Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-22
PASTOR REPLIES
TO THE CHASSIS
CONTINUED from FIRST Page0


is an absurdity, according to those
who have listened to the debate in the
Chassis.
This is the way in which the case
of Mr.. Barker came before the clas-
SIS" declared a representative of that
body today. When the meeting was
held to receive Mr.. Barker into MEM
/ bership and arrange for his installa-
ton as pastor, the members were as
tonished to discover that Mr.. Barker
could notp reduce the credentials
transferring him from his presbytery
in Neosha to the fellowship of the
Chassis of Newark. The inquiry which
series of facts which convinced those
who heard them recited that Mr.
Barker was trespassing on the good
nature of the Chassis in persisting to
fill the pulpit of the Christ Reformed
Church.
Part of the Record.
THE facts ascertained in the sew
eral meetings and made part of the
record in thee ase at the meeting of
December 13 were these: While
student, Mr. Barker had been ex-
PEELED from Toronto University, sub
sequently from Winnipeg College and
later dropped by McMormick Theo-
logical Seminary. While acting as
pastor he had been expelled from the
Webster City Congregational Associa-
ton, later from the Chicago Congre-
gattonal Association in which he had
been put on probation, and then last
OF all suspended by the Neosha Pres
bytery.
This record convinced the Chassis
that he was not S BILE person to
act as pastor of any of the churches
within its jurisdiction. The consis-
tory of Christ Church was so in
formed. but continued to retain Mr..
Barker in its pulpit
The position of the Chassis is this.
THE laws of the Reformed Oh rch
require the production of certain Gre
dentials before a clergyman can be
installed as pastor of a church. Mr..
Barker had been requested to produs
such credentials. He has been and is
still unable to furnish credentia
which would satisfy the requireTen
of the laws of the Re. ormed church
in America.
at is to be remembered that the
| Chassis of Newark did not start this
! trouble. Mr. Parker and his advisers
started 1T when they insisted that
despite the absence of credentials a d
Notwithstanding the series of success
sive explosions Mr.. Barker sho I'd
| coerce the Chassis into regarding him
as the regularly Installed pastor of
Christ Reformed Church.
'At the last conference, on Decem-
| Der 13, between the Chassis and the
members of the consistory. it seemed
as though the re7rese~ to tives
Christ Church appreciated fully the
inability of the classis to receive Mr.
Barker into membership without his
! credentials 1t was o'nted ont that
the constitution of the Reformed
church required these credentials and,
inasmuch as they were not forthcom-
ing. the Chassis even though willing.
could take no action in tho matter.
"At that time the representatives
! of Christ Church declared that this
attitude was fair and that If Mr..
Barker failed to procure his creden-
tials they had done the best they
| could by him and would then comply
with the demand of the Chassis The
Chassis still assumes that the officers
of Christ r, formed Church will abide
by the terms of that agreement
Sin of Lying.
Mr.. Barker when shown the state
ment credited to the Chassis said:
/ 1.-THE men who made up that state
ment are guilty of the sin of lying.
| When they say / was dropped from
the Mccormick Theological Seminary,
Chicago, they are making a state
ment that is absolutely false.
i Is one I1iOTt tlliHlt VI IhC
unreliability and un-Christian atti-
tude that ministers can show In their
| relations to one another. Their
| methods in this attack on me cannot
be characterized in too strong terms.
During my pastorate in haywood
! q suburb of Chicago, | was a stu
dent at Mccormick Theological Semi
nary. During my student days there
was, absolutely nothing even inti-
81 yponrH I loft thot
institution to go to Northwest Uni
/ versity.
professor George L. Robinson,
J who occupies the chair of Old Tes-
lament history at Mccormick Theo-
/ logical Seminary, was the very man
who recommended me to the FIRST
Presbyterian Church, of Coffeyville.
Kansas, from which l came to this
city.
"This was the letter he wrote to
that church under date of August 2s
1911:
"'May I ask you to invite Rev
PercIval Barker, of Chicag go, MAY
preach for you two Sabbaths in tea
preach for you two Sabbeths instaed
! of one. as I under-tand you have al
ready done? Mr. Barker Is an orator,
a man of character I have never
heard him myself He is deslrlous OF
| becoming a presbyterian,
"'CcrAi Ilv yo''rs,
GEORGE L ROBINSON
az went to Mccormick on my own
| initiative and left there on my own
Initiative. The men who say l didn't
are stooping to lie.
"If the cassis of Newark. or any
member of nv church. can prove that
there was any rneth'cal conduct on
nv part since I became minister.
I will step down from the pulpit for
good But thew can't do it, and am
going to stick"