Richmond planet., 1901-08-17

dividual or organizationto. lisnis me,,iz
that right.
/ shall publish anySaing.lI see fiji
which is c,ouched in decent lnpuar-a
and u a ass9urce of infounatinn TO our
i readers. / shall expose all iyapro1,sr
and unlawful rings, cliqEes or>co,nbina.
I tons regardless OF the consequences
| either to myself or the journal which /
represent
HAVE xsO.BpSGR.
When il the right, / have no fear. I
have rCveT yet trailed my banDer i'm the
dust In the defense of the down .trodden
colored people, even when faced COM
bmatioaismore poWSsrfuL and dapperous
than tbeoone with whiohH am, nov CON
tending. u have trasted IN God and He
has neyerVet deceived oriforsaken me.
have llsssn in the courts three times
pm defeusetof my rigAt TO publish and
Idhree tunes have white juDies Ge0id I'd in
favor OF my right to publish.
vsHzE IRONY OF F.yTss.
1t seems to be the irony of fate * at l
have been but once hsfore-a body Of col
ored people,ald that time have been
condemned hor exercising "a privilege.
w nich is s2nown and recognized to he a
right by a1hmen, who haBve the rintslli-
Eence and ability TO understand The
fundamental Sprinciples underlying our
form of government
5avlng then overritien Stne laws of
man, this same ring pra1eedeS to over
ride the laws Of God
Se9HAw VIOLATED.
no where In the Bible which is the
foun tain-heGd of all law and as i'm fac5
the guide TO an extent even in the courte
OF the land can there be fcrnd one word
line or syllable 90 cover the case or To
condemn member, who aS ,edit0r made
pubic the proceedings of t&se ,ohnrch.
IL NJ plainly evident that this action
was Illegal and void.
l reiterate thendjlat 1 have violated
no la1g. OF the church. How then could
a demand be made upon me ID AK mar
don when no offanse had been commit
ted! How then oonid / be Legally ex-
cIuded when no rule of the c44uroh had
been violated! do not presume that it
Is necessary for nae ito call attention 10
the 18th chapter OF Matthew. whioh
sets forth the proper rule of eonGuct
IN dealing with all cases of discipline.
lnsteadsof complying with the prsvi-
Aions, paper containing forged naraes
Il
9Th, calling for a meeting Monday
night, July 18th, and an effort was
made to exclude me without ereusa
hearing or even NOTICE to appear.
THE GOSPEL RULE pAsREGARpED.
No one hadbeen to see me, but ON ts,a-
ton, writes. communication was sent
TO me TO appear at the church meeting
August 9th TO show cause,why should
not be excluded.
Did you ever hear of church sending
a written communication to a brother,
citing him to appear? Do,you not know
that 1t was proper for the member, who
made the charge 50 go to the brother
against whom the charge was made.
and thereby comply with the mandate
~ provisions Of the 18th Chapter Of
Matthew
THE DUTY oFEHE CHURCH.
Certainly. committee should have
waited upon him. But this was not
done. When 1 appeared before the
chunch, l Was brow-beaten and insult
ed. Although called to show cause why
l should not he excluded, when obeyed
the church and appeared L was denied
the right to do what the church had di
- w AO AAAN w as SACluOSu W1ll0
on the hoor in my own defense.
L presume You know that no case of
discipline can come properly before tue
First Baptist Church until il has first
been brought before the Deacon Board.
Should that body fail or refuse TO con.
slider 1t, then it can be brought before
the church; but. not nntil this is done
can a brother be brought before the
church.
THE CHURCH, THE LAST RESORT.
So true is this that "Hiscock's New
Directory for Baptist Churches. - the
recognized Baptist authority, declares
that should brother be brought before
the church first, before an effort has
been made to correct the offense com
planned of, the member, who brings the
matter up should be himself punished.
This then is brief review of the case
which has attracted attention through.
out this country, and which is being
watched with interest by all, regardless
Of religion or denomination.
NEVER HEARD OF SUCH BEFORE.
/ am frank to confess that have new.