St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-04-03

sought. This speech. which was made
without manuscript. and with only
documents and authorities to refer to
WAS two and "A half hours in length
and during the Whole time the audience
were almost spell-hound by the clear
! 10y which il was characterized.
In the evening. the Rev. DIR. Bud
imgton presented the last two questions
upon which advice was asked. urging
the true principles of Independence as
he and the committees regarded them,
and arguing that the present attitude OF
Plymouth Church tended to the disin-
tegration of the Congregational body
and the destruction of the Christian
fellowship which had always been held
sacred
Thu sday morning Rev. W. b. Brown
presented IL resolution affirming that the
Council was er i0tte. irrcgrlHrly called,
and therefore not qualified To render
any decisions ur give amy advice which
could he construed as rejecting upon
Plymouth Church. This was discussed
fully at Il later session. Rev. Er Bud
ington supplemented briefly his remarks
of the previous evening upon the indie
peudcnce of the Church and the re
SpOnsibilitics of Christian fellowship
speaking with much feeling OF the du-
ties which had rested as Il burden. dur
ing the past few months. upon the
minds and soul, of the members of the
Committcr. and tmtr,;ItiIig the Council
to speak plainly decidedly to them \
series oi questions WAS presented hN
the Rev. DR. Rankin respecting the early
steps taken 10y the two pastors and
Committees to avoid Il public break
between these churches and Plymouth
Church and the subsequent efforts to
obtain Il mutual council. 1t was also
inquired whether any direct ur Indirect
Influence Was brought to bean bv the
pastors upon those who brought the
charges. within Plymouth Church,
against Mr. Tiltou.
The Rev. DIR. StorIs explained the
course pursued 10y the two churches.
He also compared the Interpretation of
the disputed rules of Plymouth Church.
IL now given 10y that church. with that
given in the manual OF l-54. and asked
the Council to determine how large.
how rich. how powerful Il church must
he III order 10 make it possible for it To
do What il has It mind to do. and he
liable to no rcmonStramce from its
Christian neighhur>. He made an elo-
quent plea for the genuine aud unal-
l"yed principles OF Congrcgationali>m
He spoke for nearly IN hour and Il half,
and ut the close OF his remarks the pub
lie session of the Council WAS finished.
and the Council went into secret ses-
sion. These continued through Thurs
day evening. Friday, and until Saturday
ut midnight, when harmonious and
nearly unanimous result was reached.
which will he found in these columns
Briefly. the Council fully >nstaims the
course pursued 10y the Rev. Drs. Stolls
and Burlington. bat advises them to
continue fellowship to Plymouth Church
i'll the hope that they might he satisfied
of the acceptance 10y thai church of the
principles it has been supposed to dis
aNoW.
Although the discussions of the CouI-
ell We're secret and confidential it is no
seclet that the individual cases before
the Council sank into comparative in
significance. and the dciate was largely
upon the great question of responsible
fellow ship between congregational
churches III general. l. the Cungrcga-
ti"nal body. it was asked. church in
which the individual organizations are
htt component parts firmly united by
the bond of fellowship which involves
mutual and grave responsibility. or Is
it mere system Of churches which
hold Somcwha similar views and en-
pl"y like methods. but " hich are wholly
independent of each other. ~ the Bap-
tist is of the Methodist. "r the Catholic
of the Prcshl terrain. In the considera-
importance of Plymouth Church and
the renown of its pastor could have
little weight. Whether that Church
would OF 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 CongrcgationaliSm. as
handed down from their fathers. are us
dear rs life.
Whatever where the feelings of in
dividual members of the Council to-
wards Plymouth Church and Mr.
Beecher and there were as warm aud
devoted friends of both on this Council
a. there are i'll the country the dccis-
ion as finally given was almost the
unanimous voice of the body. and i>.
i'll effect. that independently and Con-
gregationalism are two different things
and that the principles of the latter are
those to which the congregational
Church i'll this country adheres.
Halt a pound of shot. administered
to sympathetic eats. at this season of
the year. will bear fruit in increased
hours of slumbrr. throughout the sum
mel. and have Il tendency to prevent a
corner in the chicken market