Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-06
PASTOR BELLS REJOINDER.
A General and Sweeping Denial of
the Reports Concerning Him.

Party TO a Clandestine Meeting--
Proof of His Postgraduate Courses
Not Sure But He May wed--Enemies
Dubbed "NIy Friends of the Left."--CalI
for Proof.
Editor Gazette and Journal. An article
regarding the relations presently existing
between some of my congregation and
myself, in your issue of the 9th, has
been brought under my notice. Will
you kindly permit me to supplement
one or two points, and in q solitary in
stance to put somewhat different COM
plexion upon your well-written nara
tive. And, perhaps, just here / should
say that on my own account alone
should not think of turning aside even
momentarily to notice any of the rumors
with which few people here seem
pleased to fill the air. But you see
have here considerable number of
warm hearted and leal friends, and |
should, with your permission, wish very
much to justify them in the position
they have assumed. With little space
granted me In the columns of your
honorably conducted paper, | do not
forsee any very great difiicuityin effect
ing the object / have set before myself.
tOutH lnG III lDe
order In which they present themselves
to me in your notice, as nearly as | can
remember them. And the first has refer
ence to my sermons. | gather that the
minds OF some are exercised over their
discovery that | preached better SER
mons when / first came here than
have done since; the first few sermons
must have been stolen. Clearly my
friends in the opposition, or better prob
ably to use the French parliamentary
term and say on the cleft" are
logicians: cabbages grow, the heads of
my friends on the "left' grow; therefore
my friends heads on the left are cab
bages. The one example is as logically
good as the other. You will agree with
me that neither is of the Pont Royal
school. All the same, sir, you see what
poor chance minister has to get off
with stolen sermons, when two or three
Daniels come to judgments; bring to
bear upon him their marvellous critical
penetration, their broad and exact
knowledge Of sermons and sermonizing
and their logical accuracy and incision.
Perhaps in this free land l may be
permitted to have an opinion on the
subject; and it is at least within the
possibilities that my opinion may be as
well grounded as that of my friends on
the left" and my opinion is that did
not preach better sermons, for time
Immediately after coming here, than
have done for any similar number OF
Sabbaths since. But superficial wor-
| shippers might be struck with this
difference, viz: That used no pulpit
aids, till importuned by some of my
| presbytery that "would kill myself. u
Since then extract such assistance as
may require from notes OF manuscript
Farther yet; | will be glad to place all
the sermons l have written and
| preached not only since came to Della
ware City but before that date in the
hands of committee of New Castle
Presbytery, and | will be further very
glad to preach any of the sermons that
committee may select before a Viii.
mington audience, provided there be In
the audience a number of ministers
Wilmington elders, and Wilmington
newspaper men.
But the next item believe is some.
thing ABOUT clandestlne meetings with
young women. Now this, sir, I think
is serious statement, serious as touch
ing young woman and serious az
touching clergyman, and the man
who makes 1t ought to be well assured
as to Its truth, ought not to dose sight OF
the fact that the reputation of a minis.
ter is as sensitive and as easily furnished
as the reputation of a young girl; and
l am much inclined to think that the
man who would destroy the one, would
in given relations, destroy the other
And il those who put this rumor Gin
the air. had no respect for me or my
office they might have shown some con.
sideration at least for the young women
of "this section" | am free to say that
round the circle of my acquaintance,
know no young woman capable las fai
as know of STOPPING to any clandes.
tine meetings, or reprehensible assigna.
tions. As for myself, it is needless to
say to those who sufficiently know me
that | INDUCED in no clandestine meet.
ings at any time with any woman. AND
as for moonlight drives, never went al
any time on moonlight drive, as such
| with any young woman. | have driven
at different times with various young
women even as far as Wilmington-ii
may have been moonlight when return.
ing or it may not. felt honored by
and safe in their company, and when
choose VIII ask any young woman
choose either to drive with me or to
marry me, and | will not ask the per.
mission OF young beaux" or of old
beaux either. M
Now numerous readers, sir, will re-
qulre the proof of these alleged clandes.
tine meetings, precisely as they will re-
quire the proof Of another equally base
less statement, viz: That erich Young
women showed me over their lands, y
| with matrimonial intent.
| But the next item that have heard
of is that was not postgraduate in
Princeton. / was postgraduate in
Princeton. Had it been the honest in.
tention to get at this fact, it could have
| been easily ascertained. Two cents will
carry note to Princeton at any time.
| And supposing the sagacity and official
honesty OF the Presbytery of New
Castle, which ordained me, were deemed
OF no weight or moment, it would have
been the easiest thing in the world to
have communicated with the presbytery
In which was brought up, the address
| OF the clerk of which, together with the
address of the head of the committee
which has charge of divinity students
in Ireland, l furnished one of the
trustees of my church with at his re-
quest.
1t is about two months since, and /
have not heard single word yet 1t
may not be amiss just here, for the
information of my friends on the cleft"
to state the terms on which a student
is entered as a postgraduate in Prince
ton, quote from one of the Rev. DR..
Green's letters to me: "Upon pre-
senting proper certificates Of having
completed your theological course, you