National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-07
A CROWD AT CHURCH
TO WORSHIP WITH THE PRESIDENT.
Yesterdays Service at the Christian Chureli-Dis-
tinguished Preachers Present-President Of
Hiram COllege-Nembers Of Congress
Belonging to the Church.

and sunny day in prospect as church goers nat
known in Washington for many years during the
first part of March, and church goeTs determined
to embrace the opportunity thus presented of a.
tending divine worship and by a remarkable
coincidence considerably more than thous
! and of them concluded 10 worship
! at the Vermont Avenue Christian Church
| where it was supposed President Garfield
would also attend. This ehusch is pleasant!
located on the best built pavenue in Washington
in the heart of beautiful neighborhood, witt
/ very handsome surroundings. Great numbers
! strangers repaired there aJ an early hour TO OBJ
] serve the house where The President has Wor
SHIPPED ever since he has been in Washington
! Most of them expressed surprise al finding SINAI
! wooden building, evidently thinking their gas
would rest upon some Yauted cathedral, with loft!
! arches and gothic towers, and stained WIN
dows throwing back the early rays of the morning
| sunlight in q thousand prisDlatic hues. Al
/ hour before regular church time persons
began TO enter the building. Very soor
a continuous current of people flowed
! mp the avenue toward the church. \ great many
Of these were strangers in the city, but large pro
portion were members OF other churches in the
city 1t was evident long before the hour fixed fol-
divine service that the church could not begin tC
! hold the crowds THAI were coming to it. By half
past ten it was packed Before eleven o'clock the
| choir gallery, the ROOM back of the pulpit, The
spaces under the gallery and in the corners were
! all damned as closely the body of the church
| The Gisles were q solid body Of people. 1t was
really impossible 10 get any more inside unless
they were content to be wcdGed in the crowds in
most uncomfortable manner, and hundreds of
people were compelled TO go away without getting
their faces within the outside door.
President and Mrs. Garfield, accompanied by the
o,,-vT Nj nIM nj
the Presidents wife, came in just about eleven,
and were conducted 10 their pew, on the north side
of the church. under the first window from the
pulpit. In the pulpit were the pastor, Rev. DIR.
Power, Rev. Dr. Hinsdale, president of Hiram
College, Ohio, and Rev. q. G. Mullins, chaplain
United States Army, and assistant on the educa-
tional staff of General McCook. The church pre-
scented a handsome appearance, the Christmas
greeneTy still decorating the walls and ceiling.
handsome basket Of flowers, presented by Hon. B.
McMillin, Of Tennessee, q member of the House of
Representatives, was placed on the pulpit.
The services began with a prayer by the pastor,
which was model ofterse eloQuence and brevity.
Then the four hundred and cighty-second hymn
was sung, with the congregation standing. Mr..
Power then read selections from the Scriptures,
including the ninety seventh and ninety eighth
Psalms and announced that the prayers ofthe
congregation were requested for Sister W, a
member of the church, who was dying. President
Hinsdale then delivered a prayer. The president
of the now celebrated Hiram College IS a tall,
oval faced, broad browed, brown bearded man,
large and fine-looking, with voice hardly as
strong and penetrating as one would nat
uraliy associate Win such q fine physique.
The three hundred and eighty-th hymn
was then sung, and next was taken up
a collection, which, judging from the size
Of Ito IcS .-ihl1toyc
TO the baskets than any other collection ever taken
I'D in the church before. as the congregation was
the largest ever gathered within these walls Rev.
Mr. NullenS then preached & sermon from the text
found in the latter part OF the third verse Of the
Epistle Of st. Jude" Ye should earnestly contend
for the faith which was once delivered unto the
saints" The theme was The Faith of the
Disciples, or Christian Church, the preacher en-
phasizing as the one article of faith the supreme
LoTdship of JESUS Christ. He began by saying
that the essential condition of perfect growth
was harmony of environment. Nothing could
flourish which did not have its element. Faith
must be considered effectively and subjectively.
Subjectively, faith was not a specifically be-
Queathed divine gift, but a principle of human
nature. II was the faculty Of believing. It is the
same faculty, 10 matter how exercised. Objective
faith deals with the things believed. IN divine
matters it is wholly revelation from God and not
partly & speculation. IN its complete and finished
state the matter it takes hold is divinely given,
and was given once for all.
The sermon was listened TO with marked atten-
ton by the congregation. Among the persons
present were many ministers of the Christian
Church. notably Rev. r. I. Howe, Of Indiana; Rev.
J. P Pinkerton, Of Kentucky: Rev Mr. Watts, of
Winchester, Ind. Rev. Mr.. Hoffman, Of Montana;
Rev. W. s. Hayden. Of Pennsylvania; Rev. Mr.
7 n nf IDiionn Roy n A Hiuc6alp pvpSi6eOt
Of Hiram College, Ohio: Rev. G. G. Mullins U. s.
A; Rev. J. z. Tyler, Richmond, Va; Rev. DR.. W.
A. Bclding, of New York: Rev. c. J. Bartholomew.
Of Indiana: Rev. J. W. Bush, of Texas; Rev. W. ].
Stone, Of Indiana: Rev. B. II. Hayden. of Penn
syivaniG. Besides these were many of the most
people. Among them were great.
many members Of Congress. i is not perhaps
generally known that with the exception of
All Souls Unitarian Church, the Vermont Avenue
Christian Church has greater number Of members
OF Congress as regular commandments than any
other church in the city. Among these are Messrs.
B. McMillin, of Tennessee; Morey OF Mississippi;
Russell ErTett. of Pennsylvania: Albert Willis of
Kentucky; R. ~ ArraliclG, Of North Carolina; R.
NJ. i. Hawk Of Illinois: IT, J. Hcstetler, OF In
diana: II. NJ. PettiboTe CT Tennessee; ]. D. New,
of Indiana, and J. D. White, OF Kentucky.
No allusiCn whatever, either daring the
sermon or at any other time, was made
10 the presence Of President Garfield or
to the circumstances which undoubtedly
led TO such p large congregation coming to the
hurch. The service was one of divine worship
and as Such was strictly, beautifully. and deyoUtiy
rendered. That the members Of the church are
highly gTatifie6 at he unouhad certainty Of their
being largely increased is unques-
tened bat # thcy feel inclined to boast that q
President is ore Of their commandments they Will
DO il 81 other times Than during their services
The absence Of any aliulion 10 himself was
especially gratifying 10 President Garfield h!mse elf