New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-18


thought doctrine until now. But Dr. Cooke ana hi'
marty were alarmed and burdeued Now If the doctrine
advanced by Storrs, Dexter Bartlett &c tha the
proposal OF the AndOver letter Is proper
method of discipline is the true doctrine, the Kew III
Cooke might havo called the Andover Church 10 JOIN
with himself and his own tchurch or even with Some
church. which he had persuaded to take up the natter
IA far distant as Michigan or Oregon) in CALLING
n ,nutual council to try Prof. Park for holding ana
teaching dan erous half Of this mutual con
ell being selected by DIR. Cooke himself ana being sspr
cious and committed enemies OF DR.. Parks VIEWS DE-
Park and the Apdover Church had declined SUCH riDu
nal as they probably would have done, then Dr. Cooke
called pare council Tor the TRIAL Vi Dr
Park, and bave selected all the members OF mo couhc
himself The same thing might have been done, ana I'd
all probability would have been DONE II this doctrhe Oh
interference by church In the trial OF members Vi
another had been held at that tme In the case Oh
the late Dr. N. W. Taylor Of Newaven ana IN that OF
the President Finney Of Oberln College ana III 's
OF the late Dr. Bushnelhree most honored ana
iustrious men in the Congregational fellowship The
1--WE eminent Doctors Of Divinity who are criticsng tho
action late Advisory Council, may regard ts as
an excellent system OF church government ana enc
which is fraught with dangers. But must DC per
mitted to doubt whether they will have any large follow
ing in this opinion. To my mind 1t seems
the worst system conceivable. 1t Is system
which, If transferred to civil hfe would allow
any man. who should be disposed to charge another man
Of high respecability with being thief 10 put tnat
othcr man on trial before body composed ono hall OF
HIS open enemies II he should refuse such tribunal
then before tribunal composed wholly OF his open enc
miles, Perhaps In that solitary place to which Dr. H. D.
storrs announces his people In his discourse OF last
Sunday ovcnin that lie Is going to retire. ana where nc
is going wait in order to see what others may do-per
haps In that place lie may find new system cmbodyins
this feature which he may cal Conservative ConSre-
gationalsm" No one can deprive him Of the power OF
t,t In laa1
Bu whatever its crisnators may bapt-e 1t wth'
1t is not the grand old system OF ConSiegatonaiisin
handed down to us from the noble fathers OF NewEn-
gland nor as believe. will the descendants OF ihoso
fathers, have inherited the precious brthrisht
which came from them ever follow him into such yS-
tom.
WHEN THE PROTEST OUGHT TO HAVE BEEN MADE.
IL ia SAIL however by tho gentlemen VINO are now en-
dcayOrng to destroy the influence OF the Council that the
AndOvcr not alluded - In the etternsSNc'
and therefore that whether Its proposal was III accord
ance with ona principles or not this Council
had no right consider 1t. Dr. Storrs says, NO more
right than it had to consider the simultaneous trial OF
Gen Babcock" Or. Dexter says, No moro than II had
TO settle the Old south Church question In Boston or
To nominate the next President" may De all wed. on
behalf OF the Council 70 say that 1t seems TO Va some
what remarkable that such statements ~ these Should
made this time. The presentation OF the Anio'r
letter to the Council understood t. be made in ac
corance with request from the committee OF the church
ITSELF or lodst. from Prof Smyh This has also been
publicly intima,cd In reply the letter by Plymouth
Church, and has not been denied We may lake u ior
granted suppose, that this the fact But II was
entirely improper for tho Council to receive and con
slider it, "a Prof smyth and DR. storrs declare 1t TO
be- is il that Prof smyth should himself have
asked that il might be presented ond that DE- storrs,
with whom Pro- SInyth frequent commnn!ca-
ton at the time. should not have guarded MN
AGAINST snch an enorf Or did the error CON
s,t, not in having tie letter read before
tine Council but only in having it considered after
il was rradl The mind ~ one who has been taught To
believe ,ha; Congrcgationasn has m it large ainS-
ture OF common would no disposed To inquire why
should IL be read except hlt IT might be conSics'd
But would not press this question. would not assert
eycn as fact beyond dispute. that Prof. smyth asked
,bat the letter ritt he read tholgh know that such
was the understanding at the time. Wonli only say
that whaa the letter brought before the Council
propo-ei its reference to special committee on tho
ground that involved IN It's bearing upon The question
which the PymOdth Church was submiiiin; To us ccF-
tain points of Congregational order and that those points
ou.ht 10 he examined. Tac advice which Tic c-iiri
w!.hod respecting letter could not have been inte
gently given w,out IN invest cation Of these p0in'i
The Committee of the Andover Church the house
at the time ~ have every 20 believe, for Prof
SLyth took pains send Ia me. almost Immediately
aft,rward, through his colleague. an expression
Of Ins thank, some words which l had
Ter the letter TO committee. whether Prot. smyih
then requested that the letter miglt be real T. thc
Council he must have known that IL was presented
and that IL was thus referred H'wonld seem 10 De- a
suab, question to as,. view OF this circumstance,
Why dill not he or prrchincc, Dr. Dexter who visited
the Council le representative Of The C1ngrega'i)1f
remind III through addressed 10 the MODERATOR or
through some suggestion protest in the newspapers
that We were gong beyond our charter II is nnfoTn
nate to say the least, that n thu-o gentlemen should
have reserved the expression OF their views on the sub
feet until after final adjournment Is u possible that
their views may have altered sine" that time" they
haze undergone, such change Themselves, surely they
mn rb not to speak In uunoasnrcd terms OF Ms who
thought while were in session, exactly ~ they dd
Il they have undergone change but hold TIE same
opinion when they then held should they not nave
uttered their sentiments bctOrcl The members Of tho
Councn viii feel tIn-and their feeling hardly be
REGARDED as an altogether unreasonable onc-tha the
charge ~ improperly in considering this letter Is made
ut too late a moment by these Four or five gentlemen
who are now Offering the criticism They AZ least, IL
would seem whatever may he trua OF others, should
have objected publicly when the matter was ''. under
deiiberation or when IL rst brought bs!'re the
Cornell or the expression of the Andsvcr letter
its H. should forever after hold their peace"
WHAT THE COUNCIL HAD RIGHT TO DO.
But with reference to the charge which these gentle
men now make considered In itself and apart from any
improperly Oh their part in making 1t at this time few
lords may offered Tho question whether the Coun-
Gil had right to consider the Andoyer letter Is wholly
dependent on and involved in the question whether 1t
had right advise anything respecting future inyos
tigation Of the case OF Mr. Beecher The question
whether 1t had this right Is which the members OF
the Council announced their opinion by the action
which they took in adopting their Result" The ablest
and In tho body. such as Dr. Bacon
and DR. Sturevant-men who certainly equa IN clear
ness OF un Outstanding any other in the country
have gone so far IN assertion OF this view publicly to
Az, nj u1nI no IN