Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-04-29

DIR. Behrends OF Brooklyn
NEW YORK, April 81. Especial. !
Whether all the oorgymen who have been
glad to act as chaplains for national guard
regiments in this city in time of peace will
care to go to the front with tho organiza-
lions when they are called out is "A rather
interesting question which time alone can
answer. 1t would seem probable on the
face Of things, however, that in some cases
at least the answer will be In the negative.
For several of these clcrgymcn are men
of great eminence, in charge of famous
churches, whose sphere of influence at
home is far wider than that of an army
chaplain in time of war, and who can be
Of much greater service to the cause of pa
triotism and humanity here than they
possibly could at the front.
Chaplain Greer.
The best known of the New York ma
tional guard chuplains probably is the
Rev. DR. David II. Greer, rector of St.
Bartholomew Protestant Episcopal
| church, under whose minstrations mem
bers of the Vanderbilt family sit every
| Sunday, and who has twice declined to step
into a bishops place.
| Chaplain Greer Is attached to tho famous
| Seventh regiment and has been for num-
Der of years. He is very popular alike
| with the "boys' and the officers every
one of whom would promptly resent the
idea that prudence was at the bottom
| of his decision should he elect to remain
at home. Few clergymcn anywhere on
earth have charge of greater expenditures
that Dr. Greer, and few or none has
| shown greater wisdom in the disburse
| ment of large church income.
When Cornelius Vanderbilt, after much
persuasion, induced the doctor to give up
his work in Providence, where he was
then located, some ten years ago or more,
IL was on the understanding that he should
undertake the task Of bringing as many
of the working folk Of St Bartholomew
| parish AS possible under the influence Of
| the church, while at the same time the as
surance was extended that there should
never be a lack If money.
1t was because that DIR. Greer had come
to realize fully the amount Of good that
can be wrought with ample financial
means in "A big city that he declined first
to succeed the lamcntcd Bishop Phillips
Brooks in Boston and later to become
bishop coadjutor in Rhode Island. Yet it
may be that he will deem it his duty to go
south with the Seventh in case it is or
|
especially since the vast practical work Of
st. Bartholomew Is now SO well organ
lied that it could be carried on efficiently
for months without his personal guidance.
Chaplain Morgan.
The Rev. DIR. ID. Parker Morgan rector
of the Church OF the Heavenly Rest is the
chaplain attached to Squadron A, and, al
though unlike DR.. Greer, he is not "A ma
tive of this country, but was born in
Wales, he is thoroughly and distinctly
American in sentiment
DIR. Morgan Is graduate of the Eng
lish university of Oxford, but has been Il
resident Of the United States since 1881
when he was made an assistant clerES
man Of the church he now presidcs over
as rector, to which post he was elevated il
1887. As "A preacher he began TO win higl
reputc from the very beginning of hi'
clerical labors here. His excellence as 1
speaker was early seen TO be equaled by
his administrative ability, and within the
: | first ten years of his rcctorship he haC
cleared off church debt Of more thar
$500. 600 In 1896, however, while suffer
ing much from oyerwork, he made thu
mistake of drawing largely for the ma
teral OF his Easter discourse from a ser
mon preached half century before by DIR
Putnam. \ brother clergyman who roat
a newspaper report of the address detected
its source and proceeded to write TO tn
newspapers about 1t, whereat "A great scan
dial arose
Some of my readers may remember tn
= clamor that followed. Instead of denyini
the allegation, DR. Morgan admitted tina
5 he had read the Putnam sermon only
day or two before preaching his own an
had drawn freely upon it. The most in
u teresting part of the whole business wa
e the manner In which his frank and fire.
confession was received by the church
n There were some in New York and perhap
e very many who looked for complete repu
e diation of the rector, but the contrar
IS course was taken. Commodore Gerry {
re the cruelty society, II. Walter Webt
| then active and we'll, besides scores {
- members scarcely less well and fayorabl
known TO the community, rallied in ID
Morgans support If they had not don
so, they would have been properly charge
able with the grossest ingratitude, for tn
church as it is, of which they are all just
proud, is what Dr. Morgan has made it.
The result was all that could have bee
desired, and today DIR. Morgan seems
DO as highly esteemed both in and oil
of his parish as ever 1t may be adde
that the sharp eyed clergyman who detec
| Ell inc plagiarism WIS hllhooll ioIbi WI
victed of using the thoughts and the worl
of another man as his OVID
Chaplain Behrends.
Over in Brooklyn the Rev DIR. A. ].
Behrends, pastor of the Central Congreg
tional church, is attached to the Thirteen
regiment as chaplain and has decided
go with his regiment, as have several 9th
Brooklyn chaplains. DIR. Behrends
not so well known the country throut
perhaps as either DR.. Greer or DIR. Morga
but he is probably the most successf
minister in the borough of Brooklyn
day There was time some years a
wbeD his name was to be seen daily
the printed page, and his conduct was t
subject of no end OF discussion on the pa
of the communicates In at least two eva
gelical denominations.
That was several years ago when, ait
mature thought and careful deliberatio
he decided to leave the Baptists, wi
whom he had hitherto labored, and ca
in his lot with the Congregationalists.
was at about that time that he left CleN
land to come east, and there was mu
curiosity for awhile as to how he won
succeed in his doubly new field of labor
All doubts as to that were removed We
soon after Dr. Behrends began in
Brooklyn pastorate. The congregatio
which had been running down, pick
up at once, the collections increased fro
Sunday to Sunday, and it was not 10
1. g..l. .s,E