Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-29
NOT QUITE HERETICS.
Drs. Milligan and Carson Acquitted
by the New York Presbytery.
COYENANTERs CALLED THEM DOWN
But by Vote of IL to They We're sus-
tained in Their Views.
A RED-HOT, LIVELY TIME AT THE TRIAL
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE D1spArcH.1

Il TeSDyIery OF tne heIOrIneu IIcopy IeiiDAn
Church held its semi-annual meeting to-
day in the Fourth Reformed Presbyterian
Church. Rev. DR.. j. d. Bayles was
Moderator and S. G. Shaw was Clerk. The
special business to-day was to decide
whether Rev. J. c. K. MiIligan, formerly
Pastor of the First Reformed Presbyterian
Church of this city, and Rev. J. f. Carson,
formerly Pastor of the Willoughby Avenue
Reformed Presbyterian Church in Brook
lyn, should be tried for heresy.
1t is charged that DR.. Milligan wrote
articles in favor of Covenanters exercising
the right of suffrage, and that DR.. Carson
allowed them to be published in his news
paper. These two men were also lnstru-
mental in forming in August, 1890, in Pitts
burg, the "East End Platform, the prln-
ciples of which were said to be opposed to
Reformed Presbyterianism.
THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEES REPORT.
A discipline committee, composed OF
William Graham, James Kennedy and
David Torrens, which was appointed by the
Presbytery after the meeting of the Synod
last June, at Pittsburg, to inquire in the
libels preferred against Drs. Milligan and
Carson, read the following speech:
Two papers were put into the committees
hands. The first was a libel preferred
against Rev. J. c. X. Milligan and the sec
conduct of Revs. J. c. X. Milligan and j.; f.
Carson in connection with the so-called
east End meeting and platform"
The first paper charges Rev. j. c: K MILL
gan with teachings contrary to his public
profession and his ordination and covenant
vows The teachings alleged to contain
evidence to sustain these charges are, first,
and articles in the Ne,os Letter of April
O. 1861. The reasons of dissent were received
by the Supreme Court and answered by It,
and both resolutions and answers were
spread upon its records and published to the
church by its authority, and cannot constf-
tute a ground or cause of action in any IN
ferior court. Quotations from the Netos Let
ter of April 2, 1891, and of March 26, When
fairly interpreted, contain nothing antago-
nistic to the constitutional and statutory
law of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.
THE MATTER TO BE DROPPED.
The reporter simply asserts, as his opin-
ion, that the declarative testimony nowhere
condemns the immortality of the constitu-
ton nor of voting for officers under it, and
that until it contains an explicit term con-
demning these, church courts shoul not be
required to censure members or officers OF
the church for voting. 1t Is a. matter OF
history that all along from the organization
more or less diversity of opinion on this
matter Therefore, while not 1ndorslng the
writer's views, we are persuaded that IN the
aforesaid quotations he did not transcend
the proper limits of the freedom of the press.
We recommend that the Presbytery take no
further action in the matter.
With reference to the second matter we
have to report that, owing to circumstances
over which we have no control, nothing has
been done by your committee. We there
fore refer the paper back to Presbytery and
ask to be discharged.
After Rev. Mr.. Graham, who read the
committees report, had made a speech in
favor of its adoption, heated discussion
arose. Rev. DR.. Somerville jumped to his
feet and said: cit would be cowardice to
adopt that report leaving the matter un-
settled, when this Presbytery proclaimed to
the Synod that it could manage its own
affairs If we adopt this report it throws
the burden back on the Synod"
A REBUKE FOR THE SYNOD.
81 don't think the Synod had a right to
throw on the Presbytery for decision mat
ter it did not care to discuss" said Dr.
Thompson, of Newburg.
DR.. Somerville thought this disrespeetful,
and Brother Thompson spologized.
Then Rev. j. B. Williams, of Sullivan
rose and said: 'I don't think it
right that we should single these two men
out for punishment, when there are plenty
of US whose opinions are at variance with
our stated law"
christ of Delhi. t'You're as bad as any of
them. You stood in your pulpit during
slavery days, and wouldn't raise your voice
against that accursed traffic"
Its SANDER! It's slander!" said Mr..
Williams. ''No minister worked harder
for the uprooting of that system than j. B.
Williams, of Sullivan county"
''No, sir, you didn't" retorted Elder Gil
christ.
The hubbub continued for several min
utes. A motion was made that the first |
part of the report be adopted and the second |
tabled. This was carried. But the prosecu-
ton did not intend to give up. Led by |
DR.. Foster, they renewed their attack. A |
letter was read from R. J. George, clerk of |
the Synod. who said that he sent, by au-
Rev. DIR. McAllister, of Pittsburg, against |
Drs. Milligan and Carson, and the meeting, |
after these were read, began the discussion. |
THE DOCUMENTS NOT LIBELs.
First, there was long debate whether the |
documents were libels, and it was decided |
that technically they were not, but motion |
was made to go into a conference and let the |
accused men answer the charges in that way. |
This brought Mr.. Carson to his feet. He !
said:
"Seven men at Pittsburg were put on
trial and expelled from this church for
statements made in conference, and don't
to go into any such agreement. If
you want to try me now 1 will defend my
self but if / am to go into conference L
want an assurance that nothing that may
say will be used against me-"
The motion to hold conference was lost.
The accused men offered to make state
nents. A motion was made to appoint
committee to receive the explanations, but
DR.. Milligan preferred the open court,
he said, where everybody could hear him.
He took the floor and, spoke for an hour.
He said:
DIR. MILLIGAN IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.
sI am and have been a Covenanter. 1
have preached for 40 years, and I have not
changed, but the church has changed until
t does not know where it stands. and asks
Is to accept the interpretations of Tom,
Dick and Harry. say: BE true to your
country, be true to your people Are we
n the nineteenth century, that we are
lriven from our churches because an infalli-
,Ie synod dictates one day this and one
idl thdb! IONO bhO SIOHHu
tands on, but under jesus own no master.
1od alone is my master. My crime, for
Doth, is to-day: Thus saith the Lord,
ather than thus saith the synod be-
ieve in political dissent from an immoral
government. Show me such an one and
will dissent, but 1 will not go beyond the
lictates of my conscience at the dictates of
synod"
AT tie close of DR.. Milligan's speech
here was loud applause. A man in the
'ack part of the church, evidently an enemy