New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-17
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
A FAMOUS CHURcH.-The semi-centennial OF
the Vine Street Congregational Church, Cincln-
natl, was celebrated last Sunday. The his
torcal address, delivered by the Rev. DR.. {. D..
BoyntOn, a former pastor, described the part
taken by the church in the movement for the
abolition of slavery. During the pastOrates Of
Presidents Mahan and Blanchard, the church
became conspicuous for the peculiar trials and
perils that beset it in what was then "A slavery
ridden border city. One of these pastors for
time did not dare to have it known where he
passed the night. These pastors and the mem
bers of the church were hcroiSanen and women,
a. truly animated by the martyr spirit as those
who have been burned at the stake, standing
firm, and suffering for Christ's sake, for
humanity and the right. In the autumn of
1916, under the leadership OF the Rev. John
Rankin, an organization called the Free
synod was formed In the building then occt-
pied 10y the church. II embraced number OF
churches in Southeastern Ohio and Western
Pcnnsy lvania, and it was for years an lmp0r-
tant amti-slavery organization. One of the most
interesting incidents of last sunday : EXERCISES
was the reading of letter from the Rev Dr.
Asa Mahan, the first pastor of the church, now
living in London at the age of cighty-tWo.
&" Fifty years 100 he wrote, delivered my
first discourse before what WAS then known ~
the Sixth Prsby tcrian Church of Cincinnati.
The text was ley. mil, II. The subject MAS
this: Nothing hinders the sal walton oi any m
dvidual bat his own Will May your church
never cease Ia represent to the world a full
and free salvation. When arrived i'm Cinciu
natl found the acting members living in the
city then. as ] WAS informed consisted at SON"
sixteen individuals. Their place of worship
was an old chapel IN the second story OF the old
College Hall, corner of Walnut and Fourth
81. My first audience consisted of not over
fifty hearers a majority of whom were seated
upon benches without backs The following
will indicate the state of feeling in the COM
munity: A. our two little daughtcr--onc about
five and the other three years of agc--wtlc ont
upon the sid, walk one day they were dlscoy-
rird 10y the children in the street: Instantly
ihr cry WAS raised See those children. their
father J. an AbolltOnSt, stone them. The
stones flew thick and fast about those little
ones. who fled for their lives To the shelter of
their own home, the younger, who lew
months sinrc went Ia heaven, receiving some
what severe injury 10y u fall upon the pave
mrut
TIN CHRISTIAN CHRCH.-Thc Rev. J.. &.
Ahhott pastor of the Christian Church, Albany,
y. y. gives this explanation of the origin Of
that denomination: 1t Mas formed on oi "A
lu.c for Icli 4ous liberty. About the ycdi 500
there Wa much bigotry and Intolerance IN the
churches of all denominations. hey Wagrd
bitter wariaT against each other, and placed
strong emphasis on the doctrines of the Church.
II was a Tune OF Nilltual ut.uln III III nv
churches. Their" were many cool men IN All
the denominations, who deeply lamrutrd tie
Il, i,Ion- existing among Christians, aud de
ploud the rNdllation of cIccd~ and doglnao
ni,nSr tho word of God. They resolved TO
throw on the ,hacklr- fastened upon them by
conferences. a~-o"latlons, prcshyt"nrN ana
other ecclesiastical bodies. They declared that
,irtd> and ~ stems ui theology were ob>truciIng
do, work -. the Church, and that the Blbig VAS
-uHl,l,ut %, - rude of faith and practice. hey
] al rftHT
p,c'aiinn of the scriptures; and taught that
they contained 40 clear. plain statements all the
truth 10 hc believed III order to attain salvation
and gfoN th IN gIacr. They maintained that
thc .tatomcnt~ at Jesus could not bc improved
uIrpn and that tine world needed Restoration
OF primitive Christianity IN it, power and sim
pici'y. Iacy held that Jesus did not come To
iuirodur" system of theology, but affirmed
that Christianity WAS splIlt, Vas PURPOSE, "aS
llI.: and that u confession of belief IN The LOfd
J,-,l, Christ. and Christian character consist
..ut Herewith Wa, sufficient for thgl-'iIu ib-
ioA~up and ohuIch ncmb, r>hip. la North
tafo.ut ~cc' ~,iun~ took place iium the ". =.
tuur,n IN hruiIcky from the 'p>hy t"llan
Church. and 80 New England from the Bap-
ti.i~. \ rn'N,i .tiur of all who would accept no
,t,td lut lir blnr met III Ncw-l OH OH' ~
i~cl Il.r} a-.',d to accept the Blh,r - lh"lg
,rt'l. m.l,r Christian character ia" ',t 81
tIt.-IlL and ,hIuh fellow ,iip, and INSIST
.,on abe duty ot each indi1iIGll To read thc
bells Scriptures and obey them - hr understood
tl,p. Ih"y Organized churches on that plat
ioiu throughout ID" entire country.
MISSIONARY ZutL.- st one 90 the Methodist
Cou'rJ,n,r -."uaI! meetings IN Nof"-trL
N.-- last Sunday evening. the Rev. l)r. :. !.
Irham lad ~trr-- upon The tact that within
tiirtg Y"ar~ from ttr tln" oi CHRIST the ml>,"h-
ario, at the Go-pcl NcT" sad 10 haN" turned the
world upside down; lac 'hiiloI 81 inc Ii'
tui.a h.- mVaN, been tulH,d to The spread at
tl. Gospel II Tie Church, tllcn, lad been tIli"
,n ~, first apostolic H'll long before til~ al tnr
-.urirs of the prophecies would have hren iul-
uird lBut she Church grew proud and "'"nir
unNious Tor Political power, and with II came u
dr,.lra,, nt spiritual power. II forgot thr com
u.lnd IA go into Ill the world and preach the
Gn,url to every creature. The Lutheran move
~, ut was a reform. rather than mi>,ionar!
work the world with him turned around. FOR
"A century or two after Luther the command to
90 was heard in Il measure. IL was NOT until
the eighteenth century that modern missionary
work began. More than onr-halt oi the mis-
SiouIry SocictlcS III existence "a day nave hreh
born since 1870 annually cXpcndlng
80. zoe. 900. Does il pay was question
which he claimed all had night 10 ASK. HIS
nn.wcr WA IN the line of direct results, yes
There are to-day in heather lands about
/ 600 600 persons reclaimed from hcAthehl'h
He then gave a long list OF facts and figures, ana
claimed that in direct results ii did pay. 1t cost
in round numbers ~ 10000 10 redeem the
Sandwich Islands from idolatry. IL WAS accom-
plshcd in half century. Every two years
more than the amount expended comes back To
these shores IN the way at commerce. IL II the
s,,n, in the casr of India. The missionary
work pays in It's help to study the Bible 1t
.lcnccs the enemies of the Church. and demon
.tratcs the power of the Christian faith with
out faith the work cannot be done. Again,
il paws because IT gives the Church some
ding Ia do. san the dip of Zion int, the
th,kcst of The tight, and Christians will h.''"
all they can do.
ppouturrIoS AND luE SACRAMENTO