The herald., 1896-06-07

ity, but it will require the members of
the Westminster church to make an
equitable division of church property
with the Central church, and as l un-
derstand there are no funds in the treas
ury of the Westminster church appli-
cable to this purpose, the money will
have to be raised by the church mem
bers. Something over 5000 out of total
assets of ISL, 900 was awarded by the
presbytery to the Central church. ID
meekly submit to the presbytery's de
cree in other respects and raise this sum
of money for the Central church would
show spirit of Christian humility and
loyal self-sacrificing devotion to Pres
byterianism so at variance with their
past conduct in the defiance of the pres
bytery's authority, and in the appropria-
tion of the entire church property that
the charges heretofore made against
them, that they were governed in this
controversy by an unchriStian spirit,
would soon be effaced.
Il hope that Mr.. Howard will yield to
the general assembly, as the Presbyte-
rian church cannot we'll afford to lose
man of such great power for good.
and even conceding Mr. Howard's un-
doubted ability it is doubtful as to
whether he can afford, even from the
standpoint of his personal ambition, to
cut loose all affiliation with the great
Presbyterian church.
I'm the event of Mr. Howard and the
session of the Westminster church re-
fusing to bow to the decision of the gen.
eral assembly, what course would then
be followed by the Central church?
such action upon the part of Mr..
Howard and his session would operate
in law as forfeiture of all property
rights now claimed by the church; and
II there should remain an element of
Presbyterian loyalty still in the church
sufficient to form a neuclus for church,
the presbytery might organize such ele-
ment into a church, or make it the
Westminster church. in which event it
would be doubtless instructed to insti-
tute legal proceedings to recover the
property, and l think would prevail in
such suit. If, however, there should
not be substantial element of loyalty
to the presbytery left in the Westminster
church sufficient to justify it's being or .
ganized into a separate church, then
the Central church would doubtless be
considered the sole successor of the old
First Presbyterian church, and would
probably be instructed by the presbytery
to institute proceedings to recover the
entire property; in fact, it is not entirely
improbable that such relief could be OBJ
tanned in the suit now pending. if the su-
preme court should reverse Judge Van
Dyke upon the appeal from his decis-
ion heretofore rendered, sustaining the
demurrer to the complaint of the Cen
trail church, and 1 have confidence that
the supreme court will do this. But, as
l know that Mr.. Howard and his sup
porters do not believe that their refusal
to submit to the church decree will en-
tail any loss of property, l fear that they
may still remain defiant; still, do not
, expect this. If Mr. Moward and his fol-
lowers conclude that they cannot con-
scientiously submit to the recent action
, of the general assembly. the manly
course would be to withdraw from the
Presbyterian church or join a church
with whose form of government and
creed they could conform, but not to
, try to carry over to that church prop
erty sacredly dedicated to the uphold
ing of another and different form of gov
ernment or creed"