National Republican., 1873-04-10


tempt to limit the term Of once Of the present
ds o. ,od sGSE wsS Sag 70 ne
been elected TO permanent rule.
And, a. grounds for said complaint, the under
signed oner these, among othersi
stltutlon Of the Presbyterian Church In the
United States, and Of the modes and usagea In
conformity thereto, which have heretofore uni
formly prevailed In said Church.
2. That the said acts o. session and OF the
meeting Of the Church Of November I, fs!A
presSyey S 1snS Of Y wssSiSston City "a =, ia last spring
!. That the session should. in Difference 70 the
Judgment OF the synod OF Baltimore, as It's SUI
perior jndicatofy, have withheld further pro-
ceedings until such time a. the General Assem-
bly, should respond TO the overture o. said synod
question, "shall our churches have the right 70 |
elect their elders for one or more years, instead
Of electing TO permanent rulol"
4. That Tor said church 70 iDaugurate such |
fundamental change, In advance Of any oonstl- |
tutlonAl amendment OF the organic law Of the |
Presbyterian Church authorisng H. is subyersiye |
Church, and calculated to lead the Younger mem |
bera OF our communion more especially 10 DIS |
regard lts binding obligation.
8. That the immediate tendency OF tho acts |
aforesaid, and Of the system they iuaugurate |
among us, Is 70 disturb the peace, 10 destroy the
unity, and TO seriously impair the exercise Of
For these reasons your oomplalnants respect.
fully ask that the session take Immediate action,
and reconslder and annIl the acts and proceed
church TO take no further action In the matter
until constitutional majority Of the presbJte-
Tics, in response 20 the overture Of some future
constitutional rule relative 30 the tenure Of once
OF elder a. to leave u optional with each church
in our communion to adopt either the rotating
| or the permanent system.
| Your complalnants therefore ask respectfully,
as Is their right for speedy hearing and decl-
WAsHIsofos. d. O.. Eovrmicr n IsS.
RErLY or TIE SESSION.
In response the session acknowledged the re-
/ cclpt OF the complaint and reply scrfdflg..
10 the nrst they say there has long been dIi-
i ference Of opinion as 70 the right OF individual
/ churches 10 constitute their session by election
/ for allmltcd service, and many churches have
done 80. They admit there Is room for an hon
| est difference Of opinion on the subject, as even
the General Assembly have been divided on u,
i They then quote q number Of cases, and dismiss
the point by declaring that 10 their Judgment
| the adoption OF the rule is not IN conflict with
the constitution or uniform custom OF the
| church. To the second complaint they say no
dlsrcgari was intended, but that tho last Assem-
bly, jsstincd the action.
To the third complaint they state they Iannot
| see the force Of the reasoning, as 1t Ia hardly
probable that such question will ever be sent
the fourth complaint, they say, Ia ubstan-
TALLY the samo as the INST.
To the nfth they say, u 80, II is greatly to be
deplored but q majority OF tho church mem
5sIs believe tina. they were rEs and az ,hns Us, Ge. e
theirs II the peace OF the church be disturbed or
Its discipline be impaired.
The reply concludes:
We recognize the fact that an Organised
minority may do much 70 hinder the activities
and the prosperity Of any church. Hence we
. feel that majority should Yield much lot nAI.
; without the sacrifice Of Christian principle, 50
: that the influence and usefulness OF the church
may not be impaired. But TO do what you ask
: l thu apaalan a n WOuld In iudnmH 4
tend 10 harmony. The annul the past action OF
: the session, and TO enjon the members Of the
! complained Of, until a majority Of the presbytc,
nes, In response 10 the overture OF some future
\ General Assembly, shall amend the constitution,
Of distraction and lli-feeiing in the church which
II Is painful 70 contemplate, and at the
} same time would be postponlng, without
: any suficient cause, that action which q ma
. jofity OF the session, as well as Of the church,
4 considered wise and authorized By the constitu
u u ton asit Ia. To the organic laws Of tne Church
y a. well as TO the voice of the General Assembly
= and the presbytery, we Ayow our obedience
\ We shall not depart from either the doctrines o.
! the order Of the Presbyterian Church. Bu
\ !, privilege and our duty TO 20 on in coursl
y which we believe Ia not prohibited BY the oonstl
, ! tuition, which decided majority OF our Churcl
greater efficiency in the work 70 which the Mas
3 AZ the same time we would avoid rash an,
/.
i opinions and wishes, we propose TO postpone al
4 further action respecting rotary eldershlp an,
u the ordination OF new elders, until the senera
annual meeting Of the Church In March next
= We trust, dear brethren, that these considera
" lshed, and that Jo1 and We may hereafter GO GO
" operate in earnest and constant efforts for tn
10 Increased usefulness Of the Church and the ad
=. 8. 8. MrcnEiIr Moderator.
le A Lengthy reply 70 this on behalf Of the com
u plainAnu was read.
DR.. Sunderland desired the record Of the ses
- made OF the election Of elders, and the Docto
i, inquired what sort Of way they had OF transact
e Rev. MT. Mitchell replied that the ohurc
= = elected the elders, and not the session, oonse
: quently there was no necessity for its appearin
. Dr. Sunderland wanted to know how this eide
70 was elected, who presided and what was done
a, He wished further light on the subject
~ Judge strong did not wish 10 stand on teohnl
N calites, and thought the matter could be settle
VI In few minutes. There was an informal cop
~, Of the church meeting In the presbytery, and b
VI was sure that would give the additional lgl
wanted.
The minutes OF the church meeting Of Marc
d, 10, 1873, was then read, and showed that Charlie
= D. Bailey and Judge Joseph Casey had bee
Z elected elders for -four years.
~ Dr. sunderland had all the light he desired an
y, was ready 70 act
y Mr. John Randolph appeared before the pres
y bytery and made q statement on behalf OF tn
complainants, but before concluding his remark
the presbytery took q recess until O'Clock.
= RyeBisG Session.
The preabytery reassembled At T;90 O'CLOCK
II and Mr.. Randolph continued AZ follows
N The session OF the New York avenue Preaby
le terian church. In their reply To the complalnants
II predicate their deelsion upon the dellyerance o
n- l. The session DO not adjudge this deliverance
G be broad enough to fully cover this case. The
'e elders Cannot % Ss retired as pfovdsa n The piai
A. they consent.
j. the consideration and adjudication OF the pres
bytery;
d /. can a session under the constitution OF tn
L lts members may hold once by different tenures
.. Does the constitution, either expressly o
se by far Implication, authorize a permanen
= church he was elected 10 serve, 10 yoluntaril
" demit the functions Of his once for any Othe
d cause, and In any other way than Is special
such resignation Of his Ofice NJ will require
reelection In order again 70 discharge it operAt
) as bar to the fulnllment Of his VOWS Of oriina
h tionf
= 8. WIN this presbytery sustain this session II
the unqualified rule OF action and Interpretation
i which they announce In these words "An!
70 church may undoubtedly change It's rules AM
n usages II there be no constitutional prohibition
4 OF the changer" VIII the presbytery sustain
u ne session N the special application they max,
4 ing the tenure OF one OF the permanent order
! OF Its special OfliceH7
Fl Or rather will not this presbytery on 30 I'm
portAnt an Issue aflrm the true rule VI cOnstTuc
y ton to be, that no change Of an admitted Scrip
tural usage may be allowed which is not CLEARLY
d within the plain meaning and intent OF the con
! stitutonal rule; that the test here shOnld b,
h not what is not prohibited, but what Is clearly
y Rllowed7
4 II. The session cOnstrue the deliyeranee O.
= the last assembly 10 be such an Interpretation
! OF the constitution aS 20 give TO every churcl
the liberty OF setting aside It's lmmemorial Scrip
h tural usage, aud substituting short-term elder
ship at any time when majority OF its com
v mnnlOn may 30 decide.
Z Here we submit the following points,
l. The language OF the deliyerance Is an ex
d pllcit disclaimer OF any such Interpretation,
g. The act Of the assembly Ia simply peTmls
hye; meant only TO protect q church which had
the rotary usage fully established.
=; g. No church may rightfully claim the benen
y OF this act which at the time OF lis passage had
: never held an election for q rotary elder, and
q therefore had no such usage. The mere adOp
q ton OF new plan, without one Overt act undei
a IL, Ia not usage. This II, In fact, conceded II
this case, because ave months after the adoption
OF the new plan an election for rotary elders wa
q actually postponed, while At the same meeting
/ permanent elder was elected 10 Ill a vacancy.
Q I. Did the assembly mean by this act 70 en-
: courage or even justify the setting aside OF /