St. Paul daily globe., 1893-11-10
LIBERAL PRESBYTERIAhS.
THEY ARE DETERMINED TO FIGHT
FOR THEIR RIGHTS.
THE CLEVELAND CONFERENCE.

THE CLEVELAND CONFERENCE.
Proclamation Issued on Certa.n N
Facts and Tendencies of the
Church by Patterson, of Chi
cago; Egbert, of st. Paul;
Brown, of New York; Hayden,
of Cleveland, and Others.
Cleveland, O., Nov. 9.-The Presby-
terian conference concluded its sessions
in Calvary church this afternoon, and
the conclusion reached made this gath
erng an historical one. The liberal
| gentlemen who composed the conference
have taken determined stand against
their more orthodox brethren and are
determined to fight for their rights in
the church of their choice. The con-
ference of today was surrounded with
the same air of mystery and secrecy
which pervaGed the gathering at the
first day of its meeting. No one seemed
to be authorized to give out the routine
| features of the conference.
| 1t was learned that paper was pre-
| pared and will be given out Friday
morning which shall announce the posi-
tion of the liberal ministers upon the
prevailing questions and more especially
the logical positions of its clergy upon
the issues recently raised by the heresy
trial of Rev. Dr.. Briggs. The paper an
nounces that the place for liberal Pres
| byterians is in the church, and that be :
| cause they have new ideas 1t is not
| necessary that they should resign. 1t
| recommends that the Presbyterian
clergymen of advanced views should
| contest every inch Of ground and should
| not leave their church until they are
| forced out.
1t claims that the general assembly
mas no right to proclaim dogmaS and no
clergyman is compelled to recognize
new dogmaS. The documents pugflistic
throughout. and while 1t was the sub
Ject for lengthy discussion it was
agreed to with practical unanmity.
The committee selected by the Pres
byterian liberals to draw up their
proclamation consisted of Rev. Dr.
Patterson, of Chicago; Rev. DR.. John
Paul Egbert, of St. Paul, Mimi; Rev.
DR.. Brown, of New York City; Rev.
E. E. White, of Columbus. o.; Rev. DIR.
Nelson Millard. of Rochester, n. Y;
and Rev. Ii. G. Hayden, of this city.
They handed the following 10 the news
paper men early this evening:
1--WE, the undersigned ministers and
elders of the Presbyterian church in
the United States of America, being
seriously concerned in certain facts and
tendencies i'll our church, hereby make
the following statement:
First-We believe that the general
IA h!y hoe rir to
the church new doctrinal statements
under the guise of Interpretation,
whether by deliverance or through ju-
diclal process, and further, that inter-
probation of doctrine by the courts of
the church ought always to be strictly
within the letter of standards, and
with sacred regard to the broad and
generous terms of the reunion of 1870.
Second-We believe that the most
scrupulous care should be used i'll all
trials for doctrinal Emergencies from
the standards, especially now, when
large majority of the presbyteries have
expressed, after much deliberation,
their dissatisfaction with our confession
OF faith as it stands, their desire for its
revision, and many of them their desire
for new creed. We view with grave
concern procedures at such a time, con-
Quoted to seyerest sentence by what
seems to us interpretations OF our
| standards strained beyond their letter
and tar beyond any just regard for the
| compact OF the reunion.
Third-We believe that no court of
our church has right by deliverance,
| or resolution. or rebuke or otherwise to
seek to suppress respectful action by
| judiciatories below IL, expressive of
their anxiety and apprehension concern
ing anything in the church which seems
to them to impair the constitutional
liberties of the church, or of any of its
members. The right of petition and
remOnstrance must not be denied in the
Church of Christ.
Fourth-We believe that the :nterpre-
tation of one or two phrases in our book
of discipline, as meaning that prose-
cutting committee should become, from
the moment it enters ON its work, inde-
pendent of the court which appointed
1t. capable of living. on even after the
Judiciatory has died, and of prosecuting
after the judiciatory mas acquitted, is
strained Interpretation leading logically
TO many absurdlties and easily possible
miscarriage of justice. Ii these phrases
are fairly susceptible of such interpre-
tatlOn they ought to be eliminated from
the book.
Fifth-We believe that it is no part of
the constitutional power of any court
of the church to warn honest aud God
fearing men to withdraw themselves
from its ministry or eldership because
they cannot accept as binding upon
them interpretations of doctrines which
are outside the confession, and which
have never been settled by the sanction
of the presbyteries in any legal way.
This method of discipline by with
drawal, enjoined by resolution of a
church court, is not provided for in the
book of discipline. Such warning car
rleS no obligation of obedience.
SiXth-We believe that our church is
broad enough and strong enough to
abide by the spirit of the compact of re-
union and to embrace in its communion
and its ministry all forms and schools of
reveIent scholarship which accept the
essential and necessary articles of our
common faith, acknowledging the Lord
Jesus as divine master and Saviour and
the Bible as the only infallible rule of
faith and practice.
Seventh-We call upon all Presbyte-
| rians to stand together in defense of rea-
sonable liberty Of opinion in the church
and of the constitutional rights of in
dlvidual members wherever assailed.
and we heartily approve Of the protest
of DR.. Herrick Johnson, DR.. Nichols,
and others at the last general as
sembly.
Eighth-We do most urgently counsel
our brethren who may be perpleXed
concerning their duty to abide In the
communion and service of the church,
assured that in SO dOinu thay rapnai,,