The San Francisco call., 1896-04-15

ThirG-Has Dr.. Browns treatment OF those
findings impaired his standing in the Bay
Conference?
Fourth-Did DR.. Brown send, or cause or al
low TO be sent, certain United Press teiegrsi1n I'm
announcing his complete vindication on IN al
charges presented 10 said council, and aIte:-
ward deny such action or agency?
The first three points are technical in cher-
hcter and are concerned chiefly with the state
ments contained in the findings OF the council
Here follows the findings of the council Inc
committee then went on to say that they were
III prsGicaiiy the same position as thst % me -;
couhcil. They were not called upon 10 III
qulre into the pastoral relations OF Dr. Brown
TO the First Church. The committee takes UP
each charge. The report further said:
AS 10 whether the treatment of these fndlngs
on the part OF the church has impaired tha'
church standing in the Bay Conference; we
mite line of action 10 the church ana the
church accepted the findings, and they are
spread IN full on the minutes OF the churcH,
II would be difficult 10 find in this any cause
for cenSure This is all that Congregational
usage requires of q church, If il requires that
much. AS to any seeming discourtesy toward
the councils deliyernuces-and we have not
discovered that anything OF the sort was in
tended-we should not forget what the council
has called 1.-THE painful and divided conditions
in which this experience has left this loved
and houored church." With this IN mind, we
believe that nothing has occurred OF sufficient
significance TO warrant the grave charge OF
breach OF fellowship on the part OF that church.
/ II any event, 1t is the duty OF this conference
to be very patient with sister church OF large
and somewhat distracted membership strug-
CLING with complex problems of readl lustnent.
(c) Has DR.. Browns treatment of those find
ings impaired his standing il the Bay Confer
ence? Here, again, there was no definite
recommendation of the council for him TO
transgress. His effort TO escape the force of
the censure seems 10 Us not commendable.
That he should criticize the verdict is perhaps
no more than natural. That he should pub
Hcly repUdiate the rebuke is, of course, to step
on dangerous ground. If DR.. Brown was dis
courteous toward the findings OF the council,
which he himself disclaims, either on grounds
that TO him seemed justitiable, or otherwise,
as may be implied in the communication sent
TO us, we have no evidence that what occurred
was OF sufficiently grave Importance TO serve
as reason for the withdrawal OF fellowship
by the conference.
The fourth point presented by the letter in
volving an accuse tion of untruthfulness on
the part of DR.. Brown the committee felt TO be
a very serious matter. The suggestion, how
ever, that since ii was alleged III the public
prints the committee should investigate it,
seemed to us a dangerous innovation, and one
that exceeded our powers. The committee is
not charged with this duty by the constitution
therefore communicated with the com plain
ants, reques ting them to formulate specific
charges" In reply TO this the COM
mittee received the following letter:
OAKLAND. Cal. April =
Professor Frank H. Foster 5Gt ThirtV-f0urth street,
Oakland Cdi.-MY DEAR SIR: Please accept
thanks tor communicating the fact that notice has
been taken OF a paper which / had the honor of
sending to the committee on standing of churches
and ministers in the BaY Conference in behalf of
a certain gentleman interested In respect TO ths in
Viration given All OF us TO present formal
charges and proofs before the committee on Fri
day April 10, You will allow say that the
gentlemen with whom my name is associated in
the papers presented to your committee do not re-
gard themselves standing in the light of pros
ecutors demanding the right 10 bring proofs. :
The Bay Conference has standing committee for
this purpose. Ii in their judgment the reputation
OF the body which they represent that of DR..
BroWn, one OF Its members, Is in no wise affected
by the publications referred to- il is their DUTY to
say so. II has seemed otherwise to us and we
have suggested inquiry on your part. With great
I respect, yours truly, 5. NJ. FREELAND,
We infer from this communication that the
compartments decline to take the responsibility
( or proving the charges or rumors TO which they
call our attention. Since, therefore, it is not
the province OF this committee to disprove the
allegations OF public prints, or TO be charge
able for their correctness or falsity we couId
DO no more in this matter than to report the
situation to the conference, and await your ac-
ton. The committee has not the slightest de-
sire TO act as an obstruction TO the full inyes-
ugalon OF all matters affecting the integrity
OF aEy member Of the conference ii
no person OF persons are willing to take the
responsibility OF procuring such evidence the
conference might appoint special commits
sion. whose duty it shall be to present the
matter in due form to the committee on ere
dentlaIs. Meanwhile, that committee believe
themselves 10 have gone 10 their full extent OF
their constitutional powers. r
1t seems somewhat important that the com
mlttee should state for the consideration OF the
/ council what seems to them the correct Jt i
! ton in respect TO the functions of q committee
! on credentials These functions seem to be Judi
! clal. The committee, in the language OF the
! constitution, Is to entertain specific charges
| from responsible persons" Such specific
/ charges are necessary that the committee NAV
! know into what it has to inquire and that th e
accused person may know what he has to dis
/ prove or confess. They are TO be from RESPONSE
/ BILE persons; that is persons who are bound to
/ answer or respond in case a wrong should oc-
! cur. That is in particular, in case they have
falsely or upon insufficient ground accused any
one. They must, therefore, take upon them
the responsibility OF proving the charges which
| they present
When all this is done when there are
definite charges and responsible complainants
then and not till then il is the duty of the
committee "to inquire into the case,'' and that
inquiry is essentially a judicial inquiry in its
nature. In view therefore of the diff
culties with which both council and conference
have been troubled, and in default OF the evi-
denee which we have invited, unless the con
ference decides to take further action along
the lines indicated in this report, the only adj
Tice that this committee can give is that for
the present this matter be allowed to rest
awaiting the action of the church, in whose
hands, according to the principles of Congre-
gationalism, lie the amplest and most effective
powers OF adjusting all difficulties that now
distress 1t. CALEB SADLER,
l. II. MORSE,
WALTER FREAR,
W. w. SCUDDER Jr.,
F. Fl FOSTFp