The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-11
JOHN HALL WOULD RESIGN.
STORIES THAT THE SESSION F0ROED
HIM OUT ARE UNTRUE.

The Session wants to Keep Siin ne Losr as II
Cas- In AnS Capacity That IL Graternl 60
Hiu-Eiders Arc Satisfied That the Churoh
Will Not ne Misied By Malicious Gossip.
The retirement of DIR. John Hall from the pas.
torate OF the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church
is not. Il appears, TO BIO altogether peaceful. Ger
tain members Of the church who assert that
they are the pastors best friends busted them.
selves Sunday afternoon and yesterday cir
~oulating a story that DR.. Hall had been forced
to resign by q majority of tho session and con-
trary to his own desire. Tho people behind
tho rumor did not give 1t the authority of
their names when they took 1t TO ne wspaper
Offices, for tho reason that at least ono Of the
mon whose views they represented has already
boon disciplined by the session for publicly
critlcising that body. The session of the
church as has been well understood by the con.
gregation, has not been unanimous on any
question OF church policy for q long time, some
say for four or fvo years. Tho first and most
marked sign Of a difference of opinion was that
regarding the management Of one Of the mis-
sions Of tho church. Tho church has had four
missions. Ono in Seventh avenue has be-
come an independent church, another In King
street has become very nearly able TO take care
of Itself. The mission in Fourteenth street, near
Third avenue, was, In the days when the. church
WOO nv uIu "a v ~ tlio
one In which the young people of tho church
did their most active work. When the church
moved uptown this active interest was trans
ferred to the mission at First avenue and Sixty
third street.
Tho Fourteenth street mission has undoubt-
eddy suffered. 1t has been hard to persuade
the church people to mako offerings for the
Fourteenth street mission. Its affairs have
been in the hands Of Elders Beggs. Mcintyre.
and Campbell. all Of whom are natives Of the
north of Ireland. as. ia DR.. Hall himself. They
have resented the practical abandonment Of
the mission: DR.. Hall did not approve of the
tendency ten s 2 either neeEr,ossIn and repeatedly a. ,t tried rni, to rc use
workers and even the session itself, except the
three men, named, were apathetlc. Lately
listen to It. So far as Is known to the eonsrega.
ton, that plan has been abandoned. or, at any
rate. indefinitely postponed.
Then came the Warszawiak matter. The
ils1ls H TSo gr won DR. Dc,d Halls g confidence iSd Ess.i and re- Re.
worthy: They didn't, think any the less et jDr:
man: But a small minority took no such dis
passionate. view. They:denopnced- openly tho
action Of the session and declared that
WarsZawiak's trial was unfairly conducted.
Finally the session took measures to silence
them.
independent. of these incidents in church his.
tory. the session unanimously had the desire
w oppShhs -. W "a III uhu tho
pastor had his notion that the session really
wanted a younger pastor; Hn had it before eth, the
suspicion. A scarcely, perceptible drift or some
Of the weather. people away fromsthe church
did S Des" .S SSfi5Xea f0t thelyy 'r %iett 4a more They gh az,
tended services sometimes. And, at any rate,
when they stayed away;their placcs:were filled
The pastors preaching has been just as forcible
as IT ever was. But a falling Off Of the revenues
81 81. he hsli fa a Great ai'dds eaf. IL i was nsp sllses' T Eis re!
quests that he be permitted to resign. These
blank r%efusals at first, were at last met with
the proposal that DIR. Hall and the session could
meet on 2 middle ground, in fine, that he should
pastor emeritus on a liberal salary; that he
should be consulted in regard to the selection Of
Of the pastoral work as was thoroughly agree
able to him the pastoral visiting in a congre-
other one thing q severe tax on the doctors
energy; that he should have no positive duties
and a free choice Of work.
This proposition seemed a proper one to all
the session except the small minority. Amid
their remembrance a committee headed by
the negotiations With Dr. &eiI. From IN that day
to this the minority has insisted that DR.: Hall
such a thing was enough to arouse instant in
dlgnation in the compensation. particularly. in
the delicate progress of the negotiations. Tho
majority OF the elders are quite satisfied that
feel ss Ins that ehu BTa m msfl has II not not be se10t tres sheie w whG
every consideration will receive ample assur-
ance that they have been mistaken.
Yesterday the Ercning Post supplemented n
statement of the minority's side of the case with
a story to tho effect that IA movement to Sc.
cuse DIR. Halls resignation had been headed by
John Sloane" This was occasion for surprise,
as Elder Sloane has been known as one Of DIR.
Halls most appreciative and intimate friends.
Mr.. Sloane refused to make any statement re-
garding the matter, but IL was learned that he
has told several friends that the statement Is n
malicious fal5ehood. AS far as can be learned,
the statement of the Post that there is a fac
tional difference between the younger and old
er elements of the congregation was. just as far
from fact.