The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-01


ference. There were in all forty-six
members. Among them were President
Cyrus Northrop and Professor A. E.
Haynes Of the university, and Dr.
Cooks son, Rev. James ". Cool Of the
5Bedford Park Congregational church of
New York city. Is.
Northrop Is Moderator. -.
President Northrop was elected mod
orator, and presided with that benig-
nant dignity enlivened with those flash
ss of inimltable wit, which have made
him the lion of the banquet, hall and
lecture platform. He gave the assem-
blage. an atmosphere at once judicial
and delightful.
The clerk Of the church read the
church records of the call to DR.. Cool,
and his acceptance. DR.. Cool presented
his credentials of ecclesiastical stand
Ing. and made his personal statement
The principal interest naturally cen
tered in his reasons for, leaving the
Methodist church.
DR.. Cool's Statement.
"In church government, he said,
s"every intelligent person and particu-
makes choice between the Episcopal
and Congregational systems. The pol
ity Of the Methodist Episcopal church
contains some remarkable things in
modern eccleslasticism.
Power Of Bishop.
.The bishops. are elected for life.
Only moral obliquity or mental or phys
zeal disability of the gravest kind,
raises the, question of a change of rela-
ton. The election Of each bishop, in
vests him with absolute official author
ity and power over the fields of labor
Of all ministers who come under tho
30 t14x al,
those who have favored his election to
the office and those who have not. He
also has arbitrary power over the
churches, as to who shall be their min
lister, From his appointment there is
no appeal. These appointments may
be made without adequate knowledge
Of the local situation.
ga custom of administration has
grown up that destroys. the universal
and unifo rm application Of the best fea-
lures Of the entire system. The official
declaration Of the church contains the
following, Direct negotiations! be-
tween pastors and churches in advance
the bishops are contrary to the spirit
of our itinerant ministry and subver-
,sive Of our ecclesiastical policy and as
such should be discouraged by our
bishops, pastors and people, -.
- -. Bargains Are Made.
In the face Of this, private nego-
tiations are made, and the bishops
sanction the bargains: This has come
churches, Such negotiations are usually
approved by the appointing powers.
The rest Of the churches are advised
to remember their vows Of fidelity to
the rules of the church The other min
listers in particular are reminded that
they are on record to keep the rules
and not to mend them. The result
Men who conscientiously do the work
of the ministry, according to the pub
lie polity Of the system, are put at
an uncalledfor disadvantage. I have
no objection to the conference Of min
listers and churches, where the system
honestly calls for this plan, and all
the churches and ministers stand on
law. But the practical working Of this
system is neither Episcopal nor is It
Congregational. It is, more definitely
speaking, the inferior features of both
systems. - .@'.'' -.
.e,''A bishop has the supervision Of a
given territory called a conference for
one year at time. He is then, succeed
ed by another bishop with absolute au-
thority to reverse all the plans of his
predecessor. The tendency Of the system
is toward headless political machine.
thus subverting the spirit Of the gospel
of Christ. Personally I prefer Congre-
;gationalism straight to mixture Of
\ the two systems in one administration.
Gone other matter: The advance of
the most intelligent of modern Chris
tianity is toward the exaltation of the
church as a whole to be its own gov
erning body, as led by: the spirit of the
New Testament, rather than toward
absolutism in Episcopal authority. NV
own opinion is, that if local autonomy
is the safest and sanest theory Of mod.
ern civil government in a republic like
ours, the same theory will reasonably
obtain in the conduct of the Church of
Christ, which is the pillar and ground
OF truth, both civic and ecclesiastic.' -
Doctrinal Points: ,... = =
In regard to doctrine, DR.. Cool stated
spired word of God; that he believed in
progressive revelation, and the need of
che restatement Of the teachings Of
Christianity; that he believed in the
universal atonement, and that he ac-
cepted the doctrinal statements of the
Congr egational% church. u - T % =
DR.. Northrop, the moderator, then
led the examination Of the candidate.
He questioned him with all the incis-
I've skill of an attorney, in such way
as to bring out the very heart and core
sof the Christian religion, and DR.. Cool
was ready in every instance ssto give a
reason for the faith that was in him.
DR.. Northrop's Examination.
In$ essence the. examination was al
.follows: .,.,: 5 Us f.
the Bible7'' 80. q &. ~
/ do. II ::-a.tS I; 81 49, Is ;..ss1.... \
Sion e.