THE PARSONS AND THE REPORTERS.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2536, 21 February 1877, Page 3

THE PARSONS AND THE REPORTERS.

The practice of the New York journals reporting the Sunday sermons of the various preachers seems in one case to have led to some amusing consequences. The Tribune reports a trial of the Rev. C. B. Smyth, minister and pastor of the Eleventh street United Presbyterian Church, before the first United Presby-; terian Church Presbytery of New York,; the .Rev. Dr Findlay, moderator. The rev. gentleman-was cba*ged*iritJt having, after his sermon on a previous Sunday, collected the six reporters who were there and asked them to drink. The charge, after stating that he took the reporters to a refreshment house, went on to say: — " Fourth that beefsteak. and oysters having been ordered he turned to the reporters and asked them what they would j drink; fifth, that orders having been given, he himself requested the bar-; keepers to bring him some of the same ; sixth, that this turned out to be gin and milk, of the former of which liquids he took five fingers ; seventh, that he swallowed the dose with evident relish; eighth, that the viands having been disposed of, all rose to leave, ana Mr Smyth turned to the barkeeper carelessly requesting, him to "hang that up." The prosecution think that the facts mentioned in the foregoing allegations involve a breach of the Fourth Commandment as obtained by Exodus 20 v. 8 to 11 and that if they prove to be true Mr Smyth ought to be censured. It is sad to record that for this laudable hospitality to a deserving class, Mr Smyth was visited with the censure of the Presbytery.