St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-09
DR.. NEWMAN.
The Madison Avenue Congregational
Church Unanimously Refuses His
Resignation.
A observation-disclosures by His Opponents Com.
pletely Defeated-Only Four Leaving at
Their Appeal.

New YORK, April S.-Rev. J. P. Newman
tonight sent in his resignation as pastor of
the Madison Avenue Congregational church,
The document was read to the meeting by
the superintendent of the Sunday school. 1t
reasons for his resignation:
First-while it is true that my friends rep
resent so largely the piety, social influence
and material wealth of the church, yet no
guarantee has been offered them, or to me,
that like discreditable affair which now
disturbs the church may not occur at any
moment, and from the same source, whether
the pastor is installed or not.
Second-While forgiveness is our bounden
duty, yet confidence in the piety and honor
of those who have molested the church, we
leave to the work both Of grace and time.
Third-And while no satisfactory cause has
been yet assigned to justify the interruption
of that harmony which so long existed among
US, yet it is to be feared that those disaffected
brethren have inflicted upon the church an
injury which it cannot easily recover.
In offering you my resigna-
ton, let me thank you, my
friends, from full heart of love and graft
tude, for your devotion to Christ, your zeal
for the church and your friendship for me.
Yours in Christ. [Signedl j. P. NEWMAN.
At the conclusion of the reading the cham
Der asked those in favor of accepting the
resignation to rise. Not a person moved.
When he called for the negative everyone in
the building instantly rose, and the vote in
favor of declining to accept the res
| ignation was declared unanimous. Tellers
announced that 1873 persons had
voted, and adjournment was Immediately
taken. at this moment Dr. Newman en-
tered the church. He was loudly applauded
and asked to say few words. He respond
ed briefly, stating he had offered his resigna-
ton in profound sincerity, as he thought the
interests of the church demanded it, al
though his friends protested against it, As
they had refused to accept it he would de-
vote his talents henceforth to the
eternal welfare of those who
had stood so firmly by q the
church, and by him. He forgave all his OPP
ponents and asked his friends to do the same.
After his address he pronounced the bene-
diction and the people dispersed.
The Ranneyites claimed the meeting had
no legal standing, and intimate that the ac-
ton it took will only be another argument in
their favor when the case comes into court
| While there was not one vote in favor Of
accepting the resignation of DR.. New
man, it may be stated that as
soon as the meeting got to what
is termed ''new business" Deacon Fl. M.
Cummings, who represented the Ranney
! anti-Newman party, rose in his seat near the
pulpit and read a protest, in which it was
claimed that the present assemblage was not
a meeting of members of the society, but was
expressly called as a mixed meeting of the
church members and pew holders. That the
| council had advised that separate meeting
of the society should be held, that the
law contemplated no such thing
as a joint meeting, and therefore
the present meeting has no authority to take
action in respect to the church and society.
further ground for the protest was, the
meeting had not been regularly or legally
called, sufficient notice not having been
given. The protest signed by j. w. Ranney,
NJ. D., and the allies in his behelf and 1877
other members of the church, and by the
church clerk. The protest was promptly
tabled, as were others offered by Belden
Rogers and Peter Dewitt. The last named
called upon all who were opposed to DR..
Newman to leave the church. He started
down the aisle, followed by just four others.
On reaching the door he turned and shouted
out, II thought this was Christian assem-
blage, but find it a nest of vipers." This
outbreak was greeted with shouts and derisive
laughter from the pews, ladies being espe
cially demonstrative, calculating "Pray for
him.