The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-10-24
A DUBSITE ARGUMENT.
The Evangelical Church Question Set
Forth With Intelligence.

interest the opinion OF the Supreme
Court on the Evangelical Association
church controversy. have also read the
pastoral address Of the Bishop published
in the Reading Eagle Of October 9Th, and
Philadelphia Press Of October 9TH. 1t
seems queer, after reading the opinion OF
the court carefully, that Bishop Bowman
and his followers should believe that the
| civil court had vindicated them 1t is
true that the civil courts have entered
judgment in their favor, but the moral
victory is surely not with them. The
Supreme Court says: "The action of
! Bishop Bowman and few friends in
organizing rival conference was wholly
unauthorized by the discipline and the
| body so organized, not having a quorum
of those entitled to sit as members of the
East Pennsylvania Conference was an
irregular body, without authority or eo-
clesiastical character under the discipline
The annual conference may sit without a
bishop, and its acts be valid in all respects.
A Bishop cannot sit with less than a
quorum and make by his presence a legal
| conference out of that which would not
have been such in his absence. If present
he presides, but he is nota necessary part
of the body; and his presence therefore
with those who without him would be
without authority, can add nothing to
them. II there had been no division in
the conference the presence of the bishop
could not have given to a few Of its
n, ann bnrs tha oborootor ,,rJ ,,,,,.,.- 80 .
quorum. His conduct and that of his
friends in suspending and expel!iug pre-
siding elders and others was clear
usurpation Of power and the sentences so
pronounced had no force or effect. The
bishop and a handful of adherents were
in another place assuming the powers OF
a quorum and Illuminating their orders
and judgments with the utmost self
completing and in plain disregard of the
discipline. The appointments made by
this body gave no legal right to the ap
pointees and imposed no legal duty on the
congregations concerned"
Here, then, we have every question
touching the regularity of the East Penn
sylvania Conference decided in favor Of
! Bishop Dubs' adhere nts and most post.
tive ruling of the Supreme Court as to
! the surpatlon OF Bishop Bowman and
of the unlawfulness of the East Peuusyl.
vania Conference presided over by him.
How, then, does it come that the Supreme
Court ultimately decides In favor OF
Bishop Bowman In this way: The
Supreme Court holds that the discipline
confers absolute power on the General
| Conference, and that the civil power the
law of the land, cannot, even for the pro.
lection of property, compel the General
Conference to abide by the plain language
of the discipline The General Conference
! is absolute. Whatever it decides must be
accepted. Therefore, when the General
| Conference at indianapolis decided con.
trary to the Judgment of the Supreme
| Court, that the East Pennsylvania Cou
ference, presided over by Bishop Bowman
was the regular conference, this ended the
controversy. The whole thing seems very
odd, A denomination has a written con
stitution in which the rights of parties
are defined in the ordinary language useC
among men. The civil court interprets
this language TO mean one thing but &
majority of the preachers in the church
who are clothed with general powers, un
der the title of the General Conference, say
that this language means something else
and their decision is to be final. 1t is moi
the first time that conflict arose between
decisions made by the civil tribunals and
the ecclesiastical courts. In fact, the
history of Christianity starts with q
startling conflict of this kind, PLATE
the civil magistrate, when Jesus WA
brought before him, said 81 have ex
amined him before you, and have founC
no fault in this man touching those thing
whereof you accuse him." But the ecclt
siastical court, (the chief priests ant
scribes) cried Cruelty him crucif!
him p and then, as now, the civil cour
confirmed the judgment of the priests
The contrast between the two decisions /
most remarkable. The ecclesiastical cour
decides the Bowman conference Il
be the legal one. The Supreme Cour
of Pennsylvania saws it was illegal
The whole controversy then is re
reduced to this Bishop Bowman
instead of being vindicated, is condemne,
by the highest tribunal in the state o
Pennsylvania. His vindication come
from his own ecclesiastical court, preside,
over by himself. 1t was composed o
preachers, and constituted, numerically
bare majority of the Evangelical Asso
citation. The decision they rendered Il
/ his favor is contrary to the language an,
the spirit of the discipline. So the Su
preme Court OF Pennsylvania decides
but because their power is absolute tn
Supreme Court says it must be respects
by the civil court. Here is their language
whether the General Conference decide,
all these questions in the wisest name
is not now for consideration. It's deoisio
settled the law for the Evangelical AssC
citation and we must recognize an
apply it in this case" In othe
words, the Supreme Court find
that Bishop Bowman violated tn
| dfeafpIina tfn oroanfginn a ,.fyoI oor