New-York tribune., 1874-03-30
CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL.
CONCLUSION OF THE DELIBERATIONS


| DECISIONS RENDERED on ALL THE oUEsI10Ss-DKs'
| sroRRs AND BURLINGTON SUSTAINED.
| Tho Coupcii of CONGREGATIONAL Churches, which
onered its sessiops Tuesday evening closed them at
| midnight Saturday after two aud half days Oh
secrst conference The questions before this body
were sucb as are regarded of great Importance among
the churches and it was necessary that the answers
| given 10 them should be carefully and intei-
| lioently rendered. 1t was not difficult ior
the assembled Council it would not be for almost
any body of Congregational minister's and layineh
that coud be collected TO decide upon the question
of d;scpline propounded to them. since 1t supposed
! a eaoo ann eyen instanccd one which Is not known
. ,a,', hoon =, slcated in the whole history OF the
church So it was that when t.s Questions relating
IN disci,Iine. which cited the particular case -
Plymouth Church received the attention OF the
Council, there was little division concerning the
general answer 10 be rendered but many felt that
it would DO and fair to regard the case referred TO
as strictly exceptional, ,nasmuch as Plymouth Church
Processes TO regard it such and to still adhere TO
the Fundamental principles OF tho Congregational
body. The Council therefore answers to the IN
ouring churches that Congregational custom recog-
nizes no such method of separation from the church
az they have mentioned and that their remonstrance
with Plymouth Church was wholly justified by the
principle The --latest uttorances" of Plymouth
Church however, saved it from the advice of the
Council to the other churches to withdraw fellow
ship although those utterances thought to
conflict with the resolutions adopted Dec. 5. In a
word, then the Council fully sustans the course
pursued by the Rev. DIS St0rrs and Bud
ingtOn, but advises them TO continue fellow
ship to Plymouth Church, in the hope that
they might be satisfied of the acceptance by that
church Of tho principles it has been supposed to dis
avow. IL is understood that in the discussions OF
the secret session the individual cases before the
Council sank into comparative insignlhcance, aud
the debate was largely upon the great question OF
responsible fellowship between Congregational
churches in general. Is the Congregational body. it
was asked church in which the individual organ
izations are but component parts firmly united by
the bond of fellowship which involves mutual and
grave responsibility or mere system ofchurches
which hold somewhat similar views and employ
like methods but which wholly independent
of each other as the Baptist is of the Methodist, or
the Catholic of the Presbyterian. In the considera
ton of such matter the fact of the importance of
Plymouth Church and the renown of its pastor could
have little weight. Whether that Church would or
would not acknowledge the principle of responsible
fellowship was of comparatively little importance to
this body of men. gathered from all parts OF the
country, and to whom the principles of Congrega-
tionalism, as handed down from their fathers,
are as dear rs life. The history. the prowess,
aud tho future of the denomination IN turn
guided their deliberations. and they felt
that should they declare fellowship merely a
name without any binding force, the grand history
of the church would be dishonored, and its power
and name obiterated. Whatever were the feelings
of the various mombers of the Council toward
Plymouth Church, the decision as finally given was
almost the unanimous voice of the body. and is, in
effect, that Indcpendency and Congregaonalism!are
two different things and that the principles OF the
latter are those to which the Congregational Church
in this country adheres. The secret proceedings of
the Council, Saturday, closed at twenty minutes
before IL. midnight, when the result was announced
in public by the Chairman of the Committee, the
Rev. DIR. Leonard Bacon. The Rev. DR.. Storrs re-
sponded in few words in behalf Of the committees
of the two churches by whom the Council was
called.