The New York herald., 1871-07-31
ufchiuxs-HaIsey-WnrdeIl.

| Hiram Hutchings, pastor OF the Baptist church
in Bedford avenue, over which he has watched
with paternal care and affection for more than
twelve years. Mr. Hutchings is a native of
New York, and is about ifty-eight years
triotism, both privately and publicly, at the
outbreak Of our civil war brought him promi-
nently before the public and gathered
audiences which crowded his church every
Sabbath, and hundreds of the young men of
his church aud Of the neighborhood were in
spired by his eloquent and patriotic appeals to
leave home and friends aud march forth in
those terrible days in defence of liberty and
justice and truth. As theologian Mr.. Hutch
ings is not exceled by any Of his brethren
in the ministry, and he always breaches
extempore. His sermons are didactic and
tical issues of everyday life and the
relation of religion to those issues,
and his illustrations are often 80 quaint as to
be almost ridiculous, but at the same time
they are full of the pith and marrow of his sub
ject. He is as thoroughly conversant with the
Bible as children ordinarily are with their
primers, and he can recite text after text and
chapter after chapter upon any doctrine or
duty With an ease and volubility that is aston
ishing. He is man Of highly nervous tenn
permanent and exceedingly earnest in the en-
forcement of the duties and obligations of the
Gospel. He is a man Of fine physical frame
and appearance and can stand as much hard
work and does as much of it in his pastoral
and ministerial relations as any other minister
in Brooklyn. Mr.. Hutchings possesses very
sympathetic nature, is exceedingly fond of
children, and all the little ones in and around
Bedford avenue cling about him and kiss him
as affectionately as if he was father unto
them. He is a man of large and liberal ideas
and frequently exchanges pulpits with his
Methodist, Presbyterian and Reformed
brethren around him.
The Rev. Mr.. Halsey, pastor of the Walla-
bout Presbyterian church, in Franklin ave-
nue., near Myrtle avenue, is worthy success
sor of the late Dr. Greenleaf Under Mr..
Halseys minstrations during the past few
years the membership of the church has largely
increased, and the church edifice has been re-
built at a cost of over twenty thousand dollars.
The Sunday school has also increased in num-
bers and in usefulness and interest, and a mis-
sion chapel has been established and main
tanned on Park avenue with remarkable sue
cess. Probably the largest male Bible class
in any church in the city is sustained in this
mission, and very many of the men,
bers are young men who have been
converted from Catholicism in tho
neighborhood. The Puritan Congregational
church, on Lafayette and Marcy avenues,
is also an offshoot of this Wallabout church.
Mr.. Halsey Invariably writes out his sermons
| and reads them from his manuscripts. They
are generally plain, expository discourses,
which present in simple and practical light
| the peoples relation to God and to each other,
and they are backed up by strong and persua-
sive arguments based upon human conscious
ness and obligations. Mr.. Halsey is man of
| medium size and build an earnest and effective
pastor, though not brilliant as preacher or
| tbeologian. While his church was in process
of renovation bis congregation worshipped in
and with the DeKalb avenue Methodist Epis-
Copat SuuACu, ouu MI. AAniooy 0tOhA"ecu III euo
pulpit with the pastor of that church. The
most social Christian relations exist between
the two churches, and, indeed, between all
the differing churches aud denominations in
that section Of Brooklyn, and, by the mutual
interchange Of pulpits, q strong desire for
church union is being fostered and great ad-
vance toward that desired end is made.
The Rev. w. II. Wardell, pastor of the
DeKalb avenue Methodist Episcopal church,
is young man of slight frame and about
thirty seven years of age. He is q native of
New York, but was reared from infancy at or
near Long Branch. He has been in the
Church from boyhood, having been at the age
of sixteen years licensed as local preacher.
He is a graduate Of Wesleyan University,
Middletown, Conn, and has been eleven
years in the itnerant ministry. Until the
present year he has been stationed in COnnec-
ticut and at the last session Of his Conference
he was transferred from Waterbury to Brook
lyn. His appearance indicates and bis SER
mons prove that he is great and attentive
reader, not only Of the Bible, but of ecclesas-
tcal and contemporaneous profane history.
His sermons treat very largely of doctrinal
subjects, and are designed to fortify believers
against the insidious Vaccinations of ration
alism and materialism and the other isms of the
day, which are playing such sad havoc anon g
the Churches of our land. Mr. WardelTs forte
seems to be to build up and strengthen the
Church in the faith of the Gospel rather than
by threatenings and denunciations and appeals
to drive sinners to repentance. But he does
not at the same time leave the latter undone.
| Nevertheless his appeals to the impenitent are
made from the only true standpoint OF Christ 8
great love to them and their obligations OF
duty toward Him. He has looked at the love
of God in Christ Jesus as manifested in the
redemption of mankind until the subject has