The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-29


with Nearer My God to Thee" after
the presiding officer had pronounced the
cornerstone successfully laid and deliver
ed the completed work To the trustees
Of the church.
novel feature was introduced nj the
close Captain Frank w. Cunningham.
one of the Masonic party. standing IN
the midst of the crowd sang AS the
DAYS are Going BY" The sweet voice or
tho singer stirred the entire audience
and called many TO the front windo" VS. Of
houses near the scene OF the gather
Ing.
DR.. Cecil's Address.
The address of DR.. Cecil was prct p9l
vcrv eloquent and appropriate. lie
said: ,so,,,
my Christian friends We are assem-
bled here to-day to lay the corher-s.oi,le
in the foundation Of Christiali e ni.,,Int
- NAV bc inquired, What is the signiil-
ca,ce2'of this ceremony? A church is q
house erected for the accommodation Loi
those who gather together FOR. the W.T.
air, of God. 1t derives its name from
and js the symbol OF an orsaIi% ".s :.
The organization Is itself yart o,
greater whole, first. OF de .nsin,, soehs
and then OF a larger body, whcn seshs
TO embrace the world in still broader
and lofticr sense the church building y
the symbol of a great spiritual organism.
the extent of which Is Bounded on!y py
the limits OF the human race, ana inc
life of which Is as endless as eternitS'
This is n Christian church-that Is. ,t
is erected in the name of Christ, by his
authority and for His honor and glory.
E1t#is not like a Buddhist temple, MO
ahammedan mosque. q JEWISH synusosuc'
or hall of entertainment. put II IS spe,
ciHcally q church Of Christ, constructed
nv 3, company Of His disciples, who &C
knowledge and worship Him as the IN
Gcarnatc Son OF God. the same IN suo-
stance and equal in power and glory
with the Father and the Holy spirit.
1t Is Christian church also hoidihs W
the reformed or Calvinistic system OF
doctrine to the Presbyterian form OF
.occIesiastical government, and in ior-
ganfc connection with the Presbyterian
Denomination in the United States. 1t
stands. then not only for the Christian
religion in the broad sense, put also LOT
what the members Of this church belleVe
10 be the purest form of the Chrlstiah
religion as that is to be derived from nun an
earnest and prayerful study OF the Holy
Scriptures
We are laying this cornerstone with
religious ceremonies This is occasionally
done in the construction of ordinary
buildings, but it is customary ana es-
ptcally appropriate IN the. erectloti Oh q
Christian church. Again, II may be IN
CURED, For what reason? Because Christ
is designated in the Scriptures as the
! cornerstone" OF the Church of God. 'rhis
designation occurs In the prophecy OF
Isaiah (2S:1G), in the midst of remark
aple pasSase ~ ..,,,;,'.,,a ,,nfa,thf,,lnoss
propnct is len " LIZ Ia Vic covanant
The reference is obviously to the Mes
slab: ''rherefore thus saith the Lord
Cod Behold lay in Zion on a founda-
ton OF stone, tried stone, precious
corlef-stole. a. 81 Ia ~
pelicNetn sluii ps.,r th.sa
one huhdrea anu
WORDS also Occur n s..e ~ 49, az
puiioers i ciuseu 49, ,on 1,,'-.ho
stone o. INC corner. e. - 81 tae
New 6 sael aes ,r,a ia bly annled
~ rtr,rt 1esus Himself in one Of His
con,arsafions with Inc chief priests and
Ebar,soes In tho >mnle at Jerusalem,
said 10 them. "Did We never read In the
Scriptures. The stone which the builders
rejected. the same is become the head
OIL t,ie colmel o, n,s - ~, ,,os ~Jat,
o. 10 $ xvhan Dat and Iohn were a,s
1850, ,,afora tha hich nriast ard Tho
conncijI far nrea ching .IesIIs and Tho res,r.
I..cction they we're asked to tell by what
nower thew had healed the impotent man
at the gate OF the temple. Peter replied
that it had been done in the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom they mad
crucifled but whom God had raised from
the dead, and then added: This Is the
stone which was set at nought OF you
builders. which Is become the head OF the
corner. SActs AID Paui quotes me
passage from lsai a., t"ice 60 IN ,ne ep's.'e
" tHe i1uii.ais s,oi''. 80, ann
~, aooS r,otn, 80 = ,,,i,, T., III, 49,,
uap' r. t,o,er o.s ga 40 in all 81 ,iasa
, rn thav bnth rarar n d,rec,lv' ~
c,hrst Thnrc Is M. room for differencc
If Instrumentation on this nolnt. They
both believed that .the cornerstone in
Zion'' Of the Old Testament was the Lord
Jesus Christ.
It is for this reason that we lay the
cornerstone OF this building with religious
ceremonies. we wish it TO be regarded
as symbolical OF Christ, the Founder
and Head Of the Church OF God, whom