Year: 1879

Burlington Free Press, Secular and Congrega-


tionall


Having accepted the argument ad-
vaneed against the amendment, that to
adopt it would permit a man to exercise
his private judgment in matters of faith,
it was perhaps a logical sequence that
the majority should hold their private
Judgment in allegiance in regard to their
action in convention. Yet it would be
IL wrong inference to suppose that the
mass of the Congregational ministers of
Vermont do actually hold that man
has no right to exercise his private
Judgment and conscience and to test
human creeds by the word of God.
And we fancy that enough of private
Judgment will return to q good many
of them, as they look the matter over,
to lead them to regret that they did
not permit the adoption of the first
clause of the amendment, with which
the resolution could have gone forth as
the unanimous declaration of the con-
vention. Such unanimity would prOba-
bly, have ended the public discussion.
As it is, it can hardly be expected that
the subject will be dropped.


POPE CONVENTION.


Tst. AIbans Messenger, Secular and Unitarianl


The convention of Vermont Congre-
rational ministers and churches has
Just voted by large majority that GER
tain declarations of faith, heretofore
formulated and agreed to, shall consti-
tute the only basis of honorable stand
ing and good fellowship in their denom-
ination. They have thus decreed that
they will not move with the world,
that they will not progress, that they
will not allow any clerical member to
interpret scripture for himself, subject
only to the hazard of trial and excom-
munication 10y an unbiased and unin-
structed council of his brethren that
the merely human wisdom of men in a
less enlightened age shall be held as
infallible on the points of doctrine COW
cred by it and that no other interple-
tations shall be tolerated. In taking
this ground they have not only, like
the crab, gone backwards, but they
have violated an essential principle o.
Congregational polity. The chief cor.
uer stone of this pOlity is liberty-lib
erty of the individual church and o
the individual member.


THE NEW CONGREGATIONAL THUMB


SCREWS.


lSpringfeld Republican, Independent and Hete,
| odOx.l


The convention of Vermont Congre
gational ministers at Burlington, mad
a remarkable record for the sect b,
voting down, three to one, declara
ton that they recognize the Bible a
the ultimate standard of doctrine. Tha
is, this body of believers, founded ant
thriving only upon the Protestant prin
ciple of private judgment, deliberatel
cast it aside, and planted themselve
upon the abjured Roman principle G
church authority. They have indulge
in this exquisite fallacy in face of th
fact that when they honestly apply i
to their ministry they must disfellow
ship large number of its members
and those the most earnest and effeC
tive. 1t is, however, "A qualification
which was expected when the "histOri
resolution" was proposed last yea
The popes of the denomination hav


succeeded in placing it's dictum abov
the Bible, which they profess to believ
inspired. The act proves that they
not believe the Bible to be inspired
except as the church interprets it. TIL
is the precise position of the Roma
Catholic church, which can sustain


by an unbroken historic chain back I
the successors of the apostles. Congr'
gationalism, an invention of model
. date, makes feeble figure beside I'll
; venerable church of Rome in appealiI
to history. That is not its strengt
b When the contest takes that ground,
Il goes by default.