Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-10-13
THE AMERICAN BOARD.
An Historic Meeting, with an
Historic Outcome.
Deacon {. F. Thompson Drives the
Entering Wedge.
A Summarized Report of Il Great Meet
ing which the whole Religious world
Has Watched with Deep Interest.


ing which the whole Religious World
Has watched with Deep Interest.
This week is historic in the life of the
American Board of commissioners of for
egn missions. Burning questions which
have long been bone of contention, alien
ating the Congregational churches and i'm
pairing the usefulness of the board, have
been settled. In point of fact complete
Overturn was made in the policy of the
board. The iron bound rule of conser-
vative minority which held control on the
prudential committee has been broken, and
the liberal element has triumphed by an
overwhelming majority This result is
given a peculiar local interest from the fact
that the entering wedge, or rather the ex-
plodng charge of dynamite, was introduced
by c. f. Thompson of this village, for a
long term of years corporate member of
the board.
The American Board began its S4th an
nual meeting at Worcester, Mass, Tues
day. The questions which would come be-
fore it were outlined and plainly talked
about by Rev. Charles A. Dickinson of
Berkeley Temple, Boston, in his sermon
last Sunday morning Everybody knows,
Mr.. Dickinson said, that there is something
radically wrong in the administration of
the board, and nearly everybody demands
that something be done. Last year its
finances ran $4,000 in debt. The real
cause of the distrust of the churches is that
a minority upon the board has set itself up
as theological tribunal, and is opposed to
admitting to its councils anyone who dis
agrees with them. The doctrine that God
will never forsake a human being whom he
has permitted to be born has scores upon
scores of adherents in the Congregational
church, but the officials of the board have
ruled against any man who holds to this
belief even in regard to the heather long
dead. This theological imposition must be
relegated to the museum of natural curiosi-
ties. The autocratic administration of
the board must be done away with. 1t
must be made body representative of the
churches which support it. This, in sub
| stance, was the gauntlet thrown down by
Mr.. Dickinson, who is probably the leading
exponent of the liberal element.
His alluson was to the fact that the
prudential committee had refused to send
as missionary Rev. VIM. II. Noyes, be-
cause he held that there might be future
probation for dead heather who had never
heard the gospel. After this action of the
committee Mr.. Dickinson S church, acting
on its own responsibility, sent Mr.. Noyes
as a missionary to Japan. There his
work was so satisfactory that the board of
missionaries asked for his regular appoint
ment, but it was still denied.
The principal action of the board in its
session at Worcester Tuesday afternoon
was the appointment of a committee of 10
to consider various resolutions introduced,
regarding the prudential committee, the
| 6 f1,av
Der and work of secretaries. By the
liberal element it was believed that the
policy would be to have this committee
smother any resolutions or memorials
which threatened to disturb the existing
order of things. To it were referred sew
eral resolutions urging the recognition and
appointment of Rev. Mr.. NOyes as mis-
sionaTy of the board.
MIR. ThOmpsOn's Part In the Proceedings
There had been indications Tuesday oI
| a gathering storm, but the outburst was
not expected until later in the proceed
ings. 1t came Wednesday morning from
quarter not anticipated Hon. Henry
c. Robinson of Hartford had asked to have
a memorial from the general assembly o.
Connecticut Congregational churches pre-
sented and read in open meeting, but wa
refused, and his memorial was referred t.
the committee of 10. The Worcester Sp!
in its report says:
"To c. F. Thompson of Brattleboro be
longs the honor of breaking through tn,
conservative proposition to refer all reso
lutions unread to the committee of Is
just after the reading of the Scriptures
prayer, the singing of hymn, and tn
adoption of a resolution from the busines
committee, at the beginning of the after
noon session, Mr.. Thompson, addressing
the chair, said that he wished to presen
and read memorial signed by certain la,
members of the board, reading the list O
signers which was headed by DIR. Franklil
Carter of Williams college.
"Dr Storrs, from the chair, said that, b
its action of the morning, the board ha
decided to send all memorials and resolu
tions to the committee, unread. The boar
must act If the memorial was to be reaC
The chair had no authority to allow it.
vigorously, Mr.. Thompson refused to
sat upon. He protested against the refe
r ence of memorials to the committee III
read, never, probably, to be heard frol
5 again. He protested in the name of con
E mon law, in the name of justice, and
5 claimed the right to present the memoria
: "Dr. Storrs said that he had no autho
: ity to allow the reading.
a "Rev. DR.. George L. Walker of HartfoI
+ said that he thought a great mistake ha
5 been made in sending the resolutions III
s read to the committee. State association
/, of churches had adopted and sent on M
e MORALS to the board, and if such pape
: were not to receive the courtesy even of
e reading it was time that fact should
d made known. On motion of DR.. Wake
Mr. Thompson was given permission
present and introduce the memorial, whiC
Is was signed by many distinguished layme
= President Carter of Williams college, Pre-
= ident Angel of Ann Arbor universit
y President Buckham OF Vermont universi
% and w. II. Halle of Springfield among thel
lie and which was, in substance, request
,e the immediate authorization of the a
: pointment of Mr.. NOyes by the commit
At as one of the missionaries of this board
Of Mr.. Thompson supported this memoir
n with a short, strong speech, declaring I'll
a. the laymen had no quarrel with the cler
y or the prudential committee. "The 1
d. nority is not made up of Unitarians a
r Universalists and inidels an unfortuni
n association of names If correctly repOrte
of nor do its members want new Bible.
I'd we do want men who will preach the 6