Our great object in view in building this Church was to provide a place of worship which should be free and open to all — where rich and poor might, on a common footing, meet together in the presence of Him who is the Maker of them all - and no sold, rented, or appropriated sittings might give to anyone any even apparent preference over another. This object has happily, with God’s blessing, been accomplished, and a church is now opened where all have equal rights, and which is perfectly free to everyone who desires to worship God and to hear the glad tidings; to point to the Lord JESUS as the Savior of sinners; to set forth His once made offering of Himself as our all-sufficient atonement; to remind the redeemed children of god of their adoption, and of the strength which comes fiom that communion with JESUS, which He so lovingly offers, and thus to encourage Christians to live worthy of their high and holy calling. This is the work which, as a minister of the Gospel, I am called to do. I ask for your prayers that I may be enabled faithfully to deliver this message and do this work, and "to know nothing among you save JESUS CHRIST and Him crucified. "
This, I need hardly say, I consider, as I am sure you do, our main object and work. Other things, such as the manner of conducting the services, are of but secondary importance. Still, as every- thing connected with the worship of Almighty God, even to the minutest detail, is worthy of all relevant care and attention, I would say a few words about our services.
It is, I believe, a special excellence of the Church of England, that she makes provision for various modes of worship. The most casual inspection of the directions contained in the Prayer Book, will show, for instance, how great liberty is allowed as to how much or how little of the service may be sung. And, considering the varied dispositions and different opinions of men, and the sad results that have always followed every attempt to enforce a rigid uniformity, we have reason to be thankful for this liberty.
I am well aware that people are jealous, and rightly jealous, of any change from what they have been accustomed to in a matter so important as is the worship of God, and were I about to assume the pastoral charge of a long established congregation, I should feel that every consideration should be shown to their wishes, or even to their prejudices, and that no changes should be suddenly introduced. But the circumstances here are widely different. A Church just opened has no customs, no long settled way of conducting services. I think, then, that we are here quite at liberty to adopt any mode of conducting our services, provided only that it be strictly in accordance with the law of the Church of England. And as, in this town, one style of worship in connection with our Church is already provided; it is surely most desirable that the other should be also provided, we shall therefore endeavor that they who desire so to do, may in this church, more freely use the "service of song", and surround the worship of God with that measure of "glory and beauty", which is allowed by our Prayer Book, as it has come down to us from the hands of our Reformers. Should there be those, as doubtless there will be many, to whom such a service will be found rather a hindrance than a help to devotion, they certainly are deprived of no privilege which they before possessed. We only ask that they will
50