178 A HALF CENTUEY. 



" After less than four years of agreeable and profitable cliurcli life 

 in New Britain, through a business necessity, I became a tramp. 

 With the true instinct of a tramp who always knows where he is 

 likely to be well fed, I often came around of a Sunday to listen to Dr. 

 Goodell, in St. Louis. Only two years ago that other trait of the 

 tramp, stealing, developed in me ; and with others I attempted to steal 

 your present pastor (Dr. Cooper) for a vacant secretaryship in a na- 

 tional society, but unsuccessfully, as you already know. 



"In returning to-day to celebrate with you the semi-centennial 

 anniversary of this church, we may well remember with profound' 

 gratitude, that with all of material improvement made in this commu- 

 nity and others in the past fifty years, no improvement has been made 

 or can be made in the way back to free acceptance with our Heavenly 

 Father. This is and always will be through the merit and mediation 

 of His Only Son. Although tongues cease which once spake unto us 

 the word of God, ' Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and to-day, yea, 

 and forever.' And the gates of death have not prevailed against this 

 branch of His Church, its membership numbering now more than at 

 any previous time. May there never lack here a goodly company 

 continually coming forward to fill the places made vacant from inevit- 

 able causes, and to still further increase the membership of this beloved 

 church." 



This church is rich in its friends. Several neighboring 

 pastors were present during the services, besides those who 

 took part in the exercises, among whom may be named the Rev. 

 Horace Winslow, formerly pastor of the First Church, Rev. 

 Asher Anderson and Rev. John C. Wilson of Meriden, Rev. F. 

 G. Wood worth, D.D., of Mississippi. Letters were received 

 from Rev. Burdett Hart, D.D., Rev. E. P. Parker, D.D., Rev. 

 President Timothy Dwight, D.D., Rev. C. R. Palmer, D.D., 

 Rev. Lewellyn Pratt, D.D., Rev. Prof. G. B. Stevens, D.D., 

 Rev. J. W. Backus, Rev. W. R. Eastman, and others. 



In behalf of these and many other friends, and of neighbor- 

 ing churches long in fellowship with us, the Rev. A. W. Hazen, 

 D.D., pastor of the First Church in Middletown, made the fol- 

 lowing address: 



OUR FRIENDS. 

 Rev. a. W. Hazen, D.D. 



I bring you the cordial salutations of a church that is nearly two 

 hundred and twenty-five years old ; one that had lived a century and 



