The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-11
SETH LOWS BIBLE CLASS.
1t Contains Eighty Men, Who Repre-
sent All Social Grades.

Brooklyn Standardization.
St Georges Protestant Episcopal Church,
over in New York. with its numerous clubs
and circles, has no more interesting auxil-
larry than the mems Bible class, taught by
the Hon. Seth Low. st. Georges parish is
unique in more ways thar one. The Rev.
DR.. William s. Rainsford. the pastor Of the
church. ~revolutionized things when he took
up the work Of that parish ten years ago.
AS an advocate of free sittinss. he at once
insisted that the pews should be free to all.
The support Of the church, he said, must
come from liberal pledges by the rich, and
regular voluntary contribution from those
in moderate circumstances Instead OF trying
to get more rich members, this courageous
minister set about to gather in the poor
and lowly who abound on the lower East
Side near his church. Before many months
after he became the rector his congregation
grew rather mixed.
The same pew would sometimes be occu-
pied by a ~well-known financier and multi
millionaire and several shabbily dressed
men or women. Young women whose air
betokened high breeding and wealth sat
side by side with shop girls, yes. and fac
tory girls and domestic servants. This was
DR.. Rainsford's idea Of q Christian church.
But all the ''rich" members did not like the
innovation, and some Of these left the
church and Joined one further uptown more
to their liking While this departure drove
out a few wealthy members. DR.. Rains
ford's plan appealed to other rich men, and
these came to his assistance. The Hon.
Seth Low, who gained his fame while
Mayor Of Brooklyn, was one of the rich
men who believed in DR.. Rainsford and his
idea of a free church. Mr.. Low came into
- al.A o-I 10 H- 1855 Dn4 ~ h Nr0c-
trymen, and at the Sunday services passes
the plate on the right aisle.
Last winter, when Mr.. Low started his
Bible class for men, his social friends and
professional associates wondered how a man
with his numerous duties would find time
TO crowd any more work into his life.
The Bible class meets every Sunday morn
ing on the fourth floor Of the Memorial
building, on East sixteenth street, next door
ries the members to the loor Of the class
room, which is used on week days by the
fine oil paintings. and a few choice steel en-
cravings hang up on the walls. Back or
the distinguished teacher there hangs sus-
pended q ~ten-foot colored map of the Holy
Lands. The floor is carpeted. All the New
York dailies (no Sunday editions) and all
the popular magazines are on file. Before
the class meets or Sunday mornings. the
large center reading table is pushed back
a large, cheerful room, letting IN a plentiful
supply of sunlight and air..
There are eighty men in the class. whose
1SSo 6AS " 1tCOAA ~ 1tNy
represent all social grades AM occupations.
There are lawyers among them Solicitor
nalists, truck drivers, masons, carpenters,
clerks, printers and agents. The members
all know each Other and apparently a good
class there Is perfect equality.
While instructing his class Mr.. Low uses
out his deductions much as a minister does
in a sermon. He asks questions and gets
answers from his pupils but the latter are
better Ga tl2flAd when he argues 0lf the
points. Last Sunday morning the class dis
cussed the parallels Of Jesus. The session
Mr.. Low Glorious Things of Thee Are
Spoken" sung to the tune Of the Austrian
ing. After the hymn Mr.; Low made a brief
but earnest prayer, and this was followed
by the hord's Prayer, in ia which mi s1,o the class
Lover of My Soul" to the tune of Martyr.
A young man at an upright piano accom-
The lesson was opened with the alternate
reading Of the third chapter of Mark; also
a part Of the fourth chapter Of the same
the story of the difference the Pharisees
had with Christ about the Sabbath. The
s over which Mr.. Low told the class was
the most important of the parallels. He
said these parallels were not to be taken so
~lustrate some spiritual truth. He said the
Pharisees could not understand the para
bles, because they had not simple, believ-
MS ICohS :. AZ c~cNo DN5o 90 lit
| parallels He had abandoned His old method
of stating things. At first the Pharisees
did not pay attention to what Jesus said,
but when they did they were disturbed, and
attributed his power to Satan.
The teachers got several satisfactory an
swers to questions. In closing his EXPOSE
ton he said the spirit of a man determines
what he shall be. The spirit of God Is
| pleading with us all the time. The parable
of the sower is an illustration of the spir-
itual life sown in the hearts Of men.
| Matthew Taylor, a New York lawyer, who
belongs to the class, said to the writer:
| I'VE consider IL a great honor for Mr..
| Low to be our teacher. He is certainly an
| excellent and faithful one. He never miss
es a Sunday when he is in town. The men
more than appreciate the sacrifice which 1t
must be to a man of his social and profess
| sional engagements. They tell a good story
on him. I don't mind telling it, because it
is true, and 1t aptly illustrates what was
previously said about his self-sacrifice. A
| certain man who called at Columbia College
and at Mr.. Lows residence up town about
five times finally succeeded in finding the
private secretary.
Tell me- said the man, if you please,
when is Mr.. Low di~sengaged?
1.-THE secretary replied that as far as he
knew MIR. Low had 10 engagements be-
tween the hours of midnight and 6 a. m"