liTHE FREE PRESS II VOL I-No.8 1630 S. Hanover St., Baltimore 30, Md. May 4, 1956 The Meeting in St. Louis "Catholic, Visible Church" The meeting which was held in St. used as pressure against brethren. The The Form of Government of the Louis will go down in the history of the meeting in St. Louis has illustrated just Bible Presbyterian Church, Chapter 2, Bible Presbyterian movement as a tragedy how men, when they are stirred with deep "Of the Church," says, in paragraph 1, and a disgrace to the name of Presbyte­ emotion, can go beyond the protective "Jesus Christ, who is now exalted far rianism. bounds of 'constitutions. History is full of such transgressions. above all principality and power, has 1. erected, in this world, a visible body First, the Synod should be called a Another act of lawlessness had to do which is His Church." "lawless" Synod. This lawlessness was with the Presbytery of New Jersey. A manifest particularly in the adoption of call for a pro re naitil'nutil}g to be held in Paragraph 4 reads, "The Bible Pres­ the resolution against the Committee for St. Louis was issued by the stated clerk Tru~ Presbyterianism. The constitution and sent by him to all the members of the byterian Church declares itself to be a gives no such authority, and this mandate, Presbytery. According to the constitution branch of the catholic visible Church of as it is properly called, parallels in the of the denomination, a request for a pro Christ and further declares its willingness strangest fashion the mandate of the Gen­ re nata meeting must be submitted first to hold Christian fellowship with all to the moderator who is to handle the eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church other such branches of the Church." in the U.S.A. against the Independent same, and, in case he is dead, absent, or Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions (Continued on page 2) One way, the i'Pportant way, in which of 1934. Synod, under the constitution, the Bible Presbyterian Church expressed cannot instruct any committee to initiate this willingness for such fellowship was judicial processes. In fact, Synod has ACTION OF SYNOD RELATIVE TO become, through its committee, the pro­ through the American Council of Chris­ secuting committee against brethren in ACCC AND ICCC tian Churches in the United States, and through the International Council of the Synod; and, if such cases should be OVERTURE ON THE AMERICAN COUNCIL initiated, then the Synod itself becomes OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES Christian Churches thrOUb.10ut the world. the final judge, for it is the final court of In the IeCC the Bi!JL Presbyterian appeal. A clion: Reaffirming its position on the Church was in fellowship with 56 other Actually, as Dr. Machen pointed out purity of the visible Church and its posi­ branches of the "catholic visible Church in the case of the General Assembly of the tion on separation from Modernism and of Christ." This tie has now been broken Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A., it has inclusivism, the Nineteenth General Syn­ and the Bible Presbyterian Church stand~ prejudged the case before it has heard od of the Bible Presbyterian Church, find­ alone. it, declared men guilty before tried I The ing sufficient cause for dissatisfaction in Did it have Scriptural reasons for its General Synod of 1956 has prejudged the its representation by the American Coun­ cil of Christian Churches, hereby termi­ action? If so, it did not so state them. case in issuing instructions against the of­ The action in withdrawing from the ficers of the Committee for True Presbv­ nates the power of that agency to repre- ACCC and ICCC does not specify any terianism. How could such a Synod ever . sent said denomination, and directs the reasons. In view of this provision of the as a judge hear cases it authorizes as the Stated Clerk of this Synod to give im­ constitution, it surely was incumb~nt upon prosecutor? . This is lawlesness of the mediate notification of this action to the the Synod to make clear its reasons in same order, type, and tyranny that the American Council of Christian Churches. giving a testimony of withdrawing from Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. mani­ OVERTURE ON THE INTERNATIONAL such an organization as the International fested in 1934. Dr. Machen refused to COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES Council of Christian Churches. obey the deliverance of the 1934 General Assembly and every member of the Com­ Action: Reaffirming its position on the Serious harm and injury has been done mittee for True Presbyterianism should purity of the visible Church and its posi­ to the whole cause of Christ and to the defy, refuse to obey, and refuse in any way tion on separation from Modernism and "catholic visible Church." The action of to recognize or to meet with this com­ inclusivism, the Nineteenth General the Bible Presbyterian Synod has injured mittee which has been set up unlawfully Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church, the groups with which the church was by the Synod meeting in St. Louis. finding sufficient cause for dissatisfaction in its representation by the International previously in fellowship. If there were . no questions in th~ _Council of Christian Churches, hereby minds of people about the propriety of terminates the power of that agency to Individual churches are still free to such a Synod, and the Synod were a duly represent said denomination, and directs gi~e the expression of fellowship and faith called, properly recognized Synod by the Stated Clerk of this Synod to give With other churches in the ACCC and everyone, these actions would still remain immediate notification of this action to ICCe. Thank God, this spirit of unlawful and in violation of the consti­ the International Council of Christian brotherly love, Christian co.operation tution of the church. Ecclesiastical pres­ Churches. does still exist in the church and can b~ sure in the name of judicial cases is here expressed for Christ's glory . ..... Page 2 THE rREE PRESS May 4, 1956 Press (Vol. I, No.4), to a false concept The Meeting in St. Louis of Presbyterianism by advocating non-at­ AMinister WrHes (Continued from page 1) tendance at a prop< rly called General Syn­ The Rev. W. B. Goebel, Kannapolis, unable to act, the stated clerk is author­ od of the Church." TLere was a sincere N. c., wrote a letter to Dr. Carl McIn­ question concerning the propriety of the ized to proceed. The call which was sent tire after the meeting of the Synod as fol­ "call." Synod arbitral ily insists tha tits out to the Presbytery was never submitted lows: to the moderator. He did not even know "call" was proper ~nd then Ilses this as a it existed until' he was notified along with basis for instructions to a rommittee to "Dear Brother McIntire: initiate judicial ca!.es 2./!ainst the men if the other members of the Presbytery. "After serving many years service in the committee thinks necess2ry. This IS An earlier proposed call was submitted real willfulness. the ministry of the Southern Presbyterian to the moderator, but, before he acted on Church I came out of it not only because it, it was abandoned and another call The Synod, meeting in St. Louis, was of tnodernism but also because of the dic­ called by one man, the moderator. An signed by the same individuals was re­ tatorial powers of the men who had con­ effort was made to get the moderator to quested to be made and this is the one the trol of the agencies of the denomination. stated clerk, usurping the ?.uth ority of the ca.1I the meeting when all parties could moderator, proceeded to handle. sit down without any questions of pro­ "Now our Synod has brought about priety. This failed. The unity ~nd the the same conditions that exi-sted in the old The moderator informed the Presby­ peace of the church involves the whole church, and th"e whole thing. is of the tery that when it meets he wi ll rule such church, not just the activity of a m&jority. a pro re nata meeting ill, a[ and uncon­ I t involves the welfare of the majority 'Bt'sh,' and I am against their every ac­ stitutional. and the minority together. And the ron­ tion. I shall continue to stand for our in­ The moderator has not yet ruled cern for the peace and the unity of the dt'pendent agencies, and under a separate in the Presbytery meeting so that the Pres­ church by the group in St. Louis should cover I am applying for membership in bytery of New Jersey could decide on the have involved a desire to have a merting the Councils. legality of the moderator's ruling. But, when all the brethren could sit down to­ "Y-ou have done a weat work for our because the stated clerk was present at gether, discuss questions, problems, and blessed Lord, and you have my sympathy the Synod, he brought the whole question seek to find, if possible, come agreeablt and prayers. May the blessings of God before the Synod on his own responsibility. solution under the guidance of the Holy rest upon you and your labors and in some The Presbytery was not notified, the mod­ Spirit. The St. Louis Synod represented manner overcome the injustice that has erator of the Presbytery was not notified, a "majority," with very few from the been done to you and our cause." was not there, and the Synod proceeded minority side represented, and it pro­ to rule that the meeting was perfectly ceeded to go ahead in great strength to legal and proper even though the consti­ accomplish the purpose of the majority which, if its terms ar~ not satisfied for tutional provision that the notice be han­ present without due respect to the "minor­ what they consider to be peace, then dled by the moderator was not fulfilled.