The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-23

Dec. IA.
Council adjourned Nov. 18th, met Dec. l4th
to investigate the ministerial and christian
character OF Rev. J. ID. Rel, and his relations
to that church involved in the following
charges:
l. Speaking unkindly Of members OF the
| church To other members against l. T. Hurl-
burt, w. A. Ella, Il. Alyord, j. N. Spangier
and others.
| >. Arbitrarily refusing to allow the church
TO appoint a chairman of church meeting,
and opposing any meeting OF the church 10
| take up his relations TO the church.
3. Falsely claiming that Rro. j. NJ. SpangIer
| had agreed 70 pay for lumber that Mr.. Bell
had subscribed to the parsonage which the
church and society recently built, 10 the
| amount of $l2.
4. Abuse of the members Of the church in =
sermon, preached soon after the first church
meeting that took up his relations TO the
church, calling them ''sneaklng dogs" and
other epithets, and also in three Anonymous
articles published iii the Emporia Tribune.
.. Manifestations Of anger and abuse Of
members in church meeting about the same
time.
G. Penuriously providing for his family, and
personal abuse OF Mrs. Z. j. Bell, his VINE.
7. HabituaI use OF Intoxicating liquors.
4. Use OF Intoxicating liquors 10 the extent
OF manifesting its influence upon himself be-
fore Mr.. Z. j. Bell, Mr.. Mcmillan, Mr.. Bearce
and Chas. Blackburn.
o. That his conduct here is but a repetition
of wrongs perpetrated in y. Y. State.
O. vi i f H5ySED: Com. of Church.
J. NJ. SPANGDER
The council was opened with prayer by
Pres. Butterfeld. Rev. ]. G. Merrill resigned
his position clerk and Rev L. Blakesly was
appointed in his place.
Rev. l.. HARLEM and delegate II. d. Preston
from the church at Council Grove, and Rev. 4.
Cordley from the church at Lawrence appear
ed and took their seats in the council.
Rev. L. II. Platt, of Eureka, and Rev. Il.
Jones, Of Emporia, were invited to sit as cor
responding members.
The case OF Rev. J. d. Bell was then taken
up. The charges preferred against him were
read see file). MIR. Bell appeared and re-
quested that Rev. Il. Cordley and Rev. l.. IL.
Piatt represent his ease in the council. The
request was granted. The charges were Ia
ken up seriatips, and the testimony for the
prosecution was presented. BY general con-
sent the 9th charge was dropped. At1Ip. IN.
a recess was taken until u. IN.
Dec. il. Council met and was opened by
prayer by Rev. L. Blakesley. Minutes of last
session were read and approved.
The testimony for the prosecution was re-
sumed, az the close Of which the testimony for
the defense was brought forward.
After the witnesses for the defense had all
been examined. the evidence for the ,efence
was summoned up by Rev. Il. Cordley and
Rev. L. II. Pratt.
|. The members Of the council then held an in
teriocutory session to deliberate upon the evil
dence. on motion the charges were taken up
separately and passed upon with the follow
ing result.
Charge ist was sustained. the vote standing,
aft. q, neg. l.
Charge I'd was divided. The first part. re-
lating to arbitrarily refusing to allow the
church to appoint chairman at church
meeting, was sustained unanimously. The
second part, relating TO the opposing any meet
ing OF the church 10 take up his relations to
the church, was not sustained, aft. l; neg. 4.
Charge 3, by unanimous vote was not sus-
tained, the council being convinced that it was
founded on II misunderstanding.
Charge 4th was divided. The first part, rela-
ting TO the abuse of members in Il sermon,
was not sustained, the vote standing all. .,
neg. 3. (The council, while deeming the SER
mon in bad taste, were unwilling to do any
thing which should seem like restricting the
liberty of the pulpit.) The second part, relat-
ing 10 newspaper articles, was sustained; at.
:, neg. /.
Charge 9TH was sustained, al. 3; neg. 1.
While reaching this conclusion, the Council
was convinced that there was provOcation up
on the part of some members of the church.
Charge 9th was unanimously sustained.
Charge 9Th was not sustained; al. 4, neg. l.
The negative did not deem the regular use of
liquor, under the prescription of physician,
covered by the term used in the charge.
Charge Sth was unanimously sustained.
Charge 9th was withdrawn by the Com. of
prosecution with unanimous consent of all
parties.
The Council, in the course of the inyestiga-
ton, became convinced, also, that the church,
in their business relations with Mr.. Bell since
these troubles arose, have not manifested that
scrupulous honor which church of Christ
should maintain. The Council would earn
estly recommend to the church that their blu
siness hereafter be conducted strictly in accor-
dance with Congregational and parliamentary
principles. (Signed)
IL. o. BUTTERFIELD,
l.. BLAKESLEY, Moderator.
Clerk.