New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-12
some cases dead. In the society there were POI


! pewhOders. . 49,. lana
Mr. Rankin desired to know what had been done
! in the direction of securing mutual cou"'n'
Mr. Fosicr-A letter signed by four ueaoons , ELY
submitted the other five requesting tha' n aGy
council be called and February ~ Iepg Wa d
ed the effect that II not possible iOi them W uo
Mr.. Foster read from the bylaws TO the effect
that all meetings Of the church should he held mine
pastors study. request had been received, PR
posing a meeting in Dir. Ranneys Office ana the
clerk had refused 10 Issue the call. The speaker
also claimed that there was rule in the Manual
which provided that the church had nothing 10 40
with the election of a pastor and read as follows:
The pastor shall be elected by majority vote OF the
memDers OF the church and of the woldeIs OF e ro d
creation Of fun age present and entitled 10 'O'e' "n'
they shall fix the amount OF salary.
Mr. Rankin wanted an official record of the an
thorty under which the Manual was created. ms
led to long discussion, i'll which the two 1IGli0hS
seemed to disagree widely DIR. Ranney many u
tailed the history of the contest, and espeslay IHe
action of the meeting which he had dissolved. ne
claimed that strangers were in the room ana oIis'
and. seeing that fair expression OF opllon Wa I'M
possible he saw no other way than TO adjourn;
The subject of the adoption OF the Manual was
| again raised and II claimed ny inc hah.tE!
! faction that the manuscript had remained III the
| hands of DR.. Newman for a long PERIOD ahu VIII
out directly charging that changes han been mace
! i'm IT, they declared that the provision regarding
! the right of pewholders to vote was not IN the
manuscript at the time it was reviewed by them
WHAT THE COUNCIL SAYS IT Is.
At $50 the council took recess until hali paSt
| . when il IeaSscmbled with closed doors. short
! ~ after o'clock il resumed open sessions ana the
following resolution was read:
Tocd That while VIC regret certain irregularities In the
proceedings OF the body calling this council nevertheless
this council regards itself an advisory council caIe1
proceed the consideration of the questions proposed
for its consideration.
WAS THERE 4 FoRGrEYf
After the three questions submitted to the council
had been read Mr. Abbott began statement OF
facts in behalf of the church 10y reading extracts
from pamphlet that had been prepared on the
subject and by oral statements CorrOh0ratcd ny
Dcacons Rannev Cummings and MeIgs. lie showed
that the church was organized as Congregational
church and gave sketch OF llS h MS cry
under Drs. lepwOrth and Davis. lie told oi the
call to Or. Newman and of his conditional accept
ance. Up to the time that the call was gwen 10 DT
Newman there had been no mention III ne oh1Icn
records of joint meeting OF the cbuIci, 'aemGfrS
and the society. Mr. Abbott conceded that lew
months after beginning his connection
with the church Dr. Newman had mad. made
the pastorate of the church. But neither
Dr. Ranney nor any other member o. the committee
that called Dr. Newman had received any COMMUNE
cation from him on the subject. No action had
been taken 10y the committee, and IT had never
been discharged In he clause III the chufcl man
uql which re,atal 10 choosing pastor; pr. AGDoit
sand the requirement that pcwholdors should
act with the church members IN the elec-
tior had been added after thc Manual
had been submitted TO the committee which
adopted it, Dr. HepWoith asked # Mr. ABBOTT
charged evasion nron those who printed INC nan
Ual. Nj. Abbott made 90 infused reply aud Dracoh
Cummings said that hc didn't remember th9t the
pewhOldcrs" was in the Manual As read 60 the COM
mittee. Do YOU positively state Thai IT was not
WepWorih' "N-no.8 the deacon replied That's
all" remarked Dr. iIepvorth.
Dr. R9ey then expressed the nf Hr,t mar dG
not wish TO imply anything against those VINO Hdd
t1o Manual in their hands since tn, meeting 81
dcacOns at which II WAS adopted. hut the book had
not been printed TIL inst before the meeting OF
January 81, and he was satisfied that additions h'd
been made.
council should hesitate right AT that point as really
charge Of forgery had been made. II IT was
alleged that DIR. Newman Ought to be hed rrIp2hSi
approved by the dcacons, the charge Sho"" ne
subStantiated
charging DR.. Newman with making the addition, |
but DR.. Rannpv said that he had never seen the |
Manual after IL left the committee, except III Df |
Newman's hands until it was printed.
Rough notes by Deacon Cumming. of a meeting !
of the deacons at which an amendment to the Man |
ual favored by DIR. \ewma was lost; were read
and MIR. Abbott thought these notes dld not appear
in the church records because DT. Newman, not
having carried his amendment did not wish to per
petuate record of 1t. Mr.. Hepworth rose hastily
and said
Mr. Moderator, this Il the second time that unworthy
motives have been imputed 10 Dr. Newman; ! mink
is better for all OF u. that this should not be done
Mr. Abbod-Dr. HepwOIth is the only one that has
spoken about motives.
DR.. Ranncy and Dcacons Cummings and Mcgs !
testified Chat the sentence, this church Is an indie
pendent ecclesiastical body was stricken out Of
Nlr. Foster made long statement in regard
to the Manual question, contIadlciWg d.
Ranney and his friends fatty III many important
particulars. He asserted that no additions had
bern made to the Manual that he read 1t alltalIng
An hour 10 do So nj q social conference of the dea
cons al DR.. Ranucy's house; that the Manual had
been long IN the doctors possession for examination
before il was acted upon. -
man in vain to Join the church and become the per-
manent pastor,and Deacon Cummings did 1bo same
The Rev. DR.. j. VI. Buckley, at the request Of the
council. furnished Il letter written by pr. D&NlS'
formerly pastor of the church. in regard to the CIR
cunsanccs of Dr. Ncwman' call to the church.
Dra Srciyc and Ilepworh we're Instruct ed to invite
Dr.. Newman 70 appear before the council.
PETITIONS FOR ANp AGAINST Or. NEWMAN
The evening session was held in the Stanton street
Baptist Church, at TWOty-thlrd-St. and IcNm@-
tcl-ayc Nr Abbott spoke for more than an hour.
reading u printed statement and cnlarGlug upon
many OF the points in it; lie maintained that the
choice Of pastor rested with the church subject,
under the State law to the financial condition of
the church. The income. lac SAID, from pew rents
and basket collections amounted to $4,000 and
the expenses were $4,000 There was - debt
against the church of ) LOCO, which was owed to
the Ladies' A:d Society, Interest on the mortgage,
amounting To 5000, had fallen due on March !,
and there was not more than 81 i'll the treasury.
lie thou. the value of the property was T20OoOJ.
Deacon Foster exhibited several dozen manuals OF
different Congregational churches i'll which il was
declared that they not amcuIbic TO any &C.
,,otirI AZ t,c statcInrut that DR. Nrwman's friends
intended to take the church out oI the "a
tional denomination. As to talk about selling he
church. hc had done ahout scycn-ci@hthH OF the
tai king himself. because lac thought the church was
cold and couldn't bc warmed, WAS too near the rail
road, and wa, in need of repairs that would cost
more than new huilding lie thought II would be
no crime to sell that church and build n new and
better one He submitted petition signed by 40
church members and 90 pcw-holders, expressing
the wish that DR. Newman remain aS permanent
pastor of the church MIR. Abbott presented n petit
ton signed by 100 church members asking that Or,
NcwIuan'1 services be discontinued
THE Council will meet this morning in the church,
fhc trustees having expressed their willingness to
open the building for that purpose. After the
Council adjourned the committee appointed TO AK
DR.. Newman 10 meet the Council reported that Ae
wonld bc present at the session this morning.