News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-09-26

The Second Congregational Church at Hyd
Park Dedicated appropriate Exercises.

gat1Onal cnurcn at f1yQe FaTK LOOK
place last Thursday afternoon. A
good number were present, consider
ing the inclemency of the weather,
the chnrch being well filled. The
decorations of plants and flowers
were very pretty.
The exercises began at 2.15 with
singing the doxology. This was fol-
lowed with invocation by Rev. H. E.
Loehlin of North Hyde Park. Then
came an anthem, II Was Glad" by
the home choir. The scripture les
son, Pisa. 122 and John 2, was read
by Rev. G. c. Junkins of Wolcott;
Prayer was offered by Rev. E. G.
French of Johnson. This was fol-
lowed by a Duet by Mrs. E. G. Page
and A. N. Camp, "How Lovely is
Zion" The sermon was delivered by
Rev. c. H. Merrill of St. Johnsbury,
Secretary of the Vermont Domestic
Missionary Society. Mr.. Merrill has
always manifested a great interest
in this church here. 1t was through
his instrumentality that Rev. F. c.
Taylor was induced to accept the
pastOrate of this church, and it was
very fttin : that enc who was thus
interested should be invited to preach
the dedicatOry sermon.
Taking texts from Exodus Is:
81, 2 and John 4: 81, 4, Mr.. Merrill
spoke Of the Uses to which the old
meeting house" of our New England
ancestors was put and the inheri-
tance receivedfrom them. The theme
was "The significance ofthis house of
worship as a social factor in the life
of the community"
A brief historical review was given
Of the changes which hadtaken place
in the idea of the place of worship
and how the two principles set forth,
the one in the Old Testament and the
other in the New, had struggled for
the as~cendency. Theformerr restricted
worship to one place, stated times, a
chosen priesthood. The latter re-
vealed God as a spirit, everywhere
present, his worship NO longer con-
ditioned on place or ritual. In the
early Christian church the New Tesla
ment idea prevailed. God met his
worshippers in the upper room, at
Pentecost, where no sacrifice was
offered but Peter preached the word,
in the prison house, on the road to
Damascus, by the river side, and in
the church in the home. The meet
ing place was everywhere where
prayer was made, and every child OF
the Father could approach him with
out priestly mediation and sacrifice.
While this principle was dominant
the church was a conquering force,
but as the victory became complete
the old order returned, the meeting
place with God was again localized
sacrifice was again offered on conse.
Grated alters, and priestly mediators
stood again between the worshippe1
and his God. 1t was in these dark
ages of the church that church archi.
lecture took on it's most perfect
forms. Ruskin has shown how there
was wrought into those magnificent
cathedrals, centuries in building, the
principles of sacrifice, truth, power
beauty, memory, life and obedience
At the reformation, when the revolt
came againstform and ritual, against
the sacredness of time and place anc
priest, these principles were taker
from their embodiment in wood anC
stone and wrought into the living
structure of society III church anc
state.
The study of this process of devel
opment through the conflict anC
alternate ascendency of these two
principles helps III to learn the valu'
of the meeting house of today
Truth lies between the two extremes
At the opposite poles we have societ,
over against the individual; author
ity against the inner light; consen
sus of opinion embodied in dogm:
against conviction wrought by per
sonal consciousness. And following
out into detail we have form owe
against spirit, ritual against inspira
ton, a sacred time, a sacred place AM
a sacred mar against the sanctihca
ton of all places all times and al
men. 1t is only another detail t,
contrast temple and alter and cathe
dral ove against the open grove, tn
bare vault of Heaven, and the un
adorned walls of place of meeting
covering only the most meagre de
mands of utility. In the via nediI
between these two extremes som,
waymarks may be noted.
1t is right and meet to have place
of worship, consecrated and Sc
apart, into the construction of whicl
should be wrought the principles O
all true architecture, sacrifice, truth
power, beauty, memory, life ant
obedience. Beyond the requirement
of mere utility there may be put int
it all that it is possible, if only tn