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

70
moment at which the action was commenced IN whiSn
church cOnsceOus.y abstained from every attempt W
influence yOu and LETT you absolutely free TO decide your
have dshOnorabe and for you your advisers 10
complain OF their action would be INDUSTRIOUS
REPLIES TO OTHER ACCUSATIONS OF MRS. MoULToN'
III You say that complain that you did not ask for
q trial. This Church has made any such com
plant. II was you that complained that you dld not
have trial. and we simply reminded you that you mad
never asked for one. ...,
W. Yon appear TO claim that we ought to have tired
yuu for SANDER upon the ground that you mad lh your
published testimony, charged yourself with the utter
of Islander upon your pastor by making IN private
the same statements which you have since made IN your
protest to But we're not hound to take your WORD
Tor this and the Examining Committee, after due IN
quiry became satisfied that yonr seaccusaton was n-
true we did not see our way clear to dealing WIN yo"
y You mistaken in supposIng.that the Moderator
OF tho meeting ut which You appeared rned that qnes
tions to yOu were out Of order He only fued ,haS -
motion to compel you TO answer was out OF order 1ou
simply left free TO answer or not, as you .hose'
and Won chose not To answer II is also mistake to sup
pose that you expressed Willingness 10 answer qies
lions any time while your case should be under hNes
tigaton All that your counsel offered to answer
questions when you supposed charges against te pastor
tons bur you prefer he silent cannot blame
not imagining excuses for your conduct when you
VI Your chief complaint, after ALL that we were not
harsh enough with We agree with you that your
ustdbe by the facts and we are quite clear tat was
thus jusabe. Bat since disregard Of that oense
led termination Of your connection with the church.
under such uuexpresscd censure as was Implied III ,he
reasons Tor our lion, while trial upon that ground
could only been followed by the same practical re-
suit wit the addition of more formal censnfel, We ud
OF justice dove dispose OF the case ia manu-
first, leaving Orenscs committed in the course OF the
airing be dealt with afterwards, II they cOnd pc
vii Your letter says that you never knew before
that false swearing In court OF justice is All onense
which the Cnurch of Christ is unwilling or unape 10
stances which has had to try charges Of false swear
n by its members very rare; but we suppose that
precedens be found without recurring 20 the case o.
Ananils and his wife sapphira Ana II your
furnsn you with any recorded instance IN
winch church, alter assuming Lie expenses VI paly
a trial, las been sustained In punsnng an adverse
witness fOr perjury IN that trial while the actloh wac
still pending, tuis church will patiently submit to the
admonOns OF it's sist churcuts Tor ts alnfe 10 give
you that severe censue which we iuy believed you ue
served, but Which We did not feel nj LIBERTY 10 administer
We have Thought " meet To point out the errors mo
any direct relation the question OF council
but because IL Is rght that such pubic misetaeneh's
should DC publicly exposed.
1HE TRUE POINTS AT ISSUE.
In our former communication We SET forth six points
upon which we were willing to meet you before the mu
tlal council You speak Of these six points "a ours by
recurring the context OF our letter you VIII see that
these points proposed or suggested by u.s. nut
we're simply definite statement of what appeared to us
be all the grounds Of complaint included IN your INST
letter the church The addition in your latest letter
Oh tour points, seems 10 needless and obtrusye
We still ci,ay OF opinion that all the points isea oy
made by us; therefore we nave gone as Iai
rs by any possible degee of consideration anu IorDeai
aut, We could called And although We perceive
the -four additional points which you now propose,
quaHy vi subtle ingenuity we think that on mat
very account they would tend obscure what Is plal
aud form IN which hey are put IL open 10 grave
suspicion of an intention TO be needlessy oSnNe TO TINS
Church, and thus to provoke 1t mo Withdrawal OF It's
former consent. IL 10 us that you 81, 10 evade
the mutual council when you prOessed desire to call
and that you it impossible for IA to take
part IT. We cannot, therefore, assent 10 the adduon
Guesons which YOU propose. Ii you content To pro-
coed with the cali VI council upon the SIX pOibts
rsed by Bst letter, we are ready "a uIle III tie
call IGat these points cover all, aud more taan All, the
topics which cOuid properly be submitted tO council,
VIA clearly appear by reference 10 the single question AL
issue be,ween yourself and Piynlouth Church TIC
whole cise briefly this: l at any period you
had become Convinced thaJ the scandaious stories con
ceung your pastor we've true there we've opeh before
you tuiee, and only three proper courses. -, ~,
First. You snoud iad your dhculties before the
proper officers OF the cAufeh iother tn the PASTOR anu
asked advice, or
second You should have taken letter OF dismission
and removed your CONNECTION ~ltn TINS ehch 10 some
otner one, or . ,,.u,..
your covenant duIIes, ~ u member OF ais church
But you chose course namely, tnat Of absent
ing yoorel rrom tnc church aud All It's services ana
LegIectlns all obligations which You had socnniy
assaulted IN public COZ enint ~ith us. EteA II we sHoa
TIE charges against your PASTOR you were NOT thereby
Justified IN Violating your solemn covenants with the
yn.rcn. stripped al retinemcnts and accessorier,
one, Issue between Us, ana ht In,
wnether IN view OF tue concealed fact tuat you nsd
wuoly aDsenteL youIsrl the ohuIcn for year AID
hail, ana mad taken none OF t.e courses properly open
10 vol Itner 40 nul your covenant WITH church.
or 10 leieye yourscu nom It's Obligations, Plymouth
church, having you ruil hearing, was JuStneu III
droulug our name IryIn It's roI. On this simple and
single Sue which tho only act vi the cndrch by
which, you aicge your Fights nave been Nioatei tis
Ia omerng 10 III calling Council upon the issue
propoundeu by Jour Iornor letter, We mate e0nccs
WHICH tue ordinary practices vi SOhgtesatiohai
churches would not authoiize You 10 demand IL must
lbs uis,ncty undc that We DO not agree to Couh
ae a yVu have right 10 require, DuL Dc
church, from CONSIDERATIONS Oi Ire publc
guUu deems to cVnecae II ~ you as courtesy,
and having added 10 tne coheessioh INC lu I'ci i,
,nce uiiIts questions raised 10y You, Tor Tue nFst
lhIc, t.is c.uscD haI acted upon your case we
decline 10 10 any luther Or TO chno INC pass Vi
the Council. To wncn Ne nave ass,nted
iusnuch a. ntnn- II mains ~ De settled between us
eXccpt ucaIs arrangements fOr tue time
at wnich ,no Council shall uo held, and the
U u.I,n n snau consist. all Of wGicn matter.
can settled Nv tne LAaInhins ConmIt'ee on our
peusIr We request you 10 inform Lna committee 40
specially pUSslDc wneher You consent To Tue cal Oi
iriguo couol 10 @lYiao us anu you upon inc Issues
wn.cn ICED 10 accept 1Aese matters ga uC-
ta se,tcd by pea spnal conference between
yUu or yoar representative Vh Inc one haui hhd Tue IN
.nil Committee tne Utner aul We therefore, reir
ti,e nOe lnister Oh odf pare 10 lhat Coihm'1t,c
After pause, hearty cheers followed the reading
of the letter Mr. Suearman said it came from the
Examining Committee, and was presented for
adoption by the church. 1t was unanimously
approved, and a copy ordered to be forwarded to
Mrs. Moulton. Alr. Beecler then stepped TO the
front Of the platform, and said he had some resoiu-
tons he desired to read, aud that he would follow
them with few comments lie then read in q
measured tone the following:
Whereas This church been recently called in the
providence God 10 meet peculiar tals ana enDarrss-
cns, under winch II aus endcaSOred, While pursuing ID
Christian WORK. maintain internal discipline ana eN-
ternai Ioiuwship III all aud ndelity, aud ia
cordaucs with usage of ConGiegauOha oadrcnos;
vet for various and IN various ways, Ito action
Ias been IN. suuderslOOd and mlsrepIesented; and,
Whereas Il Is TIC desire of tis eaich u receive con
ceinins lts whole aud spirit its rules and pac-
Tee the advice anu experienced brethren from
oer that 1t he aDe tne Detei ~ act Ia
accordance Christian principles lald down IN tue
Word God, dedueed from tile experience OF churches
d Christ;
Resolved That d committee OF seven be appointed by
the OF TINS meeting, whose duty shall be, III
the name and behalf O TINS church, 10 convene an ad-
ysy council OF egatiOna churches and III nsteIs,
hed at The earl est urhctlcAbe day Or thc pun pose