The New York herald., 1878-12-31
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.

PROSPECT THAT THE SACRED BUILDING WILL BE
SOLD UNDER THE HAMMER FOR DEBT.
1t having been rumored yesterday that the Church
of the Messiah was about be sold and the society
rendered homeless. . representative Of the HERALD
yesterday called on DR.. Cotton. an official OF the
church who stated that that will be the alternative
unless the society pay of its debts before the
coming springtme. The church was originally built
under the pastorate Of DR.. Samuel Osgood, whose
intellectual strength and popularity it was believed
would be able to keep the society together
and tide it over its financial difficulties The
church cost O0 and there is debt OF 100000
the property. An insurance company holds
mortgage for in OF 100000, with accrued
interest amounting to over $4,000. The balance OF
debt is in notes bonds of the church for smaller
sums. DR.. Osgood after completing the edifce,
stepped from under the burden and entered the min
istry of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this city,
The Rev. George II. Hepworth followed DIR. Osgood
and he too stepped down and out--not. however,
much on account of the debt as because Of change
in his doctrinal views He became Trinitarian and
united with the Congregational denomination. In the
matter Of debt he gained nothing by the
change for his church heavily i'm
debted and he personally assumed the greater
part OF it-a sum as large, indeed, rs that
the Church Of the Messiah Is now seeking to raise
The Rev. w. r. Ager succeeded Mr. Hepworth but
he, too left for Colorado pastorate some months
ago. The society is, therefore, without = regular
pastor. It, however. receives the very best supplies
that the denomination send. When the Unitarian
Conference met in the church few weeks ago the
condition Of the society was talked over. commit
tee of the Convention and committee of the church
were appointed for subsequent conferences. The
former agreed and have since supplied the pulpit OF
the church with their best men, The missionary fund
OF the Convention is not as may be inferred, very
large, but it was the conviction Of the joint
mittee that it would be infinitely better for the de-
nomination to this church in the great me-
tropolis than to aid with small sums weak churches
in sparsely settled communities But they took ac-
count Of stock, to speak, and they found among
their three four wealthy men in the church
one who would give S25,0O0 toward the liquidation
raised Another, who holds $4,000 worth OF the
church's bonds, will return the same and add $4,000
more to the amount. Several members of Dr.. Bel
lows church hold bonds Of the Church OF the Mes
siah aggregating the of $4,000, Some Of those
persons who have been seen agree to return those
bonds and cancel the obligations. but others
of them cannot do this because the original
holder having died since they issued the bonds
form part of an estate and the money must be paid
for those. But Dr. Bellows as member OF the COM
mittee of the Convention hopes to be able to settle
that part Of the difficulty. Then there are few men
of smaller means in the Messiah Society who are
willing to contribute couple OF thousand each. SO
for the removal OF its debt 100000. The Uni
tartan Convention cannot supply the deficiency, and
hence the that the building be sold for the
lack $4,000 1t should be said that those generous
givers have entered the church since the debt was
created and had part whatever in its creation The
financial straits OF the society have frightened
many persons from uniting with the church, though
Sabbath, when DIR. Peabody. of Harvard, preached
tho congregation was large. The membership how
ever, consists OF only twenty-five thirty families