The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. Charrington — John Shaqi
The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. CharringtonThorne, Guy
History
The Great Acceptance: The Life Story of F. N. Charrington
Thorne, Guy
Charrington, Fredk. N. (Frederick Nicholas), 1850-1936; Poor -- England -- London
Mr. Samuel Morley, M.P., has already been mentioned, and one of the
richest men in England, Mr. T. A. Denny, was a magnificently generous
subscriber, and never ceased in his unflagging patronage of the work.
It was Mr. Denny who generously bore nearly all the pecuniary burden
of opening a certain East End music hall on Sunday nights--a music
hall which will be seen, as the story of Mr. Charrington's career
advances, to have had a most extraordinary place and influence in his
life.
The music hall crusade was Mr. Charrington's idea, and it proved an
inestimable blessing to the population among whom he worked, hundreds
being reached there who could never otherwise be brought within the
sound of the gospel.
At the Foresters' Music Hall, the famous Evangelist, Mr. Sankey,
consented to sing, and for three years the most enthusiastic meetings
were held there.
Both the Hon. Jon. Keith-Falconer and Lord Mount-Temple addressed the
congregation. One service in this hall was broken up by the loud
roarings of some caged lions who were to be shown there on the next
night. The audience was terrified and refused to stay, despite Mr.
Charrington's assurance that there was no danger. The great beasts
were only separated from the Evangelist by the drop curtain, and the
experience must certainly have been very unpleasant and
nerve-shaking--though Frederick Charrington does not rejoice in
"nerves."
Lusby's Music Hall, the place of amusement to which I first referred,
and which was the largest music hall in the East End, was opened for
several seasons.
Work was begun there on a night in November, 1877. The crowd was so
great that it extended beyond the tram-lines, which were seventy feet
from the entrance, while before the doors were opened the line itself
was invaded, and the police had to regulate the crowd in order to let
the trams pass through it.
The hour of this first service was seven o'clock, but at half-past six
there was not a single vacant seat in the building, and wherever
standing room could be found, it was immediately occupied. Madame
Antoinette Stirling came down and sang "O rest in the Lord."
I wish especially to insist on the fact, ample record of which is in
my possession, that these music hall services on Sunday nights were
_continuously_ crowded. People who would not have even gone into the
great tent or the ordinary mission halls were to be found in the
transformed haunts of their ignoble week-day pleasures, and the souls
that were led to the foot of the Cross were incalculable.
In connection with Lusby's Music Hall, in particular, I cannot refrain
from recalling at least one case of very special interest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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