Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-11-19

following:
PROTEST. OF THE CHURCH.
=. BY the rules and usages of the Congrega-
i ft0nai Church, churches do nos attend e pdrts
| councils without careful elaboration, and first
! con mum eating with the church interested,
| which has not been done by those now repre-
| seit Nor can an pdrte council be held in
| a0y case by those following Congregational
| usage until a mutual council mas been refu sed
Sneh mutual council has IN the present case
| b EN- ALREADY called. The church had only dis.
| covered by chance that a move was in pro-
gross for an n pdrts council, and no oil. n
notice bad been given il until it was utterly
Impossible 20 communicate with the churches
! invited. The church fully believes that a very
: few persons have caused all this dificuIty.
nave ~ persistent efforts originated whatever
lsfaction exists and that if proper notice
| had ben given of thu invitation OF a council.
/ the churches could have been in formed of the
| facts, and would have SEN that there was no
| cause fer an er part council
Inls protest was signed by the pastor and the
| committee Of the church. The pastor the a read
! statement, of which the following are the
/ principal points:
STATEMENT OF DIP BoYSroS.
So far from there being any general dissatis-
fdchon, II rs confined 10 n minority; and the
| SOCIAL ties OF the charch were never stronger
! than now, and its social communion never
more frequent and satisfactory
| H. gaTdIns the first charge of not performing
| ministerial duty, the pastor stated that it nd
always been understood that he was Obliged
! 10 do much outside work TO support himself
b"cause the church was unable TO pay a large
salary, and " at this left but little time for
visiting. and yet he was very Well acquainted
with his church. The Sunday school had been
IN the hands Of his bitter opposers. and visit
ing IL would only have been unpleasant TO all
Concerned. "A detailed statement of tbe circum-
stances attending the irregular admission of
members, with the names of the persons,
showed that all thus admitted were brought IN
oy The minority themselves, and toe rules sus-
pended at their instance, aud by their votes
aud the applicants received. Regarding near.
ly all the minor charges, the pastor contented
himself with merely referring to the statement
OF the church gwen below, and signec by con-
slotraoIy over one hundred of the leading
members OF the church.
Ihe charge Tt garding disturbances at a com.
munion was denied IN all its length aud
breath, but the church statement below presents
Tue matter IN still stronger form.
Regarding the charge of sacrificing the inter-
ests OF the church by preaching a certain SER
mon relating TO the best interests of the colOred
race, the pastor stated that the sermon had been
wholly misrepresented by the minority, and
the misrepresentation persistently circulated
The charge of declining to ofTiciate at a pre-
paratory lecture Is based upon these facts
Some OF the men III the chUrch professed them
selves not satisfied with the dsacOn's examIua-
ton OF somewhat timid woman, and de.
manded that she should then and there be
examined III the presence OF the church. Gel
Howard took the char by no vote and while
the pastor was presiding, and those VINO sun.
ported MN created great disturbance and dis
order. The pastor had got off q sick bed to at
teHu the lnettln &. ana was tnon suffering from
IN attack of ague. And when from weakness
ne was unable to control his voice, Gen.
Howard rebuked him in the presence OF the
church for losing his temper. He was obliged
from pure Physical exhaustion and suffering 70
give up his purpose of lecture.
The pastor closed by alluding TO the fuller
testimony OF very large number of the prin-
cipal members of the church TO sustain all ne
had read. The main points of that statement
are es follows:
STATEMENT OF OVER ONE HUNDRED MEMBERS.
The undersigned, members of the FIRST Con-
gregationai Church, in Washington, ID. c.,
having seen the charges TO be pre- feTT-d agalus'
our pastor at proposed eX-pLrte council
called by a committee acting for Il minority of
OF tins church, and also having seen has an
neXtd reply thereto, do hereby declare hat he
has made a truthful answer To those charges:
and beng thoroughly acquainted With lh-
1aclS' We not only tully sustain aud endorse
the replication thus made, but make the fol-
loving additional statements, upon our own
TtsnC Asloliity, as members Of this church:
We positively declare that the grave diff
CuIiles IN our church have been III noNIse,
directly or indirectly, occasioped by any word
OF act, OF by any course pursued" by our pIs-
LOT Dr. BOyntOn- on the contrary, disrin city
charge that these difhcuitles have been or
gained aud kept alive by the determ ned
"EO.ts OF mat minority by WHOM this tx paTte
council has been called, and that the peace and
harmony of our church has not been DISTURBED
nor the life OF our organization endan gercd,
except by them.
The statement then went on 10 say that the
pastor mad perfOrmed tar more pastoral duty
than the Church had any right TO expect. on
account OF the necessity of his parfDrmDg
much outside labor 10 support himself Tllt
the 81 ndav School was in the hands of tn 10
who wrTe his open enemies, and who would
noi hesrate to iuIure his feelings the pres
eDce Of he children of the Church. The charge
that members had by act of the pastor been
aumitt' in an irregular manner was utterly
untrnf. and Incapable OF being suostlati t,ed
by single instance. The suspension OF a
member for writing a letter insulting to the
Church and The pastor, was instItu ted and cav
eG through by the Church, aGd not the uas.
tor. The teachings of the pastor have from the
Inst contained the very essence of CJlgTeEl-
uonallsm, and no suggestion mas ever been
made by him 10 stake stand iIdr pendent OF
sister churches All letters of any importance
20 The Church have been presented IN IL al me
earliest convenient moment. DIR. BoyncOn
Withdrew his resignation At the earnest request
OF "a majority OF The Church, majority OF ne
pew-holders, and a majority OF the ch)IT"
The Church refused to act upon the rpsigla.
uOu a. socn'as u was rendered, because il was
well understood that the Time OF the resiyna-
ton CT the pastor was well understood 20 he
fixed number of months in the fntGre, so th.t
the Ch"Tch could have tine to secure anJ.G 7
pastor.
As TO the sermon complained Of awe believe
that IL need only ne read or heard % secure the
hearty approval OF ali who truly and ulzrI-
nshiy SEEK the highest welfare of the cOio-pI
race The Charge OF alternating those who
night afford y cUuiaTy aid s-ailu1es TO Ganerai
Howard, who alone has atteIn pied to wiai
money power over US. and as he recently Dis.
uncty refused, AT 3 Society meeting. 10 pay the
interest on our church debt from hurch funds
already in his hands as treasurer, Al the same
ure asserting that he could and would pay
that debt. or any other debt provided We con.
senied to surrender our pastor. Whatever
al eIatIOn may eXis. between our pastor and
General Howard, we, with full knowledge Of
all the circumstances, Enthusiastically declare
that, from first 10 last, part of the blame a.
taches TO DIR. Boy nton." All the other charges
and specifications were taken up, and either
explained fully, IN the most earnest and point
ed terms, CT wholly denied.
In regard to the gravest charge, of miscon-
duct AZ a communion season, the church reply
is as follows; AT the communion season
referred 10, before admin istering the sacrament
DIR. BoyBtOn made a few statements in regard
to existing difficulties in the church. with the
evident intention Of securing peace and har.
mory, ard of preparing the way FOR any who
had misunderstood his views aud position, to
be reconcIled ~ hIm, as he was scrIpturalIy
bound 10 do. He was interrupted by General
How ard, who made pathetic % speech, con-
tanning charges against Dr. Boynton, which,
although, or perhaps because, delivered in trem-
ulons tones and apparently with deep feeling.
infamed and irritated other dlssatIs fed mem
beTs, so that when DIR. Boyuton attempted 10
proceed with the communion service, HcSe
mem bers interrupted him, DE- aqGRRiHV that the
protest against him ar a his sermon of Noyam-
Der should be read, and addressing him IN loud
and angry tones. One Of them proposed that
the communion service should be ad Iourned
II was probably the most painful scene ever
witnessed n a communion service.
We distinctly charge this disturbance upon
Eal arA and nfh .lx.-