The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-09
A REPLY FROM SIXTH ZION 3AP.
a, ~ =, IisI CHuBCH TO THE COUNCis.
MI " .ii : nu WITHDRAW THE RIGHT HAND ~

from sixth Mt Zion Baptist church. ana co,nns,Ss.
y, aeiegstes from all the Baptist churches of Tie
sv ., richmond and Manchester and vicinity to
near The complaints m AIDE against sikh MI Dion
Dspus. church. and praying that they would recos-
r,ar mem anu give them God-speed; and since .Ae
1ler nearing their statements. gave them
| me IisnI hand OF Fellowship; and since the Rev
Evans fayne, Of the Fourth Baptist church. Of
is ILL., prsthoie and resolutions denoanci,x In
sittI NorIs me sixth Vi. Zion Baptist church for
eeailng with her members; and since he was very
eApncI, ia charging the Sixth Mt Zion With act
| ihe contrary 10 scriptures I'm excluding her mem
bers; and since ne recommen ded 10 The churchss
OF the city and vicinity the Withdrawing of the
right hand of Fellowship from Us: aud since he
gave MS reasons for 50 doing, and was Silent upon
| our cause. we now make known 10 The public our
grounds for 50 doing We do not DENY thai the
vnsrcn oy vote decided that her members should
no. Worship IN any church In the city OF Richmond
nhtll reconciliation had been made but we have
neyer denied admission 10 our church of other
members knowing that We have no authority over
| them. We FIRST refer our readers 10 a con,muniea
! iioe winch appeared In the Richmond D,spafch
February 22, 1881:
dispatch. February %. Issl.I
| EoLoRED COUNCIL CUTS orr rup ptRsI
| AfRiCAS CHuRCH.-Our readers will remember
| me accounts published In the Dispatch some
months ago OF the difficulties among the member.
| " t"c rirst African church, in which the police
was called into church-meeting 10 ouelI DIS
turnaices. and which finally eliminated In the
Snhseo s,om OF large number of members, who
| tolcdl :hurch aud bought the IT. Johns Lutheran
mouse or worship. The excitement amongst The
bhHiielN gfbNlng Out OF these rrer
| CONTINUED with more or less warmth until I, coun
cli was called. composed of delegates from All the
colored churches Of Richmond, 10 adjust the trou-
bile. " met. condemned the First church s,s-
| tanned the tifth-Street church, and adiourned 10
meet AGAIN 10 give the First church an opportu-
hin 70 NOV cause why The right hand OF fellow
| ms adjourned Council convened Yesterday AT
| ~ VI. IN the second lcoloredl church John "A.
tutihs WIS the moderator. and " N. Carter clerk
All the cOlored Baptist churrbes of ,La ct,, 49,,
| tepresented except the First. Aner much discus
son the following preamble aud resolution were
'uopteu ny n vote OF ayes "a. noes IL.
| whereas We. the ten churches Of tho c,,v ot
hlchmond and vicinity, adjourned TO meet fsh-
ruary Isl instant for the First Baptist church To
| 'bould not he withdrawn from said ehmrcS ma
whereas said church has treated the Council with
| contelnpt by refusing 10 come: and whereas sata
church called I'm the police and had The hre,hran
tiken OUT of their church in violation Of Rauiisi
rIies, aud whereas said church violated the isth
chapter Of Matthew, 18th and 18th verses nv eN
| GUIDING them without hearing: and whereas she
| entered charges over the heads OF the above.
lt , shurches III their associations before con.
! ResoiCed, That we, the Council, do Withdraw
me right hand of fellowship from said First hap
communication from the First church was
read asking the Comet 10 adjourn 10 some day
,nDseluent To the meeting IN March of another
council called nv the First chcrch 10 he composed
u white aud cOlored delegates Il WAS also init
| mated lhal the First aud Fifth. street churches
| Hpulu themselves DC able 10 settle their troubles.
| MS communication, without other action, was
| aid on the table. w.
This was the nnal action of the Council submit
teu 10 the public, and II satisfaction has been
given or the trouble between the two cbuIches has
been settled neither the churches nor The pnbIc
a,S ever oeen informed. This eating ofi from
fellowship was done by ali the churches of the CITY
and vicinity, and the very brethren who have de-
hounCed the sixth Mount Zion were the same One
"ho lahoied so ardnously for the LAYING of the
patiorm ON which we now stand And n las
never been In the history OF the church 10 fellow
mp either brethren or churches from whom you
FaUlt 70.
meanors before thew atone for the sin they have
zone. Christ has never recommended Ms 10 for
i've q transgressor untll he asks forgiveness. The
touncn ult wlthdrcw.the right hand Of fellow
| hip from the First church decided that they uhe
first church) violated the Scriptures found In III
Corinthians, 9Th chapter. from the 1t To the 7th
| verse, aud "a Corinthians, 9th chapter, IAN To
Sun verse and also the 18Th chapter Of Matthew,
ON ana lOth verses These are the grounds the
| council TOOK IN cOndemDiug the FIRST churel,
md sustaining The Fifth-street church. IL
The First church has ever atoned Tor
these wrongs she has never made 1t known.
Tie churches OF the cities OF Richmond aud
| Manchester are now ellowshipping what they
nave condemned and submitted 60 the world a
IN and corruption. The First church has never
tsked forgiveness, never made peace and there
lore We simply express the words Of the Council
| when we say they are all cOrrupt and refer them
10 H. Peter, % chapter, 2lst and BOD verses.
The author of those resolutions, the Rev. r.
fayne' has charged us with abrdging the rightsof
our members. This we emphaticay deny.
We refer HIM and the Council 10 The slh chap
Ter Of Matthew, 18Th, 18Th. 7th aud stu verses.
| W III ne pitsHf SHOW us what condemns u.s. Rev.
L. Payne IN company With Rev. Isaiah Lee, as "A
committee appointed from the Council N ash the
-lHth Mount Zion church If they would send a
delegation 10 sit IN Council tO show cause why ou-
excluded members should not be recognized rs a
church, and they were asked by the deaeons oi
the sixth Mount Zion % show their authority for
settling apart excluded members rs a church
10 thls question no satisfactory answer WIZ
given by either Of them.
And IL was also said that We were acting con.
rary 10 scripture by not fellOwshIppinR the
churches Of the city under the present cIfcum-
stances, but we again refer them Ia the 18th chap
ter OF Romans 9Th and lsih verses, aud 10 these
don't Justify us, ask 10 be- shown those thsi
condemn Us. Rev Evans Payne also advised the
so-cailed Union church 10 keep her doors OF
refuge open 50 long as The iron laws Of Rome Aist
m the sixth Mount Zion. The Reverend. who -
| very familiar with our mode Of tran,acting bust.
ness and also our worship, knows as well n We do
that Christian liberties have never been sup
pressed. lie also knows he himself has often es =
hOrted our members 90 be- IN keeping with the
eAhortatlon given by the Apostle raul IL. Thess.
He has also advised them 10 dee 10 the
sO-called Union Baptist church for refuge
| 10 tacdpe The faDgs of the Emperor
TIE sO-called Emperor la. always submitted 10
his congregation. He has only given 10 them and
The public In general the truths found In the Bihle
lie has never usurped any persons righu. but has
only done what Is plainly accorded 10 him by the
Holy scriptures, acting a. pastor Of the Sixth NJ
| Zion church. Every decision rendered by him IA
been sustained by the church, aud he has never
tailed 10 show the church her power, aud 10 tea a.
that we are band of brethren, subject one 10 au-
| other.
II has never been our desire 10 inhame passion
or 10 keep up strife; but anything that mas been
9 done publicly and herllded by the press 10 ths
| world for their inspection cannot be called
5 secret 30 II there has been peace aud recOnelia
ton II f. sim under the busht and Ne know II not
u | IL has been intimated that We should allow mi
trouble tO pass; that We should fellowship Ia "
= face Of what the f0uncil did February. 1881
that We should recognize those from whom "
IL have Withdrawn. Now, does Rev. Evans iayn
mean 10 tell IA that such - the teaching OF Dis 49,
hef Does the Council mean a. say that sucn
\, church has the right 70 SIT In council aud be II
union with Baptist churches 81 good and regula
oi standingg Again refer the learned Docto
and Council u First Kings, 18Th chapter
=. l7lh and l-lh verses. All OF the excuse
offered. all the reasons gwen. are too SINAI
be aud too weak 10 be assigned The eau.
OF the Baptist churches backslidng and hold
Ing fellowship and communion with wha
they have publicly denounced cOrruM II th
Council did wrong In Withdrawing, Why lei 10
churches come together like brethren and Chris
. tians and remedy the wrong done.
y | We will gladly welcome that day, when unto
10. will b@ madc-such a union as will rebound 10 n.
glory Of God. and that will reflect credit upon ia
n B1ptisis Of this city But this uniOn can only D
effected by purging out the old leaven that has le
yened the whole lump, knowing that God viii 40
hear us II We regard iniquity IN our hearts Cles
hands are strong hands. And the same ~ true q
the church OF Christ. II they allow Gods coycnan
To- be broken. the accused Thing % be- smugsces
/ Achan % 90 undisci pliDed, they can't pect GOO
| hles,tDg upon them. We would further lDfari
J Rev. Evans Payne and the Council mat tlis h ~
az edlct from the tyrannical Emperor OF Rom.
that the sixth Mount Zion cOnnfcs In the tt7,ci
ipgs Of her pastor, and ever will long as h" o'
NOT fOrsake the word Of God.
We further wish 10 inform the Rev. Eval
| Payne, the Council, and the world. that there h.
been no division In our church: but we have on
,.xcIuaed fourteen disOrderiy, rebeious member
and have restored one sincel, who could not ,
| controlled and who treated the church with COZ
tempt -
When these were excluded there were presei
weeD sir and eight hundred members, q
meeting quiet and orderly. aud no police psesen
We have osly this b. say Ia cOneiusisn; As
Bspti-t church we have the riyht 10 exclude tran
gre.sor,. and do not acknowledge the right ~bis
any other church has 10 interfere, and especial
Il auy which has been publicly cut on from feilo'
a. sh(p with sister churches and DECLARED corrupt
= nractice and doctrine. We are NOT following
er traditions u men, but the commandments VI
! ans Christ, who purchased tile Church with n
4 IIs..I