The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-31
THE coNGREGATIo, NAL1sTs.
THE LAST OF THE COUNCIL.
THE TEXT OF THE vERDIcT-A RI VIEW OF
THE WHOLE MATTER.

NEW YORK, March rs. - The Ioi-
lowing is the text OF the decisiI' n
rendered by the Congregational council,
after a secret session lasting two days and
half: This council has listened carefully to
the committees OF the churches by which it
was convened, and has received from them
clear and earnest statement of the aims
and principles which have determined the
action of the churches in the proceedings
which they ask us to review. Wo have
also received from plymouth church
a communication declining an invitation
from this council well as from these two
churches to, appear, by it's pastor and a
committee, and assist in the presentation
and discussion of the qustions before us,
but at the same time Offering suggestions
and arguments which we have carefully
aud candidly considered. We cannot doubt
the right OF these two churches to ask advice
OF US concerning the regularity of christian
character of what they have done in
their dealing with Plymouth Church.
No church is beyond the reach
of the public opinion of other churches, ex-
pressed indirectly or through an ecclesiastic-
al council. Any church in its essential and
inalienable independence may be in the exer-
else of reasonable discretion to consider the
public action of one church, may in proper
methods express its approval, and may make
correspondence and remonstrance, or, if it
need be, the ground of temporary or perma-
nent cessation of acts of inter-cOmmunion.
There has been laid before us a series of
letters that have passed between these two
churches and Plymouth church. On that
correspondence it our unquestionable
right to have an opinion, AMI to express it.
Though we have no right to try Plymouth
church as party before us, we have right
to say then that the letter of remonstrance
and admonition, with which the correspond
ence began, was not uncalled for. The
churches throughout the United States, and
the general public also, felt painful anx-
iety in the question, imminent and urgent
in the city of Brooklyn, and involving the
honor, not of Congregational churches only,
but of christianity itself. Without any
more explicit reference to the question,
it will be suffice to say that in
Plymouth church a complaint was
brought against member that he had
circulated and promoted scandals deroga
tory to the christian integrity OF the pastor,
and injurious to the reputation of the
church. The person complained of APP
peared in the church meeting and declared
that four years before that time he had, by
his own vOlitIon, terminated his connection
with the church, ana therefore his name
was, by the vote of the whole church,
dropped from the catalogue of Its members.
What action of Plymouth church was the oc.
with a remonstrance and with request for
a friendly conference. In this act they rep
resented the interests of the fraternity of
Congregational churches whose principles of
discipline and whose fair christian tame were
endangered by the course which Plymouth
church seemed to be pursuing. For this
moral heroism they deserve thanks, even
should
ERRORS OF JUDGMENT
be traceable in some of the details of their
procedure. In our consideration of the let
ter then addressed to Plymouth church, wa
find that the impression made by it in soma
measure differed from what was intended by
its authors, written under the pressure of APP
prehension and anxieties long suppressed. II
seems to have infringed more painfully than
was intended on the sensibilities OF those to
whom 1t was addressed. To many, the letter
seems entirely unexceptionabie in matter
and in manner, and entirely appropriate to
the occasion, while to others its seems I'M
necessarily severe in the tone of its con-
domination of the proceeding complained of.
In their second letter of complaint, the
churches having formed what impression
they made by the remonstrance, Of
fered an explanation, which we
trust was not unacceptable. Concerning
the reply of Plymouth church to that letter,
we say nothing more than that an ingenu-
Gus explanation of the reasons which had
prompted Plymouth church to rid Itself of an
offending member, by an exceptional method,
might have brought the correspondence
to an early and happy termination. We
can see no Significant reason why the re-
quest of the complaining churches for a
fraternal conference should not have been
granted. In the subsequent correspondence
we see, on the part of the complain
ing churches, an expression OF their
desire to unite with Plymouth church
/ In arrin tn "a Mt nf he
to the advice of a council. We find on the
part of Plymouth church no def
mite expression either of consent
or refusal, yet inasmuch as Ply
mouth church did not directly refuse to
unite in a reference to the council. We can
not but regret that the complaining churches
did not urge their request till refusal or an
evasion should have become unequivocal.
We are not invited nor do we
take it upon ourselves to advise
Plymouth church concerning its methods
of dealing with offenders, but we are invited
to advise these two churches on certain
questions. Therefore, we say distinctly, that
the idea of membership in Congregational
church is the idea of convenant be-
tween the individual member and the
church; that by virtue of that
covenant the member is respon-
responsible to the church for his conformity
to the law of Christ, and the church is re-
sponsible for him and that his responsibility
does not cease till the church, by some for
NAL and corporate act, declares the dissolu-
ton of the covenant. This covenant may be
broken by the member. He may offend and
when duly admonished may give no satisfac-
tory evidence Ofrepentance. In that case heis
cut off from communion. The church hay-
ing given it's testimony, is no longer re-
sponsible for him, and he can be restored
only by the removal of the censure The
voluntary absence of a resident member
from the communion of the church and
from its public worship does not dissolve
the covenant, but is a reasonable ground OF
admonition, and if persisted in, of
OFFICIAL CENsURE.
When regular complaint is made against
such member that, in some other respect
he violates the law of Christ. and especially
when the complaint is that he has circulated
and promoted scandals derogatory to the