as we see, the danger they feared was turned aside. They were not despoiled of their altar.

In this same address there is a statement of the reasons which actuated our spiritual fathers in their effort to save and strengthen their church; a statement which, because it has not yet lost its force, I quote: "It is true," said they, "we are desirous of worshipping our God, according to the simple forms of our ancestors, in spirit and in truth, without being obliged to enter a mental protest against one-half of what we may be obliged to hear, and it is a great comfort to us to be able to do so; but we have still other objects in view. We wish to exhibit here, in the centre of the Union, at the seat of the National Government, not only the simple dcctrines of pure Christianity, but an example of religious republicanism, a model of an independent church, unfettered by human creeds, and unawed by the mandates of Popes and Bishops, Presbyters and Councils, Synods and Sessions, and all the contrivances by which spiritual pride seeks to control the consciences of men ;-manfully to assert that liberty with which Christ has made us free." Let the purpose of our fathers be ours also.

I have no full record of the names of the preachers who aided this society in their endeavor to establish these noble principles; but among those which were prominent in the first half of the Society's life are such honored ones as those of Bigelow, Dewey, Hale, Palfrey, Bulfinch, Longfellow, and J. H. Allen-names of men who, with devoted purpose and earnest words, proclaimed from this pulpit the free Christianity it is our privilege and honor to profess.

Concerning the audiences which have gathered here during the past half-century, I need but say that there have been observed in them, as regular attendants, some of the best minds which have graced the Capital and the nation's councils. President John Quincy Adams, Hon. J. C. Calhoun, Judge W. Cranch, Moses Poor, Win. G. Eliot, W. W. Seaton, Joseph Gales, John F. Webb, Richard Wallach, Charles Bulfinch, and others, were among the founders of the church; and among the earlier

the shelter of sick Secretary Stanton

I se zrel was th the behavior of SIZE DET SOCIEces Lat I vis in the more gratifying to the Goreme vry & And not only was the told or adered. bot the alesch vlunteered 18 LOSES OTOK Lenses in amittees for the mare sad meet the sck and winded. With most Postal 5delity and self-samidering real did they discharge foetz beber vert Innes, subverting themselves to fatigues and senses in which more than one of their number Here." The minister, be, the Rev. W. H. Channing, ly visited the chiarel Lospital as a volunteer chaplain, ng all manner of good work, unt his health was fously affected by his untiring and self-imposed labors."

This generous gift of our church was naturally followed by great injury to the congregation. During the six months the building was used as a hospital the audience was dispersed, and not easily gathered when the church was reopened for divine services. Yet no one ever regretted what had been done. The people who reassembled after their voluntary exile felt only that their "sanctuary was made dearer than ever by the deeds of charity in which it had been the privilege of themselves and their friends to participate." Much more I should like to recall from our recent history, but I cannot now. Each of you knows what, especially, has endeared this place to him or to her, and you will doubtless remember for yourselves where I have failed to remember for you.

I turn with you, then, to bid these old walls farewell. As we go, may we pray from the heart that we shall only the better be able to worship God and to exemplify the Gospel of Christ, in the new temple building for us, than has been in our power in this. And if there are yet among us those who are alienated, by whatever cause, from one another, may it be their and our prayer now that the barriers shall here be broken down and forgotten forever. We are doing a great work. Our cause is of so supreme worth that, for its sake alone, we should do all we can to enter the future with harmony of purpose and deed. Let us, as with one soul, uphold the standard of our free Christianity in this community. Laboring together, and with good courage, we shall, I doubt not, set up in this city a new altar, before which many will worship, gaining there new faith in God, in Christ, in man; receiving there new courage with which to move forward in this life, and new hope for their entrance into the life to come. God bless us in the work it is our purpose to do.

A promise was long ago given unto Abram; and there, where he received the promise, he built an altar unto the Lord.

But he was called thence unto a new place. He carried the promise in his heart thither; and there he built an altar unto the Lord.

As did he, so now do we. Amen.

e. Close of the Washington Ministry.—My ministry as the regular pastor of the Washington All Souls Church did not last quite three years:-altogether I had spent about four years as its minister.

. The events of those years are, in large rart, of public record, and need no detailed repetition here.

The Society enjoyed much prosperity; its Sunday services were continuously exceptionally popular; its membership became not only large, but was composed of some of the most notable men and women in the official, the literary, the scientific and the social circles of the Capital City. Apparently, I had been given a position as important in its opportunities as any that a minister of Christianity could wish for. And, soon, a most gratifying success for both minister and people, as a Christian Church, seemed to be assured.

I thought of my pastorate then as a charge that I might faithfully and happily care for until, possibly, old age would justify me in transferring it to some other fortunate servant of our inspiring, beneficent faith.

But there gradually developed, unknown however to the parish and really known by but a very few persons, a sequence of events wholly separate from any personal relationships I bore; which, however, any one who is acquainted with my judgments of what would be allowable in the matter in question would understand, could not be other to me than seriously disturbing, since, necessarily, under the circumstances, I was officially connected with it. The burden which I consequently carried, I decided, for the sake of the general welfare of the Society, to bear in silence unless necessity should compel me to "speak out." This period of serious solicitude lasted for nearly a year

and a half, when, by a bit of good fortune, it was brought to a close, and a cleared way lay open for my further ministry.

But, at the time, I was far from well physically, and I needed rest. Some of the leading members of the Society when I spoke to them privately of handing in a resignation of my pastorate offered to procure for me an extended vacation. I declined the offer. I thought it would be better for both myself and the parish that a new minister should be secured. Consequently, on May 16th 1880, I read to the members of the Church the following letter, published the next day.

II.

LETTER OF RESIGNATION.

"The following is the text of the letter read by the pastor to the members of All Souls Church on Sunday, resigning his charge:

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 16th, 1880.

To the Members of All Souls Church:

DEAR FRIENDS: More than three years ago (March 18th, 1877) I became your minister. On the 1st day of July of the same year I was invited to the permanent pastorate of this church, the call to take effect on the second Sunday of the following September. After much hesitation I accepted the invitation, continued my work among you, and, in the latter part of the January succeeding, was formally inducted into my office.

To-day I resign the charge then committed to my care, my resignation to take effect at about the end of my official year, the 30th day of September next.

Several reasons lead me to this act; prominent among them is my desire for a much-needed rest. I took charge of this society when its place of worship was the old church at the corner of Sixth and D streets. The regular congre