Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1892-11-28

and in the Salvation Army Camp
DIR. PIerson,s Situation - General
Booths Great Enterprises - His
LONDON, Nov. 16.
To the Editor OF the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Spurgeon's Tabernacle is almost as
much an object of interest to Americans
as to the English. So is that remarka-
BILE movement which is controlled by
General Booth, and as both are passing
just now through great crisis, we shall
probably not be mistaken in supposing
that all classes of readers will be pleased
to learn, from O well informed source, the
true inwardness of what is going on in
these troubled camps. At the Tabernacle
the row and rumpus presents itself pri
marily as a sort of family affair. On the
one side is the widow of the late departed.
having the active support of her twin
boys, Charles and Thomas. and on the
other stands that solid piece of ministerial
humanity, with an American D. D. tackled
on to his name, but with all of the Eng
lishman's tenacity in his nature, James
Spurgeon, brother of the late departed.
Dr. James is worthy individual, who has
quite a genius for the details of church
work, but he is the sort of preacher whose
excellences outside of the pulpit would al
ways be extolled first, and whose preach
ing ability would be alluded to, if the
speaker were conscientious, at the fag end
of his description, and always in guarded
language. No one dreams that he could
fill the shoes of the great Spurgeon, or
even rattle about in them creditably. His
prominence in the presence crisis is due to
the fact that he had been assistant pastor
for some time, and that, upon his broth
er's death, being the most available man
in sight, he was made pastor. This, how
ever, with no idea that he would be re-
tanned in permsnenoy, or that he would
officiate in the pulpit, for the preaching
was being ably attended to by the Rev.
DR.. Pierson, distinguished American.
Grant now an indefinite continuance of
the services of DR.. Pierson on the plat
form, and the prospect would seem good
| for the retention indefinitely of the acting
pastor. 1t is possible, of course, that DR..
James Spurgeon has not looked at the
matter in this light, but he is loudly &C
cused of SO doing by those on the opposite
| side, and such view Is SO natural to our
poor humanity, that he could surely in
dulge 1t without being very culpable. and
he might almost have done SO without
| knowing it. Besides it would be very easy
for one who had borne so many of the
| l. L:ah hr4f fhnr att Isx-f,,
to conscientiously persuade himself that
no shoulders were go we'll qualified as his
own to support the entire weight of this
big church now that brother had been
providentially removed At any rate
there he is, and it is an open secret over
here that he has given no countenance to
the movement in behalf of his nephew,
but has stood like rock, through all the
floods aud tempests of the recent months
in defense of the existing status.
But if 1t was natural for Spurgeon's
brother to desire the inheritance, hoi
much more 30 for the widow and sons tc
stand forth as claimants. Here is one oi
the biggest religious societies in Christen
dom, and the creator of it was the mar
who in the prime of his years fell a mar
tyr to the work he had done. If ever
church was a one man church, In the full
J est and best sense, the Metropolitan Tab
| ernacle was eucn o cnurcn. NOW, VIII
two sons left behind-both preachers, sno
|. both reared and baptized at the altar o.
[ this great chureh-how fitting 1t woult
seem that one or the other of these shoult
fall heir to the fathers distinguished pull
pit. The most thoughtless outsider couli
, not fail to see the aptness of q succession
, like this, and If such q conception hs
taken strong hold of the Spurgeon family
who can blame theml And what give
/, final justification to such q view is tn
7 7 fact that one of these sons, Thomas Spur
l geon, has 80 clearly demonstrated his ft
ness for the place. Having repeated
listened to him, we venture the judgmen
Q that this young man Is not only g goo
7 preacher, but super-excellent one. Fo
8 the rare faculty of making things clear I
: the average intelligence We have neve
heard his superior and have rarely met hi
r equal. His voice is . perpetual charm
], Just as that of his father always was, an