The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-17


! STATinENT OF THE COMMITTEE OF rHK CHURCH.
tf'm time to time we have given the progress OF tho
movement Of DuInber Of members OF DR.. Cheever'S
Shnrh Of the Purtais 10 oblan letters Of osmss.l from
NAT church in the form. Failing their efforts
10 oo 20, or to obtain mutual council they resorted To
tbe t&peds Of calling parte counci OF pastors and
Delegates from Congregational churches the purpose
of deciding the question at This ldtte council
net IN the small chapel of the University, Tuesday
afternoon there beng about thirty members psesaa, ani
Number Of spectators interested in the proceedings
The council organized by eiectpg Dr. Dsght Of Portland,
moderator, and Rev. s. J. Buckingham of Springfield,
Mass. scribe.
having been announced that the Church Of the puri.
ans had been no,6ed Of the meeting ami Invited to
present, Mr. o f. Wood read tho letter Of invitation,
which he said had been left up the present
tn,e
Dr. NOAH PORTER during the preliminary discussion, APP
peared as the counsel of the gentlemen calling the pde
council and after some debate recOgpized SUCH
The question Of notifying the Church of thc Purans
discussed u, some length and finally decided by the ado
ton Of the following resolutions offered by Or. Clark Of
Bookyn:-
ID. Leh Of he farits that this ,ounci
me clnderakn of the presented mssve
ty What We nave been convened
h..nned aba, ID case this invitation be dee ned the church
De invited to appear before the council. BY Committee
Rev Drs. Clark, Ray ami Palmer, and Deacon Libby,
were appointed on the committee.
The following the letter referred tho letter mis-
sive calling the Council:-
To 1nr CHURCH or THE PuRIr. MS NN'' 80 100"
The Undersigned the Church the Puritans in
,.sa" .'anae hs.Sr.pped for letters Of a.smss,a ana
o. formal vote Of zoe church letes the
ana ~.. ,usso ,oder pros aud urthcr'nore the cnch
IN same or ia
Jet 10 ns walch and care
Now therefore ourselves and in oesfof others in the
ms resa i The purpose OF uscer"n'ng what are the
s s anu ss ne parties rra IN IN" and
church .niis Am as without delay in ,ubniaias to
ohucn mar ua IL ACCORDANCE With The o.cuce Of s Ser
ohurches epl-c the i and customary aud such
have been used n,e the foundation Of the church,
oibe ri hts Of Chan o,thren and to the us.sss
ara the orr ch"r,sss s"%ary to eu
with sra aud wi.nou. speeineo d
Fl. K.s ,sLEY,
:. & w SgunossxxN'
At the evening session of the Council ussee from
lr Cheevers church, consisting Of Messrs Dexter FAIR
banks Z. Warren Benz. X. Phelps and Deacon Giml
attended and announced that they ready give any
desired Information
Dr. POKER, behalf of the gentlemen calling the
fase Council, submitted documentary history their
grievances, their Application for letters OF dismissal the
deviation from the usual form In the letters which
gwen, ana their virtual expulsion from the church without
u the public, and need rot be repeated here
Deacon GILMAN on behalf of the committee, stated that
the letters were given ID good faith, and such
those who remained In the church would have received
without Objection
Deacon FAIRBANKS stated plainly that the letters given
TO the gentlemen who had called this Council were in
tended TO vary from the usual FORM Tue true motive
which impeed those gentlemen he thought was desire
to make Dr. Cheever leave his church.
Mr. c. j. WARREN thought the committee should wait to
be interrogated and not be betrayed uto making such
statements In his opinion the point was Can church
give any other than full leteTsY'
The Council then adjourned to nine O'Clock yesterday
morning, when the debate resumed
Dr. GILMAN from the committee Of Dr. Choever's church.
submitted report from the committee justfying the
action Of the church, and citing the history OF the dispute
at some length
Or. POTTER inquired Of Mr.. Warren whether he was
that the regular form OF letters had been
waited from, except in the case Of the present Professionals
Mr.. WARREN said "no he did not know of any design
Of the church to cut of those gentlemen from uniting with
other churches by those letters.
Mr. PHELPS, clerk of Dr.. Cheevers church, read from
the minutes Of the various meetings Of the church. the
action on the cases Of these complaining members being
allowed to do 80 only after some discussion.
Dr. PORTER inquired Of the ocrk Of Checvcrs church
(Mr Phelps) whether the protest Of these members
against the action Of the church had ever been
to the church?
The CLERK replied that it had mott he had taken advice
on the subject and concluded that had better not be
Dr. PORTER was endeavorng to ascertain who advised
him thus, when rather sharp Of questions aud
ensued, which were finally stopped by the Mode
rator.
Mr. O. E. WOOD then addressed the Council Hc cited the
OF Rev. j l.. Hatch, who had wanted letter to Ply
mouth church, Brooklyn, but he could not get regular
without enforcement, showing what his conduct
had been He cited this 10 show that the Case Of the
complaining brethren was not the only one where the
church had not gwen the regular letters.
Mr. BENJAMIN X. PiIEPs said he was informed by Mr..
Hatch that his letter regular but that il
OF that merely that he was refused admission
by the Plymouth church.
DR.. PORTER said only within three four days
that he had expected TO be connected with this matter
He
reasons, hut induced 10 decide to undertake in view
Of the Importance Of some Of the principles concerned 1t
stated the questions TO be decided theoretical
but they also included the question whether the
Council informed 10 the present case this church
justified devatrg from the regular form of letters.
They need 90 into the details of the personal and acr
monous discussion further than necessary. Were
the applicants entitled to the regular and customary let
tesY The standing rules OF the church implied that
a customary certificate. There printed form Of
this certificate put into the hands Of the clerk He b.
heved there had been deviation from this FORM
except the OF the applicants aud Mr. Batch Now
was not, the church right in making this deril-
tom Are the reasons presented by the documents and
evidence sufficient justify the church? One Of the
mee had testified that he not that the church
bad customary certificate which could not be deviated
from. Another had stated that he did intend to devate
from this form from conscientious The clerk
the popularity Of the circumstances the case and
states that the objections TO regular letters case
out Of the operation OF the standing rule lie thought this
not and that when the church decided grant
letter al ALL the customary letter must be given Ii the
brother Is lot worthy of letter, course of discipline
must be adopted letter Is granted ut ALL the stand
Ing requires that the customary letters should be
gwen. There created outside OF the stand
ing rules for those rules provided for just such Tho
rule was for the purpose Of securing TO applicants against
whom objections were made either trial clam
the regular certificates It appeared that many Of tho
members Of the church thought that without trial
the applicants might be cut of summariy there was OK.
element In the church, and sort Of compromise the
Objectionable letters were given. Tho Clerk had sug.
gested that created by the objcctons but
did that majority in favor Of giving theetters at all
show that the church no. in favor Of dscpnng the
members, and that they therefore, entitled to the
regular cercateY The Clerk ustes the exscinding re-
solutions because the applicants refused to take let
ters, ana claims that the letters good sufficient
lie had doubt they good and sufficient express
censure, and perhaps TO secure adm ssioA to other
churches But was that all that the brethren had right
caim2 Were they good ana sufficient church
before the community competent to vndcate the rights
Of its members? He did not wish TO try the church.
though the Clerk had insisted that the Council ought 60
into the whole difficulty, ana have the whole history of
the But this Is the very ground OF complaint 20 this
parte Councthat the church has not been willing TO
submit this very extraordinary case to mutual council
Why had they called council before, uniting with