Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-31
NO. n.

Tor The guidance of that church hereafter.
Could we suppose that such proceedings
will be repeated, we should feel that the dis
regard OF the first principles involved in the
idea Of church membership and the idea of
The fellowship of churches with each other.
would require the strongest possible protest,
but the communication from the Plymouth
church to this council makes professions and
declarations which justify the hope that such
deviation from the orderly course of discipline
will not be repeated. The accused person in
that case has not been retained in the church
nor commended to any other church. We
recite some Of those declarations from the
Plymouth Church which encourage the hope
we have expressed: ''We rejoice" says
plymouth Church, 'to live in affectionate fell
lowship with sll churches of the Lord Jesus,
and especially with those who are in all
things like-minded with US, holding to the
same faith and order, not only in things fun
damental, but in things less essential yet dear
to us by conviction or association. "We
cheerfully admit that whenever any church
shall openly and avowedly change the essen
tial condition upon which it was publicly re-
ceived into the fellowship of neighboring
churches, or shall by ilagrant neglect exert II
pernicious and immoral influence upon the
community or upon the sister churches, it is
their right, either by individual action or by
council, to withdraw their fellowship" 1--WE
hold that preceding disfelowship in all such
cases, there should be such sffectionate and
reasonable enquiry as shall show that the
evil Is real, that the causes of it are with
in the control of the church, that the
evil is not a transient evil such as may befau
any church, but is permanent and tending 10
increase rather than diminish" While it is
not to be forgotten that this communication
from Plymouth Church is entirely subsequent
to the case as it stood upon the convening of
this council, when the Plymouth Church by
its action of Dec. 9th last declared itself re.
sponsble for no other church and no other
church for it in respect to doctrine, order and
discipline, which action, interpreted in the
circumstances then existing, implied with
drawal, and the ground oftotal independency;
yet that church is to be judged by its latest
utterance. These professions on the part OF
the Plymouth Church may be accepted by
other churches as indicating its intention to
maintain an efficient discipline and to regard
the mutual responsibility of churches; at the
same time this council feels constrained to
declare that these declaration seem to be in-
consistent it'll the resolution of interpreted
ton adopted by the Plymouth Church Dec.
9th, 1873, and with other acts and statements
appearing in the public documents. We
think that the action of the church as pre-
sented in these documents If unnodified would
justify these churches in Withdrawing fellow
ship; yet inasmuch as the Plymouth Church
seems to US to admit in its communication
to US the Congregational principles OF disci-
plne and fellow ship, we advise the churches
convening this council to maintain with it the
relations of fellowship as heretofore, in the
hope that Plymouth Church may satisfy these
churches of its acceptance OF the principles
which it has been supposed to disavOw. We
also desire in this connection to reaffirm and
emphasize the doctrines laid down in all our
platforms, of the obligation of fellowship.
This duty applies to all christian churches.
In the case of those instituted and united in
in accordance with the Congregational policy
it involves that more intimate communication
which is exercised in asking and giving coun-
sci, in giving and receiving admonitions, and
other acts relating to doctrines, orders and
discipline. The mutual responsibility of the
Congregational churches has characterized
their system from the beginning, distinguish
ing it from simple independency. With the
autonomy Of the local church, it is one of the
formative and essential principles of Congre-
gationalism; without it we have no basis in
our policy tor that system of cooperative et-
fort to which our churches are pledged. We
regard therefore the principles of fellowship
which the pastors and churches convening
have so earnestly maintained to be those
which we have received from our fathers and
the word of God.
We appreciate and honor their fidelity to
those principles under circumstances of Pc
cular and severe trial, and we offer our ear
nest prayer to the great head of the church
that he may bestow upon them, and the pas
tor and church with which they have been in
correspondence, wisdom and grace, that He
may guide them in all their action, and that
lie may quicken in all our churches through
these painful trials, a spirit of renewed fdel-
ty to the sacred obligations of our covenants
and our church communion, and we pray that
He to whom all power in Heaven and earth is
given and who has promised to be with His
church always, even to the end of the world,
and who under the inspiration of His spirit
and his truth, has joined these churches in a
grand and memorable past, standing shoulder
to shoulder in the great moral and spiritual
battles of the age, may unite them in .he fu-
ture conflicts and victories Of His kingdom.
CT. WALKER, M0dera'0r''
:. f. e. T. Sssnn1u, Ss,ss; seriDe.,
Clinton Avenue Congregational church,
Brooklyn, Mar. 2S, 1874.
1t is stated from reliable authority, that
the final vote giving the result of the delber-
seven voted for the result as it stands, eight
voted against it. and twenty three refused to
vote at all. In Plymouth church, while its
members regard much of the councils final
vote as not sound. yet in general they con-
slider it an entire yindication of the liberty OF
Plymouth church, and they are greatly re-
joiced over it.
After the morning service to-day, at the
Clinton avenue church. Rev. Leonard Bacon,
moderator of the late council, read its decision
to the congregation, but in the Plymouth
church, where the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
preached, not the slightest allusion was made
to it.
Rev. DIR. Storrs of the Church of Pilgrims,
made some brief remarks.
HENRY L. FULLER,