, 1874-03-27
THE CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL.

line aifoctlng tie Plymouth Church Of BROOKLYN
and Its paator, tho Roy. Hen.y Wa,d Dceolor
and called by the Rov. Dis. storrs and Buding-
ton that they may be instructed az to tho proper
courao for thsm to pursue In tho promisos, has
already developed IN interest which has become
national inatoad Of dononlinatonal. Thoro Ia
principle underlying tho deliberations Of this
Council which affects not only the Congrega-
tionalsta but indirectly all other deE ominat,ons
aud the general public as we'll. It Ia not simply
tho technical question Of church polity whether
member OF Congregational church can 10
dropped out of it's membership rithout formal
net OF expulsion, but whether chargo of i'm
morality can bo compromised with or passed.
over In silence.
The real origin OF this Council lies in certnin
charges made against b1r. Boecher by NIr. Til4on
or Mr. Bowen, or both. Those charges, II true,
unfit Mr. Bsocher for hts high position as
tcacl'or of morality and religion, stamp him as
hypocrite and q dangerous character, and arc
calculated to iniuro tho denomination with which
l!e is identified. When these charges reached
tic cars Of Mr. neechsr, no did not deny thcir
truth and court an investigation Of them but lie
spload broad mantle Of cbnrity over his tra-
ducors, and for tho time studiously ignored tho
charges. When. however, they became matters
OF public notorcty and wero sproad ovor tho
county by the newspapers. and there came a do
mand tor Investigation, thon dill Mr. Dcocnor
did deny thom, but refused to take any further
action, or 10 allow any to be taken. In point Of
facs. he Anubbod Ills Congregational neigh
borB, Drs. Storrs and Budington, who
bad moved to have tho matter cloa1od M.
md public opinion on The whole sided with Mr.
Deechor, as 1t always sides with ono who minds
LIS own business againHs one who docs not. 1Ir.
Beecher still furtlor strengthened hls position
by forming ttipartite troaty with Mesars.
Bowen aud Tilton, 10th offensive aud defensive.
by which their mouths wore closed and the seal
Of secrecy placed upon tho who'll affair. Nean.
wlilo, Drs. sto,rs and Dudington continued to
remonstrato With 5lr. Beocher and hia cougroga-
tion upon their course but romonstrance was
Of no avail. Under the ahleld OF the tripartito
trsaty S1r. Beechor could rcfuBo to rocoguize any
F'o''0''on 40 ~ '4'e''sA''on anu p1ane na'n-
self upon the high ground that ii lie, the injured
party, could afford to forgive Bowen and Ti1ton,
nobody olso need feel ggrioved. In the mean
time Mr. Tttou dropped out Of the membership
Of Plymouth Church upon his own motion in the
lace OF chareea OF flander, and Mr. Beecher md
the church sanctioned this summary proceeding,
as III accordance with tho usases Of tho denoni-
nation, aud IN this position ho has received the
effective support Of his brother, tho Rey. Ed
ward Beecher.
The question whether mcmber eau thus vol
unfairly drJp out, or be dropped out, has given
Dra. storrs and Burlington tho opportunity to
call tho Council for advice in the promises, but
tho evident motive is the desire for IN invest.
CATION OF the charges mada by Bowen and TIL
ton against Mr.. Beecher. This Is tho main
question pending. Looking at the character OF
Drs. stor1s and Dudlngton, ne aro bound to
conclude that they think something Important to