Daily Republican., 1879-05-17
Extraordinary Service.

The "Christian Intelligencer gives
the following interesting statement OF
an extraordinary combination OF ele-
ments in religious service. Exactly
what the Baptists will do to the Rev.
J. HYATT Smith for his part in it is not
known. He was some time ago turned
out of the Long Island Baptist Assocla
ton for his open communication, ana
he and his church are now independent
ana at liberty to do as they please:
"On that fearful day remembered as
Black Friday, when panic and rum
RACED like a devouling fire through
Wall street, a gentleman, then resi-
dent in Brooklyn, lost in an hour a
fortune which had been accumulated
through years of patient industry
The dow mall of his family from opu'
lence to:poverty followed, and the inev-
yitable expressed itself in the manifold
and pitiless ways familiar to those who
nave suffered sore defeat on the fierce
battlefields of lite. A survivor OF the
now broken but once brilliant home is
an inmate of st. Catharine's Roman
Catholic Hospital, in the eastern dis
trict of Brooklyn, and passing slowly
but surely down into that valley where
the shadows deepen into the mystery OF
death. Reared Protestant, and loyal
to the faith of his parents, he desired
the attendance of a Protestant clergy
man who might afford him needed in
struction and perhaps baptise him in
the name of the Trinity. His wish was
promptly and courteously granted. A
message was straightway sent to Rev.
J. Hyatt Smith to ask his attendance.
Without delay that gentleman presen-
ted hirself at the door of the hospital,
where he announced his name and mis-
sion. He was cordially received by the
sister in charge. And then followed
confluence of events so rare and so re
rnarkable as to bequite worthy of more
descriptive and graphic pen than ours
In the reception room Mr.. Smith was
introduced to three ladies, two of then
Episoopalians, one Presbyterian. Con
Quoted by the Sister, they all went to
gether 10 the ward in which was tount
the sick young man whom Mr.. Smith
had come to see and help. The room
is large, clean and well-ventilated ant
filed with an air of gentle charity tha
comforts the sick and suffering as the,
lie in their many beds. In the pres
ence OF this most singularly constituted
; congregation Mr.. Smith began his min
istrations to the one soul there tha
had placed itself under his specla
charge. The invalid being PARTIAL,
deaf, the minister of God was obliged
to use voice enough to be hear'
throughout the entire room. Faithfully
tenderly he preached with unwonte'
fervor the way of salvation through tn
atoning blood of the Lamb slain for on
reception At times from one bed o
another would come a responsive amen
The solemnity Of the moments becam
q SO great as 70 cause all to feel that Go
: was near.
: CATER while Mr.. Smith eKplaine
r the nature of baptism, and then whe
ne had received assurance that the az
plicant for its administration had
proper evangelical comprehension OF it
meaning and place, opening the Praye
Book Of the Episcopal Church he rea
slowly and distinctly the question
contained in the form Of baptism. Ha'
ing received the emphatic answers
the penitpnt believer, the miDistrar
next requested the Sister to bring hi
a bowl of water, Which wRs done
once with a most lady like sympath,
so far as external manner could CIV
expression to her feeling. Then tt
: the first time in his life Rev. }. Hya
e Smith crowned his ministry by an a
IS which brought him into visible fellow
ship with the whole body of believer
and which demonstrated that he WI
no longer in bondage to the .narrowne'
of the letter. He haptised Lawrent
Stanton, sprinkling his brow three tim'
in the name of the Father, the Son an
the Holy Ghost. Who will tell
9 what church was There present in Il
- = Roman Catholic Asylum on that ds
" when Baptist minister recognizll
the validity of sprinkling af s. mode
Christian baptism, elsing the Episcop
PRAYER Book, with a Sister of Chari
,to assist him in his Office, Presbyte
ian and EpiscoIaliGns as immedia
witnesses inducted rejoicing discip
into the visible kingdom Of our Lo
Jesus Christ? Let us se patient. God
\ love is the solvent that shall sooner
y later mingle into one, things hither
diverse, and which are evil in so far
they hurt that charity which Is u
band of perfectness. -
le