The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-07
7HE PRESBYTERIAN QUANDARY.
4 Vary Mixed Muddls- Proceedings Of tho
Brooklyn Pfssbytsry Yesterday.
N More They Discuss tho Woman Question the
AGs Insxtricably Confused They Bscoms-A
Oenpromise Measure Adoptsd-The Noun
tain Brings Forth . Mouse and tho
Grave Ministers Depart in Peace


ne Brooklyn Presbytery assembled again yester-
aay In Inc First church. IN Clinton street. TO con-
tnue their discussion Of the question which has 30
agtsated the City Of Churches and its neighbors-
~ question OF woman's right to preach the
0ospek Dr. Wells took the moor and opposed the
wording OF the committees paper, but at the same
tine, In Q very good nstured way, emphatcally OPP
posed the practice OF women preaching IN the
church. He proved 1t contrary TO Presbyterian
usAge BY the fact that this single instance had Gre
sted such intense interest and excitement In the
minds Of all classes in the community. He took DR..
spear and Mr. Taylor to task for their exposition OF
Presbyterian doctrines and usages on Monday, and
for their exgess OF the Scripture texts cited by the
committee against the act complained Of He was
one OF the committee, ana he explained tho DIM
cHlties that presented to them In drafting the
paper He was In favor OF censuring the Lafayette
svenue church by name as well as the act Of that
SAsrch which had called them together.
Rev. Mr.. MCCLELLAN
TRAVELLED FROM DAN TO BRERsHRBA
N speech Hearty an hour In its delivery, searching
Ssr facts and points upon which TO base a censure
o. the Lafayette avenue church and Its privilege to
. woman to preach therein He analysed the argu-
ments and the logic OF the defenders OF Dr. Cuyler.
Gehvered by them yesterday, and strongly opposed
the practice OF women preaching which, he IN
sisted, was contrary to the Word Of Goa.
Rev. Mr.. TAYLOR interrupSing, asked Mr.. McOlel-
han where would draw the line In Scripture, ana
especially In Paul's writings, which have been
quoted, between that which Is obsolete and that
which Is still In force?
Mr. MCCLELLAN evaded this question and created
q little sensation BY his equivOcal answer. He
placed HIMSELF he said, solely on the Bible, and
the DEGREES OF councils or deliverances OF
uynOds or assemblies were to him mere
trash compared with the Word OF God. Ira
verslng the Old Testament from Genesis to Malachi,
he showed that the number OF prOphetesses men
HOnod-Miriam, Deborah and huldah-did not
allow OF more than one In 1900 years. And this in
itself, he thought. was good argument against
women preaching. He took also the negative argu-
ment from the New Testament, and showed that
women had not In single instance exercised the
ministerial functions. And the New Testament
Church having been moulded after the synagogue,
and NOT after the temple, women han no right to
participate IN any OF It's services The positive pro.
hiDitions Of Scripture were next reviewed, and the
usages OF the Presbyterian Church were called up
~ Mr.. Mcclellan against this act and the practlce
which 1t 10 likely to lnaugurate.
A motion was here made to admit certain oreth-
rem from other PresOyteres to the privileges OF the
house, but objections, was raised against members
Of the synod OF Long Island because they Will have
20 sit In Judgment this case by and by. Leaving
those brethren out, however, the others were ad'
Witled
Dr.. SPEAR then took the floor In defence Of Dr.
He would not follow his brother Wells through his
stupendous variety OF
Dor hts Brother Mcclellan through v0lumtnous and
Wearlsome speech OF hair.splttlng points, but he
before this Presbyery Luther nailed his theses
before Papa Europe Some OF these theses he said ne
Hrst, the language OF the call, which ne:read i'm
phed ground OF complaint against the session and
becond, the matter referred TO in the call not the
general principle whether women shall he installed
sesred 70 IN ane CAL 80 IN ITSELF should
% brought before them; third, being convened Tor
the purpose named IN the cali tins Presbytery 4.
d three causes-it may dismiss, approve or con-
denim the act complained OF, but this condemnation
~ form involves punishment and this can only be
lnnicted after charges have been properly made and
. trial and conviction have been mad hereunder.
AND, furthermore, the Presbytery must show It's
authority and the process oil exercising that auth0-
Tisy, and also that sucn authority is exercised &C
Ang to the book OF Church Discipline and Govern
nent from cnap; sec: ana sGb,seS o ute .Gene,
snat their proceedings In this case are wholly
illegal; that the session OF Lafayette ave-
before sns psesSyey why they
woman to preach in their church, and then this
session TO be disposed Of there. His nth thesis
mat the only authority for deciding the question be-
THE STANDARDS OF THE CHURCH
The Confession Of Faith the Longer and shorter Cate
chisms and the Constitution and Governments OF the
Presby teran Church. They can't try this case by
Dr. Hodges exegcsls II must be tried by the stand.
ards OF the Church. which profess TO be based on the
TOMS or McCiellans expositons OF isolated Scrip
tsre texts. nor by deliverances OF General Assem-
DYKE r snans out IL
the st LOUIS Presbytery, which body had violated
saying which ne struck his book and Knocked out
ZONE memorandums. which caused some merr.
BUYERS act is IN violation Of any rule Of disci.
b censure upon It's face and eighth, 1t sustains
its censure oy the standards OF the Church, but
BY begging the question ana straining the interpre
tati0n OF Scripture. Nntn-rhe paper, II adopted,
would be All outrage on the Lafayette avenue Pres
b apd on us aCo HenS
damage Itself IN the estimation OF ninety nine.0ne
hundredths OF the population OF Brooklyn This he
0i0 not present as an argument but as an onset TO
. statement made BY the complainants yesterday
that similar effect would be produced by dis
1iscredit Presbyierlanism any more than by Going
this very foolish thing. tAppiause:l Eieventh.ii
reference 70 THIS case choose to make deiverance
on the subject OF women preaching In Presbyter
churches IL might do so; understanding. however.
that such deliverance would be but the expression
Of majority and would have
NO AUTHORITY TO BIND ANY ONE
under heaven tSensatiOn.) This was his Presby-
eeriantsm. Deliverances are simply dlgnlned adj
vice and as such are worthy OF all due consideration
He had no party zeal In this NATTER but constituting
the law strictly he was utterly opposed to any Gen.
sure for this act which would be an outrage on the
traction or It's rights which would disgrace this
Presbytery: In closing DR.. Spear read a paper sub.
etanualy diminishing the case altogether winch the
PTesbytery were asked 10 adopt.
The Rev. 4. DEWITT TALHAGE said that when DR..
Cuyier asked Mss Smiley to preach he either did
right or wrong. II right, they should approve: n
wrong they should condemn. For his own part he
heartily approved OF this act and in sympathy win
ne O1ered the following resolutions as an amend
ment to the committees papers,
Mr.. TALMAGE ON WOMEN PREACHERS.
whereas Il has before that woman has preached
Lafayette Presbyterian church a. the invitation OF
Resolved That We nd no cause complaint against Dr.
Cuyle he having this offended law Of the Presby
lerlAn church. .
Resolved, also, That Presbyery encourage pulpit
exchanges with the CLERGY Of Ill evangelical denominations
hat NAV he