New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-10
THE WORK AT NORTHFIELD.
INTEREST FELT IN DIR. ARTHUR T. PIER
SONS PLANS.
STILL CONSIDERING THE CALL TO STURGEON
TABERNACLE-MR. MEYERS GLOWING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THE
IDEAL AND THE REAL.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I

IDEAL AND THE REAL.
rpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSE.I
Mortified Mass, Aug. 0-Exacty year ago 10
day Dr. Arthur T. Person the eminent Presbyte terrain
preacher and writer. sitting In his modest STUDY
ot Mortified overlooking the beautiful Connecticut
River valley when letter was brought TO him from
Ar spnrceon Mr.. SpurgeOn at that time suffer
inc from the maady which ultimately proved fatal,
and this letter besOught DR.. 1herson TO come TO
london In the following october and take MS place
for three months in the Metropolitan Tabernacle pulpit
october is the month in which all the important
Presbyterian meetings are held, but In 1871, as IL
happened Dr. Person for the first time in years had
mn engagement after october 4. Indeed his whole
connection with the London church has been marked
nv a chain OF condolences. lie arrived In LONDON III
the middle OF October he preached MS hrst sermon
AT the Tabernacle on october 81; on January 81
precisely as his three months term expired, MI spur
reon breathed his last at Mentone. Whether Dr.
Irerson will now consent permanently to I'll the
Tabernacle pulpit thousands Of Englsimen ana
Americans are extremely anxious to KNOW DT'
Pierson has not himself yet decided
Il have studiously refrained from expressing my
self on the subject he said this afternoon, fleeing
that If said anything l might have something "
unsay."
As Mr.. Surgeons successor there could DC no
donbt Of his complete acoeptabty. The Tabernacle
congregations not only enthusiastic over MS n"
istration but their numbers are constantly hce"As'
and lie has received more generous money support
than was ever before known in the churchs history
BEFORE leaving England he was strongly pre+SeN ~
accept the permanent call. Hesating about th"' tic
o urged 10 return this winter preach for another
vear independent engagements happen TO make HIS
presence necessary next winter in Great Britain "c
as the present incumbent of the Dun LecturTo'np'
whose four year terms have been held SUCCESSFUL,
nv Thomas smith, william Fleming stevenson anu
r. Nonier Williams the eminent Indian schoar, nc
fla
Meantime no man could more warmly praise the lad
ernacle and everything pertaining 10 IT, hhsH'h"
is delightful. he says enthusiastically vi VV"ioo
II is not America. You are confronted thelo WIN
aristocratic institutions, and here WIN DemoorAuo
institutions and you to take that Into account
Eut nowhere have / ever witnessed such wonnerrnl
instances OF individual conservation. In London men
men are not only amaSsing wealth in business ana
applying it for church purposes, but some aoahuo
business altogether and give their lives up 10 rehs'ous
work. Look at Thomas James Matmeson, Inc Ola
secntary of the Midway Mission. lie has renowned
his banking business entirely. Lord Radstoek ana MS
ton,1v spend their lives evangehrts
IN the Sums A wholesale butcher one OF the
Tabernacle congregation. has gone 10 his business
,t half past In the morning that he might come u
the Tabernacle at half past TO see that the Nsior
m the pastors conference properly housed ana
taken care of. Another man, worth 100000 mas
done all his business in one hour In the morning. 80
.s IN mass the rest Of the day acting as usher al
the Tabernacle door,
Theological Qudnuncs want to Know what "o"iu
hammer 10 Dr. ners6n if he should decide TO accep'
the CALL He has long been one OF the most co"
spicuous of American Presbyterans' MI oPuIsco"
Was a Baptist The formal title Of the Tabernacle Is
"The BAPTIZED Church OF Jesus Christi Mr. Spurseoh'
houover as DR. Picrson ntimates. had looked in the
New Testament found that the early Apostolic Church
had bench OF elders, and promptly mtrooucea ono
into the Tabernacle thus making the church ffesoy
terrain in Its elders Baptist in its doctrine ana Mctoo
list I'm It's fervor" The Invitation 70 Dr. hersoh Is
absolutely unconditional while his greeting rem'nde"
him Of st. Pauls words TO the Galatians about oehs to
ceaved "ss an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus
Not one word has been said in the call TO him about
any particular doctrine he IS expected TO preach Nat
uraly enough, he declares that no compliment can
be too high for the congregation. The Tabernacle
has g. 600 members the largest of any church IN tue
,orld except perhaps that at Ongole. among inc
Teleglls OF southern India which draws hucuua'hS
attendance OF "a 900 from many SURROUNDING to"hs
and hamlts. Just Mr.. SpurgeOn got MS Dehch
Of elders from tue New Testament. ne referred 10
the same source for his architectural details In the
.epurgeon album splendid photograph SHOWS 'he
Tabernacle interior. with It's three rows OF elipuca
galleries. ,,....u.s
Mr. Sturgeon SAYS DR.. Person, discovered
nothing about aesthetics in the Bible, therefore the
church inside is plain as Il pipestem' for seeins
and hearing there is nothing like it anywhere else
not even at salt Lake CITY, where the Mormon In'el
nacle is shut up all winter for want OF neat.
Mr. Sturgeon also discovered that ihe Ne" i19"
ment contained nothing about choirs ana organs anu
ca tho Tabernacle singing Is led by precentor. VINO
stands near a gas Jet on the platform lmmeaiateN Nv
The left OF the preacher. DR.. l1efsoh Is 'a' S''
with grizzled hair and beard, large hosc' Oio y
.sssso intense nervous activity. and is full OF energy
ND ideas ouick In speech and In thought lie Is 40
cordially esteemed BY casual guests at MS taoo as o'
,oo who follow his amazingly acute reasoning iron
me platform lie was born In ChathainEsV' III We"
York over fifty years ago. where his parents nVa cA'
door TO the old Chatham street Iheatre' ~ "nio"
Charles j. Finney, the great revivalst VINO supse
ouentlv DISTINGUISHED himself at oberiln oho' hein
services Just before the doctor was born lie M'ou
,stea for Columbia College but worked in Bark Place
drvcoods house until old enough TO 90 10 haiiiloii
Cole9s al Clinton. lie wac one OF the Iast cIaaSloa
scholars of Simeon North from the Union 1hcoioecai
seminary He entered his first charge at Bihs-
bamton n Y lie preached there for three years ;
then AT Waterford y. y, for seven years; then at
De,rojt for thirteen years and ut Indianapolis
for six months His last charge In this
country WAS in Philadelphia. For several years
lie has devoted himself to unsectaran mission
work and Is welknown rs director oi foreign
missionary enterprise the Editor OF Inc MissioN
AIRY Review and as the author OF twelve or hfteeh
books dealing with missions and Biblical eAesesls
His principal work is The Crisis OF Missions Ills
lectures are really marvels of refined logic ana exact
instruction. Searching analysis OF the boie mas no.
precluded his intimate acquaintance with 'he i"ess
developments In art and science, and II Is pro
csely this alliance OF worldly and unworthy
knowledge that endows his public disausl'ions "lh
their persuasive and illuminative value. Ills co'Hse
at Hisdale high over the clear Connecticut. is lit
tie, low twostory structure which he bought IN
dilapidated condition. His study contains two DESKS
u trunk and a bookcase, with books full OF printers
proofs for its chief adornment.
Or. Persons connection with Mortified dates from
1885, when he delivered the opening address In the
new stone Hall. lie has since OF its lead
ing spirits His house is the centre OF a tract OF
hundred Mhich be With tie idea