Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-01
A BREEZY PRESRYTERY.

The MOnOngahela q. p. Brethren Enjoy a
Lively session-Rev. McCrOry and Dr.
Knox Clash on the Tobacco Question.
A lively passage occurred yesterday at
the meeting of the Monongshela q. P. Pres
bytery in Mt. Washington church over
the resignation of Rev. James A. Lawrence,
pastor of the Mt Gilead and Coraopolis
churches. He said that he desired to resign
because Of "a poor salary, ,irregularly paid, "
whereupon Delegate Irons, Of Coraopolis,
came to the front with statement that DR..
Lawrence did not visit enough, and that
the preacher passed by the door when there
was sickness inside. Women were members
of the church, but their husbands were not,
nor was any effort made to bring them in.
1t was developed that the church meeting
at which it was voted Is against and 15 for
accepting the pastors resignation, was held
on Sunday. an illegal proceeding according
to usage. After some cross-fring about the
proprietv of holding church meetings on
SUNDAY, it was agreed that the book Of rules
did not prohibit such meetings, and the
resignation was accepted.
DR.. Reid then read the Home Mission Com
mittee report, showing that the Presbytery
quota was S17 ,150, while only So, 159 Sc had
been raised. In explanation of the deficit,
Rev. Mr.. Knox said: "Some members of a
Wyfie avenue church have averred that the
committee misused the money, taking so
much in presents and commissions that
verv little of it reached the objects for
which it was given"
After this pleasant little bombshell the
Presbytery adjourned for dinner A pc
tition from 42 persons living near Ben
Venue was presented asking for church.
At the afternoon session the courtesies of
the Presbytery were extended to Rev. George
r. Murray, of Nebraska. The Thirty-third
Street U. p. Church was reported organized
and a collection was ordered to be taken up
in all the churches in its aid Rev. DR..
Bovd introduced resolution looking toward
a rigid examination OF would-be church
members; really a resolution In favor of the
book of discipline. He reported it in
strong speech. Opposition was manifested
Immediately, Rev. j. T.. McCrory saying
that he did not want to advertise to the
world that the q. P. Church was loose in
that respect, or that insinuations could lie
against the sessions. The resolution was
badly defeated.
An amendment to the book of discipline
was offered as follows: "No student ad-
dicted to the use of tobacco in any form
shall be admitted to a license to preach.
No one shall be eligible to the Office of
ruling elder who is addicted to the use of
tobacco in any FORM"
A vote was taken, accompanied by oral
reasons for voting against it. The opinions
of many were that the amendment had no
place in the book of discipline; also that
they could not conscientiously vote that the
student should not use tobacco while the
older clergymen and others were allowed to
use it.
Rev. ]. 7. McCrory thought the church
should take up the question OF tobacco mas
much as States were stopping the sale of
cigarettes He thought there were old men
who would make excellent elders who had
used tobacco all their lives and who could
not at this date break the habit, their sys-
TENS not allowing them to live without
Dr. Knox rose to point of order, and Rev.
Mr.. McCrory retorted that he would include
some ministers who could not be kept alive
without tobacco.
DR.. Knox again called for a point of
order, but the Moderator refused to coucede
it. DR.. Knox then remarked that Mr.. Nc
Crory should keep within the bounds of
decency. The vote resulted in % to 8 on
the resolution.
1t was stated that C. B. Bossell, who was
taken under care of the Presbytery two
years since as student, was now in charge
of Lutheran church at Benwood, W. Va,
ana DR.. Knox said that action had been
hasty, as the young man was nothing but
tramp. Rev. Mr.. McCrory took exceptions
to the characterization, and insisted that
Bossell should not be spoken of in such an
unkind manner. DR.. Knox repeated his
assertion, and added to it that. Bossell was
not only tramp, but in certain respects an
imbecile, and said that there were rumors
afoat that his conduct was anything but
that of student for the ministry.
The young mans name was dropped from
4ba roil