St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-06-20
The Congregational Convention.

Exciting Debate on the Historic Resolution
From Report in Burlington Free Press.l
The "Historic Resolution" introduced
into the Convention last year was re-
ferred to a committee of clergymen who
reported to the Convention at Burling
ton last week, as follows:
Your committee was appointed by
the last General Convention to report
upon the following resolution
Resolved, That the General Conven
ton of Congregational ministers and
churches of Vermont understand that
to be a pastor of a Congregational
church indicates and requires the ac-
ceptance of the historic belief of these
churches, as it has been from time to
time expressed by their representative
assemblies and that to remain pastor
of a Congregational church, and to
claim denOminational fellowship with
our churches and ministers, after any
substantial part of this historic belief
has been repudiated, is considered by
us as breach of faith and inconsistent
with honor and Christian character.
They come to their task with the
knowledge that the subject has been
very fully and widely discussed during
the year. They have endeavored to
profit by the thoughtful arguments
which have been urged against such
action. They rejoice in being able,
without sacrifice of conviction, to pre-
sent united report. They are con-
WINGED that the interests of Christian
charity and liberality, as well as of the
unity of the church of Christ, require
firm adherence to the truth. The
tie which binds the Congregational
churches in fellowship, is not alone its
distinctive polity. 1t is just as truly
the common acceptance of evangelical
doctrines. Loyalty to the truth, which
alone can be ground of unity with other
self-respecting organizations in the
Church of Christ, is to be shown on our
part only by a faithful maintenance, by
the methods which our pOlity permits
and enioins, of evangelical preaching
in our pulpits. 1t is doubtless the high
duty of councils to exercise the great
est care when receiving men into the
Congregational ministry, to know that
they are fitted for its duties, as to their
educational, moral and spiritual quail
ficatiOns, including their hearty accept
ance of the Evangelical faith. 1t is as
clearly the duty of our churches to use
the methods which our pOlity most per-
fectly supplies to prevent the teaching
of error by our ministry. But your
committee feel that the resolution
placed in their hands by the Conven-
ton imposes upon them the special
duty of declaring what the Convention
considers to be the basis of fellowship,
and the course which one is expected
to adopt who changes, after his Ordina
ton or installation, that dOctIinal basis
upon the acceptance of which his sacred
Office was bestowed. The resolution
which they offer, also, by the strongest
implication, urges upon our ministry
and churches courageous and faithful
discharge of their duty in maintaining
the dOctrinal purity of our teaching.
An added reason for adopting the reso-
luton which they offer lies in the fact
that failure to do so after the question
has been SO long before them, lays the
Convention open to the charge of in
difference to the purity of doctrine of
the Congregational churches. They
therefore recommend the adoption of
the following
RESOLUTION:
ResOlUed, That the General Conven-
ton of ministers and churches of YER
mont, while recognizing the entire alb
sence of authority in the Convention
over the Churches, understands that to
be pastor of "a Congregational church
indicates and requires the acceptance
of the Word of God-which is our only
rule of faith-as teaching the doctrines
commonly called evangelical, held in
our churches from the early times, and
sufficiently set forth by former General
Councils, notably by the Councils of
Boston and Oberlin and that the Ie-
pudiation of any substantial part of
these doctrines (held in common by all
evangelical churches) is considered by
us as inconsistent with continued claim
to UNCONVENTIONAL fellowship with our
ministers and churches.
j. G. JOHNSON,
r. t. HALL,
| JOHN G. HALE.
Rev. L. o. Brastow said he was not
sure but that all the propositions stated
or implied in the resolution submitted
oy committee might be accepted by
all and he was not sure but that it
might be desirable to guard in some
way against some possible misappre-
henslon or misapplication of the reso-