Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-03
the aggrieved person has submitted specific
charges against the pastor and can furnish
prima fddd evidence that he can make them

inc agSrleVeu person has suOmltteu SpeciuC
charges against the pastor and can furnish
prima faGa evidence that he can make them
good. We utterly and emphatically repu-
date the doctrine that because church
member finds himself in minority, even
though his opinion relates to the integrity
and Christian character of his pastor, that he
thereby has any claim upon the church to
unite with him in calling q mutual council.
In reply to the fifth question. the Council
says Local churches, however Christian in
fact. being disturbed by local influences,
may properly be excluded from a mutual
council, and they regre. that Mrs. Moul-
tons representative did no. substitute two
other churches for those objected to and thus
crafty the expressed desire of Mrs. Moulton
for mutual council.
In reference to question six, the Council
says: The part which relates to the rules
of the church has already been answered.
The question of their application to this
case was decided by former council. They
regret that some one had not sought from
the pastor himself the grounds of SANDER
Gus reports, according to Matthew Is and
the church polity for 397 years. If this
were done. If the pastor were guilty, he
would have been restored to confidence.
They find no reason to call in question the
method by which the committee was con-
stituted which investigated charges against
the pastor, but they cannot overlook the
relations of Plymouth to its pastor and to
the churches of their common faith nor the
dissatisfaction which more or less prevails
with previous investigations. While find
ing nothing to condemn in the adherence
of the church to its pastor Ter The inyes-
tigation and trial, and VIII recognizing
its right to decline any ful r investiga-
ton, in view Of the pastor iemand to be
| brought face to face with h. ccusers, etc,
they recommend, for the aace of the
churches and the protection Of Plymouth,
this church to empower commission of five,
to be created by committee of three here
matter specified, out Of tho twenty herein
after named, the duty of which shall be to
receive and examine all charges against the
pastor which they may regard as not al
ready sufficiently tried.
ANY three of this committee shall be
quorum and shall have power in case Of
failure to complete the requisite number OF
FIVE by collecting other brethren Of known
ability and integrity. 1t Is provided that the
commission shall not be constituted unless
formal charges against the pastor shall be
brought before the church or It's committee
within sixty days after the dissolution of the
Council, by party making himself respOn-
sible for the truth and proof Of the same,
unless within the same time it shall be ad-
Judged to be expedient by the examining
committee of the church and the committee
of three that important testimony not pre-
I d fb - f.bf
charges which have hitherto been tried
should be heard by this committee.
The result Of the Investigation Ly this
commission is to be reported to the ezamin-
ing committee Of Plymouth Church and be
given By them to the public. Prof. limo
thy Dwight. d. D., Of New Haven. Conn.
Rev W Wellman, D. D., OF Maldon,
Mass, and Hon. Bradford r. Wood. of
Albany, y. Y. are appointed by the Council
as the committee of three who shall create
the commission from among the following
brethren Theodore o. Woolsey, New
Haven, Conn; Mark Hopkins, Williams
town, Mas; Jules H. Seelye, Amherst,
Mass n Shipman, Hartford, Conn; L. ).
Foster, Norwich, Conn j. W. Andrews,
Marietta, o.. j. b. Angel, Ann Arbor.
Mich; ". b. Washburne, Greenfield,
Mass, A {. Barstow. Providence, L. l.;
J. L. Chamberlain, Brunswick, Ne {. j.
Walker, Detroit, Mich; Jacob Brnkerhotf,
| Mansfield, O.. AlpheuS Hardy, Boston,
Mass Asahel Finch, Milwaukee, Wis \.
B. Godkins, Terre laute, Ind: T. "
Blatchford, Chicago Vim. b. Edwards,
New York, Jonathan I. Sargent, New
Hampshire j. c. KNAPP, Iowa Henry 7.
Haven, New London, Conn.
In conclusion the moderators Who ign
the report, say
In communicating this result to the
church which has summoned us. we desire
to assure it, members Of 0ur heartfelt SYM
pathy with them in the severe and protIact-
ed trial to which they have been subjected.
In response to Your invitation we have come
from every part Of our land with the ear
nest desire to give Won the lest of our c0un-
sci. We have desired first Of all to be loyal
to justice, not forgetting that charity which
Christian righteousness delights to wear a.
is robe Of beauty and grace We exhort
You to endure with patience and meeknes-
the trials which NAV still De in reserve for
you and to show your loyalty to Your pastor
by seeking to follow in patience and hum.li-
ty the example Of our Divine Master, which
has been -et forth in YOUR hearing - often
10 words of matchieSs eloguence and power.
In all your suffering and trial remember
that hereuntO YOU are called because Christ
also suffered for us leavin. u, an example
that We should follow in His steIs
e hold the pastor Of this church, a. VIC
anu all Others are bound to hold him. limo
cent OF all the charges reported against him
...sl.
proof therefore We continue to extend t.
him our Christian fellowship and sympathy.
We exhort him to the keeping Of ms soul IN
patience and trust, and wherever he prose
cutes his work to illustrate in his demeanor
the meekncs> Of wisdom.
The pastors and churches associated with /
Us in all parts Of the country We are conf |
dent will sympathizs with Us in the desire /
to vindicate completely the honor Of Fly |
mouth Church aud its pastor, and will i0in |
their prayers with ours that the plan pro- /
posed By Us NAV be eiectual to establish his |
innocence in the Judgment Of all right-mini-
ed men. Pastors and churches Of our COM
mon faith Of whatever name viii do the
same. They will bear Us witness that our
ministry hitherto has been neither impure
or dishonored, that our policy has been
e-iectual in bringing to light deeds of dis
honor and shame and casting from the tenn
pie and altar OF God brethren who have
been faithleSs 70 their Master, or who have
dishonored him by their lives.
Leonard Bacon, Nielsen DINGHY, Era,tus
y. Bates, Moderators
COMMITTEE REPORT TO TIE COUNCIL.
At the business meeting Of Plymouth
Church, on Friday evening, the Committee
appointed to present the case Of the church
to the Advisory Council submitted q report
the substance Of which is as follows
Letters Of invitation were issued to
l13 churches and 20 ministers without
charge, which were accepted By 1871 church
es and l. ministers - churches declined,
and : were not heard from. OF those de-
dining to attend on'v three churches ndi-
,ated that they dill - IRON any objection to
he plan of she Council, and about IL ,
churches assigned as their reason for non
acceptance special work going on in their
midst. or other causes, making tie attend =
NJ pf HOW s..alf Ill