Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-05
In TALMAGE'S CHURCH.
Bessie Bramble Takes Some of the
Polish Off the Tabernacle.
WHY FOLKS CALL IT THE CIRCUS.
A Tilt With the Rough and Burly Ushers
Who Lose Their Temper.
CONEY ISLAND SUNDAY AFTERNOONS

church and urges most strongly the revision
of the Confession of Faith and the removal
of errors out of the Bible, it was fitting
that we should next hear the famous Tai
mage, who is a leader on the strictly ortho-
dox side.
He denounces all religious controversy
whatever. He afirms that the Briggs busi-
ness, the MacQueary rumpus, the Metho-
dist muddle and the Baptist trouble have
all been directly inspired by the prince of
the neither world. He says that some of the
ministers in all denominations are almost
swearing mad'' and he ventures to prophesy
that before the storm blows over and
the controversies are settled, good
many ministers will, through what they
call liberalism, be landed into practical in
fidelity, while others, who are now classed
with the conservatives, will bloom out into
bigots as tight and hard as the mummies in
Egypt. This is not promising state of af-
fairs to come, particularly as he adds that
this world is off the track and emissaries OF
Satan have been detailed to cripple the for
elgn mission business; to stir up the pro-
fessors at Andover on probation, and as to
how the heather can be saved without the
gospel; to start the Episcopalians to discuss
ing men instead of the eternities, and to
precipitate the undownable woman question
right plum in among the Methodists.
Certainly a Period of Turmoil.
If the designs of the evil one are RESPONSE
Bile for all of this religious warfare he seems
to be getting in his work very effectually,
for never, says Brother Talmage, has the
air been so full of missiles as now. Never
did the beloved brethren recite the imprec
atory Psalms of David with such Zest as at
RI1th he has of q
take no part in this rattle of the creeds, and
he advises his congregation to let the mys-
teries and intricate doctrines alone. He
tells them he gave many years OF study
to trying to understand. Gods eternal
DEGREES and why he had let sin come into
the world and to comprehend the doctrine OF
the Trinity, but his work was failure.
Thereupon he gave it up, and he has not
spent two minutes for 80 years in bothering
his brains anything about the problems
presented in the creed to thinking people.
Anyhow, he alleges, the church is
creeded to death and the young men now
being launched into the ministry are going
out into the thickest fog that ever settled
upon the coast. 1t is all folly, he atfirms,
to spend time in trying to harmonize the
doctrine of God s sovereignty and election to
salvation with mans free agency, or to
worry over the inconsistencies of the Nicene
Creed, or to endeavOr to solve mysteries, or
explore the inexplicable. But alas, people
will use their reason. They think it
is gift not to be peremptorily
jammed down and choked out Of sight. This
is an age of criticism and free thought.
Brother Talmage may resolve that he will
not give these matters thought, but mill
ions are thinking upon them, and endeavor-
ing to discover truth and to separate it from
what is false and injurious.
. Reaching People Through Newspapers.
But this is not telling of our visit to the
new tabernacle where this distinguished
divine holds forth to immense audiences,
and reaches millions of readers in the Mon
day newspapers Carlyle says somewhere
that ''the writer's of newspapers and books
are the real working, effective church of the
present day." The Bishops and Archbishops
and Cardinals and all the lords spiritual
are not in authority as compared with the
daily papers. Judging by this opinion,
Talmage stands as "big gun" indeed,
since he reaches thousands of people who
have never seen him or heard his voice. In
Brooklyn they irreverently call his new
church ''the circus''-why, unless because
such hosts of people attend, is not very clear
to see. 1t may be because nothing so draws
and entertains people as circus.
The new church is a very handsome and
imposing edifce outside. Inside it is con-
structed exactly like a theater with its
galleries. The pulpit is a stage, where the
minister has full swing, and plenty of
space to pose and prance up and down and
dramatically deliver a sensational sermon
if he pleases. In the space for the orchestra is
the organist and his keyboard, and the man
with the horn or rather cornet, and desks
for reporters. When the church was
reached, large crowd, locked out, were
impatiently waiting for the doors to be |
opened. At another entrance, only pew
holders were admitted. When the doors at |
last unfolded, and the outsiders rushed in,
they were confronted in their advance by a |
tie brief authority, and looking as proud |
and inflated as a peacock. He only needed |
a mace or a club to make a cornerman of |
him to all appearance.
Ordered Up to the Gallery.
"No one can come in here" he shouted |
rudely. "Go up to the gallery in tones |
are permitted to enter below. At the en-
frances to the aisles on the first gallery stood |
other gaurds, who ordered everybody |
roughly to go to the third gallery, as these |
seats were reserved. But determined not to |
ego up higher" we took our stand with the !
intention of seeing the opening service, and |
then take our departure. 1t happened to be |
G. A. r. day and the seats were being re-
served in anticipation of a crowd. Well, |
those ushers had time-the one in our |
vicinity lost his temper as his temperature !
began to rise. He became cross and glared |
at everybody as if he thought they were |
there specially to annoy him or to steal
something from him.
We made bold to sit down humbly
upon the back seat, and thought if
it was wanted for any special magnates
we would Immediately vacate Perhaps the
appearance of our little party was formid-
able, for while this ferocious usher gave us
some savage glances he said nothing. He,
however, bounced out handsome old lady
who had presumed to sit down In vacant
seat without consulting his sovereign
room for all, and all this show merely served
to make people mad.
DR.. Talmage 1--WE believe he is D. D. }
looks much older than when he last retailed
stale 'chestnuts'' in lecture in Pittsburg,
but on this occasion he looked quite happy
and contented-or Connected" suggested
our companion. 1t is a matter OF pride
with this great company of church people
that they have congregational singing, sup
ported by fine organ and led by an expert
with the cornet. But with all his putting
and blowing the cornet man does not lead.
He falls in.
Follow Their Own Sweet Wills.
The people get hold of the air, and rem
der it at their own sweet will. They hold
on to it, meander over it, and wall all they
want to. The effect of a congregation OF
nerhaps 81 900 people singing mainly ad lib