The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-09
COMMEMORATIVE SERVICES
COLLEGE STREET CHURCH MEETS IN ITS OLD EDIBICE THE LAST TIME

Honored Men kocalled-Addresses by
 Rev. Dr. Edward Strong and Prominent
 Old bers-Congratulation from Gen.
 ter and United Charlottesville Church
 Finely Decorated-Memorable Farewell
 Services.
 church yesterday held their farewell services ill the old building on College street near Chapel. The occasion brought out an unusually large congre- gation. The church was decorated es- pecially for the occasion and on the large platform which had been erected were potted plants and palms in pro- fusion, while around the rail of the gallery were set palms. On each front side were large groups of palms with Ievergreens strawn underneath and along the front of the platform were set four large pots of chrysanthemums. On the wall back of the stage were hung large pictures of founders and old members of the church. The pictures were those of Deacons Amos Townsend. Everard Benjamin, Ruel P. Cowles, Smith Merwin, Gaius F. Warner, Eben- ezer Arnold, and Stephen Cooke.
 At the morning service, the present pastor, Rev. Dr. McLane delivered am historical sermon which was as follows; REV. DIR. McLANE'S HISTORICAL ,SEsRNdON
 The text was: And I saw no templa there"-Rev. xxi, P.
 After a few preliminary remarks tha pastor spoke as follows:
 On the evening of the 31st of August, in the year 1881, a small company con- vened in private house, and of their number four young men signed cons stitution and organized themselves into church. Their names were Amos Townsend, Rev. James D. Chapman, Horace Mansfield and William T. Tru- man. A few days later one more man and seven women signed the constitu- tion and were enrolled as original mem. bers of the church. Their names were as follows: Frederick William Lynde, Sophia Ives, Abby J. Chapman, Ruth Pierce, Helen M. Emmons, Eliza A. Fitch, Sarah Brown, Hannah E. M. Chapman. These twelve persons, like the twelve patriarchs and like the twelve apostles, constituted the origi- nal members of this church. Like their prototypes, they had neither the wealth nor the wisdom of the world. Their leader, Amos Townsend, writing forty- five years later, said: '"They were in- experienced either in business or in ec- clesiastical matters; they had more zeal than wisdom; they had no more money than they had of practical knowledge of the world and how to conduct such an enterprise. If they had foreseen the difficulties and trials which they were to encounter they would never have dared to attempt the work" But, in all ages, God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty" believing men have walked iby faith and not by sight, and zeal and courage, not wis., dom and calculation, have carried for- ward the cause of the Lord and have accomplished the salvation of men.
 The constitution which these five young men and seven women signed reveals the spirit of the enterprise. It's preface declares ''that every Christian, as a steward and missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ, ought, according to his ability, like the primitive disciples, to strive with untiring zeal to promote a constant revival of religion, and to extend his Masters kingdom through the world" They called themselves the Missionary church of New Haven. They set before themselves as the object of their work the preaching of the gospel for that portion of the community who have no stated place of public worship. and the promotion of a revival and missionary spirit in the members of the church and in all persons within the sphere of it's influence. They proposed that the seats in their place of worship should be free. They pledged them- selves neither to traffic in ardent spir- it's nor to use them. They set apart the first Monday of every month as a day of fasting and prayer for Gods blessing upon Christians and for the conversion of the world. They decided to divide the territory of the church. into districts and to place each district under the care of 8 superintendent. With these purposes in view this church began it's life sixty years ago. X church, like an individual, is affected by its environment. It is difficult for the younger members of the church to conceive the difference between the city of New Haven then and the city of New Haven now. It is also difficult for some of the older members of the church to understand why a specifically missionary church should have been deemed necessary then. The elder Pres ident Dwight, writing of New Haven a score of years before this church was organized, depicts it as "a model, happy valley, where disturbances were un- known. contentious hardly occurred and ungirt peace ruled alone" A few years after the formation of this church writer estimates the population of for eign birth at not more than five hun dred persons. The population of New Haven in 1881 was some ten or eleven thousand. These were homogeneous New England people. Ralph I. Inger- soil was mayor of the city. Rev. Jere- miah Day was president of Yale college. whose buildings consisted of the old 'bricli row. and whose encircling fence afforded an ample resting place for the students There were three banks the