The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-12
Mp 10 new YORK PRESBYTERY
,,v THE NASSAU AUTHORS OF
ROyCOTT on DIR. SHEARER.

- C,erk Of the New York Body Hat
Reen Attacked Before, Notably by the
~uostmipster Session-Has Been Active
in some Notable Heresy Prosecutions.
IRA officials OF the P~Iesbytery OF Nassau,
.at.h on Tuesday voted that none OF its
"~S,i,,snt churches in need Of pulpit
~~.liss should hold any communication
TX the Rev. DR.. Frederic E.. Shearer,
'.s,ad clerk Of the New York P~resbytery,
.".,Stiye TO supplies or other church affairs"
"a unwilling Yesterday to give the specific
".,ons which inspired the resolution attack
" hy name an official of al adjoining
a.sbytery. They said they wanted to
rr,, and see what the New York Presby-
s.ry would do about it.
.yUs have thrown down the glove to the
.,h.r nresbytery, " said the Rev. j. Howard
WaShs Of Jamaica last evening, land We
As.ter 10 saw moth ng until we are asked
,sI, vby we did it. We had sufficient
\ .,oyooation Exactly what 1t a u
~ kept to ourselves for a time
NJ, Hobbs introduced the anti-Shearer
,.~,oIution. When DR.. Shearer was asked
W. aveninQ if the New York Presbytery
~ received notice Of the action of the
nassau Presbytery he replied:
81 don't know and I don't care. have
,oth;ne 10 say at present about the matter.
Va shall have to wait and see what is the
outcome.
An effort was made to get DR.. Shearer TO
,.nlv TO the limitations Of certain mem
IN ~ the Nassau Presbytery that DR..
" Laen onnlvOfinn q clnnlv
bureau in his vest pocket" and that it was
u DR.. shearer's financial advantage to
.,nnlv pulpits in other Presbyteriee than
y Ss own. but he refused to comment on
Vhat had been said about him.
Dr.. Shearer has no p~astorate in New
york. He CAM here several years ago
i,on the Pacific Coast and soon was ap-
nointed stated clerk Of the Presbytery.
f. gets a salary OF 5000 a year for that
work. He seldom breaches except as a
supply himself. He has been on h supply
and one Of his friends said last evening
thst II he had been instrumental in furnish
ing supplies to churches outside the Pres
bytary Il was a matter of no concern. to
oiltsiders if those who benefit by being
selected for a supply should share some OF
their fees with him..
This friend said he had, no knowledge
VhHtleT OF uOl llIdt vas uoAAOs - hA'S
hat Dr.. Shearer had received money from
churches for advice and extra work and he
painted 10 the fact that the Westminster
Presbyterian Church, in West Twenty
third street. which has seeded from the
Presbytery and whose status financially
b now before the Supreme Court for ad;
Indication, once paid him $500 for counsel
ind advice in its difficulties.
This fee from the Westminster church
was the occasion Of a severe arraignment
oiDr. Shearer by the Rev. DR.. John L. Lee
and the session Of the Westminster church
which was read before that church recently
and printed in a pamphlet. DR.. ,Shearer
waited on the outside OF the church to get
copy Of the Pamphlet, according to off,
GERS Of the Westminster church. so as to
see what was said about him. The PAM
phlet said
The stated clerk Of the %Presbytery, Rev.
T. E, shearer, in the beginning acted as
counsel for the session Of this church.
Every act Of discipline which the session
condemned by the Presbytery wat taken on
bis advice. He helped to prepare all the
papers. He pretended all the time to be a
fiend Of the church, but he was working
With those who had declared that they
would sacrifice the pastor and compel
him to retire, and who were seeking Tor a
considerable time some excuse for doing
%. He received for his services about
Il 100 from the session and from the appellant
for copying records for them, n then he
X worked openly with others to secure con-
tol Of the property OF this church, This
official is now working against and con-
demning this church for the very things
which we have beer led to do by his advice
Tor which he was paid
Dr.. Shearer has taken no notice openly
d this attack made upon him, and his
friends assert that it was provoked by
certain views of discipline which he has
favored in the presbytery and which have
rtsed up enemies for him. He took q
eading part in the preparation OF the
papers in the heresy trial OF the Rev. DR.,
Briggs and was counted among the most
PERSISTENT Of that clergyman's opponents,
BE was also consulted in the bringing OF
Tie hereey charges against the Rev. DR..
Preserved Smith Of Lane Seminary, Gin
ennati, which resulted in the dismissal Of
D.. Smith from his post. 1t is admitted
that DR.. Shearer has enemies in his W
Fesbytery, but neither he nor his friends
ored yesterday to comment on the TACT
that a neighboring presbytery, by a unani-
nous vote, had become so hostile to him as
70 vote that hone Of its churches should
sold any communication with him abou I
supplies for pulpits OF other church affairs.
When Dr.. Shearer was asked last evening
lit was not most unusual for one presbytery
b condemn an Official Of another presbytery
Without giving him a chance to be heard,
b sad, D.
As to that also I must remain silent for