The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-09
TABERNACLE WILL FIGHT
Does Not Intend to
Die Without a
Struggle.
MR.. SCUDDER'S ATTITUDE
Lively Meeting Predicted for
Thursday Uptown Con-
gregation In Majority.

Which way are you going to voter"
was the question constantly put by one
member of the First Congregational
Church to another yesterday in both the
uptown and downtown congregations
This referred to the joint meeting of the
Congregational Society and Church to be
held in the Tabernacle next Thursday
evening, when the fate of the old Taber-
nacle is to be settled, that is, if the two
congregations can come to any UNDER
standing at all, and a hot time is antici-
oatod.
The downtown congregation are deter
mined to hold on to the Tabernacle in
spite of Mr.. Scudder and Overwhelming
numbers, for the uptown branch have
made no bones over their intention to
crowd the house. Nor has Mr.. Scudder
made any bones over his intention to
close the Tabernacle. This makes the
downtown people indignant, and they in
tend to fight it out to the end.
While the uptown congregation claims
that the downtown people are constantly
running behind in expenses the latter
claim that they can maintain themselves
if allowed a separate treasury, and that
it is their money that is being used to
and this is one of tho propositions that
will likely be brought before the house on
Thursday night.
Mr.. Scudder's attitude in the matter,
many of the downtown people feel is not
right. Without absolutely resigning from
the Tabernacle pulpit he has practically
withdrawn, nor since the resignation OF
Mr.. Cox has he preached in the old
church. In fact, at last communion Mr..
and Mr. Lurch, who has been filling the
pulpit for the past couple of months, was
called in. All the meetings of trustees
and 'deacons have been SO stormy as to
break up without coming to any decision
and on several occasions members have
resigned. Nor has the trouble been con-
fined to their heads alone. but has extend
ed into the families of the congregation,
causing eruptions even in the domestic
quiet of the home.
According to a piece appearing in the
journal dealing with the attitude of the
uptown branch, "they claim they made a
sacrifice when as a congregation they
withdrew from the Reformed Church and
became Congregationalists, and the wor-
shippers at the Tabernacle should also
cheerfully make a sacrifice for the cause"
At this audacious clause the Taber-
ment. rllealt ssacrificel'' exclaim they. ssThs
shoe is on the other foot, and they are
right.
At the /ine the two churches united, the
Dutch ]. T.eformed people were losing their
property. The mortgage was heavy, and
they could not pay the interest. A fore
closure seemed imminent They apply 10
III. Brett's, DR.. Herr's and several other
churches for succor, but in vain. At last
they came to the Tabernacle. There
were but few days to spare, and they
were mere handful of people.
The Tabernacle then numbered about
700 and had never known a church erup-
ton. 1t had long been Mr.. Scudder's de-
sire for a division of his church on the
Hill, as many of his congregation resided
there. Many of the Tabernaclers were
Reformed people, and it was only by tie
most diplomatic management that the
deed was done. The sum of $1,000 was
borrowed to pay off the interest OF the
mortgage on the new church; 1t was
saved from drowning, and all seemed 1asr
sailing. They were one people with one
treasury. Now only the one treasury re-
MAINS The people are divided even
against themselves in both churches.
The idea of the uptown people is to
now sell the Tabernacle in order to raise
funds to pay off the mortgage on the
Boyd Avenue Church, and the downtown
people feel that this is most unjust Then,
too there is a rumor afoot that the Peo-
pIe's Palace is to be moved to the HILL
TO take it out of that part of the city,
where such work is needed, from the
people for whom it was started, ana set
it among the handsome residences or Ber-
gen avenue, seems hardly consistent with
its doctrine, and the Tabernaclers 1eel
confident of their success, If only because
tbey are in the right, despite the uptown
congregation, which is now In the ma
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