Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-22
THE PASTORAL CONFERENCE.
Reply to Dr. yinCent's Attack on the Other
Ministers of Springfield.

Reply to DIR. NinCents Attack ON the Other
Ministers of Springfield.
The following was unanimously adopted
at a meeting of the Pastoral conference
held Tuesday evening, September II, 1856;
In view of certain statements which have
been made in the public prints of the city
concerning members of the Pastoral con-
ference, and differences which have been
drawn from these statements, it seems but
Justice to ourselves. to the churches we
represent and to our felIow-citizens, that
the following facts be stated:
The constitution of our body is the same
that it has been for the last twenty years.
and has not within that time been altered or
amended for any purpose whatever.
So far as we have been able to
examine our past records, and GER
tainly since any of the present members
have been connected with the conference
there has never been any vote receiving any
pastor into membership. There is no occa-
sion for any such vote under the cOnstitu-
ton. Article two reads as follows: ut
(the pastoral conferencel shall embrace the
pastors of the Evangelical churches in the
city and vicinity who may wish to meet and
cooperate with us"
While there has not infrequentIy been a
friendly interchange of views upon doc
trinal and other points upon which those
present at the mesting have differed there
has never, to our knowledge, been any
catechising of any brother with a view
to aScertaining his fitness to be-
come member. Moreover, the
brother who presides at any
meeting puts questions to vote and not
the secretary, except in rare instances
where he has also presided. which the
minutes show has not been the case since
| DIR. Vincent has been in the city. So far
as our knowledge extends. no pastor has
ever been proposed for membership in this
| body, and no one has ever been notified of
/ his membership.
The minutes show that DIR. Vincent met
with us for the first time Dec. IS, 1885. He
| has also been with us five times since then,
namely. Jan. 1, March s, March Is. June
: and Sept. Is, 1886. He has taken part in
our discussions and voted with us, as have
Others who never signed the constitution,
| As an evidence of the christian courtesy
with which he has been received and treat
ed, he was reminded at the meeting of June
| 7th. that of those present, his name was
next in alphabetical order to that of the
brother who presided at the preceding meet
! ing. The minutes show that he did preside
/
occasionally met with us, who were not
members. The meetings are conducted
with as little formality as possible, and the
| right TO vote has never, to our knowledge.
been questioned. The whole matter has
been left to the sense of propriety of each
one present, in view of various matters
which might come up for consideration.
Those Of us who were present at
! the meeting on the 18th inst, bear witness
| to the fact that that was no exception
TO those which had gone before. aS regards
| the friendly relations of all present with
| DIR. Vincent and of their courteous bearing
! towards him. No one who was there under
stood at the time that he took any eXcep-
/ tions to anything which was said or done.
| The constitution had been read several
| times during the past year, as there was
/ occasion to refer it. 1t did not occur to
anyone that DR. Vincent had not been
/ present on one, or more, of those occasions.
| Those of US who were present on the 18th
unite in bearing testimony that he was not
invited to step down and out, that he was
not told that his presence, as a member OF
the body, could no longer be tolerated, =
that he was not called lOafer."
! 1t did not occur to us that DIR. Vincent
felt that his relation to the conference was
different from what it had been, nor that
anything had been said, or d,na, which
wounded his feelings, much less anything
which he could by any possibility cOl.strue
as indicating the least spirit of intolerance
| We further bear testimony that so far as
anything we have seen, or heard, or said,
no one of the statements which have beer,
made, rejecting upon the Christian conduc:
and courteous bearing toward DIR. Vincent,
J 3Af rln,ah haK-a I.aI. II