The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-23
The Only Course Len II Full Ecclesiastical
Investigation.

nor S. c. Ddttsn, d. T.. q .As . sion Congregation
When n church member or minister hns
been tried 10y civil court for some alleged
offence, aud has failed To- he convicted, does
that failure preclude or supcrsede an eccle~ias
tcal inquiry into the same offence or class of
onenccsg Not necessarily. II may leave the
matter In such AN unsatisfactory shape rs 10
call still more imlerat'ely for the church OF the
a cl,il court l. ordinarily an admirable lnstr,i-
ment Of investigation. IL has it, complete di-
vision Of labor It's bench for the law, its counsel
for the examination and argument. it, jury to
weigh the evidence. 1t has its Prescribed FORM
alitics, and fixed rules ~ procedure and Of tes-
timuny. But, as Is well known the very COM
llctcness II its general perfection sometimes
operates clearly to defeat light particular re-
suit Law sometimes conflicts with equity,
precedent with principle, necessary general
rules ot evidence with the requisite fan knoNl-
edge OF facts. the skin "i the lawyer with the
legitimate bearings of the case. and the ComliO-
siton of the Jury itself with the satislactoriness
Of the verdict.
The court, moreover. Investigates lust one cx-
act line 81 inquiry an alleged offence against
one individual. Al facts. all testimony lying
outside of that single narrow line are rigidly ex-
cluded sometimes to such an extent H. to pre-
vent An Intelligent estimate Of the facts present.
ed This Is necessary, but sometimes unfOrtu-
| nate.
In many such cases 1t Il not only possible. hut
probable, that the freer. more informal. yet more
/ complete ana mary-sided, inVestigation OF an
! intelligent body OF ministers and laymen, intent
only on vst.ins al the sHal! trHtn, may give
even the legal process, though sustained by Its
compulsory powers while Yet restrained by Its
! In our opinion these suggestions apply with
great force e. the situation Of the pastor uf Ply
] mouth Church. hut the whole community. and
/ the pastor himself, II he be innocent. would he
vastly the gamers by such an ecclesiastical trial.
! Indeed nothing could be more unsatisfactory
| than the present position OF that case. 10 MIR.
| Heecher 1t Is simply disastrous. All good men
! must gricVc over il.
In the nrst STAGES Of that scandal, while only
| the statements ui the " oman woodruff. and the
| destinations of lilton, were before the public,
/ distinguished subject the assurances of his SYM
/ Iathy, and the belief thar charges coming only
/ from such sources. and Ia such forms, We're not
! To he Noticed. But thlt state Of thing, soon
/ passed. The charges became direct donulte,
Then followed the lnqulr, hy church COM
| mittee, invested with several circumstances
which made Il mconclushc,
When AT length tie Citu suit took place, We
| all loohed for complete Nindlcation OF SIR.
| Bccchcr II DID not coma. We We're left be-
! tween iueNplicuhlc dinlcultic, ON either side.
| While one man iu avery four II the jury iro-
| bounced him guilty, 10 innN he doubted whether
enc man in every four through the commu-
/ nifty cuNniflriy prom 'uuD,d him innocent.
All Well-wishers OF that church must regret
the long series N measures which have seemed
To many Ike attempts to eNade the issue. fir-t
the dropping of Mr.. Hilton the avoidance ot his
clmci sc; the committee Of Inquiry nominate !
b, the pastor. and their method: the technical
nance OF the newspaper, In his pouphkccpsio
speech for their comments; his long-contnued
mi's;" the irregular attempt 90 get rid ~ Mr.
| Muulton and Deacon West the protrncted utl-
| willingness to meet Mrs. Mouliou uu equal terms
ia council; the singular device seemingly o.
| fureStall that council, corrected too late; and
low the arrest of that council 10y the INV,
endcavor 10 control Mrs. Moulton's selection ~
II, members. "a. well as its uwn-tho most fatal
hlundcr Of all; and even the calling II that
"adNi>ory council t. present questions "h h
the church once refused To- submit but which
being decided, il now La, the am, atauce of
wishing to uu,ctilc BY u council practically cx
lartc.
These and other similar things have made an
unfaNnrahlr impression. Iut II Il mot yet too
late for Plymouth Church and its pastor, per
haps. to put Themselves right. Yet IL Is dimculi
To- see how these abundant mistakes Of the past
| can Ice rcctlhcd and retrieved, except by a free
and ample investigation Of the whole Suhieo
matter, 10y an able representative body of min
listers ana laymeu, tully empowered TO do II
and aided ly the cooperation of all who have
knowledge IN the case There Is no time ~ b,
lost.