Delaware State journal and statesman., 1867-04-16
THE FHRsT PREsByTRRIAN CHURCH
DIFFICULTN-

ings into their church services LOT some ume
past, but the great majority of the member
ship wish to avoid anything of the sort. In
the resignation OF Mr.. Kellogg, and the
election of DIR. Lands, however, the minor
ity saw an excellent opportunity to create
disturbance and dissatisfaction, and they did
not fail of avail themselves oft. ae
The ground upon which they base their
action is of a merely technical nature, and
in the opinion of honorable christian .men
would not hold for a single moment. Dr.
LANDS is evidently the choice OF the church,
but his great crime is loyalty, hence he is to
be ousted, bedeVlled or interfered with to
the scandal of christianity, the injury OF the
church, and the disgrace of those who par
ticipate in it. But time and patience will
bring all right, and if the true loyal chris
tian majority of the church will but follow
the calm and conciiatory advice of DR..
lands, they will undoubtedly triumph in |
the end, and their political adyersaries put
to discontinue and defeat. After the SER
mon, delivered by DIR. lands in the church |
on last Friday evening, he stated the general
ground OF appeal, as follows:
will now state what are the grounds Of
appeal and complaint referred to in the mott
, fication to the Presbytery on the 9th inst,
touching its judgment and subsequent action
. in relation to the request of Rev. @. d, KEEL
logg, for leave to resign the pastoral office in
8 the first church of Wilmington.
This request of Mr.. Kellogg was dated on
, the 9Th inst, and contained no allusion to
u the fact that he himself had in November
L last, called q meeting of the church and
| In Nf
and there obtaining from them an acceptance
h.. of his resignation; and that action was then
{ and there taken according TO his request,
7. and that the church and congregation voted
ST unanimously then and there to release HIM
T. from his charge, and by a formal vote ap-
pointed a committee 10 draw up minute,
We containing resolutions asserting to his re-
ne quest, and releasing him. And upon the
strength of this action Mr.. kellogg sold his
ID residence, and removed with his family from
Wilmington.
ny The Church records of this transaction
were on April 9th inst, and Immediately
of after the presentation of Mr.. Kellogg's re-
~, quest that Presbytery would now permit
- him 10 resign his charge, laid before Presby.
en- terry and read in their hearing, and yet they
nd were set aside on grounds OF the alleged
intormality that no commissioner had been
=; appointed at that meeting lin November
~ last) to lay before Presbytery the fact O
IN Mr.. Kellogg's request, and the concurrence
therein of the church and congregation; and
on in view of this alleged informality Mr.. Ke
a; logg was by the action OF the Presbytery
'''' adjudged TO be still the Pastor OF the church
and the only one properly entitled TO occupy
ers the pulpit. And in virtue of this decision
ner all the subsequent action of the church L
I'D have its pulpit supplied was wholly set asidt
~ and ignored by the Presbytery, and not only
m, this, but Presbytery in view OF this action
T1.T1a ~
fine pulpit of the first church, and though ap
80 prised Of the fact that the church and con
eo- gregation had invited and subsequent,
ne, elected minister to become their Pastor
aid who is now laboring in their midst, III
vas Presbytery proceeded and appointed supple
:. ), for said pulpit during the following fiv
Il Sabbaths, TO the exclusion of the Paste
elect. We therefore appeal from and com
re- plain of this decision as unprecedented IN
red constitutional and oppressive, and for tn
~ following reasons:
aei l. Because the fact that no commissions
tied was appointed at the meeting in Noyembt
tied last TO inform Presbytery OF Mr.. KS resi-
the nation, and the unanimous concurrence of I'll
and church and congregation therein, furnish'
-NN no ground for ignoring, as Presbytery die
the action OF that n Getting in accepting of II
If f resignation of Mr. Kellogg, and agreeing
mar. unite with him in his application to Presb
i, bo terry to ratify that action. The omission
- appoint a commissioner was doubtless O
the oversight. But our Constitution and for
the Of Government does not anywhere express
yves require that such commissioner be formal
q or appointed for that purpose, where both Pa
-, tor and people unanimously concur in Il
nan application. 1t only requires that the !
of sords of the meeting so acting should
brought to the know edge of Presbyter
t;on which may be done either by a cOmmissio
va" er; certified copy of the minutes, or by t
presentation OF the Book OF Records itse
which last, was the course pursued by the fiji
church; whose Elder brought and laid befo
,me- Presbytery the book containing the certifl
-. record itself
epo' 2. Because TO call together the Presbytei
al widely separated as its members are, me
lion. ly TO have it act in such matter where
Mt of both Pastor and people entirely agree
n the application, is unprecedented; and as
instance is known where Presbytery
lght' refused 10 comply with the united request
was both Pastor and people where, as in this
The stance, an utter failure of health is assign
,cep. as the reason for requesting the dissolutl
of the pastoral relation, so I he Presbyter
church has never regarded it as improl
ears, for church and congregation to proceed
Nc the assumption that such request in sue
1, hv case, constitutionallY presented, would
granted; and TO proceed in view of t
atner assurance, to prepare the way for obtain
with a successor for the Pastor thus resign
r. whom, II the way be clear, the Presbyt
rama. might, after granting the requested dissC
A., tion of the previously existing pastoral
MI lation, proceed to install. To require tina
first church either call the Presbytery together
own. take action on q resignation thus propos
- NJ or as the alternative to take no steps to
~ ~ cure the services of a successor until p
wing bytery shall have thus acted, is not in
leress eordanee with the recognized practice Of
evere Presbyterian church. The first church
tir,o only sought to act constitutionally and
s'- accordance with the recognized custom
uence the Presbyterian church, in taking the
means quisite steps fer procuring Pastor, and
complain therefore TO the General Ass
tor,el bly, OF that decision of Presbytery by wi
their whole action in the matter of obtaiI
very a Pastor has been utterly ignored. and
| and pulpit taken out of their hands, and GU
the hands of their Pastor-elect as exc
ros,,,. ingly oppressive and unauthorized, an
. clear infringement of the rights and pl
least leges of Presbyterian church and con
drew CATION, and we respectfully ask that the
atians cision by which this is sought to be acc
,h,,no plished, be reversed or set aside.
3. They appeal also from the judgmei
" sat Prcsbytery by which the Pastor who
ming. thus resigned his charge is declared t,
Friday the legal and only legitimate possesst
n,,or the pulpit, and so entitled to the rights
perrin exercise them and assert that claim
Moss, having thus fully resigned his charge
, were the unanimous consent OF the church,,
after he had parted by sale with his d
At Gin over as declared in his late letter 10
lion of bytery, accepted an invitation to preac
Iafo Il