Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-23

1880. After Fifty Years. 1880. St. Paul's Church.--ItS Semi-Centen-
 niaI--Events of the DaY--The nOrn-
 ing Servfce---A Brilliant Address on
 '.The Unity of the Church" by ex-
 Rector Bishop Little JOhn---LarRe As
 SembIy of Former RectOrS---CIearin1
 the Church from Debt---Thc Evening
 Exerciscs--ARA Address by the Rr. Rev.
 Bishop WiIIfams---An Historical Pa
 per by Judge HOIlister---ShOrt Ad-
 dresses by Former RectOrs.
 Fifty years ago yesterday St. PauPs church was consecrated. The beautiful edihce was the scene yesterday of events which will long live in the memories of the large congrega- ton who worship within its consecrated walls.
 On either side of the chancel upon the wall facing the audience were enumerated respec- lively, in colored figures on pure white back ground, 't183O-1s8O." A beautiful and lav
 ish display of choicest flowers, arranged in the font, upon the lectern and other appro- priate places, greeted the beholders. The vivid colors of the beautiful chancel windows shone out brightly and with new charm as the sun rays beamed ever and anon upon them,
 and varied in hue tremulously and waveringly in the alternate light and shade caused as the branches of the trees outside swayed in the morning breeze. A host of people was gath cred within the sacred edi6oe yesterday morn ing, when brilliant discourse was delivered by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Littlsjohn, of the Diocese of Rhode Island an ex-rector of St. PauPs. Recolleotions of the eloquent ser- mons which fell from his lips, clothed with a beautiful charm for all hearers, whom he of E0So ok1l ok .Ta n4sII
 balmed in the memories of many citizens
 and the Bishops discourse yesterday morning. which was upon ''The Unity of the Church," was fitting tribute to the occasion, able,
 earnest, scholarly and powerful. The church was filled in every part, and the magnetic, persuasive, commanding tones of the Bishop, his fine presence, the beautiful, spiritual les sons impressively bestowed, enriched with a brilliant setting from his spiritual expert ences in the care of many churches, the large assembly of surpliced sx-rectors, with reverent faces present in and near the chan eel and the multitude of attentive faces listen ing to the instructive words from the preacher, made striking scene. The clergy present at the service were as follows Rev. Dr. Cook, of New York; Rev. MT. Lobdsll of New York; Rev. Dr. Bennett, of Guilford; Rev. c. T. Woodruff, of New York Rev. Mir. Tor rance, of Long Hill Rev. Mir. Fitzgerald, of Milford; Rev. Mir. Denslow, of Fair Haven Rev. Arthur Mason, of Hartford; Rev. Mr.
 Purvis, of New Haven Rev. MT. Worthing- ton, of West Haven Rev. MT. Drown, of Newburyport Rev. Mir. Seymour, of Litoh- field Rev. Mir. Tremaine, of New Haven Prof. Russell, of Waterbury Rev. Dr. Shears, of New Haven; Rev. William Fitch, of Fall River; Rev. Mir. Vibbert, of Fair Haven; Rev. Dr. Harwood, of New Haven; Rev. Dr. Beardsley, of New Haven; Rev. Henry Fitch, of New Haven; Rev. Dr. Deshon, of Meri- den; Rev. MT. Olmstead, of Branford; Rev. MT. Raftery, Of Cheshire; Rev. Mr. Hunt ington, of Hartford Rev. Mir. Canedy, of New Rochelle Rev. MT. Andrews, of New Haven, and Rev. MT. Thorne, also of this city.
 The clergy entered the church in process sion. The opening prayer was read by Rev. MT. Drown, who also read the lessons. Bish- op Williams read the collect and announced the hymn. Rev. MT. Lines, the rector an nounced that between 3 and o'clock in the afternoon the friends of the old rectors of the
 
 them in the vestry.
 After the hymn had been sung Bishop Lit tlejohn preached. His text was in the fourth chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, wherein Paul ''exhorteth to unity and de- clareth that God therefore givsth divers gifts unto men that his church might be edifed to grow up in Christ" After introductory re- marks the bishop proceeded to speak of the influence Of the parish, and, after reciting the many events in the life of the Christian that are connected or identified with the parish | church, said that the memory of the brightest and darkest chapters of life are identified with it.; connected with the parish church are the | most beautiful recollections of life and death; and in half century thicker and greener than the vine leaves on the outer walls of the church arc the memories that people these stages of life. The influence that radates from this center makes no noise, yet there is in it power of restraint over evil, power of sober ing reality, power calling out to the multi tude as they pass by, ''What profteth it "a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul" A power goeth forth from the parish church that no man can measure and that few men stop to think of. The parish church is subject to two-fold law-the law of growth and the law of decay. Taking up the latter the law of waste and decline-the speaker dwelled upon it. He held that the human body is the type of the divine body of the church, and they are alike in many respects. Both the human and the parochial body were subject to like complaints. What God gives does not change. What does change is the use we make of these gifts. The complaints of the parochial body may include collding wills, cold judgments, waning sympathies, sagging energies dried-up offerings and dead interest. Then there were likely to be dis agreements between the shepherd and his flock. When they are not in sympathy 6 sort of choke damp sets in that gradually puts out the lamp tho it be fed with heavenly oil Nothing will more quickly take the sap out of religion and evaporate the dew of Gods grace. A church will want showy music, chancel and will banker after new joints in the body of the church of God. Members will insist upon running the church as though | it We're purely secular corporation. These l are the things that bring leanness and waste 1 and decay upon the church. The remedy is I the resurrection of the life of God in the liv- ing soul |
 The Bishop next touched upon the opposite | law that secures growth and increase to | church. The healthy body takes in more | than it gives out
 Exclusion has it's counterpart in assimila- |
 
 cept one replaces it. If spring be a spring I it will be richer and purer for every drop it | sends out to the sea. A lamp burns out, but | the sunlight grows purer. The remedy for I decay must be found in Gods gift. Scarcely | any congregation that has outlived it's growth | has not been attacked with despondency. ! This leads to humiliation which is under God | hamburger of success. He always leaves | some witness in the darkest day. Some | mA whose heart God has se- | cretly touched comes out from the | darkness and around him gather the energies | of 0 new life. The consumptive, half dead l parish wheels back into line again with it's | flag floating in the breeze. There is another | divine manner of increasing the interest in | parishes The Holy Catholic church, ftly | joined together, yields it's powers ftly be- | slowed. It puts it's great heart alongside inc | parish, heals the local disease, mends the shattered main spring and restores the organ ism to health. It is not in all Christian or ganization that this power of survival works | alike. The sense of organic life must be | present. Loose confederaciss that generate l an amalgam which some may call religion I have departed from the power and lost the |