The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-03-12
DR. PARKHURST IS ON TRIAL
IN REGARD TO THE SALE OF 4 PIECE
 OF CHURCH PROPERTI.

was F1nally Laid on me IhDle'
 New York, March 11.-Resolutions re- iiecting upon the conduct of Dr. Charles H. Parkhurst in the matter of his criti- cism of the New York Presbytery's action with regard to the sale of the church of Sea and Land were offered at the monthly meeting of the Pres bytery to-day. Dr. Parkhurst was ab- sent, but his friends were there in force. Dr. Chambers, having the resolutions i'm charge, read a long statement, based upon the records of the Presbytery and giving in detail the facts in regard to the proposed sale of the property and the terms of the occupancy, pending the sale by the Madison Square church, of which Dr. Parkhurst is pastor. He prefaced this statement with a whereas setting forth the fact of an interview with Dr. Park hurst, in which the proposed sale was characterized by the eminent reformer as a "cold- -blooded violation of solemn contract which is as true as the ever lasting gospel. It was am act which had 1t been committed in Wall street
 
 bers of the Presbytery with what they would have considered material for homiletical exploitation"
 Following this preamble extracts from the Presbytery's records showing that the decision to sell the Sea and Land church antedated the arrange ment with Dr. Parkhurst's church by nearly year and a half that the occu- pancy of the church by pr. Parkhurst's session was for one year only, that the session of the Madison Square church had stipu- lated in writing that i've would not wish to be obligated ourselves to ask the Presbytery to obligate itself be- yond the one year; that subsequent action in regard to the sale of the church was made subject to the agree ment with the Madison Square church, and that part of the proceeds of the sale was to be used in planting mis- sion in the neighborhood of the church for which would be available as a field for work carried on in the Sea and | Land building by pr. Parkhurst.
 pr. John Hall opposed the resolutions in the interests of peace and harmony | He objected to the reference in the pre- amble to Dr. Parkhurst and the Madi- |
 
 the names stricken out Authorize the officers of the Presby- | tery," he said, ''to print and circulate | the statement as far as you wish, but | omit all reference to a brother we love. | Let the statement rest on the facts and let the newspaper interviews attributed to the brother alone The public will | be able to compare the statement of facts authorized by us with the news paper references and adjudicate upon them as they see f1t"
 Dr. Mullen, whose objections to the re- cent vote of approval of Dr. Parkhurst's reform methods created such a stir in the Pregbytery several weeks ago, was on his feet in an instant.
 "To my mind, he cried, "the preamble is the most important. It is question of a member of the Presbytery arraign- ing his Presbytery before the public in stead of before the session, and charg- ing 1t with crime, with misappropriating funds, with a violation of contract, with not being worthy of confidence. An honorab ble pastor objects Are we to be the prey of a man who makes his living by sensational writing? An indi- vidual has arraigned the PresbyteryNI and an individual shall be named. If had my way I would bring him before the bar of this court and make him answer" Dr. Francis Brown, Dr. Duffield, pr. Buchanan and other pastors opposed the resolution which had been altered by , Dr. Chambers to meet Dr. Halls sug- gestion. Dr. Buchanan thought it was unnecessary and undignifed for the Presbytery to exonerate itself from al- legged criticisms spoken to an unknown reporter on the mere rumor of publish l ing statement. \ Dr. Atterbery agreed with pr. .Buchan- ( an, and his motion to lay the resolu- i tions on the table was carried by vote I of 57 to 36. Many of the conservative s members of the Presbytery voted with the liberals on his motion.
 Prior to adjournment a resolution was passed calling for the appointment of g. committee to investigate the [ Church of the Sea and Land and re- I port as to its relationship with the II Presbytery. Dr. Parkhurst, when seen f tonight said: I "It is strange that the Presbytery t. should have taken this action in re- W gard to the Church of the Sea and Land, after last week deciding to sell q the property. If the church is to be sold of what use is it to investigate. I A regard the whole matter as inexperess- ibly sad. Our sole object has been to extend the evangelical work we carried c on the east to the south. We told the ft Presbytery of our aims and purposes tt They met the approval and sanction of a that body. If our occupancy of the St church was to be for only one year " was it probable that we would have a built foundation for ten story build ii ing where one for half a story would a. have sufficed? No, we relied on the promise given by the Presbytery that nj we should have a renewal of five years c at the expiration of the present year, tc and we worked accordingly" al
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