Morning journal and courier., 1888-11-05
IMPOSING SERVICES.

 the Redeemer was organized, and yesterday l being the anniversary of that occasion it was | duly celebrated. The church at the morning l service was filled by members, old and l young. Rev. Dr. John E. Todd, the pastor, | preached 8 historical sermon, after which l there was communion service. Dr. Todd spoke from the text
 Numb. xxv:Io: And ye shall hallog the fftieth year.
 Fifty years constitute very large part of human life. But they count for little in the age of an institution. This is still @
 young church. The First church of this city is more than five times ss old. And even that is youthful in comparison with many churches in older countries. And yet there are probably but few here. There are not a great many living who remember the orga- nization of this church. Only two or three years before, new church ediice had been built on Chapel street at the corner of Union street where the Masonic temple now stands for the Third Congregational church and society. But that society was not altogether harmoni- | ous. The pastor, the Rev. Dr. Cleveland, was 8 man of lofty character and great abili- ty, and continued through the whole of his long ministry to. enjoy the respect of this whole community. But his theology was of the old school Presbyterian type, and he preached it with conscientious vigor and un- compromisingly. This naturally produced some friction in community in which New England theology prevailed, and the particu lar type of it formerly known as Taylorism had it's seat and home. The divisions of theological, or rather philosophical, opinion were marked and wide in those days, and created great deal of controversy, excite aV1to and foaIi
 The result was that the Third church and society with their pastor withdrew and sub- sequently built and for many years occupied a church edifce on Court street. In later times, having erected the stone church on Church street, they abandoned their for mer edifce to the adherents of a still more ancient theology and it became synagogue and con- tinues to be so used After the lamented death of Dr. Cleveland the congregation, hav- ing struggled through several pastorates and period of declining prosperity, joined with what was popularly known as the North church to form what is now the United church and their building passed into the hands of Presbyterian church. which still occupies it. At what points in their pilgrim age the people left their theology, I do not undertake to say. Perhaps the Hebrews and Presbyterians have found some portions of it in the deserted churches.
 ! The abandoned edifice on Chapel street was offered on favorable terms by the proprietors to @ new church and steps were at once taken to form such church from the part of the congregation which was left and such others as could be induced to join it. The first meeting was held in the parlor of the house of Mir. Elihu Atwater at the corner of Court and Artisan streets on Thursday evening, November l, 1888. It was determined to organize new church at once and to give it the name of the Chapel Street Congregational church. small council was immediately called, consisting almost exclu sively of the pastors of the Congregational churches in the city. It was composed of Dr. Nathaniel W. Taylor, Dr. Chauncey A. Goodrich, the Rev. Mr., afterward Dr. Leon- ard Bacon, the Rev. Henry G. Ludlow, and the Rev. Mr., afterward Dr. S. w. s. Dut- ton. Not one of them is now living. It met on the following Saturday evening at the
 house of Mir. Smith Merwin, afterward dea- con, and father of the present deacon of that name. The house was the brick house on Court street next east of what is now the synagogue. Dr. Bacon was chosen modera- tor of the council, and the plans of the pro-
 posed church were cordially approved. On the following day, being the Lords day, at o'clock in the afternoon, public services were held in the church, and the members of the new church publicly asssnted to the creed and covenant and the church was formally l recognized by the council. Sixty-one per sons thus united to form the new church. I Of these only three now remain in fellow '. Nettleton and Miss Lowly Bassett- all of them ip advanced age. Five others are still l living, in fellowship with other churches. 1 For some time it was doubtful whether the l new organization would prove strong enough to live An effort was made to secure fifty additional members from other churches; but
 after six months only fifteen were obtained, mostly from the first church. These, how ever, brought considerable strength to the l church. Of these only four are now living. One of them is now the venerable senior off, eer of the church, Deacon Fitch.
 The first pastor was MT. John A. Colton, a l member of the gifted family of that name. He had just completed his theological stud ies and had preached acceptably to the cons gregation for several Sundays. His ordina- l ton took place November 6, 1889. Dr. O E. Daggett preached the sermon and MT. S. W. l S. Dutton, pastor of the North church, gave the right hand of fellowship. But he preach- l ed only seven Sundays. He was taken i'll l from an abscess in the side and died in the | following spring, April 20, 1S40. The fune- ral services were held in the church and Dr. Bacon preached the sermon and other city pastors took part in the services. He was followed to the grave by great procession, having already won wide respect and affec- tion as young man of great promise. The congregation then turned their attention to MT. Joseph P. Thompson, who was still in the seminary and was very young man, not having attained his majority. But his preaching was of @ superior order and his digni6ed, but genial and attractive mspv
 won all hearts. He was so conscientio. ',uer i elinsd to reply to the invitation he de the the invitstioa: In doing @ thea accepted ine V1n taken the 6 i1 siss The society haV- that the = sA1E.iatter into consideration voted ta5.-Alnny, fad no objection to Mr. Thompson's l!4gHfng four weeks and supplying the pulpit ,w;f | "a huf in via nf hair ty they did not wish to assume the expense, but would do so if it could not be helped. MT. Thompson was ordained October 2S, 1840. I find by the records that the Rev.
 John Todd, pastor of the Clinton street Con-
 ereUational church in Philadelphia, was a
 member of the council, and gave the address
 to the people; and that the Rev. Joab Brace,
 of Newington, being present, was invited to
 sit with the council. The former was the
 father, and the latter the maternal grand
 father, of the present pastor. The sermon
 was preached by the Rev. Dr. Skinner; the
 ordaining prayer was offered by the Rev Mr.
 Stebbins; and the Rev. MT. Dutton gave the
 right hand. The pastorate of Mr., afterward
 Dr., Thompson, was an exceedingly success
 ful one. Large numbers were added to the
 church, and great congregation filled the
 sanctuary. Among his own people, and
 throughout the community, he was very
 popular; and there are many still living who
 remember him and his work here with great
 pleasure During his pastorate he was much
 interested in literary work, and was one of the founders and first editors of the maga- zine known as the New Englander. His tal
 ents were so conspicuous that he was soon called to larger fields. The most attractive of them to him was the Broadway tabernacle in New York city, then just started under liberal and anti-s1aYery influences. He was
 dismissed, for the purpose of assuming the care of 1t, to the deep and universal regret of his people, March 26, 1S45, after hardly more than four years of service. For many years Dr. Thompson continued to minister to the Broadway tabernacle. Under his minis try the tabernacle was exchanged for the new and magnificent structure at the corner ot Broadway and 34th street, which still bears the name, and which was completed free of debt The church, always noted for its lib erality to every good work, and for the for wardness in maintaining the cause of freedom and patriotism, was at last handed over to the care of Dr. William M. Taylor, it's pres ent pastor. Dr. Thompson went to Berlin, in Germany, to spend his last years in study, being already an accomplished Egyptologist. His people, on parting with him, presented him with $S0, 900 in token of their love and appreciation After several years of life in