The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-02
And FORWARD
Interesting Discourse of Rev.
Dr.. Stoddard at st.
Johns Free Church.
NEEDS OF THE PARISH.
The Congregation Urged to Con-
tribute $4,000 Within a Year
for Necessary improvements.

Free Church Yesterday morning. D reach
ed or the work and needs of the Church.
He said:-
"a church. especially If it be an im-
portant and prosperous church. is like q
man, in that, as time goes on, it gradually
acquires a certain character and indi.
vlduality. People speak Of it in a certain
way; they expect certain things from 1t.
it has a standard to maintain. aud a re-
sponsiotliGy rests upon 1t like that which
a nan feels in regard to keeping up his
honor or reputation. The Church of the
Holy Cross in New York, for example,
has a character. hat of a plain, simple,
free. but wonderfully home like, earnest
church. full of peace and love. with no
attempt at hne preaching or display. ST.
Thomas, on The other hand, has
n fashionable and exclusive
reputation, where, with much
that IL earnest there is also much that is
for effect and display. st. George stand
for untiring eRrHesLness, where zeal an d
money are poured out in such LAWS h
~auundance that the church easily be-
comes q great centre OF spiritual activ ity.
This character Is In cart given to o church
by the rector. 1t 10 oftea an inherit ed
character. aud seems to pass on from
generation to generation. Thers are sons
churches whose calls rectors ieal like &C.
eltning because they are known as places
OF chronic disorder. Others have au
equal reputation for peacs and spiritual
lite. Sc. Johns has u certain character
by which she Is known and spoken
OF. sac has q name, Il certa1l
things are expected of her. Protestant
In the matter of churchmapship, it is toll
erably certain how her rector aud congre-
CATION will go on any great question of
the day. In one sense The parish stands
as a nigh church parish, in that she
holds Varu Qtrnn OlU ia rho frnthC nf tho
vital historic Catholic Church. But on
the other hand it is RANKED as d broad
church parish. because OF the wide SYM
pKthy and large mindedness of her peo-
pie. b rector holds strong church
views, yet rarely associates with men
who hold similar ones, but belongs to
broad church clubs and associations,
because he believes in a large tolerant way
OF looking az truth. SO while a real
broad churchmau with a diluted or i'm
perceptible theology would fluid himself
uncomfortable here, because of our
Catholic faith. a narrow nigh churcu-
man woult be equally uucone jr5able
because OF the largenes; AMI sympathy
of our thoughts. Let us, dear friends,
FEEL ourselves responsible for Keeping
alive this characteristic of 10y atty to
Catholic truth but q broad, geu erous
mental view, tirmness of principle but d
liberal heart. Let ST. Johns ever be
known for that. Again, let US continue
to be known far and wide as a very
interesting type of Il free church.
A SUCCESSFUL FREE CHURCH.
w are called aristocratic. fashion,
able. wealthy, yet we sustain a fres
church OF the most successful kind. This
is an unusual combination, but a hap "
one. And this free church is not sup
ported by the few, but rests on the broad
shoulders of the people. All do not know
what those behind the scenes do, tina
when we hear of large sums being raised
in certain churches IL Is really QUE mau
who is the giver of the ten or twenty or
hundred thousand dollars. aud the bal
ance only is made up from the rest of the
congregation. This has never been so
with US. Our rich meu are generous. but
the burden Of giving. perhaps l should
say the blessing or giving, Is distributed.
We have solved so far two problems. We
have a successful free church without
endowment and where the financial bur-
den is distributed. and we are a
church where, as is just and right.
rich and poor meet together, sharing the
blessings as they do the burdens. This
is a characteristic of which we may well
be hurbly proud aud reverently CRATE
full aud which we must strive to keep as
part of the individuality Of the parish.
are distinguished, finally. as u thor
oughly organized working church. IT
every member doesn't d. somstniug
there is something at least for each mem-
Der to do, and there is a larger proper
ton engaged III systematic work tina
| think Is found elsewhere. For d long
time our year books were in such de.
mand that | think l sent almost. as many
outside OF the parish as were distributed
In IL, and when now, from time to tune, |
other year books come back uo4zne I find
IN how many instances our plans have
been adopted, and | am glad to
say often improved upon. This 5fharacter-
istic rebounds to your credit, for. though
/ may ask. it Is you who respond. 1t Is q
characteristic which is our glory and I
trust our joy. May IL long distinguish
st. Johns. Now we see that an this laws |
a certain responsibility upon each Of us.
We are called to keep alive these char
acteristics. to make st. Johns. still The
centre OF beautiful influence, ara this re-
sponstbility rests upon eacn of us, the
child who must grow up into, as we'll as
the pareut who should train the child re-
Rarding it. Aud now having Spoken Of
three good characteristics, I may. per-
haps. Tor u m without inciscreUion
inention one bad one.
OUTSIDE BENEvoLENCE.
"You all know it,; il il our lack OF OUT
side beneyolence. We have been and are
too self centred. We ara not charitable
outside ourselves; our missionary zaaI is
low; we are looked to for help by our out
side brethren in need aud we do not re-.
spond. 1t Is an old disease. Your rec
kOr udS pESHcDou anu prayed and eX-
horted aud gotten others to exhort. but
the old malady still thriyes. II partly
comes from the early history of the
church when. In building this edifce.
YOU were so severely cram ed sad had so
constantly to minister to self 5fnat you
acquired a centripetal ~tendeney, WHOM
you have not been able to recoNsr from
1t seems IN Inherited characteristic. II.
comes partly, l suppose. from soma def
cheney in the present rector. He seems
to be unable IN some way TO Interest you
In outside things. ! trust when l am
dead GOD will send you Il man who shall
be able to develop you On this lacking
side, II he does, il you remain loyal
and Catholic yet sympathe.it9and lgr "a
minded, u free church, like this country.
rich yet the home OF tae poor sAd resting
for It's support on the shouldb 10 OF the
people, Il you remain the organized.
earnest working st. Johns Of today ana
yet acquire an outward b~enevolence aud
missionary zeal You will be almost an
ideal church. having all Of those charac .
! t~eristicS which go to make a church
glorious. / do not wish him to die. bul
do wish that time to come, aud possibly
while we yet live we may manage to do 4
little more to bring il uear. Lat us try.
At all events let w not forget the rsspon.