At 6:45 o'clock the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor held a largely attended meeting in the auditorium, at which short addresses were made by former officers of the Society.  The Sabbath evening service was devoted to addresses covering the different periods of the church's history, with appropriate music by the choir and prayer by Rev. FRANK I. WHEAT, Pastor of Park Church, the youngest child of the First Church.  The addresses were as follows: "Events that led to the Organization of this Church," by Rev. S. H. WILLEY, D.D.; "The First Church," from 1851 to 1856, by Mr. E. P. FLINT; 1856 to 1866, by Hon. E. D. SAWYER; 1866 to 1880, by Rev. W. C. POND, D.D.; 1880 to 1896, by Deacon I. H. MORSE.  These addresses are given below.  An effort had been made to have an address on "The Trustees," but so many of the Trustees, past and present, were absent that it had to be omitted.  A sketch of them has been prepared and is given later.  The closing address was by Rev. J. H. WARREN, D.D., who had grouped around the picture of the First Church pictures of a great number of churches that have been assisted by the First.  A photograph of these has been taken and is reproduced later, with the substance of Dr. WARREN's remarks.

We reckon the life and service of a church by centuries, but our individual lives are so short, we celebrate by divisions, the Quarter and the Half-centuries.  In the case of the Silver jubilee, the founders, yet in the prime of life, can be present in large numbers and bear their part, but when the time of the royal Golden jubilee comes round, the founders present are exceedingly few, and they are glad to entrust the celebration mainly to younger hands.  It is my purpose in the time allotted to this paper to recall the events that led up to the formation of this church, fifty years ago, especially as they have not yet fully gone on record.  There were two great events that opened the way for it.  The first was the conquest of California by the United States in 1846, and the second was the discovery of gold here in 1848.  The conquest led to the planting of a little village along the water-front of this Bay, and the gold discovery flooded it with people.  But during the two years while it was a village of some few hundred inhabitants it contained quite a number of families, and some business men of intelligence, ability, and excellent character.  In the annals of those days we find it recorded that, along with other things pertaining to the public welfare, they made provision for the establishment of a public school.  Moreover, we find that in January, 1848, stringent resolutions were passed in the town council against gambling.  Young as the town was, it had its weekly newspaper, and in the number of May 6, 1847, it says: " A meeting was held last evening for the purpose of ascertaining the prevailing sentiment in relation to the establishment of a church in the town of San Francisco."

Gold was discovered on January 24, 1848.  The news was very slow in getting abroad in those days, but when, in the latter half of the year it was told everywhere and came to be believed, there was excitement enough.  Then came the people pouring in.  From the Sandwich Islands, from Oregon, from the Pacific ports, from Mexico overland, they came and flooded the town with people.  The type of morals developed by this hastily gathered mass of strangers can now be but faintly imagined.  To the inhabitants of the town itself it was a surprise.  They found themselves powerless to control things.  Now it is hard to appreciate the embarrassments of the town of San Francisco then.  It was only a few weeks before that the news of the ratification of the treaty of peace with Mexico had been received, terminating government under the "war-power," leaving only the slenderest semblance of territorial authority.  The extemporized city had no power or opportunity to organize a municipal government, and so there was, in fact, no government at all.  But there were here, in the crowd, some earnest Christian men who determined, if possible, to introduce the preaching of the Gospel into this excited and lawless town.  Among them were one or two from the Sandwich Islands.  They had there belonged to a group of Christians just beginning a church organization under the ministry of a young missionary, Rev. T. DWIGHT HUNT.  But when the news of the discovery of gold here reached the Islands it drew away so many of his congregation that it seemed in danger of being broken up.  The men who came here, remembering this, and impressed with the immediate and urgent need of the preaching of the Gospel here, wrote to Mr. HUNT a description of the situation, and urged him to suspend his ministry in Honolulu, at least for a time, and come to San Francisco.  To Mr. HUNT this call was a great surprise.  He was in doubt what he ought to do.  He did not want to treat lightly the work he had in hand, and which he had but just commenced, nor did he wish to seem to be carried off with the rest by the "gold fever." At the same time he was in considerable doubt, from all accounts, whether San Francisco would tolerate a minister who would fearlessly preach the truth; and yet he knew that California had become, by treaty, a part of the United States, and ought at once to be supplied with the preaching of the Gospel.  He did not know when ministers could come from the home churches at the East.  So far as he then knew, it was, as it had always been, a nearly six months' journey from New York or Boston, and he was only two weeks away.

He decided to come.  His schooner dropped anchor off North Point on Sunday, the last in October, 1848; and he met a most unexpected welcome!  Before the next Sunday he was engaged as Chaplain to the citizens of the town.  In this we see the sentiment of the leading citizens of the place, few, if any, of whom were professed Christians, as well as of those Christian gentlemen who were instrumental in bringing Mr. HUNT here.  Of course it was understood that during the continuance of an engagement of that kind he would not organize a denominational church.  And so the record runs: " November 1, 1848, the Rev. T. DWIGHT HUNT was chosen Chaplain to the citizens, and there will be Divine worship in the Public School- house on Sundays at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, and at half-past seven in the evening." So the school-house which stood on the southwest corner of Portsmouth Square, close to Clay street, became on the Sabbath a house of worship.  But the diagonally opposite corner of the square, at the crossing of Kearny and Washington streets, was the gambling and drinking center.  In the saloons, which occupied almost the entire frontage on three sides of the square, were noisy, hilarious crowds at all hours of day and night, "given to mad and feverish mirth, where fortunes were lost and won upon the green cloth in the twinkling of an eye."

The business of the town was mainly done on Montgomery and Sansome streets, which were on the water front.  No streets were as yet either graded, paved, or sidewalked.  Residences were far up town, on Stockton street.  Some few small houses were built as far out in the open country as Powell street.  Such was the town in the winter of 1848-9; containing a resident population of, perhaps, five hundred, with not less than fifteen hundred comers and goers.  Here Mr. HUNT continued his ministry during the winter, the only Protestant pastor within a thousand miles.  He was in the prime of life, in vigorous health, enthusiastic in his work, and he secured the universal respect and confidence of the people.  He was a man of good education, a graduate of Yale College and of a Theological Seminary, with some four years' experience in missionary life in the Sandwich Islands.  His home here was known for its hospitality, when homes were rare, and when hospitality was a costly virtue.  Mr. HUNT was confiding, almost to a fault, believing others as disinterested as himself.

One day, late in February, 1849, an express rider came into town in hot haste, announcing the arrival at Monterey of a steamship, the California, the first ever seen on this coast, and that, after a detention of a few days, she would come to San Francisco; that on board were four clergymen, coming from the home churches to preach the Gospel in California.  This was a delightful surprise to Mr. HUNT.  He was animated in view of this immediate accession to the Gospel ministry here, and he saw in the prompt arrival of these men the assurance that the churches East were awake to the importance of California, so recently added to the national domain.  In due time these ministers were welcomed, and took their stations, one in Monterey, one in San Jose, one in San Francisco and one in Benicia.  It was evident now, of course, that Mr. HUNT'S chaplaincy would not very long be needed, now that ministers of the several denominations were arriving.  But there were reasons why it was not best that it should terminate immediately, and so the regular services of Sabbath worship continued in the school-house as usual.  One month later, on April 1, 1849, came the second steamer of the Pacific Mail Line, the Oregon, bringing another minister and his wife.  And it so happened that along with them came several Christian people who made each other's acquaintance during the long voyage and very naturally laid plans together for the constituting of a church, if the way should be open for it, when they should arrive in San Francisco.  It was in accordance with these plans that the First Presbyterian Church was organized six weeks after their landing, on the 20th of May.  No more churches were ready for organization till July, about the time of the formation of this Congregational Church.  As soon as the termination of Mr. HUNT'S chaplaincy could be brought about satisfactorily to all concerned, the members of the congregation who wished to form a Congregational Church, retaining Mr. HUNT as minister, at once associated themselves together for that purpose.

In due time, at a meeting of those interested, a letter was prepared, addressed to Rev. Mr. HUNT, requesting him to organize this First Congregational Church.  In compliance with this request, on Sabbath, July 29, 1849, this church was organized with due solemnities.  Like all other churches organized about that time, it consisted of but a few individuals; they were well known to each other and had long been pre- pared for organization, but during Mr. HUNT'S town chaplaincy no movement was made toward bringing it about.  If it had been formed as soon as the people and the minister concerned were ready for it, the organization would have taken place eight or nine months earlier, in which case this semi-centennial would have been observed last November.  The building of a temporary house of worship on Jackson street, at the corner of Virginia street, followed as soon as possible, and in due time the installation of Mr. HUNT by Council, as pastor, and then the church entered upon its work.  In civil affairs it was a rough and stormy time in the city, but the church grew, and was the first to erect a large and permanent house of worship.  Mr. HUNT remained pastor till 1855, when he went East, and spent the remainder of his life in the ministry there.

Within the year 1849 there were six Protestant churches organized in this town-two Episcopal, one Presbyterian, one Baptist, one Methodist, and one Congregational.  The situation was so isolated, the future so uncertain, the helpers so few, and the pressure of evil so great, that all the ministers associated themselves quite intimately together, so much so that this record is found in the autobiography of two of them: " Every Monday morning we were accustomed to meet by turns at the residence of one of our number, where we prayed for each other and for our respective charges, and exchanged words of mutual comfort and encouragement.  We also discussed questions of general interest, and projected plans for promoting our common cause in California."

I have spoken at length of the events that prepared the way for the organization of this First Congregational Church and of its formation fifty years ago.  The record of its first pastorate is contained in the published proceedings of the Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the founding of the church and is there given in accurate historical detail.  I cannot close this semi-centennial paper without claiming the privilege of paying a personal tribute of respect and abiding affection to the memory of the second pastor of this church, the Rev. EDWARD S. LACY.  During all his pastorate, till the breaking down of his health compelled him to resign, we were associated as intimately as pastors of neighboring churches could be.  It was through the time of the memorable civil and municipal upheaval and reconstruction in San Francisco, which involved all our people and ourselves as well in a common anxiety and a common duty; and it was the period also of that wonderful work of the Divine Spirit which followed and made the year 1858 memorable in our churches.  Through all he showed himself a man of power, whether in the pulpit or on the platform, or in his pastoral work, where he was known as a wise, generous, whole- hearted citizen, and a sincere and true friend.  In the very height of his usefulness and in the prime of life his strength gave way, and he was obliged to lay down his work, while as yet it seemed to him, and to us all, that it was only begun.

My father came to San Francisco in 1849 and was established in business when I arrived here in June, 1850.  I at once became a regular attendant of the First Congregational Church.  It had a small wooden building on the corner of Jackson street and Virginia Place, which had been occupied only a short time.  That vicinity was then the best residence portion of the city.  The church was small, only 25 feet wide and 50 feet long, but sufficient for the time.  It had one entrance, and one aisle, probably 6 or 7 feet wide, on either side of which were wooden benches, with a single rail back, tolerably comfortable.  The minister's table was on a raised platform at the end of the room, and the choir occupied a similar one on the right of the entrance, in the corner, almost behind the door.  The room was lit by candles in tin sockets on the walls between the windows, but the minister's table had a student's lamp.  The room may have seated 100 people, and it was never crowded in '50 and '51.  Rev. Mr. HUNT was an interesting and good preacher, but the majority of men who arrived here were indifferent to religion and too much absorbed in money making to care for those things.  The prayer meeting was observed regularly, and every one who came took a part in it.  I honor the men Of '49, who loved the plains nor hide their light the Church of CHRIST, and did not leave their religion on the vessel or under a bushel, but set it on a hill, from whence its beams have shone not only over the mountains and through the valleys of California, but in Japan, China, and among the islands of the Pacific.  I do not remember any women in the church in 1850, Mrs. HUNT having gone East to visit her parents.  There were a few in 1851 and more in 1852.  The choir was composed of men at first.  JOHN H. TITCOMB, who was a fellow-passenger with me from New York, was our volunteer organist for a long time, and we had a small melodeon.  Mrs. J. H. WARREN arrived in October, 1850, and was the first woman in the choir.  Mrs. TITCOMB came in 1852 and added her voice to the choir.

Deacons HAWLEY and DOUGLASS were in office in 1850, and later WILLARD LEONARD and Dr. PARSONS.  Among the regular attendants in 1850-51 I remember TH. W. MCCOLLAM, Mr. DAVENPORT, Mr. IDE, W. F. BOARDMAN, GEO. H. BEACH, D. N. HAWLEY, L. P. FISHER, PHINEAS HUDSON, W. A. DANA, JOHN JOHNSON, A. S. MARVIN, Mr. LATIMER, JAS. FINDLA, ABEL WHITTON, and Messrs. SWIFT, GALLOWAY, STREET, COIT, KENNEDY, WILLIAMS.  I remember well the first time Mrs. JAS. KING Of WILLIAM came to church, bringing her two boys, CHARLES and JOE, into the Sunday school, forming a class for me, with two other brothers named JAZINSKEY, whom I knew for many years after as peddlers of cigars, fruit, etc.  I think it was in January, 1852, that we learned, probably through Mrs. HUNT, that WILLIAMS had died, leaving her husband and a young daughter.  I was one who visited them, and came to church and Soon I had a class of girls, one of whom was EMMA WILLIAMS, whom most of know now and for a long time as Mrs. GEO. W. CHAPIN.  Afterward ANNIEGRAY, now Mrs. CHAPMAN, and EVA ADAMS, the late Mrs. FORD RODGERS of Detroit, were in my class, and Miss STEVENSON, Miss CARRIE GERKE, and others, in the Dupont Street Church.

One Sunday morning, the 4th of June, 1851, as we were gathering at the church for the morning service, we heard the bell of Monumental Engine House on the Plaza, and were startled by the dread cry of "fire, fire." As we stood on the hillside we had an uninterrupted view over the city and we could see the flames and smoke rising in the vicinity of Montgomery street.  The city had already been swept by fire several times and we knew what that alarm meant.  Before night all of the business part of the city was in ashes and hundreds of our business men had lost all. Many were glad to find temporary refuge on vessels lying in the harbor.  My own firm and clerks lived for several weeks in that way, until we erected a new store.  How well I remember the rain and mud of those early winters, and the long climb up the hill to Stockton street.  No sidewalks, only a few old barrel staves and pieces of board laid in the worst places.  Long-legged boots by day was the rule, and the aid of a lantern at night.

Some men appeared to be pretty homesick in those days, and I remember two in particular, who were very quiet and rather sad looking men.  But they were subsequently transformed by the arrival of their wives, and were the happiest and most cheerful as well as most useful members of the church.  I refer to Messrs. BENCHLEY and STILES.

The growth of the church was slow, and I find that the original 8 charter members had only grown to 20 at the close of 1850, to 33 at the end of 1851, and to 52 in 1852.  This was owing partly to attachment to the home church in the East, which prevented sending for letters of dismission and recommendation to the church here, but also to the feeling of nearly everyone that they had come here to "make their pile" in a year or two and then return home.  But this feeling gradually wore off, and finally the attachment here became so strong that by 1852-3 the married men began to send for their wives and families.  The congregation also increased slowly, for nearly all of the numerous arrivals went to the mines.

In 1852 the little church became too full and a lot was bought on the southwest corner of California and Dupont streets and plans were prepared for a new church, to seat about 700 people.  This lot was then considered quite central, the residences having commenced to occupy Dupont, Stockton, Pine and Bush streets in that vicinity.  Work was begun on the church in July, 1852, but owing to heavy  rains in December and January it was not finished and dedicated until June, 1853.  It cost $57,000, about one-half of which was provided for by subscription, by sale of old house and lot to JNO. SIME, the contractor to build the new church, and by the outright sale of a number of pews in advance, some of which brought $800 each.  I was Treasurer of the Society until I moved to Oakland in 1862, and I remember that many considerable subscriptions were made by business men who never attended any church.

In the fall of 1852 I made my first return trip to Boston, and my father suggested that I could probably raise a fund from our shippers, who were making large profits out of the California trade, to purchase an organ for the new church, and have it reach here about the time of dedication.  I had no difficulty in raising the amount required from the four firms, FLINT, PEABODY & CO. of San Francisco, GLIDDEN & WILLIAMS and TWOMBLY & LAMSON of Boston, and JOHN BERTRAM Of Salem.  The organ was ordered from Mr. STEVENS of Cambridge and when finished was sent here in one of our clipper ships free of freight.  A bell was also sent in the same way.  The organ was used for nearly forty years.

The congregation increased rapidly after the new church was occupied, and I find that at the end of 1853 the number of church members was increased to 87, and at the end of 1854 the number was 130.  Rev. Mr. HUNT preached his farewell sermon in January, 1855, and the pulpit was supplied most of the year by Rev. I. H. BRAYTON.

In 1856 Rev. EDWARD S. LACY was called and settled, and then began a new era in the history of the church.  The new pastor was a young man, full of zeal and earnestness, and he soon captured the hearts of the people by his cordiality, his warm heart, and his large and generous personality.  The grasp of that big hand meant something, and you knew there was perfect sincerity in all he said and did.  I believe every one called him Brother LACY, and that was his relation to all of us, but especially to the young men, and many of that class were drawn in from the outside and converted in the meetings.

The attitude of this church during the upheaval of the great Vigilance Committee of 1856 was well known and strong at the time, and I will close by referring to it.  This was an uprising of the people to restore and maintain law and order, and to establish a clean municipal government. The best men in all the churches hastened to enroll their names and our church was foremost among them.  In a very short time several thousands of the best men in the city were enrolled, divided into companies, armed with muskets and regularly drilled.  A complete military organization was maintained for several months; if we had not been so strong in numbers and so thoroughly prepared to resist any force, the State militia or the United States forces would have been brought against us.  Such an issue was barely avoided.  Governor Wm. NEELY JOHNSON was appealed to by the so-called "law and order" men to put down the Committee.  He appeared to be desirous of attempting it, but he had neither the men nor the arms at his command to warrant the attempt.  The Vigilance Committee had early sent to the State Arsenal at Benicia and taken possession of a large lot of muskets and ammunition stored there.  It was rumored at one time that the commander of a United States ship lying in the harbor had his guns trained on our fort on Sacramento street and was about to threaten a bombardment if the Committee did not disband.  But that was a canard.  At any rate, we were not disturbed and took our own time to try and to hang a few of the worst criminals, and to banish the remainder.  I had the honor to be one of the Executive Committee which tried and executed the criminals, and exercised martial law over the city.  I remember among the General Committee the following members of our church who are still living: GEO. CHILDS, SAMUEL PILLSBURY, S. F. BARSTOW, DAVID N. HAWLEY, GEO. W. CHAPIN, and A. L. PARK, and probably there are others.  JOHN T. LITTLE, whose wife was a member of the church (and she is here now), was captain of one of the military companies.  The Committee was often called out in emergencies, by the tap of the bell on the Plaza, and I remember such a call one Sunday morning and a company marched by the church on Dupont street.  I remember that it was a strange and thrilling sight to look down upon our brethren under arms on the Sabbath day, and to know that they were animated by the highest and holiest motives.  The results achieved by the Vigilance Committee are a matter of history and I need not dwell on them any longer.

In conclusion, I thank GOD that I was led to come to this city in time to help in laying the foundations of religion, morality and good government.

Myself and wife were attendants of this church when the Reverend EDWARD S. LACY became, in January, 1856, its acting pastor, and in June of that year, permanent pastor.  The church edifice wag then centrally located on the southwest corner of California and Dupont streets.  It was a new building, attractive and well furnished.  There, from Sabbath to Sabbath, were gathered noble men and good women with their families to worship GOD and be instructed in the Gospel-people who have greatly aided in laying the foundation of Christian and secular society of our city, establishing its schools, hospitals, and business upon Christian principles. The congregation and Sabbath-school were, for that time, large and increasing.  The congregation was from 500 to 750, and the Sabbath-school attendance about 250.  The church under the advice of its new and consecrated pastor undertook a new line of Christian work, that of establishing and maintaining Sabbath-schools in new and outlaying districts of the city.  In 1858 and 1859 there were organized the Geary Street Mission School, from which Plymouth Church was established, the Green Street Mission, from which there arose Green Street Church, and Clark Street Mission Sabbath-school, which is now and for more than thirty years has been the Mariners' Church, most ably and successfully conducted by Rev. JOSEPH ROWELL, where hundreds of seamen have been led to the Lamb of GOD and born into the Kingdom of our SAVIOR.

About the year 1858 the Sabbath-school pledged funds to support a missionary and his wife, natives of Hawaiian Islands, to the Society Islands, where they went and for years have maintained a church and school.  During his pastorate, which was cut short by ill health, the officers of the church, society and Sabbath-school were from the leading men and women of this city, eminent Christians, faithful in every duty, and living examples of Christian lives.  They carried their faith into their business and pockets and paid a large debt against the church edifice and expended large sums of money for current expenses and charities.  No body of church members were more ably assisted than they were by their beloved pastor, whose hand and purse were also ever ready to give aid and assistance.  Rev. E. S. LACY was not an eloquent man, but he was a successful pastor, a devout and devoted man, having only one purpose in life, and that was to watch over his church, keep its members consolidated, growing in grace, abounding in good works, and doing the will of the Master.  He was popular with old and young because he was a true Christian, with a genial disposition, excellent judgment and faithful in the performance of every duty; and thus the months and years passed, until he brought to his aid a faithful wife who added to his strength and happiness.  They labored together most faithfully in this vineyard of the LORD for the salvation of souls and received their reward.  The congregation, church andSabbath- school constantly increased in numbers.

In 1858 a tidal wave of reform and conversion swept over this State through the efforts of Rev. A. B. EARLE, an evangelist.  Mr. LACY was in deep sympathy with him, and as a result large numbers were added to our churches.  This church gathered its share.  I well recollect that on the first Sunday of July of that year there were added twenty-five, mostly young men, to its membership, on confession of faith, most of whom remained faithful to the end.  Some are still with us, but the most part have gone to dwell with our LORD.  The labors of that dear pastor brought constant increase to the congregation, church and Sabbath-school, although he was constantly sending out to the new fields of established worship members of his church and advising them to abide there, and build for CHRIST.  Labor has its limit, and in 1859 he was obliged to retire on leave until the latter part of that year, when in 1864 he obtained a leave of absence for a year, but before the year expired he resigned his pastorate, because he could not see any reasonable expectation of revived health, and he did not want his church to be without a serviceable pastor.  It was the love for the church and not for himself that determined this action on his part.  He was ready to sacrifice and he sacrificed for this church.  His resignation was accepted as he did not return from his leave of absence to his beloved people.  Their tearful prayers went with him and his faithful consort, beseeching the Great Head of the Church to return them again to the pulpit he had so ably and acceptably filled.  GOD determined otherwise, and he finally in 1875 succumbed to the disease that preyed upon his body.  We cannot say farewell to our dear brother because we shall see him again in the mansions of Heaven.
 

I am requested to speak concerning that period in this church's history in which it enjoyed the pastoral care of Rev. Dr. STONE.  My earliest recollection of that eminent preacher dates back almost to my boyhood.  His transference from a pastorate in Middletown, Conn., to the Park Street Church in Boston, then doubtless the leading church in New England, and his immediate and unusual popularity in that city, caused him to reach at a bound the front rank among orators, both in the pulpit and on the platform.  He was often compared with HENRY WARD BEECHER, and not to his own disparagement.  They differed widely: the one independent of all conventionalism, both in dress and bearing, and speech- spontaneous but uneven; a fountain throwing its spray up into the sunshine, to gleam sometimes with many rainbows.  The other, observant of all social rules, and showing in all his addresses, richly ornate as they were, the touch of the student and the artist; like a granite column none the less substantial because of its shapely form and the carvings, which render it no less a poem than a pillar.  I heard them both and admired them both, but from a distance, never dreaming that I should ever come into close fellowship with either.

After our beloved Brother LACY fell by the way, I heard to my surprise that this church was proposing to call Dr. STONE.  Then I heard that good Doctor and Deacon CLARK-My Californian father as I sometimes thought of him-was in Boston about this business.  I even heard that on a Sunday evening when the audience at Park Street had crowded all the seats, he was seated on the pulpit stairs and pointed out by one and another "as the San Francisco man who thinks he can take our pastor away with him." I knew Dr. CLARK well, as a man accustomed to succeed, and was not surprised that he accomplished what to Bostonians seemed impossible. When Dr. STONE had arrived in this city and a reception was arranged for him at the residence of Hon.  IRA P. RANKIN, and I came from Petaluma with my wife to attend it, then the distance from which I had been accustomed to admire the man was annihilated.  He was "Brother STONE" and I was "Brother POND." When I came to my work in this city there were four of us Congregational pastors-and Dr. STONE used to playfully speak of us as a "quadrilateral." We had a sort of club meeting on Saturday evenings, once each month, at each other's houses, and dined together.  All sorts of questions were discussed.  We did not always agree; certainly Dr. STONE and I often saw things differently, both in questions of theology and on methods of Christian work, but our brotherly love never cooled.  Of that "quadrilateral" only the youngest and the least remains on the battlefield of life.  BENTON, the beloved, went home from his Professor's Chair in our Pacific Theological Seminary.  BISSELL, at once most affable and most dignified, witty, appreciative, helpful, devoted, rose to the highest rank of American scholarship and then from his Chair in the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago was summoned to places higher and better still.  STONE, on the other hand, by a Providence whose mystery is not yet fully cleared to us, was retired from active service for several years before he was taken from our sight.  I shall never forget the day when at our Monday meeting (at which he was always present and always-as everywhere else-present on time) he told us of a strange experience he had had the day before, while preaching.  He lost consciousness, though able still to stand behind the pulpit.  He remained silent till two of the deacons went up to him to extend him aid if necessary. Nothing however could be done, and in about ten minutes he resumed his discourse, himself scarcely aware of what had occurred.  The cause of this suspension of his faculties was never, I think, ascertained, but it recurred more and more frequently till the church could not refuse to accept his resignation.  Under this trial he rose to such heights of spiritual life, and he exemplified that life by such patience, such sunny cheerfulness, such abounding love for GOD and men, that I have doubted whether even from his "golden mouth" a testimony to the grace of GOD ever went forth so eloquent as this which his silent waiting bore.

But I was to speak of this church under his pastorate, and I have as yet scarcely touched my theme.  Indeed I have little to say about it.  I find that I know less about it than I thought I did.  You remember the story of the good deacon who was reproached by his pastor for going to sleep under his preaching, whereas he was always seen to be wide awake whenever a stranger spoke.  The deacon justified himself by saying, "When you are there I know that all will go right, but with a stranger I'm not certain." So it was about this church under such pastoral care.  All would go right, of course, and we felt no call to watch it or to know much about it.  But we knew when this house of worship was erected, wondering as we came to join in dedicating it, how much of its almost matchless beauty and fitness was due to the sound judgment and exquisite taste of the pastor.  We knew when the heroic struggle with the enormous debt resulted in glorious victory.  We knew him in times of revival, when forces were joined for a capture of the city for the King of Kings, and had then our own privilege of sitting under his teachings and feeling the inspiration of his powerful appeals.  We knew when the pastorate drew to its close, how peaceful had been the movement of affairs under his guidance hardly ever a vote taken, it was said, that was not unanimous.  And if it was hard for you, it was hard also for us, to see the wisdom of that providential dealing which took him from our fellowship, and we could only bow the head and say, Thy will, not ours, be done.

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Deacon Morse covered the period from 1880-1896, commencing with a vision of scenes connected with Sunday-school concert, services, peopling the pews again with forms and faces that have long since realized the Scripture, - "Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return"; speaking of the valuable 'services' rendered the church and locating in their pews Mrs. JOHN TAYLOR, Deacon and Mrs. IRA P. RANKIN, Mr. and Mrs. A. G. STILES, Mrs. W. F. WHITTIER, Deacon WALTER N. HAWLEY, Deacon and Mrs. C. S. EATON, Deacon ANDREW BLAIKIE, Deacon and Mrs. SAMUEL A. CHAPIN, L. L. BAKER, J. SNOWDEN BACON, W. H. TALBOT, A. J. POPE, S. M. RUNYON, LAFAYETTE STORY, and others. Then he referred to the period as one illumined by brightest sunshine and darkened by deepest shadows.  He gave an interesting account of the calling of Rev. CHARLES DANA BARROWS, D.D.; reminiscences of the eloquent address of welcome by Dr. STONE, the retiring pastor, and the fitting response by the youthful successor; spoke of the infectious enthusiasm brought to the work by Dr. BARROWS, which he infused into the Congregational Church life of the entire Coast, and his unceasing activity in every avenue of church and many avenues of secular life, until at last Nature revolted at the demand made on nerve and physical force and refused longer to submit, ending his brilliant career with mental faculties clouded and final dissolution in complete darkness.  During the pastorate of Dr. BARROWS the church was relieved of its debt of $25,000, and $15,000 more was raised for renovation and repairs to the church property, besides meeting all home expenses, contributions to Home Missions and general benevolences being never before and never since equaled.  The Cheerful Workers, the local mission, the church Kindergarten, the Park Sunday-school, the Choral Society, and the Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor, were all organized and flourished during his pastorate.  The pastorate of Rev. C. O. BROWN, D.D., was referred to in fitting terms.

The call of Rev. GEORGE C. ADAMS, D.D., the present incumbent, was characterized as a call from GOD.  "Arise and go into a land that I will show thee," was the Divine message that came to Dr. ADAMS, and, said the speaker, before the close of the first service the church realized that with the hour the man had come; the call could have been made that morning with unanimity as it a few weeks after was made; and more significant still is the fact that after the lapse of nearly three years the church finds itself bound to its pastor by a bond of love and respect that grows with its growth and strengthens with its strength.

The closing vision was one of Hope, of Faith, and of Promise.  The Western sky is arched with the rainbow of promise, the hill tops of the Eastern horizon aglow with the sunlight of Divine favor, around us the protecting arm of the King of Kings, and brooding over all the unspeakable love of a merciful Father.