The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-16
IN A RELIGIOUS ECSTASY.
ExALTATIoNS OF SPIRIT IN a RE-
LIGIoUS SECT IN BROOKLYN.

~ NN
Time Shouting Laugh.
ter. CiappinE OF Hands. and Painting spells,
or frances, in which God 10 seen.
Over toward East New York, in Utica avenue.
near Dean street, Brooklyn, stands a square, UNI
pretentious frame building. Tho interior is ns
plain as the exterior. There are four bare walls
and a number of square posts Of oiled Pine. On
the floor are 200 plain wooden chairs. At one
side, guarded by n rail, is q low platform on
which stands a pulpit. Inside the inclosure Is a
mclodeon, and about tho railing on the outside
is tho only piece OF luxury in tho whole building,
n long cushion that has been pressed very fiat
by the knees of numberlcss rCpentant sinners.
A sign on the outside of the building tells
passcrs.by that 1t il the Pentccostal Tabernacle,
of which william Howard Hooplc is pastor, and
gives tho hours of tho numerous services on
Sundays and week days.
The goingson in this little meeting house
have been tho talk of tho ncighborhood for
three years. To the average dweller In the out
skirts of Brooklyn '' shouting Methodism" ia an
unknown quantity, and when n peculiar little
sect that outdoes shouting Methodism at all
points began to worship in tho ncighborhood
folks didn't know what to make of 1t. All day
on Sundays and on nearly all week nights
strange sounds have reached the street through
tho thin walls Of the c~hapcl-wails, groans,
shouts. inarticulate cries, wild laughter, and all
me OIneT bOunub tnHU eNCltcu HlCD II WOuleh
can make. Stories of fainting and swooning
women and girls were circulated, and finally o
dead man was carried out. He had been killed
by the excitement of religious worship.
The sect is an offspring of the Methodist
Church and was founded about three years ago
by Pastor Hooplc, who is a retired leather mer-
chant and q man of means. Its belief is a SIM
pie one-a personal God who enters into the
| souls of people and inspires in them religious
-. Ia a iii -. .l.. a.,,n.n tIa colt
mcnt that characterizes every meeting. Mr.
Hoople is an effective exhorter.
The death referred to occurred shortly after
the opening of the chapel. 1t was crowded with
an excited throng that was listening intently to
the words of the preacher. A woman moved to
| ecstasy got up from her seat and began to walk
around swinging her hands wildly and crying
aloud. This excited Others. and ono man rose
from the middle of the congregation and began
an cxhortation. He had spoken but a few words
when he raised his hands above his head and,
shouting GLORY! Glory - sank to tho floor
dead. The doctors said it was heart disease.
The congregation said 1t was the Spirit. When
the body had been removed the meeting was
continued.
Many other tales are told of the things that
have happened at the meetings, especially AZ
those over which Mr.. Hooplc presides personals
ly. The more exciting scenes usually occur al
made to get converts. and when, after the man
ner of old.fashioned Methodist camp meetings.
ii TtRultT stINlCc - oNtf tnu lne HlnlsltE
invites converts to come to the mourners' bench.
Painting spells are not at all uncommon, and al
in a trance, it was said, for three hours.
IA Sun reporter went to z meeting last
away and there were only a few of the faithful
present, but from those an idea of the people
must be- confessed I that til they did 10 seem very
different from ordinary. everyday folk, There
w wSTe old w and you Nan men m snd wSSm ame although tas%s6
poor, others prosperous. The services be-
gan with the singing of hymns, the
the mclodeon. and who has a very powerful. PEN
etrating voice. Then there we're prayers by the
ed here and there by by ferv ;en shouts of "Gioryyi
Glory :, and "Amenl After that the minister
bssn saved; and elapped Ei lH hands sSsH When he he tod
Joy when telling about himself that he could
Tin called-ha! hal" he said. "I belong.
ha! hal-to the Royal Band-ha! ha! I'm-hai
h in %nsi i,ih}I rG ;.t;nhAhh hs'h hS;Mms and I'd
hesvenNha! ha! and Hes soing-hai hal, to
FIVE Es, me 1Se arhs, hal bal, royal time-ha! h"'-when
The old mans chuckles became fairly hys-
terical before he ended. and for a time it looked
a. One nc woman wens sG hasa i a I faintine spell nIi ! Just u u'f before
Christmas, and she has not been able to attend
service since. but she is a firm believer in the
II received a manifestation. 1t was some
time ago that 1 became i'll and was unable to go
to church for quito II while. but now strength
has been given TO me and expect to attend reg
ularly. You see, you must hope for sanctifica-
tion and then you will feel the weight of your
sins upon you. There are the outward sins and
the inward sins, the latter those inherited from
Adam. Many people may be cured at once of
the outward sins. but it is when you are in
wardly cleansed that the spirit enters you
and you are sanctited. ! have been sanctified,
Was 1 unconsciousi Well. yes and no. 7
knew nothing Of what was going on around
me. but l was permitted TO see God and He
gave me hymns to sing and unhappiness. fell
from me and | have been so much better since.
Do many women fainti Well, | suppose you
call it ~fainring, but they simply lose conscious
ness. A fainting spell means loss of all con-
sciousness-a blank. When you receive the
spirit of sanctitlcation you are unconscious of
the world, but you experience the knowledge of
another world, and are conscious even while
with different people. God has many ways of
coming. To some 1t is unpleasant. with others 9
struggle; MY illness. perhaps. was me work OK
Preparations are being made for another re.
vival shortly.