The New York herald., 1875-12-28
ME-. BEEcHEn's SPEECH.

Mr. MoDERAToR-lt may seem strange TO great
many persons that this church should spend so many
meetings and so much time IN corresponding with
lady and that 1t had better cut short It's work IN
righteousness and go have received some letters
OF that import Now LEI me say IN regard TO this mat
ter that II there has been thing the history Of
Plymouth church which .s characteristic of IT, II has
been the tenderness ald caresulness with which
ana Ia that the WY poSS- 81 the church, and the
magnitude OF the church, and The great sphere in
which it moves, far from having been OPP
pressgey used, bas been all the time held in and re-
strained, lest in some way we should tread upon any
inadvertently Yet when it is the interest or our
adversares to attack in way they always alege
that do not discipline our members-that we do not
do anything; and when their interest repre-
another phase they say that we arc carrying
that is oppressive 10 our members
Now, in regard to the whole career Of this church. it
has attempted to act as If 1t was household, and
an imperial government And ii has attempted to ad
discipline in the spirit Of household aec
tion NOT ~ executive nor iegsiasNe power such as
the civil States had We don't believe that Christs
Church is 10 be organized as kingdom ike that, but
that 1t is organized as a household IN which love is
predominant and discipline itself Is affection
ate. And, when aAectionate discipline
longer do anything, our theory Of dropping
members Is that the church must free itself from tho
fulhment of obligations which 1t longer fulfil
That is the meaning OF dropping them, understand
it, though | am now speaking simply for myself
There another matter pertaining correspon-
dence with Mrs Moulton. While her rights sacred
those Of any other single person would be,
matter in what position in soctety-whcthcr
man. woman or child-and while we do
not think we demean ourselves in considering
carefully whatever any of our aggrieved members may
have say, yet that not the main that has
made this church act with much consideration and
SO long patience. We know perfectly well that Mrs
Moulton IS but the OCCASION and that the power lies
behind and IN other hands than hers lAppause.) And
perfectly well aware that II is INSCRIPTIONS
power lApplausel We perfectly convinced
that IL is a power which has watched for op-
portunity to trip this church. and that being in
the presence OF wary and experienced and unscrupu
lous adversary becomes this church consider every
step IL takes carefully. That is the reason why we
have attempted TO give to this whole correspondence
much thought and SO much care. And regard
to the calling OF an advisory council, the calling Of
which has excited SO much feeling, and which has
called out protest, what is entitled
I'm NATURE PROTEST.
In regard TO that Advisory Council let me say,
for all that this church calls that council because has
come to that point in its history in which 1t intends to
take its own business into its hands and not have
II shot in on IT. (Applause,)
We intend especially not to be harassed by along line
church. but by adversaries working through dsaeced
members (Applause) There was council for Mrs
Moulton; there was another for Mr.. West There
another brother that declared the Examining Com
mittee that he should call council There was an
other council that oomed up Ii was quite possibly
that fifth might come and there seemed bo before
the prospect OF long line OF mutual councils For
our experience had taught us that there would not be
one single thing treated justly or generously in respect
10 this church. but that every opportunity that could
be found TO njure 1t would be sedulousy taken and
followed up; and We determined, therefore, that we
would clear ourselves of the evil Of all
these petty sriies BY calling council large mado
up Of so well known and OF such high standing in
the UNCONVENTIONAL churches that them we would be
willing TO submit any question that any mortal man
might choose to ask about this church applause) that
would turn our books inside out and submit our
selves to all inquistoral questions even II they
chose TO ask them; II when that council had made
its declaration they would give US peace
We do against any other churches: we are not
stealing sheep out of their folds not watching
them aggrcssvey we are In no way bellicosc nor
have been. There was church that
pursued its appropriate business more quietly IL is
not we who making trouble; II is the name Of fell
loWshp, perverted turned into engine of opprcs.
sion, that inerered with and hindered from
our appropriate business; and declare II TO DO
crime and shame that tins community
should be rent and families filed as they have been
with trouble and sorrow, and years work hndered
plause.) NAP
This church wants only this-liberty TO pursue its
spiritual work unvexed and unbndcred and thai Inert,
u means 70 have tApplause.l hold IN my hand an
article which appeared In the COn0re0dtiondlist last
week. ~ is preiaced edtorially as follows
nj - sar ~ ~, @ sne very serious attention Of all thought
frotest on the next page II suit of compar.
50 son q views between several gentlemen large experience
fore our churches whose Names did we feel Al a.
s,ye sss. .hem Moad - once arrest attention aud
their intent Of conference issue until ,he reu,
thereof was offered TO columns but verv iad ~
While t seems 70 that their judgment which ~ verv
clearly expressed Is entirely fair candid inst ana tht
such haste TO take should be It's ~
lore u receive the general indorsement.
Look al that title. II this was protest wny ddn,t
they call u "a protestY II II weren't protest whv
thing on the way toward protcstY Typhoid and not
tyDhus.
Mr.. shearman-Thats very natural process
MIR. Beecher lcontnuingD-Wcll who are these gen.
temenY And since this s a very important qucs.
tom IN the Judgment OF the Congre0dti0naIii ana
he declares their names were knnuyn "A