New-York tribune., 1884-03-23
PULPIT SKETCHES.
mr. q II. TIFFANY, OF THE MADISON AVENUE
METHODIST CHURCH

stretches along nearly three and half mi'eS 'h'oea
an imposing perspective OF ehureho7' 80, ,oaa;oc |
,udc;ous intervals, representing most u W -, |
s,;;ous denominations, often bold ana c""e
,n conception and executed in iaVish an" oU''S
~, ro 40 many of these edices that the avenue
hos really become, and might graceiuuy c"o"su ~
s,,ed the "Via Sacra" or Avenue OF Churches il"'
s''orb !, F;fthave may be found most OF the eatne
J, Ike temnles which express the high water marx
:, doronipaiional and ecclesiastical prosperity D"t
rinb-ave is losing some of its social ana eccios''
rrestige below hirty-fourth-st, wmle at rn'S
nintb.st il becomes Mall along the whole e"'','"
boundary of Central Park, and no more new ohuioH'
ohoVe DR. John Halls are likely to DC oui1 ioi sumo
,;mc Madson-aye. is likely then 10 retain ''s ui''
,ne,on in the eyes of shreWd and iarseeins lesio"'
corporations. ,,.-..-. oo,,os tho
Latest among the churches in MadisonaVe. comes .he
Mcbodst society which has made mnuheent provision
f itself at the northeast of SXheth ST. no"
a.r tbe nastoral care of the Rev. DR. o. H. llbany'
tDt;p along the avenue one hundred feet and eignS
feet along the street. the architect AT. Ho"'
found a site of rare opportunity Tor ihe Co..
his exuberant and sometimes rash eclecuelSn'
n the comfort and convenience Of the SOCIETY ~ m
cerned the results certainly a1nlu"o' -
Icious educational and social actiVlues oi 'H'
are proyided for with excellent lH'e"e
orbcrn side Of the plot is occupied by Wha may oo
all
,Ior Cor recepons and social gatherings Ills the en-
iro first floor while the next provides an adinraoie
,,,ro room with apartments for Sunday-schoois
lhrarcs and classrooms. A chasened decoration IN
snbdued harmonies of warm tntlngs, amer 'iie ii'
manner together with the of hard WOODS "oihc" "
their own colors, prevails everywhere Inc ar'no'
clearly understands the matter of lighting his apart
pts nv the management of his lantern roofs and sde
windows with their stained glass OF russell goiu' VIII"
ont ecclesiastical emblems or designs
plan AID DECORATION OF TIE AUDITORIUM
The church auditorium communicates ON DOM noors
With the parish house. Il provides for about |oo
stiffness There is nave well upraised with two side
.slcs All are round-arched, cciled in oiled wood'
with delicate moudings and traceries sparnSy useu'
The side aises are without galleries, and fal sraceu9
into the general perspectives The eastern oaS Vi "
north aisle is broken by small organ ana cho'r gar
Iery approached by slender stairway from the h'ui
floor brilliant and sonOrous organ with gorgeous
snread of heavily gilt metal dispasons small colony
of which crops ont in the upper chancel side wall WIN
a nicely balanced quartette, provides the music IN
which the congregation occasionally joins The gal
1orv t the west end is exceedingly picturesque as the
columnar supports Of the interior tower, which rises
boldly above the church roof made accessories 10
architectural treatment and ornamentatlon lheehu
asles are surrnounted by the nave walls, which 11se
well above tbeIn and pierced with broad, square
windows like panels. The eastern end is treated as
shallow chancel with its graceful round arch heavily
and richly moulded. The pulpit is raised few steps
ON narrow platform which the recess and at
its foot is the altar table, with narrow antependum
In heavy garnetcrimson silk velvet bearing the egeho
i'm gold " In Remembrance Of Me-
STRANGELY enough. this glowing patch Of color
focuses and elucidates the whole sweep of mural
decoration which fills the edifce with its consistent
and well-consdered design This color-scale ascends
from the altar frontal with some warm maroon band
ings behind the pulpit, and these fall into subtle
cradatons of lighter tDtings in warm browns bulls,
dead gold and the tawny hues of tea roses There is
little beyond panelwork and landings but the color
treatment is tIanqullizng and restful There are a
few brilliant Maltese crosses in red distributed aons
the cerestory spaces at the head OF the round arches
Nothing else of conventional ecclesiastical significance
however the eyes The great interior mas ratner
a half Oriental feeling half Saracenie without It's
horseshoe arches and half Byzantine without its splen
dor of illumination. But the story and patience ana
triumph and ecsacy ofthe Cross find no voe-only me
senees reserve reveie of mere aesthetic suggestion
onpeal 10 the sensiblities ii is everything, indeed
ANYTHING YOU please, but distlnctively Christianity
Strangely winged lions, grifns In bronze everywhere
appear caryatides supports OF shafts ana ps'ers'
brackets and ornaments.
brown stone of a pleasant hue Most styles are feit
ioslng each other in the design, always excepting the
Gothic There is touch of Byzantine OF Norman, oi
the casellaed, of classical OF Queen anne ana 1 ~,
Flemish Renaissance in thing aud terra eot'a. nc
circular clumsy tower columns are hair (clopeah-i
rude riscity, while the halconied openings hih1 ol
Ianoud reyeries in midsummer evenings he exterior
abounds i'm passages of delicate chsel work especlai
above lhe main entrance, where Rho-cross oohil
appears
CHARACTER oF THE SERVICES.
The services approach a lturgical type. The numer
ons and obviously thrifty congregation that filed th
pews last Sunday joined in responses and the Lord
PRAYER was said by all There was first and secont
lesson and there a standard Anglican re Deum dc
Hvered ntellgently by the quartet The prayers O
the nastor were enriched and nvigorated by generous
quotations from the Prayer Book, as well as a lint
underlining of Scrptural pbrascology An uimis
taxable reverence and devoutnes ruled the hour anC
il was impossible to avoid the impression that warm
fervent energies were at work. For this irresistible
irreprcssble heartpower the secret ana lnspatlo
of that early Methodism which swept over the lald
It's day with almost miraculous sway, ana tne i; 1ale
problem has been pending IN our modern city ciVlhz
iion how far Methodism could make terms win ituIl
Gus fortunes and chilling eonventonalitles Certah
the Church has faced the Issue eouragcOusy anu NO
without faith in desirable solution. 1here Wei
costly eauipages before the church with yeries; ther
were elegant eosmes M ,S ana tS Of fashonsb
riches vet without the grave chill ana ireeZihg pro
priety Of many churches. There was eordlaty an'
the gentle iuneser'e Oi refined ana accessible ieo"
ship.
THE PREACHER AND HIS SERMON.
Dr. Tiffany is a strongly marked vigorous, energetic
richly furnished personality, positive direct, an'
yithal human hearted. He duplicates no other man
thinks his own thoughts, is at home with himself
neither blunders stmDbles in his purposes ant
speech. His broad compact thrifty figure, his grea
spread of chest his firmly poised, strongly modelled
head with It's promise Of the best and most seryeeab
brain furniture The sensitive speaking lines Of an elo
ouent mouth. eyes that kndle and open up express
;velv. all help explain the preacher and orator. Their
Is about him an admirable presence OF fine breeding
of one who is worldly wise without having becom
worldly or cynical of one who may meet the best an'
biehesi ON their own plane without loss or dis
pafageIleut. This is plainly growth OF earliest as
socatio,. and not later accident or aitertho9gh
an exncdent of mere culture. HE spoke and felt an'
thoueSf in degree, as he now does early IN he. lii
voice is musical with those spontaneous infections a'
cadeuces and shadings that flow from resonant har
ronious admirable manliness. There is pathos, per
snagion sincerity tenderness intrepdity, with beau