The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-30
THE BEECHER ACQUIYIAL,
The Text Of the Report Of the COngre-
gatiOnal Council.
THE OFFICIAL VERDICT.

The following is the text OF the decision rem
dered by the Congregational Council alter secret
session lasting two days and a half
THE DECISION OF THE COUNCIL
This Council has listened carefully to the COM
mittees OF the churches by wlich It was convened,
and has received from Them clear and earnest
statement of the aims and principles which have
determined rbe action OF tne churches in the pro-
ceedings which they ask Us review We have
also received IRON plymouth church a com
munlcati0n declining an invitation from this
Council, as well as from these two churches,
to appear by lis pastor and committee and
assist in the presentation ana discussion
OF the questions before us, but at the time
Offering suggestions and arguments which we
have careuly and candidly considered. We can
not doubt the right OF these two churches TO ask
advice OF rs concerning the regularity and the
CHRISTIAN character OF what tney have done IN
their dealing with Plymouth church. No church
Is beyond the reach OF the public Oplnion OF other
churches, expressed either directly or through an
ecclesiastical council. Any church in Its essential
and inallenable independence may, In the eXer-
cIse OF "A reasonable discretion, consider any pub
lie actions OF any other church; may in proper
methods express its approval or disapprOval and
may make that puDlic action the supJe OF friendly
correspondence and remonsirance, or. II need be,
the ground OF a temporary or permanent cessation
OF acts OF lntercommuDiOn.
There have been laid before u. series of letters
that have passed between these two churches and
the Plymouth church On that correspondence It
Is our unquestlonable right TO have an opinion and
toexpresst though We nave no llgnt 10 try the Ply
mouth church as party before US. We have to say,
then, that the letter OF remonstrance and admOni-
tlon with which the correspondence began was
not uncalled for.
The churches throughout the United States and
the general public also, ielt painful anxiety on
a question Imminent and urgent IN TINS city of
Brooklyn and involving the honor, not OF the
Congregations churches only but OF Christianity
itself.
without any more explicit reference TO that
gu stlon 1T VIII sulce to say that the Plymouth
church complaint was brought against
promoted scandals derogatory to the Christian
tegrity of tne pastor and injurious to the reputa.
appeared IN tue church NEE lng and declared that
Jour years before that time he had, by his own
volition, Terminated his connection with the
Church, and thereupOn his name was, by vote OF
the whole church, dropped from the catalogue OF
It's members That action OF the Plymouth church
was the occasion which these two churches in
terpOsed with remonstrance aud with request
Tor friendly conference.
In this act they represented the interests of the
fraternity OF congregational churches, whose prin-
cipies OF discipline and whose lair Christian lame
were endangered by the course which Plymouth
church seemed TO be pursuing.
For thus moral herosm they deserve thanks,
even should errors OF Judgment De tracea0le in
some OF the details OF their procedure.
In our consideration OIL the letter then addressed
TO the Plymouth church, find that the Impress
SION made oy it was in some measure different
from what was intended by its authors. Written
under the pressure OF apprehensions ana anyIetes
long suppressed, 1t seems to haveinirlnged more
painfully than was intended on the senslblhties OF
those to whom 1t was addressed.
To many tne letter seems entirely une yception-
able ia matter ana III manner and entirely aplro-
pirate TO the occasion, while to Others IL seems
unnecessarily severe IN the tone OF Its condemna.
ton OF the proceedings complained Of In their
second letter the complaining churches having
found what impressions they had mace by their
remonstrance, offered an explanation which we
trust was not unacceptable.
Concerning the reply OF the Pymouth church to
that letter we say noGn'ng more tnan that an III.
genlous explanation OF the reasons which had
prompted tue Plymouth chu ch TO rid Itself OF an
Offending member by an exceptional method might
nave brought the correspondence TO al early and
happy termination.
We can see no sufficient reason why the request
OF the complaining churches Tor frdternal
ence should not have been granted
in the subsequent correspondence we see on the
part oil the complaining churches an expression OF
their desire to unite with tne Plymouth church In
referring the points oil difference to the advice of
a council. We ind on the part Of Plymouth church
no definite expression either OF consent or OF
1usal
Yet, inasmuch as Plymouth church did not dis
tincty refuse to unite IN reference to council,
We cannot but regre: the complaining churches
did not urge their request Till refusal or an
evasion snould nave become unequiyOcal.
we are NOT lnVited' nor 40 we take 1t upon our
its methods OF dealing with offenders, but we are
invited to advise these two churches on certain
questions.
Therefore, We say distinctly that the idea of
membership in congregational church is the
idea OF a covenant between the Individual mem
Der and the church that by virtue OF that covenant
the MEMBER Is responsible TO the church for ms
conformity to the law OF Christ, and the church
il responsible Tor him. and that this responsibility
does not cease TIL the church by some formal
anu corporate act has declared The dissolution OF
the member. He may offend, and, when duly adj
monlsned, may give no satisfactory evidence of
repentance In tndt case he is is cut on from
Communion. me church, having given its testl-
mony, Is no longer responsible Tor MN, ana he can
be Restored only by the removal or the censure.
Voluntary absence OF a resident member from the
communion oil the church and rom Its public Wor.
ship does not dissolve the covenant, but Is a rea-
sonabe ground VI admonltlOn, and II persisted in,
OF 1nai censure.
When a regular complaint is made against such
member that IN some other respects ne violates
he Law N non fha nm
plant is that he has ''clrculated and promoted
scandals derogatory TO tine Christian integrity OF
the pastor ana injurious to the reputation OF the
church," the consideration that he has long ago
70 saken the church Is only an aggravation OF his
alleged fault.
In regard 10 the future relations between these
churc and the Plymouth church we express
our hopes that tue very extraordinary proceeding
winch gave occasion Tor the correspondence and
Tor TINS Council VIII not be precedent Tor the
guidance OF That church hereafter. Could we sup
pose that such proceedings VIII be repeated we
should eel the disre gard the rst principles
involved IN the idea OF church membership and
the Idea OF the fellowship OF churches with each
other would REQUIRE the strongest possible proJ-
est But the communication from the Plymouth
cnurch TO this Council makes professions ana dec
laratons which justify the hope tnat sucn devla-
ton rom the orderly course OF discipline VIII not
be repeated.
The accused person in that case has not been
retained IN the church, nor commended TO any
other church.
We recte some of those declarations from the
Plymouth church, Which encourage the nope we
have representative Iejoceu says the Plymouth
church. Ito i've in atiectlonate fellowship with all
churches OF the Lord Jesus, and especially with
those VINO are In all things hke-mnded with US,
holding 10 the same 1alth and order not only IN
tnlngs fundamental, but IN things less esseutlal,
yet dear to us by conviction or association" ave
cheer uy admit tnat, whenever any church shall
openly and avowedy change the essential con-
ditons upon which II publicly received
into the fellowship OF DelghbOring chul ches,
or snail, by fragrant neglect, exert
a pernlclOus and immoral influence upon the COM
munlty or upon sister churches, IL IS their right,
either by individual action or by Council, to with
draw their friendship 1--WE hold that preceding
this fellowship in all such cases there should be
sucn affectlOnate and reasonable inquiry a. snail
show That the evil Is real that the causes OF 1t are
within the control OF the church that the EVIL Is
not transient evu such as may Dela any church,
but Is permanent aud tending 10 increase rather
than to DIMINISH
Wnile II Is not to be forgotten that this commu-