The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-04
PASTOR WANTED TO FIGHT.
CLASH IN THE BELLMoRE, Il. u, PRES
BYTKRLfN CHURCH

BELLMoBE, L. l.. Sept. 3.--Just az tho loca
Presbyterian church wns emerging from TIVE
years OF total obscurity. tho result OF interna
dissensions which reduced it's men bsrship 3,
one trustee and six or eight other persons. ant
was blossoming out again with minister. q
Sunday school and a congregation. trouble hal
come upon it. Tonight there was no service
The congregation was on hand. but the hov.
C. l. Clls1 OF Lawrence. who undertook tc
build up the church i've weeks ago. was not
and he won't como back, either. until the
church members make known their wishes In
the matter.
small faction In the congregation. which ID
opposed to Mr.. Clist on grounds which no says
are not quite clear TO him, has succeeded In
rVusinK his ire. and although he came to Bell
more to-day to hold the regular service. he
went home again when he found out what his
opponents had DONE He stopped long enough
however. to say q few words to William j..
Hodgson, the superintendent OF the Sunday
school. and before the talk was over he
told Mr.. Hodgson plainly that nothing
but his cloth prevented him from CIV
ing that individual n sound thrashing. MIR.
Hodgson IL the author Of an attack on Mr.
Clist which appeared in Brooklyn newspaper
on Saturday afternoon. and this attack and the
subsequent action Of the minister when 1t was
shown to him to- day, have caused a sensation
such as Bellmore has seldom known before.
The Presbyterian Church Is the oldest
church in Bemors and was the most thriving
In 1895. Buttwo years ago the mol bers dlsa-
greed among themselves. and the result was
n gradual falling off until finally the pastor.
the Rev. Mr. French. was Obliged TO leave
because there wasn't enough money in
the treasury to pay his salary The
trustees began TO resign next and
ln. d,.it lN I.
remaining. With the assistance Of the hand
full OF members left Mr.. Smith tried to keep
the church going. but no found It too big n
task. and finally closed the doors. The Kings
Daughters circle kept itself alive. but there
was not ano.her service in the church until the
last Sunday in July OF the present year.
The Rev Mr.. Clist moved to Lawrence which
ia not far from here. early in the spring Mr..
Ciist Is regularly ordained minister OF tho
Dutch Reformed Church. and has spent the
last few years in literary work. Ho was anx-
ious to resume preaching. il only in a small
way. and SO he made inquiries OF some clergy
men in Babylon about vacant pulpits. Tho
Rev. Mr.. Long of Babylon told him of the plight
OF the Bellmore Presbyterians and suggested
that II he really wanted to do some good work
he m light try to reorGanize their church The
idea struck Mr.. Clist as a good one. and he sent
word hero in July that he was coming on tho
following Sunday to talk to all who were inter-
ested in reviying the Presbyterian Church, and
suggested that the church be thrown open for
the occasion.
Nr. Clst was received enthusiastically His |
plan was agreeable to the congregation. aud
whom he told them that he was a poor man.
but would try to get along on what money was
collected at the Sunday evening services until |
some other arrangements could be made, |
there were no objections. Mr.. Cist has |
preached regularly each Sunday evening after |
that. and tonight would have been the sixth |
had he conducted the services. On no ono Sun |
Jay night has the collection amounted to S.. |
The church membership increased slowly, but |
The attendance at the services was large and |
The outlook was promising. The minister gotta |
Sunday school going and stimulated interest in |
1t by means OF picnic to Roslyn last week |
He organized a field club. got a property |
'wner to let him use three-acre lot and ar |
ranged for games and athletic contests this |
Teek.
According to Mr.. Clist. one OF the first resi- |
.ents OF Bellmore to rally to his standard |
when he took hold OF the church. was Mr.. |
iodGson. The minister says that Mr.. Hodgson |
'ame to him at the conclusion OF his first SER
rice. shook hands with him and expressed |
pleasure that he had come to Bellmore All |
ION said SO himself. when the minister |
lad his little tilt with him this afternoon.
Mr.. Clist declares that he doesnt know
when change of heart came to Mr.. Hodgson,
whom he had regarded as one OF his most |
ardent supporters until he read the news |
PAPER article to-day.
Mr.. HodRson's newspaper article, which has |
stirred up such a row. begins by saying that at |
/ recent service Mr. Clist remarked that the |
was having too much preach |
ng and praying and that as q non |
believer in prayer meetings he pro- |
posed to give 1t talks instead OF doctrine
md physical exercise instead OF prayer.
shortly after this. the article says. Mr. Clist ex
pressed desire to move to Bellmore, and.
picking out a large house near the church. |
asked the Kings Daughters circle to pay tho |
rent, which was $l2 month. This the Kinr's |
Daughters declined to do The article goes ON |
as follows:
But Mr.. Cllst wanted to come to Bellmors
anyway. and again asked the Kings Daugh- |
'ers to try and raise the amount Of his rent. |
saying that II this were done. and the farm |
RS would undertake to leave sufficient veg |
stables at his door from day to day, he |
would take entire charge OF the church. |
ABOUT this time he said to one OF tho men, |
,ers that he wasn't going to preach the |
gospel In the church at all. as he didn't |
hink that was what the people wanted. This
.oused the Kings Daughters and the Christian
Society. who said they wanted to
'ome to church on Sundays to hear the GosneI.
Ind that II they couldn't hear 1t they wouldn't
ONE The attendance began to dwindle. The
Jhriattan Endeavor Society also began to hold
meetings Just before the church service, and !
howed the dominic that they at least believed
n the Gospel and in public prayer,
Then the pastor began to hedge, and said
hat II the people wanted to be talked to he
would talk. and II they wanted q sermon thew
'ould have it. As matters stand now, how
'ver. Mr.. Clist is left In the predicament Of
preaching sermons and Offering PRAYER
against his convictions and expressed opinion
hat they arc not needed. or giving talks on
'ocIal economy to several rows of empty
'eats."
Mr. ClIst had Just read Mr. Hodgson's article
when Sun reporter saw him. He said:
This is the first intimation 1 have had that
there was the slightest feeling against me in
me church, | can tell at once that Mr.. Hode-
ION wrote this article. but always believed he
of N haat fri do