Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-05-31

Lost Creek Congregation Before
the General Assembly Of the
Presbyterian Church.
The General Assembly Of tho Pres
byteriau Church has been holding il.
SESSIONS in the Tabernacle Church
Brooklyn DR.. Talmags'sj The fol-
loving is the full text of the action q
that body, as reported in. tue General
.9ssem5iy Journal, in the case Of the
appeal and complaint of the Lost Greek
congregation with reference to the or.
r gan,zarion of the Church of Mifflln-
town, Juniata county, Pennsylvania
Tuesday afternoon, May % judge
Strong, from the Judicial Committee,
} reported on the following case ZAP
peal and complaint of the Lost Creek
congregation VS.. the Synod of Harris
burg" Both parties consenting there
to, 1t is recommended that this case be
tried by a commission of FIVE members
Of the Assembly to be named by the
Moderator. Adopted.
In accordance with the recommenda-
tiou of the report, the Moderator sp-
pointed the following commission to try
the case Rev. p. III. Fowler, D. D.,
Rev. S. e. Logan, d. d., Rev. Matthew
NewkIrk, anG Elders d. A. James and
4. S. " ellis.
Thursday afternoon, May 26.-kev.
DR.. z. Ii. Fowler, from the Special
Commission appointed to try the case,
made the following report:
The Commission to whom was refer
red judicial case No. 5, being an appeal
from and complaint against the Syn
cd of Harrisburg, in the matter Of sus-
tanning the action OF the Presbytery Of
Huntingdon dividing the church of Ce-
dsr Spring, beg leave to report, recon-.
mending that the paper be accepted as
complaint alone and that it be dis
missed.
The Cedar Spring Church consists of
members of the two congregations of
Mifiintown and Lost Creek, eight miles
apart, and united as one incorporated
society. The people at Mifilintown Pc
titioned the Presbytery to be organized
into a new and separate church, and a
committee was appointed by the Pres
bytery for this purpose Having been
informed that an organization into a
new church might jeopardize their
claim to any portion of the property
they hold in common with the people of
Lost Creek, the members of the Cedar
Spring Church at Mifiiintown recalled
their previous request, and asked the
Committee of Presbytery TO divide the
old church, and set them off as a part
of it. and organize them into distinct
church. The Committee acceded to
this, and the act was approved and
adopted by the Presbytery.
The people at Lost creek complained
to the Synod that the division of the
church was irregular, unconstitutional,
aud injurious, ~ because the Commit
tee of Presbytery was appointed to or
ganIze a new church, and not to divide
the old one q, because the PresbyN
terry was incompetent to divide the
church without the consent of that part
of il connected with the Lost Creek
congregation (3l because no notice of
an appointment of the Committee of
Presbytery had been given to the Lost
Creek people; and a. because diri-
sion of the church must be injurious to
Lost Creek by the resources that must
be withdrawn from it, and injurious 70
both places by the alienation that must
be produced.
The Synod dismissed the complaint
and sustained the Presbytery.
The complaint OF the action of the
Synod is brought up to the General
Assembly on the same grounds on
which complaint of the action of the
Presbytery was based
The dismissal of the complaint is
recommended to the Assembly because,
(l, the cction of the Committee of
Presbytery was made ITS own by the
Presbytery the Presbytery is compe
tent to divide church on the petition
of portion of its members, aud espe-
ciaily of majority o! its members
~, notice of the coming of the Com
mittee of Presbytery was published
from the pulpit at Lost Creek, and the
proposed coming of the Committee was
we'll known to the people there; i3).
because the Presbytery and the Synod,
well qualified TO judge of this, deemed
it expedieut and for the interests of
both congregations that the church
should be divided, and that the appor
tionment of the property between the
two congregations is left for future ad
justment.
While recommending the dismissal of
the complaint, let the earnest desire of
the General Assembly be expressed
that, while, by the admission of all
parties, the division of their church is
inevitable and desirable, Its actual d.
vision be generously accepted by the
Lost Creek congregation, and that both
congregations proceed amicably to a
settlement of their pecun;sry claims,
and that the Presbytery interpose its
Offices to procure and promote harmony
and love-
Officer Wilson's hor rse INDUCED in freak
of natural depravity last week that was
somewhat astonishing TO all who witnessed
the manifestation. The horse is gritty
animal, and was driven that day
from Mifilin to the Seven Star Tavern and
thence TO ThompsoDtown, where Officer
Wilson took dinner and had the beast fed.
1t was just at the time when Wilson was
ready to start from ThompsontowD for home,
after dinner. that he noticed something not
right about the Dridle. The bride was taken
off the animal. The ostler did something
that raised the spirit of the beast, and be-
fore those about il could prevent it, the an
imal was off, at a tearing rate, for passage
between the houses of Nathan Keely and
Levi Myers fhrouyh which II paSsed safely