New-York tribune., 1876-04-08
TILE LETTER.
The Rer. LEONARD BhCoS, .. d.
Nv Dr.p Crn. V,pf l.4Ao,, to ,


many respects with my own views rs regards an
ecclesiastical Investigation OF the painful BROOKLYN
scandal thai cannot hu hope for entire agreement not
only "a ends bUt t. methods andmaaus. Wai tie
church oi which aIu mg1eT ami VITA tbe great body,
as believe, intelligent anu davout members of ouf
and other religious counGnons, you aIc Impressed
by the necessity which exists for iu"r, thorough
examination than Gay which has yet occUrged-an
INVESTIGATION winch, 90 use your vigorous words, shan
cX rose the bottom NJ tir terrible 'c21daL"
You affirm that soiGe ougl -" in the interests 90
purity an prace," and "u behalf OF The ministry and
the churches" assume tie painful respon b,ity Of
iormulatlug a complain" ana Of " maintaining" it. Noa
appeal "a tho church in AudOvcr Senn iry, or some
member or members of H. t. take up tit burden. Hod
assure tuc Committee wlcn bore the Audovor letter to
Brooklyn tat II try VIII mud trtakc tI,, service IN the
same kind ana brotlrry spirit which th, letter
written tie annlunc.incut p win be received
with universal satsiaction;" and you conclude tbs
appeal with tuc ius,witilg ard glowing declaration,
30 my brother! many good tuins has come out Of
Andovcr hut yet has any better thing been done
by your church your .uDin.uy than You and yout
brethren will have done ii by fdth al yet loving
d e,nce trath and the whole truth in this shai
D.. d1covcscd, bc it what Il may"
The only question between winch it Is important to
discuss seems, therefor, 10 he this Where this ser
wee best be undertaken, before Commission proposed
but not yet constituted before Council also pro-
posed aud not vet, it may h. hoped finally dccnedG
81 not analy reused for the reply OF Plymouth CAurch
10 the letter of the church Audoycr which yOu had
not secn when you wrote, contains these words: II
they Che CouncD lad advised acceptance (of the
sndover pOpos tom should have cheeriully given
L." IT, n0w il app -ars tGat the Councils advice IL
VOWED as you seem TO conceje, mslpprehenSon Of the
Andoycr proposition ANA il it should also become cvi
dent that the scheme OF q commission fails 10 meet the
expectations of those devised in order to meet hc
alleged detects o. previous investigations 10 may not be
too much hope thai Plymouth Church VIII no LONGER
feel bound" by advice offered Oh nisulierstn tnihs
and INADEQUATE to the purpose TO he accom- 'ishel.
Even therefore. if assentel fully to your representa-
tiou that Andover Caurcl when sent It letter was
prepared % prefer aud maintain formulated charges,
should deinur your lnpti,n that 4 Is shut M for
a tribunal to the rs yet unknown Commission.
ATDOvEG AS \ PROSECUTOR.
tits due however to that church to say that nothing
in its letter assumption that was pre-
rared" TO prefer aud prove charges AGAINST Mr. Beecher
Tlc letter aulas to charges imiilr 70 every scb01lh0g
N the country, and a1nonish.s Tor delay IN securing
their thorough examination. 1t just what you
say the Counu 5 proposal of Commission does VIZ
tuat there are Tangible charges" AMI somebody Is
ready prefer them. II does not by proposing conn
Gil una rae make charges AMI prove thom one Wait
| more than does the Council 10y advising Commission
n does however as have said il the communication
10 which yea refer in me COa7rcgfionost offer great
advantage over the scheme OF Commission, in that Ii
p7OviIes party who can serve "piDiic prosecutor"
/ g,
persons WHO have CHARGES to make appropriate test
mony 10 Offer should be couragcd TO forward by
an offer OF suitable protection and help With the con
sent ana for the assistance oi Council could nj
this testimony IN ori y way confess 90 some sur
prise at your apparent Identification OF such office with
! that of accuser complainant The phrase public
prosecutor was used by ilustratively and for the
sake Of coucscncs. II suggests an analogy to the uHc
lion OF county ds,ricattOrnsT wGJ you a.e aware,
is not a complainant II the Seminar church, for the
common good ana upon request OF council should un
deriakc to render similar service TO that oT public
prosecutor before civil tribunal il would not thereby
become in the least degree accuser OF Mr.. Beccher
am stll more surprised your request when con-
slider the explicit huguage of Council respecting
those whom it invites 10 make charges. The Commis
on il declares shall not be constituted unless formal
charges against ne pastor shall he Brought ocorc the
church it, cNITiuu committee within go days ana
q nartv pari's making themselves responsible ui
the trIih and proof OF tie same" WAT pubic prosccu
tor a acs himself responsible for the truth Of the accus
zion which he presenter strictly cons u tAis |"5.d
nrr-on competent in an, sense 70 affirm te tiih ~
this ease on his On-iblity, or TO make GiMffi
resp ,nsibe for The truth, is fitted 10 be complainant
ap also witness Of a very high order How is the An
dover CiurCA To qualify jrtf for such y sll"n am
Church or made amy disclosures 70 it, or that it has ever
even ofrieu so SORT OF examining committee W
thg ease, or 20, an lu1esu-ati ~ COM. ',F on
sites and king up verdict or the basis 81 WA.cn ~
asGs Tor tlal rom cohFctoh oi N d. i' t,aii, ~
Tat tlcre Is priu iace case aaihsi ~ bee h'i' III
VIW of tue taaMeutS or S.Ohtlb.e l itsi - ~ lt
] s n
ecc.esstcal council ami win s consent ana reqn,r'
tAc AndOvtr Church, Gpub not, would Do Icl"f ioI c
sake OF lie peace ~ our CllIcaCs 90 under axe c see
vice of public prosecutor To ask II 10 $50 beforehand as
II petit jury, Itscf also acciSer ana attorney an
persuade seI That Air Bcrchcr ur4ucs'ua'iy cuiN
o CRIME and "a brc1ne re'pontible Tor l"e ua'h "l
ibl~ dccJs tnH sulH"cuuE tS,l o. may he. - hls 'i
which protector OF the Commission nasin"a 10 5e IN
vowed ~ ii-uless le "c}Ht tiiat % should never ",'
bas 30 personal ut-rcsi"i in hc affair forward
ana iusk h5c, spausl., for tIc til of tue charges
.l 4
Councils sch'ur inc,d scirreiy remark ii0t n ts he
Church, or any OF ~ members voud siupiy result IN
! 70 Uay any bttcutOn % such prosecutor.
RIGHTS OF CHURCHES ~ FELLOWSHIP.
| Ole other matter deserves moments consideration
before / pass your direct appeal. You affirm as the
basis OF the Councils scheme, that 5ir BcccAcr mast be
tiicd by bis church, some tribunal which derives its
power from the church do not dissent from tls II by
trial you mean a process c,n4uctcd win reference to
church ccusuges, deposition from hs pastoral oGic,
No one al Andoycr, safely Assumc-no who has
tntcIl gently supported the aoaon OF tlie Seminary
CAurc-has ever conceived tlst hr Beocner, IA tGis
sense, can by tried By cJufci cS-ed y any oiher
! cLuIrh than his own. When }ou fema, K taat Pr.
B,echcrs crcicsas oI responsibility is Ats' o. al 10
tie t-Irch pi wach Ac II me'ef ana ah 'I'cti'
presume tOU intend no more than what LaF" no" Gc-
u.icj Bat ticr- are those VINO mean soAei iHIE very
different by tus o. sLASf ldiR4a~eI hal.9t 'A't no
investigation into ue scandal connected HItH is name
can sc place. esther directly OF indirectly by an ccc
siastca council, 80 IOns ~ az beet' '.,,' aS .'itI
rclu6c consent. Against suc doctrine most earnestly
I and gtFrlilclN lIOicsf iHef3 IS, bti4tNtr flsli
clearly defined the I8cs platform aui inherent IN e
broilcrhooI Of churches 10 inquire ANA hud' whether
Pvmoutli Church upLolis scandal There Is a iuiher
utht involved n what you call the l1eat FIlHcpc OF
tt communion OF tAc churches, and which do ono hai
stated more clearly than yourself. " The churches
rcusrsllv nav. an interest, may night in the
cna. ac cr Of This man" wiz, pastor charged with
some uro-s deluCutucy"J Us minister or The Cos
pel Z. acou'. &. uTh Manual =. 14l When combine
with this tie denni Guess ana clcaincss viii wlci, Ia
tbe Boston platform Wen In the treatise Ju-t Tt-
fcIcd to- you abandon the Older crine tHai CIll6-
Ian uinsjcI simply pastor oT oSeeevr ot apalucu-
hat will