The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-22
MIR. Beschsr's Former Pulpit.

Mr.. Beecher's Former Pulpit.
There is some amusement and quite
considerable cause for reflection asso-
ciated with the recent call extended
by Plymouth church. Brooklyn, to the
Rev. N. D. Hills, of Chicago, to sue
coed the Rev. Lyman Abbott, who was
himself the successor of Henry Ward
Beecher. The amusement exists in the
gradual development of the truth of
a prophecy uttered by Mr. Beecher
himself not many years after he had
been called to Brooklyn from Law
renceburg, Ind, in 1S47. Plymouth
church building is big red brick
structure resembling in its external
appearance Libby prison, rather than
any place of worship that can easily
be recalled. Though located on Column
bia Heights it stands in the middle of
a block. entirely obScured by the resi-
dences that have been erected around
ii. The auditorium is large, but many
times it was found to be not nearly
capacious enough to accommodate the
thousands who flocked every Sunday
morning and evening to hear the great
preacher Besides, it was constructed
with a view to utility rather than to
beauty of exterior Noting this inca
pacity and not being altogether salts
fed with the general outward appear
ance of the place that had become so
famous, some of the trustees suggest
ed to the pastor the desirability of
constructing a larger and more attrac-
tive church building, whereupon Mr..
Beecher. in his humorous way, quietly
limited that they had better leave we'll
CROUCH alone, inasmuch as If anything
should happen to him whereby he
would be removed from their pulpit
they might not be able to assemble to-
gether enough people to fill the build
ing they already had. Hence no change
was made. and the old structure looks
Just as it did fifty years ago. In the
meantime Mr.. Beecher died in 1885,
and the trustees have been frequently
reminded since of the correctness Of his
naive prediction.
The cause for reflection exists In the
tendency of many people to go to
church without any regard to wor-
ship, but with the expressed desire to
be either entertained or instructed, or
both, by the sermon. This is certainly
a tribute to the power Of oratory; and
the fact ought. likewise, to be accept
ed as an evidence of a larger intellec-
tual growth in the community. Wheth-
er 1t results in quickening of the
spiritual sense or a broadening of the
general spirit Of reverence for things
holy is a question concerning which
many people will differ. 1t is certainly
true that those who profess to believe
in the creeds of and who find theft
ideal method of worshiping God in &C
cordance with the impressive ceremo-
malls of the Roman Catholic and the
Protestant Episcopal churches are less
inclined to reveal that hunger for
words, or enjoyment of doctrinal dis
putation, oratorical display discussion
of public affairs and criticism of pass
ing. events Of the day in the pulpit
than those who are ordinarily attend
ants upon the services Of what may
be styled the dissenting churches. al
though not identified, as commune
cants, herewith.
This condition Of things imposes an
extraordinary power for good, as well
as an accompanying responsibility, in
equal measure, upon preachers of this
class. Theodore Parker, Henry Ward
Beecher, E. H. Chaplin and Robert
Collyer have been conspicuous types
in our national history of clergymen
| who assumed the position that Chris
tianity is Of that wide scope, both in
| theory and practice, which embraces
all manner of right living and right
| conduct. whether applied to the indi-
wiz on "a
| or the commonwealth. The anti-sla
very agitation afforded these men Of
brilliant intellect a magnificent oppor-
| tunity for development and practical
| work. But in their accomplishment
| they erected a standard of pulpit dis
| course which thousands of others have
| striven to reach, only to find them
! selves degenerating, at last, to the
| performance of the role of the sensa
! tionalist. Only the wisest among those
| who have sought to emulate the great
| exemplars have been the men who,
foreseeing the danger of bringing the
religious faith which they represented
under reproach, have refrained from
the excuses which are the constant
sources of temptation confronting
evangelists Of this particular school.
| To these the opportunities are great
for ever-increasing good.
The call extended by Plymouth
church to DR.. Hills is reminder of
the fact that. while one man after
another may be chosen to fill that pull
| pit, no one is ever likely to fill the
place made vacant by Mr.. Beechers
death. During the latter period of
| Benjamin Franklin's service as the
representative of the United States at
the French court, he made repeated
| applications to congress to be relieved,
on account of the increasing infirni.
ties of old age. Finally, in the spring
of 1855, Thomas Jefferson arrived in
Paris. Upon being introduced to a
| French gentleman, the latter courte-
ously remarked: and you have come,
Mr.. Jefferson, to fill DR.. Franklin's
placer" ooh. no. SIR was Mr.. Jeffer-
sons reply. mo living man could do
| that; but 1 am appointed to succeed
him" And this is doubtless the rela-
ton of DR.. Hills to the vacant place
of Mr.. Beecher in Plymouth church.