National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-14
PAST0R-ELECT NEWMAN.
The Council Decides He Has Never Been a
Full Pastor.
both Factions Urged to Settle Their Dlf-
fcuIties and Work Harmontously.

NEW IOkki MATCH lo--lno VI
five appointed by the Congregational council |
in the case of DIR. Newman this morning |
notified the council that the report was ready |
to DO submitted. Thereupon the delegates |
withdrew from the body Of the church to the |
vestry to receive tho report and act upon it
in executive session. About noon word came
from the council that the report as Iuade by
the committee Of five had occasioncd a good
deal Of discussion among the delegates, and
that many amendments were boing suggested
and acted upon.
1t was learned during the afternoon that
the report filled twenty one pages of manu-
script, and that the delegates wero engaged
in changing the phraseology of some parts of
| 1t. There was rumor abroad that Rev. DR..
j. NJ. Buckley, editor of tho Methodist, to
| whom DIR. Newman referred yesterday in his
address to tho council as "a Methodist med
| dior" for his production Of the letter of Rev.
Wesley II. Davis, had taken umbrage at DIR.
Nowman's remarks and threatened to publish
certain statements derogatory to the pastor
now on trial.
Dr. Newman notified DR.. Buckley this
| morning, through Deacon J. +. Foster, that
| If he Buckley carried out his threat no
must be prepared to take the consequences
of publishing libelous articles"
Tho report of the committee was read in
tho church this afternoon. Following is o
synopsis of the document:
"The council has been deeply greved by
| tho troubles in the church. 1t appreciates
tho courtesies shown by members of both
factions. 1t has not seen any spirit of aliena-
ton so great that 1t cannot be overcome.
| The church Is q Congregational church by its
| doctrine and manual. 1t is in tho fellowship
of our organization. Tho last pastor was
called and dismissed according to proper
forms. Both parties maintained before the
council that tho church was Congregational,
aV,A H. .1...4N NAI H.. IL.
council was bound to act for its sister church
in its distress. The lettor missive calling the
council together was properly issued. Tho
| Howard rooms meeting, with a majority of
the board of deacons and 40 numbers pres
emit, was regular Dr. Ranney was justified
In dispensing the meeting of Jan. 81, because
| of the disorder therein made by n-members
of the church. Though some irregularities
prevailed in the issuing of tho call, on tho
whole it was regular, and tho council consti-
tuted that IL had boon validity called" Here
follows the resolution adopted on the first
day of the council declaring tho council
valid one.
On the first proposition "What are DIR.
| Newman's relations to this church," tho
report goes: The duties OF Congregational
pastor are both ecclesiastical and legal. Since a
church, which would be unwise enough to
place in its pulpit one who docs not belong
to Congregationalism, itSis only right that an
advisory council should be called to take
action in the matter. This council believes
in the resolutions of tho general council of
last year, that declarothat council should be
invited to install pastors. A full Congrega-
tional pastorate requires installation. min
lister who is not member Of the church can
not be q full pastor. The council still finds
that DR.. Newman is still Meth
odist pastor and is amenable to a
local NJ. i. church. DIR. Newman under
stood the call made to him to become pastor
of Congregational church when he accepted
it. He is simply acting pastor, whose term
can DO onded at any timo the church so de-
sires to end it. The work of the corporation
of q church is secular; that of tho society IL
. religious. The members OF q society cannot
fix salary. The trustees must concur in
any fixture of salary.
The records of the church show that com.
mittee was appointed to call DIR, Newman
and that that committee reported fsvorably
DIR. Newman wrote that he would hold the
proposition under consideration and in the
meantime would become acting pastor. His
salary as such was placed at So, 600. We sec
no evidence that DR.. N ewman has ever be,
come permanent pastor, aud, therefore, that
he has no claim to any position other than
that of acting pastor. The council de-
clines to advise concerning the continuance
of DIR. Newman's service. That should
be settled among the members. This
however, it does advise: That q stated
published meeting, the members of the
church only, hold meeting and that the
officers of both factions resign aud new otli'
GERS be elected. At that meeting of church
members the question of the continuance Of
DIR. Newmans services should DO decided
We offer this advice purely in the spirit OF
harmony. The church has an undisputed
right to hold business meetings in the church
at and time they see ft The trustees have
no right to interfere 1t is for the church
alone to decide what the nature of its meet
ings shall be. The action of the trustees on
Feb IL, in refusing the use of the church
! to members was illegal. The council is ap.
prehensive that the troubles Of this church
, arise largely on account of the temporal
! question concerning the church.
The report concludes by praying that the
warning factions may unite in peace, forgive
all differences and work together for the
benefit of tho Lord and the church.
The moderator announced that tho report
had been adopted by a unanimous vote of the
council
Lawyer Abbott then arose and suggested
that there were certain antiquities in tht
report and asked permission to make o re-
quest.
The moderator declared him out of order
stating that the decision Of the council was
final.
, Rev. DR.. William Taylor, of the Broadway
tabernacle, made o closing prayer In which
he begged the Almighty to guide the partie;
of tho church who had differed aud to lead
+ them to labor together for the good of the
: | church.
The moderator then declared the council
dissolved.