New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-12-17
THE PROCEEDINGS.

THE PROCEEDINGS.
The attendance at the meeting was very large
Among those present Assistant Pastor HALT
day, Thomas g. Sherman, Rossiter w. Raymond,
Henry NJ. Cleveland, the Rev. Edward Beecher. Ihos
}. Tilney, S. V. White, and Horatio G. King. +. ~
Edgerten acted as Moderator, and, while waiting
for the arrival of Mr.. Beecher and the church clerk
the congregation sang a hymn from the
church collection Mr.. McCabe opened with a
prayer that peace might be with the church-that
peace which passeth all understanding. and which
the world can neither give take away. Thou hast
said that Though thou pass through the waterl will
be with thee. so may il be now and in all our
future history If Thou wilt be wall of FIRE about
us, there will be no fear of what man can do unto
ns. Bless all the churches Of this order May they
deal with Others az Thou wouldest deal with them.
On, eradicate all double dealing and seishness."
The minutes of the previous meeting having been
read on motion IL was ordered that the election OF
the remaining members Of the Examining Commit
tee and of other church officers be deferred until the
next meeting. 1t was then moved and adopted
that when the meeting adjourn 1t adjourn
to meet this evening after the prayer
meeting The Moderator then declared other bust
nessn to be next in order. and Mr.. Shearnan read
the following reply to the last letter from Mrs.
Moulton TO the church,
BROoKLYS Dec. Is, 1873.
Mrs EMMA c. MoULT0E-Moddme Your letter TO
Plymouth Church, dated DO 3, was received ON the
eyeuing that day, and referred 10 the Examining Con"
mitee which, aware was placed in charge OF
the whole subject But, as yon Fave addressed ioLscI
the church. the committee has desired the chrch W
rely no,o ,ctter "a ba,ea on IN assumption OF the
trnth OF statements concerning our pastor contained IN
your communication to the Church This assunI
ton We meet at NE outset oy iet rang our W. %
truth But as they not material to the ISSUE which
relates to your conduct ana @ anu , U ,snnt 70
duct OF any one else, "e pass them W loi .io ~ "
answer those po.s In your eltsr wncn r'e w nau
bearing the subject properly before u.s. 1hcse points
appear to Us to be as follows:
aud your irregular attendance at ths church began In
the year 1871 and not before. $500
second: You consequently that this church be-
In 1871 neeo ctcd 10 labor demonstrate with ybu Tor
the purpose OF bringing you back ,.,,,,
THIRD: You slege that We have complained that You
up rn u0s Y"u suggest that you had in your own
mouy in court accused yourself OF having privately
sadered PASTOR and that you might nave been tred
this charge by the church -, A.. o,,,.o,,
Iinh: You claim that the moderator OF the church
melting ruled tlat questions to you were 0st Oh order
Su You CAIN that your Erolgs. nsan7! ne! ~ Pr
made your exception, and required that you
SeUenh: You appear 10 insist tnat We ought 70 nave
placed you upon tria Tor iase swehlhs III 0o"'' Vi
Ei9hM: gu propose Of questions 20 submit to
tie council addition To those watch Naturally arose OIL
OF your own first letter The statements anu propositions
thus made We will briefly review III their order
l. Your letter IL asa conceded fact that yonr
abseuce nom communion aud your regular attendance
at lIbc worship both dated from the year 1871 that
pior to that tune yod were regular %orshiper ano
CHANGED. TIus you say concerning your relations To
Plymouth Church, e do not D. heVe tnefe was any one
faithful tn lt or mo ond Of IL th was w othe
beginning OF 1871, when became acquainted wiGn
the great woG,dncss wnicl MI. beecner had COM
mitt,d" You also ray, After that IL did not seem
possible for 70 10 church and near MN preach or
take the sacrament from his hancs, ana stopped doinS
sn Nav your own public testimony before tie civil
showed tnat the real rerod Of change IN your
habit OF attending public Worship VAS III 1860, II ears
be,orc YOU proless to have received any information
against Mr.. Bcceher You testified, IN eject tbat from
TIE day OF your marriage III lsOo you ceased 10
Attend any church whatever Tor two years, and
Tor The nine years next aiterward you were I'M,
Ionr presence az communion with lae church, or to
name w.th certainty any year IN which you goinnuned
years immediately following your marriage you hVed III
tie Cay OF Now-i orr ana must ,nleiouJ We m
cur members meet II with uniag regularity hot"ith-
IN, Your u, gioct 10 join IN public worship anywhere
from $50 undl 1867 demons a"s, as we tlihh, CON
rlYs,ye,y tat inc change IN your religious habits,
when you row assign to the year 1871, and
account Tor w reasOus personal 10 our pastor,
dld IA iact the year $500, and s To be accounted
r by reasons personal yourself Ii is quite possible
tat tese reasons adequate and e. Ga honorable 10
III u IL s Gear tney which lad no
Connection whatever with the Of our pastor Since
you take, tIinh an uugcictUur advantage Vi our
past furprarI1ice proceeding upon the assumption OF
lac truth of yuur testimony Ill court so lar ~ II was
made tie action o our pat, We are compelled
To Gay that ia u,aa!ng That assumption VIC "cie
not actua,cd by any belief that your testimony was
correct when you asserted that your Attendance was
more nire4uen after the beginning Oh io'I thah IL had
Lcu beure Gu contrary, We nave reason 10 believe
Tat ycur attendance was quite az frequent after mat
period it WAS before ana as ate az January 1873,
auIoation was your behalf To tie officers Tor
r. tr stings in the church 80 far ~ we could see,
you appeared, to use your own LANGUAGE lAitln ana
more 1910" OF church and it's services after the
hpilng u 1871 than you were OelOie'
AR.. MoULTON'e ChARGEs or NEGLECT ANSWERED.
H. Upon the falacious assumption of your sudden aud
mai ked cLange OF demeanor IN 1871 you complain
tl;o vaa not %
Won because il did not labor to bring back No such
suggests was made by you when yon appeared before
the church; but tins may be passed over for the
present, because the assumption being entirely
untrue the complaint is necessarily uniounded.
no member Of this church, far are aware ever
ed any change IN your habits In 1871 from that
time down 10 the Summer of 1874 and therefore never
occurred Io any that there was any necessity Tor
labor with you. When the real change U your H'ets
occurred IN 1860 you were in tie ty of Sew ofh, ad
we -upuoscd that you attending public worship
there It was only Py iSi own tuon We "Smoy
The contrary 10 he the fact and while after you returned
IL generally understood, down to tue SUMMER OF
ls.4 that ient absence was caused ny SUFFICIENT
d.,mcstic reasons Nny should we rrmonstIate when
those oil Us Who noceu your absence renewed hat YOU
were struggling 10 attend Divine service Win US under
dleulties surrounding the mahaseou " "a nouscnoia
were the Sabbath was made mot ny your iauu aay
general hospitality and Tie honhe oi P9Oc worship
swallowed ny by household cares We mad no sus-
au,e nas irregular from 1871 10 1874 than IL had
been the average for the ten years previous
IL cannot possible that You complain OF our failure
10 labor with you account OF your absence after
August, 1874. Ia that month your husband assumed
pubely ;itude of the Interest ennity towards this
church aud ito pastor. He proesscd ~ speak In your
name as Idorsng his accusations, ana IL WAS every
where announced at YOU were u be witness agaGst
NJ Beeohrr In the len approaching trial. " word DC
absurd suggest thai tue pastor OF this church, or any OF
his associates upon the Examining Committee fall VI
whom had just united Ia pfonouhcihg TIE chhsesoi
your husband be fscl ought ~ have gone individn-
ANY body TO husbands house TO exsort his
" attend public services with US Oi course any
efioer Of the church who would have called upon this