The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-08
BROOKLYN PREsBYTERY.
Becond Days sesston-The Irrepressibie
Woman Question Up Again-The
Action OF the Presbytery Reconsidered
and the Old Matter Reopened.

Becond Days session-The Irrepressible
Woman Question Up Again-The
Action OF the Presbytery Remembered
and the Old Matter Reopened.
The Presbytery OF Brooklyn continued their semi
annual session yesterday In the Franklin avenue
Presbyterian church, DR.. Buchanan, Moderator.
At the morning session committees were appointed
70 organize a Presbyterian church IN the Twenty
nlth ward OF Brooklyn; 10 recommend location
for the Mission sunday school now conducted by
Rev. M. Mclaren TO advise with the Gates avenue
church, which ands itself in strait financially,
and 10 report measures for the relief OF Pres
bytery for us notes in aid OF the Greenpoint
and Sloan churches. Those committees reported.
The committee on Mr.. Hegemans application to be
received into the Presbytery reported that there
were no papers before It certifying that the brother
was member OF any ecclesiastical body In corre-
sponaence with Preseytery, and recommended
that ne be allowed to withdraw his papers
The Committee on Narration OF Churches also
reported substantial progress in all the churches
OF the Presbytery, both spiritually and financially.
Three new churches have been erected; two are
pastorless-the Ross street and the Memorial; I've
churches report 1T more additions this year than
reported from the entire Presbytery last year.
And altogether the outlook Is cheering.
TUE STATISTICS OF CHURCHES
show healthy growth all round. The following
are the most important gaips:-Franklin avenue
church-Aembership, 437; additions, AS; Sunday
school, 572. Fort Greene chgrch, lis members; 20
additions; 700 in sunday school, Remscn street
church-Members, S4l; sunday school, $50. First
German cnurch-Members 52o added, "a in Sun
day school, 450. Hopkins street church-Members,
1857: added, 20; Sunday school, 525. Central church
OR. Talpage sl-Members, 933; added, 3o6; in
Sunday school, 953. Greenpoint church-Members,
2s3; added, AZ; In Sunday school, l,o4o Tompkins
avenue cnurch-Members 2l3; added, IS; in sun
day school. 507. Second church-Members, 331;
added, IS; IN sunday school. 233. First church IL.
D.l-Members, los; added, 9; In Sunday school,
$40. Sloan church-Members, IFS; in sunday
school, 10. French church, ~ members and 80
Sunday scholars Lawrence street church. l05
members; 10 in sunday school. Calvary, S5
members; $50 in sunday school. Westminster
church, $50 members; 10 ADDED; 275 in sunday
school. Edgewater T.. ~ l42 members; 10 added;
$40 IN sunday school LAFAYETTE avenue church,
Its members. The proportion OF additions IN
otner churcnes reported was smaller than these,
and lew churches did not report at all.
Rev John Moore, OF Philadelphia Presbytery,
was received by the Presbytery-
A motion TO abolish the custom of having Presby-
terial sermon preached by the retiring Moderator
drew forth debate, pro and con, and was finally
decided In favor OF retaining it, by vote or
twenty one to nineteen. Alter some routine eccle
slastical work the Presbytery took recess
AFTERNOON sEssIoN-'.A WOMAN DID PREACH"
At hall-past two O'Clock Presbytery reassembled
Commissioners were appointed TO the General As
semDiy, which meets in st. Louis next month, as
follows :Ministers--Revs. 5. s. b. Halsey, J. Glenn
Buchanan and Evans. Laymen-Messrs. Jonathan
Ogden, Nathan Lane and Sinclair McElway. Alter
nates-Messrs- ]. w. Cunning, W. G. Hull and -
Hazard
A resolution was adopted nstructing these deie-
gates vote Tor the minority report consolida-
ton OF church boards.
Then came up the lrrepressible woman question,
which kept the members OF the Presbytery awake
for couple OF hours. Between Drs. Cuyer and
Van Dyke-the Champions on both sides-the de-
bate was lively. but courteousy carried on. Other
but humor to the deliberations. it was lett,
finally, 10 q practical layman and editor to get his
ministerial brethren out OF the ..muddlen into
which they had run themselves DR.. Van Dyke,
from the committee appointed on Monday even
ing. made his report, giving the reasons why the
fayette avenue church AFFAIR, In which 1t declared
that "a woman did preach,n when its own com
mittee and the session OF the Lafayette avenue
church did solemnly declare tEat the woman
did teach 1t was apparently the difference be-
MOI tails; but TO the grave ministers and laymen
composing the Presbytery 1T was a real differ
so, and, as Dr. Cuyer put IL, 1t was saying to Lafay
cite avenue church. I'VE exonerate you from all
intention Oh dong wrong, but nevertheless you did
wrong, and we leel compelled to censure YOU"
The Doctor lCuyler) renewed his appeal Tor
to me and
had been already weakened by the action OF the
latter His church OF L, I75 members are loyal to
Presbyterianism and he and his session would
should come the Presbytery alone viii be
country can say what the Brooklyn Presbytery
can say-thaJ 1t has the largest congregation
1.-THE Central Tabernaclel and the largest caurch
membership lafayette ayenue) on this Cont
nent Ii should be careful, therefore, how 1t weak
ened the ties between any OF Its children. He did
not want 10 go pack to his church with two words
as the result OF its protest-no redress.
BRIDGING THE CHASM.
Doctors Van Dyke, Wells, REID, Rockwell, Messrs.
Lambert Stearns, McElway and others discussed
the matter at great length Mr.. McElvay finally
showed the Presbytery the way out OF the maze.
One class or facts only was before the Presbytery
when II took the action complained OF. Those
facts were contained in the committees report.
Upon the existence OF those facts both sides agree
Lafayette avenue church say that on those facts
the resolution OF the committee, which was not
adopted, should have been adopted. The Pres
Dytery say that on the same facts 1t
was justified IN adopting The resolution
which II did. Now, he thought, the proper
way was to reconsider the resolution
adopted, come back to the facts before the body,
and then The whole question would be open. This
was the suggestion finally adopted though with a
little larger scope. whereby II was referred TO the
original committee OF which DR.. Walls is Chair
man, who are to meet the session OF Lafayette av-
on the question and report Presbytery at an adj
jOurned meeting, to be held IN the First Presbyte-
ran church, Henry street, DR.. Seayer pastor, on
Tuesday next, at four p. NJ. The whole ques-
tion is then TO he probed to the bottom and lively
times are expected. The difference between
preaching and teaching Will be explained and the
right OF woman TO do the latter, but not the ior-
mer, will be upheld. And then the important point
will be settled-which did MISS smiley do on GER
tain occasion in Lafayette avenue church? These
the living questions OF tue hour Ia the Brook