among tho inB.isutions$lt meu. Even the
errors Of tia Church proved ils powor. Tllo his
tory OF the I,AsE Showed tho immense influence
Of any church. vhether for good or owl. II Was
iii ~ frs11f IN rFFotvf f,rA and tF1ttf 1,
wicked Woll a to grow orhhgos Hhero the frost
came. The AT OF tJs Church wAa needed to
do. elop the far Paradise. The Roman Catholic
Church WAS the porpatual illus.ratlon Of shs yaas
pow6r Of combination aud organisation. This
agenov should every Church Eoiy upon. and the
church that would most fully realize and PIT
into oGoot that power OK organization wonid
saspsss saspsss ,s.,t.S tue power OF Rome; Tie
tnintd by the pionesr ontsrpHass Of
church organizations Ia tho West. Had those
H'isslonattes had only their own strength to de-
Pou1 Upon, how Bn,all could havo beau the!r So
compllHlnonts, but tho church nrghnLzatlon wAB
their stuy. and perpstusted and Increased tho
in morals NO might think and speculate for
ever and hstl no reat. Tho arguments that
vent to n.o'o .La divinity Of Cnrist, the Itumot-
iielon, fol- short Of demonstration. This
MAS = melancholy stAto Of facts hut 1t wAp
10. ous must assuiue something. Every
uelghbor should gather toHosbor Tho most
probable doctrines, aud form = church
organization. They should haston to asaume
tho brst Ideas nothing came frou endless
doubt. It waa necessary to Bettla down upon
soine definite basis OF action. Tho Church bad
eou.ainea errors: but the world could never 10
suf,iclsn.ly grateful to it that 1t announced sons
ii1od principles aud adhered 10 thom. 1t main
taiuad firm Rrouud. on which acsiou could 60 on.
Doubt was d1aiutsgt ator; sct,ou was necessaEy
10 construction. The heart mist express roat-
tlvs faith, aud begin Tie active duttsa Of life.
Some b.idgo must bo cast over tho datk gulf Of
uncertainty, Life must not be . wandering, but
. marct. Mankind muus not traverse ts,s
Garth like wandering Jew 1t muat hAso faith
for its guido OF conduct. Thou lot their church
he Brotherhood Ut good msa, whether u bo
Ep,scopal, Motho5Ist. or Presbyterian. Call It
by any iAmo they pleased but let II bs tho
great 6rotherhood Of thought whsre theT could
lind tno useful ia Ille.-thc good, ahe beautiful,
and tho true. llo pfayoa that God might bleIa
kheln tn their antorpnse. -
The HOY. j. u, Mcclure then read state-
meut Of
TIE FINANCIAL CONDITION
IL. 6,nl M