, 1873-12-01
THE BEECHER-BOWEN MATTER,

It is high timo that tho mysterious Bocohor-
Bowen scandal was aett1cd. It has been pcrsiat-
entity kept before the public in variety OF waya
for several months paHt, ana, although almost
numberleHs letters and statements hayo been
made, and comment by tho public pross in NIL
parts OF the country has boon worry FREQ, yet
nothing definite In known Of tho truth Of tic
Henry @. Bowen, and nothing official oven con-
cerning the naturo Of tho charges. The charges
which are floating about, based partly upon
rumor aad partly upon printed statomenta BY
Irresponsible parties, or unlisguised onomioa of
Mr. Deechcr, 30 long as they are loft unsottled
by some official action, arc calculated to prejudice
Mr. Boechor In tho eyos Of those who do not
know him, and there aro plenty Of enyious and
uncharltablo people ready to eeizo upon any
charge aud use it to his detriment. Tl1ore is
ono thing morally certain somebody in t1Ls
affair is scoundrol. Either Mr. Beechor has
been guilty Of q doreliction which unnts him to
be tho spiritual guido Of Plymouth Church,
or any other church, .chich ice. do not
deliero Or Mr. Bowen is guilty OF
making groundleas charges with au unworthy
purpose In Wow. It is timo therefore, that either
Mr. Beecher or A1r. Bowen should be made to
show his hand. II there is no truth in tile
scandal, lot 1t bo stopped ut onco, for 1t is both
offensive and injurious, and lot Mr. Bowon be
properly punished. II there is any truth in it,
then lot it DO known, also, and lot AIr. Beeohor
bo punished.
When these charges vero first bruIted abroad,
thoro was general and very natural expectation
tlat Plymouth Church, Of which AIr. Beecher
is pastor and Mr. Bowen mombor, would ill.,
ovor, aeting upon the suggestions Of 1r, Doochor,
has declined to do anything Of tho aort. This
attitude Of tho church, which 1t unquostionably
had tho right to aBaumo, uuder tho broad and
domocrutio organization Of Congregational
ism, has brought up side issue, whiol is likely
to oroato considerable sonpation and discussion
IN tho denomination. Tho gist Of 1t is that tho
Clinton Street Church, Roy. DR.. Buddngton,
mud tho Church Of tho Pilgrims, Roy. Dr.. 6torrs,
have moved in tho matter to discipline Plymouth
Church in Homo sort because it refuses to diBci-
pline itso1f. At tho mootipg OF tho Plymouth
Church, which adopted resolutions to maintain
its independent ground by tic large voto of 5o4
to as, AIr. Beeolor stated tho position Of the
Church very oouciso1y, al follows:
There wero different viows Of Congregational polity
plymouth Church stood for uno Was II their duty Ia
gyo It up-to surrender IT. 1t VIVA their duty ia
maintain It, "for tie sako Of Ill tho churches around
uH, which wo w1ah to see built up Oh tho broadcst
democratic conssrutton OF Congregational church fe
lowslhp." Whnt III Congregatioualiym2 at answers
uoarly than anything else to ideas Of deo
csatlc township government, moro ncarly to good
neighborhood among equal or Ike fanilics. It Il
simply tho association Of by covenant Of eoiut
sort OF other In worship md In Christian horfuneEs
and Congrogatonalsm loea not glve to tho churches
gathered together any ownership In or Its zncn
bers. It docs not glyo 10 tho nolghborng
churches, certainly, any ownorship or anything
all'el TO 1t beween church and another, Congrc-
gat!oua! churches sal ton, exactly, for principle, on
tho ground on which twonty families living In ths