The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-24


Street Baptist church 10 consider some OF
the erroneous statements in the report OF
the committee OF the council held at the
First Baptist church, BEG leave TO submit to
the people at large the following:
|. We disclaim any intention OF keeping
before the public those dsgraceful scenes
which have TO large extent injured the
cause Of the Christian religion and the pros.
perity Of the Baptist faith
.. We submit this paper to the public. and
particularly TO the Christian public, to show
that we were not the clrcuatOis OF "idle
and wicked reports concerning the pastor
OF said First Baptist church, but only the
Investigators, together with the present
members Of said church, OF charges prefer
red against him by male and female MEN,
bers OF the church.
3. We say, the .efOre, that the pastor OF that
church has never been yindiclted; thar, in
fact, after certain charges had been alleged
against him at regular monthly meeting Of
the church, that he, after hearing the testi-
mOny against him, made his statement be-
fore the church, the question OF bis dismissal
was debated pro and con, and he was eX-
Delled for unchristlan conduct" The
officers OF the church called Sunday meet
iny, which was directly contrary TO the
church constitution and bylaws, and, after
much partial ruling and statements to the
effect that they only wanted TO allow the
pastor a fair trial or an opportunity to re-
sim, the proceedings OF the meeting-which
expelled the pastor-were not adopted. and
at the same time the deacOns were awaiting
trial. In regard to the police we desire to LAY
that no threats were ever made BY the pre-
sent members OF the Fifth.Street chulcn OF
any violence. We were only cOntending
for what we knew TO be right. and ii we had
not been so contendlng the Mayor Of the
city, who was then present, would have
ordered our immediate arrest.
4. We here positively state that there
were several meetings between the opposite
factions, and we distinctly stated in those
meetings, and in the meeting when the pO-
lice dragged Us from our house OF worship,
that il the officers OF the church would
have meeting on the regular meeting
night that we would, after calm and Chris
tianlike debate, submit to the Will OF the
majority, and that this proposition was
scornfully rejected. AT this same meeting,
when one OF our members arose TO speak he
was objected to by the pastor, and Maior
Poe gave him permission.
}. That we were compelled TO leave our
church, and that while standing in the
street. irving TO know what TO do, forty |
eight OF our number were expelled without
being allowed to be heard; and that know
ing this we resolved, for the sake OF peace,
TO quit the church and organize another
branch OF Gods Zion.
In conclusion, we desire to say that after |
our organization we called upon the several
churches OF this city to recognize and set US
apart. This council met in our house OF
worship. Every Baptist church except the |
First was represented. Our committee |
paye in their statement rs TO the causes |
which led to our desiring recognition. This
was opposed by several brethren ably and |
honestly; and every objection raised against
our being set apart was answered by the
president OF the State Convention with such |
indisputabIe proofs that the entire council.
with the exception Of two, voted for our
recognition as an independent Baptist
church. This gave rise TO so much contro-
yersy among the First Church members and
others, after the action OF the Association,
that the EbeneZer church called council
u her own accord through letter headed
). Let us have Peace" All OF the churches
responded except the First church.
Then another meeting was held by the
,ame council 10 await the action OF the
FIRST church, but TO the surprise OF the
council the First church did not come TO
show cause why the hand OF fellowship
should not be withdrawn, but merely sent
contemplate letter refusing TO have any.
hing 10 do with the brethren, and saying
hat thev would call their own council.
We have no desire to keep alive the dy-
ng embers OF this unfortunate affair. We
nave no desire to destroy the cause Of Christ
,r TO render feeble the Baptist denomina-
ion. We have no desire to keep before
he public things which ought 70 he buried
,ut OF sight. but we do intend TO be under
tood; we do intend that all shall know
hat bad 1t not been for certain superser-
,iceabIe officials at the said church this
rouble would have been settled long ago.
We regret that the committee OF the First
Jhurch council did not give Us ("the Sc
eding members" hearing; that the i