Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-10-26

yesterday celebrated its 250th anni-
the city. The anniversary services
began in the church yesterday MORN
ing.
DR.. John Grier Hibben. president of
Princeton University, delivered the
anniversary sermon at the morning
services. DIR. Nicholas Murray Butler,
president of Columbia University, a
grandson of Nicholas Murray, pastor
| of the old First Church, 1833-1S61, took
as the subject of his address this
evening, Looking Forward. The
| speakers during the afternoon were
Rev Dunbar II. Ogden, of Atlanta,
Ga; Rev. John N. Freeman, of Chi
cago, and Woodruff Halsey, of
New York city. At the evening
services an offering was taken for the
benefit of the unemployed of the city.
! DR.. Hibben took for the subject of
his address THE Responsibility of
Our Heritage" DR.. Hibben told of the
the inspiration that may come from n
! study of those who labored so faith
| fully during the early Colonial times
| for the welfare and preservation of
| the old First Church. He pointed out
| the direct relation between the Old
| First Church and the establishment
| Of Princeton University from its be-
ginning as the College of New Jersey
| in this city. DR.. Hibben said in part:
I'VE have met today to pay our debt
| to the past, not only to this church,
| but to the State and nation. And in
no small measure does the great past
of New Jersey as it effects the nation
| belong to the result of such workers.
who are SO closely identified with the
history of the Old First Church. Dur
ing the time of Jonathan Dickinson,
who was the pastor of this church
from 1708 to 1747 Princeton University
received its start. 1t was then known
as the College of New Jersey, and In
addition to its president, had a facul-
| ty of one tutor. Princeton University
| was at that time limited by the four
walls OF Rev. Dickinson's study and
had but six pupils ON its roll of mem
bership. Today it has a faculty of
| 206, student membership Of more
than 1900, and its campus covers more
! than 600 acres of ground.
from study of events of church
and State during the early period we
| find that these pioneers of history
! possessed two fundamental truths OF
character. They had assurance of
conviction and devotion to public
welfare. During the 250 years there
have been many changes. We are
living in an age totally different than
that of $50 years ago. Today we ac-
complish more, but is it of greater
value? Are we nobler, stronger,
truer? Have we learned the secret OF
| living? We have ADVANCED in knowl-
edge; have we in wisdom? Are we
| not in danger as a people of sac
| rificing everything to adhere to the
4 theory that the end justifies the
1 means? Truly we have advanced
wonderfully In the world of science
but are we not slaves to the very
things that were meant for our hap
piness and comfort? Are we not pay
ing too high a price for our ease?
In other words. are we at the present
time active in the aim to develop
character"
Secretary of the Navy Josephus
Daniels, read the scripture at the
morning service. The church was
profusely decorated with flowers,
palms and American flags. In the
Sunday school room was exhibited a
collection of historical souvenirs,
which included the personal Bible of
Rev. James Caldwell, the "Fighting
Parson." In this Bible are the rec
ords of the Tenth New JERSEY Regi-
ment of Revolutionary period of
which Rev Caldwell was chaplain.
Rev William Force Whitaker,
pastor, presided at the morning SER
vice, Augustus S. Crane at the aft
ernoon meeting and Walter Burnett
Timms in the evening.
The anniversary exercises will be
continued throughout this week.