Evening star., 1951-04-04

Cites Morality Need
AT Church Ceremony
Construction of a new building
for the New York Avenue Pres
hyterian Church, whose steeple
has long been favorite among
the spires of the Washington sky
line, was marked with ceremony
yesterday, as President Truman
laid the cornerstone.
Dignitaries Of the Presbyterian
Church In the United States OF
America, theologians, Washington
clergymen. heads of the District
government and leaders of the
congregation attended the event
held in the open air on the II
street side of the church. A threat
ened shower did not develop.
The Rev. DR.. George M. Doc
herty. Scottish-born pastor of the
church, began the ceremony with
simple Calvinist liturgy in which
he intoned:
Except the Lord build the
house"
And the congregation answered: j:
"They labor in vain to build it. u
DR.. Sizoo Reads Story.
The Rev. Dr.. Joseph R. Sizoo
who left the pastorate of the
church in 1886 for that of the
Collegiate Church OF st. Nicholas
on New York's Fifth avenue and is
now president Of the New Bruins
wick IN. j. Theological Seminary
read the story of the building of
the temple in Jerusalem from the
Old Testament book of Ezra. It
went:
"And when the builders laid
the foundation of the temple of
the Lord, they set the priests in
their apparel with trumpets, and
the LeviteS and the sons of Asaph
with cymbals. to praise the Lord
>. And all the people shouted
with a great shout when they
praised the Lord, because the
foundation of the house of the
Lord was laid.
But many Of the priests and
Levites and chief Of the fathers,
who were ancient men that had
seen the first house, when the
foundation of this house was laid
before their eyes, wept with a
loud voice"
In introducing President Tru-
man, DR.. Docherty welcomed IAN
other President of the United
States into the life and congre-
cation Of the New York Avenue
Presbyterian Church"
"You know, SIR" he continued,
40 Presidents have been identi-
fed with this church and we take
pride in that insofar as Christians
can take pride with an easy
conscience"
Tells of Lincoln.
The pastor told the story of
Araham Lincoln's association with
the church, in which he rented
the pew formerly occupied by his
predecessor, President Buchanan.
The church was built in 1860. The
first church was started In 1908
at Fourteenth street and Penn
Sylvania avenue NV.
He told Of the friendship be-
tween President Lincoln and the
church's pastor of that day, the
Rev. DR.. Phineas B. Gurley, two
of whose grandsons were In the
audience, and how DR.. Gurley
kept the vigil in the little house on
Tenth street the night Lincoln
died.
'Mr. Lincoln" he said, never
actually became a member full
communicating member of any
congregation-although he otter
spoke of doing so in his latel
years"
"You will be glad to know, Mr.
President" he added, that VIZ
have carefully preserved the Lin
coin pew
The reconstruction Of tht
church in it's historic place is tht
result of the gallantry of the con
gregation. he said.
I'VE could have sold this sit
for fabulous sum Of money" h
said. but the congregation votet
to keep it in its downtown loca
ton.
Mr.. Truman's address was NOR
than the usual few well-chosel
words to give presidential bless
ing to a worthy occasion. HI
spoke on morality and the mora
law, subjects which have beer
engaging the efforts of newspape
editorial writers since the revela
tions of the Kefauver and Full
bright committees.
Essential Mission Of Church.
1.-The essential mission of tn
church." he'said, "is to teach tn
moral law. We look to ou
churches, above all other agen
cies, to teach us the highest mora
standards of right and wrong.
Religion, he said, is more thai
mn Mmm m