The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-30

he church ~ 70 awaken fears in the minds
Of some that il might result in such arena
tion and party feeling as would iesd 70
disfntegration, happily passed by ana In
the providence Of God became the occasion
Of good to the church in that II LED 70
more thorough understanding OF its doc
tYines, cultus and mission, and at the same
time 90 aroused IL from its slumbers and
lothar4y a. to prepare the way Tor the
wonderful change that has since taken
place in every department OF CHRISTIAN
work. In consequence OF this there
A reason to believe that no denomina-
zion has exhibited greater signs of growth
and of intellectual and theological ac-
tivity than we have. Our ministers ana
people have been led 20 take q deeper
Interest in all the great questions OF
the day and are now standing shoulder
70 shoulder with the sacramental host OF
Gods eject in Fastening the conquest oil
the world for Christ And while there IL
etiil some diversity OF views among IN 9
70 the great questions discussed, there Is
such harmony and good feeling that no
serious fears are entertained for the future.
As to the use Of the liturgy, the general
feeling is opposed to q ritualistic service.
while q liturgy tor special forms ana occa-
sions 10 generally used.
There has been with Us, - with the other
denominations of the land, . great revival
of the missionary spirit, rs IL respects both
foreign and domestic missions. The rapid
increase Of our population both In the
cities and rural districts has been 90 great
a. TO create the necessity for the establish.
ment of missions both East and West,
with the preponderance at first in the
West, " here the demand seemed the great
est in consequence of the rapid emigration
in that direction in the settlement OF the
states and territories. OF late years, how
ever. the demand for missionary work has
West The growth of many of our cities
both East and West, which have become
the great centers of our population, and
also of corruption and wicEedness. have
claimed special attention. so that we have
prosperous missions in Philadelphia, Bal
timore Washington City, Cumberland,
pittsburg. Cleveland, Akron, Columbus,
Chicago, Sioux City, st. Joseph, Wichita,
Kansas City and other places of equal in
terest.
Our church has for the last fifteen years
been specially interested in the work of for
eign missions. making Japan. to which
the Christian world is looking with great
interest in the hope of its speedy CONVEX
sion to Christ, TIE center OF its operation.
We have now in Sendai and the surround
ing country four male and three female
missionaries, with q number OF helpers
raised up in the schools established there
and from among the converts, numbering
nearly 1000, band of workers from whom
we may expect blessed results in the near
future.
Looking, therefore, AS We now do, over
the results of our efforts for 100 years in
pianting and extending the Church of
Christ in this new world OF ours along by
the side of our sister church. we feel that
1t IN eminentiy fitting that we should
pause and think as We pass out OF the first
Into the second century of our indie
HAyt AZ I'm h0 a n{
America. so that We may render thanks to
Almighty God for the great success that
has attended our labors in the past and
Tor the bright prospect that opens up be-
fore US for the future.
We can, as We have In what we have
here written, do nothing more than give q
mere outline of the work done in the CEN
fury that has passed, during which three
generations have come and gone, includ-
ing hundreds Of ministers and iaymen,
who have given up their lives to the cause
Of Christ, and done, each in his sphere. .
noble work, tor which they will ever be
held In grateful remembrance. 1t is, in
deed, pleasant to call TO mind the brigh;
galaxy of names and characters that adorn
the history of the Reformed church dur.
ing the century about TO close-men who
were towers of strength in their day, and
now rest from their labors, having Joined
the general assembly and church of the
first born In heaven.
And yet. great as tho work 10 that We
have done for Christ, for which we desire
to raise our Ebenezer of praise and graft
tude to God, II has only been. as it were,
laying the foundation for grander and
nobler work during the century upon
which We enter, which, starting where
the first closed, shall roll on until at last il
shali be lost in the new heaven and earth
in which God shall be all in all.
GEORGE W. WILLARD. ID. D. IL. D.,
Professor OF Ethics and Apologetics, Ursinus
College and Seminary. Coiiegeviils, Pa