Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-05-04
A Letter From &. ID. Spencer, one
of Rev. Mr. Herberrs Accusers.
EAR HAVEN. April 25tb.

FAIR HAVEN, April 25tb.
Editor Rutland Herald An editorial
in your paper of the 18th and an article
from correspondent from this place OF
that date seem to demand some reply.The
articles have been called forth on account
of trial of the Rev. r. L. Herbert OF
this place at the last session of the Troy
Conference at Troy.
shall not attempt to reply to any per-
sonal attack of your correspondent as
1 do not wish to be drawn from the main
issue. 1t is principles not men / wish to
deal with. No one to my knowledge has
ever attacked Mr.. Herberts character. nor
said he was not gifted man and was not
sociable and agreeable, far from it. The
only charge against Rev. r. L. Herbert
was that he being member of the Troy
Conference preached doctrines aHtagonis-
tic to the doctrines of that Church. The
Conference appointed a committee to try
the case after portions of three days had
been spent ia hearing testimony, the COM
mittee decided the charges had been prov
en- and recommended Mr.. Herbert be
publicly admonished before the open Con-
ference by the Bishop, which was done
severely though kindly.
During the session OF the Conference /
was approached by many ministers who
gave me their hands and said it was COM
mendable in me was entitled to much
credit for bringing this matter to the
Conference. Mr.. Herbert reiterated at
the Conference that be was and intended
to be Methodist, and preach the doc
trines as laid down in thsMethodist disci-
pline. When his friends here were told
of this they said it was fslsehood, be
didn't believe any such thing.
Why Mr.. Herbert rides two horses GO
ing different ways 1 cannot say, but one
thing is certain he must soon get off one
of them.
I make no war upon Mr.. I'll. because of
this and that doctrine it is simply because
he processes one thing and breaches an
other.
No amount of abuse heaped upon Mr.
Atwater or myself will swerve US one
iota from the path we have chosen. Mr..
Herbert must stop preaching this rank
infdehty and liberalism or leave the
Methodist Church, or we shall follow
him.
This party who uphold Mr.. Herbert
and abuse me are the same class who,
short time ago, attempted to send such
men as DIR. Thomas of Brandon, DIR.
Goadby of Poultney, Rev. Mr.. Whiting
of Windsor and Rev Mr.. Field of West
Haven ont of respectable society.
Yes, gentlemen infidels, you tried to
ruin the Congregational Church, you at
tempted to put your fangs into the Bap-
tist Church, but You got feiled on that.
yon now attempt to ruin, If possible, the
Methodist. I do not, and Mr.. Atwater
will not, find in your abuse anything
that will stop us in the course we have
marked out for ourselves TO pursue.
Ii Mr.. Harris should preach one of Mr..
Mills doctrinsl sermons from his pulpit l
think at least he would hear from Bishop
Bissell. am satisfied SO long as I have
nothing to fight but slang and that of the
lowest kind that can eminate from
skeptic.
There is no christian man or woman in
this town that does not sustain me in
bringing these charges against Mr.. Her
bert, there is no skeptic that does not con-
denim me.
Yet l think my acqu4intsnces in this
county will smile when I am accused of
being two-faced. Why Mr.. Herbert and
his friends insist on his remaining in the
Methodist Conference while he has 10
sympathy in common with that church is
not for me to say. I shall go into no
newspaper controversy upon the matter
but bring all my charges against Mr..
Herbert to the Conference.
Wishing you Messrs. Infdels happy
time, allow me to subscribe myself,
Yours, very respectfully,
GEO. d. SPENCER.