New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-02
CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL
SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.

SECOND DAYS PROCEEDINGS.
6ERvIcHs OF PRAYER AND S0NG-UNIvERsiTf |
AMENnIEs-THE REV. DIR. DwINEIL OF CALI
FoRNIA ON THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE cHuhche'
-REPoRrs FROM BENEVOLENT SoCIErIES-'oih
OF THANKS FOR DIR. sTORRs's sERMoN-ADphhsS |
BY THE REV. DIR. EDDY OF MICHIGAN
IrRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF rHK rRmcSE'i
NEw-HAvEN, Oct. 1.-The exercises proper
OF the Council this morning we're preceded by an infor
NAL meeting for prayer and conference at the Chapel OF
the Divinity School, when morning prayers gave wayto
tns exercise Prof Hoppn OF the School presided. and
the time till o'clock spent in brief prayers
and familiar addresses.
Az the Council assembled at the Center Church
The opening prayer offered by the Rev. Ray Palmer
D. d.. Of NewYork City, after which half hour was
spent suppcaon, and remarks the attendance
aud interest being good There special prayer for
the presence OF the spirit In the Councils deliberations
and for guidance important measures The Treasurer
reported STA 81 the balance left from the expenses OF
Council and expenses since incurred s So with
considerable prospective outlaws and recommended the
appointment OF a Finance Committee. The Council
voted TO appoint such Committee to consist OF five,
the formation OF which referred TO the Nominating
Committee. The report Of the Committee on Business
was read amended. and accepted. some discussion as
to the order of accompanying. The Chairman
OF the local Committee read notices concerning enter
tanning the delegates, and President Porter OF Yale Col
ege stated that the College wished to extend its hosp
tates TO all the delegates. paper by the Rev. Dr. j. f.
Dwine OF Sacramento. Cal, The Fellowship Of the
Churches" then read and referred to the Council
for consideration. 1t listened with close inter-
est and especially from the fact that discussed the
peculiar faculties of organic unity In Congregational
ism. Below is the full text
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CHURCHES.
5HE BASIS OF THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH OF
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF CONGREGATION
ALIsM-FELLOwsHIP AND ITS HIGH OFFICE
CONDITIONS AND ADVANTAGES OF ITS ENJOY
Observation-Disclosures INFLUENCE OF TIE PRINCE
PIE OF FELLOWSHIP.
BY The Rer. J, E. Drinel, D. D. Of Sacramento Cal
Within the limits of this paper l can only
hope to state general ideas and outline principles Eel
owshp in the broad idea is based the unity Of the
kingdom Of Christ earth. and the duty OF those be-
longing 10 II 70 love one another Christ the head
His spirit is in the members This separates His people
from all Others and makes them ideally one body with
onespirit one hope. one Lord faith baptism
God and Father OF ALL and puts them the duty OF
recognizing the common brotherhood Loyalty to
Christ Involves feowshiping the people OF Christ and
TO refuse to is dshonor to the body to
the Head. TINS is general fellowship. Fellowship as
the constructing principle OF denomination is differ
ent thng IL IS the same principle to start with, but
made specific intensified and raised to an organizing
power.
is by government the other b. fellowship. OF the
united in ecclesiastical systems which exercise author
ity over them of the latter. those in which churches
are voluntarily drawn together, In practical unity. by
mutual love and confidence, deIegatng no authority
over 'hS To rhe ooay ana having none exercised over
fellowship, as the organizing prncple, are mutually
exclusive. Where government Is the means of binding
the churches together fellowship is displaced as the
working principle OF their union; where fellowship is
dons the attempt unity Of the Church in
despair. content with unrelated churches IN isolation
Fellowship as a constructing power Is, therefore
fundamentally an attempt OF churches TO reach in
practical freely and from Christian impulse after
the Divine unity that makes them one 1t is the Christ
In one part of its own motion feeling after the Christ in
ground common union with Christ the condition mu.
tua recognition and cooperation. Whatever else the
churches may see TO intensity the uniting tendency
they must first OF all this Divine spirit In one
eau be no real fellowship between secular societies. be-
cause there Is no DIVINE principle making them one;
between Christian church and unchristian one
because such principle exists only ON one side. In
srng Of pearls the the pearls but of fellow.
Shipping cnuiches In the Divine string that raises them
into union with the Lord
Fellowship does not create the unit, 1T recognizes
and attempts to overtake 1T at the time however
SUI nTner ineRSy ya and mold g it. or
The unity Il Divine. coming down from Christ; the
talnmeut hating, imperfect. The unity is ideal the
motion mutual attraction. and opportunities of imper.
feet churches jealous of their liberties.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCHES.
But while common union with Christ is the ground OF
fellowship. there among Congregational churches
for it, lays them additional obligation to practice
It, and at the same time furnishes mold for de-
termnes ITS sphere and bounds Their history character
poty faith. spirit. separate them from other denOmna
lions by certain nameess tone and quality, and nat
uray put them in one group There is irresistible
envelope about them, making them specifically one
The Congregational spirit has spread from the original
centers IN This land bya process of growth, and one
after the churches have been organized out Of
1t. They are not the deposit OF ecclesiastical
children Of a common mother. They have come
OF common struggles and common types Of
doctrine and practical spirit. There among
true different theologies but they Of the general
0us stages OF departure from it, and still signs
of their origin; the Armenianism, which some
Dampses the dim outlines Of the overaid prior faith
There dfereut degrees and kinds OF culture; but
they are notifications OF the Puritan. in which educa
zion carried 10 the front rank and substance takes
precedence VI form and IDEAS OF emotion and passion.
There are different styles OF pFas sHs spirit out osy
OF Christ vOlunaryism good directness take the
place OF drill esprh ae corps ana iordly aenoninauonai
bearings. There Is also, among Congregationaiists
warm sympathy They have stood together for liberty
of thought under Scripture and fought the great battles
by which revelation and reason are held as the two
poles OF Christian hinking-n0t contradictory, but
In accord alike against those who would thrust
and those who would raise reason to place OF suprem
scy. They have thrown themselves. for more than
$50 years the side Of the rights and elevation OF
man against both religious and civil oppression They
stood side by side for the maintenance OF scrip
tra faith and the night OF the Saints to hold and prac
,ice that faith themselves against all powers that
would rob them of it, They have lived this common life
passed through these common struggles apd are drawn
Closely together. Broad and generous their feel
ngs all other friends OF Christ there warmer
and stronger feelDghe feeling OF those who have been
Through the wars together-toward one another.
The Congregational churches. therefore, whether
bonded together externally not, natural unity
under the unity OF the people OF Christ They
are historically, doctrinany sympathetically one-one
III sEr'!' IL '-' ..',,. .'~',, -
mon union with Christ and specific unity among them
our churches have from the Hrst made this the