The Hatching Cat of Gotham

In my last post, I wrote about the famous pastor and orator of Plymouth Church who adopted a little boy’s cat from Indiana and named her Hoosier Cat. According to the story, the boy’s family was moving to Arkansas and he could not bring his cat with them. He reached out to Beecher, who agreed to adopt the cat and even pay the shipping charges.

In that post, I also included the words of an essay that he penned on cats in the Christian Union in 1870. (Beecher was the editor of the Christian Union, so he had free will to write on any topic of his choice.)

I just found another cat essay by Mr. Beecher from 1869 that I simply must share. I believe this essay is even better than the one he wrote in 1870.

Rather than retype the essay at the risk of creating a few typos (which my mother will kindly point out), I’m going to attach the actual article, which was published in numerous newspapers across the country.

Plymouth Church: A Singing Congregation

Plymouth Church was founded in 1847 by a group of 21 former New England men and women who wanted a Congregational church with a simple order of worship, governed by the congregation. These founders chose as their first pastor Henry Ward Beecher, an animal lover.

According to at least one unofficial source (ie, not a peer-reviewed journal), people who love animals have a specific version of the gene that produces the love hormone oxytocin, which is important for empathy between humans and boosts social bonding. Oxytocin also helps people bond with animals, so one can safely assume that most animal lovers (not all) are friendly and empathetic people.  

Beecher was not only kind to animals but he was also kind to his fellow humans. His “Doctrine of Love” promoted forgiveness and unconditional love, and his powerful preaching and outspoken opposition to slavery filled the pews to overflowing (he used the New Testament to show that slavery was wrong).

In 1849, a fire damaged the original church on Cranberry Street, which was sort of a blessing in disguise. A new red brick church with seating for close to 3,000 was constructed on Orange Street behind the original building. All that extra seating was necessary to accommodate the large congregation.

During this era, Plymouth was commonly known as “the Grand Central Depot” of New York City’s “Underground Railroad.” According to published memoirs and stories passed down from one generation to another, slaves reportedly hid in tunnels in the basement of the church.

“I opened Plymouth Church, though you did now know it, to hide fugitives,” Beecher reported to his stenographer. “I took them into my own home and fed them. I piloted them, and sent them toward the North Star, which to them was the Star of Bethlehem.” 

Services at Plymouth Church were not limited to Beecher’s powerful sermons. Beecher wanted his church to be “a singing church” in which the congregation was encouraged to sing along to hymns set to music.

He and his brother, Charles Beecher, along with church organist John Zundel, put together “The Plymouth Collection” of musical hymns from different Christian denominations, including Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox hymns.

Soon, a singing congregation became the hallmark of Plymouth Church. News quickly spread to other churches and other faiths, which is why today congregational singing is popular in many Christian worship services (some churches even still use Beecher’s book).

If you join me on one of my Cats About Town Walking Tours of Brooklyn Heights (more details coming next week), you will get to see Plymouth Church as it is the last stop on the tour.