The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-20
An Ecclesiastical Court.

For another week tho halfmilion readers
OF The Sun have watched with growing
amazement the dolngs OF the two-score
Brooklyn preachers and tradesmen who
make up the so-called Court OF JESUS
CHRIST"
On Monday the Rev. DR.. TALMAdE's coun-
sci announced, in effect, that If the court
forced them TO destroy the Rev Mr.. HATH
Always reputation by way of indicating
their client, they would make thorough
job of it. The Rev. Mr.. HATHAWAY is the
man whom the Rev. Dr. TALNiAGE once de-
scribed to the Rev. DIR. VAN DYKE, II the
latter Presbyter's memory is not at fault, as
liar and swindler, and he is the man
whose testimony in the present trial tho
Rev. DIR. TALNiAGE characterized, at the
time it was given as the biggest pack OF
falsehoods he had ever heard.
On Tuesday the Rev. Mr. WooD testified
that the Rev. Mr.. CROSBY had said to him
on n certain occasion that the Rev. DR..
TALMAGE was liar, a scoundrel, and dis
grace TO the ministry, or words TO that
effect; that on another occasion the Rev.
Mr.. CROSBY had said to him that he wouldn't
believe the elders Of the First Presbyterian
Church Of Brooklyn under oath; that on
leaving Brother CROSBY he had jotted down
these expressions in his notebook; and that
he had lost no time In telling the Rev. DR..
TALMAGE and the First Church elders what
Brother CROSBY had said about them. When
asked whether it was his habit to take notes
Of the unguarded utteiances Of his brethren
for use in this way, he replied in substance
that he exercised his own discretion in such
n
told the Rev. Mr.. CROSBY it was none Of his
business what commission he got for insur-
ing the Rev. DR.. TALMAGE's life.
On Wednesday the Rev. Mr.. MCCULLAGH
found it necessary TO admonish Elder Cor
WIN that he was speaking to gentlemen at
least" and tho elder complained that the
Rev. Mr. CROSBY was insulting him.
On Thursday the Rev. Moderator LUDLOW
appeared in the role Of the Mutual Friend;
at his instance the Rev. DR.. TALMAGE
and the Rev. Mr.. HATHAWAY had met the
previous evening, fallen on each others
necks, and buried the Ratchet. When the
two reconciled brethren SUCCESSFULLY read
aloud letters TO the Presbytcry announcing
their unalterable resolution not to do one
another any more injury, the Rev. DR.. SPEAR
wept profusely, the Rev. Moderator LUD-
Low wept temporarily, other Presbyters
mopped their eyes with their handkerchiefs,
ali. the Tabernacle sisters in the galleries
sobbed audibly. Shortly aiterward an as
sertion by the Rev. DIR. Van DYKE that ne
had no feeling against the Row. DIR. TALMAGE
was greeted with derisive laughter and
Kisses, one Tabernacle sister audibly ex-
pressing her conviction that the Rev. DR..
VAN DYKE lied. Subsequently the Rev. DR..
WILLARD virtually expressed the same con-
viction by saying that the Rev DR.. VAN
DYKE, though nominally sitting as judge,
was really the prosecutor Of the Rev DR..
TALMAGE, and had been so from the start.
Later still, the Rev. DR.. SPEAR shook his
venerable finger in the Rev. Mr.. CRosBY's
face, told him he was enacting a farce and
predicted that he would know more when
he grew older. After the court adjourned
there was a scullle on the church steps, in
which Presbyter, an elder, an usher, re-
porter, and a newsboy very nearly came to
blows.
On Friday the trustees OF the church, in
the interest of the property under their
charge, formally requested the court TO re-
move 10 other quarters; while an unsuccess-
full attempt was made by indignant Presby-
ters to exclude the turbulent crowd from
future sessions, and Elder JUDsoN, sore
made complaint that some brother unknown
had scrawed on the back OF pew these
dreadful words: DR.. VAN DYKE is a damn
liar"
And this is called Court OF JESUS CH list