Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-03
A New York Elder Raps DR.. McAllis-
ter for a Statement He Once
Made About Documents.
ANOTHER MIGHTY LIVELY TIME.
The E. P. Synod at Last Gets Down to the
Trial of the Seven Young SuS-
pended Ministers.
DELEGATES NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE.
Rev. A ". McClurkin Purges Himself of Any and All
Contempt

The opening business of the R. p. SYNOD
yesterday morning was to good many
people somewhat after the definition of the
old lady of the word metaphysics: "When
you dinna ken what the minister is talking
aboot and the minister himself dinna ken,
then that's metaphysics" 1t was all rela.
tive to what the record of Fridays proceed.
ings should show, and only those who had
followed the course of the Synod knew just
what was wanted.
DIR. r. j. George read minute of Fridays
work, which he asked the Synod to substi-
tute for the one it had approved.
Rev. j. F.Carson, amid objections, opposed
the adoption, saying it was not minute OF
Fridays proceedings. That it had no refer
ence to DR.. McAllister's letter, and as some
members might have recourse to the civil
courts before the affair ended, Rev. Mr.. Car
son objected to a tinkered minute, and
wanted the record accurate.
Rev. j. r. Thompson also objected He
said it was not the province of the clerk to
make history, but to record events as they
occurred.
DR.. George replied that he made his record
rs best he could and was responsible to the
court; if the Synod chose to order it so, he
could resign.
Dr. Nc Allister proposed to call up his resolu-
ton of Monday,an amid a storm of protests
succeeded in having the letter and resolution
again laid before the court.
The minute dropped from the record was
restored and announced ready for amend
ment. Instead of letter introduced by DR..
McAllister it read "a copy of a letter"
Rev. J. F. Carson objected that it was not
a true record, as he held the doctor had in
troduced it as real letter. .
A Voice-He introduced it distinctly as
copy.
Elder D. Torrens also objected to the word
Scopy."
ALetter Which Was and Was Not.
Rev. j. NJ. Foster, of Cincinnati, demanded
to know how they knew it was copy of a
letter written by one of the six suspended
ministers. He urged that the minutes should
show that it purported to be a copy of a let
ter, but he failed to make any impression on
the majority.
DR.. McAIlister again read his explanation
once read on Monday, but termed it "a copy
OF private letter." He asked that his ex-
PLANTATION be minuted.
DR.. Armour moved to reconsider the reso-
luton of disapprobation, but the motion
failed
Rev. j. c. Smith said Dr. McAllister's ex-
PLANTATION was only a speech and had no
more right to a place on the record than
other speeches, but the doctor got there.
DR.. MeAllisters resolution calling on the
suspended to purge themselves of contempt
was now reached.
Rev. Mr.. somerville thought it probable
the young men did not think they were vio-
lating church authority by exercising min
isterial functions outside the r. p. Church,
and moved the tabling of the resolution for
the time being.
DR.. McAlIister on the question of urging
suspended brethren to purge themselves of
contempt said he wanted to give them a
chance and wanted the action TO go on the
record that the principle might be sustained,
as it was vital one. The papers were full
of proof that the suspended brethren had
been preaching since their suspension. DR..
McAllister said he wished to be Understood,
and CHARGED eCclnSla Stical diSCOurtaSV
Rev. j. R. Thompson, of Newburg n. Y
Don't SANDER sister churches.
DIR. McAllister-I am not.
DIR. Thompson-You are.
DIR. McAllister Defies the Church,
Elder Stevenson, of New York, reached for
DR.. McAllister and wanted to know what
right he had to be in contempt any more
than the young ministers. Elder Stevenson
referred to the statement of DR.. McAllster
that he would not surrender document to
any authority short of civil court.
Rev. j. .. Bayliss, of New York, charged
DR.. McAllister with inconsistency in reach
ing into the New York Presbytery. He held
that all Yiolators of law should be placed on
the same plane. Rev. Mr.. Bayliss did not
think other churches were out of place when
they recognized the young IneIl. The sus-
pension was not for immortality. Ministers
in good standing in other denominations
cannot be held to any line of conduct, short
of immortality, laid down in the RIP Church,
so there was no ecclesiastical discourtesy in
their admitting the young men to their pull
pits.
Prof. ". ]. Coleman, of Beaver Falls, asked
that all preliminary cobwebs be brushed
aside and the Synod get down to business
dismiss the contempt feature and get at the
meat.
Rev Mr. Ferris said all they should do
would be to affirm the law of the church.
Prof Wilson said they had been told the
church could only suspend for offenses
against morality. As far as a man is con-
cerned who shows contempt of court, there
IS no court. 1t is not proposed to shut the
Presbytery wants the trial
Rev. Mr.. Bayliss-I want to ask the pro-
fessor a question.
Prof Wilson, won't answer it.
The question was put however, and an
swered at the request of the Moderator.
Rev. Bayliss wanted to know if a Baptist
minister were to sprinkle instead of i'm
merse and were disciplined and could go to
another church. whether he could be held to
be in contempt. Prof Wilson said that min
lister was not coming TO Synod as these men
were and the cases were not parallel.
Would Place a Ban Upon the Minister'S
Rev. J. r. Thompson held that the author
ity OF the r. p. Church did not follow the
young men out of the church. He further
held that they did not act as Christian min
listers. If the prosecutors had their way the
accused would not be allowed to hold fam
lily worship or say grace at the table or COM
fort the dying by a prayer, not as ministers,
but as Christians. He urged DR.. Somerville's
resolution a sedative to hush the gather
ing storm, dissipate the fog and enable them
to get at the case.
Points of order came from all parts of the
house during Rev. Mr.. Thompson's speech,
and when he concluded the conventions
noise resembled that of many waters.
DR.. j. W. Sproul said there was but one
thing to do and that was to pass the resolu-
tions: The views of the opponents of the
Pittsburg Synod would DESTROY all authority
of the church. He wanted the Young men to
be allowed to come forward and clear their
skirts.
Rev. Mr.. Carlisle wanted to know why the
wording OF the minutes had been changed.
Prof Wilson, to DR.. sproun Don't
answer.
Dr. Sproull, however, did go on to explain
that the change was of explanatory nature
DR.. McAllister read a statement on the
subject.
Dr. Sproull wanted the young men to come
forward and say they had never wished to
show disrespect of the courts authority, so
Rev. j. S. 7. Milligan thought it wise to
let the resolutions lie on the table at the
present stage of the game. He held as
fundamental principles were not attacked
young men, simply difference of opinion.
In the first place, there was only q difference
of opinion, the offense being as to applica-
tion of thatopinion-
Suspended From One Dropped From All.
Rev. T. P Stevenson, of Philadelphia, said
it was simply a question of authority, and
not of opinion. Only those who obey the
law have a right to discuss it, He held that
if any were suspended by the r. P. Church,
they were suspended from the Christian
ministry and the preaching by the sus-
pended was an act of dtscourtesy to the
Plttsburg Presbytery.
President Johnston, of Geneva College,
wanted to lift the blame off the shoulders of
nj nj