The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-13
SIXTY-FIVE YEARS OLD
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH CELE-
BRATEs ITS ANNIVERSARY.

great audience assembled yesterday
morning in honor of the sixty-fifth anniver-
sary of the Central Christian Church. The
service was one to be long remembered by
the people of the church. musical pro-
gramme of special excellence was given by
a quartet composed of Mrs. Goetz, Mrs.
Rowland, Mr. Adelotte and Mr.. Sweeney,
and Miss Diener at the organ. At the close
of the sermon Mr.. John S. Duncan, whose
grandfather was one of those who organized
the church, was called to the front of the
congregation and made very happy appeal.
sor the remaining sum owing on the church
Lebt-$7 500. In half an hour IS 600 con-
tributed including a gift of 81 900 from a
man who is not a member of the church.
He made this offer some time ago, with the
condition that the whole of the debt be
raised by July 1. The members of the
church became enthusiastic over the success
of the appeal of Mr. Duncan, and it is, ex-
pected that the rest of the money needed
to defray the debt will be raised in a few
days.
DIR. PHILPUTT'S SERMON.
Allan B. Phlputt D. D., the new pastor
of the church, preached sermon from the
text. by faith Jacob, when he was a-dying,
blessed both the sons Of Joseph and wor-
shipped leaning upon the top of his staff. "
Hebrews, XII, 81. He said. in part:
Three score and i've years ago to the
very day, June u. 1893, under the leadership
of John OKane, this church was organized
In a log cabin, the home of BENJAMIN Rob
erts, on Illinois street, just north of Market
street. About twenty constituent members
there and then signed a. covenant to take
the New Iestament-and that alone-as their
rule of faith and practice. and to be known
simply as the Church of Christ. They were
q part of that movement then just fairly
inaugurated under the lead of Thomas and
Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott. Barton
w. Stone and others, for a restoration of
the New Testament Church. They were at
mighty movement, numbering now over one
million in the United States alone, and
growing at a rate unequaled by but one 9TH
We are not here this morning for self
glorifcation, however, nor for denomina-
ftonal glorifcation but to pay our tribute
of love to'those who labored and sacrificed
in planting this pleasant vine whose fruit
we now enjoy We do well to remember
them. This great church, with it's splendid
building, its large and influential member
ship. with the dozen other churches in and
about the city, many of which it has helped
to establish, has not come without the tolls
and prayers of those who were here before
us. We should be wanting in gratitude not
TO remember and honor them. But let us
here resolve also to consecrate ourselves
anew to the work to which many of them
gave a large measure of devotion, in order
that they may not have lived in IN vain. ~
Men pass away, but institutions live.
We are members one of another. and
through devotion to common faith we
have fellowship with the dead. On tablet
TO the memory of John Wesley, in West
minister Abbey. l read his now celebrated
saying: God takes the workers, but carries
on the work.. And again in the immortal
words of Charles Wesley:
zone family we dwell in Him,
One church above beneath
Though now divided by the stream,
lone army of the living God
To His command we bow;
Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now
The spirit of those who wrought in the
day of small things should animate US still
in the day of wider opportunity and greater
obligations. The men and women who be-
gan here have passed away, but the church
lives; we, too, shall soon be gone. but after
us others will sit in these pews and refresh
themselves of the fountain of life. Each
those who follow after, as Jacob, leaning
upon his staff when about to die. blessed
the sons of Joseph.
MAN is A WAYFARER
If were going to suggest a scene for the
painter which should embody the Old Tesla
ment conception of mans life on the earth,
1t would be this: of Jacob leaning upon his
staff and blessing his descendants. He is
here a patriarch and pilgrim. For the
Old Testament conception of man is that
he is pilgrim, staff in hand journeying to
far country. Jacob said, when asked his
age at the court of Pharaoh: THE days
of the years of my pilgrimage. o King, are
an hundred and thirty years" The psalm
list sings: Thy statutes have been my
songs in the house of my pilgrimage The
writer of the Hebrew letter says of the an
Client worthless: They called themselves
strangers and pilgrims on the earth" And
81. Peter. under the spirit of the old
thought. writes: Il beseech you, as stran-
gers and pilgrims, abstain from hesnly
lusts.'
But the New Testament thinks of man
rather as soldier doing valiant battle in
pack on his back, fleeing from the City of
Destruction. does not represent the genius
of Christianity half as well as Pauls Chris
tian pauoplied in the armor of faith and
destruction. We should never forget my
brethren that the Christian life is a battle
If you find no warfare, then take IL for
granted that you have surrendered. The
best tribute we can pay to the founders
OF our organization is TO carry forward the
A large church has It's peris no less than
q small one. When numbers and wealth
come there is often relaxation OF individual
effort. This great church has in the past
and ought more and more in the future to
extend strong moral and material. sup
port 10 our cause in this city and abroad
We ought to give largely and regularly TO
our missionary boards. We ought to stand
blythe cause of ministerial education.
III church like this, of courses never thinks
of limiting its expenditures and labors To
its&pwn immediate needs. To do so would be
suVhde. We could not long raise enough for