▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 3 3 ▁while ▁the ▁boys ▁were ▁still ▁in ▁their ▁te ens . ▁ ▁After ▁serving ▁some ▁time ▁to ▁an ▁eng ra ver , ▁Thomas ▁Sp ur geon , ▁like ▁his ▁brother ▁Charles , ▁decided ▁to ▁give ▁his ▁life ▁to ▁pre aching ▁the ▁g ospel . ▁But ▁his ▁health ▁prevent ed ▁him ▁from ▁remaining ▁in ▁England . ▁While ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁young ▁he ▁sa iled ▁to ▁Australia , ▁and ▁spent ▁one ▁year ▁in ▁evangel istic ▁lab ors ▁there . ▁After ▁his ▁return ▁to ▁England ▁it ▁was ▁decided ▁that ▁he ▁must ▁return ▁to ▁a ▁better ▁climate ▁for ▁his ▁health . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁he ▁pre ached ▁in ▁many ▁places ▁in ▁Australia , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ; ▁and ▁finally ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁accept ▁the ▁past or ate ▁of ▁a ▁Bapt ist ▁church ▁in ▁A uck land , ▁the ▁A uck land ▁Bapt ist ▁Tab ern acle , ▁where ▁his ▁influence ▁was ▁already ▁becoming ▁widely ▁felt . ▁ ▁Thomas ▁returned ▁to ▁England ▁after ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁his ▁father ▁and ▁succeeded ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁pul pit ▁min istry ▁after ▁a ▁brief ▁period ▁under ▁Arthur ▁T app an ▁Pi erson . ▁During ▁Thomas ' ▁fifteen - year ▁past or ate , ▁the ▁Tab ern acle ▁burn ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁and ▁was ▁re built ▁along ▁similar ▁lines . ▁His ▁brother ▁Charles ▁was ▁past or ▁of ▁the ▁Green wich ▁Bapt ist ▁Church . ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁ ▁Notes ▁ ▁Category : 1 8