Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-16


with 1t until the present, with but one I'm
terruption, when he went to Japan to carry
on educational work for the Japanese gov
eminent, remaining seven years. He has
been closely identified with the religious
and charitable work of the District, and
stands very high In the regard Of the mem
bers of his congregation.
The text of Dr. Parsons sermon yester-
day morning was: The Lord hath zone
great things for us. whereof we are giao'
taken from Psalms. He said In part:
This church has its material side. The
Lord gave US a good site. l. do not mean
in any miraculous way. we hunted II
out. and thus were led TO the rlght piace.
cerned we are in the heart OF 1t, Where
several ways meet. eligible from every Oh
rection Our friends of the other churches
coincide in this-the PreSbyterians Just
across the street, the Episcopalians around
the corner, the Roman Catholics square
away. We have the National Library ana
the Capitol two of the nOblest buildings in
the world, for next-door neighbors.
Run Without Friction.
ContiE uing. he said:
1.-THE Lord has done great things for US
so far as our organized church life Is con-
cerned. We have run for twenty-five years
without the least sign OF any friction Make
q note of that. In these times OF much and
great inducement to take UP with side is
sues. we have gone on with our work. In
this time 1 have seen preachers come fortn
with some new heresy to wreck their In
fuence and destroy the church. l have
seen individual members go chasing after
some gaudy butterfly of falsehood finally
to come back out OF breath with nothing.
We have never set up q quarrel with those
who think they can find some better way
some more reasonable Interpretation OF
Christ.
I'm twenty-five years we have not had
Acrt,f hot ia ms NH n
we remember that there Is about as much
human nature in church member in TWEEN
ty-four hours as In any other member OF
the family Of Adam. I do not desire to do
any boasting. merely to say The Lord hath
done great things for U.S.
No Proselyting Campaign.
I'VE have not run PROSECUTING cam
paign. We have gone on the principle that
there might be some good In other churches.
Ours is good enough for u.s. Others find
theirs good enough for them"
After referring to the number he had adj
vised not to join his congregation. he en-
phasized the sentence, notwithstanding
the example of the President of the United
States. man and his wife had better go
to one church"
LAS your pastor has not conducted a
very active in the work of fighting other
creeds We have not dealt In anathema
and accommodation. Our spirit has been
broad and we have endeayored to keep
the unity of the faith. without turning in
to beat unbelievers over the head. Con-
| tending earnestly for the faith Is one
| thing; turning the church into an arena
| for religious disputes Is quite another mat
| ter. A theological prize fight is not much
more edifying than the other kind.
I'VE are a Lutheran church, but the
| sinners to whom We preach are all kinds
| of sinners Methodist sinners, Presbyte-
| Roman Catholic. hereto sinners and some
| Just plain, every day sinners. The creeds
| are many. but the truth is one.
A Pleasant Association
81 want to say here publicly that I am
| proud to serve the congregation which for
! so long has frequented this church. ]
| would not be at home anywhere else. We
have studied the Bible together. rejoiced
together, sorrowed and comforted together.
/ The city has become honeycombed with
| sacred associations. During that time we
have seen many customs change. People
4 are not so punctilious about church-going.
! There is more going into the country. to
| worship God in nature as some call 1t.
! Twenty-Five years ago Christian people did
| not ride in street cars on Sunday. Now
we are glad IL they will only ride in them
! toward the churches"
| He closed by admonishing the young peo-
| pie of the church to attend In larger num-
bers and expressing the hope that the
| small indebtedness remaining on the prop
| erty would soon be lifted.
| The different societies of the church had
! charge OF the evening service. Representa-
| tives of each made brief addresses appro-
/ pirate to the occasion. MIR. p v. De Graw
| spoke for the trustees, Mr.. Slater for the
| school, Mr.. Parson for the council, Mr.
| Unger for the Young Peoples Society," Mrs.
| Sutherland for the Missionary Society and
| Mrs. Piper for the Ladies' Aid Society
4 - - ans H. =
| ception to the pastor will be held in the
| church this evening.
e. D. Johns of Richmond Va. has just