The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-12

| ,laeu for him to compel performance on
| the part OF the congregation employing
nlIn. The same may pe sand OF every
( olher class OF business obligations.
| churches have ceased Of old, 10 be
| militant and have become missionary. No
| supposed remote evils should prevent the
| passage OF q law when immediate neces-
sites demand its enactment. Under the
! present method of acquiring title to prop
erty, trustees have to De appointed by the
courts 10 hold the property, but they can
not make legal contracts. There is a cum
Dersone means provided TO allow the sale
| of the property or TO place mortgage
upon ii, but they cannot make any Dlnd-
| Ing contract.
| should favor Incorporating churches so
! that debts against them could be collect
| ed just as in any other case. The secular
/ business interests OF the churches demand
| a change. Some churches say they do not
| want the privilege: then let them fail to
take advantage of il or not. as they
please, but hot prevent others Evidence
has been given the committee that a very
large number of the churches of the State
desire to have the privilege of incorpora-
ton simply and entirely for the purpose
of properly conducting their financial
operations.
| The member from Lancaster CDR. Dun
away is a distinguished Baptist minister.
and he is afraid to even have the word
| church n entioned anywhere in the Con-
stitntion. And vet he admits that he has
in this matter taken counsel for his fears
and not CT his judgment.
WOULD ACCEPT A GIFT.
He then said what he couldn't unde--
stand was that the Doctor admits he
would gladly accept for his church a ga
Of 500. 0Oo from corporation and yet 90
| church TO properly expend 1t. or TO be
| legally responsible for its charitable or
| religious distribution.
| If YOU can incorporate all of the agen-
| cies Of the church. why not incorporate
the churches themselves?
| Judge Harrison said before the COM
| nittee he was afraid when he was on his
death-bed some preacher would come to
| him and say if you do not give my church
all your property you Will so straight to
hell Now. you know he is a virginia Cir
cult judfe. and his property at least Will
never. be the means Of his having o fear
hell or such 4 preacher either. Iaugh-
ter.)
Judge Robertson said the Protestant
churches of to-day made q great mistake
in attacking the historical churches and
raising sectarian prejudice against them
History showed that by their power and
their zeal all the barbarous nations OF the
earth had been brought into the light of
Christian influences and standardization
at least, long ago, before the modern
denominations We're born Their exist
cnce had alone been made possible by the
! work OF the historical churches. The
danger which formerly existed from too
| much power of any one church has ceas-
co There are SO many denominations
and church ORGANIZATIONS now they are
jealous Of the rights Of all the people as
40 a. Tow rrk Iva
particular. that they watch one another
| more than they do their individual selves
Iaughter-)
Judge Robertson then went into q his
tory of the law of deyiscs. and insisted
that there was no danger Of churches
gteting too much money or porperty.
or OF their using it contrary to the
best interests of the spread OF religion.
He cited many cases OF hardship re-
sulting from the present prohibNlon. and