, 1876-02-18
COMMENT.
N0W|}FIN II
NrFFucp AVN rur tr,r.fAnnv rct-r


Henry G. Bowen.
COMMENT.
HEECHCR AID TIE ADVISORY CoUsclL,
70 the Editor of The Chicago Tribune:
C11cAoo. Fob. 1.-Two yeArs ago, ths public
through the i1strnneutslity Of the Rer. Leou-
ard Bacon, weso mado acquainted with tho
nature Of The charges hanging over tho head OF
tho Rev. II. ". Boachcr.
Tho force Of tbeao charges WAS lessened, not
through any known lack Of yoracity upon the
part OF those milking them. but because 1t did
not ECON probable thnt their moral education
would have allowed them to maintain 80 long
friendly relations with such an ona aA thoy knew
Mr. Beechcr to be.
Bacon calod TElton dog and, II his char es
wero falso, he certainly Nas QUO md, II tt ey
wero true, ho rs certaiulv waA one for having
condoncd ths offonse. But. whether true or
false, Tilton bad tho bono and t,o meat. To-
day NO have tho great moral spectacle Of Bacon
and his lao followers agreeing TO fozego tho
meat for tie sake Of ths bone.
There ta not man IN all this land that does
not kno" thht, granting Heecher innocent,
Plymouth Church did right in oxpslling Mrs.
Mou1ton. It IL folly, therefore, to aHsuma that
Plymouth Church wisllod advice on that subject.
II does not wish advice at all, but 1t wishos to
know. aud ao'docs tho TholB moral world out
aidc Of Congregstionalism wihh to know, whether
the moral dogeueracy Of religious society IL
such that i will place intellectual power above
moral worth III Tue sanctuary q tho Lo,d:
| good report Of them which are without" And
b1r. White. iu his charges against Bowen, says
that out Of thn mouth Of one or TWO brethren
So shal! 10 condomned;" and thus he would
discomfort tint oidost member Of Plymouth
Cuu.ch. But out Of the ten other members Of
old Plymouth who have been privy to tho Inside
facts aa they Wore occurring. eight hold Boecher
to bo all that has been charged against him.
nud We hayo tho written words OF thu other tuo
to siow that thoy WeEo Of tho sRu,o opinion
when first brought face to faco with tho fact
tint their ofEenBo WAS known. And yet VIC have
tho groat Dr. Bacon and his body Of har-sp!it-
tors discussing the dr., tochnicalities Of Mrs.
MouItons going out, aud ruling "out of ordos d"
| tho subject Of Beccher's staying in. G. F.B.
nowEs OK TME PROPOSED ASpovEn couSc1l-
.Str ]ork fHltHes'dtnt, Ftb II.
| AH wo foroBladowed last Week III M editorial
tho Church OF Andoyer Theological Seminary
has sent 10 plymouth Church 3 letter iurtting it
to unto With the Audovor Church In calling
nlutual council for investigation into tho
| charge mado against the Nsy. Horny Ward
| Deocher.
This Ia tho very first action Of an ecc1esinstical
| sort lhat Inns boon pgoncsly conceived mud that
promises sesso11s results. The council Of laat
year was on purely eccleeiasttcal questions, and
| dld'nos touch tho matter Of tho guilt or lnno-
| ccuce Of tho accused pastor. Ars a1ouf,on's
council could investigate only In indirect way
and mpostoet'y, as the question Of her e1-
It. Tho Advisory Council Of this week ia but q
farco ca It Ia carefully requested to discuss what
| it il now OF no particular interest to have de-
| c!led. Tho only vital question Ia this :: Shall
| man 10 retained IL tue fellowship Of Congrega-
tlonal churches who is generally boiIsvod in his
denomination to bo unworthy Of confidence and
against whom rest charges of the foucHt crlnles,
charges the thorough investigation Of which,
i. is beloved. be and Lis church arc lu every way
contriviug to pzeyout Some months ago, in
despair Of other Investigation tho mattDr uaH
| taken up by tho Association Of which Mr. Heccli-
or IL u momber and intrusted to u committee;
but the Association has ecclesiastical autho1l-
sY. and its committee hare boon Whiting tor tho
| proposed councllB.
This Andover Council sncAns bnsnoss. It be-
| gins just right, End wa haSe no doubt Tint 1t
will DO pushed forward vigorously. eithor to the
vindicntion ct Mr. Beecher or to the dsfellow-
ship OF him and his church. The Counc! will
be email III numbers.-snaAil enough TO work,
md weighty enough to command respect. It
will be composed Of mon who can thko tile
necessary time. and who are ~ carncst as thoy
! ara candid. II Mr. Doeches4 church has, ~ Is
beloved, htthosto ovadcd investigation, it can
not do 1t before such Council a. this. It eau
ayoid it only, no far NO see By refusing to &C.
ccpt the invitation. Such refusal would DO
virtual confession at guilt, aud tho step would
bs yery short to smother Council. whicli should
| recommend Tho dlafelloWEhtp OF Plymouth
Church, which would instantly follow. From that
iuomout the church would Btaud without own
that remnant Of support which It has retained
from thoae CongEegattonA!lsta vhose faith In
Mr. Uoecher Waa not uttorly dontroyed. 1t IL rt-
morel that Plymouth Church nil retuse tho Co,u-
Gil; aud 1t is not at Ill improbable. ahe will not
do so, however, unloas Mr.. Doochor and h!s ad-
viaers have made up their mimi that it IL wiser
for their church to become utterly independent
than to submit to = rigid investigation. Their
| nf IN fnYaAttrRfinn IN Arf3ant
their refusal at 3lr. Bowons proposition 70 givo
without reHeEve all tho facts within hisAuowlodge
| to proper tribunal, constituted both to Impair
! TALLY and 10 as to acfeon tho names which
/ should not he brultod abroad. They 1etl,so such
| tribunal before which ho can speak. and loudly
| bluBter that ho should speak in such way a. ho
had declared tm{sossIbio, and ~ oven the 3ri-
bune, Mr. Hcecher's special organ. declares in-
possible. II they conseut 10 this Council Which
Andoyer, ~ tho special guardian OF tue purity Of
tho pulpit. demands. and which slto 1aeans shsll
p1obo this sore 70 tho bottom, we shal! bs hap
pity disappointed.