New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-23
AGENERAL CHURCH MIDDLE
CONGREGATION OF THE SEA AND LAND
IN A OUANDARY.


IN \ oUANDARY.
RESULT OF THE PREsByTERY's DIFFERENTIATION
TO SELL THE HISTORIC Hr,NRY-sr. PROP
ERTY-DR. PARKHuRsr EETIREs FROM
THE FIELD. DIR. ROBINSON WANTS TO
RESIGN THE NETWORK PASTOR
- ATE. AND THE SEA AND
LAND PEOPLE WANT
TO KNOW WHAT
TO DO.
The Church Of the Sea and Land. at Market ara
Henry SITS with membership of about two nun
6red md n conyre cation during August ana Septem-
Der last of six hl-dred to seven hundred Is wohoer
ing what TO do with itself. The fresbyterF o. new
York long ago decided that work in the neifhpor-
hood was "inexpedien" and that the money wh'ch
could be raised by selling the historic old structure
built by Henry Rutgers and for many years one OF
the important churches of the CITY, couu better Dc
used to pay off the heavy mortgaged Indebtedness
that hangs threatenngly over the naghlnce"'
church property Of the New-fork presbyterian
Church, at Seventh-aNe. and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
twenty-eighth-st After a, prolonged fight between
the Presbytery the one side, ana ir. farNhuiS'
and the Madison Square Presbyterian Chnrch on 'he
other the Madison Square forces nave retired iro'"
tbe field: the Church of the Sea and Land has form
ship; DR.. Charles s Robinson has resigned or at
tenpted TO resign the pastorate of the New-York
church and the holders of the mortgage on that
fine piece OF Harlem property are again in position
20 bring their foreclosure proceedings 10 Climax
ard offer the property for sale.
The application of the Church OF The Sea and Lana
70 the New-York Presbytery for instructions was
made ct the last meeting OF the Presbytery on Sep
TENDER 80 Under the rules OF the Presbyterian
Church II throws upon the Presbytery a question
.pcffia
of being compelled either 10 nullify its actions of the
last year with regard the Church of the Sea and
Land or to consent to the abandonment o. an ener-
gotc and prosperous mission work on the great East
Side.
THE MADISON SQUARE AGREEMENT
When in 1894 DR. Parkhurst and the trustees of the
Lladson Square Church applied to the Presbytery
for permission to take hold Of the work in the
Henry-st. church. an agreement was entered INTO
whereby the of the Church of the Sea and Lana
property granted to the Madison Square Churcn
for one year from October l. 1884, II being declared
in the agreement that the arrangement was mace
with the expectation Of its continuance for further
period should the first years work prove successful
With the energy and abundance OF resources LOT
which DR.. Parkhurst and his coadJutofs are noted
the work was taken hold of and pressed with deter
mination of showing the value of heid' from a
church point of view in which 60 per cent OF the
people were Catholics and 80 per cent Hebrews, and
that had only five churches and chapeis to popu'a
I'm Gn January 1895 however the New-york Presby-
terry without notice TO the Church oil tns ngn t
position that work at the HenTy-st church was n1t
ibe sale Of the Henry.s property apply the
same TO the extent of $4,000 or more 20 me pay
nent of the mortgage on the New-York Presby,,
terrain Church. and such balance as remained
for church work the lower East Side This pre-.
cipitated notable contest between Dr t,h ~
and Presbytery which Vas MARRIED Tith s,I no
little violence Of language and consderane SUI, NJ
ring of the dry bones at the March meeting OF the
Presbytery.
TRYING TO SAVE THE MISSION
Notwithstanding the Presbytery's adverse action
the workers OF the Church OF the Sea and Land
with their Madison Square affiliations, bent TO the
task with redoubed energy, hoping that possibly
the fruits of their summer campaign would be such
as to deter the trustees OF the Presbytery from
carving out their instructions sell the property
and abandon the church. The figures for the sum
endeavor but the Presoytery had committed itseI
the sale Of the popeSy for the sake 1 be r
bytery and the Madison square people naa assu,mTa
were IN no mood for reconsider.ng their action and
devising other plans for the raising of the money
which the Presbytery had appointed at its spr.ng
meeting Investigate the condition OF the Chnrch
b,lity OF continuing the sale, composed so.ely or
almost solely OF members antagon:sc to tns Ros
lion OF DR.. Parkhurst and mis- colleagues dd niue
or nothing toward investigating the claims OF the
meeting. .,., nd HE col.
year ad fu1 Mi he Sea n work
on September 30 last Their active efforts continued
up to the last day and stopped on the minute OF
expiration q ssTeensn1 REPRESENTATIVES s
fore the Presbytery with en- elaborate letter OF
protest against the action that had been taken
and with request for information as to what tney
are to do with themselves. This problem the Pres
bytery has yet to solve. There is no Presbyterian
church in the neighbOrhoOd OF the Sea and Lana
edifce and the application of $4,000 or more 70
The use Of tho New,York Presbyterian Church viii
90 deplete the funds to make it impossible TO
provide by that for so large congreSa-
lion as that OF the Sea and Land church.
AN ECCLESIASTICAL COMBAT.
Dr. Robinson, who had accepted the pastorate OF
the New-york church without salary, Oh account
of Its bankrupt condition. threw hombshell into
the September meeting by rendering his resigna-
ton. This the Presbytery refused 10 accept. Dr.
Robinson then demanded that the trustees and
session of the New-York church be cited 70 the
November meeting to show cause why the pastoral!
relationship should not be dissolved. TINS Was
srenuously objected to. ana combat CT words !o.-
Dr RpbinsOn's benefit. tho injunction tAat members
should 'obey their brethren in the Lord the
Venerable DR. Robinson retor;ed with the assertion
that he had come doubt very seriously whether
his brethren were in tAe Lord or not. Naturally,
this BIT ecclesia stica repartee dd not teho 10
smooth over matters or facilitate the transaction
or business connected with the Church of the sea
and Land -, -...
In the mean time. the holders Of the mortgage
upon the beautiful property OF the New ork
church are camOrirg for their money ana tne
the heads OF the trustees: DR.. Robinson Is bound
10 get out: the Church OF the sea ana Lana y
afoat on a sea OF uncertainty. and Or. Parkhufst
and his Madison Square coadJutors nave tprhru
Seavor with the satisfaction of knowing that. what
ever happens in regard TO the historical old Henry