The San Francisco call., 1895-11-06
MINISTERS ARE DIVIDED,
Many Dissent From the Opinions
Expressed by DR..
Coyle.
A Couple of Questions Sent to
Each Minister in Alameda
County.

Rev. Robert f. Coyle, D. D., pastor of the
First Presbyterian Church of this City, is
emphatic in the declaration of his stand
ing toward the Christian Endeavor Union
of Alameda County.
AT the last meeting of the executive
committee of the union, the body which
transacts all the business for the organiZa-
ton, the following set of questions were
drawn and ordered sent to all the pastors
in the county, with request that they
reply before the next meeting of the com
mittee, which is to be held Monday, No
vember Is. The questions read:
First-Do you favor an article in our consti-
tuition making pastors eX-oficio members OF
our county executive committee?
Second-Should such an amendment be
made, could you give your personal attention
to the meetings and business of said committee?
The questions have been sent to all
pastors as directed, and all interested are
awaiting the result. The very first reply
to be received came from DR.. Coyle and is
as follows:
Miss Lulu Bo,pen Secretary:-Replying to
yours OF the 22d inst, beg to say that | am
most emphaticaly in favor of making pastors
ex-oticlo members OF the County Executive
Committee, and second could give some time
to the meetings of the committee. That, how
ever, is not the question exactly There is a
never Will consent to regard the endeavor
movement as an inde pendenu organization.
1t is just as much church society and just rs
amenable to church authority as the Sabbath
school, Kings Daughters Society or any other
society. Our Synod OF California, at its late
meeting in San Jose, took very emphatic action
and our entire denomination will do likewise.
We cannot consent to ask permission to enter
any committee or sub-organization of the
church. We demand 1t as right. Very respect
IuIIy yours, K. f. CoYLE.
The minister who is supplying the pull
pit OF the First Congregational Church un-
til successor to Rev. j. X. Mclean, DID,,
is secured makes the following reply to
the county secretary:
To your questions il appears to me to saw.
1t seems to me that to put the pastors on such
committee would be TO smother the commit
tee under the weight OF their number lam
but temporary pastor and could saw nothing
to bind my successor, the one that is to come
Respectfully, S. NJ FREELAND.
Mr.. Edward Davis of the Christian
church saws:
Personally | must answ er mo- to both
lnterrogations. In the first instance the
committee sollcits the ministers voice in
any advisory discussion, and allows the
respective society to elect him as one of its
two delegates. If the indiscriminate clergy
becomes an ex-officio factor in the union
1t merely resolves into ministerial associ-
alton. | do not maintain that the execu-
tive committee has not made mistakes. I
merely ask: Was there ever a mistake
made by ministerial association? In the
second case, purpose of the Endeayor
Society has been to assist the church. If
the pastor must devote his time to that
which is to be his aid, feel that the fifth
wheel should be torn from the gospel car.
81 contend for principle. If the min
listers OF denominational prejudices shall
poison the lmpartiality of a new genera
ton, the Haunted banner, For Christ and
the Church, may be hauled down and
over the vessel of the disrupted Union NAV
be holsted at half-mast the ensigns, A. Z.
A. and 7. M. l., the Epworth aud West
minister leagues, the Baptist Union and
the Kings Daughters societies. Yes, l
would rather see the society 2,O0O, 900
strong sink in an upfathomed sea of
self-destruction than to float on the slime
OF sectarian selfishness. The ministers of
this city, more loyal to the sLirit OF Christ
than to their respective churches, cannot
afford by their interferences to lessen the
executive responsibility of the Young peo-
pie of the Society of Christian Endeavor. -
Rev. A. S. Mcclellan or Siskiyou County,
who is in attendance at the annual meet
ing OF the General Association of Con-
gregational churches offered an amend
ment to the constitution of the County
Union three years ago to make ministers
eX-ofilclo members of the executive COM
mittee. AT the time there was no talk
about the matter and when it came UP to
vote there were only very few who
voted for it. 1t was almost a solid vote in
the negative. 81 am of the opinion" said
he to-day, "that it would have been much
better if the union had accepted it at that
time. 1t is only principle that is at
stake by the request and | can see nothing
wrong IN pressing the amendment. [ be-
lleve it should be adopted at this time to
save any further trouble in the future"
The nepenthe or pitcher plant is found
In twenty or thirty varieties. 1t is in
dIgenous to Sumatra, Borneo. South India,
Ceylon and many parts of Southern Asia
and tropical Africa. In its simplest form
q small receptacle or pitcher depends from
the end of leaf or stem, hinged lid clos
Ing the upper part of the vessel.