Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-10
A SPEECH IRON Mr.. BEEcHER.
On the question Of the adoption ct Gle
resolutions, Mr.. Beecier said

OU llt QutNt4J1 VI Nii- AAa AiA4b4 no
resolutions, Mr.. Beecier said
an sorry this church should be te
casion of 50 much excitement through o.
public journals, but | call all to witne=- IS
are familiar with its interior w0rkinr- -.4l
the publicity and excit enent Is not .. .i.
own seeking, but has been kindled ls 4l.
yersaries outside OF the church. App4l--
We have sought to perform our appeil.--
work, NEEDING with no other chlr e-
living in peace and charity with every one
and IN spite Of the unparalleled storm, .s
the great goodness OF tod, that work IS.
have Deen enabled to perform, through 4
and evil report, through the u. .s
year, abating nothing in the mlq-
Iry or in the sanctuary, living .l
growing unity in ourselves. and h4yiu-
Divine work going on without ces-atIlu. j.
Is said that Plymouth Church l. prone
display her lag. When Plymouth Char
is assaulted in her very life, she AWAY 49,
show her flag. Applause. She seeks t.
publicity. Inc church, by calmne>-, l--
Grafton, frmness and compassion, has d.
more to magnify church life in the past ra
years than ever before. We DO not t,ls.-
the church IS kingdom, but family. y
officer has any right over it, individual ml-
bers, other than those that belong e.
household Of faith. We have enIeay s-al 6.
behave lenienly and tenderly. not tJ So
precipitately. We have sought 10 cleans.
the church Oi all that which did net seem g..
belong to u, and in such a manner a- g..
little disturb the church Itself or the PEI
going from it. While We have been ~.r..
ing to do this, there have been those sr.
visliant to discover some mistake. Notion.
has ever cOunselled with u. Not one ra..
ister has ever come 10 the church bear.a-
the hand Of fellowship, not one. fuiin, Oh.
mistake has come to me and asked Whv d &
YOU do 50 T.? They stood aloOf ami waite
Tor the mistake, that it might BE- u5ln
upon and heralded to the world. Nov /.
supposed by some that, by the force of pee
sure and yexatiOn, they Will weary Us ...
and drive Us into isolation. 1t Is p1ssi5 .
that Plymouth Church may stand indeue--
dent OF the 5000 Congregational churcas-
OF America, but twill be when thew put u-
out, not when we 20 out. Applause W
believe that this church represents the 1rI--
ciples OF the fathers and No other. ami ".
are standing out for those principles. ami
the right OF each administering t. it, uw1
affairs. We are being endangered hy q coz
rious doctrine Of fellowship, or what is
called fellowship, but in operation : govern
ment-a poor imitation OF Presbyterian.
Presbyterlanism pure and simple IS 10 he ~
spected. Congregationalism pure and sim
ole, Is the result of long experience. ii-
made itself respected. Therefore Clnsrc-.-
tionalism is good, and Presbyterian is
good, but 81 Presbygationalism 80 Is m.i1
Applause The time for silence has z .-
by, and that which Is to be sid, vii t
said. Whatever IS to be met, whatever .a-
yestigations are proposed BY proper part.r-
will be courtei. .ad not avoided, ami WI1l
matters of the church are a, issue r-.
pose % be there.
These remarks all tend toward the cl-,
question | have no other feeling tJui--
Nose whese names have been brought .
Your con- ieratiOn than that of the Pl-.r
never other feeling than could be unr1. --
in prayer for them. When they So Or
disagree with US a. to never attend VI
or private meetings-when they lend ta-
selves 70 those who are seeking the DISC
tegratiOn OF the church, it becomes the dur.
OF the church 10 terminate connection W.T.
them, in Il way a little injurious To tusu b.
possible. Ii Is 4 shame that when We a--
disposed To be lenient that they should ta--
our kindness as a ground for fresh odelc-
appeal TO common sense whether il j. ~
and Christian to do this 1t Is wicked
need not say that the resolutions have OBJ.
hearty assent, and | think they wi. a-.
have that Of the Christian publ. wiz
they shall have read them.
\ report Of the meeting says
When Mr.. Beecher, with much feeling
SAID, " Not one minister has ever come O.
me in fellowship" tears started into t-l
eyes Of more than one helrcr. The loll-
est applause followed when Mr.. Bseca--
with great emphasis exclaimed '' l.
possible that Plymouth Church may STAN
outside Of the 1000 Congregational churcl.-
oil America, but it viii be when they
US ont, not when we 20 out, and wiz
he declased that g the time for silence be-
-