Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-12-20
Congregational P0llty

At.the last general convention OF the Con
gresational ministers and churches of YER
mont, resolution was presented, declaring
1t to be dishonorable and unchristian for a
minister to remain as pastor Of COngrega-
tional church and to claim Congregations
fellowship, while declining to accept 18Th Q
historic belief Of the Congregational
churches. The resolution was referred to a
committee and will come up for action upon
it, at the next convention. Meantime it has
given occasion for al extended discussion in
the columns of the Chronicle between lead
ing Congregational clergymen of our State,
some Of whom would like to make the Con-
gregational denomination a more compact
machine, by enforcing..tests Of orthodoxy
through the action Of the convention while
Others deny the authority of the convention
to impose standards OF belief or to enforce
discipline among :he ministers, and insist on
the Independence of the churches In this
discussion the Congregational pastors of this
city have had prominent part. Rev. l.. o.
Brastow, in recent vigorous article, insisted
that there is no inAe1ible Congregational
creed or "historic belief which in all its parts
can be set up as standard Of orthodoxy.
Rev. Dr. Stafford in the Chronicle of November
Both, has a very able article, lay ing down
''three historic principles''-viz. first, that
the Congregational polity recognizes tie
probability of new views of truth and pos
sibie reversal of prevailing interpretations,
and does not demand that minister who
has come to new views and interpretations
shall abandon Congregational fellowship;
second, that the Bible, and not the declara-
tions Of councils or conventions, is the only
standard Of doctrine and, AHrd, that the
that there is no remedy for heresy in trial
by convention; and that still less is the
convention a court to is1ue sentence
ecclesiastical decapitation. leaving the place
for the offenders name blank, to be filed
in by rumor or personal prejudice. In the
Chronicle of December 7th. Rev. Mr.. JOHN
son, of Rutland (who is understood to be
the author of the resolution) Insists that
there is "historic" Congregational be-
lief-containiug truths by which a minis
ter's orthodoxy can and should be tested,
and which form the basis of fellowship;
H.. 81 ,kr 10, e.
the discovery of new truths, but for the
preaching of old ones, and that minister
who does not hold these old truths should
withdraw from the denomination. Though
evidently replying to DR.. Stafford, Mr.. John
son quite avoids DR.. Saford's point,
that virtual trial of an unnamed
offender by convention has no historic
sanction in Congregational rules or usage,
and is essentially disorderly as well as un-
historic.
Among other noticeable contributions to the
discussion, is an article by Dr. VIM. Hall,
of Pittsford, stating the doctrines which be
considers essential to doctriual soundneSs and
to Christian rather than denOminational fel
lowship; and an article by Rev. C. A. Hun
tington, Of johnson, recognizing the impossi-
bility of securing absolute uniformity of reli-
gions belief, and maintaining that while Con-
gregationalism tolerates no violence 20 Biblical
truth, it gives vide liberty to Interpretation.
Ofcourse discussion like this has some
thing back OF the abstract questions involved
in it. There are, it is said, Congregational
ministers in Vermont, who differ from most
of their bretheren in the denomination in
some of their views, especially in regard to
future punishment, holding perhaps that
annihilltion will be the penalty Of fual i'm
penitence, or that there may be opportunity
for repentance after death and at these the
resolution offered in convention is understood
to be aimed. But it is tolerably plain that
while the Congregational churches over
which these pastors are settled, and the con-
ferences with which they are connected,
bring no charges of unsoundness against
them, they are not likely to be excluded from
the denomination BY the State convention.