The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-02-27
JNhAWFUL CHURCH EXCLUSIONS.

In many Baptist church the nowcr
of exclusion is very sparinglv cTercis.
ed, the church list retaining the nance
men whom 10 speak of MS cbnrcb
members IS absurd. But in ono of
tne'c same churches perhaps-if a
church quarrel arises the long slum-
perln@ power Will awake to terrific
energy and ncighboring churches hear
win amazcment that at single session
.Wo' hVe, ten, twenty members have
peen eXciudcd-among them dcacons
ana other officers, men who for ten.
iWentV' torly years have been active
anu leadlng mcmbers-who have been
the most liberal eivers. and who In
sp'ie OF this exclusion will still be re-.
garded, by men of the world and bv
members of neighboring churches. as
honorable and earnest Christian mon.
NO member should be excluded ey.
cept on sufficient grounds. In the OK
ci'ement of n church quarrel. he may
nave SAID and dOre what he ougbt NOT
ana still ihe church be utterly nninsii'
lanle III proceeding to the exircme,
NO ihcmher should be excluded OK.
cept ny due process. Cases arc cited
III which the excluded person was alb.
sent, had no knowledge that cbaroes
were to he preferred against him. and
OF course had 10 opportunity for n do.
renee. Sometimes, again, the modera.
tor OF the church meeting will mole
outrageous rulings on points of order
and the vote to exclude will be CARRIED
by processes which would not endure Q
minnte's examination by any man who
knows about the forms of "parlimen
tars law" Such an act should not b,
allowed to stand. ~
But here comes up the old auestio,
f"What are you going TO do abon
it?" OF course a council can be calle,
at least an er oo'fe council-and q,
the recommendation of that council IN,
uninstly excludedperson can gain adj
mission into some other church. Ru
there may be no other Baptist churcl
within moderate distance. And wha
the man desires is to regain that mem
bership of which he has uniustly beeI
deprived-to remain enrolled in tba
church TO which he has belonged S,
many wears, TO which his friends be
long, the heiter part of whose member
still sympathize with him-nav, wher,
perhaps the greater number of thos,
who voted tn exclude i'm still respec
him as Christian man, and woul,
never have so voted had they not beer
dragooncd into j. by party leaders
The injury suffered from an unjust ex
clusion may not he by any means re
paired bv admission to another churcn
When church receives a man [,
membeaship-receives his influence
receives his money-it impliedly if no
explicitly agrees TO retain him in mem
bership unless he be duly shown I,
have been guilty Of such or such short
comings. II he he uniustly excluded
the church is guilty of breach of con
tract with him. If such breach of con
tract involves a violation of the man
civil rights, the civil law could be call
cd in 10 compel the church 10 restor
him 10 membership. as II conld compe
the church 10 give the man the use of
pew which he had paid for. or to fulfi
n contract with him fer service rs sex
ton. Nevertheless, one would seldom
feel like appealing TO the civil lnagis
traie in such a matter. But sural
there ought TO he an easy aud speed
way of bringing TO bear upon the dis
orderly church the force of public opin
ion and the opinion of neighborin
churches.
Ought not church TO be alwav
ready TO how 10 that opinion? Ougi
not each Baptist church to provide |
its rules of order that when an excldu