The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-17
\ LITTLE TROl BILE.

SHOu TIERS" AND ANTI SHOUT
~~ERS OF THE M. P. CHURCH.
The Former Lock the Doors on the Latter.
The Police Called in--The Minister
breaches and Their Resigns.
| InaSmuch us the Rev. John Gray is we'll
known in many places in this county, we
| publish the following article in reference to
him, which we clip from that Sprightly jour
nal the Wilmington Morning Ne,cS:
In December last, Rev John Gray, firing
4 OF knocking around from post to pillar, rrli-
,fGiouSly speaking, determined to start Il lit
! lie church of his own. He gathered around
| him Il number of kindred spirits, earnest and
/ enthusiastic as himself. With wel-thumbed
Bibles and voices like the whispering zephyr,
| they started in ON an old-taShioned Method
iStic style Of worship. Through the kind
hess of Miss Annie Semple, the new congre-
CATION secured the Penn Street Reading
! Room, where they began their young life in
! real earnest. There might have been il few
| intima;ionS that the ever-present hat was
! passed around rather too frequently; but
/ this, with other objections, was generously
I they We're rather new in the business and
would gradually improve.
| AS the society grew older the membership
increased Next to Mr. Gray in influence
was William T. Potter. William is Il ear
builder, and has an exterior as rough as the
toughest old plank in his shop, and under
lying this possesses sort Of rugged elo-
puence that is as noisy and gritty as the
most Superannuated of buZZ-sawS.
BY Mr.. GrayS earneStneSS and Mr. Pot
ter'S eloquence The new commission began
to put on the dignity of a church. Big with
the importance of their own position as
moral teachers, they began to look around
for more desirable location. After con-
siderable negotiation they purchased the
Seventh Street Varieties, and started ont
with William I. Potter as pastor They
dubbed him the Reverend" William, as
Il propounder of the gospel, became an as
sured success. He really began to believe
that he was one of the called, and that he
could launch out theological chunks of wis
dom with the same ease that he could shove
Il jack-plane.
After awhile the congregation thought it |
best to Join the NJ p. Conference, which they
did, and as the result of this move Rev. DIR. |
j. q. Sullivan was sent to them rs u pastor |
Things ran smoothly until little iealousies |
began to creep in. This feeling was ntensi- |
fed by the GOODNESS of the pastor, who, be- |
ing u man of intellect and decidedly ont of |
place frowned down all strong emotional |
evidences ut experience meetings and church |
gatherings. They couldn't stand this and |
they objected. Feelings became so strong
that the split began to attract the attention
of the little uuchriStian world thereaboat, |
which in its designation of the parties, pro-
flnely termed them "shouters " and anti |
ShouterS.'
The pastor, Rev. Mr.. Gray, and the more !
liberal of his congregation, We're known !
among the latter, and |" Rev William L. |
Potter, with the remainder, We're known as |
the shouters. The unpleasantness began to !
eliminate few days ago. \ meeting of
what was said TO be II majority of the trus-
tees was held. This letter was the result:
WILMINGTON, July Q.
Rer. j. G. .Sullitan::
We, the undersigned, trustees of the First
NJ. =. Church, of Wilmington, having con-
suited with you ut our last meeting of the
board in reference to your resignation, and
having received an answer from the Presi-
dent, and his reply not seeming to be in our
favor; and thinking it only Il loss of very
precious time to wait longer, we feel unable
to adopt this last plan. We notify yon by
this note that your services will not be need
ed any longer ut the church at Seventh and
Walnut streets, as the door will be closed
from this date by order of the undersigned
best course to pursue under the the circum-
stances. Yours with respect,
THOMAS BUDD,
GEORGE WALLS,
WILLIAM BUDD,
CLEMENT JONES,
JAMES III. BUDD.
The friends of Mr.. Sullivan anticipated
this action. and they, surrepttiously pos
sessing themselves of the keys, had dupli-
cate made. In the meantime, the " Rev."
William and his henchmen began to make
arrangements to make it warm for the en-
PEELED pastor. The note of expulsion was
received by the other side with feelings akin
to diSmay. 1t became bruited about, how
ever, that the trustees had signed the name
of Clement Jones without his sanction. The
harsh word forgery" began to fit from
mouth to mouth, and affairs began to as
sumo decidedly hostile appearance, which
bid fair to eliminate in Il sort of prelude to
their regular Sunday morning meeting
Fearing trouble of this kind the aid Of the
municipal authorities was invoked, and so
yesterday morning Chief of Police Maxwell
and Sergeant Legg We're at the church.
DR.. Sullivan tried to enter, but the doors
We're found to be locked. Quite crowd
had collected. The trustees were deter
mined, and. 50 far as they were concerned,
no meeting was going to be held in that
church that day. The officers took the side
of the preacher, and, while the Chief of Po-
lice was trying to argue the point with the
trustees the auti-shouters had unlocked the
door The minister and his flock filed in
and held service while the other side assem-
bled in the Sunday school room to discuss
the unexpected turn affairs had taken.
In the evening the shouters Were on hand
i'll force. Contrary to general expectation
neither the pastor nor any Of his people put
in an appearance. The q" Rev" William T.
Potter, us spiritual director, took charge of
the services, which gradually developed into
and old-fashioned experience and prayer
meeting. AS he was about to dismiss the
congregation he dived his fingers into his
vest pocket and drew forth piece of paper
which he said was from the pastor Part
of it he read. The other portion he with
held us he did not think its publicity would
do the church any good. The letter, OBJ
tanned by the Necs elsewhere, is as follows:
After this day, July 10, l shall no more
fill the pulpit at Seventh & Walnut streets.
An who wish certificates of M. i. Church
can have them by calling or sending to 629
East Eighth street. Methodist Protestant
Church will be continued i'll Wilmington if
the President approves, but not at Seventh
and Walnut by me. j. q. SULLIVAN.
The President of the conference, of which
the church is Il part, will, in all probability,
make threats Of having warrants issued for
the arrest of those who entered the church
without the consent of the trustees: while
the anti-shouters say that they will bring
an action III which forgery and interfering
with religious worship will be unpleasantly
conspicuous.
The substance Of the pastors statement
is: The persons that are creating the trou-
BILE are persons that have been in several
churches and have not been satisfied in any.
There has been opposition ever since
have been here 1t manifested itself at the
first quarterly conference: some of the dis
satisfied members wrote to the President
that he would neither collect the money to
pay the first installment on the church, nor
let them collect any; willis all at the time
both the pastor and another gentleman We're
at work, doing their best; that he as pastor
has done all he could to lead the flock Alright,
and he will not have any thing more to do
with them.