The times., 1897-12-22
DISCUSS FREE SALVATION
Ministers Consider the Motives
of Rev. DIR. Farrar.
ELEMENT OF sELFIsHNESs
Is II n Sac riftce TO Surrender q
$4,000 Pas urate to Work Among
ions Expressed Pro and Con on
the Subject.

Ministers lave a new subject TO eBgrnss
tiieir attention. 1t is the announcement
that DI. au,es N Farrar VIII soon p.
linquish tile pastorate f'the wealthy First
Dutch Reformed Church of Brooklyn,
Y, and 81 ,0Go salary, in ofds. - 90 into
the country and preach without pay.
This announcement alonr has been lnite
sufficient to c; eate an inter sss in the mai,
hut the Y ay III which the clergy is divided
on the Pubject gives promise OF spirited
discus zion. The question that seems to
perplex most of the divipes approached
by a Tines mau yesterday is whether the
intentions of Dr. Farrar involve sa critire
o. selfishness. H
DIR. Farrar was formerly pastor Of the
Fourth United Presbyterian Church Of
Philadelphia. He accepted the Brooklyn
call soon after the ereet:on OF The la ad
some edfioe of The Dutch Reformed Church
in Brooklyn. He owns q. handsome brown
stone residence In Brooklyn, with large
ro,ms, high ceilings. and il is beautifully
furnished i-tfls
pr. Farrar thinks that men are awarded
earth, and feeling that h. has done nothing
to merit such reward 10y prea ching for
money, he Las concluded 10 preach With
out pay and live on a SNAIL income in IKE
country.
He viii go 10 Idlewild. n country place
near Hanmerton. Chester county, Pa,
where he has built house and will preach
TO the county folk there.
Dr. Alexander Kent, of this city, dis
cuSsing the case, said that the question is
one inN diving many phases. lie did not
desire To express himself ola tie matter
very fully until he tiad con sid credits many
parts. lie did say, however:
II have no sympathy with the idea that
we will get q reward in heaven. What
we are there is what we are when We
leave heie.- The theory of reward de
serves no sympathy. Virtue is its OWN re-
ward In the Keeping OF tise command
meutS is the reward as well Us tue being
and the doing.
~ think il would be Il very desirable
! position to have an income and be indie
pendent VI the congregation l would Ike
to have SUCH an incomo, but at the "a ne
time l think ii would be, in d sense, d
very bad thing Tor the gospel IL be given
to the congregation for nothing 1t wOLld
demoralize people TO give them good for
nothing If a man can influence his CON
gregat;un to give money for the help Of
others he would do good, but if he leaves
them to expect to get a preacher free ii
would be rather bad for him.
We appreciate that which we pay
for What costs nothing demoraliIes peo
pie. and also the acceptance of that foI
which the! get no equivalent. They get
| good Tor nothing
Dr. T. Russell yerbrycke, pastor OF
Guhey Memorial Church, said that The
subject was wide one and required {,
be analyZed. The idea of DR.. Farar lie
thought aoDinmen1ableonc. Bishop p ut n,
OF New York, did a similar thing sew Ta
years ago when lie spent n whol : vaca
tiun visiting the mission houses OF the
| metropolis, II WAS difficult TO say Whether
| there was not spirit of seIfishness in
DIR. Farrar plans lie had a prefer auce
! for tht country and therefore did not IA e
| to make much of sacrifice in leaving
| the $4,000 pastnrate. DIR. Yerbrycke iiC
| that a man of mind wosld, in a sense
| bury himself by going into tie country
| but, Continuing, said that lac was not III.
/ together decided that the country did not
| require just rs braiuy men and good preach,
| ers as the city.