The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10

ana the nature or the seaman snail re-
quire: and II either NJ the admonitlons
take place for the recovery Of the fallen
person. all further proceedings in the
way Of censure are thereon to cease
and satisfaction to be declared accord
iugly"
Lockwood De Forest on moving to
New York took up his residence in
Greenwich Village and determined to
affiliate by letter with the Dutch Re-
formed Church In that interesting
suburb. His application was presented
to the CcDtre Church In New Haven,
asking for a letter of dismissal to a
church with which the Congregational
lists Of Connecticut were in relations Of
Christian fellowship. \ member of the
New Haven church, in fact, one some
what intimately allied with the De
Forest family. objected 10 the issuance
of this letter Of dismissal and pre- scented
specific allegations that Lockwood had
fallen into certain sins and had not yet
been healed into true communion with
the Centre Church by open confession.
as due i'm the case " open offence. As
! Is usual In controversies. perhaps still
more usual when the differences are
theological. the gist OF the case became
ohscurcd by a number Of details of no
great moment hut enormously dcbat-
able. When we clear away the mis- ~
controversy we find that these three
( charges remain: That Lockwood DE
I Forest upon a Sabbath day did work
not being Of the allowable nature Of
mercy, that he had expressed contempt
/ for the sancti'y of an oath when given
/ at the Customs House that he had
/ played cards in public.
/ 1t is easy to see that in 1915 this
/ was great matter In the Centre Church
| OF New Haven and in the Dutch Re
/ formed Church Of Greenwich Village
! What Is OF far greater interest IL Ia
discover that merchant of the thriving
! city of New York believed that these
charges arising out of church discipline
could affect the probi;y of the person
| under such charge I'm his relations or
change and among the chambers anC
ships husbands Of South street II de.
veloped into most interesting church
trial at times IL aroused more aCri'
mony than even the original sins coulC
contribute toward deep damnation. W,
shall not dwell upon the details. they
are all set forth In Mrs DE Forest
book. with her clever Interpretation an'
comments
To the charge Of labor on the Sab
bath Lockwood set up a defence which
was pure casustry. He confessed tina
) he had employed his st -vcd1rcs an q
b Saturday night and for TWO hour
; after midnight into Sunday N ioadini
, certain -four from his warehouse oi
, Long Wharf into the hold Of a ship
i'm cxtcnuajion he set forth that tn
= -four was damaged at best and that
:, were not FREE on board before Mon
day 1t would he held mp by the threat
enCd embargo. would prove a dead los
To- the shippers whose agents he wa
and il could moi he put on sale in NcN
Haven because q was too mou.dN I
eat, though quite good enough for tn
? West Indian trade. This Is by n
D means convincing. therefore tho Of
s fender stove by special pleading an
] ly holiness OF temper 10 ram this ar
= gument down the Threats Of Ceuu
. Church The charge as To the falls
$ oath at The Customs he denied. h
. maintained THAT IL was a Christian dut
Y TO tell the truth when paying duty
I even though announcement As regard
. playing "A, cards he acknow edged on
F. game at loo in New York, that bein
| admon shed under the Saybrouk Plat
3 fern he had made private cOnfnssio
q: his sin accompanied ny promise
Il RETAINING In future, that after tn
g amendment he was constitutional
= free from this later censure and d,
o mand for public confession. After niue
. and unseemy wTanGl'nE the who
3 matter was dropped, Lockwood De Fol
q est received his letter Of dismissal
T. another Christian congregation and Il
: record Of all the differences was ri
u dered eXpunged from the Centre CnurC
q record books.
They were Spartans In those day
y We welcome this account Of the COZ
j troversy now that the bitterness h,
II all passed away for IL sheds a mo
valuable light upon the social constitl
Il ton Of New York society in the da!
i while it stll remained self-centr,
'' community,