The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-06-08
FOUR MORE DRAGONS GIT OUT
TROI BLE ~ ma. MDONlLRS
CHI RCH DOES Nor HEAL.
sl1 VI ihe Deaeuas Have Sew emit. bat
me PasloT DucsnJ seen % Mogry
some sharp NERDS Ised sn nSth
-tles The Origin ~ the Trpuhle.

surounced officially for casting their lot
with the two who took the step a short
umr ago. il Is generally understood that
.lc.g action was caused by the attitude
Of ne Rev DR.. Robert Macdonald. the
rs.tor The trouble which il agitaiing
hrs congregation has made itself felt
among many ot the Baptist churches Of
,hs borough. for the Washington avenue
church u one 81 The largest aud strongest
and Dr. Macdonald has been there for
nearly thirteen years.
The deaoons whose designations be-
came known yesterday were Hiram Bur
nett. who has been treasurer OF tha Long
Island Baptist Association; Edgar q
Nangam, Broad street grain merchant
and a leading Baptist In Brooklyn: Frank
WAGON, aud Edwin n. Graham. Some
time ago two others. Robert Harding aud
Frank Harvey Field. broke away from the
church
The trouble within the church arose
over a call which was received by the
rastor 10 a Congregational church OF
lynn Mass, about the first 81 the year
4 Baptist minister of Brooklyn aaid yes
tsrday that in accordance With the demo-
cratic organization of the denOminatiOn's
churches Il IL always customary for tho
yastor to call about him the inner circle
Il his advisors in such a situation and
TO ask them for frank expression OF
opinion. In the case Of Dr.. Macdonald.
sAid this clergyman. tho councils OF the
church we're not consulted. A. the same
ums. according 10 his own statement
subsequently,. he was listening 10 the
Lynn church in its advances prscedin Z
Il call. Apparently ~ a means Of think
ing over his problem tho better Dr.. Mac
Donald went TO Bermuda in the early
part Of tho year and At that time he had
not made hls decision.
Prom his Dulpit Dr.. Macdonald de-
hyered a statement On February q in
Nhich he notified the church that he had
determined not 20 accept the call % leave
he denomination. This statement was
more than hare notification % decision
o. stay Il gave 10 HE church for the iirst
time few views about dsnominRtional-
Ism which the members did not know
were he'ng entertained by their pastor.
You know that | cannot hs hamperei
uy UNCONVENTIONAL shibboleths. said he.
and ou,woEn traditions unprofitahle
90 spiritual upbuilding. nor by dOctnnal
relurements based on nothing more
aIthOr ;atiye than human inference ard
.ogcal sequence, Unfor unately an
denominations. and not ours alone. have
more ~ less To do vi,h thesr sWaddling
D0thes Uf an ancient dogua,ism that
q D.. a r.
he apTsal ~ g,lslel truth.
iHt'' further On ~. Macrcraid sug.
COS ed that he church should welcome
uEdHr tho head IT aszocinte members
faas' VIM wore inviting io ~ baptized
a,Irdrg a. w." UHfs - 10 Chu,ch
i'n said that tn Hsd rfUgif. precious
E'HHI 49, ut % " d. PEEL. gud giCi loss iu
'.. 81. Ur z ,Hr.. ..I 10 plove and
.y,r e 'r. I"a.t .i .r~ r'|tV dcnr ~
.. ''a"n. N,.r 3d." nd a 30 STA -
'"i, 90. a. Hr ..' gIn DI, az uoc.e-
-iFs.'n1I t1F-rI lHDuvE a hroll
glrrrhnlu you na1 30 h's- vt-ess has
] have ALWAYS neF0 . dsr~,a.Ivn
HE rHsCt Of 'h's uuI-.., ru0r bis
,Uuruh was immediate ~, ION. after.
ard the pastor was approached is
sht OI hts nins GasUuns. Who sad ;het
ley had prepared an answer ~ his stn's.
uents. DR.. MacDonald had e, "a uut
10 address IN advance to the iay pauers
and alsO 10 the kIrmfuer. tho haptist
utilization In New York The deacons
t0id their pastor tina, they had pre-
AIRED something which they thought
would completely oOuntaract the IN
husnoe Of what he had said Ne arked
tH~in 20 recall this aiswef, am addea
hat 4 al they wanted VAS 70 have Il
made public that they did not concur
vfrk hf,, -, HI haIt.N. l.. .......lA -
sirh an announcement from thu pulDit.
lnd"r these conditions the deaccns
statement was never published, and on
fha following Sunday DT. Macdonald
saI0 tTat Il was only fair 10 have Il known
1at views he had eKpreased we're his
rEu and that thcy did not indicate the
--u''rnNnt ~ the church AZ a whole.
With that the trouble died down until
~" following Friday evening AZ q service
vTen. after The pastors part u the meet.
M The opportunities for expression by
'f- m'mbsrs we're IN order. One u the
respected older women of tho conrre-
CATION rose 20 say that the IDEAS Of the
tasipr had puzzled her Then, said a
MN .stnr yesterday. Or. Macdonald very
politely but firmly suppressed any further
utteranoe while later the churrh had
social dinner at Inc MOntauk In Brook
lyn and q was believed that everything
had quetsd down. when theas four add
iI0nal deacons resigned
There was published yesterday a letter
which was supposed e. have been writ
~ bv DR. Macdonald ~ me Of the trlIs-
.i-s of The church in which the following
fsfagranh appears:
re- rop shlt. the tide comes in and I
s|s" .Du's 90 a minister who fears
.'r ism, w'o dsres sDehk hts God
...r ...'I.rion. I'm making history
.r r'd 'hurrh and in 1ve years the
-rrud uit" dominies Who are nov
nc aii catc1 'he light.
.'r Haoponald looked at this yester-
'a ari then said quietly I never used
poo 'Trn 'ki-yi-ing' about any ministers
'. 'r. Gospel respect the opinions q
~. 'Hs'or too much 20 say anything
.-- 'Ns' have written many letters
iIr rrIstses, but ! am sure that never
'a7 an, hing like that 10 say about nv
urr'0er- 10 tho church. DR. Macdonald
a10"7 MAT a. much a. he regretted the
%, sn1N"D ~ tho deacons their places
'.l.7 u" rehlled by appointment a. any
-tT 'fnH Possibly younger men would
'" ' lsl0 take their places.
tn" feao0us themselves we're content
''.''-ls' % let their resignaiions SPEAK
'Ie uusitions ana they had nothing
20 se' F-i q conspicuous member Of
90 fIrah had an explanation for the
H.F.IuE letter.
a. matter ol fact 10 said. that
Otter NSs never written 20 any trustee
." church u was written % Dr..
'H.' "lat himself. and 20 % course
vol. not a. author He received IL
'." % man outside % his church. out
80" ~ N'v York. and outside Of the
"" .1T ! am not anxious 20 see
-N. r" added 10 this IRE. but Il seems