The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1882-1884, 1883-09-06
Or. CHARlESF DEEMS.
IHE CHURCH OF THE STRANGERS
THE WORK OE A NORTH CA.
OLINEAN IN NEW YORK
NEW YORK, August

Seventh an1 Eighth. 1t is one ].
west OF Broadway and not far from
the New York hotel. rne BULL is
commo lious and comcly. 1t wi lat
about fifteen hundred persons. rne
interior is net gauly, though it ex.
ceadinglv nea.. Here DR. Deem she
best known North Carolinian j.. new
York, breaches the gospel tn. ~:
round While Talmage and B s. lei
and DR.. John Hall are away an ,3ir
churches closed, DR.. Deems remains
at his post and carries forward the
work which he loves.
This morning exactly at half-past
ten the great organ opposite the pull.
pit rolled forth its heavy tones, and
a moment later side door opened,
a gray haired man walked up cou.
pie of steps, and DR.. Deems was be-
fore his congregation. The ii ,ctor
is man of fine presence. lie mas
fine head, high forehead, kee4 eye
and expressive mouth. They sa.f that
he is between fifty five and sixty years
old, but one would hardly think it to
look at him. He looks and tall. like
very learned man of middle age
He has his own notions about divine
service. The first thing he says on
entering the pulpit is this: The
Lord is in His holy temple; let all
the earth keep silence before Him
Then there is moment of sill at
prayer. Next a lesson is read from
tie Bible then there is a hymn, then
q recitation of the creed by the entire
congregation and then prayer. Then
follows the announcement of the text
and the sermon. Another short pray
er. a hymn by two hundred orphan
children, one hundred boys and one
hundred girls, q collection in the
meantime, a chant and the benedic-
ton. That is the ceremony. 1t is
very simple, very attractive. And let
me say that DR.. Deems has one Of
the most orderly and attentive con-
gregations that | ever saw. No one
ever enters while the pastor is pray
ing or reading the Bible. There is no
turning of heads to look up at the
choir, no whispering during service.
OF the doctor himself, be it said. he
is an able. highly cultured preaaher.
Whatever he says is fraught with
meaning and his manner is preposess-
ing lie speaks without notes his
utterance is free, his language pre-
else and his articulation perfect. At
times he is eloquent, humorous, plain
ly s,>oken. He is always reverent-
never stiff. A ripe scholar, an a,le
theologian, noble hearted man,
DR.. Deems is to-day one one Of the
mo It prominent citizens of New York.
and he is a North Carolinian. Six
teen years. ago he left his native
State and came to this city, poor and
unknown. Now Inc is famous. He
has comfortable home at 229 West
twenty, second street. His wife is
most excellent lady and, Ike her
husband, is refined, affable. hospitable.
The Doctor had the misfortune to
lose Il son in the late war. the young
man having fallen under the Conted
crate flag at Gettysburg. The only
surviving son is a minister in charge
of an uptown church in this city.
What DR.. Deems's theology is do
not know. He breaches very practi-
cal sermons. | never heard him
mention hell. His idea seems to be
that men are rational and that thev
can be persuaded. He does not try
to friglten his hearers. And here
let me observe that the Doctor has
adopted that form of the creed which
reads, 'he went to the place of the
departed spirits" instead of he de-
scen1ed INTO hell
1t IS very we'll known that DR..
Deems has the good fortune to gain
the friendship Of Commodore Wander
bilt, who bought and paid for the ed.
flee known as the Church OF the
Strangers. Speaking of the purchase
of the building in a sermon delivered
Sunday, January l, 1871, DIR. Deems
said: we consented to take it, and
the Lord helped US through Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Esqr., who paid the whole
amount OF the price, doing this with.
out solicitation, on his own motion,
out of approval of our work, and in
cited thereto, as we believe, by the
spirit OF Almighty God On the in
side of the church, to the left of the
pulpit. there is a handsome bronze
plate in the wall, placed there to the
memory of Cornelius Vanderbilt.
The first sermon that DR.. Deems
ever preac led in New York was in a
small chapel to fifteen persons. in
cluding three of his own family. This
was on the 22d day Of July, 1866.
Since that day he has had many bat
ties to fight, many difficulties to over
come, but his ceaseless labor and
great energy have been fruitful OF
much good. From report which h
made at the end of 1881 I find tia
there have been taken into :
church during the last thirteen years
i,135 persons. $50 on confession "i'
faith and $50 by letter. There hay.
been taken from the roll by remov /,
ETC., SIP. Total on roll at the close
of 1901, 564.' 1t requires $1,000
annually to support the Church oi
the Strangers. The receipts for 1881