Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-04-17
J A ACHURCH QUARREL.
MORE rRoUsLE IN .OLD DoNEGAI,

Pastor whitcOmb Installed, Eut Not With
out Audible opposition.
The CHARGES affecting the capacity of
Rev. G. 3. Whitcomb as minister of the
Presbyterian congregations Of Mount Joy
and Donegal, were submitted to the West
minister presbytery last week. The pres
bytery saw fit to continue HIM, and it was
announced to oinstall him pastor of the two
churches. The installation services were
held yesterday. At two o'clock in the
afternoon the installation took place at
the Donegal church.
1t was generally known throughout
the borough that the anti Whit
combites would file objections. In the
morning rumor was afloat to the effect
that the sexton had received orders not to
open the church in the borough. On in-
vestigation We learned that the rumOr had
no foundation in fact. Any way, the church
was not opened by the person regularly
employed to do it. This had q tendency
to intensity the excitement, both in and
outside of the church circles. 1t is almost
needless to say that the attendance at the
old Donegal church was unusually large.
Dozens OF teams went out from the Dor
ough, while Columbia, Marietta, May
town and the country around about were
well represented. Never since the found
ing Of the church by Arthur Patterson
one hundred and sixty years ago-did
such a scene as yesterday take place with
in the old walls.
After music by the choir and congrega-
tion, and prayer and scriptural reading
Lad been gone through with, Rev. John
Mccoy, of Columbia, proceeded 10 preach
the installation sermon. He took for his
text the 18th chapter of John and the 18th
verse "Ispe,k not Of you all, know
whom l have chosen" Here are a few
thoughts from his sermon. They will
show the spirit Of it &:
We as ministers desire to work in q
line where there is the least resistance.
We may soon dislike it if there ba much.
First we think of work then wages. Work
must be done fOrthe works sake. Friends
are not made perfect by their own actions,
but there is an invisible way by which
harmony is brought about unknown to
ourselves. Take an organ undergoing
construction, after the several parts have
been made; and what has each one
to say of its place The master
hands which guided aud supervised
the building, decides the places for each:
The result is sweet sound. Any person
can be taught to play, but then the world
is full of pain already. One can train and
direct but cannot give faculty. A man
may be willing to be proficient in his call
ing, but sometimes cannot do SO any
more than he can become president The
will of man seems to be a small faculty.
One ought not to work according to his
own whim, according to small ambition of
his own. God is infinitely kind l am will
ing to abide in Him. Serenely fold my
hands and wait. What We want is the
single eye of God to see and conduct our
work and go on persevering to the end.
Rev. J. McElmoyle then delivered the
charge to the Rev. Whitcomb. When the
congregation of the church was asked If
they continue in their desire for Rev.
Whitcomb to be continued in his clli there
was number of audible Z" noes, which
proceeded from one corner OF the room
The number of members of this church is
slm-about eighteen. And from this
church came the strongest opposition to
the minister. Of the members present
the vote against him was nearly solid.
Services are held here every two weeks
during the summer months. Tho orders
of the superior authUrity-the presbytery
were carried out Notwithstanding the
strong current Of opposition, and Rev.
Whitcomb was duly installed. The charge
to tho congregation was delivered by Rev.
James G. Hume, Of Lancaster. He charged
them to court cOnciliatiOn SO as to work
in harmony and build UP the church. The
exercises were closed by the newly in
installed pastor.
At O'Clock in the evening the services
were commenced in the church at Mount
Joy. Rev. J. McElmoyle, who preached
the sermon, took for his text, "Walk
about Zion and go round about her tell
the towers thereof. Mark ye we'll her
bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye
may tell it to the generations following"
He portrayed in elegant terms the unity
Of the church, of which his text was sym.
bolical, and set forth the simplicity of the
workings of the church. lie admonishcd
the members tc seek more comprehcn-
sive knowledge of the church and their
duties. What is needed is IN intelligent
church and intelligent Christians. No
body has right to arrogate to himself
the supremacy over another.
Rev. James G. Hume delivered tho
charge to the pastor and Rev. John Me-
Coy charged the congregation.
In our efforts to obtain information So as
to give q candid view of the trouble in
this charge, We sought interviews Of men,
becs of both factions. Il is needless, how
ever, TO give detailed accounts OF these in
teryicws. The principal objection hinges
on his capacity as minister. not on charac-
ter. The objectOrs say th,t the present.
incumbent does not preach true Presby-
terian doctrine. They arc specific in their
efforts to substantiate aud show the fallaey
of his doctrine, as elucidated in his SER
mons. These dissenters are \ small
minority, although their lineage, if traced
back, shows that their ancestors were be-
levers in Presbyterian creed, and estab-
lished and did much for the church to which
they belong. This makes it all the harder
for them to succumb to d large majority
of members and pew renters who favor
the Rev. Mr.. WhitcOmh. In an official
capacity, especially that of u minister, it
is hard to please everybody. The Rev.
Whitcomb did not do it, neither did his
predecessor. The presbytery considered
the objections and it is due to Mr.. " ait
comb as we'll as to his supporters to make
known the result as given by Rev. John
Mccoy in his charge to the congregation.
A committee of three divines was appoint
cd to examine the minister. They did so,
and. one who has been for eight years in
the presbytery says he never witnessed
more satisfactory examination. And still
another of the examiners, who is longer in
the service, had the same to say of his ex-
animation. But while this is so, and
since the minister has been supported by
the superior authority the condition into
which the church has been thrown is to
be deplOrcd. The matter must taka q