The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-15
DR.. PARKHUUSTSMWCHURC
OPENED WITH SERMON BEWAIL-
ING EVILS OF THE DAY.

The new Madison Square Presbyterian
Church, at Madison avenue and Twenty
fourth. street, Was dedicated yesterday
morning. DR.. Charles II. ~Parkhurst, for
over twenty-five years the pastor OF the
church, preached the dedication sermon.
The structure itself Ia unique among the
churches Of New York. The exterior il OF
hun brick upon a base OF white marble.
The six columns OF the classic portico.
zach thirty feet high, are OF pale green
granite. The building Is rectangular and is
Surmounted by a gilt dome.
The interior OF the church il as unlike
tho accepted idea OF church architecture
as is the exterior. The first impressian that
it makes upon the visitor Ia that Of light and
cheerfulness. Green and oak are the pre-
vailing tints. A broad fight Of marble
steps leads directly up to the pastoral seats,
while the pulpit and reading desk are On
either side OF the platform. as in an Episcopal
church. Behind them are the organist and
the choir seats. The great organ is arranged
IN two banks Of golden pipes, one over each
group Of singers. Spiral columns support
the pipe racks and golden angels surmount
The columns.
The pews. arranged in four straight rows,
are Of a brownish gray oak, severely plain
except for the carved crosses on the ends.
Carpets and cushions are OF green, while the
aisle floors are OF buff mosaic.
An oaken wainscoting runs around the
sides. while the walls above are Of stucco,
tinted to match the wood work. There is a
gallery on three sides. The dome is sup
ported on the four arched walls. Windows
and arches are Romanesque. Light is
admitted through a row OF windows in the
lone and through two OF the walls. The
arches and dom are handsomely frescoed,
The windows are the work OF Louis TIT
fanny, who was a member OF the building
committee. They are composed chiefly
81 three large medallions surrounded by
small medallions. all displaying exquisite
coloring. High over the platform is a
small window, the gift OF the congregation
10 Or. Parkhurst to commemorate the
twenty-Afth anniversary OF his pastorate.
Tn chandeliers are OF dull gold, beauti-
fully enamelIed and supporting soft green
globes.
The dedication sermon was largely doc
trinal. For three years." said DR.. Park
hurst, "the public has been interested in
this church enthusiastically. Now it be-
hoovee us to make clear TO the public what
our religion means. Dur doctrine In not
what we write down in black and white
hut what we believe It's easy enough to
write ecclesiastical essays but it takes
nerve to believe, for real belief kindles the
heart and soul.
1T is a disgrace to intelligent men and
women to let these questions go by de-
fault without definite determinations as to
just what they believe. Our young people
are swamped in a sea Of just such indeter-
inmate thinking. Our doctrine goes further
Than. that OF the jew or the Universalist
Faith and life centre in Christ.
The church stands for the entrance into
man Of God so that the common man be-
comes the divine man. l do not apologize
for this audacity. The church has not
enough audacity. Man il the only creature
sublime enough to sin. The chief sig
nifcance OF our religion il that mar and
God can mingle in the one creature"
Switching to topics OF the day, DIR. Park
hurst said;
We have realized during the past year
how terrific is the war between good and
evil. The evil streams have risen so near
The surface as to be seen distinctly. IL is
q good thing for hell on earth to cape 80
wide open as to let people look in and get
q scent Of the mephitic odor. To conquer
these evils We need a divine instrument.
That instrument is the church and it is the
only inet that will block the devil
ui Their means merely discourage him.
The press is as much a money making
scheme a. the brokerage business or manu-
facturing. No man does great things who
keeps A finger in the till, one ear to the
ground and the other to the cry of the
stockholders. ] am not indiCting Journal
i'm but merely stating the facts az they
Cyist. The schools are also practically
Z, dlesa. They make the pupils bright but
not moral. They elevate the pupil men,
I ally hut do not make him %virtuous. The
more knowledge a man has the wider
sVath eau he cut"
In clo9ing Dr. Parkhurst feelingly re-
forred to the architect of the building, the
hate Stanford White.
Upon this OCCASION" he said, Il cannot
fut mention the absence OF n whose
genius and application overcame all the
diR,nlt problems that came before the
luIl1ing committee. He ia not here to see
the result Of his genius. He impressed him
,clf upon us in deep lines. OF all the edit
fees he had planned, this was the idol Of
his heart and to its erection he gave his
est efforts"
Long before the hour set for the service
q crowd Of people collected before the
church doors. They we're admitted 10 the
Luilding only in groups OF two or three:
The result was a great congestion and
more than a little grumbling. The people
finally got vedged 40 tightly together that
every time any one was admitted to the
church the whole mass surged forward,
nearly crushing those in 'front.'. Many
IN hour in the pack as they were able neither
10 got nearer the edifice nor to get out OF
the crowd. Finally three policemen were
cent to the church to straighten matters out.
] ne rnlTCD, WHICH II HIHd z bhdH b1c Olu
hniIding, was utterly inadequate to hold
those who wished to get in. though it was
packed 10 the doors.
At the evening service John Crosby
Brown Of Brown Bros, the bankers, pre-
SIDED, and several addresses were made.
The Rev. DIR. George Alexander, pastor Of
the University Place Presbyterian Church,
said that in leaving the old church, the
congregation had sacrificed old memories
although it had preserved the church
traditions. 1T was a big price to pay
for life insurance" An addition to the
Metropolitan Life Insurance Building Is
to occupy the old site.
The Rev. William Adams Brown OF the
Union Theological Seminary, grandson OF
DIR. William Adams, the first pastor OF the
church. in speaking Of the broadness OF
the work Of the church, said that when
New York lay in the hands OF brutal, base
and corrupt politicians it was from this
church that there issued a clarion call which
awakened civic virtue and ushered in a
better order Of things"
President W. H. p. Faunce Of Brown
University congratulated DR.. Parkhurst on
the ~broadness OF his work. He said in
part.
No ministry in New York city suTpasses
the ministry OF this church in courage, in
moral energy and in vigorous Saxon speech;