New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-20

stead Of toward obscure, gentle, tender
Christlike service. ri.
ITO them owe this statement: ihat
often | have loved my books more ,hah
the poor; | have loved position and OF
fee and honor, and sometimes nave
thought of my own interests, wheh
every drop Of my blood and every
ounce of my strength and every thougnt
OF my mind belonged 70 our schooisi 10
the sick. the friendless. the poor ana 70
the bows and girls with their eager and
hungry minds. often have ! taken
honors offered me when | should nave
chosen solitude and dwelt apart and
listened 10 the voice OF God and trled
10 be q true prophet OF God 10 YOU
For several years | have had growing
conviction that the minister has no
right 70 make money and does his pest
work without Il.
Warns Young Clergymen.
"If. therefore, there Is anywhere In
this wido land a noble boy studying for
the Christian ministry who has done me
the honor TO read my books or seim ons
or 10 listen TO my lectures, and VINO
has come TO cherish a secular ideal OF
the Christian ministry, let me cay TO
him that / deplore my own influence
and that my deepest and latest thought
is that there are home missionaries ana
foreign missionaries and social settlers
and neighborhood visitors whose shos
latchets ! am not worthy 10 stoop down
and unlooSe.
"At best the longest life is short
all too short for the noblest OF tasks,
that Of the Christian ministry. Great
il the influence Of tho law and medi-
cine. and wonderful the task OF the
iurist and statesman Marvellous the
rowcr of the prcs5! Great also the OPP
portunitv Of the merchant and manu-
facturer who feeds the people and
clothes the people, but nothing can be
higher than the call 10 shepherd
Christ's poor and weak, and happy the
minister who has never secularized his
sacred calling, and who al the end OF
his life is able 10 say, Behold. these
are the sheep that Thou gavest me, and
not one Of them Is lost y
Ready to Sell Home.
DR.. Hills, before reading his state
ment, said that he had prepared Il In
his study within an hour and a hall OF
his coming to church. He said he had
done II unbeknown TO his counsel, and
that Il was the only statement he IN
tended to make about his affairs, Mr..
Hinrichs said sftcrward that DR.. Hills
stood ready TO sell his home, Mt ~ Mon
roe Place, If Il was found necessary,
toward meeting his obligations.
During his sermon, which was on the
fascination OF Jesus for the scholar and
the common people alike. Dr. Hii1s
spoke several times with deep feeling
4 r L. trorfhlQa AZ
one time he said:
"Some day we will praise God for the
things that break our hearts, knowing
that all is for the best. For the man
who has stumbled end has lived below
his ideals. as I have lived, and as you
have lived, there is always God to
turn to-"
AT another point the following was
thought to have been suggested by his
worry over business troubles:
"The great test of a mans philosophy
is his sensibility TO sin. A man must
always say for himself, as did the pub
lican, God have mercy on me, sin
ner.' As men 90 toward sainthood they
begin to realize the chasm that sepa-
rates them from divine ideals. Alas for
the man whose sins do not make bloody
gashes in his soul; who has lost the
art Of feeling badly; who doe: not un.
derstand the quivering sensibility OF
his sinsl The test of our faith in God
is our realization Of our sins"
General King a Critic
Speaking to the young men OF the
church. he said :,
Young man, play your game. ASK
for no sympathy. Keep your face TO the
front. Blame no one else. Play mans
part. Keep your lips still, and smile"
Most Of the trustees and prominent
members Of the church were noticed In
Yesterdays congregation. None OF them
was disposed to discuss the pastor
statement after the service. Many OF
the old Pensioners were heard TO de-
clare that the sermon was one or the
best and most impressively delivered
that Dr.. Hills had ever preached.
General Horatio {. King, clerk OF tho
church, declared that he thought DR..
Hills had said too much in his state
ment. General King represented DR..
Hills in some Of his business ventures
prior 20 five years ago. when Frank h.
Ferguson, former chairman OF the
board of trustees, took charge OF the
pastors personal affairs. Mr.. Ferguson
resigned last April. after Disagree
mcnt with DR.. Hills over business mat
tiers.
81 should not have MAIDS a confess
sion like that" said General King. 81
think q preacher has a right 10 get rich
Il he wants TO. Why not make million
If he can? The only trouble is that
when q preacher goes into business nc
usually puts his foot in IL. But why all
a. I.rcvua tb4c IN In
has happoned to q min ster? In his
business affairs Dr. Hills has been the
victim Of circumstances, that Is all
He had investments, tho war broke
business came unexpectedly 70 a stand
stll and he, like many others, lost
money, that Is ALL"
Church Stands by Pastor.
Elijah R. Kennedy and other old
members declared that the ministers
statement and sermon were "magnif-
cent" NJ Kennedy said DR.. Hillis's
words. like the man. were extraordi-
nary. lie added that there was not the
slightest feeling against DR.. Hillii
among the members Of Old Plymouth
He declared that all the trouble had
arisen between the pastor and one man,
whose name he did not mention.
The immediate trouble which brought
on the crisis in Or. Hillis's affairs was
said TO be in connection with the sale
Of his extensive timber licenses in the
Northwest and the issuance of $4,000
worth Of bonds at the time, most of
which were used TO meet the pastors
debts. Friends said yesterday that DR..
Hills never expected to be held re
ponsible for these bonds, and that he
understood the responsibility rested
with Mr.. Ferguson. who managed his
business affairs at the time. In view
of these assertions Mr.. Ferguson issued
the following statement last night:
"In December, 1912. ] sold for DR..