Evening star., 1902-03-10
THE CONCLUDING SERVICES.
Celebration Of Centennial Anniversary
Of Baptist Church.

The last of the exercises commemorating
| the one hundredth anniversary of the or
ganization Of the Baptist Church In the
District was held yesterday morning at
First Baptist Church, 10th and o streets.
Rev. DR.. e. B. Pollard acting pastor,
preached the closing anniversary sermon,
his subject being, "A Forward Look-The
Coming Century.
DR.. Pollard said in part:
"A few days ago the admirers of great
French genius celebrated the one hundredth
anniversary of his birth. But the birth of q
church Of Christ is an event more sig
nfflcant than the birth of any man, though
he be Victor Hugo. AS we stand at the
close Of one century of church life and at
the opening Of another, 1t is natural to
look forward as the door OF the new CEN
tury swings upon its hinges. In the pass
ing OF time, which has been compared to
stream moving ever on, only those insti-
tut1onS survive which have learned to keep
in the current Of divine purposes, giving a
deaf ear to siren calls which would lead
them into eddies or destroy them upon the
rocks 1t behOoves us. therefore, today to
see what the will of God is in the presence
OF the new conditions that confront us and
the new duties that call. We cannot live
in the past"
The minister said the keynote Of the last
century's progress was freedom, and that
men are breaking away from authority.
no longer respecting 1t for its own sake. He
said the Baptists were among the first to
throw OF ecclesiastical control and stand
for liberty of conscience for every man.
In commenting on the demand for freedom
he said some persons went to extremes and
set up the claim that the Bible should be
set aside as out of date and not authorita-
tive.
"Will the twentieth century Baptist be
any less a Bible Christian?' he asked Not
if he thoroughly understands that the free
dom Of the individual conscience for which
ha haS al iS
recognizes Jesus Christ as our Lord and
Master; and the Bible is authoritative be-
cause it brings us, as no other agency can
to the mind and heart OF the Master. Here
must the proud waves Of liberty be stayed
loyalty, willing loyalty, to Jesus Christ as
revealed in His word
There is also a fact developed during
the past century which is of utmost i'm
portance to our religious communion Bap-
lists have always believed in the simplicity
of the apostolic day; and yet the spirit of
for huge agencies for doing great things,
that our fathers never dreamed Of. What,
then? Are We prepared to abandon our
historic simplicity, our individualism and
local church autonomy, and adopt an elab-
crate ecclesiastical policy to keep up with
the spirit Of the age? The reply is that we
are to measure up to the opportunities and
duties Of the times, not by curtailing our
but by voluntary cooperation with others
I'm the gigantic tasks that lie before the
Christian Church. Above all having al
ways been fond Of breaking ecclesiastical
machinery into fragments, we can hope to
accomplish nothing through ecclesiasticism.
Baptists must always make amends for
their lack in this respect by a strong spir-
itual life For 1t is not by might. nor
by power. but by my Spirit saith the
Lord"
A large congregation attended the ser
vices including members OF other Bap-
tst churches in the city.
In the evening DR.. Thomas Edwin Brown
Of Franklin, Pa. who begun his church life
in the First Baptist Church, preached an
interesting sermon.
Special music was provided for both
morning and evening services.