The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-20
APPEAL TO SCHISMATICS.
Pastoral Address to the Members of the
Evangelical Association of This Part of
Pennsylvania

of the East Pa. conference, who have
been associated with the so-called mi
nority movement" but whose sincere
and evident purpose it has been
throughout to remain in the denomina-
tion in the name of our blessed Lord
greeting!
I'm addressing you it is not our pur-
pose to enumerate the causes which
have led to the present state of affairs,
nor to review the history of recent years,
briefly in so far as is neces-
sary to state clearly the attitude of the
church towards you.
I'm 1891, at its nineteenth quadren-
NAL session in Indianapolis, Ind, the
general conference decided the ques-
tions at issue in the church, and being
its Supreme Court of Law the de-
cision was final so far as the church it.
self was concerned. But the question
was at once raised as to which was the
true and lawful general conference
Then followed the appeal to the civil
courts and the tedious process of liti-
CATION, during which time you remained
with the churches in the control of the
so called minority waiting for the
final settlement of the question as to
which was the rightful government in
the church. The great majority of the
conferences,as well as that Of
the ministry and membership, together
with the overwhelming voice of the
general conference had spoken. We
think that should have been sufficient.
The Church Has Waited.
although you have in the meantime
not been actively identified with the
regular organization of the church, yet
accrediting you with honest though
mistaken motives the church has waited
for the time when the determination
of the rightful organization should be
so clear and overwhelming as to leave
no reasonable doubt in your mind.
That time has come. You said you were
waiting for the decisive day when the
civil courts would speak That day
has dawned. The voice of the civil
courts has uniformly upheld the regu-
larity Of the general conference itself
and the legality of its proceedings. The
highest legislative and judicial au-
thOrity of the church and the supreme
tribunals of the various states have
spoken and their conclusion Is one.
This concensus of opinion is highly i'm
pressive and leaves no reasonable cause
for further hesitation.
Can you hesitate any longer? In
addressing you we assume that you still
love the evangelical association, that
her past is a precious legacy and her
future a cherished hope. We further
assume that you respect the laws of
your country and hold in veneration the
decisions of its highest courts, and that
therefore when the church which you
love has, through its lawful general con-
ference, spoken and when the civil
courts, which you honor, have vindi-
Gated its authority and re-enforced its
conclusions, and when, moreover, the
voice of the Shepherd Is heard through
out the church calling upon you, not
withstanding the past, to remain with
in the fold, can you longer hesitate?
Why Withdraw from the Fold.
believing it to be true what you have
frequently said, namely, that you are
satisfied with the doctrines and dis
cipline of the church, we ask, Why
withdraw from its fold and drift into
an unknown and perilous future? Is
this the day for the organization of
new denominations? Is not the best
thought of Christendom opposed to it
And is 1t not true that every schismatic
movement which has not had for its
basis some conscientious change in
fundamental doctrine or polity has
ended in disaster? And Is 1t right to
multiply churches, especially in COM
munities where they will only stand as
q monument of schism and therefore
of reproach, and where the churches al.
ready in existence are not adequately
supported? We leave these questions
with you in the kindliest spirit and in
the hope that you appreciate their sa-
cred Importance.
you have been told by those to
whose personal interest it is to lead you
away from the church into q denomina-
tion of of their own formation, that the
church authorities care only to secure
the church property, and are uncon-
cerned about the membership; that
our purpose Is to turn certain portions
of congregations out Of the churches
and certain others in. Nothing can
be farther from the truth. The only
purpose of the church throughout this
entire controversy has been to perpetu-
ate its own life, to maintain intact Its
organization, to keep all the congrega-
tions and churches in organic connec-
tion. Briefly stated, the purpose is to
place the authorized pastors into the
pulpits and to retain vital and normal
relation between the congregations and
the church at large. This is absolutely
essential to the life of the church
as well as of the congregations, and
that it is necessary to secure and main
tain the required unanmity in doctrine
life, and worship, needs no argument
This is more particularly true where the
associated form of government and the
itinerant ministry exist.
Voice Sentiments of the Church.
1--WE desire to say to you, therefore
that in placing the properly authorized
pastors in the various pulpits and II
restoring q normal status in the con
gregations, not one among you who de-
sires to remain in the church with us
and who sincerely subscribes to its doc
trines, submits to it's order and discip
line, and accepts the conclusions of the
general conference, held at Indianap
oils, Ind, in 1891, will be barred out
but on the contrary your membership
with all its rights, privileges, and obli
cations will be sacredly regarded. w,
speak in the name of East Pennsylvania
Conference of Evangelical Association
and voice the sentiment of the church
at lul SN.
do not allow yourselves. because o.
any personal preference or prejudice, t
become permanently alienated In you
affections and attachment from tn,
church we all have reason to love 81
much. We entreat you in the sacred
name of our Lord to worship in tn,
church at whose altars you were saved
under whose minlstrations you wer,
edited in Christ Jesus, and whose his
tory and spirit we all hold in such hon
ored and hallowed memory. Your pre-
sent and eternal welfare is our highes
concern, and that none of those whom
God has given as heritage to tn,
Evangelical association should be los
either to the church or to her divin,
Lord, our highest purpose.
Thomas Bowman, S. G. Breyfogel
B. F. Bonner, o. L. Saylor, w. A. Leo
pold. committee"