New-York tribune., 1878-02-18
FREEING CHURCHES FROM DEBT.


THE CHURCH OF THE COVENANT RAISES FOUR
FIFrHs OF IT'S ENcUMBRANcE-aR. KTMBALIs
| EFFORTS AT THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE-THE
| FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIsTs DEBT CLEARED OFF.
At the Church of the. Covenant yesterday
morning. the Rev. Marvin l.. Vincent preached from
Romano Kill g: "Owe no man anything but 10 io'e
one anotber for he that loyeth another hath fu
filled the law"
There ara two statements In the text he said, carrying
with them the precept The one Il tnat we OWE
one debt to fellows; the other Is that we are 70
avoid other debts Owe anything, Dut owe each
other love- aud pay the obligation. Debt Is one Oi te
lower obligations. 1t is bond, not OF io'e' ou' W
convenience and self.interest. II not infrequcnty
happens that man is irritated ~ tue sens'
of being In another mans power. though he voluntarily
nuts himself there DeOt acts AZ temptation. Payment
Iooks ,nuch easr at a distance Of three six months
than ON the SPOT There deceit and trckery tht
grow out of debts How much distress has arisen "hen
n member of 4 firm or household has been rashy of
secretly running up debts. The temptations 10 us-
honesty are shown by the record OF the past year III our
city alone 1t one over which The recording angel
himself might be glad 10 draw a veil HIT were mercy
record of descent from riches to honorable poverty
that would be ltte But Ia record OF lost hono Oh
bghted reputation and PROMISE and OK moral rotte-
ness SO debt impars destroys mans social power
The same evils reveal themselves IN the debts oi copo
ate bodies AS OF individuals OF these, church deps are
sequences.
There is something wrong rot only ideally but practl-
cay In the tact the Church being bound to the world
by ties Christ would not suffer even the outer
court of temple to be used for the purposes OF trace
though the trade was in the materials for sacrifice
Waon n church is dedicated 1t is soemnly offered to
Christ tor Christian service. We say "we give this
building and appointments aud this ministry to be
wholly Thine" And yet ask what IL to prevent the
nolIors Of great mortgage on that church from step
ping before the very altar and thIustng Their bundle OF
deeds between the Church and the Lord. SAYING
ct is not wholly Chrsts; We have a claim
on IT," In large city like this a church
debt is "a bad thing because in the rapid
changes which take place the obligation Is speedily
transferred without transfer Of tue zeal ana affection
which being assumed In the hTst instance The
builders church hold the debt as sacred trust
and are winS bear the temporary inconvenience u
entails Ten years later some OF the men arc Ia The ce
eterie or eyOnd the debt church lessons s
power for work. paTt of what ought 10 50 INTO Chrs
tian enterprise ani achievement goes to keep the
church alive. l determined this morning, with the
concurrence OF those whose Judgment trust in such
matters 10 pring YOU face 10 face with the encumbance
upon your own church. II does not menace you with
instant destruction, could be carried for some years
shall we not say Yea Lord, Thy church shall be free
even at the cost of selfienia" pray you stretch
forth your hands to-day, not under Wiid Impulse not
with public demonstration but with the quiet decision
win which know you can speak
After the service the ladies and gentlemen met to
retuer and pledged $23 200 towards the debt on the
church and parsonage. when is $50 O00 committee
was appointed to collect the remainder
MIR. KiMB,LL AT THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.
% The ninth year of the Rev. Dr. L. Dewitt
Tamages pasorate OF the BroOkbn Tabernacle church
d'resbyteranl closed yesterday and the anniversary
WAS devoted to effort to pay oil the church deOt
rne eliGce Was crowded the morning service. Alr.
hf Inn wi no Ia II
ornacle sad that the only obstacle in tho way OF the
advancement OF the church its debt His proposal
10 raise amount needed by lecturlng had not been
thought wise. He then thought OF Mr.. kimbalI THIS
gcngeman was tAen introduced ana received Win LOUD
applause. -. -,
eau churches sad lesson. Children OF honest parents
have ght that is dishonorabc for them 20 in
debis ngt they bad no means 10 pay, or To- redeem
their debts for less than the iu!l amount. BUT these
children hear their parents discuss church dcbs-lebis
Gods nousess they wers a. no m SIN ThS uuses tee.
place, glad TO make terms WIN It's creditors !
o% P'',nT man Of property viii be taken at once |
ON Wall ST. but let church trustee be added 10 |
Church has been sowing the wind, and it is eapng the
wnrwind. hundreds OF her children are being sent to
leonS' o,5 ho Laye been brought up uh1er thS sys.
tenn The stain ulon your fair nalnc-ihe STAN Of
caiumny OF more unenrlstiah attacA o al kiuS tnan
ANYTHING else. You who are strangers ana have come
here this morning to hear the words oi Ie pastor may
thank Cod that You have come to zee TINS church when
she is rlising hersa.f from tue dust
~
nacle vas $4,000; ou the Lay College $1,000; making
"A total ol S13.5JO lie sent ushois aud dcacOus mo
ever aisle OF the building WIN suIs 10 receive the
amounts subscribed On these six months time would
br gwen. The largest amounts would ne announced
first. aud called Tor giits OF $1,000 10 TINS there
were lvr responses IL = Elmorc. Warren :. Secocks,
Dr Harrison 4. Fucker, the Tabernacle sunday
and T. Dewitt lamage As cach gft was announced there
Was applause wncn the pastor said quietly, VIII
ciye 5000" the applause was enthusiastic. At tu-
nlut tr responses dragged, and mIny persons began
80 leave the bjdiuL. The subscriptions following
all Tor lower amounts. D"MsI IauiaSes - sons gave
$500 six peIscns save @4OOo e3ch-John II cassidy
Alexander Pcrsou Thomas T.. PcarsaI, Mrs. C. l.. !
SINGER. X. :. HObDes. and W. j. Getslon. Five sub
srrbcd 5000 cacl--StcWdH " u, MIS- Arthur brown,
f. W. (;aliaiir and Captain l.. L. Lcttian. Dayton "
carter subscribed 1900, and MIR. and Mrs JOBn Bowie
$500. The OAer gis were a IN smaller sums down as
law ma 81. There some enthusiasm when lady
sent forward diamond ring. Inc entire amount raised
during the moru.ng service was about $4,000 MIR.
Klmbau continued his demands until hdli-paSt one,
when the AUDIENCE had dwindled down to few hun
In the evening Mr. Klmbau continued his work. The
churcn crowded. but the contributions were few
and small George &. sexton leading WIN 1000. About
II 600. exclusive OF weekly subscriptions, raised
- We cannot stop md-stcaM,' sdid Mr. IaimaSe; I'VE
will LIT 0n tnls deDt yet"
THE FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH FREED
In pac- OF the usual sermon at the Fifth Avenue Bap
It's, Cnurch yesterday inornlng DR.. Arnitase reviewed
hi, pasorate OF thirty years and expressed
hope that the dcbl reoaning that church might be
proylded for Sir smith, president OF Board of rras
fees of the Memorial Presby Church. state
mcnt q! the manner IN which the church mad raised
81 600 for it> dent some time since. Mm Kemp was
called 10 preside AMI AtUssrs Law aud Thompson
corded ne subscriptions. Remarks made by Mr
Kemp, MIR. Goodwin AMI others. In abOnt an hOur On
cuding pledges from abseat nemDcrs) the whole
debt of $4,000 was provided Tor.
UNFOLDING CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES.
on THE RECENT UrrERANCEs or