For the Signs of the Times. Hector, Nov. 25th, 1837. ONE MORE CAST OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE!!!

For the Signs of the Times.

Hector, Nov. 25th, 1837.

ONE MORE CAST OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE!!!

Brother Beebe:—You will please to give the following a place in your paper, as in so doing, you will do a favor to the friends of truth.

Whereas, a publication has lately made its appearance in the “New York Baptist Register,” calumniating the character of Elder Jesse Briggs, of Hector, Tompkins county, N. Y. and the First Baptist church in Hector, called Old School Baptists, by, and with, the aid of a council of brethren belonging to sister churches, together with a number of the members of the second Baptist church in Hector, having thoroughly investigated the character and standing of the above named Elder Briggs, with special reference to the above mentioned publication, would hereby present the public with the result of our investigations; carefully guarding against stating any thing, as fact, which has not been positively proved to us, by respectable testimony.

Elder Briggs, as satisfactorily proved to us, by his credentials and other corroborating evidence, has for many years been a respectable minister of the gospel.

Not far from a year since, he became the pastor of the above named, second Baptist church in Hector, and preached to said church statedly for the term of nine months, to the good satisfaction of the church. In consequence of dissatisfaction among some of the ministers in the association, which, as it appears, had originated from reports that were circulated among the ministers of the denomination, that said Briggs, was corrupt in doctrine, was opposed to the Benevolent Institutions, and a divider of churches, &c. Said Briggs, requested the church, to call a council of the Elders of the association, that, if practicable, there might be union and fellowship established between him and those ministers.

A council was at length convened, and was met by a committee from the said second church, which, having been appointed for the purpose informed the council, that the church were in good fellowship with Elder Briggs, the council, after having been together for a time, adjourned for four weeks, having appointed a committee to obtain all the information that they could, respecting said Briggs, and report at the time adjourned to.

At the time adjourned to, the council and committee convened, and after being organized, called for, and heard, the report of the committee. By the report of the committee, it appeared that rumours were in circulation, that Elder Briggs was corrupt in doctrine, a bad man, that he caused divisions in churches, was a sabbath breaker, &c. &c. During the report of the committee Elder B. was permitted to be present; and in some few instances he was permitted to reply, but not to make any general defence, being told by the moderator Elder C. G. Carpenter, that it was out of order for him to speak then, that they were hearing the report then of the committee, and that when they got through with that, if they found any thing to charge him with, they would make out their charges and present them to him in writing. When the committee had finished making their report, Elder B., by a vote of the council, was requested to, and accordingly did withdraw from the meeting.

After said Briggs had withdrawn, the council proceeded to make out charges against him, and went on and tried, judged and condemned him, not permitting him to know what they were doing. After they had prevailed on all present, to condemn him, or to pronounce him guilty, having spent all the latter part of the day and the evening, until after ten o’clock in charging, judging and condemning him in his absence; he was, at a late hour of the night, called into the meeting, when the moderator arose, and from a paper which he held in his hand, read a catalogue of charges which he has since published to the world; and then informed Elder Briggs, that he was judged guilty, by every member of the meeting. He however, told him if he could clear himself, and do it that night, he might have the chance! Elder B. requested the privilege of having the meeting adjourned, that he might bring evidence, and have a chance to defend; but was replied to by the moderator, in the following words, “We cannot spend any more time with this business” Elder Briggs declined to make any defence at that time; and by the request of the moderator left the house, and has never since been permitted to make any defence before that council.

The foregoing facts, having been proved by the most incontestible evidence, we are led by the uncontrolable power of truth, to come to the following results, and to adopt the following resolutions, viz:

Resolved unanimously, That Eld. J. Briggs, has been expelled from the second Baptist church in Hector, without a trial by the church, that the committee of the church, in assuming to act in the name of the church, have exercised authority which was never delegated to them, and that the manner in which Elder B. has been charged, judged, condemned and published to the world, is not only contrary to the laws of God and man, but repugnant to the principles of humanity itself.

Resolved finally, That from the most conclusive and positive evidence, and on a most careful and thorough investigation, of the treatment which Elder B. has received from the council, purporting to have charged, tried and condemned him, that nothing has appeared to impeach either his moral or christian character; but we believe him to be justly entitled to the confidence and esteem of the people of God, as a minister of the gospel.

Resolved, That the doings of this church and council, be published in the Signs of the Times.

Done at an open public meeting of the aforesaid first Baptist church, and council, held in the Methodist Meeting house in McIntyre settlement, in the town of Hector, Nov. 25, 1837.

REED BURRITT, Moderator.

D. V. OWEN,
WM. SHARP, } Clerks of Church and Council.

——:o:——

Effingham S. C. Feb. 3rd, 1838.

Mr. Editor:—The Calumny and reproach which is heaped with profusion upon the little despised few—I have at length become the happy participant of, choosing, rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, remembering too, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong—Trusting under the sheltering wings of my Almighty Father, and protected by a wise constitution of a happy people—They dare not approach me with their Pontifical orders, (fire and faggot)—The principle crime of which I am charged, is that I have joined in with, and instigated several others, to send for one Beebe of Alexandria, for some instructions, to find the person and place, where we may have wine and milk, without money and without price—This kind of food, here is too much mix’d with metallic substances, so that it completely surfeits the sheep, their only remaining bill of fare being a few briars whose only tendency is to rob the poor sheep of their fleece, while the Goats are banquiting on the buds.

B. LAWRENCE.