St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-05
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

composed of Miss Ella Mitchell, Miss
Conner and Mrs. Field, sopranos; Mrs.
A. M. Miner, Miss Jennie Lyall and
Miss Noyes, altos; f. B. Snyder, w.
Seward and A. III. Polly, tenOrs; G. E.
Wingate, j. Robinson and E. Eichman,
baSSOS. The anthems and hymns were
eXcellently rendered.
Rev. DR.. Stryker offered the invoca-
ton, and an able one it was. John S.
Pillsbury, the chairman of the building
committee, then made the report. and
He briefly reviewed the history of the
church, and observed that it was re-
markable fact that in the thirty-seven
years of its existence in Minnesota there
had never been trouble of any kind in
it. A detailed account of how the build
ing had been erected was given, from
the time the old one was destroyed. MI.
PillSbury thanked, on behalf of the So
ciety, all who had aided by contribu-
tons, or in any way, the building of the
church, and in few well-chosen words
turned over the key to C. Fl. Pratt. who
responded in behalf of the society.
Mr.. Pratt received the key in a very
gracious manner. The new church
was sacred to the worship of God, he
said, where alll worldly cares could
be laid aside. Mr.. Pratt feelingly re-
ferred to the gift of the big organ by
Hon. John S. Pillsbury, whom, he said,
had given the organ which was burned
concluding, Mr.. Pratt moved that a
vote of thanks be rendered Mr.. Pills
bury, and spread upon the church
records. This was done.
The dedication followed, the sevice
being joined in by the entire cOngrega-
ton.
The senior bishop of the Congrega-
tional church in Minnesota, Rev. S. V.
S. Fisher, of the Vine Congregational
church, followed with pleasing speech,
in which he held that division of re-
ligiOnS was all right, for as long as it
was that way no person could control
the whole religion of the Christian
world, as had been done in ages now
gone by. Congregationalism is espec-
tally all right, and the older the world
grows in self government the quicker it
will see that COngregatiOnalism is what
is needed. 1t stands against the asSump-
ton that one body of believers has
monopoly of all religious hope: 1t
neither worshipS nor discardS creeds,
faith in that it believes that Jesus Christ
alone is the only redoemer from sin.
Now that you have this grand structure
you must gather in the people, especially
the young people, and show that you
are deserving of it.
Rev. ID. ID. McLaurin, of Emmanuel
Baptist church, said that. he wished
every church in the world might be as
fine as the one just dedicated. There
is need of having fine churches. Only
one out of every eight persons in this
city belong to any church, and in order
to save those poor people who have not
yet found Christ we need good houses
of worship. One religion is as good as
another so long as all have the common
end in view. Of course one religion
may be more fancy than another, but
God will make no distinction when the
end comes.
kilograms sending congratulations
were received from Rev. j. L. Scudder,
Rev. E. M. Williams and W. III. Best.
Rev. ID. j. Burrell was to have been
present and make an address, but was
kept away by sickness.
Rev. Charles F. Thwing, in an effect
i've address, asked bu ito lay hree white
wreaths upon the brow of the First Con-
gregational Church of Minnesota.
These wreaths were: 'Love for Each
Other;" Love for GOd;" "And Let God
Love U.s."
Rev. John Stafford, of the First NJ.
E. church, said that all the gentlemen
who had preceded him appeared to have
the regular Methodist misunderstanding
all had Methodist energies on Congre-
gational trains. He rejOiced with the
the society in having such fine church,
he said, as he had Wept with them
when the old church was burned. ''But
1 would not have wept," he added,
'could have looked forward and seen
what the result would be-a new
church, free from debt. Handsome as
your church is, it is none too good for
the worship of God" The services
closed with prayer by Rev. Dr.. Patter-
son.