Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-30
THE UNITED BRETHREN.
Bishop Becker Replies to Bishop Hot
in TemDerate Laneuare

Bishop Becker Replies to Bishop Holt
in Temperate Language.
EDS. RECORD UNION: Permit me to cor
rect a few statements made by Bishop
Hott in your issue of last Friday morning.
The appointments of ministers announced
in the RECORD UNION on the 22d instant
were bona fde, and were made by the reg
ular California Annual Conference of the
Church OF the United Brethren in Christ,
which convened at Burneyville on the Is n
instant The writer will take the oversight
of the church in this city until permanent
supply is secured. The Sacramento church
is an incorporated body, of which the
writer was made charter member.
Here are the simple facts The church
recognizes a Constitution, Article ". of
which reads: There shall be no altera-
ton of the foregoing Constitution unless
by the request of two thirds of the whole
society"
In 1885 the General Conference, without
q single request, and against the remoD-
strances of twenty annual Conferences. ap-
pointed Commission to amend the Con
stitution. To this Commission was also
given the Confession of Faith, to be re-
vised by them. The Constitution expressly
says: No rule or ordinance shall at any
time be passed to change er do away with
the Confession of Faith as il now stands"
Nevertheless, IN the face of this plain two
thirds request" clause, and the constitu-
tional protection Of the Confession of Faith
less than one-fourth OF the "whole society
undertook 10 revolutionize the church by
violating the Constitution regarding its own
permanence and the perpetuity of the Con-
tession of Faith guarded by the organic
law.
The General Conference set itself above
the Constitution, and both in 1885 and 1889
transcribed its authority. The 10 dele
gates, against 20, did not vote 10 adopt an
"amended Constitution" and revised
confession" The question of adoption
was not before them. Ii so, a majority
vote could have rejected it. This they
claim could not have been done, since the
adoption was the act of the Society, not of
General Conference. There were 16 2S2
personal remonstrsnces before the Confer
ence in 1889 Their appeals were ignored
until after the lie delegates declared their
mental law and belief of the church.
When, on the 18th of May, 1889, Bishop
Kephart announced that the Conference
would pass from the o'd and legislate un-
der the new, Bishop Wright and fifteen
delegates refused to enter the new orcar-
ization, but G ntinUed the regular business
of the Coz ierence, filing vacancies BY al
ternates, and attending 10 all the work
within their jurisdiction according TO the
requirements of the original Constitution.
Several cases have gone through the
lower Courts or these the new church
won one that was tried upon the merits OF
the case. TIE defendants appealed 10 the
Superior Court Another case tried upon
its merits was decided in favor of the cid
church. The new church appealed the
caseds but have since Withdrs IN it, and
| Court OF 0hio will soon try an important
| significant weight. TIE old church will
| hold the property from ths fact that the
right Of property inheres With those who
adhere 10 the original Constitution"
The doctor says " In California but one
| of the itinerants went off with this move
/ meHt." The facts are that bat sight timer
ants remained. Can they show as many,
| besides those transferred TO them at their
late gathering here? Fifteen preachers re-
| maiued with US in California, and the out
| look for year Of success is very hopeful.
| Our members at Sacramento adhering 10
| the Constitution OF 1871 are not easily led
| TO adopt the new revolutionary work that
arrogates to itself the right to expel (?)
members from the church, and lay claim
| to property amounting to 81 GOO 600.
H BECKER
Bishop of the P4cidc District.
Sacramento, Cal, October 29th.