The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-04-06
THREE coyGRrGirroys oBJEcryo.
Trouble that Made the Rev. DR.. James Lud-
low Resign hi. Passionate.


low Resign his Passionate.
The outgrowth Of the old Collegiate Dutch
Reformed Church. that 200 years ago stood at
the Battery, are the three chur hos at Lafayette
rlne' and East Fourth street Firth avenue and
| Tw"nty-ninih stroct. and Flth avenue and
! Iory-ci.hth street. The Nov. nr Talbot Cham
/ bers is pastor Of the first the Row Or. Omission
! ~ the second. and. until Wednesday night, tho
! Row. DR.. James LudlOw conducted thc services
| in the third AMI largest. One oi the u-alcs Vt
the oil Collegiate Church has bncn hanu' d
down through two centuries. and now rs } 4.
Consistory Of twenty four members
takes care of the interests Of the
| three churches. This Consistory Is ap
pointed in u singular way. When avacan-y oc-
ours the remaining members mn it without pay
ing any regard to the wishes Of the congrcga-
ton. Thus the churches have practically no
representation and the sclf-elected Consistory
is all-powcrful. Four years aRo the Forty
eighth strcetand Fifth avenue church WAS with
out pastor. and the Rev. DR.. Jamcs Ludlow
| accepted call from II. He was
young. very energetic. and an excellent
preacher. He became favorite with his
congregation. but the COnsistory seems to have
dstrusted him from the beginning He came
from Presbyterian church in Albany and WIS
not slow 10 point out and try to rectify what he
regarded defects in his Reformed Dutch
charge. This aroused the hostility Of the Con-
sistory. who looked on him as mrldlcsome
young man. fond of interfering with things
which did not concern him. His congregation
supported him. however and he went on ms he
began. the membership Of his church Increasing
rapidly. ii WAS very wax when h. accept Il
the pastorlte. but abouta thousand persons now
assemble at his morning service every sunday
while the Regular membership is about five
hundred. This prosperity. however had no
oU0"t on the Cunsisipry, vino nude his position
peculiarly UNPLEASANT About scVen months
ago they decided TINT it was bal poll y 10 permit
Ills own pnlpif. Keap Rim m9yin,i ,lDmt' tiny
said. and his work will he more effective
under their SUPERVISION that thoy must rotate
from pulpit to pulpit ut the evening services
each minister bong permitted 10 preach in his
own 81 urch every sunday morning, and every
third sunday evening.
The new plan DID not suit the views Of the
congregations They We're indignant. and Dr.
Ludlows people requested hin. not to pay any
attention To the order. DR.. Ormistou, too, and
the members Of his church. viewed the new
regulation rs very arbitrary on tho pnrt Of the
Cons lstOry, The only one Who approved It
WIS DR.. Chambers. who belongs To- the old
school Of minister's and scps much virtue in
itinerancy. He commended the wisdom of the
Consistory. and preached ON sunday evenings
thereafter to remarkably small congregations.
Tor the immediate eil.ct OF the new order OF
things was TO diminish the attendance at the
churches on sunday evenings to about u third
Of their former proportions. ON the first even
lug lr. OrmiSton preached IN Dr. Ludlow
church 10 about a hundred persons. and DR..
Ludlow. III Ir. Chambers pulpit. had not many
morc hearers. The memb-'rShip of DR.. Lu,llows
church decreased nearly ~ fast as 1t mad risen.
those who Withdrew saying that. while they
liked Dr. Omissions preaching very much. they
wanted their own pastor. 4 little later their I'M
dignaiion was further aroused hy the action Of
the Cons istury, who reduced their eight repre-
-entattvc- To seven. and flied the vacancy with
a memhoroi DR.. ChHmhorss rhurch. which thus
had nine delegates, although the smallest of the
three churches.
Five months ago a mcmber q the ConsistQry
told DIR. Ludlow that If h. rendered his
resignation il would be- accepted. n consulted
his congregation. who were unanimous in beg
ging him 10 stay with them and took Tn"
ground that the Cons story had no authority to
remove him. He accepted their support and re-
mAin'd but thrrcal'r ne was 9uurct'd 10
much ANNOYANCE from the Con-i-tory. who re-
I~at'dly threat med To- turn him out. ~ was at
last satisfied that the state oi affairs was dctri-
mental 10 the Interests of the chur 10. AMI dc r
mined g. resign. On "Wednesday night lust
uitrr the lecture room EXERCISES were over. he
| told his congrf Cation oi his resolution. Among
the reasons that he gave for his action were tho
failing condition of the church owing H. Tho
| changing ~ the minister from pulpit To pulpit
every Sunday evening. and the anxiety in
winch ne was cu4HianiN kept Wa lmphlrnS
| his usefulness. Ills congr' CATION manifested
great feeling, and several of tlcm, INCLUDING
-onlc who hId hcru connected with the tolipsi-
at Dutch !, form d Chur'l i'rha a rentury,at
enc, Withdrew. An hortW nni"t1 ntn"' Or.
lud'u w 10 reconsider ll- determination. but he
| wis lrh an auh"un'rd illt j." would preach
ni- farewell sermon ON the coming sunday.
The tnnssiory Wls Indignantly condemned.
and Mr. Peter Donald. one ol it, members was
invited to explain the meaning nf its notion
Mr.. Donald admitted that the Con-istory might
have erred. being only human. u sentiment
mat was greeted with conirmptuous laughter.
4 resolution WIS adopted thanking DR.. Ludlow
fnr MS "iil 'inut services during the past four
years. rNpr' -sing mistaken cOufiti' nee IN him,
ana accepting Ing resignation with deep regret.
Already something has been said among tho
members Of tho church about getting another
pat" ri worship. Hnd making pr. Ludlow
lii, r. WIN no Conslstory t. harass or dis