New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-04
RICHARD D. HARLAN SPEARS
HE EXPLAINS HIS RESIGNATION.
REASONS WHICH LED HIM TO LEAVE TIL
PASToRATE OF THE FIRST PRES
BYTI.HIAN HCRCU.

"
at the First PRESBYTERIAN Church lnsi msh' III
examination Of his rcs..natIon which has 'c"''
announced already in Inc IJihuEc. I'm account
of the Incotinr at which lie spoke may he i"uid
in another part of this paper. Here IS VIII" ho
said:
a. my r.iuc.t Gy the Session. yoc are here for 'no
purpose Of esyns and a,nT np%4 my my ss 10 he
circumstances Ucr which assumed the pa,;S;ale, , 10,
iass ioW sears Ar ,r rc Of my no"r
predecessor the church was wn9n paste i Hnn ,.rt !"
L with extraordinary lidcuty, yet the Residing s4sns
on n it, SA 9e N. S" ,psts Of add
tions to the congregation Tor pcrLd 50 prIu s,vH
ie IT, Ss y"n all know ~ a ims or nesSIor, were
strengthening their rospestve os OF ths
their Mh ard 1. T. oc. s's already o sr
Piled With chnrccs. The condition Of TINS church . at
the s mss Of .4 %e a'S a se1 With the utmost possible
dsece. took us many nionths TO ma mo-, CIV 1veS S'"
Intinatloi> Of call 10 this neld came to me While
vet student N the thcolcsicai iem''y , a. ,ara Of
undertaking without experience work Of snrh h, S ,y
dent ma gnl,udc and attended by So many wen HhoMh
pic,,s my i.eootcai studies the matter was again
boached to ne Enc"asd IN o{ t,s .IS T' COM
Wild, 9s.' m'y ,Hs Sno frrke n 'nS
and upo. Your hearty sympathy and cooperation
i.
When came among you, four wears ago, there was
on the very face the situation, one serious o0sta'e
to our easy growth This venerable church had stood
solitary and peculiar among all the Presbyterian
churches In the city and ploUably In inc i@id IA ip
having instrumental mnsic in its worship by some
was str0Iely urged 10 make The Introduction Oh ali
organ condition Of the acceptance OF your call or at
loast to lead ia demand 0r one alter came mere
But as You Know, carefully held ny peace upon that
veXcd subject being cUutct preach Cr!st'a sip!c
Gospel 10 you, You were aid Had Ceeh. "as
moved take his C0ui,e hecaa,; did not DOUBT u'"'
when such personal relations were Established bc""n
pastor aud yopc ought always 10 exist. any Change,
that might seem best FOR the general welfare "i mo
church would lie mace with cOri;a unaidniliy ndctd
they woald come vi Themselves.
Nv Faith in your coun.ol- AID hiEd!"ss wac not
in vain. icral, few o YOU a:c aware "i TIC Tact 'hit
quietly suppressed the fist mVren.c.i for al organ
be, au,e il d.G not 10 originate among Ii ec n'
bers Of the church most apt IL tc vcr'c 10 ~UcA ran
cal Innovation in Their ino.c worship. Eui. "a
months aii"ia:d. iiI.raiic~ cane u c Of ce'ii'
Ur at lc tl.oull w.ilh:n i.r 4 it"lu t! Il U.
INC pa., 81 "Aai fer "ai 4 csc; M".d ii% . =,
wa tod vi tne boaI OF lrUsic''> that II
IL Their jndrr ne I.nc va. !ft r,I ~ M0u ,.
subject. That n. Only active connection T!h
TINS great Gid Dcnenccnt Innovation. one which,
IN the s' nl,ioi iy'' Of 'n n cn 10 divide tie
SonsSsasS INTO r" a b i I The n,s s.
sWtaouu sc.vatlOu. a. quietly OF II, >oit3st
result of u spontsueou, movement from the 'ous,sa-
ton and. what was betlor stu II wHe the fft OF al
most generous but the DESTROYS Of putting in
uoblc Instrument lone were going I" have or"
ton for rrssonabielc.s, desire dclain. the al
sryait that us through the Rny!e nn, sd in
Tor tho Introduction OF that beautiful instrument
Of praise, which ha> been sourCe OF nothing but h.:
this vauItcd root.
THE CHURCH SMALL, But WEALTHY.
But there was a far scr.ou, difficulty 20 he uct
in order that this church might become strong and
stable ley ond all dangcr-a difficulty growing out of
its financial condition and methods well It's sItua
ton. downtown orsanization located IL quarter
Of the city quite stocked with Presbyterian
Churci,S il was. at the tine CAME, small III
bers thaviIg only about 200 communicates Regular
attendance with perhaps Fifty more VIII" came O''A
sionallyi with no cl2oNme and With pew rental
amounting t. considerably ess than O!chnn OF IL
penscs For the remainder, the church dependent
upon largr and sl>, al contribution, generously made
the end Of each fiscal year By about hall d"l'l de
VCtd people. whom r'~i mad b">-c y tn AZ! duhdi,c
Of this worlds goods; aad such. Substantially, lad
been It's financial history for ten year, ~
this method the church had AWAY been "i free from
debt.
But at tie time yOdI call p:t' Cd II my hands
even the pew rent tt'A amounting 10 : '90c, DID lot
accurately rc.:c,r!.' Ia" L.l ~ and permanent
strength q the church for over ~ 100 Of that
from TWO t"Mp1l.ry >oAl'">. cAtId lcws to-.
Who m"s.tiy pr..r.t II. ,r, H@ y say ~, To- To- cr here,
ite apparent Icr".l ~ en-" i'ihcf ~" icl /" ;h"I.
lew instances in'nI p""- h'M ~ -; an % Nrv
iorh families, no longer i"r,osi rIh'-"red Ia tAe
church but who on az ",! 81 hcr'sitar, e., :,ui >
continued To aid III II, support. OWING 10 t'atn AMI
other c,uses ' III '-c p"., r.prescn,nI n~"rly on"
since been give; mp. Although IA. pisces, la. be,i
healthy one in roday til" Pc" rl';al, without a
snrSiccs,, YET comi. al at one and at III. hard -,
period in the Ih-'oy o: TIC church 1t Sccd t" The
already great practical dni' ultics with which you lad
Iut more ,eron, blows have befullNn us. ~ The
halt d1Z II sro.c i!ancal plllarN upon whom two
thirds Of the wcsh' II chrrch support had been
Ing TIRE re-, Lave TN sh"n ga s9sc va. a.. ca
year the corHin, Thri,tm;.>t.d~. Her deIth
arected the situation and ther@"rc. shory It,.
ward, realizing that through 10 fault 81 y,nr, The
dillon of the church had materially hanged sinc" The
unnndfii OF your kindne>. and generosity wro,c
expressing my cordial Willingness To arcrpt smaller
salary than you had agrd t." eve me- Eat t" return
slgnihcanco there has thus been. through death,
and the othcr causes have mentioned rrca, tim!ru
ton in tl' financial ,~-th Of the church which could
not we'll have been prevented.
CHURCH FOR ALL SUPPORTED BY ALL.
Let turn TO the other SIDE Of the picture and
soc what has been done toward the solution Of The
linotty problem OF church support. | believe that
every sound Church nancicr Will admit that despite
the lcavy loSs.> ncurs1l and the c,-ity now npon
YOU Of conducting the church On economical. basis.
the finances Of IN, church. considered from the proper
standpoint, really In healthier condition to hav
then they ago For instead Of waiting
until tho end Of the fiscal to make very large
deficit by special contributions from half = Dozen
wealthy end generous people,, there at the present
time nearly 100 people Of all grade, VI income who
are giving what h I.cesit1 beyond the pew Tnt> In
should also be noted that more than four ift!' OF the
comfortably larcc coming from thc>" ulOnthly
voluntary contributions consists D money which never
before. through all. channel had gone into the i"al
church treasury. The church which j. FOR All IS 10 day
supported BY all. each person glvnB regularly. hc
tording God has prr>rr''i him., toward the man
tcnancc Of a." ordinance, Of religion 50 thai up"u nc
pc,tnt modest -'alc OF expenditures and VIA The