The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-16
TIE COUNCIL IN BROOKLYN
STYLED ny HENRY WAND BEECHER
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.

Delegates who were selected BY COngrcan- |
tions and who NAV not DO the Work Map |
ped Out bv Thos. q. sbcarman g. 90.
The neiRhborhood of Plymouth Church
early Yesterday morning was astr with the in-
coming delegates to Mr.. Beeober's selected ad-
vsory council, who, toillng up the Columbia
street hill with spread umbrellas, flying snawls,
and dampened carpet bags, made the usually
soher streets interesting. Viewed from the
choir gallery, the gathering looked like body Of
diHn,aed, etrict, conscientious church members,
utterly unlike the plumed and jeweled multi
tudo that usually oil the seats, ready to burst
into laughter at the pastors many jokes. The
majority OF the delegates are over forty wears OF
age, one third OF them are gray or bald, and
few are beardless youths. MIR. Deecher, brim-
ming with good humor, kept up run OF chit
chat with DR.. Henry M. Dextor, Lyman Abbott,
Henry NJ. Storrs, ind Son-in-Law Scoville, but
he did not penetrate the sturdy throng In the
middle Of the house. Gen. Tracy, OF Mr.. Beech
er's counsel. was Mt one end Of the gathering
and Thomas q. Shearman at the other. Tho
gallery was packed with tho ladies Of Plymouth
Church. Mrs. Beecher and her party kept opera
glasses sweeping the countenaDces Of the min
i,tors.
The Poetmaster had sent q letter box to tho
church, the telegraph company had a squad OF
boys, and the ladies had a repast spread In tho
church pnrlors, superintended by the prettiest
young ladies In the churcn, and the announce
ment was made that the delegates had only to
say what they wished, and everything would be
done in getting It this, too. In addition to hav-
inc all expenses paid to and fro and In tho city.
The council was called to order at o'clock by
Mr. Deecher. He welcomed the delegates say
ing that the church appreciated their ndelity TO
the greet principle Of sympathy and fellowship,
by virtue OF which those In any necessity felt at
liberty 10 call for help and succor from their
brethren. They formed the second largest coun-
ell In the history q American churches, and he
believed that they would be regarded as no whit
behind, In spiritual and moral excellence, the
council Of 1874. Plymouth Church nad for four
or nvo years teen n king Vnyaco through a
troublous ana stormy sea. The heart of the
church had been united, and the body stood CO.
day ~ one mIu. The church numb between
so and 2,VO members. lie assured the delegates
that they had come INTO AN atmosphere of
prayer lhey Wcle Caleu hut 70 u pc.snha
| question, nor to church question: but to
| joint question. There wac, however, II ire
eminent personal question which has had long
| sequences. ! lie roots Of the question that they
| were to consider ran back to the pcfs nal. IL
was not for MN OF the church to suggest any
| thing. And" added Mr. Beecher. warmly,
whatever inve stigutiOn you may wish to make.
beg you to understand that you viii act accord
| Ing To your own discretion, ami not according To
| any expressed wish. or restriction. or viii on our
part. fear no adequate and just investigltion."
there were not many Of notable names aud no.
| ble churches in this neishhoIhoOd. THIS was
| no accident they had been left out because tho
| division of opinion hnd so run through families
| In churches that II was thought wise not to in-
volve IN further consultation the chufches so
than disrespecl. for them thar they had been ex-
ouerated Of tnat responsibility which devolved
| ON the council assembled.
| The delegates listened to MFR. Beecher with
gravity. by previous command the church
The Rev. j. W. Weliman OF Massachusetts,
nominated as temporary Chairman Dr. Leonard
Bacon, who heard his name spoken just as he
entered the door, dripping with moisture, car
pet Rag In hand. The motion was carried, and
Dr. Bacon walked TO the pulpit and deposited
his carpet bag on tho plato lilo asked for
scribes, aud the Rev. J. Il. Clark OF Jamaica
| Pldius, Mass, was elected, with the Rev. L.
| Frank Howe Of rerre Haute, Ind. and DR.. Ira
| NJ. Buynton Of Newark Tor ASSISTANTS. list OF
tho church.s invited was re ID. md as each
church was nan ed by the Secretary the pastor
| arose and announced his own name aud that Of
| ms nccomn nyns delegate.
to the call. OF these two are from Penn yly mia,
| twenty elsht from Connecticut. twenty siX rum
| Massachusotts, two from Rhode ISLAND, nve
| ffom Maine tnreo fr IN Vermont. eight from
| OHIO, three from lndi ma, four from Michigan.
five from Illinois, four from Iowa, two from
| Minnesota, two from Missouri and one from
| Kansas. There we're about 2}J delegates, includ-
| ing the ten ministers without cnafge who had nc
cepied. The ministers At large n the council are
Porter. President \ ale College; Timothy DN tght,
| New Haven; Lyman Aoooit, New York ciiy;
| Samuel MOlCOft cleveland, j. II. EhtrCntlu,
President Oberlin College; John :. C. Abbott,
| Fairhaven, Conn; Joshua NJ Chamberlain, Iowa
| College Israel l.. Warren. Lewiston, Me-; Henry
| NJ. StOrrs, New ork James W. Strong. Prcsi-
dent Carlton College, North1eld, Minn.
| As soon as the Chairman announced that the
election of the Moderator was in urder, the Rev.
| DR. Israel warren OF Lewiston, Me-, nominated
the Hon; Nelson pingley, Jr. late Governor OF
Maine. The Rev. DIR. Henry NJ. Storrs, the we'll
known PARTISAN of Mr. beecher, hoped that
there might bo three Moderators, an that he
| might la the honor of nominating the D.
| aary Chairman. " no had for so long a time been
| known as the Nestor OF Congre onalism. DR..
! Bacon was accordingly nominated ana elected
Moderator, ana Tx GOV. Dugley was elected as
he Moderator from the East. here WAS
The West, and at once President Fairchild
OF Ohio, DR.. sater of Iowa, Gen, Bates Of Hi
| Julian NJ. stuItevant of Illinois were nominated.
All Withdrew their names except Gen. Is ties,
| and just Def re the vote was ken he arl ed 10
| be allowed TO WITHDRAW IN iaN"r OF Prest lent
| lnrChild. Zen. bates was elected rs the Mout-
then took control Of tho body, nd the letter
| missive-the cnarter Of the hOdy-wbs road.
Ibis letter has been printed in fun In l1IH SCN
| MIR. B echer In benHlt OF the commit ee np-
| pointed TO present the case Of Plymouth Church,
| read from printed pamphlet (containi1e The
| letter nissiye list OF churches, settlement aud
| extracts from rules) that had been distributed
| throughout tue church. Inc statement begins
| allcd, not to determine what modes or rules Of
| discipline should govern all Cnngr tgntiona
| churches, but only to advise Plymouth Church
as to " hat may be done by II under the circum-
Stances. 1t traces tho growth of the church,
| and the attending difficulties III managing 1t,
| by reason OF the large numbers VINO removed
| IRON us jurisdiction and who were unwilling
| to take letters 10 other churches. Then the
church had made no provision for the termina.
| tiOn OF membership except by death. letter Of
| dismIssiOn, or formal accommodation. TINS
| did not meet the class VINO changed tner Views,
So that the church could not give them Il letter,
| aud yet were upright and honorable, nor could
| the church deal with cases Of prolonged absence
| or voluntary Withdrawal, except by excomnu-
| nlcattOn. The rule was hli enued 30 hs 70 allow
| members to be dropped at their own request
| and on the recommendation OF the Examining
| Committee; then as this cid not meet cases of
! those who abandoned tue church without ask
| Ing the rule was again amended SO that those
| might be dropped ON the application OF some
| one else. under this form the rule had been
| complained of Gas In Mrs MOultOn's cHsel.
| As SIR. Beecher proceeded with the reading he
| frequently turned from the p per to indulge In
| eloquent interesting aud amusing by-tiik as
when In speaking OF the many church members
| who although remote from tue CITY st wished
| to Ue on the roll, hoping some day to return, 10
| spoke OF Madame LOisOn, the wife Of fere
| Ilyaointhe, who WAS converted to the Catholic
| ftith by her husbands preaching In Paris, ana
| who continued member Of Plymouth Church
| until that time, when she Informed the church
| by letter and her name was dropped.
N.ll NJ. h.. h.. l..