Richmond planet., 1900-07-14
4 LIVELY TIME.
AT THE FOURTH BAP.
TIST CHURCH LAST
TUESDAY EVEN
ING.
Rev. z. D. Lewis Resolution
not Popular Measure.
DISSATISFACTION MANIFESTED.


The Fourth Baptist Church was the
scene of lively contest on last Tues
day evening, the occasion being q
council meeting to hear the charge
against the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church
for retaining members in her church
who were excluded from the Fourth
Baptist Church The meeting was very
stormy from beginning TO end and was
opened without devotional exercises,
and seemed more like political than
a church meeting, where everything
except peace, harmony and satisfsc-
tioI prevsilt d ; with the exception Of q
few. The ministers were stripped OF
their holy gsrb and had left their dig.
nifty ag home, snd the standard Of
christianity of which they are repre-
sentatives was trailing in the dust
raised by themselves.
We speAk from no standpoint of
prejudice on this matter, but simply
give plain facts ss they happened in
The meeting, only emitting some which
to our judgement is not worthy OF
publication, either from non-iuterest
to the reader or its unbeeomiag Lam
gusge TO our miaisters.
COUNCIL CALLED TO ORDER.
The council was called to order by
Rev. II ID Lewis, who nominated Rsv.
DE-, bn ga OF Manchester as permanent
chairman and Rev. Stokes of Rich
mond as secretary. Being the only
nominees, they were both elected
This being accomplished, Rev. Lewis
took his seat with the body Of the
council and was prepared for war.
After the reading of the charge
against Mt. 0livet Baptist Church and
the informal Invitation extended to
them by the Fourth Baptist Church to
be present at this council, he meet
ing was then opened for eash delegate
to express himself on the subject.
After many q questions being asked by
the visiting brethren, who received
from the moderator no satisfactory an
swer. owing TO his not being aeq quaint-
ed with but one side OF the subject be-
fore reaching the church, the dele.
gates were left only to guess what they
were made OF which we will spare our
readers.
IN NAME IT WAS AN ADVISORY oouScIL.
IN sENss, A PoLlTIcAL ONE.
Rev. q. D. Lewis face besmed with
satisfaction as did also the faces of
those who were aware OF what was
about to happen. Thinking he had q
club from which one blow would kill
the enemy, Rev. Lewis drew forth q
premature resolution destined TO
crush those against whom there wes q
charge without even giving them o
hearing, but not so as we shall see for
when that resolution was read and Of
fered to the council rs q means to set
tie the charge against the Mt. Oiivet
Baptist Church, the boiling done
in that council woult 4 have made o po-
litical meeting blush for shame.
Croker, the boss of Tammany Hall,
in all of his sh echepary and political
tricks could not have equalled this
bold attempt to relieve others of the
same rights thar the author O. the res
olution would himself like to enjoy.
THE RESOLUTION.
The resolution was a display OF high
sounding words, which was intended
to show the authors familiarity with
the English language as well SIS to
crush without q trial the members OF
the Mount Olivet Baptist Church, and
should have been palmer so that some
OF the ministers aud many of the dele
gates could understand the entire res
olution.
The substance OF the resolutiOnwas
the denouncing of the Mt. Oiivet Bap-
tist Church, Co drive out ell member 8
new in her church who were excluded
from the Fourth Baptist Chur ch when
neither the church in question nor the
members had o representative in the
council, not having received their no.
tice in Of the council in due form nor
time. Failing Sc comply with this un.
fair request, in SCI days theright-hAnd
Of fellowship sho uld be with drawn
from the Mt. Olivst Baptist Caurch.
This came rs o thunder. clap from q
clear sky and naturally created quiz 6
. commodation which led to heated
arguments, pro and con.
The once pleasant look on the au-
thor's face now turned to . deter
mined one and he spoke for It as II his
life depended on Is. Here his sea-
got the better Of his discretion and
| judgement. Never did q lawyer de.
fend his client with moro energy, nor q
Senator fight with more zeal to have
has pet bill passed IN Congress than
did Rev. Lewis defend his measure.
At FIRST Jhere Was o suspicion Of the
yesOlQtion being out OF tho meeting