Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-02-16
CONGREGATIONAL COUNCIL.
First Days Session in Plymouth Church,
BrOOklyn-One Hundred and Forty
Churches Represented.
Greeting OF Henry Ward Beecher- Ply
mouth Church and the Great C0ngre-
gatiOnaI Body Organization
Etc., Etc.

mouth Church and the Great COngre-
gatiOnaI Body Organization
Etc, Etc.
NEW YORK, February 15.--Tbe ad-
visory council Of Plymouth; church
opened at q quarter PAST two o'clock,
with delegates from about one hundred
and forty churches present. and 3eupy-
ing the COdy Of the church. The gal
lcry wss flied Chiefly by ladies. Mr..
Beecher greeted all tho delegates on ar
rival snd opened the proceedings by an
address. He said ihi3 is the largest
council ever he'd IN America to discuss
the affairs of any one church. He re-
fsrred to the stoims which Plymcui b
church had gone Though, and said that
nevertheless be thought it had been set
upon by various sdversities, yet it was
united church. Plj M uih church num-
beIs between twenty-five and twenty
six hundred members, while the aver
age mem berShip Of American churches
is only one hundred. The membership
Of Plymouth chUrch gives no adequate
idea of the great wCrk done by this
church, and hence We have called you
from al paris Of the country to come
and give Us your council. Mr.. Beecher
said that he hoped tie council would 10
what it thought wisest and best.
Each delegation W25 handel long
printed statement of The case Of PyA-
0uth church, containing an elaborate
review OF the difiicu ties arising from
the dropping of Mis-. Mou!toh's name
IL rkuk anlo
its presentation of the iacts to lie uncOn-
tIadicted and unquestiOnsb!e, and that
Plymouth church has persistently
sought q mu u council, no matter
what church should lie included, and
never rtfdsed to invite any church
named by Mrs. Mlu'tOn, and says: "If
any Oas desires no longer to be known
as a member Of this church, or as pro-
fessed follower CT Christ we hold that
while we cannot release him from the
speciai obligations to Christ which he
has assumed by tbe luhlic profession Of
faith, we may and should, after having
endeavoTed to chsnge his purpose, release
ourselves from cur responsibility to and
for him in whatever method the circum-
stances of the case may require. We
hold that it is oar right, aud it may be
our duty, to avoid the evils incident to
q public explanation or 8 public trial,
and that such an exercise of our diScre-
ton furnishes no good grouI foT the in
tsrfsrence, Of other chaTches, provided
We neither retain within our fellowship,
nor dismiss by lsiter, az in regular stand
ing, persons who bFlng dlshOnOr on our
christian NAME"
Dr. Bacon, OF New Haven, was nOmi-
mated temporary chairman. Mr. CLARK
of Boston, Ri. Howe OF Terre Haute,
and Mr.. BOynton Of Newark, temporary
scribes. After some Temporary business
Dr.. Bacon wes selected as the frat
moderator; Hon. Nelson Dingley of
Louisville, Maine, second moderator;
General Bates of Illinois, third mod
orator. The three temporary ecribss
were then made permarent.
The letter submitting the questions OF
discipline to be passed upon was then
read, and after scripture reading Dr..
Bacon prayed for wisdom in The coun-
ell, for the pastor of Plymouth church,
that he might be wholly blessed and his
ministry more fruitful, and that the re-
suit would be harmony in bis church.
The moderator then said: sit is proper
to remark at the Out2et that we are not
hera to whitewash either this chsrch or
its pastor; If they heed WhiteWashIng,
they should have called other than US.
Second, we are not called to revise and
correct the judgment Of any former
council. Third, not to amuse the public
by dlawipg off their attention 10 side
issues Fourth, not to decide only
the main question which has agitated
not only Brooklyn, hut ali English
speaking chfistendom, for three years.
We have nothing to DO with that ques-
ton. The main question is not sub.
mitted to us; it would be prapOsterous
to submit such question as that TO any
assembly like this. Why, we aIe more
numerous than o Presbyterian synod
aRd more unfit for any judicial functions
than the general assembly OF the Pres
byterian church itself. Laughter,
We are not here for the trial Of such u
case as that Let 1t be understood at
the CutSes that even If this church by its
committee should invite US to try and
decide that question, we have nothing
TO do with it. We are incompetent, or
Rs l overheard lawyer say,
sWhy appeal to the pOOrhOuse%
! you would not have q more unfit trial.
| In the fifth place, We sre here to advise
| this church concerning the manner in
! which It has dealt, and how it ought TO
| have dealt with what is well known as
| the great scandal; 20 revise all the pre-
| ceedipgs of this church in relation to it,;
| to act on principles, not facts" In COL
| cllsion, he asked for solemn silence and
! that all hereafter abstain ffOR m9nifes-
! tstions OF applause or otherwise.
The following business committee was
| appointed: Lyman Abbott, DR.. Warren
Fairchild, Judge Whitney, Grand Rap
| ids, Michigan, and President Starby.
! The moderator announced that he had
| received a written protest from VIM. F.
West Tlaughterl which after debate was
| referred to the business committee,
| Mr.. Baeoher then regd q statement of
| Plymouth church, and spoke la defense
! OF himself and the course Of the church
In dropping Mrs. Moulton's name. The
! business committee then reported in IA
Vor Of appointing six committees, each
to consider one Of six questions to be de-
cided. Adopted.
Recess till half-psst seven O'Clock.
The council resssembled at eight
O'CLOCK, when DR.. Edward Beecher ad-
dressed them on behalf OF Plymouth
church, chiefly in reference to the first
and second questions ia the letter mis-
sIve. In the course of his remarks he
referred TO an attack made upon this
couucii and church in the leading Con-
gregatioDal paper in New England, and
said he believed that the article was
written by the secretary Of the AmeTi.
can G CIngregstionsl union.
A delegate here rose and said that | {
was authorized to state that DR.. Cush.
ing did not write the article referred to
Mr. Rossiter Raymond then spoke in
defense Of the pastor, Tefuting tht
charges against him, and declaring tina
il they loved him entirely itwas because
they knew him to be innocent.
The moderator then announced tina
Mr.. Shearman would make a fuTthel
statementain behalf of the church to
morrow morning, Adjourned.