The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-07
B2oSKLYN pEEsSYTERy.

Shall Women ssremeh or Preach In Pro-
miscuous Assemblies 1.-The Presbytery
Says No and Condemns Lafayette Ave-
nue Presbyterian Church.
Inc Brooklyn Presbytery, which has special
guardianship oyer Paal's advice TO the Corintnian
Church, 10 see that II Is enforced to the letter
against ali Presbyterian women within It's bounds,
were again exercised with the Interpretation Of
rau's words III their meeting yesterday. After
certain preliminary work had been transacted Dr..
cuyier presented courteous nut hrm pro-
test from the Lafayette avenue Presby
terrain church, Of winch he IL pastor. against
tie recorded action Of the Presbytery AZ irs
last meeting. That action eXonerated the Laiay-
cite avenue church rom any intention 10 violate
the deliverance the General Assembly IN the
general question 81 women speaking IN public anu
promseuous assemblies, and the prohibition OF he
Presbytery IN a previous instance involving this
same church Bnt al tue same time the Presley
terry recorded it's own conviction tnat that church
hal violated ootn Dy permitting Miss Sarah smiley
to preach 10 promiscuous gathering IN its house
OF worship Previous TO the last session Of the Pres
bYlery when this matter was up committee war
appointed 10 inquire whether the common rnmor
was true false. This committee waited On Dr.
cuyfer and his church session. VINO emphatlcaly
denied that
MISS SMILEY HAD PREAcHED.
The committee SO reported and recomme nded that
no further action wae needed. The PresbyLery ola
not think go, however and amended the commit
tee's report by lciroIng censure therein, ana III
this shape u was adopted. Yesterday Dr. Cnyier
read the protest and asked for the resembling OF
this resolution Of censure, which has greatly
weakened the bond between his church and the
presoytery. rne paper recited that Dy. Buding.
toms and DR.. Cuyler's churches had invited
Miss smiley 10 come and give series OF
Bible readings and instructions TO women
in their respective churches. That il was M
ders food that wunld not be invited, but
that on {. certain Wednesday evening the hus-
bands and brothers OF the ladies' who were gath
cred there did TO escort them home, and In
their presence Miss Smiley made an address or
some remarks and the vile or an officer OF the
Lafayette avenue church did offer prayer Buv
they emphaticaly deny that Miss Smiley
preached Ana yet the record vi the
Presbytery says she did, anu did 1T in
violation OF It's prohibition. The exercises on
that occasion were deeply devotional, and the
Prespytery II present, should nave approved and
not condemned the proceedings. II that meeting
10 condemned, say the pr0CessanJs, then every
gifted woman Is condemned Tor expanding scrip
Lure To Bible class, ana every returned female
missionary is prohibited from addressing nits-
sionary meeting. III thai Is to be the IRON rule Of
tue Prcshytery,
Why DoN'r resy CONDEMN THE woaES
now engaged III the temperance crusade, VINO pray
III tie rlnseilerS shops before pr omscuOuS ASSEM-
bites. For, according 10 the Presbytcryis inter
preta.on, the presence of one man, though he be
the runscier, constitutes promiscuous assem-
bly, The Lafayette avenue church. therefore, re-
specrlCiiy protests against any such meddling or
mtermeddling with their social weekly meetings.
and demonstrates against the resolution when has
gone lortn 10 tue world and still stands Oh the
records Of the Preshytary, censnrlng them Tor
the document OF Lafayette avenue church
ana III The remarks OF its pastor in presenting IT,
Dy. fuller thereupon moved to refer this paper
to the committee VINO had previously reported on
the matter, and OF which Or. Wells was chairman
That gentleman and The other members OF The
committee present protested against any such ref
crence, since the action protested against was DOT
that OF the committee but OF the I'resDytery ITSELF
Dr.. Van Dyke opposed any snch reference. IL
was on his motion that Presby tcry adopted the
resolution complained or He did not care straw
Presby terian or Congregational, might say on
this subject. IL what the Hoy Ghost
said through the Apostle PAM 10 Ihe Church at
Corinta that he jealous Of-that women
should not teacn or preach He was also opposed
going back TO the record or rescinaing amy action
OF Prespytery unless the protesting church had
some additional evidence to present which had NOT
been heard. Then he would consent TO open the
and cite the session OF Lafayette avenue
church, and not It's pastor and clerk and interro-
gate every member as 10 the position oil the
Dr.. Seayer said that if the action OF prcsbytery
was unjust or unjustiioble toward Lafayette ave-
nue. church, tnat church had remedy i'll carving
Assembly. that was the proper course. But dog
chasing mis- tail would be more dignffied than
Presbytery eating its own words and stultuylng
itself IN this way.
Rev. Mr.. Martin, OF the Young Mems Christian
Association insisted that Iresby terry h2d the right
to review It's own action and 10 unmake what it
had made IL it thought proper, and ne favored the
comnittce's appointment.
Another reverend brother would have the ques-
tion taken appeal rom Presbytery to Synod
and thence 70 the Assembly, and let 1t be settled
once and forever. Did the Assembly mean what
1t sad, literally, did IL nOty II 1t did then we
must stop the mouth OF every woman who offers
prayer teaches a Bible class or even speaks 10 her
friends in social meeting IN the church. Let u.s.
he remarked, come down TO the hard pan of facts
let every minister and church that can't abide the
decision, 1t shall sustain the literal rendering,
LEAVE THE DENOMINATION.
The motion to appoint a committee to receive
the Lafayette avenue church'S document was laid
on the table This was equivalent TO reafr,uatlon
OF their previous action censuring that church,
and was interpreted by DR.. Cuyler.
On DR.. Van Dy ke's motion a committee con-
sisting or Drs. Butler, Van Dyke and Martini was
appointed to prepare minute expression OF the
sense the Prespytery Tor not reviewing its former
action on this matter.
The appointment OF Commissioners to the Synod
made the first order business Tor this MORN
ing at hatpast nine O'Clock, 10 which nour the
Presbytery decided TO adjourn AFTER the devotional
services OF the evening.
The Presbyterian sermon was delivered in the
evening by the Moderator, Rev. j. clement French,
rom the words, "rhe Lord hath anointed me to
preach the Gospel to the poor, the opening OF the
prisons to them that are bound &c. 1t was dis
course leplete with practical evangelical common
sense, advice for minister's ana churches as to the
ing.