NEW BAPTIST CHURCH AT BROOKLYN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 865, 11 July 1910, Page 9

NEW BAPTIST CHURCH AT BROOKLYN.

THE OPENING SERVICES. The new Baptist Clitirch at Brooklyn, built to meet tho needs of a growing congregation, was opened for service yesterday.

In the morning the Hev. A. Dewdney preaubed from Hev. 3, 8: "Behold, I have sot before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." The open door, said Mr. Dewdney, indicated u sphere of service of Divine appointment. The new church building gave a larger opportunity for tho congroEatiou worshipping there. While tho church was to minister to tho individual comforts of its members, if yico went no further, it would fail in its purpose. Tho church existod for service—that kind of service which should touch tho real lifo and needs of the people.

At the afternoon service young people were present from tho various Baptist churches of the , city. Mr. H. iN. Holmes, . general secretary of tho Y.M.C.A., delivered- an address on Cromor's maxims: "Love your eouutry," "Tell tho truth," "Don't dawdle," and "Fear. God." Tho speaker, in dealing with tho fact character, not size, niado a country, quoted the remarks of an American editor, who said: "Canada'will not bo great because of its immense fields, but because of its men." Lord Cromer had stood for character-building. In Egypt, under Lord Cromer's 20 years' rule, the downtrodden peasant had become the selfroliant fellaheen who was saving the country. Although it was good to die for one's country, said Mr. Holmes, one mado a far greater contribution to tho national welfare by living for one's country. Lord Brougham, writing of tho'Duko of Wellington, had remarked: "I believe that that man, if he though he could serve his country by pick and shovel labour, would do it." In a recent speech at Edinburgh, Lord llosebery had used these words, " 'Too lato' is written, on tlio page, of nearly every catastrophe in tho history of young men and women." Referring to'the last maxim, "Fear God," Mr. Holmes quoted those words: "Love of country and love of God aro the two noblest passions in the human heart. A man without a country is an exile in the world; a man without God is an orphan in eternity." Tho Church was crowded in the ovening, when tile Rev. Mr. Dewdney preached on the subject: "Do wo need tho Church to-day?" Tho.text was at 1 Tim,.3, 15: "Tho. Church of living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." The new house of worship .was an answer to the question as to the present-day need of the Church. If tho doctriub of a recent lecturer in tho city was to be accepted, those who had given their money and energy towards tho erection of the new church had been guilty of the- saddest aud maddest folly. A statement had gone forth that the Church in all ages had been hostile'to the best interests of tho human raco. Was that verdict.trueP To say so was to put a fool's cap on history, and to charge the energising Heart of the Universe with egregious folly, in framing the Church, an unfit institution., to become stronger than ever before, arid td'engehder in the life of the race more movement for, reform and upliftment than in any past age. Almost all of the privileges in which modern democracy delighted owed their existence to the iniiuenco, direct or indirect, of.Jesus Christ. It should bo remembered that tho Church was not necessarily an elaborate ecclesiastical and hierarchical institution. The 'first company , that formed the Church was a body of- siiiiplc-hwti-ted men and : . women, without aiiy ecclesiastical millinsry, without any liturgy, except "our Father," or creed except a confession of bplisf in Christ, the Son of the-Liv-ing C'od. Tho Church, comprising truehearted men and women, furnished the most prominent reformers of all times since the Church'.-was established'. The Church was the pillar , and ground of the truth .of the, rights of the individual, aiid , of the truth of individual duty. Too many men, rich and poor, were content to listen to the story of their- right, but they were not ready to respucd when the call of duty came. Tho Church' was also the pillar and ground of the truth' of individual need'. Sortie men could not fulfil their duties because of a sluggish'iiiiiritpllo'ctual'respons», or because of tlio vitiated morality into which they had come. They n,>cd;-d a new power., which tho Gospel provided, a.nd, therefore, if was apparent that the need of the Church had never been greater than to-day.■