St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-12-05

imupIiliuG the name, the lllHuen't' 'h"
the future of all our churches that yo"
are giving the sanction of Nouf large
Numbers and prominent position 10
measures and Il policy which Will recon
with injurious effect on yonr own lame
and Christian power, and which VIII
work n s,ue disaster wherever applied:
that Won are leaving palpable blight
oil the name of Your pastor by seeming
to shrink from that investigation when
the man accused of ISLANDERS against
him distinctly challenged; that yon are
doing essential diShonOr to the Lord
himself by representing his Kingdom
on earth as Il promiscuOus and casual
society, without cohesion or law, out OF
which any offender may pass, at any
moment, whatever his otfensc, without
resistance, and without rebuke."
Plymouth church held il meeting last
week Wednesday evening, to consider
this matter. Mr.. Beecher WIS present,
sitting with the audience. After the
organization of the meeting and prayer,
the clerk read the letter from the two
churches. the main part of which Is
given above. After the reading. Mr..
| Mckay moved that the church accede
to the request and appoint committee
Of conference. Mr.. Gilbert opposed.
and presented preamble and re>olu-
tion. setting forth that the letter WAS
confesSedly based on public report
merely and contained IA distinct threat,
and continuing as follows: 1.-The clr-
cumStanceS rccited leave us no altellIa
/ tive but to decline the proposed con
/ ference. While this church is, III the
words of her Manuel. AN independent
ecclesiastical body, and Ill matters OF
doctrine. order and discipline amcnahle
/ to no ather organizations. she Will. neN-
erthclcSS. in the words of the same
Manual, extend to other evangelical
churches. and receive from them, that
fellowship. advice and assistance which
he laws of Christ require. In acc"rd-
ancc with these. her imIncmOrlai dcrla-
rationS Plymouth church Is ut all times
ready to he advised and admoniShcd 10y
sister churches. according To the ancient.
approved. congregational method. OF
hy evangelical churches of ANY denoni-
nation. beginning with proper inquiry
into facts. and proceeding through suc-
cr>SiVc steps of mutual explanation and
discussion to the final expression of
opinion. including. if need he. adm0ml-
ton or ccnsurc. But Plymouth church
is not ready to reverse this order. and
submit first to ccnSurc, secondly To ar
wumcnt. and attcrward tn 4 request toi
facts"
Mr.. Barker said the assertions of the
letter were not true III fact. and Ply
mouth WAS quite capable of managln"
her own affairs. Nr. Sherman said
the letter WAS ''otlcmSivc. and that. il
cod ever made Il good man. il WAS
Henry Ward Bccchcr There * one
subject" said Mr.. Raymond. (which
the members of this rlnch will not dis
cII~> That subject. which our love and
our wrath compel us Ia ignore. Is lu@-rd
into this dnrumcmt. Where is the an
thoritN which gives amy body the right
to make such IN infamous effort Ia com
pei lis to take up this subject We
want no chance to arraign our pastor.
DIR. Edward Bccchcr followed ON the
same side in an exhaustive discussion
of congregational practice. Mr.. Mckay
Stnutly dcicTdcd his motion. amid hiss
Ing, and backed up hN Mr.. benedict.
Then there MAS Il great roar of applause
~ the pastor mounted the platform and
faced his flock.
Mr.. BrrchcI began 10y saving tins
WAS the first serious difficulty Ply mouth
church had even had. Their immunity
in the past had hcrn largely due I" the
fact that hc Wd> always for fair play.
free speech. tIll discussion. lie WIS
for them at that time ;I> much IL ut amy
previous one. He didn't believe in
Mr.. Mckay'> motion. hut he did ia hi
principle. He believed in the fidelity
of those hu wanted tins inquiry. III
anybody ~upp">,~." he said. THAT. 10y
anything that has happened. 81 hl a"N-
thing that i likely /" happen. can Ice
moved from the confidence that have
had for more than - Years in Richard
:. Stnrr>. in DIR. Huntington. and. To Il
certain extent. in those with whom
am less acquainted. and whose names
are on these reports. he is utterly mis-
taken. He has not made many ac-
quaintancc> or had very intimate Icla-
tionS with the other Brnoklln pastors
hut Richard =. StOrT> was the one cN-
ceptinn. I'VE have been on terms OF
intimate friendship. he said. N" man
in the world lamcnts 80 much ;I> | de
that mans unrccngnizcd talent no
man so much us do feels that he has
scholarship. for thoughttulncS>. and fol
Il mastery presentation ot his thoughts
us Richard :. StorrS. and ! have been
accustomed To say that if he had only
been born in Indiana instead of Boston.
aud if he had been 10y that trccr WAY
of western life inspired with the habit
of abandoning himself Ia the ruthu~i-
assn which lies i'll his nature, burning
like furnace there. he would have
made Il man more popular than any
other man that has ever been in the
American church. 80 fan a> his char
actcr is concerned. | have never seen
p IN all these p Years one single thing
that looked Ia me Uli>hOnurahlr. oI tu
he the slightest variation from the truth.
lean my whole confidence upon him.
and it is mistaken now : and if he
should hc called upon to follow me tn
the gHllnwS. my last testimony would
he that he WAS acting under what hc
considered his duty. and not from amy
mean motive, or amy selfish influence
Whatever. With less intimacy. he
had the utmost affection and admiration
for Dr. Buddington. Il am as sure.
he said. that these men love me and
do not mean to hurt me. as ] am that
love them and do not mean to rvilt
them or hear them reviled. or to lift uu
my voice against them" But how did
it happen that such men had fallen into
, such Il mistake for they were '.uttcrly
mistaken p 1t was the fault of THEN
New England education and training
The New England idea of church gov
eminent was more rigid than he had
ever believed in. There were different
views of congregational polity. Ply
mouth church stood foI one. Was it
their duty to give it up-to surrender