Search -
A History of Ecclesiastical Proceedings Relative to the Third Presbyterian Church
A History of Ecclesiastical Proceedings Relative to the Third Presbyterian Church Author:John Steele Subtitle: In Philadelphia, the Rev. Ezra Stiles Ely, and Several of the Judicatories of the Church With Which They Are Connected General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1814 Original Publisher: s.n. Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing ... more »text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: This request, though tendered by numbers unequivocally de- monstrating that lbe people were prepared to elect, was nevertheless refused by a majority of the Session (four against three) not only as we believe in violation of . an express duty on their part, but also of the rights and privileges of the People, thereby treating with con- tempt the judgment and opinion of their brethren, and arrogating to themselves exclusively the right of determining in a case wherein they possess no higher claim, or incur no higher responsibility, than any other member of the Congregation. Having thus briefly laid down the ground of the grievances of which we complain. we ofl'er, if necessary, in support of the facts stated, Messrs. Ferguson M'Elwaine, James Stuart, and William Smiley, and request to be heard by Gen. John Steele, Messrs. Samuel Carswell, John Workman, John Steel, and John W. Scott, whom we have deputed as our Commissioners to lay this our Protest :md Remonstrance before the Rev. Presbytery, and to prosecute ibe same to issue, confidently hoping and relying, that under the direction of the great Head of the Church, such decision will be had, as will place the powers of the Session within legitimate bounds, a fiord permanent security to the rights of the People, and promptly restore the wonted peace and tranquillity of the Congregation. [Signed by 30 Members.] Philadelphia, March 22, 1813. .'HE COUNTER ADDRESS OF TOUR ELDERS TO THE PRESBYTERY. ...« less