Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-01-30

having been refused admission Ia the iornion
CAronicls respectful, solicit Toe it place IN th'
? columns OF the FREE Press.
am YOURS etc, GEO. Il. SNfohh
Burlington, Jan. l.. l>>t
> The communication referred to hy DIR
,, Stafford is as follows
A PROTEST.
To the General Convention of Cnngre
gational Ministers and Churches "t Yer
mont at its annual session III 1873 n res
olutipn was offered for adoption III Term,
as follows:
..Resolr,d. Thai the General Convention ot CON
| gregational Ministers and churches OF Nefmoh'
understand that 10 Ice pastor "f t"ngr"
gational Church Indicates and requires IA" a'-
| ceptance of the historic belief Of these tiurches
| as II has been from tiInr 10 time expressed 10y
their representative assemblies and that fo re-
main pastor of 4 Congregational 'hurch aild !.
claim denominaiional fellowship WIN GU our
churches and ministers after any suhStailiil par
of this historic belief has been repudiate'' Is con.
S,iered 10y Us a breach Of faith and in'"ns!s'h'
with honor AMI Christian chaiatltr-
After brief discussion tins resolution
was referred tO committee OF three. with
instruction to report upon IT ut the next
meeting.
That committee in 1879 presented their
report, reciting the resolution rs orgi-
nally framed, stating their conception OF
the nature of their trust. together with
the considerations that had guided their
discharge of it. and concluding with 4
resolution, whose adoption they recon-
mended in place of the one originally
proposed.
To this resolution uf 1879 an amend
ment was offered i'll the form of provlso,
as follows:
..Prorided that nothing herein affirmed he con-
| strued as denial of the right OF appeal from all
human creeJs to the word of God nor Il. an iin-
putaiion against the standing "i minister. who
neither i'll his mind nor ty decision "i COM
petent ecclesiastical tribunal having examined his
particular beliefs, has been Judged 10 have forfeit
ed our fellowship"
The rejection of this proviso 10y large
majorities. the two parts of il having
been separately submitted to vote, be
came the occasion for the offering Of Il
protest, which by the courtesy of the
| Convention WAS admitted to the record.
The present communication is address
ell to the Congregational Churches and
| Ministers of Vermont hy subscribers to
that protest.
| 1t seemed TO lis well nj the time Of of
| fering the protest. to put ii in the bretest
| possible terms, and to refrain from argu-
ment in its support beyond what might
appear in its simple statement. We
Thought also tlat a coilsidcrahie lapse oi
tlihe. nitordinS hoth 10 Ourselves anu I"
liose from "iioT' d'ti"'i We ii''u "t'h
com 1" "lS,,,i' opportunity ioi
cdfelui review, Would iri"i I" remove S"hle
misi sipprthehsioilS. AID !" i+cliiih,' al ci-
ioii 10 secure tEt recognition oi 'h' pr,h-
ciples winch we advocate. "S were aiso
0 L I Al /. IL
hot without nope tl:.t some, WA" ma ieu
the convention 10 iht Posiii"i, Miiich
seemed 10 us opleciioiiabi'. M"ulu iii'hi-
serves take new view OF tilni pohitioh'
and "ohid manifest II desire 1" secure a
nodiIiciiloh "i tile present record We
therefore have Lept silence hith"f'": 'A-
cept wieh "ccAslohAi ihlsapprch'iSloiS
respecting our Pusliloh nave gone aoroai,
and have received from us the necessary
correction.
III seems 10 us, however, dnc pom 10
the Convention ana 10 ourselves tiiat our
protest should be accompanied at some
time WITH s"me"h hat tai statement OF
the grounds ON which 1t rests.
The urupor,ance of til. Discussion.
rho ro,,,r. Of tho oroet;ous IN
voIveJ tnrcbinr ,s tbav do thinos Of
greatest ;,onnrta,,,. n~ t,,,,s al minis
tc,.;oy co,,,l,,Jnio,, nnd III. ,,,rs,u,I r,-
mn. of ,,ost,rs demands the most
tbor,uGl tx,n,inotion TLe ir,portanca
of tbesr ouaatinna onJ tI,,. nccnssitv for
such discussion os ma, make clear what
ever Is obscure respecting them, seem to
be ahuhdahily recognized III iile Offering
ot the original resolution, IN the Ihlnie-
dlate advocacy ol 1t III the columns "i the
lp"'"m 'hfo"'ct' ny me chairman {"
the committee To which II liid hteh en-
trusted: III me fe"p"hih% "l ihe pnpic
uscusslon III thc same Journal ny me ai-
Nocalts oi the resolution iilel tAo DISCUS
Spn had been closed, ana IN 'lie SHh"li@
'l reports "i me '"hNSh''''' "''l,n 10 .
numerous r"hGl"a7 anu H''niHf Journals
.! Irl,hHs "i 'l' l'S'L','l''h l'. '''''''''l'''H
"ilrr If 'lie scsS''A ''i GO H.,
we nave "e,i i'As l'i''''i III '''',""
tliiS Our views, II Is hot "''e /" "N"fSiSIt
oi the Importance oi Inc questions n,
lssue' lhi'' IN l'"f'aIi'e We 'et''si.l- h,ii
"niic we u" iiot 'SPlfe =" 'ii' H'" i''iiS "i ,hc
'onuuci W pfc'iifci' "l our iiii'' III "'ii,i
s,'"eS' we 'it iiiiPI,S'eu iii' iii'ie WIN
'iic importance "i 'i' "i'' ','HSi"i' "H we
opserNe inc "i'eii'i'," iii'' mas peci ~
s,o"eu upon H. ana hS We nave III MIMI
'!e l'let 'ii''' 'iic i'it,oi oi M
Vi 1910 h's rePeaieoilN s'''ru IN 'oii''-
Pohuence WIN i's "PpoheH'"' 'ii.'' " WIS
onered WIN view 10 'ile r'luirehfii'S
ol the denomination, ana t'a' N'ri""ii'
WIS Il 6""u Pl''cc 10 p'Siii'
The I..,rc om the z'rcv i-o Only.
Tn or,lar that tbe issu, raised bv tha
protest NAV be distinctly brought tn view.
# is necessary to advert to the fact that
tbe supnorters Of th. proyisn. caual,y /
with other members of The Convention.
have maintained and do maintain the
Evonmelicol bnsis of ministerial Fellowship.
On that suhiect thcr, has been only Il
fictitious issue. for which the siprortrrs
of th, proyiso have, no responsibility.
In the remarks with which the chair
man of the committee followed his report I
he said II will state the idea which this /
committee seeks tnpr.scnt To- the Convcn- |
ton for its endorsement. FGrsf, that the !
Cono,r.C,tiouol churches r,nrcsrntc,l in
fins Conv.utinn rrcnoeuiyc tbe fact that
,i,o,o !, . I,.,r;,,,I I.s;., T., r,uorno,tinu
..Jis,, y.,,.,.,,J ,lat tL.t Ioctrirnl L,s;.
,,o,,n,aII,. ,x,,,nssnJ il, t..r,,s; .s .,,.,ur.t,
&C te,ma cam Iva ia tbn E,on,.rliroI F.,ith
JLjr,y tIot th. o..,.rntourr .,,I n,niutrn,
.,nca nf t,;s ,Inctr;nal I,,sis IS essential tn
Good Cnn,n.r,t;nnnIien, If if LoJ oc- /
,c.u,raJ f., H.. r,,,nmitt.. I, s,,bstitut.
those statements ..m terms as accurate as
terms can he" for the resolution actually +,
reported they would have seemed to MS
sn m,nifaa.lv so,nJ os tn h.. nike inJis-
nutnllr and unnecessary Surb pronns;- /
i;nns r.,,IJ l,.,,.,. s.o,nnJ f., NJ. ,,,.n +, ~,
oI,irc,ions ,vcaut thot thn cir,.umstaucrs
un,Icr wLicl tbrv wrr,. ur,,uoscJ mioht
surn,.st ul,i.r,innnbln imulitaiions q. |
II .s ma,nIcrs of , deIihnro,ivr hnJv ~, /
Ill La,... ,..,,,.,I. 4 ,.,,,..oIr,s ,L.t az.
wnr, f., vot. n,, tho oyc,.ll,,,t sne.cb of
H,o cn,nm;tt,.,.'s cJ...ir,nan r.,i,.r Inn an
IL. l,-s excellent npJ ,,nu.reuiIy NOT
c,,,i,..ln,i ran,,t vI,iL ,,.s ,l.,. ,,.tu.l
mnttrr uresrutpI {, lin. c..uy.utinu Nc
ecc ma reason tn ouny.bc,,J that tL.r. /
would hay. been any larh Of unity touch