The herald., 1896-06-25
A Part of First Presbyterian
Church Protests
THE PASTOR STILL SERENE
Interviews With Mr.. Howard and Judge
Baxter
No Action VIII Be Taken Until the Preshytery
fleets Next Week Wss That
neetlna Representative

not over yet Mr.. Howard considers the
issue closed as far as connection with
the presbytery or Presbyterian body is
concerned. No ear will be lent to the
prayerful pleadings of the presbytery.
The church has cut its bonds to the
Presbyterian body, and will remain free
and independent. But internal difficult
ties arose. The famous five who OPP
posed the action of the congregation in
cutting loose from the mother church
are not convinced; they do not believe
that the congregation had the power to
take such action; they maintain that the
congregation was not fully represented
in the vote; that only 1913 votes were
recorded, whereas the membership is
400. They will take no action until the
presbytery has met, but in the mean
time a protest is in circulation for sig
natures disavowing the action of the
congregation.
HOWARD is SERENE
The Rev. Burt Estes Howard was seen
yesterday morning and said that the
first intimation of any discord or dis
sension amongst his congregation had
been conveyed to him by the paragraph
in The Herald. He had no personal
knowledge of any such dissension. In
fact" said he, Il have not heard rip
pie of any dissatisfaction since the meet
ing of the congregation on the night of the
18th. l see that it is claimed that the
meeting was not representative. All of
can say is that it was the largest meet
ing of the congregation in the church S
history, d larger meeting even than at
Tina yhan the nnnorhp9tlnn num-
bered 500 members, instead of half that
number now. l consider it was a
thoroughly representative meeting. NO
attempt at all had been made to pack
the meeting on my behaf.and. indeed,
no one knew until the special conlueittee
of nine had reported what the sentiment
would be. do not pretend to be Versed
in law, but do not see how we can be in
terfered with, nor on what grounds an
application for an injunction to prevent
US holding'services could be made. Per-
scnally, l am perfectly satisfied with
the unanimity of the congregation and
their support. There were large at
tendances at both morning and evening
services last Sunday.
BAXTER is NOT BELLCOSE.
Judge Edwin Baxter. who was one of
the lonely five who ventured protest
and registered an adverse vote at the
historic meeting on the 18th instant and
is probably looked upon as likely lead
err of the anti-secessioHist movement.
was seen yesterday. In answer to the
reporters queries Judge Baxter said:
mo, there is no discord as far as l know;
l have certainly not heard of any idea
of moving for an injunction to restrain
Mr. Howard from holding services. do
not believe any action will be taken
until the Presbytery has met"
'Do YOU consider the congregation are
hai ri cr1, in Gppe1inp ~
The Judge did not answer this question
directly, but said: THE ma jority of the
people do not really understand the re-
lation between the congregation and the
presbytery and. between the church and
the presbytery. I have already ex-
pressed an opinion that a congregation
in taking such action loses all its rights
of property. If their action is effective
at all, they leave the Presbyterian
church. Presbyterianism differs from
other denominations in that it is sys-
tenn of government as well as form of
doctrine 1t is impossible to take such
action and still talk about being Presby-
terians''
" What is your personal feeling in the
matter? Do you consider yourself a
member of Mr.. Towards tiock?" asked
the reporter
Il have no personal luminosity in the
matter at ALL" replied Judge Baxter,
but am not member of any seeding
church. Nevertheless I always enjoy
hearing Mr. Howard preach
you do not believe that the true
spirit of the congregation was in evil
dence at the meeting which sustained
Mr.. Howard?"
II do not think people generally
grasped the gravity Of the situation or
comprehended what such action would
entail. Certain I am that those who are
opposed to secession were not repre-
scented by the small tale of five votes. I
believe there are at least one hundred
members of the present congregation
who are opposed to severing connection
with the Presbyterian church"