The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-08
WOULD0USFp DR.. ROBINSON.
SESSION or THE HET rORK PRES
BYTERIAN CHrFcH HosTTLE Il.

BYTERIAH CHrFcH HoSfILE.
Chureh owes nin, 20, 500. Tor witch ne HAS
Tanen JndEn,entASfes Called ..An OBJ
strsction ,,-Ehe Gave the session n TaitinE
to when = Gail TO mr.. Paxton was Rloetea
or the trouble in tho New York Pres
byterian Church, ns an outgrowth of
which the Rev. DIR. John II. Paxton
was led. through misunderstanding, to
mako himself at homo in tho pulpit there on
Sunday last, to the annoyance OF tho pastor. tho
Rev. DR.. Charles s. Robinson. who objected
publicly, Col. Kiliaen Van Rensselaer,, the
active agent of the refractory session Of the
church. said yesterday:
DIR. Robinson is the pastor Of the New York
Presbyterian Church officially. but not In the
hearts of the congregation. Ho is an obstrue-
ton. asked him at the annual congregational
meeting last night why he didn't ret out.
Tho facts arc that DIR. Robinson some
little time ago practically throw UP the
passionate. He said that he wasn't going to
preach any more. for the present, certainly.
We took him at his word. although no didn'l
formally resign, and the session at a meeting at
which he ives present and over which he pro-
sided. appointed a committee on supply. Of
which I was one, to provide for filling the pull.
pit, DIR. Robinson having stated that heretofore
ho had paid for the pulpit supply, whenever he
was absent. out of his own pocket.
"As an old friend and comrade Of DR.. Paxton
in the war. l wrote him at his homo in East
Hampton. L. l., telling him something Of tho
circumstances and asking hin II he would ac-
cept. the passionate Of tho New York church
MY old friend, iii do anything can to help
you. The Committee on Supply. then engaged
which we thought matters might shape them.
selves for further developments The fact 10
that It the church owes DR.; Robinson. approximate.
For this So. 500 he has taken and holds a judg-
pent against the church. and seems as though
he said he wouldn't resign until it was paid.
We have said to him. If we pay YOU, will you
oo%ficiaily, but. as / said. not in the hearts Of the
people. I'm afraid that DR.. Paxton will decline
to preach ct the church again, owing to the con-
DR.. Robinson, when reporters called on him
yesterday. declared that the newspaper &C
iuteiy erroneous. He denied in toto having
Sid What he he'd, did say to THE Sun reporter on
rcctly quoted. He declined to specify yesterday
in what respects he wished the statement
"peyil, dsvtl ia Ssv HH5%as said h S., t. Villain,
DR.. Robinson said several things on Monday
that THE Sun did not print yesterday. This, for
Here's what I said to tho session after their
illegal meeting. held in my absence. when the
law says that the pastor shall preside. at all
meetings Of the session held to consider relations
with the pastor and Presbytery. i said to
them: You can call DR.. John r. Paxton II
you want to. It's easily done. Just promise him
IS. 900 a year. You needn't pay It.. It's wrong,
to be sure. but you needn't do 1t. You haven't
paid me! Or you can promise him So. 900 a year
payable in monthly installments OF $l66 %
and you needn't pay that. To be sure it's i'm
moral, as DR.. Hall says; it's wicked. but you
haven't pad me. DR.. Truax, Judge Truax',
brother. says I'm n fool to have this going on
But you can call DR.. Paxton and promise hin
this salary and keep him along year after veal
without it-if DR.. Paxton is a fool. as DR.. Trua,
fools. Or you can do better yet. perhaps. Yor
can call him and promise him the salary ant
then Mt the end OF three years YOU can have
meeting and abrogate the contract, declare tina
the contract entered into with the Rev. DR.
Paxton on the specified date three years befor,
10 null and void and of no effect. Or you might
II the law hadn't been made to cover the case
tho hest because the cheapest way to get aloni
If there are other FOOLS"
Continuing his recital of what he said to tn
session, DIR. Robinson said that he reminde,
them that the mere fact that the church hal
one pastor in no way hampcred them IL they de
sired to call another pastor, He recalled to thei
minds. he said. that old pr. Hastings, had not re
Paxton. was called there. DIR. Paxton ha'
been called on probation" he said. and after
time he naturally wanted to have things settled
1t was an important occasion. There wer
pretty big men there-Gcn. Grant, Russell Sage
Flagler. the oil man. &c. 1t takes n pretty bi
Paxton was fairly installed and settled there bt
fora nr Haatinpa waa retired"