Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-06-07
eEEChER AND ERSokLYN.
lEdROr.G t0TToYo5dcdae OF The Sar)
A. D

ami with rather Unusual line of theatrical
/ attractions presented for the night-..thc Big
! bonanza at Days; the Two Orphans" at
| The Union Square; the handsome Molta que
| at Wallacks and the handsomer Rignold
| with Clara Morris at Booth's-that turning
| my back upon all these wicked attractions
| should have gone four miles in another
direction to a prayer meeting will perhaps
strike the STAR readers as a hopeful slgl o.
grace. But then IL was
BEECHER PRAYER MEETING
and that makes difference. ! crossed the
Fulton ferry and making my way up Brook
lyn's main street stopped to inquire the
way TO Plymouth Church OF q young mn
who was reading the Brooklyn Etpe, but
before had opened my mouth he remarked
in an ofI-hand way up Henry AMI dowa
Orange" and continued his reading No;
surprising that he was answering a question
hadn't asked proceeded with my inquiry
Ives" said he. indexing with his finger. lyon
90 up Henry street TO Orange and turn
down Orange about half square" So il
broke in upon me that probably the chief
occupation OF the people of Brooklyn is to
answer questions about the way to Beecher'S
church, and they have the answer always
ready. went"up Henry and down Orange
and found the church. not so much by its
church-like appearance as by the stream of
people already making their way up the side
alley leading TO the vestry room. This was at
* p. m. Att the doors were opened, and then
there was another wait until O'Clock; the
time for the exercises. The seats of the lee
ture room, holding about 500 people, were
speedily filed, and the later corners then APP
peaTed, bearing camp-stoOls and chairs, Ob-
tanned, probably, from the church supply.
There was not much To occupy the eye during
this tedious hour. The room has an almost
Quaker piainnesS, and baroness of Orna-
ment;-plain walls, plain benches, half a
dozen plain chairs upon the platte. IN. con-
trOnJe0 by the preachers arm chair. which
bad bit of color in the red plush lining.
over the platform the wall bore the inScrip-
tons: cone family in heaven and earth"
"Ohe Is your master, even Christ, and all We
are brethren" Some OF he old stagerS. used
10 these waits, Whlled away the time realing
the Brooklyn E0g}e; those less provident
found the opportunity to post themselves
quite thoroughly i'm regard TO the beauties
OF the plymouth Collection" hymn book
Then the reporters began to drop In: among
Them tall Mr.. Fleetwood, the official short
hand reporter for Mr.. Beecher, aud who has
special. nut dimlnutlYc, table in front Of
the platform. Then came in Mr.. Tom Shear
man (Of Beechcr'S COUNSEL with big book.
which afterwards turned out TO be a church
record for service in a meeting of the MEM
0erShip after the prayer-meeting. rwO white
haired pairiarchal looking gentlemen, vino
appeared 10 he pillars. were inquired about,
and proved to be Rev. Mr.. Halliday, Beech
II assistant and a witness in the tral), and
Deacon Howard, father Of the lively 10. How
ard, OF the New York S0r. White haired
Mrs. Beecher, with a face somewhat like
Charlotte CuShman 5, but of smaller, aud
more refined features, occupied a front seat:
and near her was Rev. Edward Beecher. look
ing. with his white locks and mild. e. pres
>IOnlcSS, blOOile face. q sort of waShed-Olt
member of the virile Beecher family. Pre-
stntly somebody said There's Baecher.'
and he was seen standing in the door. He
stool there some moments, running tine au-
dience over with his eye, with q cheerful
buOyant look upon his quaint features, as II
choosing TO answer the ques ton in the minds
of so many present SIS he guilty''' in this
way. He next seated himself upon the step
10 the platform and talked to Shearmau
about some matter Of drOil nature aDpar-
emily nom their laughing, AMI then he
mounted TO the platform with a quick step,
hung his broad brimmed. soft hat under the
table and settled down Comfortably in IN
cnalr up 10 his arm-pits. He opened the
IYnn book, announced "GlI" abruptly with.
out reading RI or any other word of dpSi0na-
ton, and the congregation took itup; singing
win considerable feeling, but no attempt at
me VOcalizatiOn. Then Brother Halliday
was called upon To pray; after which hymn
''GGS' was deSi grated and sung and after
mother prayer by Brother Dawson. Mr.
B"eclcr commenced a lecture, or rather an
of-hand talk, in which a 4 his powers OF Illus
tratIOn. mimicry, humOr and pathoS were
brought into play.
Is THE BEECHER DOCTRINE 4 DOCTRINE Of
MUSH AND GUsH?
He dashed of at once into defence-not
against the TitOn chargeS-bnt of his doc
trines in regard 10 future punishment. IL
was alleged, he said, that ne hal east out
lear in his preaching and had INTRODUCED
Inc element OF love, which lacks the ribs and
backbone OF those systems Of truth by which
the world has been governed, aud that this
doctrine Of love has become mawkiSh, en-
ieebled and must run out, bringing in the
first instance sent iment and after that senti-
tn,
viii draw men you have got to have the
great element OF conscience, fear. Now"
said he, u don't give up either conscience or
fear ] preach them all the time. Bat |
preach them aS If you were men not AMI
maiS. When men are SD that nothing but
tear VIII touch, then, Deiive in fear. That
- 10 say. anything Is better than death.
And no matter how coarse the fear iS. if men
are 50 brutal That you must teach them a
DruteS. why then you must, but l insist
upon ii that after being educated in enShrin-
u9 glory for generations and ages. men
cEalger ana that We are not TO "a on with
aaii ami birthstone; hell and damnation.
1nlS Is To barnarlZc the Gospel, II is To uueS-
ton the philosophy of TRUTH
Mr. Beecher spoke for the most part from
ms aIm-cbar IN an easy, conVersati onal
tone, hut warming up towards the close he
SrIang from his seat and occupied the whole
length ana breadth of the pla form as =
stamping ground, while he went ON in ami
mated style TO illustrate and enforce his
Y2int. .,..,
rON the conclusion Of his talk le was
surrounded by a crowd Of those ~i0 wanted
TO pay their respects to INN, or TO stare al
him, and the audience was so slow in leaV-
Ing that Brother Shearman, tired Of holding
MS big book, at last requested them 10 move
on and out so that the church meeting
might he held.
BEECHER IN THE PULPIT.
sunday morning | paid another visit to
Plymouth church, and through the aid of a
friend, who is a pew-holder, was able to get
a seat near the pulpit, or rather the low plat
form which takes the place OF pulpit in that
church. The pressure at the door as we en-
tered equalled the crush at the Jenny Lind
concerts III the height OF her renown, and
while some 5000 persons were accommo-
dated somehow in a room that seats about
$500, there were, perhaps, as many more out
side unable TO get admission. The church,
like the lecture room, is exceedingly plain
and unpretending in color, ornamentation
and furniture. Walls of the plainest white or
drab; an organ with pipes of sober hue; all
served TO carry out the general idea of severe
simplicity. And somewhat to nv surnrisa