The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-07
What Religion Does and Does Not Do
for Brooklyn.
Interesting Personal Sketches Of Her Lead
ing Clcrgymen.
THEIR MENTAL CALIBRE.
Salient Points Of Character and
Temper.

OF Churches. IL never has had more churches In
proportion to its population than washington,
Philadelphia or Baltimore. Time was, however,
when 1t had hardly any other places OF public
resort tnan churches. The principal theatre II
but three years old. Its oldest theatre has been
in existence only since the nrst OF 1.-The war;" Its
Academy OF Music Is not q decade old yet Prior
to 1850 the churches were ali that distinguished
the life OF the city the sense In which that life
was attractive and helpful to outsiders. city
asIheticalIy developed IN just one direction was
bound to DO popularity baptized into the interest
exclusively characterlzing 1t. Hence "tRe City Of
Churchss.n
ABLE AND ODD PREACHERS.
Besides this there have always been number
OF preachers in Brooklyn either unusually able or
unusually odd, or both. These have made their
marx upon the history Of the city and upon the
history Of the denominations to which they have
belonged or do now belong In cases they have
even impressed themselves upon the literature and
traditions OF the entire Protestant body OF Chris
tantty, the world over. All ideas 10 the contrary
Notwithstanding, the number OF historically dis
tinguished clergymen In The past in Brooklyn ex-
ceeded the number OF that degree OF prominence
IN the present. When Rev. Drs. Bethune, Carroll
Samuel Hanson Cox, Spencer, Farley, "Dominie"
johnson, Charles Robinson, Heman Bangs and
McIlvaine, simultaneously preached in Brooklyn
reelected ustre on the city than can be Indicated
Of the present array pulpit talent, distinguished
1t may be and overtopping any one Of the former
as one or more OF Brooklyn contemporary clergy
men may DO. The more notable ministers now
preaching in Brooklyn may be named,
without injustice. in the following order:-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES, Beecher Burlington,
scudder; resbyterlan-Cuyler. Talmage, and
Duryea; Methodist Episcopal-Haynes, Davis,
and Buckley; Protestant Episcopa-Hall
Schenck. and Homer; Baptist-Hyatr Smith,
Jenerey and Fulton; Universallst-Nye; Uni
tarian-Chadwick and Putnam; Relormed-Rev.
z. 8. Porter ana Rev. J. h. Carroll. As a whole,
this list is not SO eminent as the one we have
given of the preachers OF the past In both lists,
however, are included the names of ministers
who for the past forty years have made Brooklyn
Q renowned church centre.
PREACHERS OF THE RECENT PAST.
The traditions OF the city and its present life
are full OF stor es, statements and sayings which
either refer back to these men as their authors
or become annexed to them 10 other respects. All
such things stated In this article are authentic,
yet all OF them have heretofore escaped chronicle.
The matters mentioned comprise q body OF fact
through which can be perceived suggestive evil
dences OF the kind OF Influences which have made
up and do now make up the moral life OF Brooklyn.
portion and proprety Will be best observed, by
developing the peculiar traits and utterances at
tributed to the BrooKlyn divines OF q generation
ago.
REV. DR. BETHUNE.
Rev. DR.. Bethune was a man Of imposing
presence. and he possessed Evolutionary powers
OF an excellence which was as much the proof Of
genius as OF fine training. He Always selected
his hymns with double view. he desired them,
hta
and he also was very careful to select
such songs of the church as were I'M
presuvely suitable to his voice. His idea
was that 1.-THE pulpit OF right demanded mans
best powers OF every order" and that TT was as
much Of q mans duty TO preach well as to preach
sincerely" He relied In no small degree for
legitimate effects upon his hymnal reading. 1t was
no extraordinary, it was a customary thing Tor
him to move people to tears by his reading OF the
hymn
Aasi and did my Saviour bccdi
and to terror by his rendition OF the hymn
Twas on that dark and doleful night
The rous ng, inspiring, almost exhilaratinz re.
suits wrought by him In reading some OF the jubt-
liant songs OF the church can hardly be tndi-
Gated. Changing line OF Tennyson's,. the effect
seemed '1ike perfect wording set in noble tones y
No man was more stately IN the pulpit; yet no
man was more humorous out Of it, Most OF his
good things have been published. or what have
not been this Is about the best:-There
was o man IN his congregation whom
the Doctor mad long believed to be in .
a. frame OF purpose AMI belief to join the
church. yet who was troubled BY mental din
culties which he did not make known. At last
those difficulties appeared about the subject
OF baptism. The man himself resolved them BY
joining the Baptist church.. The act relieved his
doubts, and he came and told Dr. Bethune, with
great animation OF manner and countenance,
"Doctor, have Joined the army OF the Lordi"
The Doctor quietly asked, (which wing Of the
army?r With CLEAN OF humor the man reptile d,
"Tne right wing, Doctor, depend on 1.-THE Bap.
tists" "Ah." said the Doctor, ''the Baptists are
not the army OF the Lord at all they are the navy
OF the Lord" The record or the story ends with
It's humorous climax, for the reply or the man, If
any was possible, Is not preserved.
As appreclative and devout a hearer as any he
had was the cultivated wife OF DR.. Bethune. The
lady was an invalid, sequestered from religious
service and from society by that fact for years.
The parsonage, however, adjoned the church on
Pierrepont street, and in the common wall oi
the two buildings Judas window" was cut,
through which, seeing and not seen, Mrs. Bethune
on her coucn took part in the worship and heard
the sermons OF every Sunday. The Doctor used
to score double point In warning his hearers to
crcumspcction. 1--WE cannot tell who Is looking
at u.s." he would say.
REV. DIR. CARROLL THE ELDER.
There are many "reminiscences cherished OF Rev.
Or. Carroll. He was a Presbyterian. and the
father OF the Rev. j. Halstead Carroll, u. D., pas
tor OF the present East Reformed church. on Bed
ford avenue His congregation worshipped In O
building on the present site OF Plymouth cnurcn.
When a young man DR.. Carroll 10 said either TO
have been blacksmith or to have understood
how TO be one. He used payiully TO refer to Awful
Gardner, the converted prize ngnter of years ago,
and TO himself as "two powerful ex-pounders.'
The joke was good' when IL was new, and 1t was
new then. parishioner OF the Doctors Insisted
on the latter retaining all day the paper which he
subscribed for. All the parishioner needed the
paper for was to read IL at night. The Doc
tor cared more for books than the journals OF
years ago, but he found out that 1t offended his
friend n the paper he loaned did not bear the APP