The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-10-15

OpcH. .H
Conscious of personal defect and
insuflicicncy, bu: with humble and full
reliance upon the grace of Jusus
Christ and in the strength Of the
truth: l hereby challenge the Pres-
dent of the Virginia Synod, Rev. j.
f. Campbell, ID. d., to defend or JUS
tily his course: (a) In unlawfully in
stalling an illegally elected church
cou"cil within the Central Evangeli-
cal Lutheran Church, Of Staunton,
Va, at time when that church had
acouncil which had been duly and lc-
gally elected: III,
(G) In attempting to 'suspcnd" me
without charge, trial or hearing, upon
no other ground than thatI respect
futly asked OF him formal dismis-
sion from body with which, in JUS
ticc TO my own character, thought
could no longar affiliate and from
which, in my letter Of request, l sig.
nitied my withdrawal.
l challenge the members of the
| Virginia Synod to defend its action
by iipture, Lsihcranism and Com
mon Law: (d) In the "Dccisions"
rendered at the Called Special Con.
vcntion held in StaunLon, April 2lst.
29th, 1880:
(b) In publishing and circulating
an unofficial pamphlet calculated to
injurc my ministerial reputation and
defamc my character;
(c) In attempting, illegally, at its
regular session, at Mt. jackson, Va,
June 17,ll-24lh, 1880, to "dcposc"
me from the Gospel Ministry;
And more, I challenge any mem
Der of the Virginia Synod to point out
one Official act OF mine, which can
not defend by Scripture, Lr,hcransm
and Common Law.
lis strange how many uniinagincd
charges
Can swarm upon man. when once the
Id
or the Pandora box Of contumcly
Is open'd Ger his head"
ask only fair and equal hearing
in the columns of my church paper
and that they give me time to answer
them one by one. HUratii and C,ty
dtii let it be.
The Synod by its action, marked
as we think, by injustice, partiality
and weak spirit Of compromise, lost
a congregation; and then, wrongfully
attributed to me this result Of their
own action, in a seeming spirit of re-
venge, pours upon my devoted head
avoid sentence of"deposition."
"What is my offence? Where is
the evidence that doth accuse me !?
What lawful quest have given this
verdict up unto The frowning Judge ?"
lam charged with Unreasonable and
rebeiious conducL" conduct,
which, in order TO project their Pres.
dent from charge Of violating the law
OF the church, in undertaking to sus-
pend me, and their own action in ode.
posing" me for not acquiescing in the
Prcsdonts's illegal order of suspen-
sion, the President and the Synod
are constrained 10 torture into con-
duct equivalent in atrocity and enor-
nifty to "lcwdncss, drunkenness and
the circulating of fundamental errors
in doctrine :"
And what was the conduct in me
which these guardians of right and
sage cXpounders Of ecclesiastical law,
have put upon the level Of "atrocious
crime?" 1t was, that / followed my
beloved and devoted flock, cXercis-
ing our unqucs,ionably legal right, in
Withdrawing from the Synod of Viz
ginia. We had strong reasons for
our action; reasons Arising out Of
what wo deemed the cruel and ruin
Gus injustice, resulting to us from the
hasty and illconsidcrcd action of the
! Synod. But this was case where
we were not bound to give reasons ::
or to be held anenablc to any one for
the soundness Of those reasons.
1t was q case in which the mayim