St. Paul daily globe., 1891-06-29
TO The LORDS WORK
Dedication Of the New First
Free Baptist Church Yes
terday.
It's Pastor Preached a Ser
mon on the Decline OF
Liberalism.
Tale Of a Thrilling Ride in
an Overlooking Iowa
Stream.
Rev. II. H. French's Outdoor
S1pUiop-EcoS Wipoc
Rev. H. II. French'S Outdoor
Service--Feed Wires
Again.

yesterday afternoon the handsome
new First Free Baptist church, at Fif-
teenth street and Nicollet avenue. was
dedicated. The church has been occu-
pied for some time. The dedication
was postponed, however, until the an
nual conference brought many of the
leading divines of the denomination to
the city. This church is not the largest
in the city. Its seating capacity will
not reach 1000. But there are few
handSomer church edifices. The out
side is imposing. 1t is built through
out of brown sandstone. The interior
is beautiful. The decoration harmon.
ICES with the style of architecture. The
| result is pleasing to the eye and salts
flying to the artistic sensibilities.
Rev. Gideon A. Burgess was master
of ceremonies. Mr.. Burgess was for.
merly pastor of the church. He is now
located at Winnebago City. After the
organ voluntary, ,Rey. Ii. q. Woodwork
pronounced the invocation. The choir
sang an anthem. The exultant strains
had scarcely died away when the pastor
rose to read Psalm 81. The con-
gregation gave the response. The sing
ing of the "Gloria Patre" by the choir
and congregation was followed by
Scrjptural reading by Rev. E. ID. Hybee.
Rev. f. l.. Hayes, the pastor, preached
the sermon. Rev. J. T. Ward recited
the dedicatory service. Rev. q. A.
Burgess offered the dedicatory prayer.
The pastor pronounced the benedc-
ton.
The report of the building committee.
read by Deacon L. E. Leighton, con-
tanned many points of interest relating
to the First church. The congregation
was organized in 1851. 1t was one of the
earliest church organizations in Mime
apoliS proper. Worship was carried on
for ten years in small edifice on Wash
ington and First avenues north. Then
the congregation moved into its new
chulch building at First avenue south
and Seventh street. That was twenty
years ago. That church sufficed for the
needs of the congregation until the
edlfice dedicated yesterday was built.
The church as it stands now represents
an outlay of s53.379. The various items
of expense are as follows: Cost of lot.
$1,000; cost of building. s32, ,954; fur
nishing, S2,026; organ, $500: heating,
Sl,074; lighting, 1886; sidewalk, 1892;
architects fees, $3.50.
In his sermon Rev. T. l.. Hayes un-
folded the meaning of the phrase, 'God
the omnipotent reigns." He asserted
that God reigns more truly now than at
any other period of the worlds history.
Many people take pleasure in pointing
to the decadence of the church. They
speak without knowledge. The people
are merely learning that theology is of
man; that truth is of God.
MANY things have stuck to Chris
tianlty that are not part of it. They
are the barnacles that have become at
tached to the staunch vessel during a
long voyage. These barnacles are now
being scraped off. The trouble is that
some people have become so eXhilar-
keep on scraping, and are injuring the
ships bottom"
He compared the persons who argue
the decline of the churc to those phi
losophers who stated that, if a adead fish
were placed in pail of water brimming
full, none of the water would run over.
And they marveled greatly thereat. FL
nally the fish was placed in the pail
full OF water to test the theory. and, of
course, the pail overflowed When the
facts are examined it will be found
that the church is not declining. Ninety
years ago there was not an avowed
Christian student in either Harvard or
Yale. A couple of years ago. out of
1,400 students in Harvard, there were
but two who were not Christians.
Eighty-five years ago there were, within
ten miles of Boston. the home of liber-
alism, twenty-six liberal churches and
sixteen evangelical churches. In 1888.
in the same district, there were but
eighty-one liberal churches and 257
evangelical churches. Despite the state
ments that liberalism is growing, he said
the fact remains that Universalism and
Unitarianism are declining. In all ages
there has been infidelity; it is world
of intidelity. Every year the infdelity
decreases in proportion to the popula-
ton; He cited the change of the point
of attack on the part of the agnostics.
They now admit the possibility of
miracles, but doubt their probability.
He thought good deal of b0asted mod
ern thought to be modern humbug. A
good deal of the nineteenth century''
talk is bosh. The old doctrines are as
good and as strong now as they ever
were.
Last evening Rev. Gideon A. Burgess
preached to his former parishioners.