New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-10
BAPTIST TABERNACLE TROUBLES
PROTEST AGAINST THE FINDINGS IN THE
CASE OF DIR POTTER


Certain members Of the committee apnolnted %
investigate the affairs OF the Tabernacle Bapt,st
Church and the charges against It's pastor rho
Rev Dr. d. C. Potter will in the next few days
issue public protest against the findings Of the
majority Of the committee. They contend that the
decision reached at the final session Of the !nves-
tgating council on June q was irregular unjust
and not a final settlement OF the ISSUES involv.d
The report OF the protesting members is long and
after COMPREHENSIVE reviewing the evidence upon
which the findings were made. protest that great
wrong has been done in the conclusions which
were arrived at The protest states that there was
10 evidence TO support the charge against the pas
tors moral character that the charge Of intoxica-
tion was completely overthrown. and that there
was no foundation for the charges against him OF
lying and dishonesty
with reference to the finding in favor Of the
City Mission. the protest continues:
I'VE affirm that Mr. Cllnch vcho appeared as
the advocate OF the society before the committee
declared that the character Of the pastor of the
Tabernacle Church. the rumors affecting that
character. had nothing 10 DO with the moral just-
Acaton Of the soccty's action in bringing suit
against the church and depr.yng it of its prop
erty. He based his defence mainly on the judg-
ments Of the civil courts In favor Of the society
obtained confesscdly on very technical and morally
Insufficient grounds and attempted further to sus-
tain their action on the ground OF the hostile ac-
ton OF the Tabernacle trustees evidenced by "A
resolution adopted by them authorizing 4 lawyer to
bring suit 10 set aside the )rig Scs which rcsOu-
ton appears never to have been acted upon and
WAS afterward rescindcd by the trustees was I'M
known 10 ana unauthorized by the church. and
which there Is grave reason 10 believe never
known 10 the society until after 1t had commenced
proceedings to fOrcclOsc the mortgages held by it,
Furthermore. Mr. Clnch. IN reply to question
addressed to him al the session OF tho committee
and afterward repeated I'm the closing session Of
The council, declined 10 state any grounds Of moral
Justification for the socieys retention Of the equity
of than 10000 OF the churrh's property over
and above the principal OF thu mortgages ana all
costs and expenses OF proceedings. thereby max
ing IL evident that the City Mission Society IL I'M
able TO offer any moral Justification FOR this action
and for the retention of this equity, and that it's
moral justification for commencing the foreclosure
al all Is q very doubtful and insufficient on. And
furthermore that that society has undoubtedly used
the charges against the character OF the pastor
Of the Tabernacle Church cloak .Or action
otherwise morally indefensblc ana while forced to
declare by IT. representatives that the question of
the character OF the pastor Of the Tabernacle
Churcn In no way IN reality involved Ia TIE
issue between the society and the church, has con-
tinued &, even before the council Itself. to
cloak and Disguise the rea Issues IN the case and
has exerted the powerful influences at It's com
nend TO secure a finding against the pastor OF the
UsksS0aSlS Church IN order that IL might still QD