Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-10
pnESRYTERY OF CHESAPEAKE.
DIR. BULLOCKS REASONS FOR RESIGN
ING HIS CHARGE.

A communication from A. c. Hopkins, COZ
corning evangelical work, was referred TO DR..
Mitchell for reply.
A communication from Rev. Mr.. Robey
who had Withdrawn from the Presbyterian
Church, Joined the Methodist Church, and
now desires to return to the Presbyterian
Church, was referred to Dt. Lefevre for re-
ply. -,
DR.. D. H. Riddle, Of the Washington Pres
bytery, being present, was invited to SIT 10 the
body as i corresponding member
Robinson Loving was received under the
care OF the PreSDytery as i cauddate Tor the
ministry.
Messrs. Cave add Chinn were recommended
to the care of the Committee on + lucatlon.
The report of the Committee on Standing
Rules was presented and adopted.
The report of the Committee on the Treas
urers account was presented and made the
second order of the day for to-day.
Upon reasscmbliDg at II 0 o'clock and prior to
proceeding to the regular order,
Rev PcvtoD Harrison read the narrative Of
the churches to the General Assembly, which
was adopted.
DR. BULLOCK's REMARKS.
The order for the evening being to receive
the resignation of Rev. DIR. Bullock, pastor Ut
the "a Presbyterian Church of Alexandria: land
| to hear his reasons Tor presenting 1t, the Mod
orator said the Presbytery was about to per
| form one OF its most solemn and responsible du-
ties, before engaging IN which DlVlue assistance
should be invoked, and that he Should call
| upon Rev. DR.. Leyburn to lead III prayer.
| Dr. Leyburn responded IN an earnest ap-
| IA Iv S,,aoIal hlaSSIny from
those who we're Interested III the resignation,
| all improper feelings and undue excitement,
and iuduce in them disposition to do what was
right. He Invoked heavenly grace upon the
rcsguing pastor 10 the ACT he was about To
perform SO important to himself and to hls
| Church--aud upon the congregation whose sub
sroucnt action would be equally Important, So
that what ever was to be the result, the occa-
sion might pass away happily aud rebound TO
the glory Of God ny evlucing the charity OF his
people.
Rev. DIR. Bullock thea arose aud addressing
the MODERATOR said that four years ago he had
been installed as pastor uf this church, 10 the
pruscace of the Elders, who soemuly affirmed
their determination To assist him 10 his duties
He then gave cursory review Of his life suce
he eulered the ministry, thirty seven years
ago bavlug at that time received Il collegiate
| educatlou having almost goUc through course
OF law, aud being possessed oi anlndepenuencc;
but feeling C died of God To be His minister, he
obeyed that call, aud during the interval be-
tween then and now, had, though never by his
own solicitation, beru.tic pastor Of large, pros
porous Intelligent and refined congregations IN
the cities of Frankfort, Louisville aud Baitl-
more la those congrcg ,lious he. had Tor his
constant hearers men oil National reputation
| Vice Presidents, Governors of States, Judges
of Courts, mru Of emiueat ability ADD well
qualified 10 JUICE of the attributes OF u pastor;
vet they hal found no fault with hlm, they bad
| uttered no word Of ceusure against hlu, they
insisted upon his preaching TO them, they had
protested against his leaving thcmi and the
cnulci es uuler his chargr, by the grace OF
God. had groWu aud pruspcred. ln Ills ether
relations d. Secretary Ut The Board OF Mis-
sious Pri uclpal OF u large female sculnary OF
| learning, aJI Temporary GATOR OF religious
| PAPER, he had been, owing 10 Gods especial
favor, equally successful. No reproaches had
been cast upon hm-he had been created With
invdriable Kindness and courtesy. He came to
this city as he had gone 10 his other charges,
| without solicitation never preached here
| but ouce in his life before be preached as
pastor.
Two years aga two of the Elders waited up
on him to request him to shorten his sermons.
| His sermons were not longer here than they
were 10 the cities u which he had preached
| before, and which had been the cause OF no
| complaint from the distinguished men who
had listened to them. The morning service
prayers, hymus, lessons. sermon and bencdlc-
| ton CONSUMED but one hour and ahalf-surely
not too long-and the proposition to shorten
it, and the manner 10 which that proposition
| ~, h., n pr;,l orod Jopr.1no m him f
liberties that had never been taken with
him even when be was a much younger mau,-
aud to agree to that proposition he could not,
| especially as these same elders had iu the pre-
scnce and hearing OF the younger members OF
the congregation been complaining of and fiud-
ing fault with hin for the length of the service.
He had then resolved to resign his charge-not
wishing to be the pastor Of congregation hav
ing such members, aud had written his letter
of resi- gnaion but tore 1t up, upon learning that
the subject was to be dropped. The church,
however, prospered both III increased member
ship aud enlarged contributions more than 1t
had done under the able minstratlons OF his
predecessor: Judge of his surprise then, short
~ after this, when he heard that representa-
tons had been made in other cities by
members of this congrcg ion that bis mis-
sion here had been failure, as it had been
10 Baltim re, Louisville and Frankfort. He
had the authority of Mr. George Wilmer,
the ushur, aud others, for saying that the
congregations were never larger than at
present. and if his ILLUSTRATIONS were fail
ures in the other cities mentioned the
churches in those cities did not think SO.
The complaints went Oh, and one morning he
was approached by Mr. George Jameson, who
said, why Doctor, when your children enter
ed the Sunday School yesterday dressed in the
uniform Of Mr.. Carne's school, they produced
as much excitement as if bomb-shell had ex
poded there: you have shocked the whole
congregation, aud produced the greatest excite
ment among them-preaching against Catholic
schools aud then sending your children to one
of them. This is the schoul we have been try
ing to break down for SO long, aud you are en-
couraging it; said to my boy, pointing to the
uniform, Stewart that 5 the badge OF the beast, !
I'd rather you would grow up without knowing
letter of the al phabet than that you should
90 m a Cathu,ic - Mr. Edmund Wilmer