Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-31
Miscellaneous.
THE PH YUOUTH CHURCH CONTRO.
FERSf-DECISION or THE COUN-

VERSf-DECISION or the COUN-
Gil.
New York, 20. The following is the text
OF decision rendered by the Congregational
council after "A secret session lasting two days
and a half:
The council has listened carefully to the
committee OF the churches 10 which it was
convened and has received from them a clear
and earnest statement of the aims and princi-
pies which have determined the action of the
churches in the proceedings, which they ask
US to review.
We have also received from the Plymouth
Church communication declining an invita-.
ton from this council, as well as from these
two churches to appear by its pastor and com
hitee to assist in the presentation and dis
cussion of the questions and discussion of the
questions before us; but at the same time
Offering suggestions and arguments. which
we have carefully and candldly considered
We cannot doubt the right of these two
churches to ask advice of US concerning the
regularity of the Christian churches of what
they have done in their dealing with Plymouth
church. No church is beyond the action of
public opinion of other churches, expressed
either directly or through an ecclesiastical
council. Any church in its essential and in
allenable independence may in the exercise Of
a reasonable discretion consider any public
action of any other church; may in proper
methods express its approval or disapproval,
and may make that public action the subject
of friendly correspondence and remonstrance,
or if need be, the ground of temporary and
peremptory cessation of acts of inter-com-
nunon.
There has been laid before us a series of
letters that have passed between these two
t,bprphls and tho plxnnutl, nl,u ol bot
spondence.
1t is our unquestionable right to have an
opinion and to express it. though we have no
right to try the Plymouth, church as party
before us.
We have to say, then, that the letter of re-
monstrance and admonition with which the
correspondence began, was not uncalled for
The churches throughout the United States
and the general public also felt painful anx-
iety on a question imminent and urgent in the
city OF Brooklyn, and involving the honor, not
of the Congregational churenes only, but of
Christianity itself.
Without any more explicit reference to that
question it will be sufficient to say that in the
Plymouth church a complaint was brought
against member that he had ''circuated and
promoted scandals derogatory to the Christ.
ian integrity of the pastor and injurious to the
reputation of the Church"
, Pe''oi 'o"'pi"i"1u u, hPpea'eu III
the church meeting and declared that four
years before that time he had by his own vo-
lition terminated his connection with the
church, and therefore his name was by a vote
of the whole church dropped from the cata-
logue of its members.
That action of Plymouth Church was the
occasion on which these two churches inter-
poeeu " n" iu'hons'i ', ances anu WIN request
lor iiienuif conielehce i" t"is act they
iVP'e'e"'eu 'He '"'e,es' u, Tue Ha'e'n''y VI
'cs'''""i Tnu'Nnes "ao'e P'n.eiP'es Vi
ursspi'ne a"u ""ose '".t "il,'a'n : 'n,ile WeIe
enuanseieu a I 's 'Ne COURSE "nic" I'y'nou'"
c"u'eh see'neu " oe putsu'hs
ror 'iiiS '''o,"i heroisnn '"ey aestr'e our
.n"Hhs' even shou.i errors o' Juugmeht oe
eia.Hpie , III sumo u '"e ue'"''s Vi 'he'i pro-
ceGu'nss
!" ou, W. e""s'ue' "a, ",io" VI '"e ie,'.' a"u'
10 Tue ry'ho"'h Church we hhd 'ha' tue I'M
pfess!oI maui oy IL was III SONY measure uii-
iefen' 'foil "'ae was i"'enueu ny its autnor'
WI ','e" u"ue' '"c piesSuIe " "PPre"e"sions
a"u ""Aie'ies ions suPP' P'esseu' - seelhs 10
haNe ,hir"eeu nio'e painiuliy 'hah was IN
.ehueu ." '''e sens 'l'e''esss Vi '''ose 10 WHOM
~"' T a''u' -,
- ''""y III. ie''et seen' e""te,S une"'
ceP''ohai III matter anu III manner anu ehtlre'
i".e " 'ne ue'"S'o.' ~ ~ o.n'i
IL seems unnecessarily severe IN ,he tone OF
,ts f .. ] .ne p,oI..u..kS , oo.',
P,"i"e" VI =" ''en e.'o"u ,e'el '',c Col'i-
p'"I"'ns c'u' , '1'es ni''"s .ounu "nat .upies'
oipn ."ey ""u n,auc "' .'eL 'e'ho"s"" ""ce'
on..eu al .Np'a""''o"' ""''" VIC "us' was
'ot rNp. una..s p'"oe ., p,... c.A
,h'' .ne ,.ps hi, III ynua'' ,h H"utu,, ,ta,
~ tna. ,e',e, Soy no'"s mo, '.an sa%'
a." , ~, n,..'.t' ''l Ct', MI
,aa ;,a, P'U"p,.u .me h aUu,a Nhuon hu ~ iru
.:', 80 y. a a., =" :n e"a.,s y! an sNcep
iN .'ona' h'es''' .,, n,'e"' na oioush' n .ne oo'
~ "' 'a''' anu ""ppy .e' "''''"
'iou w a.;. - , a.,
o. "a" ~ tt g.. 81; s',s
sques. -, " ,.pina oupa'"'s ~" 'o'
~ conference s.'ouiu ho' nav oeen s'a"'eu
III uI.e subsequent coi..SpoHuenee !t
we see on 'ne par. Vi 'iI oonip'aini.s
cnuic'es an eNpiess'on Vi 'ien uesne ~
u'ne WIN ,xt =. uiou.i tnu'cH, ieiei.ne .ne
Po'n'S Vi u'lieie"ce " '"e "u''ee vi couh'
Gil, ,, 20 p,u.,, c,,
ii'u y" 'no pa o;oI y. ~ nou.n ~"
n' no a1n".J oh 80 p,, y, ouse"T CpL pr