Morning journal and courier., 1891-11-23
RICHARD sALrER sroRRs.

 Forty-Five Years Pastor of the
 Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn,
 N. Y.-A Pen Picture Of the Distfn-
 guished Preacher and Of His
 Church and Congregation-Them Man
 and His Methods as He Appears in
 the Pulpit.
 Copyright by L. R. Stegman.l
 Thursday last was the forty6fth anni- versary of the installation of the Rev. Richard Salter Storrs, D. D., as pastor of the Church of the Pilgrims, Brooklyn, N. Y. The event was appropriately commem- orated by the united action of Dr. Storrs' congregation and the members of the Man haitian conference, of which he is mem Der.
 The Church of the Pilgrims is centrally situated on Brooklyn Heights. It is built of brown stone, and, if Puritan severity is missing from the style of its architec- ture, it is substantial enough to indicate Puritan purpose that builds not for day. In it's massive front is set slab of Ply mouth rock. It is surrounded by fine res idences-the homes of the more select of Brooklyn's plutocracy-residences fronted by broad, winding steps, guarded by free stone banisters. from which the lion couchant or winged phunix grins blandly at the aristocratic pretensions of the dwellers within. Many of these people rank among their most distinguished so cial privileges membership in the Church of the Pilgrims-the mother of Brooklyn ~ lAAa back to the 22d of December, 1S44. Nine of its members formed the nucleus of Ply mouth church. In June, 1S46, Dr. Storrs was called to it's pastorate from the Con- gregational church of Brookline, Mass. His father, grandfather and great grand father had all been Congregational minis ters. He was educated at Amherst, whence he was graduated at eighteen. Andover was his theological mother, and from her class-rooms he passed directly into the ministry. All else that relates to his life is identified with his pastorate of the Church of the Pilgrims.
 Service in that stately temple begins at eleven o'clock on Sunday morning. The morning we selected for our visit proved bright and crisp. The rays of the sun were chill and lancelike in their lustre.
 
 from November to June. The light with in, in its passage through the windows, is subdued and softened by prismatic tints. Shattered rainbows are flung upon the rich carpet and over the richly cushioned pews. We stood at the entrance of the main aisle and were requested to take a seat near the door, with the polite intims- ton that when the usher assigned to the aisle arrived we should be better accom- modated. From the pew we occupied we had good view of the interior. The pull pit and platform, plain and yet cores bonding in elegance with their surround ings, have behind them gallery construc- ted upon Moorish suggestions and flooded with mellow light. On the left of this gallery is the organ, the pipes decorated in blue and gold enlivened by crimson. They give tone and illumination to the pulpit end of the sanctuary. Keyboard and or ganist are hidden from view. A space corresponding to that which the organ oc- cupies is reserved for the choir on the oth- CT end of the gallery. Into it a rich, gold en light descends from hidden jets and blends softly with the tinted beams that fall from the windows overhead. The Oriental richness of these appointments suggests the interior of a splendid mosque. The woodwork throughout is of oak, fin ished in natural color, which imparts a tone of light and joyousness to the more sombre and gorgeous effects. The pews | are large and comfortable, and those in the | gallery afford good view of the pulpit and choir.
 ! As the congregation enter, which, fol- lowing the good New England habit, they do very punctually. it is apparent that they are people of wealth and refinement, al though the latter holds display of the for B., ;nk for D1air A gentleman in one of the front pews has been prominent in every great enterprise that has interested Brooklyn in thirty years He is venerated far and near. The Magician, !" his fellow townsmen call him, ! because he converted acres of bleak bog and fen into one of the handsomest parks in America. He is accompanied by young ! lady and gentleman, a son and daughter perhaps, the former so plainly attired that | only professional mantau maker could | remember what she wore ten minutes after \ looking at her. In the congregation, too, ! is young man who, few years ago, | spiritedly contested the mayoralty election l in Brooklyn with another young man who | now presides over great university. This l particular young man was defeated, but be 1 came out of the conflict with unsullied | plumes and is at the head of the Brooklyn ! board of education. There are others here who are eminent in many walks of life, l and merchants of New York whose credit is unlimited the world over. Others there | are from the number social tiers, and a
 select number of apprecistive people from | various churches and from abroad. The
 main floor is filled. But there are plenty os vacant seats in the galleries.
 l Such is the church, and such the con gregation, in which, and before whom, the | most brilliant pulpit rhetorician of mod | ern times utters his discourses. The I hushed prelude swells into a pean as a | door at the end of the platform opens and | a man of seventy, considerably over mid
 dle height and of stately carriage, enters
 and gravely ascends the steps that lead to
 the pulpit, which, by the way, is no mere fiimsy modern invention, but large and
 ample, as were pulpits in olden times.
 Estheticism is conciliated alone by its el-
 egance. When the preacher sits down he
 bows his head and engages silently in
 prayer. That ended a quartet choir, con-
 sisting of two male and two female voices,
 anvance to the front of the choir gallery
 and lead the congregation in singing "Old
 Hundred" The eyes of most are turned
 upon Dr. Storrs. As he stands during the
 hymn his dignified presence is rendered
 still more impressive by Genevan gown of silk whose billowy folds envelop his | figure. Ills features are large ana strong ly marked, and his countenance has 6 tepid animation. Intellect and sensibili ty must evidently combine to prosound
 ly move him. The hymn ended he offeri | a brief invocation. The clear sunlight ha: l quickened and exhilarated his spirit, anG
 he devoutly returns thanks to the one who
 has brought light out of the image of death
 and implores the guiding grace of the hol,
 spirit in the exercises of the day. He thel reads a portion of scripture. His voice ii
 strong and resonant, agreeable, but no
 musical. He is not an impressive reader
 In reading his tones lack warmth and fer
 vor, such as they possess in marked de
 gree in his extemparaneous speech. Re
 sponsive readings from the Psslter follow the congregation sustaining its part witi . unanimity. The music in the Church O
 the Pilgrims is inspiring. In the offertor.
 a rich contralto mingles its underton with the surges of melody from the organ
 the notes of the tenor and bass and tn,
 lark-like flights of the soprano. Dr
 Storrs' text is from First Chronicles, xvi.
 27: Strength and gladness are in hi , place." With few sentences of intro
 duction he sweeps gracefully into the cur
 rent of his theme. You have no doubt O , what that is. Without formal statemen f he clearly enough conveys in the outse that his aim is to demonstrate the powe | of Christianity to clothe the moral natur 7 | with strength and joy. Some preacher | &Io Iafo