The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-06-13
ono Conversations, cesssms,ou.

1f|Aotrr*f AniittTtti Nnfit NNIlutOtItb VI
Vermont held its Eighty-fourth Annual
Session, In the College Street Church,
in Burlington, commencing on Tues
day, June IL, at ? o'clock L. NJ.
The Convention was called to order
by the president, Rev. Geo. Il. Stafford,
ID. D., who offered prayer.
The secretary, Rev. G. ii. Merrill,
then read the roll of delegates who had
presented their credentials, and the
names of members &c o6iciis.
The organization of the Convention
was completed by the choice of Rev.
VIM. S. Hazen of Mortified, as scribe,
and.Rev. j. ii. Hincks of Montpelier,
as assistant scribe.
The report of the committee on the
Vermont Chronicle was next in order.
The committee not being ready TO re-
port, the committee Oh
THE HISTORIC RESOLUTION
reported by Rev. j. G.. johnson. The
report was as follows:
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON DoCTRIN-
AL BELIEF.
Your committee was appointed by
The last General Convention to report
upon the following resolution;
Resoiped, That the General Convention of Con.
gregational ministers and churches of Vermont
understand that 10 be pastor of a Congrega.
tional church indicates and requires the ACCEPT.
ance OF the HISTORIC belief of these churches as IL
has been from time TO time expressed by their
representative assemblies; and that to remain
pastor of a Congregational church, and to claim
denominatonal fellowship with our churches
and minister's after any substantial part of this
historic Dellef 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
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 present q
united report. They are convinced
that the interests of Christian charity
and libcrality, as we'll as the unity OF
the church of Christ, require firm adj
hcrcncc to the truth. The tic which
binds the Congregational churches in
fellowship is not alone its distinctive
polity. IL is Just rs 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 faithful maintenance, by the
methods which our polity permits and
cnjoins, of evangelical preaching IN our
pulpits. 1t is doubtless the high duty
of councils to exercise the greatest care
when receiving men into the Congre.
gational ministry, to know that they
are fitted for its duties, as to thcil
educational, moral and spiritual quail.
fications, including thcir hearty accept
ance of the Evangelical faith. 1t is Us
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 youI
committee feel that the resolution
placed in their hands by the convention
imposes upon them the special duty OF
declaring what the convention consid.
crs to be the basis of fellowship, and
the course which one is expected fo
adopt who changes, after his ordination
or installation, that doctrinal basis up.
on the acceptance of which his sacred
office was bestowed. The resolution
which they offer, also, by the stronges ST
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 rcso-
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 indif-
ference to the purity of doctrine of the
Congregational churches. They there
fore recommend the adoption of the
following
RESOLUTION:
That the General Convention of Conel min.
listers and churches OF Vermont, while recogniz.
Ing the entire absence of authority in the Conyen
uon over the churches, understand that to be
pastor OF Congregational church indicates AMI
requires the acceptance of the Word of Cod
winch Is our only rule of iaith-as teaching the
Ioclrines commonly called evangelical. held in
our churches from the carly times, and sufficient.
~ set forth by former General Councils, notably
by the Councils OF Boston and Oberlin; and thai
tue population of any substantial mari Of thes,
doctrines, (held in common by all eyangelical
churches) is considered by us as n.onsisteni
with continued claim TO denominato fellow
ship]Sith our ministers and churches.
J. g. JOHNSON,
X. Il. HALL,
JOHN q. HALE
Rev. l.. .. Barstow said he was moi
sure but that all the propositions stated
or implied in the resolution submitted
by the committee might be accepted by
all and he was not sure but that il
might be desirable to guard i'm some
way against some possible misappre.
tension or misapplicition of the resoIu.
ton. AS indicating one point which
he would like to have guarded, he sug.
gested that the convention might be
asked to append resolution to the
effect that Congregational minister
may not be adjudged to be disqualified
for his office, and for denominational
fellowship, except by the decision of O
competent council.
To give time for further considera-
ton and hoping for harmonious re.
suit, he moved that the report be laid
on the table and made the special order
for 9 O'Clock the next morning.
Mr.. Barstow's motion was carried.
The committee on tho subject OF
divorce then reported by Rev. L. O.
Barstow as follows:
REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON DIVORCE. g..
The committee TO whom were refer
red the resolutions concerning divorce.
recognize the Importance of the sub.
iect; the gravity of the occasion that
has brought it before us; and the de.
sirableness of some expression by the
convention. They are convinced by in.
vestigation that divorce legislation in
this as in other and even New England
States rests upon an unsound ethical
basis; that in its practical working il
is prejudicial TO domestic and nnhlic
morality; that il cannot be endorsed by
a healthy Christian community. They
wish thankfully TO recognize indications
Of some good results from agitation of
the question during the past year, re-
call with especial satisfaction the Judi
cious suggestions concerning it made
by his Excellency the Governor in his
inaugural message, and gladly ac-
knowledge some improvements in d.
vorce legislation by the last Legisla-
ture. But in the increasing frequency
of divorce for Inadequate causes In past
~ al l.