Pierson preemptory resignation from 2nd.

Clipped from US, Indiana, Indianapolis, Indianapolis Monroes Iron Clad Age, May 19, 1883

!YET MORE.Last week it was hoped that there was an end to the racket about good Rev. Brother Doctor Pierson# He had sent in bis peremptory resignation. He bad gone ofT to Detroit iu a huff, had a consultation with Brother Gardner, Waydown Beebee, Giveadam Jones and Pickles Smith, it is reasonable to infer, for no live visitor to Detroit would fail to make the acquaintance of those able philosophers—he had got him another job and quit at once aud forever. The church wasn’t big enough to pack away the depraved penitents that were honing to hang upon bis words, and he wouldn’t stay—lie just wouldn’t. He had clean quit and he would stay quit. He had struck and he would stay struck. He hadn’t struck for higher wages, but he had struck because the house was of insufficient capacity to accommodate the throng of sinners that were dying in sin aud that could be saved if they could once get into the house where the great divinity physician could have a whack at ’em. The forty thousand colored souls of the city would surely be lost if they couldn’t get the word from the sin doctor's own inspired lips. The gilded cyprians of all sizes, colors, ages and degrees that give the city a Parisian fame, that bring it so much ill-gotten revenue and that support a host of doctors who but for their traffic would be out of business and would perhaps take to the ministry aud do battle for “the master,” might all be saved, might all be fitted out with wings aud harps and be transformed into birds of paradise if the great specialist Doctor Pierson had a church big enough to seat them. The poor of the city were honing to be healed by the great sin doctor, but the house was so small that they couldn’t get in. It is true, the theaters had been thrown open to the great specialists, the trucling newspapers had done heavy bellows work to blow the glad tidings about tbe city that salvation would be dished out free, and there luid been tremendous sounding of horns to rally the lost tribes; but they hadn’t rallied worth a cent. Only a few fashionable church members and goers answered to the gospel trump. The crowds didn’t come. Still this didn’tsatisfactorily disprove the “doctor’s”theory that they would come if his church was big enough to hold ’em. The “doctor” felt that his mission was “evangelical work,” ami he must have a bigger house, faints Paul aud John were evangels of some note. They had no houses to preach in. “The master” himself was quite a conspicuous character in evangelical work, but he wa* a poor man with poor ways which are not to be imitated in our more enlightened day. If the great sin specialists, the good DoctorPierson, could be provided with a house that would Beat the sin-begrimed masses they would come and hear him tell the sad story of this poor “master,” who was the son of his father, the very able Jehovah who kept the sun from setting so Joseph could see to kill tfeeiug women and children who might hide in the darkness. This Jehovah is now the god of Indianapolis and of the whole Doited States. If brother Doctor Pierson had a house sufficiently capacious to seat the sinners they would come and hear him tell how this god loved the world, how the people had .-inucd against him ; how lie had once drowned ai! of them but enoutrh for seed, but as that didn't improve them, how he had devised another “scheme.” He would come down and seduce a Jewish maiden. She should hear his son. I bis sou and mother he would abandon. He wouldn’t support the mother nor educate the son. He would set his wicked world an example of seduction aud abandoument. He would pack the world's sins on the back of that son and then kill the son, on the sameprinciple that a man gives a jewsharp for a dog and then shoots the “dorg !” Thus the offence of sin would be condoned—paid for. God would pacify himself by killing his son! He would pay the debt the world owed him by murdering a member of his family! This is the Christian “scheme of salvation!” This thesinner must believe! lie must praise it aud say it was wise. And the condition is attached that the priests must be supported and the infidel be hooted at and proscribed. The proper setting forth of j iibis “scheme” to a last world, (for it isBtill lost in spite of the “plan”), is called “evangelical work}” And this work Brother Doctor Pierson would go at with alacrity if he had a house big enough ! He would tell sinners all about this scheme, just as the newsboy claims to tell “all about ihe murder” if you will buy his paper, if he had house room. There are other matters connected with this scheme that tbe “doctor” loves to talk about. The same god that paid a debt coming to himself by killing his innocent son, prepared a vast Bea of fire wherein he burns to all eternity the souls of all who reject his “word” and the woid of his holy ministers. This comforting news the “doctor” for the want of house room is unable to herald forth effectually. And so he must needs leave Indianapolis tinners to their doom and hie him away to snatch the Michiganders from the burning. This was settled, and we so notified the world last week. But before the paper reached the remote passenger a church love-feaal was held, there waB akissing and a making-upand the divinity physician concluded, temporarily at least, to withdraw his cruel letter of abandonment.And now tbe wicked conclude that this eternal threat of abandonment on the part of the great healer of sin-sores is only a device to keep himself before tbe public. The able secular press is ever tooglad to note the slightest movement of a minister. The Rev. Doctor This and the Rev. Doctor That!—the one was more than ordinarily impressive last lord’s day and the other discoursed eloquently on thosinof non-church going! “Doctor” So-and-so was spending his vacation at Hot Springs and “Doctor” Love-the-ladies, exhausted by overwork, was going on a six-monlhs’ tour of recuperation to Europe. Such items as these the eight by ten Town Tattle and the .mammoth Daily Nuisance alike delight to parade before a greedy public. And this feeds the vanity of the holy man, who in spite of his sacred character and calling, is yet in some measure human. To have the head line in every daily paper every day— “Rev. Dr. Pierson,” is gratifying to the able sin physiciau, and any little godlike pretense of church unpleasantness and threats to quit that keep the head linethere and keep the “doctor” before the public, magnifies his importance and redounds indirectly to the glory of god. Hence the daily rumors of “ructions” and the constant reconciliations.The News of May 9th says:“The question of the resignation of Rev. Dr. Pierson, as pastor of the Second presbyterian church, has been in abeyance since his return from Detroit, pending a conference with the officers of the church, This conference took place last night. After a long and amicable interview between Dr. Pierson and the session of the church, and also with the board of deacons, the conclusion was reached that the pastor should withdraw his letter of resignation of April 22nd, which, it is uow understood, was an expression of hisabsolute determination to withdraw from the pastorate. The conclusion came after a full review of all the circumstances attending Dr. Pierson’* call to the church and of his subsequent relations thereto. The misunderstanding which had arisen were explained and Dr. Pierson will now remain, for the present, pastor of the church. Dr. I’ierson said to a News reporter this morning, that there was now no issue between himself and his church, but that at last night’s conference, it was clearly understood on all sides that if, at any time, god should open the door to a wider evangelistic field than that presented him in Indiauapolis, he should be at liberty to accept a call to such a field. He however, had no such field now in view, lie also said that at the conference he left the matter of church enlargement entirely in the hands of the church; that he would not urge the matter further; that the determination as to the advisability of the enlargement would remain exclusively with the church. He declined to head any faction and the withdrawal of his resignation was in the interest of peace and harmony, “it must be understood,” said Dr. I’ierson, “that while I have no expectation of leaving the church, yet there is no commitment on my part to remain. Of course, if thechurch determines to enlarge and the evangelistic field is thereby opened widely to me here I will naturally remain.” He stated that in I lt;79 he had received such an urgent impression that his proper work was evangelistic and amongst the fioor, that he had never yet been able to rid himself of that feeling, and thus the’ matter stands. The misunderstanding which was adjusted at the conference last night was in relation to the question of the enlargement of the church. Dr. I’ierson claimed he had come to Indianapolis with Hie distinct and positive assurance of the committee which had visited him iu Detroit that the Second presbyterian church here would lie sufficiently enlarged as to give him the same access to souls lie had in Detroit, where he had audience room for nearly 2,900. The church officers understood that Dr. I’ierson, in a statement he made to them after he took charge of the pulpit, waived the matter Dr. Pierson held that he had not waived it, but only left with the officers the determination as to the character of the enlargement.”U will be seen that here is artfully left a proviso for further disturbance and further newspaper notoriety. This matter is noted here at this length to impress upou the infidel the hateful and hideous features of hypocrisy—of priest-craft—of religion !BONU-8PRAY.This is the title of a neat volume ofpoems published last year by Remington Co., 124, New Bond street, lxndon, England. The author is George Barlow, who has previously published a volume entitled Song-Bloom. We are not aware that an American reprint of Mr. Barlow’s poems has yet appeared.Mr. Barlow ranks with your modern type of poets. He delights m irregularity of measure and oddity of versification. The admirers of the old masters can never enjoy the limping lyrics of your modern bard. Walt Whitman, though abounding in bold imagery and strong in thought, Is despised by all men of trne poetic taste for the rough and clumsy log-chaln clanking of his verse, if verse anything ha ever wrote can he called. But Barlow is unlike Whitman.