Milford chronicle., 1892-04-08


And vet that is what this congregation
has been called to do and has done. The
first BROOKLYN Tabernacle was dedicated
in 1870, and destroyed by fire in 1872. The
second Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated
in 1874, and destroyed by fire in 1889. The
third Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated
in April, 1891, and in that we are worship
ing today. What sounded absurd for
Peter to propose, when he said on Mount
Hermon, in the words of my text, let US
build three tabernacles," we have not only
done, but in the mysterious province Of
God were compelled to do
UNJUST CRITICISM.
We have been unjustly criticised by
Deople who did not know the facts, some
times for putting so much money in church
buildings, and sometimes for not giving as
much as we ought to this or that denom-
national project, and no explanation has
vet been made. Before l get through with
the delivery of this sermon and its publica-
ton and distribution, shall show that no
church on earth has ever done more mag
nificently and that no church ever con-
auered more trials and that no member
shin ever had in it more heroes and hero
ines than this Brooklyn Tabernacle, and l
mean to have it known that any individual
OF religious newspaper or secular news
paper that hereafter casts any reflection on
this chureh's fidelity and generosity is
guilty of a @icledness for which God will
hold him or it responsible.
One year it was sent out through syn
Gicate of newspapers that this church was
doing nothing in the way of liberality,
when we had that year raised S9l,OOO in
hard cash for religious uses. There has
been persistent and hemisphere lying
against this church. We have raised dur
NV pastorate, for church building and
church purposes, S059, 600, or practically
a million dollars Not an Irish famine,
or a Charleston earthquake, or an Ohio
freshet, or a Chicago conllagration, but
our church was among the first to
help. We have given free seats in the
morning and evening services to 24O,UO
strangers a year, and that in twenty years
would amount to 4,SO0,0G0 auditors. We
have received into our membership 5,ali
members, ard that is only Il small portion
of the number Of those who have here beeu
converted to God 6om all parts Of this
land and from other lands.
Under the blessing Of God and through
the kindness Of the printing press my scr
mons now go every week into every neigh
borbood in Christend0m, and are regularly
translated into nearly all the great Ian
sguagcs Of Europe and Asia. The syndi-
GATES having charge of this sermOnle pub
LEGATION informed me few days ago that
nv printed sermons every week, in this
and other lands, 20 into the hands of 23,-
OOO. Goo people During the last year, am
authoritatively informed, over eco differ
ent periodicals were added to the list Of
those who make this publication, and yet
there are ministers Of the Gospel and reli-
,sious newspapers that Systematically ana
industriously and continuously charge TINS
church with idleness and selishness and
parsimony
I call the attention of the whole earth to
this outrage that has been heaped upon
the Brooklyn Tabernacle, though more
conrecrated, benevolent and splendid con-
vocation of men and women were never
gathered together outside of heaven. l
have never before responded to these in
justices, and probably will never refer TO
them again, but wish the people OF this
country and other countries to know that
what they read concerning the sclhshness
and Incidence and lack of benevolence and
lack of missionary spirit on the part OF this
church, is from top to bottom and from
stem to stern, falsehood-dastardly false
bood-diabolical falsehood. What is said
AGAINST myself has no effect except, like
that Of a coarse Turkish towel, the rub
bling down by which improves circulation
and produces good health.
But this continuous misrepresentation
of my beloved church, in the name OF Al
mighty God, denounce, while appeal to
the fair minded men and women to see
that Justice is done this people, who with
in a few years have gone through a strug-
l,le that no other church in any land or
any aye has been called to endure, and 1
pray God that no other church may ever be
called to endure, viz, the building OF three
tabelnacles. ! ask the friends OF the
Broolzlyn Tabernacle to cut out this ser
mon from the newspapers and put u IN
their pocketbOolIs, so that they can intelli-
gently answer our falsifiers, whether clef
ical or lay.
And with these you may put that other
statement, which recently went through
the country, and which I saw N Detroit,
which said that the brooklyn Tabernacle
1ad hard financial struggle, because II
had all along been paying such enormous
salaries to its pastor, DR. Talmage, when
the fact is that after our last disaster ana
for two years gave all my salary 70 the
church building fund, and received g, ~
less than nothing; in other words, IN addl-
ton to serving this church gratuitously for
two years, let it have $4,000 for building
purposes. why is it that people could not
do us justice and say that all our financial
struggle as a church came from doing what
Peter, in my text, absurdly proposedto do,
but which, in the inscrutable providence OF
God, we were compelled to do-build three
tabernacles.
IN SMOOTH MATTERS AT LAST
Now feel better that this IS OH my
mind. The rest Of my sermon viii be spun
/ ....a III hnannnahH. 1annaunea e Hna1 thia