The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-25
C0NGREGATI 0NAL!SM.
Opening Of the Council on Ply
mouth Church Discipline.
LAST NIGHTS SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Brother Beecher and His
DeacOnS Invited.

All classes Of Brooklynites-old and young. rich
and poor plain or fashionable, respectable or not,
male or femae-seem to be about equally inter-
ested in the present Congregational Council Con-
versations between people on the streets, the fer
res, the horse cars or IN their own houses sooner
later glide to and nger over this all-abs0rbing
subject
ave live In an an age OF religious councils" said
one gentleman to another IN q De Kalb avenue car,
in the hearing OF a HERALD representative. "The
Catholics held theirs some time ago. Then there
came the Evangelical Alliance and its meetings.
Now comes this Congregational Council"
"Yes," was the reply; ''but in this last case,
this Congregational Council at the Clinton avenue
church, there is a great principle involved. the
principle OF
REPUBLIcANIsM IN RELIGION,
the right OF church to govern its own matters in
Its own way. This Is all they want or the church
wants, and this is just what Storrs, Budington
&C., don't want" said this gentleman, who was
evidently Beecherite.
"Pshaw!" said his companion, who was as evil
IDENTITY on the Storrs-Budington side Of the con-
trOversy, ut Is mere question Of govern
ment against anarchy, Of order against chaos.
All the Council wishes Is to settle the question
whether man, after having become member Of
q church, has got tree right to do just as he
chooses afterwards aud to make as much fuss as
he chooses, and then to leave the Church without
notifying anybody, and then escape all RESPONSE
billy simply on the ground that he Is no longer
MEMBER"
Another group converslng on the subject were
overheard by the HERALD representative to present
Still another phase OF this many-sided matter.
"MODERN PURITANISM
is on Its trial.. said one Of this group. 'The ques
ton now to be decided is, whether the traditions
derived from the Pilgrim Fathers are still binding
on those who profess to be the descendants, or
whether the modern Pilgrims of Plymouth church
are above all discipline, and can do as they
choose"
The HERALD representative also found by the
only nallible way Of "getting at" public opinion
I. e., mixing with the crowd and noting
all the samples OF opinion therein ex-
pressed-that there was large portion
of the community in Brooklyn who looked
upon the whole Council ana the various events
which had led up to it simply attempts, direct
and indirect to unearth wnat has been for some
time known to journalists and other parties as
.fhe Beecher-Tilton Scandal" ''Tney want to hurt
Henry Ward Beecher," said one enthusiastic indi-
vidual, standing with others near the door OF the
Clinton avenue church; land so they have called
together this one-slded Council, which Is TO ne or
gained dead against Beecher. 1t is not Congre-
tationalism trial. but Henry Ward Beecher
stabbed in the dark by his proiessed friends"
"Weil," replied some one in the group, 'if Mr..
Beecher or Mr. anybody else has done any wrong,
has not the Church got right to inquire into 1t ~
eyes," was the reply. "But let the church, then,
fences ana beat round the bush as If it afraid
Besides, the church has no right to make any in-
qury into ANYBODY or anything until somebody
has made certain specific charges OF something
| against someoodv. And nobody has accused Mr..
Beecher Of anything openly yet-nor ever Will.
He's too popular and too good man." with much
more Oh the same sort.
Another party in the group additionally stated
that, ESQ lar as Mr.. Tilton's dropping his member
ship OF Plymouth church is concerned, there could
be no special point made on that, for It was very
wellknown that all the Congregational churches
for many years had been
IN THE HABIT OF DROPPING MEMBERS
from the church rolls every year. SO that there
must be some other reason than merely Mr.. Tllton
Tor the present CUuncil.p
eyes, and that other reason is Henry Ward
BeeCher," said a bystandcr.
This latter opinion seemed to be that OF
the conductor OF the De Kalb avenue car,
which carried the HERALD representative to
the clinton avenue church; for on reaching that
avenue the conductor called OUT "Here you are,
/ to The Clinton avenue church;
| TRIAL OF HENRY WARD BEECHER!"
a sentence which called forth the endorsement OF
THE BIG CHURCH AT TIE CORNER
which is probably destined to become as locally
famous as "the Little church Round the Corner
If not In verse, at least in prose, and if not in the
history Of the human heart at least in the history
! OF church pOlemics lis located at the junction Of
Lafayette and Clinton avenues, fronting
vi Iuc ldtIcI LuOTOuSuldTcs IL StduuS uuOuX
villas and gardens, Tor Clinton avenue Is
one OF the paradIses Of the wealthy Brook
Ignite, and is spired stone pile Of more
1t was well lighted on Tuesday evening and pre-
sented quite a brilliant appearance. 1t was sur
rounded from an early hour by curious throng,
| VINO, as soon as the church was opened, pressed
| eagerly Tor admittance within the sacred edInce.
| lngress, however, was deuied to all saving those
VINO held tickets, which were regarded as precious
| by all holders, and the possession OF which seemed
to constitute an undenable claim to Brookynlte
/ m ha nm
Grated between those VINO held and those who did
not hold these precious slips OF paper, which were
gregational Council Clinton avenue church,
Admit the bearer TO all sessions" Sew
gregation seemed to think that they should nave
been admitted at all hazards, even though they
held no tlckcts but this claim was perslstently
ignored by the gentlemen ut the Clinton avenue
doors. who discharged their unpleasant duties
with mixture OF the suociter IN n,odo and tue
JOrtiteT Ia re as rare as IL was delightful. notice.
able feature OF the occasion was the number Of
ladies'
YOUNG, UNMARRIED LADIES
who sought admission; sought 1t clamorously,
eagerly just as a New York maiden would seek
admission to charity ball or crush night at the
Academy. In TACT, there seemed to be more young
ladies than old among the groups who were ad-
united into the galleries OF The church. AS Tor
the members OF the Council and the members Of
the press. these were admitted by tickets at the
Lafayette avenue door Of the church. Having
passed the gauntlet Of several ticket inspectors
they were shown into a large room adjoining the
church. with PLAIN red carpet and plain brown walls
inscribed with the legend, ''The Word OF our God
cndureth forever" Here all standing were found
gathered together the concentrated learning and
piety OF the congregational Church, at least so Tar
as this was represented by the invitations issued
by the getters up OF the Council. The first TACT
that would strike stranger entering this ante.
room was the prevailing unge of the nair Of the
members, IT being an iron gray-not white, not
venerable, but thoughtful looking halr as IL were.
The majority OF the delegation were past the
prime OF life and presented most clerical, ortno-
doX and stern, while at the same time emnenty
intellectual, appearance. The New England ec-
ment-the Puritan element-seemed to predomi-
nate, and there was one other TACT noticeable
there were no heads Of the Henry Ward Beecher
stripe physically speaking, present.
NO LARGE LIBERAL HEADS,
no laughing eyes, no smiling faces, no conn.,
tenances That conveyed the idea that their owners
enjoyed lie as Beechers lace so eminentlv does.
There was plenty OF Observation-Disclosures or Justice
represented; but what Mr.. Beecher himself would
have called "the emotional element'' was almost
entirely omitted After certain time spent in
social intercourse and in the distribution OF GER
tain printed cards, which were to introduce the
holders to the hospitalities OF certain Brooklyn
families during the sessions Of the Council, the
w naha into