Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-07-27

1lc o"id dHiohS oLIti thiHe9 di~e hltci
we had reached his home. "rrhe dea-
cons had a meeting last night bat did
not meet them. | arr going to have a
meeting to night and put them eff the
Board What do you think about it?
We told him thai we knew nothing to
think, as we We're not acquainted with
the circumstances. He replied that
the deaeons had brought in a report in
the two previous meets to declare the
pulpit vacant, and the ehu ch voted 1t
down BY a great majority" What is
your suggestion in such cases? We
told him nothing but the law, etc. II
he attempted 10 remove the deacons
without preferring charges against
them; thot that it would be too far
reaching and that the case might not
stop in the church but it might reach
the court 1t IL true that there is not
a law in the statute books, to govern
the churches, but the courts were lib
eral in most cases. They would take
the discipline, and the parties that
kept the closest to the law, the Judge
would decide with them. He asked US
if we would preside in the meeting
and we fiatly told him " uld not, and
he remarked, that he rot send for Us
just 10 come and sit in the meeting and
look on, We told him that he did not
send for US. yes, but wrote yoa. but
| did not get your letter Ne both
had a hearty laugh. Il is true his let
ter had not r ached us at that time. ve
we got It the next day, it did not reach
" I'll Saturday day. a day after the
meeting. Special delivery too, We
had learned considerable Of the gfay-
ty OF the situation. ard asked him if
there wo1li be trouble? viii nave
the police there. he tten went to the
phone and called up the CHIEF Of Police
we do not know what just what was
said but be hung NJ the receiver, solne
time after that he called Up the mayor
but he informed him, the nen could
not come ~ ard stand around in the
cold. butif the meeting becomes dis-
orly. for him to phone and the facn
would he Up. lie remarked to the
Mayor that Dr. Phillips, the State
missionary was going 10 hold meet.
ing and wanted protection We bad
not agreed up 10 this time to preside
in the meeting lie -beran phoaing
the brethren. that DR.. PHILIPS was
there and wanted to tail; to them we
had not opened our mouth about seeing
any one, however quite a number Of
them came in, and they too, importgn-
ed Us to preside over the meeting. We
said 10 taem, if it was agreeable with
the church we would serve We then
left the parsonage, and went TO Pro.
Longs. he phoned for Us there, ard
when we had gotten TO the church it
was crowded from pulpit to the pulpit
to the door. After the song and pray
err service. Rev. Fits, told them that
he wanted Dr. Philips to preside over
the meeting. and that he would enter
tain motion to that effect, persons of
both factions attempted to make the
motion. 1t carrid without a dissenting
vote, only sister in the rear of build
ing rested the question, and said what
do you mean by presiding? ! mean
said Rev. Fits, that Dir. Phillips. is to
be moderator. She replied ! am ready
TO vote We said 10 them. we are very
thankful for the confidence that the
church and pastor had in us and we
felt it a high duty to preside in a Bap-
tist church meeting, but if they had
met there for the purpose of Bro. PHIL
lips presiding over fuss meeting. you
must excuse US nov, and elect another
moderator. The meeting was very or
DERBY meeting. both sides conducted
themselves nicely. When the deacons'
report was read it was to the effect,
to decare the pulpit vacant; and that
the church have rally on tn" 4th Sun
day. We promptly ruled the report
because it did not state that it was
done by order of the church. After
some considerable parliamentary aspar
ing with the chair, we reminded them
that the chair was not before the house
for discussion, nor to be trie tried out
on parliamentary and if they did not
like our ruling, they knew what TO DO;
that we were in TIE chair to respect
the rights of both minister and church.
All this time Mr.. Fits, sit as silent as
the dead, and when he did get up he
begin palayering on matter foreign to
the subject, instead of talking of the
situation. They appealed from the de-
cision of the chair and the motion car
ried. Still Rev, Fits sit still, bat he
he knew better than to take the chair.
They told me that they were going to
Il