The herald., 1893-11-10
AN HISTORICAL GATHERING
Liberal Presbyterians End
Their Session.
A Determined Stand Against tn
Orthodox Brethren.
They WIN Fight for Their Rights II
the Church of Their Choics-A
Proclaim ,tion Given to
the Public.
By the Associated Press.


CLEVELAND, Nov. 9.-The conferences
of Presbyterian liberal ministers closed
its sessions in Calvary church this after
noon, and the conclusions reached made
the gathering 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 sessions were secret and no one
seems authorized to talk, but commit
tee appointed by the conference this
evening gave out proclamation. The
committee consisted OF Rev. .Dr. Patter-
son, Chicago; Rev. DR.. Egbert, st. Paul ;
Rev. DR.. Brown, New York; Rev. DR..
Fisk, Ithaca. N. Y; Rev. White. Co.
lumbus, O.; Rev. Millard, Rochester,
and Rev. Hayden, Cleveland.
The proclamation states that the
ministers being seriously concerned In
view of certain facts and tendencies in
the Presbyterian church, they make the
statement chat the general assembly
has no right to impose upon the church
new doctrinal statement, and the in
depreciation OF doctrine by the courts OF
the church ought always to be strictly
within the standards and with sacred
regard to the broad and generous serms
OF the reunion OF 1870.
The committee believes ''most Hcrupu-
lous care should be used in all trials for
doctrinal Emergencies and view with
great concern interpretations OF our
standards strained beyond any just re-
gard for the compact OF the reunion. No
court of our church has right to cup
press respectful action by the Indicator
les below it expressing apprehension
concerning anything in the church. The
right of petition and remonstrance must
not be denied in the church of Christ.
The Interpretation of one or two phrases
in the book OF discipline, as meaning
that the prosecuting committee is inde-
pendent OF the court which appointed it,
and capable of prosecuting after the
judicatory had acquitted, is a strained
Interpretation leading logically to many
absurdities and possibly to miscafriages
of justice. If phrases are susceptible to
ouch Interpretation they ought to be
eliminated"
The committee continuing says: 1--WE
believe it is no part of the constitutional
power OF any court of church to warn
honest and God-fearing men to with
draw from the ministry because they
cannot accept the interpretations OF
doctrine which are outside of the letter
of confession and which have never
been settled by the sanction of the
presbyter in legal way. A with
drawal from the church enjoined by a
resolution OF the court, is not provided
for in the book OF discipline, and car
ries no obligation of obedience. The
committee believes the church broad
and strong enough to abide by the spirit
OF the compact of reunion and embrace
all forms and schools which accept the
the essential and necessary articles of
our common faith, acknowledging the
Lord Jeeps as the divine master, and the
Bible as the only infallible rule"
The proclamation calls upon Presby-
terians to stand together in defense OF
reasonable liberty of opinion in the
church andsof the constitutional rights
of individual members, and heartily
approves the protest OF DR.. Herrick
johnson, DR.. Nicolls and others at the
last general assembly.
In closing. the committee Gays: 1--WE
most urgently counsel brethren who
may be perplexed to abide in the COM
munion and service OF the church, as
sured that in doing go they are within
their constitutional rights. Only pro-
found sense OF peril that besets tho
church leads us to make this declsra-
tion OF what seems to us fundamental
principles, in a conference held at Cleve-
land, o., November Sth and 9th, 1898.
"(Signed) HIRAM G. HAYDEN,
Chairman.
THOMAS @. HALL,
stCanratarr