Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 92

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360

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Of lectures, Dr. Storrs has delivered several courses; in 1855, one of six, on the Graham Foundation, on The Constitution of the Human Soul; two on Russia and France, and their Long Duel, In 1878, delivered in Brooklyn, New York and Boston; one, of eight lectures, before Princeton Theol. Sem., In 1879, on St. Bernard, His Times and His Work (to be published); and ten lectures on the Divine Origin of Chris- tianity, Indicated by its Historical Effects, before the Union Theol. Sem., New York, and the Lowell Institute, Boston, 1880 (now In press).

Dr. Storrs received the degree of D. D. from Union College in 1853; from Harvard College in 1859; and that of LL. D. from Princeton in 1874.

1018

HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

The Free Congregational Church was constituted June 16, 1845, by a vote of the Free Presbyterian Church, worship- ing on the corner of Tillary and Lawrence streets, by which they resolved to change their platform. In the month of September they gave a call to the Rev. Isaac N. Sprague, of Hartford, Conn., to become their Pastor, which he accepted. This church merged in the organization from which origin- ated the State Street Congregational Church.

Plymouth Church .- The ground upon which Plymouth Church stands was purchased in 1823, for the erection of an edifice for the use of the First Presbyterian Church. At that time Brooklyn Heights were cultivated fields, and the church thus built was remote from the settled portion of Brooklyn, the population of which was less than 10,000. A lecture-room, including a Sabbath-school room and study, was attached to the rear of the church, fronting Orange street, in 1831.

of the society. June 14, 1847, the church unanimously elected Henry Ward Beecher as Pastor; he commenced his pastorate on Sunday, Oct. 10, 1847, and on Thursday, Nov. 11, was publicly installed.

The church was so damaged by fire, Jan. 13, 1849, that it was determined to rebuild, which was done; and the new edifice was first occupied in January, 1850.

It is noteworthy that when the congregation were deprived by fire of their place of worship, the church buildings of nearly all the neighboring societies were generously offered, and these offers were gratefully accepted for a period of two months. A lot on Pierrepont street was offered for the purpose, by Lewis Tappan, Esq., and on this a temporary house of worship was erected in the short space of thirty days. Here the congregation worshiped till the completion of their new edifice.

PLYMOUTH CHUROY

PLYMOUTH CHURCH.

In 1816, John T. Howard, then a member of the Church of the Pilgrims, obtained the refusal of the premises, which were for sale, at the price of $20,000, and the contract was completed on June 11, 1816. The purchase money ($9,500. the rest being on mortgage) was furnished by Henry C. Bowen, Seth B. Hunt, John T. Howard, and David Hale, and paid on Sept. 9, 1816. The first meeting of those interested in the establishment of this church, was held at the house of Henry C. Bowen, May 9, 1857, and was attended by David Hale, of New York, Jira Payne, John T. Howard, Charles Rowland, David Griffin, and Henry C. Bowen, of Brooklyn. On Sunday morning, May 16, 1847, divine service was com- menced by Rey. Henry Ward Beecher, then Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis.

On Friday evening, June 11, 1817. twenty-one persons united in the formation of the new church. On Sunday evening, June 13, 1847, the church was publicly organized, and The Plymouth Church was adopted as the corporate name

The church buikling is 105 feet long, 80 feet broad, and 13 feet from floor to ceiling; seating in the pews and choir gallery about 2,100 persons; while, with the seats by the walls nud in the aisles, it accommodates about 2,800. There has never been the least e use for regret that the building was made so large.

Until 1857, visitors were provided with ordinary chairs or stools in the aisles. But, in that year, the present fixe Inisle seats, attached to the pews, were invented and introduce l into the church.

The lecture-room built at the same time, was 80 by 50 feet on the outside: with a school-room above it. 61 by 24 feet, and parlors of the same size for the social circle. In 159. these parlors were added to the school room ; but, even then, the accommodations were so deficient that, in 1862, an en- tirely new lecture-room and school-room were erected. A new organ was purchased for the church in IS66, at an ex- pense of $22,000. Rev. Mr. Beccher has continued in the pastorate until the present time.

ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATIONS.

1019

REV. HENRY WARD BEECHER.

Rev. HENRY WARD BEECHER .- Although Brooklyn ranks but third among the eities of the Union in point of population, for many years the " City of Churches " has stood indisputably first in respect to pulpit talent. The fame of her great preachers has spread over the eivilized world. Among her galaxy of brilliant names, one of the first, brightest and farthest-shining is that of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. For forty years, Sunday after Sunday, year after year, eager thousands have crowded the streets leading to the plain briek edi- fiee, Plymouth Church. Within, arose and stood upon the platform the imposing form of a man, tall and erect, inelining to be stout; with hair pushed plainly baek, onee dark brown, now silvery-white; a full, smooth face that is gentle and peaceful in repose, but mobile, varying with every emotion; a mild blue eye that will never grow old, that shines with love, flashes with seorn, danees with merriment or dilates with feeling, even as the mountain lake mirrors the sunshine, the eloud or the storm. Such the figure of Henry Ward Beecher, familiar to thousands; such the face, now mellowed by the softening influenees of time, from which the man's soul speaks out his love of humanity, of justice and of God.

Litchfield, Conn., the aneestral home of the Beechers, was the place of his birth, which occurred June 24th, 1813. He was the third son of Rev. Lyman Beeeher, who occupied the pulpit of the Congregational Church there, and was afterwards president of Lane Theologi- cal Seminary, near Cineinnati, a famous man in his time.

The child of parents eminent for godliness, brought up in a family who were the creatures of an atmosphere as unworldly, as religious as not often comes into the world. The faet of his being a minister was settled from his birth, and under this impression of destiny he grew up. Accordingly, he was sent to Amherst College, graduating in 1834, and then studied theology under his father, in Lane Theological Seminary.

A sensitive, blundering, imaginative, good-natured, misehievous, unstudious boy, he represents himself to have been; but his sight must have been quiek for nature, whether in the fields and woods, or after birds and ani- mals, or among his fellows. His school and college days did not seem to be notable for anything, save that at college he paid especial attention to the arts of elo- eution. That Mr. Beecher is an easy master of these arts is patent to every one who has heard him speak; though it may be said, in passing, that, favorite as he is on leeture platforms all over the land, he is never heard at his best out of Plymouth Church, his own pulpit-platform; and the lofty themes which he there I sea. But he also has his Friday night prayer-meeting

treats, inspire him and fill him with a power over his three thousand auditors that he gets and gives nowhere else.

His first charge was a little Presbyterian church at Lawrenceburgh, Ind., where he eked out the seant salary by tilling a farm, remaining from 1837 to 1839. In the latter year, he settled in Indianapolis. There was a more suitable field for the abilities which had already manifested themselves in the young minister, so that he came to be heard of in other States. Mean- while he had tried his hand at editing, first a journal in Cineinnati, in 1837, and a few years later, an agrieul- tural publieation in Indianapolis; his artieles in the latter were afterwards published as "Fruit, Flowers and Farming."

In 1847 he was in New York, speaking at meetings in behalf of the American Home Missionary Society, and was invited to preach, May 17th, for the newly or- ganized Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, which he did, both morning and evening. At the elose of the services, the church felt that their future Pastor had been thus providentially sent them, and unanimously eleeted him to that office June 14th, 1847. He accepted, and com- meneed his pastorate Sunday, October 10th, 1847. As soon as he came to Brooklyn, he began to write for the Independent, and was its editor from 1861 to 1863. His signature-a star-made the title for a volume ealled the "Star Papers." From 1870 to 1880, he was the editor of the Christian Union. For twenty-five years his sermons have been printed in the Plymouth Pulpit. He is the author of "Leetures to Young Men," " Life Thoughts," "Yale Lectures on Preach- ing," "Industry and Idleness," "Sermons on Liberty and War," "Eyes and Ears," " Norwood," "Plymouth Hymns and Tunes," and many fugitive pieees.

Mr. Beeeher is a rapid but not easy writer. Ile com- plains that he feels the bondage of the pen, and never ean evolve his thoughts so elearly or so well on paper as he ean when " thinking on his legs." But he does a vast deal of writing for all that, and there are few men who have so large an amount of current printed matter constantly setting forth the labors of their minds. He preaches every Sunday two sermons, which, not written out, but thought out in his study, come fresh and alive from his lips, and are phonographically reported for publication, week by week, in Plymouth Pulpit. This would be a tremendous test of the fruitfulness of any man's mind in extempore talk, and yet the test is tri- umphantly borne-witness the thousands who hear him, and the many other thousands who read him throughout America, England, and the islands of the

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

to lead, at which his familiar " lecture-room talks " on themes of Christian experience bring immediate help to many; and these again are taken down as they issue from his mouth.

Such abundance can not come from any mind or any genius, however great, unless it be one stored with great wealth of material from without. This is Mr. Beecher's case, however; for in addition to his constant and careful study of mankind and the affairs of the world, he is an omnivorous reader of good books, and has an ever-growing library of the best literature in every possible direction. He is a great lover of art, and has, besides books and histories in that department, a choice collection of paintings and engravings. His love of flowers and out-door nature finds food on his little model farm at Peekskill, N. Y. And indeed, whatever is the realm from which he draws an illustra- tion, it will generally be found that he knows what he is talking about, and has learned it by observation or study. He is not a superficial talker or thinker; he goes to the roots of things.

His early labors and an experience of severe poverty, privation, and double work of farming and preaching during ten years in the West, developed in him very fully the natural courage, toughness of baekbone (botlı physical and moral), independence of opinion and free- dom of utterance that have characterised his more emi- nent years. Since the day when, in 1847, he came to be Pastor of the newly-formed "Plymouth Church " in Brooklyn, N. Y., he has been a living, growing power in the land. The pulpit, the press, the lecture- platform, the political arena, the social gatherings of publie bodies, the focal points of all great developments of public sympathy or discussion or action, have been made not only brilliant with his genius, but hot with the ardor of his earnestness.

The foundation principle of Mr. Beecher's public ea- reer seems to be the worth of man, as a beloved child of God ; he believes that this earth, with all its human in- stitntions, its civilizations, its states, its ecclesiastical organizations and their forms of ordinances, were made and developed by God for man, to serve as man's edu- cators, as instruments of man's instruction, and eleva- tion-not necessarily that man may be " happy " here, but that he may be fitted to live and work for God after he had left this little school-house, which, like the lesser school-house of the boy, seems the all-important thing just now.

Seeking always the best means of inspiring individ- mal men to train themselves toward the perfect man- hood set forth in the example of Jesus Christ, Mr. Beecher is peculiar among preachers for his eager fol- lowing up of the scientific developments of the day; promptly accepting such portions or principles of science as seem to him fairly established by investiga- tors, and making good use of them in his philosophy and teaching. He finds no danger in the general line

of reasoning based on the observations of believers in the theories of development of higher forms of life out of lower forms; beeanse the two gaps which the ma- terialists do not bridge,-the change from mineral to vegetable, and from vegetable to animal life, and still more notably the introduction of the soul into the high- est type of animal, man,-these ehasms, impassable to the careful foot of seienee, are crossed by him with the clear-seeing eye of faith, which diseerns the Creator there. And so, using the real advances of seience as steps over which he is constantly leading his people, he devotes an unusual amount of attention to expounding the intimate connection of the material and spiritual realms as different parts of the same universe. A favor- ite quotation of his is the thirteenth verse of the fourth chapter of Ephesians, which indeed seems a fair epito- me of the aim of his teaching: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfeet man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." To him, religion is the science of growth unto perfeet manhood.

It is apparently with this idea in mind that Mr. Beeelier gives so much time and effort to preaching about morality, how to live, how to work, how to treat one's neighbors, how to act in relation to questions of great publie interest (" polities " as it is ealled), how to regulate and use in their proper way the passions (which, he says, are the steam-power and effective- ness of life if rightly and naturally made use of), how to get out of bad habits and into good ones-how, in short, to apply to praetieal every- day life the truths of God's word and God's uni- verse. These topics share his attention with snel higher themes as prayer, " the preciousness of Christ," " the hidden life," " the power of love," "human ideas of God," " the way of coming to Christ "-titles which we find in the contents of the second series of his Ply- mouth Pulpit sermons; yet all, even of these, embrace and enfold the same characteristic central idea, that the whole of man is to be trained, that from the physi- cal he may grow to the enjoyment and use successively of his affectional, social, intellectual, moral, and, lastly, spiritual manhood.

The central idea of his whole career as a pubhe speaker and writer seems to be the incitement of men to self-goverment and to the traiing of their whole nature, by the help of faith and love in Christ Jesus, toward the perfect manhood of immortality with God.

On all public questions Mr. Beecher's voice, through his whole career, has given forthi no uncertain sound; it was lifted up against the curse of slavery; in favor of the maintenance of the Union; in behalf of the home- less veterans of this State; in support of the temperance canse; to aid reform in politics and govermental policy. From all the land the eyes of men have turned to him as to a leader, and his influence has monkled public opinion as perhaps few others has done.

REV HENRY! WARD BEECHER.

ECCLESIASTICAL ORGANIZATIONS.

1021

No sketch of Mr. Beecher's life would be complete without mention of his visit to England in 1863. ITis public addresses there enlightened the English people as to the real issues and principles at stake in our civil struggle, and helped powerfully to turn the tide of popular feeling there against the recognition of the Confederaey as a belligerent power. In so doing, lie incurred obloquy, even danger of personal violence; but his voice rang as elear in defense of the Union as it had in his own country. For years he had pleaded from pulpit, platform and press for the liberation of the slave, in the days when to be an abolitionist was to be an outeast. His denunciations of intemperance and the traffic in strong drink have grown with his growth, and strengthened with his strength.

On the celebration of his seventiethi birthday, June 25, 1883, the love and respect which his fellow-citizens entertained for Mr. Beecher, led to a great popular gathering at the Academy of Music, withi addresses of congratulation from prominent citizens, and letters of like tenor from eminent men in all parts of the land. No better résumé of his life ean be given than from his own words on that oceasion:

" The inspiration whiel has made the force of my whole life I found in a vision of the love of God in Jesus Christ. It has grown larger and larger with the sympathy which is natural to my constitution, eompas- sion of God, manifestations of God in Jesus Christ, that side of God which is great, holy, beautiful, showing Him to have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way. I have tried to have compas- sion like Christ. The less worthy the objeet, the more it was needed. I went right upon the side of the dumb and needy, without consideration. I think it most he- roie for a man with standing and influence and ability to give himself to them. I thank God I had a desire to work for His glory, when to do it was to earn seoff- ings and abuse and threats. When Kossuth brought Hungary to us, my soul burned. The wrongs of Greece made my heart kindle. Nearly all the nations of the world, all under the sword of the soldier or the ban of harsh governments, have aroused my sympathy and effort. I did not go into these because they were humanities or specious philosophies, but because it was Christian, that's all. I did it for humanity because I loved Christ. In my preaching it has been the same. I have attacked governments, institutions, anything: never a denomination or a body of ministers. I have preached against the principles involved in all, and in iny own denomination as much as in others. I have preached for the deliverance of souls, for elearer liglit, for a plainer path, that the stumbling bloeks might be removed. These things I have changed in, only to grow more intense and emphatic : first, the universal sinfulness of mankind, so that it is necessary every- where for men to be born again by the Spirit, necessary for a lift to be given to human nature above its animal nature, and this only by the Spirit of God ; second, I believe in eonversion and the effeetual influence of the Spirit of God; third, I believe with ever-growing strength in the love of God in Jesus Christ. I know that Christ loves me, and that I shall go where He is. By grace am I saved, say I. The feeling has grown in

my later years, and when under great pressure and sor- row, that raised a strong sea, iny strength and courage all came from this view-Christ loves me, He will hide me in His pavilion till the storm is passed. The sweet- ness of life is as much dependent on the love of Christ as the landscape is on the sun to bring out its lights and shadows. I never believed so much in the Gospel as to-day. My faith in it has never been shaken, ex- cept in the ideals. I was never so sure as now of its truth."

Since 1868, Rev. S. B. HALLIDAY has been Assistant Pastor. He was born in Morristown, N. J., 1812 ; was Pastor of Congl. Ch. at Lodi, N. Y .; author of Little Street Sweepers, Winning Souls, etc.

THE

BETHEL

MARKET

PLYMOUTH CHURCH BETHEL.

Plymouth Church Bethel, No. 15 Hicks st. The Bethel Mission Sabbath-School was started in 1841 by Captain A. B. Clark and a Mr. Wadsworth, on Main st., near Catharine ferry, in a former stable, which was fitted up for mission pur- poses. The Superintendents were, in succession, John P. Elwell, Albert Woodruff, Richard J. Thorne,& Mr. Anderson, I. N. Judson, Rev. G. W. Coan, afterward Missionary at Cromaish, Persia, J. P. Montgomery, Andrew A. Smith, II. W. [Law, S. R. Stone, M. T. Lynch, R. S. Bussing, Thos. II. Bird, George A. Bell, Thos. J. Tilney, I. S. Signor,{ J. H. Loyd, L. W. Manchester, and the present Superintendent, C. S. Van Wagoner.

In 1855, a room over the Market, on James st , was leased; in 1858, the Mission removed to Poplar Hall, on Poplar st., and, in 1859, to rooms on Fulton st., opposite Front. In July, 1866, the Mission was taken under the auspices of Plymouth Church; and, in 1867-'68, the Bethel was erected, at a cost, including ground, building and furniture, of about $75,000. Mr. Geo. Bell was particularly active in the building project, and to him much of its success was due.

The new building was first occupied in October, 1868, It is entirely free from incumbrance, The Mission has a fine

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HISTORY OF KINGS COUNTY.

reading-room, well supplied with the leading papers and magazines, and an excellent library.

Warren Street Mission Church .- In 1843 or '46, a Mission Sunday-school was commenced in Freeman's Hall, corner of Amity and Columbia sts., South Brooklyn; and, in 1852, a few benevolent and enterprising Christian gentlemen, prominent among whom were Messrs. Albert Woodruff, R. W. Ropes. and A. V. Wheelock, purchased three lots of ground on Warren st., between Hicks and Columbia sts., on which they commenced the erection of a neat and commodious chapel, capable of accommodating from 400 to 500 persons. In order to enable them to hold the property, these gentlemen, on the 1st of February, 1553, effected a legal organization, assuming the name of the Warren Street Mission. The bnikling, which, together with the lots, cost about $9,000, was tinished in November, 1852. free of all debt. On March 20, 1854, a church of thirty persons was formed. Rev. Samnel Bayliss was first Pastor; followed, in 1866, by Rev. J. Emory Round. The church prospered; a new church building was erected at the corner of Henry and Degraw sts., in 1875. Rev. J. Os- trander is Pastor.

The Clinton Avenue Congregational Church, Clinton ave., corner of Lafayette ave., was org. Nov. 18, 1847. Its first years wore full of disconragement; but the energy of its founders, and of its first Pastor, Rev. Dirck C. Lansing, D. D. (installed in March, 1848), were crowned with success. Angust 4. 1854, ground was broken for the erection of a large and commodious edifice on the corner of Clinton and Lafayette aves. On the 24th of October, in that year. the corner-stone was laid, and the main building completed and dedicated in December, 1855 ; the chapel adjoining being fin- ished in September, 1856. The cost of this spacious and beautiful edifice, which is of the Romanesque style of archi- tecture, including ground, was about $60 000: and it occupies a prominent position in one of the tinest and best built neighborhoods of Brooklyn.

The Rev. Dr. Lansing resigned in December, 1855; and was succeeded, Dec. 19, 1855, by Rev. Wm. Ives Budington, D. D), who had, for some time previous, discharged the principal Inties of the pastorate.

The present Pastor, Rov. Thomas B. MeLeod, commenced his ministry December 21, 1879, and was installed Jannary 20. 1550.

The church has established two Mission Schools; one on the corner of Atlantic and Grand aves., and another, originally located on Myrtle ave., corner of Steuben st., but afterward on Grand ave , south of Myrtle.

The Mount Prospect Mission Sabbath-School was org. July t, 1852, by Rev. Harvey Newcombe, at an open-air meeting of children and others, under a tree on the corner of Pacitic st. and Vanderbilt ave. A small dilapidated garret room was bired, and on the appointed Sabbath abont ninety children met there. The next week, a milk stable and two lots of ground on the north side of Dean street, between Vanderbilt and Underhill aves., were bought of Mr. S. B. Walters. Silas Davenport was elected the first super- intendent. snecceded by A. S. Barnes in 1853, and S. E. War- ner in 1555. The school occupied the premises in Dean street till September, 1559, when the uncomfortable building became too straitened for the purposes of the school, and the school- house of the Hope Union Mission (commenced almost simul- taneously with the Mt. Prospect Mission, but located in un adjoining neighborhood, known as Jackson's Hollow), in Van Buren st., having been destroyed by tire, June, 1858, it was thought desirable to unite the two schools, for the pur- pose of building up a still more prosperous enterprise in that part of the city. Accordingly, a desirable Int, GO by 95 feet.

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Civil, political, professional and ecclesiastical history, and commercial and industrial record of the County of Kings and the City of Brooklyn, N. Y., Part 92

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: New York : Munsell Number of Pages: 1360

Author: Stiles, Henry Reed, 1832-1909.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: New York : Munsell
Number of Pages: 1360