The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-27
THE REV DIR. nAoEmANs LAwsUrr
Suing n Freehold Church for SALARY aner the
Chassis had Put him Out.

FREEHOLD, N. j., Jan. Gothic troubles Of
the Row Or. Hagcman of the Second Reformed
Church Of Freehold which lust yoar engrossed
the attention first OF the Particular Synod. and
lastly Of the General Synod OF the Reformed
Church. have como up in the Monmouth Circuit
Court before Judge Scuddor In n new form.
Or. IIageman was called by tho Freehold
church I'm December. 1871. In those flush times
$4,000. with snug parsonage rent FREQ. was
not considered lnrgo pay Tho Doctor wns
urbane and popular, and no drew largo
attendance ut frat. BY 1878 IL had become
oncrous for the church officers. they say TO
meet the churchs obligations. They asked Dr.
HnReman to take n smaller salary. but he re-
fused In 1876 they AGAIN pressed n reduction
IN 81 400. and the Doctor again declined. In
the mean time opposition was started against
the Doctor in the church. His opponents aver
that they were only actuatcd by desire for
economy. His friends retort that the opposi-
tons ruling motive WIS dsrord among the
Indies OF the congregation, arising from Mrs
HagemHn's paying inordiHate attention to
Mrs. A.. Mrs. Il. and Mrs. G.. white ehc neglected
the sisters that were little lower in the social
alphabet
A meeting Of tho clnesla wna called by tho
mnlcontent dcacons md cldcrs. and they pnss-
cd resolution declaring the pastoral relation
dissolved. II afterwnrd appearing that Their"
WINS n considerable amount " money duo tho
Doctor. aud that their action was. therefore.
Illegal. they recOnsidered II, and raised money
Ia pny him At nnothnr meeting Of tho rlnssis
hold on Dec. 2. 1877 they again dissolved the
pastoral relation. Dr. Hagcman WINS present.
protesting, and he appealed TO the Particulnr
Synod in New Brunswick. which after heated
session. sustained tho action OF the Chassis in
dissOlving the pastoral relation. DIR. Hageman
WIS moro fortunate in tho GENERAL synod,
which met In Utica in July last, and which over
ruled the action OF the Particular synod and
appointed n committee tn go To Freehold and
try 10 settle tho disturbance In the church. At
the instance OF the Committee the claAsis held
another meeting, and. without acuuicscing in
the action NJ the General Synod, once more dis
solved the pastoral relation mai ing. however.
such verbal reservations as should entitle them
to claim, Mt a rehearlng OF tho case that tho DIS.
solution Of December 1877. was valid and
binding.
ti.lGG.GG Of salary which. he elaine is due him
Tor the period between December, 1877, when
Vie Chassis put him out IN fact. and July. 1878,
when the Committee OF the General Synod ar
ranged for his final dismissal.
EX-Judgc Robbins appeared for the church
cGnve'4pcd by a, cloud OF deacons and elders;
DIR. Hagcman. who hears n marked rceem-
blnncc 90 Cardinal McCloskey.
DIR. Hageman produced and verified copies OF
his various protests. complninis, md appeals
and swore that the amount Of 81 .l66 .66 wins due
him for salary. Canon Robbins. on cross-ex.
animation, squeezed out Of the witness the fact
that he did no preaching in his church during
ths time for. which he claims pay.
Prebend Haight put on the stand tho Rov.
Charlcs II. Pool Of Rlritan. who acted ns stated
clerk of the Particular Synod in New Bruins
wick, Ia provo Its prOceed ng In May, 1878. IN
the matter OF DIR. Hagemhn's appeal from the
action OF the Chassis The vote on the appeal
b. said, was 2 yeas and IS nays. The key. j.
Howard Suydam Of Jersey City was President
Of the Particular Synod. and forwarded DIR
Hageman,s appeal from its action TO the Gen
eral Synod.
The Rev Paul d. Van elect OF Jersey CITY
who Is the stated clerk OF tho General Synod
detailed It's proceedings IN July last; The Rev
| Mr.. Wells Of the Reformed Church OF Marlboro
| near Freehold. who had represented the Mon
| mouth Chassis in the Particular Synod. an
| pparcd M commissioner OF that synod in tn,
| General SYNOD. The Rev. w. X. Gordon rep
| Resented DIR. Hagcman. resolution wal
adopted by vote " 90 81 80 reversing the de
| cison Of the Particular Synod, and appointing
| the Rev. Mcssrs. i. ID. Van Clecf and c. II. Pool
| and Elders Ferdun and Lctson n committee {,
| endeavor 20 make n harmonious arrnngemcn
| between the pastor and his congregation. Thu
ground upon which tho General synod de-
cidod tho question was that the Rev. DIR. Hage
| mans dismission by the classis was not mad
| by a two-thrd vote, as required by the consti
| tuition Of the church.
MAYOR Bennett. ~ spruce veteran. wearing
that he was clerk OF the consistory Of the Sacon
| Reformed Church in lS77-S. He identified sev
| cral papers ~ having been signed by him an
| served on DR.. Hagcman. One If them request"'
| him on behalf Ot the CunSistory 10 turn owe
| IN. records: another 90 vncate tho parsonage
| appear that the demand for the parsonage wa
| never authorized by any action OF tho Cons is
| tory. but WIS made mt the instance ui some a
| ts members who had been active in opposin
| DR.. Hugeman.
Tho Roy. Mr. Wells swore that he had fne,
| DR.. HaEeman's pulpit several times at the r.
| quest OF tho ConsistOry. after they had exclude
DR.. Hageman.