, 1874-12-28
elimination of tho Difficulty In tho
Western. Avenue Baptist
Church.
The Rev. Mr.. Gordon's Last
Sermon to His Flock.
He Defends His Previous Action in
tho MCCARTHY Trial.
Tho Resignation to Be Acted
Upon at n Meeting This
Evening.

IfcAlLEs
Tho farewell Eartnun Of tue nov. John Cor.
don, whose Resignation aB pastor Of tho Western
Avenno Baptist Church was tendoroda q week ngo,
was preached Inst evening to congregation 10
largo rs to ffl every available iuch Of room in
tho church, hundreds being turned,away from tho
door, unabo 10 gain admission. The fooing on
tho part Of tic members WIS very dcep, mud
manifested itself III evidences Of atrong
emotion. Aftor tho customary devotional oxor-
cises had becn had, and US tho tme arrived for
tho pastor to prcaol, llih Bermon ono OF tile doa
cons, afr. J. 9. Henderson, claimcd tho attention
of tho congregation, speaking ns follows:
DnErnnEs AND FRIENDS: Those OF yon WHO
werc ptesont this morning heard tho atatoment
church year left us In debt Bevoral hundred dol
lars, mud that debt Is Htll unpaid. Wo owo our
PASTOR and. az you oil know, he preaches his
fAlowoll sermon to this people tlliH eyoning.
Chrat aud his cause eonatfain III to give lib
oa 81 lis ' mugry @ I '11s'q 1ho financial IN D 1eeor Of
this church is something to 10 proud Of.
That peope' sa9. non9 Of them .e, Te, in tho
timo Of financial depression hayo contributed Bc
lberally NJ you hAye to tho support OF tho
Gospel, y truly praso"orthy; but, brethren, IT
IL to Gods mercy and goodness that we owo it
all, mud our whole duty Is not got dono. Wo wish
to pay our pastor ovory dollar Of monoy TINT wo
owe him. and, whllo wo still owo TO him q t!obt Of
gratitude that cannot be estimated In dollars aud
cot,ta, VIC ask you to give this US fcehlo token
OF your loyo to Christ md lis work, aud that our
pastor may leavo us unfotsoicl by financial dill
cultios. We must have $500 to do this With. Our
collection this morning WINS only S35. Now wo
wnnt Brother Gordon to have every cent OF his
salary due him, aud we must raiso 1t tonight.
7 nul,t tt,a ~, n1or1.
and take namos aud amounts subscribed, while
tho oflicors pass up and down the aBlus. Viii
pono ono start the collection?
While Mr.. Henderson was delivering these ro-
marks, MIR. Gordon advanced to tho front Of tho
platform mud said:
I enter mr. Bolomn protest against this. This
pulpit iB mine tonight. Tho collection which
Brother Henderson PROPOSES to hayo tukan up
Eothcr against MY wish. Let tho baskets DO
tasscd round among tho audience, and the rogu-
lar collection pc takou up tonight. ! ain to
preach the Aora'on. and this IL my pulpit. Zap
hollao Of God Let l1a all remember this. I
lsayo tho highest regard for Brother Henderson.
Io knows that. But against this enter my
protest most emphatic.
After announcing lis thomo from tho Epistlo
to tho Theesalonfans, he went OH to tho cxpla-
nation Of tho passagc, and thou sald TINT 1t was
with pain that ho rehoaraed the foeblo lnbors no
haa expended in the church from Which he was
about to depart. uo had beou called there in
tho year 1868. whom tho Western Avenue DAptist
Church was known rs tho Providence Mission.
lie was Mt tho samo time ita leader and n
student in tho Baptist Theological Seminary Of
this city. Ho lnhorol IN the lniBsion nt n salary
of 1900 per annum. That was In August, 1861.
In December OF tho aame year tue Improvement
was very marked. aud jan. 81, 1853, he received
call to become tllolr pastor. From tlat
until the present tho salary had boon increased.
until now it had reachod the aam Of 2,59o
r. ,{u al,,,sra1 taHh hnn or3nt1 mi
10 tho work OF tho Gospel ministry.
Tho day on which the church waB organized rs
such was significant ono. Tho toxt choson
| waH: dappy III the man whose God IL tho
service eyary Sabbath, when llais WAS increased
to two, md wish encouraging results. Tho num-
borH present at these services were gircu, and
tho speaker stated the church, slusiNg h;s aiz
| ycars' pastoratc, Ind increased from far lees
than huudrea until it had received 22S persons
by letter, and o2O BY bxeR Ism, with a present
nomborship Of 40S, taking into confederation
tho dismissions from various causeB Tho
church during this ttrno l1ad risen from d mis-
sion TO third largest among tho eighteen Baptist
! churches In this city. l1a would not 60 over tho
routine OF entllnerlting tho number OF sermons
preached, the yiHitationH mado, tue potaonB
married. those Who had died, but lo nuncd the
various interests Of tho church to which
received support. 1Io was sure, and lie
did not say It irroyerently, TINT shi!o per-
! laps tho Lord would not bo able at the
close Of thcao. lio labors, "W'el done, good and
any that tho paRtor had been slothful. He toncll
| ingly roforred to tho decoase OF his vito, and
many OF bis audltors worc moved to tears at tho
recital. Tho incoming later Of IN honored one
among them was a!ao alluded to, and tho speaker
believed he could say in all truthiuIness that
| they hal wopt with him when 10 wept and re-
| joicod when he was glad.
Flo thou proceeded to Atato at length tho
l I.}af,t J4.1 A-H 1s5x ,,rr
hoa,ned tho position he took In the Mccarthy
trial, aud read tho letter which 10 published ut
| tho oloae Of that unfortunate ttlal, which waa
his protest. After reading tue lattor document,
| lie said:
| FoY this a.t,c!o:ana my position at the Council
| I have boeu condemned by my brethront by
members Of city and suburban churches, by tho
Standard, Of Chicago, whoso columns wore
shut against 'nc. hut which designated my
charges aa 'talso and slanderous." It the Same
time praislng the othor momberY Of tho Conn-
/! Gil, mud takng good care tlat no word was ul-
lowed to bo printed against tho Councils action
prominent Eastern editor said to MO, e. Tho
Standard has dono eroa9 Injustice IN refuains
herring from tho other sido." Tl,anks to tho
| socutar press OF Chicago for permitting mo to
| give to tha world my aolouln protest, witch /
truthfully bolioye has accomplished d two-fold
good. prerenting> many from wholly renouno.
thoy preach, and aa warning, to other
councils not to asaumo tho authority Of their
Chicago brothron, or At least directing thctr ut
teution to the loose, INSCRIPTIONS lnodua ope-
randi OF procedure in trial and paradoxca! yer-
dict, nut n,auy Aavo beau oNandel booanan
dared rise tn t4nt council and domaud jus.
tico. not moroy, FOR tho accuBcd., have
baon nsyarcly abused by many for trying to be.
friend tho ono On trial, Why not condemn Inc
for visiting our County Jnil, and to!ling tho ull:
happy inmates OF thoao dark, iron-baryed cells oi
bayiora love? Why not condemn MO 10,
preaching In tho Errlng Women'a letWge. aud
speaking words OF hope to thoae focloru, home
loss ones?
II theso nets Of CAratan labor meet approval,
why should I ho conaurod for bofrielldinY q
| brother minister aud "follow mortal" when
not ouly Ills reputation waa aHaaslad aud liH uaa-
fulnosH thrcatenol but by ls disgrace,
or. tho u,lchria!inn nets OF his auetnies
Chrlst's cause might DO injured? Whom the
carefully, was ,snossd, could ! keep si!ons !
When tho Council aaaumod tho position o1
authority and deposod brother from tho minis.
try without presenting specific roatons for sugl
| All nrt enn1a T. III tho nhttiS at humanity rafrnt