The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-03
BEECHER's ADVISORY COUNCIL.
Rutland, Middlebury, Burlington, st. Adams,
Montpelier, Windsor and st. Johnsbury ask

As was stated in our Geographic columns,
Wednesday, the list of churches called to
the advisory council to be held in Ply
mouth church, February 15 has been com
pleted. In all one hundred and seventy
one churches, including seven from Yer
mont and ten ministers "without charges"
have been invited. The only Vermonter
among the latter is Rev. 9. B Hubert, ID.
d., president of Middlebury college. Ply
mouth church proposes to "dead head" the
council that Is pay the travelling and other
expenses of the members, and take care of
them while in Brooklyn. The following
are the Vermont churches invited Rut-
land, First church; Windsor First church;
st. Johnsbury, South church; Burlington,
First church; Montpelier, First church;
Middlebury, First church, st. Adams,
First church.
THE LETTER MfsslvH.
The following is the letter missive of
Plymouth church to the various churches
that have been invited to take part in the
advisory council
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Feb. l.
Plymouth church to the - sendeth
gio, ,ings. Dearly beloved Plymouth
church, after an existence of nearly thirty
years of great usefulness, finds its good
name called in question on account of the
principles and rules adopted many wears
ago for the regulation of its internal affairs
For the purpose of more fully disclosing to
the churches Of the Congregational faith
aud order the character of this church, its
rules and its proceedings under them, and
for the purpose of receiving special counsel
from our brethren under the trying circum-
stances in which we are now placed, we
| write to you to meet in an advisory council
| by pastor or acting pastor and delegate, at
Plymouth church, Brook lyn, N. Y, Tues
| day, the 18th day of February, at . p. m,
| to consider and advise us on the points
| following:
First--Is this church acting contrary TO
the word of God IN allowing any mode of
terminating the connection of members
with this church other than death, letter of
dismission, or formal communication =?
| Second-Rule No. 7 of this church is in
the following words "Dropping men,
bers-Memhers may be dropped from the
roll Of the church. with or without notice
to them, as may be deemed just, by a two
thirds vote of the church, upon the recon-
| IntUudllbn VI lIlt examining
| either upon their own application, or in
case they have abandoned their connection
with the church, by prolonged absence or
otherwise, upon the application of any other
person." The practice under this rule is
to give notice when the party can be found,
and to afford him as full a hearing before
| the church, if dtsiied as woul be afforded
upon formal trial. Members dropped
| under this rule are subjected to no express
ceDsure, and To no further implied censure,
if any, as necessarily has arisen out of the
facts of each particular case. Under this
| rule, the church does not usually proceed
upon written charges or by a formal trial,
such as is had in cases of alleged immoral
ity, unless specially desired by the member
whose case is under consideration. In this
rule, or in these practices, is this church
acting consistently with the word of God
or the principles of Christian justice
Third-What course ought this church
to adopt concerning the following classe:
of members -
l. Members who deliberately, purposely
and permanently absent themselves from
all the services and meetings of the church
without asking for letter of dlsmission
upon the sole ground that the church ha:
not taken certain steps, not affecting them
l
TO conscientously believe it ought to have
taken, but which they meyer asked it to
| take.
2. Members who absent themselves il
like manner upon the same ground will
the difference that they have asked til,
church to take such steps, and that the
church has, with substantial unanimity, dc
clined to do so.
g. Members who absent themselves il
like manner upon the sole ground that the,
believe the pastor of said church to be gull
ty of crime, notwithstanding the churcl
has made all the investigation into The fact
which II was ever asked to make, and ha
acquitted and sustained its pastor without
dissenting vote.
4. Members who absent themselves il
like manner for some or all of the reason
, before stated.
5 Members who are generally reporte'
and believed to have made charges or insin
ualions of gross immortality against eithe
/ members of the church, and who declin
either to affirm or deny the truth of sucl
reports, or such charges, when propcll
questioned by suitable brethren for Tia
sake of the purity and peace of the church
Fourth-Ought this church to have call
ed a mutual or other council of churche
for the purpose of investigating the char
acter of its pastor when requested to do s.
by a member of the church who has neve
submitted any charges against the pastor
and when such request is made for the frs
time more than a year after an investiga
7 ton has been had by the church itself AM
I the pastor has been sustained by unani
, | nous vote?
FIfth-Has the course of Plymouth
church and of the committee appointed b.
G it in the conduct of the negotiations be
r tween the church and Mrs. Moulton con
, corning the call of proposed mutua
council been wise and just, or has iher
been any error on the part of the churc
in this matter, which it should correct
b Sixth--Whelher Plymouth church, i
the principles and rules which it has pre-
vided for the maintenance of order an
= the administration of discipline, and i
any known cases of its administrator
under these principles and rules, has gon
beyond its rights as a church of Christ, s
as justly to forfeit its claim to the conf
7 dence and fellowship of the Congregations
churches?
I Fraternally yours In the truth and hop
of the gospel,
HENRY WARD BERcHER, Pastor.
EDWARD BEECHER,
B III. w. SAGE,
II. r. RAYMOND,
j. b. HUTCHINSON, Com.
AUGUSTUS SToRRs,
] WILLIAM MAoKEY,
: S. V. WHITE,
, Banks Wont.
r The New York World of Tuesday COZ
tains the following card from Gen. Banks
f forwarded by that journals Washingto
n correspondent by telegraph, in denial c
, the rumor that he is or is likely to be
S candidate for the vice-presidency
J. To the Editor Of the Ne,o York World :
Sir | desire to say through your column
that the statements heretofore made verba
ly and in country newspapers that am
candidate TOR the vice presidency are VI
qualitiedly false. i an, not nor never hay