Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-29
CONGREGATIONAL.
The CouneiI-DeveIopm of Friday
Night.

Tne OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Oh ET-s
Night.
NEW YORK, March 2S.-At the Congre-
gational Council the first four questions
under consideration involving church us
cipline were decided in the negative by an
informal vote, but the questions involving
fellowship with Plymouth remained unan-
swered last night. The letter sent 10 the
Council by Theodore Tilton was not re-
ceived officially, but occasioned much COM
ment by members of the Council.
II was a subject of remark at the regular
Friday evening meeting at Plymouth
Church, last night, and Beecher preached
charity to all men. At DR.. Storrs' church
prayers were offered that the Council might
be guided to correct conclusions.
Yesterdays Session.
The Congressional Council met this
morning at A. NJ, and Immediately went
into secret session. Soon after report was
presented by the committee appointed to
prepare basis for decision, but no disposi-
tion has been made of it yet.
TfIton.
TheO. Tilton has sent another open let
ter to the Council asking as an act of JUS
tice to himself that the true record be per-
mitted to accompany the false. He says;
Among five points which you are asked TO
decide concerning my case with Plymouth
Church, the second will pass into perIna-
nent statement on your journal as follows;
HDuring the voluntary absence of mem-
Der from the ordinances, if specific charges
of grossly uncmistian conduct are present.
ed against him by brother in the church.
TO which charges he declines to answer"
etc. The above statement which has been
constantly reiterated during your proceed
ings implies that gross charges were made
against me, and that these charges | de-
clined TO answer. Gentlemen of the Coun-
ell, every man among you knows that did
not decline to answer.
The Verdict.
Shortly before twelve tonight doors of
the church were thrown open to people in
waiting, that they might hear the reading
of the verdict of the Council by the Moder-
ator, Rev. Leonard Bacon. The verdict
opens by recounting the circumstances IN
der which the Council was called, and
states that the complaining churches were
fully authorized in calling the Council; at
the same time the opinion is expressed
that complaining churches did not exhaust
all means of getting from Plymouth Church
4 compliance with their request for
a mutual Council. IL is also stated that
some letters of the complaining churches
were not such as the Council approved of.
With regard to the matter in which advice
is sought, they express the opinion that un-
der the uSages Ofthe Congregational Church.
Plymouth Church erred in dropping amen
Der from its roll because he had abandoned
the church for some time, especially when
charges were preferred against him. The
letter of remOnstrance and advice with
which the correspondence commenced, the
report stated. was not uncalled for. The
report concluded by censuring Ply
mouth Church for its action, but
at the same time it advised other
churches to maintain the same
fellowship with Plymouth church rs for
merly, with conditions that if the church
erred again, it should be blotted out from
fellowship with other Congregational
churches. The moderator then stated that
this was the advice of the Council to the
churches, aud hoped it would throw light
on their path to guide them in future.
The Rev. DIR. StOrTs. in behalf of both
churches, expressed their sense of indebt-
edness to the Council for their utteranceS
and freedom of expression in dealing
with the matter, and especially for extend
ed discussions, through which they had
passed in their sessions. In reviewing the
past he saw but little TO regret and was
glad they had brought into expression such
principles as were now upbOrne before the
land by such body of intellectual and in
telligent men who composed this Council.
Thanks were then given to God for guiding
the Council in its deliberations and to
pastors of inviting churches for cOuuesies
to delegates, and after the DOxOlogy had
been sung and benediction pronounced,
the Council adjourned sine die.