St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-12-05
Beecher and Tilton. The Action of
Plymouth Church.

1T scandal Nhltll llaS bccn tltH-
lated respecting Mr.. Bccchcr and MI.
Theodore Tilt"n is pretty generally
needs no rehearsal here. We simply
rive the main points that the reader
may keep the connection in the affair.
Iiltnu, who WAS a member of PLY mouth
church, charged Bcrchcr with criminal
intimacy with his CTIlt"m>) wife.
Plymouth church was grirved and II
dignant ut such Il charge against its
pastor. aud demanded Il church imNc>-
tigatiun. together with announced ur
implied discipline OF the member who
WAS the author or Who circulated such
ScandaloIS stories about Mr.. Bccchcr.
\ meeting WAS held at which Mr.. Tiliom
WAS cited to appear. and when the
work of discipline was hut just com
mCncCd. Tilton arose in the audience
and announced that he did not belong
to Plymouth churclI-that he had
Withdrawn" some time previous. and
therefore should not answer thcil uucS-
lions OF consider himself amenahle Ia
their discipline. Mr.. Bccchcr followed
in remarks sustaining Mr.. Tilton's view
covenant of Plymouth church any mem
her could withdraw when he saw fit
which must he considered an extreme
ly fortunate thing for Tilton under the
circumstances. as thereby the whole
matter fell >till-born.
This dropping of Tilton's name from
the church records, without trial. was
so opposed to the usageS of the Con-
grcgatioual church. that some Other
churches of the same order in Brooklyn
DR.. Storrs, pastor of the church OF
the Pilgrims. and DIR. Buddington, pas
tor of the Clinton Avenue church. with
IL committee of each society. signed Il
call to Plymouth church asking for a
committee of conference, i'll which Ply
mouth church WAS to show cause why il
had departed from the rule laid down
in the church Manual of Congregational
churches. This committee. in its long
address. said to Plymouth church:
| We Ito this. brethren, not us assam
/ ing the slightest authority over yOu, Ol
seeking in the least to invade the pre-
negatives which are us dear to lis as to
YOU. We do it in the exercise of that
fraternal right which always accompan-
les fiatcrnal obligations, and which is.
therefore vitality involved in our fellow
ship with Nou We do it in accordance
with the evident and perennial princi-
pies essential to C0ngrcgationaliSm
which is correctly and clearly stated III
Your church Manual. published by vote
of the church in 1854, that COngrcga-
/ tional churches ''may admOniSh each
other in case of hereSy. lax discipline,
or any scandalous offence"
Brethren, in face of an error so vital
and vast and so threatening i'll its con
sequences, we cannot he silent. We
are constrained to ask this interview
with Nou. And we must further request
| that. if no essentially different state of
/ facts from that which now appears.
and which has been above recited. shall
/ he presented by your committee. in the
conference which we seek if your re-
cent action is to remain. as it seems tn
us, an energetic principle of evil in
your own church, and of instant detli-
ment and bad example to every other
the same committee may be instruct
ed to unite with us, according to the
venerable rule of our fathers, i'll calling
Il properly representative council of the
Congregational churches of the country.
to which your recent action, with the
general policy of discipline involved i'll
it, shall be advised on your duty in the
matter. and we on orr further fellow
ship with You.
The address disclaims any assumption
of authority. any appearance of dicta-
ton. I'VE do it" they say, I'm abso-