The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-26


OF the Council The Doctor, speaking TO the reso-
luton. traced
THE HISTORY OF coNGREGATIoNALIsN
and the gradual growth OF Councils, and showed
how 1t was impossible under the circumstances
that this should be an ex parte Council. There can
be no er pdrte Council, he said, where there Is no
supreme authority to decide the questions
In dispute. The Doctor supposed cases
in which the different Councils might 90
called and read from the law and the iatners
OF Congregatlonaiism to Illustrate what would De
their action in certain circumstances tha' might
have called them together. An er pdrte Council
can never be called, he said, nor exist as between
churches. Hence this Is not such Council
The Hon. A. c. BARsTow. OF providence, differed
with DR.. Dexter the Moderator. and other brethren
in their nterpretatio OF the status OF the Council
He looked upon 1t as an er parte Council.
All councils are In their nature advisory. The
points upon which we are called together are
plain, and we have no right TO Introduce any other
questions than those given IN the latter mssiye.
without bringing In others. We are called, nc
said, to
MAKE PEACE BETWEEN CHURCHES,
and how can we do this II we have not peace
among ourselves. cannot conceive that
Council Mr. Barssow Continued on his REMARKS nss
until the committee appointed to wait on Plymouth
church arrived, when 1t was laid on the table,
luton offered by DIR. Dexter, TO strike out all that
sought to define the status OF the Council.
morning.
A delegate Thought it was very important that
THE CHARACTER OF THE COUNCIL
should be settled. DR.. Dexter had not followed
o1r his history OF councils 10 their end. All coun-
CHS are in their character advisory. There is DIFF
ference In the circumstances aud the reasons
which have led to the calling of this council and
Others And the speaker Insisted that this Is an
parte council, since it IL called py party only
TO this controversy. He thought they had had too
much OF the traditions OF The Church and 100 little
Of scriptural precedent and common sense.
The MODERATOR defined his understanding OF er
pare, and technically he considered tnis was such.
and OF course all these proceedings are er parte.
altogether to baptize this child. Let us go to
work. he added and answer the questions given
to us by the callers OF this Council.
Drs. Pike, chaplin, Post Quint, Harris, Stearns
and Others took part in the further discussion.
Dr. POST considered that they were virtually
putting church on trial which has had no Voice
in calling this Council or IN the selection OF It's
members. We must not only do the right thing,
ne sald but we must do 1t in the right spirit.
THIS COUNCIL Is HARDLY COMPETENT
to decide questions that AFFECT Plymouth church,
which has no representation here; 1t expressly
The public documents are so ambiguous as 10 lead
one party to give them construction which the
other party does not admit.
DR.. HARRIS thought the Council should settle
this question but this was not the best time TO do
H. lucy SuOuAu Wott Will tuey AcuIu nOm
DR.. sTEARNs said it did not matter what name
say g are ss to give TO
churches. II another church is involved in the
are be s WIN
this other church to appear and present their own
views In their own way.
DR.. BUTLER, OF Farport, thought that with the
construction they were giving to this question
Paus n no
church they might as well have stayed at home. We
are here, he said, trying to stop the gable Of
before.
newspaper gabble. They are trying to administer
justice, but they are In peculiar position having
no precedent OF an advisory council called to cen
these TWO churches whether they have
done right or ,r, wrong we o are ,o virtually
submitted in the letter missive, and thought that
involved square issue OF censIre on Plymouth
resolution was laid on the table.
A series of skrmisnes was then INDUCED in to
kill time until the Plymouth committees appear
While Dr.. storrs was speaking the Plymouth
committee-Dr: Beecher and Messrs. R. r. Ray
mond and II. w. Sage-entered with the reply Of
their church to the invitation OF the Council.
The MODERATOR welcomed the committee, and
lection. 1t desired to he impartial. and so lar as
he could judge, there were as many delegates pres
churches that have called this Council.
DIR. EDWARD BEECHER
read the resolution OF Plymouth church appoint
ing himself and his colleagues to tins important
duty, and nstructing them not to take any further
action on the part OF their church than to present
this reply. He therefore called Professor Ray
mond to read the reply, which that gentleman did
in q clear. professional voice.
Mr.. BROWN, OF Harlem, moved to receive this
document and place it on the records. After dis
cussOn, however, 1t was laid on the table. The
Council then took q recess.
Afternoon Session.
On the reassembing OF the Council, after some
routine business, Dr. Storrs addressed the Council
on the differences between the two churches
that he had such a body to speak to whocouid near
and Judge impartially. For months past the CON-
mittees OF the two churches have borne burden
OF mlsrepre sentation and imputation to which
they had not vouchsafed reply either verbally or
In writing. They believed that their time would
And whether 1t ever came or not, We felt we were
right and knew we were honest This Is said to be
PICKED COUNCIL.
1t is picked in the sense that generals are
picked. Picked for their bravery and discretion.
II picked as lawyers are picked Tor their ability
1t Is picked as these reporters OF the press are
picked, Tor their intelligence and wOrthlness.
We nave tried to make the Council as impartial as
we could make 1t. We have taken old men from
old churches, and young men from young churches,
aud men from educational institutions and from
the different PROFESSIONS. But 1t Is said to be
in the very able paper you have listened
to from Plymouth church. which after the COM
your minds 10 be Influenced by document from
another church not represented here, you have
shown that you are not a packed Council. 1t has
been said also that the Joint Committee corre-
sponded with delegates and churches, to ascertain
how they stood, before inviting them.
HE CHALLENGED ANY MEMBER
OF the Council who mad received any such CORE.
spondence to rise in his place ana put them now
to an open shame. "a moments pause and then
round OF applause ensued.) We did not engineer
the election OF q single delegate, but kept aloof
from these proceedings that we might not seem
to prejudice their minds. We are charged also
with bringing this Council together by trick. He
would not characterize this charge save to say
that 1t was an untruth. We are not rs
wise our critics. ne remarked, but
we are not absolute fools, as we should
prove ourselves to be to bring the representatives
OF eighty churches here TO detect our trick. IL Is
SAID, again, that we have secret hostility to Mr.
Beecher There Is not word OF truth IN IL. Ono
of the pastors Interested In calling this Coun ali
was the first to meet and to
to this city, and the two honored to stand up
with MIN at that supreme point In MS Ife-his sill
yer wedding with Plymouth church. This charge
has no basis except In the mind that
As.l.u