Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-12-03

L. taxing tAHepllOn 10 inc acNou OF "
mouth church, in dropping the name Of
Mr.. Tilion from its roll without trial, ASKED
Mr. Beechei's church to join with them in
inviting a council to decide upon the pro-
prieiy Of this course under Congregational
discipline plymouth church refused to
accede to this request, and the reasons why
it did so are so singular as to attract even
the notice Of the secular press
Mr. Bcecbcr in explaining these reasons
first alluded to the rule Of the church Man.
ual. This church is an Independent &c.
ccsiastcal body, aud in matters Of doc.
trinc, order aud discipline is amenablc to
no other organization" Standing on this
rule, Plymouth church is no more related
to the Congregational than to the Preshy.
torian, or Methodist, or Episcopal. or Ro.
man church Either Of these churches has
just as much right to Interfere with the doc.
triue, order, or discipline If Plymouth
church as the Congregational e. 10 right
at all. 1t is absolutely independent Of oil
other churches, aud has no fellowship with
them except that Of neigbborhood aud com
tiguity or caprice.
or course it necessarily follow, that oil
other churches are independent Of Ply.
mouth church that, in all matters Of doc.
trine, order discipline, they hold no rea-
ton to Mr. Beecher's church whatever.
So here we have new star rising in the
field Of vision which is entirely Independent
Of all the other orbs, aud has no relation to
tho various systems Of stars into whose
neigborhood it comes. 1t repudiates all
dependence on others aud all obligation to
them. Ii has no fellowship with any other
church and no connection with any other sys-
TEN 1t is sort Of vagabond Of the
heavens, impinging as it pleases on the
sphere Of Others fixed to no system or order
but its own caprice or will, aud denying to
its sister planets any responsibility to fash
ion its course with reference to their vel.
fare and good fellowship. The principle OIL
its life is utter separation, solitude and self
ishness. 1t cuts away ali bonds that hold
it to any harmonious orbit aud forms a sys-
ten aud order by itself an earth without
a SUI or moon or sister planet sun with.
out star to keep it company. Such, &C.
cording to the statement of its pastor, il
Plymouth church a church, sal generis
disconnected from all eccesiasticism and
travelling its path in utter solitude aud ia
utter disregard Of all others churches
Such a position is an anomaly Their,
is no comparison or analogy to it in tn,
world Of nature or human aud social life
Its principle destroys the laws of gravita
tion and cohesion. 1t would make nations
states, communities, impossible. 1t woulC
make the family impossible if each brother
or sister in it were to arrogate complete
personal responsibility, aud refuse to b,
amenable to the family order and necessi
ties Mr.. Beecher has become 80 swoller
that no thinks his church is The church
that he is sufficient unto himself that he
can cast of the order Of the heavens. 10.
stead of allowing his church to be one Of a
celestial system, he casts it adrift in space
a wandering star, comet Of irregular or.
bit, carrying terror and dismay into all
other spheres, until it foams out its own
shame in some distant region, or explodes
at last into myriad fragments. At any
rate the Congregational churches may be
glad to know that Plymouth church is nc
more of them than It il of any Other
church, and that this comet of the skie,
swings through all other ecclesiastical sys
tens as freely as through theirs, and hold
its supreme right to be responsible to moth
ing. So singular position does Plymouth
church assume that the utter imprudenoC
and absurdty of it is almost lost in the
sublimity of its arrogance and pride. How
ever, pride goeth before destruction and a
naughty spirit before a fall We think
DIR. Storrs, whom Mr.. Beeoher compliments
with his want of popularity united with hi,
great learning, may be thankful that he was
not born or bred in Indiana. Such birth
and breeding would have made his splendiC
attainmcuts popular at the expense Of thu
peace, order and dignity of the churches OIL
Jesus Christ.