The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-07-06

DyLerlan Cnurcl OF the Onltet
States of America now as hereto
fore; but to do so he must renounc'
the former and unite with the lat
ter, Just as Methodist or a Bap
fist or a Southern Presbyterian
would have to do to accomplish
the same end. In doing this ht
would inevitably become a secedeI
from the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, and thereby lose all his
rights and privileges therein as tc
both property and worship.
Each local Cumberland Presby.
terrain Church, or congregation,
still owns and has the absolute
legal right to use and control its
local church property for local
church purposes. No action OF
the congregation, or eldership, or
trustees, one or all, by majority,
minority, or as a whole, can change
the legal aspect of that property
as fixed by deed or will, or legally
pass it from the Cumberland Pres
byterian Church to the Presbyte-
rian Church U. S. A. Such a
change would be an illegal diver.
sion, subject to restraint by injunc.
ton while being attempted and to
annullment by decree of court after
the act has been done.
If, fortunately, any Cumberland
Presbyterian congregation should
be reduced to minority, or a sim
gle member, by the withdrawal or
secession of the other members
whether for the purpose of unit
ing with the Presbyterian Church
U. S. A., or with some other church
or with no church at alD, that per-
severing minority or member
would then own and hold the local
property of the particular church
under the original trust for which
it was given or conveyed; and if
the congregation should all with
draw or secede it could not divert
the property and carry it with it
into another church.
Any pastor, employed by Cum
berland Presbyterians, who denies
his allegiance to the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church and processes
to have become, by union or other
wise, member of the Presbyterian
Church Z. S. A., thereby, in legal
contemplation, breaches his con-
tract and terminates his pastorate.
In such case self respect on his
part and fairness to others, alike,
demands that he voluntarily resign
md vacate. Should he not do this,
he congregation or session, one
Or both, or such parts of them,
whether majority or minority, as
continue to be loyal Cumberland
Presbyterians, have the legal right
and are in duty bound to request
him to retire and to call a loyal
Cumberland Presbyterian minister
10 his stead.
Those of the eldership and mem
bership Of the particular congre-
cation, if any, and whether many
Or few, who, like the pastor, deny
to the Cumberland Pres
byterian Church and profess to
have become, by union or other
wise, members of the Presbyterian
Church u. 5. A., have no legal
right to insist on his retention, or
to question in any way the right
Of the loyal Cumberland Presby-
terians to employ a pastor of their
own choosing in his stead.
Any elder, deacon or trustee,
elected by Cumberland Presby-
terians, who denies his allegiance
10 the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church and processes to have be-
come, by union or otherwise,
member of the Pres b Y terian.
Church U. S. A., thereby vacates
bis Office and in legal contempla-
ton denudes himself of all rights
and trusts IN connection with the
business and property Of the con-
gregation; and in consequence of
this action on his part the mem.
bers of the congregation remain
ing loyal Cumberland Presbyteri-