REV. MR. PARKER AND BEECHER'S CONGREGATION.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 237, 14 January 1888, Page 4

REV. MR. PARKER AND BEECHER'S CONGREGATION.

There was a disagreement between members of the late Mr. Beecher's Plymouth Church congregation, and Rev. Mr. Parker, of London, because the latter charged 700 dollars to reimburse himself for time and expense in delivering what is called the " Beecher Eulogy." The following correspondence will be interesting : — ' FROM DE.4CO2* WHITIi. " I hear that Dr. Parker is engaged to preach on December 4th in Plymouth Church pulpit. If it ie demonstrated before that time that he received a fee out of the receipts of that eulogy, I predict that Plymouth pulpit will on that day be too hot to hold him, or at least, if he can endure the caloric of his environment, he will look on a congregation so frigid that a contrast will suggest the respective temperatures of Dives and Lazurus on a memorable .occasion." . i

[Dispatch from Dr Parker, at Chicago.] " To deliver the eulogy at Brooklyn, N. V., 1 paid for 6,000 miles of travel, suspended my usual work in London for five weeks, paid for the supply of my pulpit during my absence for five Sundays, and for the whole time, work and expense, I received neither more nor less than 700 dollars. Joseph Barker." Major J. B. Pond, the entrepreneur of the matter, put it on the baldest business basis. "There was mighty little sentiment about the affair," he said, when approached j " I had an attraction in the form of a famous pulpit orator, and people paid to see and hear him, just as they pay ta see and hear other lecturers I have brought to this country. Dr Parker was undex* contract to me, and I agreed to donate the proceeds of the lecture to the Beecher 1 Monument Fund, after deducting the regular pay of the lecturer ar.d other expenses. "The sentiment of devotion to Beecher is nonsense. I had to pay the papers full rates for advertising, and hall proprietors full rent;' Sen- 1 timent is all very nice ; but it takes adver ; tising and booming to make money out of a lecture." Mr Sherman who guaranteed 'Dr Parker's expenses, paid Pond 700 dollars on November 28, the amount retained by him out of the 1 receipts, of the "eulogy," and 1 the Major sent to the Monument Committee the gross sum, 130,331 dollars. The Reverend Dr Parker did preach a farewell sermon in Plymouth Church, on, Sunday, December sth,, according tp announcement, and" a curious incident, attended it. The \Church was qrowdedj inside, and outside by people who expected a scene with the English clergyman. After the sermon, the Doctor recited part of the JLord's Prayer. When ho reached the petition, "Forgive us our trespasses," he paused after repeating it for several seconds,, and then wiping his eyes, added, . ( |,As we, ioigive those who , trespass against „us," and after a second pause, added, •* Amen./' He then hastily, left the pulpit, ,and ;his retreat was, covered" by « the,, .hurried announcement of : one ;of the 4 church officials that the doctor had to hasten aw.ay to meet a friend juefe arrived K on ,the i Efruria from Englandi The, .reverend, gentleman's % action, <\yas , canvassed .very treely -by the conjugation. ; ,,an&^nob favourably. r [ , . . „ > *fchd 'Reverend P^rlier furtneV^irred.up thogdll of journalistic 1 bitterness t by V j(leclai>, jrig'in'aV' interview' wiilra bprre'spoiV%n fc '?f' ! thl KewYbrSirWaatOhibaijjMfc '^Xour" American journals 1 are thiwn', togetjjer by .ty^oß in the ' journkhstic profession. XQW, repßfters' «fb n«6. fefort^oh;ectiy^/n{|t£^ A^mietican newspiiWcr 'U alfcbge*thQr)Unß^tis ? factory, r hd.ve> noir had mv lectures; reportea J aecenisly. V^MK^iMffcweJo, m^^,»ked f fsr *yj4^JWtf? o/i o /i W, of tiiylectrire to-n>gnt,. Lwillvpvfepai'e^guch, a repoff if II 4 atw paid Wi hoK^t\^mah!; 0

-of ~(Ha<3hstffinejHMtor* of^^conTersationir" the" figures he cuts in society, and so fovtji, for 1,000 dollar's: The offel%ad declined *:with thanks; '' * - ' ' Kj< "

BERKS' DECLINES. „ ( " Rev.\Mr Berry, of \yolyerhariipton, Eng* land, has finally declined, the "call" to Jbljo Plymouth dji u roh, BroqUlyn (Beecher's). -