New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-30
BREEZE IN THE PRESBYTERY
A LULL FOLLOWS THE STORM AND PEACE
EEIGNS AGAIN
DIR. RAMSAY SUSTAINED AND HIS SESSION DIS
sor.vrD-r-N1oN SEMINARY AND THE GEN
rp,,. ASSEMBLY DISCUSSED AGAIN.

rp.I, ASSEMBLY DISCUSSED AGAIN.
.r,sor1er" 'T'proAr" Unfair advantage anl
"Oubble' are words - which some members o' 'he
New-Yoyls Presbyery object in the reports OF tnelr
meetings but in the interest OF absolute accuracy
{, ,s necessary to say that the meeting yes'er-
eoy in the Ola First Church there were more per-
SONS on their feet at the same time than are gem
orally seen standing at regular PRAYER meeting.
Ii must be added. also, that speaker remarked
that the only points made during the IaS' nan
hour have been points of order" Another member
interrupted a speaker who had said that he kept
his eyes open with the remark: You ought 10
have kept your mouth shut Dr. Mu'ialY was
quick 10 withdraw his closing remark. and apoio-
Glzea for thinking aloud. Half a dozen men IN
sisted at one time that elder making an IN
terninable harangue should retract certain state
rnens or suffer the consequences.
ilut all In all. the results OF the meeting yes
ter1ay entirely satisfactory TO the majority
OF the Presbytery Two subjects occupied the four
hours and given - the af"rnoon SESSION.
The resignation Of Dr. J. :. Ramsay as pastor oil
the Harlem Presbyterian Church. and the re.a'oA
of Union Seminary students TO the Presoyteiy'
In the evening several students examiner lot IL
censure two weeks ago were licensed 10 preach.
DE- Ramsay presented his resignation ana three
REPRESENTATIVES Of his congregation. which opposed
his leaving them by vote Of l9S 10 Il, were heard
Following them came an elder from the chnrch
who desired the pastor leave the pastorate AZ
ter a long discussion the Presbytery refused to
allow DR.. Ramsay resign, dissolved ihe session
Of hs church. and ordered that their successors
should be elected on May 10. The Presbytery has
decided 10 discuss overture bearing upon the
case OF the Union Seminary students at the May
meeting. but about p. m. DR.. Booth called up the
matter and after hour spent in discussion 1t
was decided by a vote OF 90 to 20 10 overture the
General Assembly to instruc; 1t in relation to theo-
logical students who wish TO be taken under the
care of the Preebytery when studying in seminares
which do not have ;he approval of the Assembly
DR. RAMSAY WILLING To RESIGN
Dr. Ramsay's statement delivered in the
presence of full meeting OF ministers and elders
and Of many Of his Pensioners. who sat in the
gallery 1t was evident at the outset that the feel
ing wholly in favor OF the pastor. VINO LOT
twenty years has filed one pulpit conservative
by nature. Dr. Ramsay has long been known as a
lover of fair play. and in the Detroit General AS
scn,blv in 1891 on constitutional grounds, he cham
poned the cause of d.. Briggs and Union Seminary
with all the zeal of liberal In the PresoEtery
he has stood by every man needing friend ana
Yesterday the entire Presbytery. with the exception
Of the elder from his church. rallied 10 MS
sunport and sent him back with The hearueSt
commentator possible. and leeisiated out OF once
the elders who had made life burden TO MIN
Ii was pathetic to hear DR.. Ramsay tell now ne
frs, heard OF the disanecton in his chlrcn. fee-
ing that he should not remain In church wheTe
a considerable number Of people. as he had been
informed desired him 10 go, he resigned. pu' III
a little while his informant came to tel MN ,hd'
he himself had been mistaken about the feel'rSs
against the pastor. and that Their the grea; ma
tority OF the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES he s@'u-
desired him 10 remain
The foundation for the resignation belns tahe"
away. DR.. Ramsay withdrew his letter res'snH's
the pastorate To his great surprise. he stunoieu
into a meeting OF his session few weeks ago al
which ne should have presided. but 70 when ne
had not even been invited. and az which as ne
found later. he the subject OF discussion mat
night he decided 70 resign and lay the matter De-
fore the Presbytery.
DR.. D. j. Mcmillan who presided at the congre-
gational meeting on April %. told OF the almost
unanimous protest against DR.. Ramsay's resignins'
only Of the 90 voting in favor Of his going away
NOT THE PASTOR But THE SESSION. TO GO.
Lincoln A. Stuart. OF the commissioners APP
nointed by that meeting, ended his address to the
Presbytery by declaring that what the Harlem
Church wanted was not that DR.. Ramsay shouII
go but that the session should resign. professor
D W Herring united with Mr.. stuart in denying
that the congregation wanted a change Of pastor
John w Mack told the Presbytcry what reasons
the opposers OF DR.. Ramsay really gave Why ne
should leave them. One was that he drank strong
coffee and smoked cigars. Another was that he
did not support the Pierson evangelistic meetings
as he should and still another that the finances
OF the church running behind Mr.. Mack re-
piled in some detail 70 the financial objections. de-
clarng that instead OF deficit the church had a
surplus His reference 10 coffee ana cigars caused
a smile
Charles E Cochrane, one OF the elders who op-
posed DR. Ramsay in his own session and the rep
resentative OF the Harlem Church in The Prcsby-
terry was repeatedly called 10 order for his i'm
piled charges. which were understood by the mem
bers 0. the Presbytery refer to Or. Ramsay. but
he denied that he had the pastor in mind. Or.
Ramsay insisted tina: the Presbytery should listen
10 Mr. Cochrane any other man who had any
thing 10 say against his official life.
DIR mutually MAKES a REMARK.
81 kept my eyes open" said Mr. Cochrane in one
part OF his address.
You ought to have kept your mouth shut re-
torte1 DR.. Mutually. D-. Forbes. the moderator,
called Dr. Mutually 20 order. and he apologzed.
at another time. Nj. Cochrane said that he de
sired 20 have committee appointed to 90 10 Har-
lem to investigate the conditions there. Awful
revelations" ne began, but dozen men sprang
10 their feet. IN. Howard Dunield was recognized.
and after referring 70 the intermnabe harangue 10
which the PresbyterY had listened he insisted that
Mr. Cochranc should retract the statement which
lie had made publicly as he had spoken IT,
Ir. Cochrane replied that he had not referred TO
the pastor OF the Harlem Church.
DR. John Hall and DR.. John g. Bliss. who have
known DR. Cochrane for .ong time explained
that intellectual pecu.iarities often affect the
judgment certain subjects. and they expressed
the hope that the Presbytery would not be biased
100 much BY what had been said Mr. coeh 9Ia1e
IVORY and 1verw2rk' but nat ne was nov IN per PEI
feet heath ON Dr. BLISS motion, IN" lo'.o"ng
resolutions OF confidence in Dr. Ramsay were uhdn'-
Inously adopted
Il. That the Presbytery declines TO concur IN the
rcques; Of the Rev Dr. Ramsay for the dissolution
0; The pastoral relation between himself and the
Harlem PRESBYTERIAN Church.
90 That record heartfelt apprecia ton or
the ability and fidelity OF DR.. Ramsay In his Pres
by'erial and pastoral relations for many years
and we take pleasure in commenting him anew to
affection and support OF the people over whom
believe he has in the providence OF God been
paced"
4 resolution offered by the Rev. Charles Il. G.!et'
librarian OF mon Seminary, adopted. HlSrON-
Inc the existing session and calling meeting for
May H. 1906 TO elect I'm the customary way a sum
number Of persons 10 the Office OF ruling elder
Who shall constitute the session
~, nun, /.t,s-r-u.r .csEMRJ.y