The morning times., 1896-01-14
WHY HE OPPOSED DIR. ALLEN
He Reviews the Whole Case and Says
Desire for the Church's Good.
Hints of designations from All
Three Pastors.

the question in which he was involved
Luccock, and made his statement with
the details OF which the public is now
familiar.
A full account of the proceedings was
given yesterday in The Evening Times.
The specially interesting part OF the
proceedings was the reading OF a letter
from DIR. Sunderland to Elder Knight, in
which he explained his position, and that
of DR.. Talmagc, and also made sharp
criticism OF the Post and the Star for
their false statements. The letter is as
follows:
DIR. sUNDERLAND's LETTER.
January 10, 1896.
Elder Octavius Knight:
''Dear Observation-Disclosures that you
have been appointed by. our session to
represent the church in the approaching
meeting OF our Presbytery take the liberty
toaddress you the folio wing communication,
which you are at liberty to make use of
as you make think best:
Il nave had no part nor lot in any OF the
recent movements in our church which have
resulted i'll this called meeting OF the
Presbytery. have attended no meetings OF
OF the conditions which were agreed to and
adopted by unanimous vote of the coDgre-
CATION GA the evening OF September %,
1895. l have had 10 interview with any
newspaper reporter or correspondent. nor
has any such person ever approaches me OH
the subject to be laid before The Presbytery,
in any form OF shape whatsoever, and
consequently feel that am not responsible
In any degree or measure for the outra geous
statements and cruel falsehoOds that have
been printed far and near.
'SoOn after DR.. Talma ge came to us was
the recipient OF two anonymous letters
couched in terms as lnean and insulting
as can be well conceived by the mind of one
sunken so low in shame as to cover himself
under the cloak OF pseud onym.
EXPLAINED TO MR.. ALLEN.
'I have never In my recollection sought
but one interview ON this subject with my
associate i'll this pastorate, Mr.. Allen, and
that was to explain to him a well as / could
the changed aspects OF our church affairs
within the last three months, feeling, as l
did, that there might be public demand
for a modification of the plan OF la Dor which
had been agreed upon a the meeting or the
23d OF September. but that conversation
rested there and so far "a s know was without
any further result.
Il have never coiiversed on this subject
so far as ] remember with but three
trustees, one elder, and one member or
the coDgre CATION, and to one ana all OF
them ] have expressed my entire Will
iDgness to do anything or waive anything
in my power that should be thought best
for the welfare OF the church i nave
served so long, and this has been my at
titude from first to last for sometime past.
Il have been able to recognize the fact
of the radically hanged condition of our
church affairs since DR.. TaiInage came
To us, and have been most willing in any
way practicable to accommodate myself 10
the change if il were even necessary that
my pastoral relations should be dissolved.
DR.. TALMAGE'S POSITION.
81 have coDversed freely with Dr. Tai
mage on the subject many times. and while
] know that so soon as 1T was discovered
that be was free from any sabbath morning
service in our church he was immediately
open to he called upon almost constantly
to fill the pulpit of other churches on Sab
bath mornings, and was by this very fact
placed in great embarrassment as 10 his
duty in the premises, yet he never has
suggested nor sought TO effect any change
in the conditions on which he accepted our
call, and he has never in any manner nor
by any act OF his said OF done anything
which looked toward forcing either myself
or Mr. Allen out OF our morning pulpit.
THE substance OF all that DR.. TaImage
has ever said or done on this subject is
simply when he has been appealed Ia. to
express his willingness to do anything
which the people Thought would be for the
highest welfare of the church. This is
the entire sum OF his offending.
Meanwhile the board OF trustees have
had most delicate, difficult and arduous
ttiSh W Ill Changing from the
voluntary system, which was n failure. TO
the pew rent system, they have to satisfy
rs far rs possible the old members of the
congregation and mt the same time accom-
modate the new people who Were flncking
to the church by reason Of the accession OF
Dr. Talmage TO our pulpit, and they had
also to provide for many other things in
cideDt to the new interest awakened in the
community So suddenly centereG in our
church. They worked night after night.
early and late to meet the demands that
were laid upon them, aud presently they
Were confronted with a new and unantici
pated phase of the matter.
WAS \ PUBLIC APPEAL.
"In various ways the public appeal came
to them for the sabbath morning services
of DR.. Talmage. 1t is easy to see their
very great embarrassment under all the
circumstances, they conferred with me and
Allen. with what wisdom do not pretend
to say, but my belief is that they had no
other motive nor intention than to do what
seemed to them to be for the highest good
OF the church in its present and future his
tory.
This led to meetings OF the session under
the direction OF MIR. Allen, who invited me
and believe DR.. Talmage also. but neither
OF us attended. did not go, because Un
derstood the matter was entirely between
Mr.. Allen aud those persons who had ap-
preached him on The subject, aud l did
not care to NEEDLE with it.
"These meetings resulted in a CORES.
pOndence between the session and the
trustees. which brought about an under
between them and then further
were made to Mr.. Allen, who
declined them as one of the elders in
formed me, and to myself, who readily
accepted them, signing a document to
that effect. Mr.. Allen then called q special
meeting of the Presbytery.
AuSQUOTED BY NEWSPAPERS.
mo sooner bad he sent out his call
for meeting of the Presbytery than the
matter began to be bruited about and the
first we knew an article appeared in the
Evening Star in which my position was mis-.
but which declined to cor.
rect for fear of adding more fuel TO the
flame.
"a few days after an article headed
Mr.. Aliens Side,' or words to that ef-
feet, appeared in the Post containing the
most erroneous representations, and being
an imposition upon the Post, which paper
believe intends to treat US fairly. Then
SO soon as this was out / got a COM
from man who was formerly
q member of our church, OF the most dis.
graceful and scandalOus character.
meanwhile. the session, understand,
have been making various efforts TO stave
off the meeting of Presbytery. and have
as 1 understand, conceded everything to
Mr.. Allen in order to keep the peace. A
great injury has been done by this affair,
and especially to DR.. Talmage, whose only
offence has been that he is regarded by
multitudes as the greatest living preacher
and the people wish to hear him.
'.In view of all these things, one of the
most diabOlical paragraphs has within a
day or two appeared in q Chicago paper,
maligning DR.. Talmage by tissue OF
lies from the beginning to the end. and TO
which 1 shall reply over my own name
n the Presbytery shall decide to keep
AR Allan N fhf, pulnit tfll upyf October I