The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-26
RESIGNS HIS PULPIT.
Rev. Mr.. Brown of Fall River
Wants Perfect Freedom.
WILL PREACH FROM A TENT NOW
of sects-IIe Feels a Strong Call to
Go into Evangelistic Work-He Has
Been Prominent i'm Fail River.
by The Associated Press.

FALL RIVER, Mass, March 26.-Rev.
John Brown, known throughout this sec
tion as "Parson," and one IF the most
prominent organizers of the present
Weavers' union. surprised his congrega-
|tion yesterday by reading the following
|letter:
"AIy dear friends-On the first of next
June / shall have been in the ministry
|e5 years. These years so quickly passed
away. / have been continually in har-
ness. have built eight churches, have
organized over dozen, and have helped
Ito pay the debt OF a good many others. I
thank God that have been able to do SO
much, but yet am not satisfied. l feel
that have given my strength largely 10
digging wells in the desert and setting up
candle sticks in the night, while water
flowed notvu freely from the one nor
Hight famed 50 brightly from the other,
Jas could have wished. l propose.
therefore, TO change my methods in
future.
~ will sell my library, buy tent, and
with this tent / will go where please,
|preach when, how and what please. 1t
|may be that our children, centuries hence,
will look on these church buildings of
ours that we struggle so hard to build
and pay for, as we look upon the old
|cashedrals built by our fathers in past
centuries: mere places OF historical inter
est. but useless so far as the worship of
Jour Heavenly father is concerned. That
the Master put but very little value on
church buildings can be seen from his
conversation with the woman OF Samaria.
Then too / want perfect freedom TO
|emphasize the social aspects OF Christian
|ity. There are Jericho walls to be bat
tered down, aud Jerusalem walls to be
built up before the reign of King Jesus
can be established.
The Drink Habit
must be done away with; the rights OF
woman in the state, as they are now in
|church, must be acknowledged; labor
land capital must shake hands, or lock
horns like the two steers and fight it out
on the edge OF the precipice tin either one
|or the other goes over corruption in high
Tor low places, especially in politics, must
be swept into hell with the 'besom of de-
|struction;' class jealousies and sectarian
hatreds must be annihilated, and truth,
Righteousness, brotherly love and broth
|crly helpfulness must exist between
masses and classes, employer and en-
ploye hereafter, as never past.
"All the legislatures, governments and
|governors I'm the world will amount to
nothing No new gospel, but the same
|old gospel OF the Man of Nazareth is
needed for the worlds regeneration. The
|nearer we keep TO the original methods
for its proclamation, the better. / leave
this congregation with the best feeling
toward every member in it. 1 am glad
that there is no discord among us. am
|glad also, that the church is paid for and
that you have no debt resting upon you.
|E."If am spared for active service for IS
years more, | shall know in the mean
thine only my Master in heaven, and his
|toiling, sorrowing creatures here on earth.
These being my sentiments, ask you TO
meet me next Sabbath. TO appoint com
|missioners to the Presbytery, who shall
join with me in requesting that the pas
torate be dissolved on June 1 next"
No Action Taken.
No action was taken on the resignation,
ss the reading Of the letter came as n sur
prise. The congregation will appoint n
committee to ask tho presbytery to dis
solve the present pastorate
Pnrson Brown does not intend to dis
solve his connection with the Presbyterian
church, but it has, been known for some
time that he does not care TO subject him
self TO the restrictions that the presbytery
wishes to place on him as parish
preacher.
Ills career In this city has been Of
startling character. lie took charge OF
the Westminster Presbyterian church in
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