The Portland daily press., 1874-03-19
The Brooklyn Council.

oehOi idISc DENOMINATIONS nave mad Cner
revolutions, separations and questions of dis
cord in the past, but Congregationalism has
Tor long years enjoyed comparative peace. At
length this season OF harmony seems to be
on the eve of interruption by a disagreement
among the Brooklyn churches or rather the
interference of the churches of Rev. Drs. Bud :
dington and Storrs with the affairs OF Eenry
Ward Beecher's church, and as result the
churches OF the first mentioned divines have
summoned council, which is to meet in
Brooklyn at some time in the immediate flu
ture, for the real purpose of dealing with Mr..
Beecher and his people. 1t is quite natural
that Mr.. Beecher should resent this procedure
and, if the newspapers report him at all cor
rectly, he has expressed his sentiments on this
subject with more directness and warmth
than he has sometimes done on the subject
of an everlasting future punishment.
Recently the Hartford Courant published a
letter from Rev. Edward Beecher which is
supposed to express the opinions of the Ply
mouth church on the proposed council This
letter declares that the impending convoca-
ton is er parte, called by the accusing par
ties after having refused TO entertain the pro-
council, with the Bible for its authority.
1t has been geuerslly supposed that the
question which the council has been called to
consider is that of the right of the Plymouth
church to drop member against whom
charges have been made, having in mind the
case of Theodore Tilton. The Beecher let
ter, no wever, states that the Plymouth
church has never claimed this right and that
the issue to be decided is whether the person
whose name was dropped was member.
The Plymouth church takes the negative of
this proposition and its accusers the affirma-
tive. The Plymouth church accepts the
statement of Mr.. Tilton that he withdrew
from the church several years since, and con-
ssquently, not being member, declines to
prosecute the charges against him and drops
his name. The accusing church leaders say
that Mr.. Titon is still a member, and no
matter what his action might be mean time,
he would remain member until the church
formally consented to his Withdrawal -t+
In discussing this subject, Mr.. Beecher
takes the ground in defence of the Ply
mouth church that the Bible alone is
the standard OF Congregationalism and THAT
there can be no binding authority for
the observance of any practice or princi-
pie not enforced by the scriptures. He de-
MES the validity of manuals, covenants ETC.,
except so far as supported BY the supreme
authority and declares that no such rule as
the accusing churches desire to establish is
enjoined by the Bible. The principle is not
found therein and the implication is contrary
to what the accusers seek to impose. Mr..
Beecher also combats the assertion that coer-
cion is essential to discipline and proclaims
the contrary, declaring that the principle of
liberty "tends to the purity and power of the
church, by making the removal of unworthy
elements more easy, and by increasing the in
nuence OF Christian unity" The utmost
that church discipline can do is to exclude
from membership, and if the unworthy mem
Der voluntarily excludes himself, the desired
end is gained.
The letter is evidently designed for the in
struction Of the clergymen who have been in
vitel to the council as to the position of those
who adhere to the Beecher. or rather the pro-
gressive school of Congregationalism.T The tine
for holding the council is not yet announced;
but the general character of the leaders who
participate i'll this controversy as we'll as the
idea that the assembly is the result of other
questions than the membership Or non-mem-
bership of Mr.. Tilton, tends to make this
convocation, in the public estimation, a sort
of Congregational ecumenical council and
consequently attracts wide and unusual at
tentiOn.