The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-03
Pen Picture of Professor Swing, OF
Chicago, In His Pulpit. <.,.;

Z Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Commercially,
CHICAGO, December 80. 1STs.s 4
Yesterday Sunday went to the theatre.
Pretty well, you say ,for a clergyman but
I 1went to hear Swing preach. The arraign-
ment of Professor Swing "for heresy.o by
Professor Patton, was God4end to Swing,
in giving him notoriety, position, influence,
and abig salary. On my way, yesterday, ]
fell in with q gentleman and inquired for
Mcylcker's theatre. IS am going there"
said he, "and VIII shoW.you the way" On
stating that was strane ger in the city, and
an old acquaintance OF Professor Swing,
.s Come with me-" he said, "and / will give
you a seat" This was arelief, for Tie thropg
pressing in was great, and as we entered
hundreds were standing on the outer circle.
and before the service began entertained me
worth was seated right behind us. He
pointed out Potter Palmer, Mr.. Letter, Of
Field, Letter & Co.; ex-senator Trumbun,
and other notabilities, and said )" The
lawyers, judges, leading merchants, and
largely the wealth and the culture Of 2,Chica-
90, attend here" The house was packed,
cold as it was-parquette, galleries, aisIes,
and all. Certain seats are rented-70O are
left free-and after prayer before the SER
mon all the seats not occupied are free. The
crowd from the outer circle, after the amen,
flied in and filled the seats, and still many
were standing. ~. -, = 80
- On my inquiry my friend said:1 "Twen-
fty-three hundred edswere, no doubt, present.''
The. preacher was on the platform as we
went in, and near him was q sweet-toned
organ, played by a lady. and the singing
was led by preceptor, and all the congre-
CATION appeared to join in this part of the
service. There were no hvmn-books visible,
but at the door on entering each one re-
ceiyed a programme Sor the service, with
the words and music for the singing. This
| feature OF the worship WaS the most de-
lightfu ever witnessed The selections
were beautiful, and the singing was per-
formed in the most entertaining manner
simple, expressive, with no "opening
piece,'' or any operate attempt at display.
Many congregations having the reputation
of being more "orthodox I" might here
learn valuable lesson.
Professor SWINGS part began with short
prayer, which l could not hear, and the
reuding OF the Scriptures, OF which heard
but little. Ny informant said he was feeble
in health, but that his voice would become
louder, and when be had got under way in
preaching every word would be heard to
|
ence. 1t proved to be so. The subject
Of his discourse was Happiness" )"
from the text in the Proverbs Of SOL
omon, "He that hath n merry heart
hath continual FEAST" His speaking at
first was slow, measured, scarcely audible,
without the least action; but after the first
five OF ten minutes he made n feeble
gesture with his left hand, then be-
gan to warm up q little, and at length
his voice attained good volume. so that
every word could be heard distinctly, his
enuncation was clear, and us the audience
room seemed acousticaliy perfect, every
syllable must have been heard by the entire
assembly. Certain passages were delivered
with good deal Of animation; his gesticu-
lation was forcible and appropriate, and on
the whole he exhibited more elocutionary
power than supposed he was capable Of,
for had heard him in former days. The
matter OF his discourse evinced thought,
much reading, and large acquaintance
with literature and history, and there were
occasional touches OF real eoquence. His
rhetoric throughout was attractive. He
has great power at word-painring, and
he enchains his hearers from the text
to the amen. I sat where | could cast an
occasional glance over the crowd, and |
never saw more quiet and attentive au-
dience. Every eye seemed fixed upon the
speaker, and there was none OF that rust
ling and changing OF position, exhibiting
rcstlessness and dissatisfaction, which one
often secs in church. But once was the
gravity of the assembly disturbed. and by a
ripple OF rustic and pcrvading smile,
when, giving a most apt illustration OF his
point, he related how Methodist Confer
ence in Wisconsin, after wrangling long
hnir Ia 20
draw the line between gambling and cro-
quet, abolished croquet altogether from the
list of church recreations.'
If one should ask wherein lies Professor
SWINGS power-ior that he possesses and
wields it is plain from the position he holds
and the character Of his regular auditors
it may be said to consist, in part, of the
points above mentioned, along with others
equally plain. His thoughts are striking,
always beautiful, often show originality.
His discourses are full OF Incident and his
torical alIusion. citing with brevity and
point the sayings of statesmen, orators,
poets, and philosophers-all made to illus
trate his theme, brought in naturally and
without any attempt at display or show OF
Z. pedantry The sermon OF Yesterday was
full OF these qualities, and yet it had that
prime trait unity-and everything bore
upon the theme in band. The "orthodoX' u
would say that Professor Swings "powel
to draw" admitting all I have said, hes
mainly in quite another thing-his lax OIL
liberal theology. There is, probably,
something in this. He is known to be
liberal thinker, and he occasionally give:
'srigid orthodoxy" as. he views it, some
, hard hits. There are some probably-pcr
haps many-who go TO hear him because
. ''he Is LIBERAL" But ! find that he hat
some 'tgood people from orthodox demon
, nations" among his regular. hearers.
heard OF one family, formerly OF my owl
: congregation, in Chillcothe, Ohio, wht
, were originally from the Psalm.singin
} United Presbyterian Church. whom uset
to train in orthodox ways. But, then. ther
, are other liberal preachers" as Mr.. Froth
r ingham, in New York-not meaning to clas
( Professor Swing with him-and Jane
Freeman Clarke, of Boston; but they d.
| not SO draw" as he does. The genuin
t sympathy with humanity in all its phase
=, OF Joy and suffering is an attractive ele
mcnt in his preaching, and judge he sci
. dom, IL ever, presents the several points o
theology in his sermons, as is done In SOM
pulpits.
. Pecuniarily Professor SWINGS congrega
5 tion is a success. My polite friend, wh'
: says " he is the coming man." told me tina
| the Professor gets $4,000 per annum as
! salary; that no collection is ever taken VI
t in church; that all expenses for the curren
: wear are provided for, with $4,000 surplu
+ in the treasury; that during the coming
: wear /" large hall !" is to be built for the con
| oresatlon block or two from McVicker's