The San Francisco call., 1896-04-27
The Retiring Minister Says the
Cause of Religion Is Dearer
Than Self.
HAS A CALL FROM THE EAST.
The Minority Want Another Minister.
Sketch of the First Jerusalem
Church.

Rev. f. l.. Higgins, for the past two
years pastor OF the First New Jerusalem
(Swedenborgian) Church on OFarrell
street. near Webster. has rendered his
resignation, the same to take effect July
l. The reverend gentleman expects to go
East at that time to take charge of a
church which it is understood has been
offered him.
Back of this UNEXPECTED action on the
part of the Rev. Mr.. Higgins lies a little
blt OF inside church gossip, eliminating
two weeks ago in the resignation above re-
ferred to. At that time the pastor told
his people that he could no longer serve
them and asked that the church accept
his action without comment and unan-
imously. The members present decided
not to do anything hastily, and so post
poned consideration of the matter until
yesterday week ago.
Then Mr.. Higgins was asked to explain.
which he did by saying that the church
was not unanimous in its support of him,
and consequently he would be doing the
cause of religion an injustice to continue
working in field where a schism mani
testify existed. The pastor begged the
congregation 10 accept his resignation,
adding that if they did not do so he would
do the same thing over again. He urged
that the acceptance In the interest of har
mony be unanimous. In spite of this re-
quest nearly one-third of the congregation
voted for his retention.
In October of 1898 Rev. John Doughty,
the leader for twenty-seven years of this
particular section of the Swedenborgian
Society, died. For a time thereafter Mr..
Putnam read the service each Sunday,
and then the Rev. Mr.. David was called in
het 70 nd for !,
preached to the congregation of the First
New Jerusalem Church. AT the end of
that time Rev. Mr.. Higgins was asked to
preach one sermon, which he did.
AS the result OF this effort Mr.. Higgins
was elected over Mr. David pastor OF the
Swcdenborgian Society. For a time all
went well and then the partisans of Rev.
Mr.. David began 10 make trouble. A
prominent member of the church, in
speaking about the schism yesterday, said: /:
The little celestial church of Sweden
borgians has had quiet upheaval within
the last two weeks, which will probably
end in the departure of our gentle leader
the Rev. Mr.. Higgins. 1t seems that few
OF the most worldly ones of the flock desire
popular" church, as they express it.
While Mr.. Higgins is not a sensational
preacher he is a scholarly man and
breaches spiritual sermons that are above
The heads of the disaffected of the con gre
cation. Unlike the Rev. DR.. Brown ne is
modest man and does not wish to fill
the pulpit when the church is not a unit
In harmony.
Three years ago the Rev. John
Doughty died and lett this little church in
quite prosperous condition. For while
thereafter Mr.. Putnam read the service
Then Rev. Mr.. David occupied the pulpit
But when the convention was held here
two years ago the Rev. Mr.. Higgins was
called as our minister for one year; at
In oil nr = ho h<r 1i1 E
three years. One year has passed ard all
OF his friends thought the church satisfied
and at peace. But it seems there were a
few discontented ones that did not want
TO keep to the three years contract but
demanded an immediate change; so a
petition was drawn up asking the reverend
gentleman TO resign. The petition was
very quietly circulated, but failed to get
signatures. The very apparent dishonesty
of church not holding to a contract ap-
pealed to the secular principle of many.
$50 the disaffected thought, as they
knew their man, they would appeal to his
sensiDility.
"One man had the face to lay the case
before the gentleman of God instead of
consulting the church as a whole. 1t had
the expected effect, and week ago last
Sunday the Rev. Mr. Higgins handed in
his resignation, which came as a great
surprise TO the many who admired him as
teacher and expounder of the religion of
the great seer.
lone said if a thunderbolt had struck him
he would not have been more surprised.
Another, that it was an underhanded,
dlshonorable move, that the church ought
forever 70 be ashamed OF. Quite number
OF the pastor friends say that they will
not be party to the transaction by re-
manning in the church.
1--WE have had many exhibitions of the
cruelty OF Christianity in this City. If not
the 1nqu1sltlon. torture to the spiritual
that can dethrone even reason.
But for this little church to get into the
papers has been the bugbear of the weak
kneed, who ought to have stood by their
pastor and cared only for the spiritual
right of the situation"
Rev. Mr.. Higgins said Yesterday that
those who opposed him did not do SO on
personal grounds, but simply because they
preferred another minister
"As soon as l learned that minority
preferred some one else l determined that
my duty to the church and the cause of
Christ could only be fulfilled by my re-
signing. 1t is merely the act of doing
away with self for the cause of Christian
ity. told the majority, those who favor
me, that 1t was best to accept my resigna-
tion unanimously, for by so doing a per-
feet harmony would be created where only
discord exists"
The majority of the congregation do not
accept kindly the act of the few who
brought about the resignation of their be-
loved pastor. The action of Mr.. Higgins
does not by any means heal the breach,
and there are those who think that a
schism of a serious character will follow
Rev. Mr.. Higgins preached as usual yes
terday morning, his subject being, 1.-The
Laver of Brass" In his opening remarks
the minister said:
THE tabernacle. rich in its costliness
and composed of the consecrated free will
offerings of the people who had but re-
Gently been delivered by the Lords out
stretched hand from Egypt was the GEN.
ter of Israelitish worship. Around it the
twelve tribes encamped in divinely in
stitured order, and within it through the
medium OF priesthood the people wor-
SHIPPED according to divinely ordained
method. But the outward worship thus
established was only the representative of
the true spiritual heart worship
I'm the inmost or holy of holes, was