The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-30

Aht
To THE EprTon or THE sux--!Sir: The real
facts OF the case are" writes An Elder /"
TO The SuS. that Mr.. Moody had moth
| ing TO do with tho calling OF tn Rev. ] WILDER
Chapman to the pulpit OF the Fourth Presby.
terian Church On the contrary. he was op-
posed to his leaving a very large church In
| Philadelphia and taking this small and I'M
known church." Now. IL these two staten ents
are not contradictory. do not know the Eng
lish language
am as well aware as IAN Elder" that Dr.
Chapman is n Presbyterian. but have yet to
learn that Mr.. Moody or DR. Morgan is and il
was with reference to them I made my inquiry
As Presbyterian for moro years than An
Elder has been on this earth. want to know
by what right Mr.. Moody should oppose the
movements OF DR.. Chapman or any other
Presbyterian minister. or interfere in our
church affairs?
"A small and unknown church." This Is said
OF church founded In 1870. sixty or seventy
years before John Wanamaker was born or
Bethany Church thought OF. and for over one
hundred years one OF the leading Presbyterian
churches OF this city. with a Benevolent Society
dating from l7a5. a Ladies' City Mission SO.
cicty dating from 1924. Bible Society dating
from 1894. &c. Shades OF DR. Thompson
and his revered predecessors. and Of the Stew
arts. the Athens. the Harrisons. the McLen.
tocks and hundreds Of others. leading citizens
OF this town in their day. rise and listen TO
what An Elder" OF your old church says con-
corning i'll
viii An Elder" deny that he consulted Mr.
Moody regarding the pastorate OF this church?
Will he deny that after such consultation he
went post haste TO town mp the State on a
Sunday and conferred with DR.. Chapman re-
garding the vacancy? Will he deny that
almost. II not entirely. on his recommendation
the Committee on Supply went In body to
Washington the following Sunday. where they
heard Or. Chapman conduct two evangelistic
meetings? Will no deny that he. the Elder"
Ia the recognized agent and trusted lieutenant
Of Mr., Moody In this town. Will he deny that
DR.. Radcliff Of Washington. one OF DR.. Chap
mans dearest friends and advisers. counselled
this committee and this congregation that Dr.
Chapman was the best man they could possibly
get. provided that he gave up his evangeli site
work. but II he did not. then no was not the
man they wanted for their pastor2 Will he
deny that II was DR.. Chspman's earnest desire
to settle down to pastoral work and that that
was made condition precedent to his call?
These arc all facts we'll known In the Presby-
terrain body. and ask An Elders" denial OF
them.
Not being a member OF Or. Chapman's
no possible animus against him. congratu.
late him on his success 30 far. and sincerely
wish him godspeed in his new field. He Is I'M
doubleday an earnest and brilliant preacher.
with charming personality. and. IL he develops
into good pastor he will com bine in him
self two qualities rarely met with In ministers
nowadays
As one OF the old school OF Presbyterians let
me warn him. however. against allowing his
friend An Elder" to gauge his value by dollars
and cents, which Is the curse of the Church to-
day. Don't let his sixty-two new members be
paraleled with the tearing out Of the gallery
OF his church" and the $4,000 Of increased pew
rents, or the 125 new Sunday school scholars
by tho Si5 per week increase OF childrcn's con-
tributions. This brings his church down 10 tho
level Of An Elders" Carnegie Hall revival
meetings, and II Is this tendency that IL wreck
ing our churches and forcing men like me 10
the conviction that. IA n rule. evangelists do
not mako good pastors in their restless propcn.
slty for swinging round the circle" Congrat-
ulatIons to Dr. Chapman II he proves himself
an exception VIII DIR. Morgan. II called. be
another? MY information regarding Mr.
Moody and his call was given me by Presby.
terrain minister and n member OF the Preshy-
terry. | did not say Mr. Moody had written
1000 letters said they had been issued by
or emanated from him. Possibly An Elder"
can give US the exact number and exactly
whence they emanated. AMEMBER.
NEW York. Nov ~.