The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-14
BIG GATHERING
IN NEW NJ ED!F ICE
Second Baptist Building We'll
coined Into City's sistcrhood
Of Churches.
ALL DENOMINATIONS HELP TEL
ors. Young, Cecil and Evans De-
liver Congratulatory Adj
dresses.
ALL DENOMINATIONS HELP

The Second Baptist Church, was last
night welcomed into the city's sister
hood of churches. among which IT
stands unsurpassed In symmetrical
beauty There were three addresses
from three of the citys most prominent
ministers. and all OF them laid cspe-
rial stress In their congratulatory re-
marks upon the architectural beauty
and proportion of outline for which the
new temple OF warship Is already noted.
In the vast auditorium, WAS gathered
throng that was larger even than that
Of the night before II was meeting
Of all the denominations which came
20 respond With their congratulations to
that earnest spirit of Christian labor
md efforts. whose attempts for endur-
Ing utterancc has had splendid con-
summation.
All the speeches were admirably in
keeping with the spirit of occasion. one
IF rejoicing and jubilation They were
light, yiyaciotis with anecdote and hui
NOR yet vibrating with the deep, ten
der undertonc OF religious feeling. DR..
smith. the pastor. opened the services
With a few Introductory remarks. which
we're followed by congregational sing
ing and then by the speakers The adj
;resscs were interspersed with aDpro-
pirate and beautiful selections from the
choIr.
Rev. c. a. Marks. pastor of the FIRST
English Church. read from the Scrip
lures and Roy. pr j. j. Haley, pastor
Of the Seventh street Christian Church
offered the prayer. Or. w j. Young,
pastor of Centenary Methodist Ch'irch,
was introduced AZ the first speaker
DR. Young said that as the represent
tative of a great army. numbering more
than six million at large. and more than
seven thousand In the city. he had come
to rejoice with the members OF this
new house OF God
Speaking OF the two churches-Metho-
dist and Baptisf--Dr. Young SAID lhul
they had endearorcd TO touch the same
classes of people and that their WORK
and effar. had been generally along the
same line They had striver and arc
striving for the same end, and In the
imparting of their Christian Influence
had been in close communion during
nearly all time since their establishment.
There had always existed an intense
rivalry not always friendly. but now
holy with one ambition TO serve God
md to create new Kingdoms for their
Masters service. He illustrated his arGu-
ment with the story of himself striving
with the other two children OF his home
Tor their mothers best affection. They
wanted to get close to their mother. he
said but II was the same desire in all
that prompted them to strive for her
who battled with each other from dawn
to dark, each unable to conquer the
pther, until at last they embraced and
faced the world together So was 1t with
these two churches in the matter Of
reform and the salvation of the world.
andhc hoped that these two with all
the other denominations would work to-
gethcr for the redeeming OF the world.
He showed how the little rivalries and
petty ieaIousies are only superficial and
that at the heart all are the same. work
In gtogether for II like end, having one
God. one baptism and one Father. RE
had once delivered series OF sermons
on the principles of the various denomi-
nations. All. OF whatever creed. recog-
nzed in the Illustration of these prin-
ciples that after all there Is but one
church and one faith. All churches stand
In simple brotherhood, with one ambition.
and for the same eternal principle. And
so he congratulated them on the beauty
of their temple expressed In such spirit
,al ideals He showed. however, that II
is not the outward beauty alone that
works for good. but the spirit that lies
within. He said that those going by would
hunger for the beauty of the soul. and
nut OF this temple. must go forth the
transpiring grace of God.
DR.. Cecil Speaks.
Dr. Russell Cecil said that he had
watched the growth of the church and
that he congratulated the mon the com
pletion of their work, which had been
done in the spirit of Christ. He referred
in glowing terms to the architectural
beauty of the edifce, comparing 1t with
To handiwork of Phidias and with the
architecture of the renowned Parthenon,
browning the summit of the Acropolis
OF ancient Athens. He told them that
he had come TO bring the Congratulations
of the .bluestotkings.'' who die. but never
surrender.
The thing OF greatest Importance in
modern Christianity. he said, IS the dis
coverey of the resemblances existing in all
the churches. one. to the other Now,
he said people magnify the resemblances
and not the differences. which he gloried
to see. for there is but one God, one
spirit, one baptism. All the faithful are
baptized In the one body of Christ and
have kin In the spirit of God. So all
must help to conserve and foster this
modern spirit Of harmony. So will all
hail with JOY the day when the bleed
Ing hands of Jesus shall gather up the
tangled ends OF modern Christianity and
will weave them into a seamless gar
ment like unto the spotless raiment OF
the Saviour.
Dir. Cecil was followed by DIR. Evans
of Monumental Episcopal Church. who
said that he came before them with feel
ings of 5unmixedr joy to congratulate them
The exercises, he said, would have beer
Incomplete without him, as he had many
devoted friends among the members OF
the congregations. Speaking humorously
he told them that he thought 1t only
right and proper that he Should be Will
them to congratulate them on the happ!
cons,mmation of their work. He related
the story of geoioglst, who. exploring
in one of tho counties Of the State, to
find the nature lis strata, came acros:
an old farmer. In reply to q question
as to the kind OF geological construc
tion of the land, the farmer said "Bap
tlst.' So said DR.. Evans, the Baptists
are found everywhere, and 1t is good Il
he with them. Speaking of the church