The Portland daily press., 1875-12-04
PLYMOUTH CHURCH.
Another Letter from Mrs. mouI,on.

New YORK, Dec 3.-The Sun says Mrs. Moul-
ton has addressed letter to the members of
Plymouth church in reply to the ore addressed
to her aud adopted by them on Friday evening
last. She says.
l do not believe there is any one more faith
full to Plymouth church than was up to the
time when became acquainted with the great
wickedneSS that Mr.. Beecher had committed in
bis relations with Mrs Triton. After that it
did not seem possible to go to church and hear
him preach or take the sacrament from his
hands, and so stopped doing so. / could not
with any satisfaction hear him preach of pur-
ty and Christian Joy while knew of his secret
agony and acknowledged but hidden sin. That
did not go elsewhere for worship and the sac
rament was amo wholly owing to him. He
begged me again and again to come back, and
when l said l could not till he had acknowledge
ed his sin and atoned for it so far as he could he
was sad and depressed even TO tears Yet it
went away from Plymouth church to any Other
while he was all the time coming to our house,
it would of course excite attention, cause sus-
pcion and embarrass him very much as well as
my husband, who was then trying hard under
Mr.. BeecherS constant urgency to keep the
awful secret from the public.
should not know what to say If 1 was asked
the reason for it, and it might be the means of
doing great injury to those whom wanted to
shield and help. Mr.. Beecher too, had, more
than any other, represented to me the Chris
tian religion, and to bring reproach upon him
seemed an injury to it, so abstained from GO
ing elsewhere lest it should harm him and in
directly bring things to light which he was all
the time afraid would become known, and
which it did not belong to me to disclose.
Mr.. Beecher surely ought to be the last man
in the wcrld to blame me for what did in his
behalf. He knows that could not speak the
truth more perfectly than have spoken it here
if was standing this moment before Gods
throne of judgment When Mr.. Tilton's name
was dropped by you two years ago told Mr..
Beecher that was afraid you would sometime
want to drop mine in the same way, and he
then most earnestly assured me that it should
never be done, that he would see to it himself,
that should never in any way be injured by
his church. really do not see how Mr.. Beech
er, knowing as well as be does. the perfect truth
of what say, knowing how he used to weep at
cur house and heap shame upon himself for his
great sin, and how often he spoke to my bus
band and myself of tie utter despair 10 which
he would be except for our comfort apd help--I
cannot see how it was possible for lfLAto stand
up and read his letter to me in your presence
without his very soul giving way.
Mrs Monlton refers to other parts of the let
ter, and says there are great many things in
it which are incorrect and injurious, some of
which she mentions as follows:
You say that so far as the church or commit
tee knew had never made any statement inn
pugning the purity of Mr.. Beecher except In a
court of justice, but in that very court I had
the same statement which have since made
in my protest TO you, long ago to one of the
leading members and officers of your church,
telling him that Mr.. Beeehers sin was adul.
terry, and that he and Mrs. Tilton had both
confessed IL to me. If the statement was a
SANDER had declared the fact of my uttering
the SANDER before all the world and might,
months ago. have been called to account for it,
l never knew before, that false swearing in a
court of Justice is an offence which the church
OF Christ is unwilling or unable to punish, and
it you think that l lied in that public manner
and in that solemn hour, and that lied in or
der to lnjure the minister that loved as much
as any of you and whom had done my very
best to uphold and comfort for three dismal
years, through the time of an anguish which
he was carefully hiding from you,you ought all
the more, think, TO have tried and condemned
me instead of dropping my name.
The letter concludes a. follows!
u had heavy burden to carry and | am
sorry to say that the first act of Christian at
tention which have received from the church
that my came was TO be dropped from the roll
the next evening. My proposal to you in my
| previous letter was that you should unite with
me i'll calling council of churches, before
which you should state your reasons for your
action and L should state mine, and which
should impartlally judge between us. That
proposal l understand YOU TO Huve- ~eeAnted.
The quest,uus thus coming up for decision
ougpi, should think, to be these:
I~Eirst-Have my convictions in regard to the
guilty conduct of Mr.. Beecher Eeen justified
by the evidence which | have heard?
Second-If they have been justified, ought l
still to have attended his ministry and received
sacrament from his hands while kept by the
reasons which have stated from withdrawing
from the church?
Thrd-When had stated to the church nv
reasons for being absent from the services, and
had protested against being dropped from the
roll, ought 70 have been thus dropped without
further trial and with neither censure nor rec
ommendation?
Fourth-If was improperly removed from
Plymouth church, will the council give GER
tificate OF the fact, upon which can enter an
other church?
l am not, perhaps, we'll able to Judge wheth-
er the six questions which you propose to me
to have submitted to the council cover the
same ground with these of mine. Yours appear
TO me less distinct (perhaps because | do not
understand them 50 welD, and mine to take up
more directly the points of issue between US.
suppose it is my right to have something to say
about the questions to be submitted, and ac-
cordingy propose that yours be submitted as
you put them, and that those of mine be added
to them. In this way think the whole case
between us VIII come UP, and the questions
which | wish to have answered will have an
equal chance with yours
When you notify me of your acceptance of
this proposition you will please also send me-
the names OF ten or twelve churches which you
would wish to invite to the council with TWO
or three experienced and wise ministers who
are not now 10 the pastoral Office, as 1 am in
formed is customary. Then will add as many
more to the list, OF such as may be known to
me to be Of good standing with the Christian
public, and the letter of invitation can be at
once sent out.
Respectfully yours,
EMMA G. MoULToN.