The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-03-09
PLYMOUTH CHURCH ADVISORY
COUNCIL.

at the morning session, on the s3d, re-
port was made from the special committee to
which was referred the letter from Andover
Seminary Oh urch calling for council to try
the case of Mr.. Beecher, in which the COM
mittee say Plymouth Church should not &C.
cept the invitation. Report adopted at the
evening session.
After discussion the Council decided that
equate, and that Plymouth Church had done
its whole duty in the matter.
Announcement was made that the CON-
mittee Of nine, to whom all matters for final
consideration Of the Council were to be
brought, comprised President Porter, Chair.
man; DR.. Fairchild, DR.. salter, DR.. Strong,
DR.. Sturtevant, DR.. Bacon, Bradford X. Wood,
Judge Whitney and ex-Gov. Dingley.
At the afternoon session, the resolution as
to whether or not there should be another
investigation of the charges against Mr..
Beecher was discussed at great length, and
finally decided affirmatively, about two dozen
delegates voting no.
At the evening session it was decidsd that
a committee OF three should be- appointed to
select five names from the list presented by
the committee, who shall constitute an inves-
tigating committee, to hear all possible evil
dence that can be cleaned in regard to the
scandal, and sit as final judges on the matter.
The Council concluded their lsbors on the
24th. An adverse report was made and
adopted on the resolution offered by the Rev.
DR.. Bell to the effect that the Council declare
Mr.. Beecher innocent of the charges preferred
against him.
The report of the Council sustains Plym-
outh Church in its dealings with the members
whose names have been stricken from It's
rolls, and in its general discipline in this re-
spect. 1t also endorses the action of the
<,tnr rob, Inv fS<vH 70 A1.,~
Council, and expresses regret that Mrs.
Moulton's representative did not substitute
two other churches for those objected to, and
thus crafty the expressed desire of Mrs
MoultOn for such council.
The report says the Council finds no rea-
son to cali in question the method by which
the committee was constituted which inves-
tigated the charges against the pastor; but
in view of the dissatisfaction which more or
less prevails with the previous Investigation,
it is recommended, in view of Mr.. Beecher's
demand to be brought face to face with his
accusers, etc, and for the peace of the
churches and the protection of Plymouth,
that a new investigation be had. The pro-
visions for such Investigations are as follows:
Prof. Timothy Dwight, D. D., New Haven,
Conn.,; the Rev. j. w. Wellmar, D. D., NAL.
den, Mass, and the Hon. Bradford K. Wood,
Albany, N. T., are appointed by the Council
as the Committee of Three who are empow-
cred 10 desi la i Commission Of Five out
of twenty named parties, whose duty it
" shall be to receive and examine all charges
against the pastor which they may regard as
not already sufficiently tried. ANY three of
this committee shall be quorum, and shall
have power in case Of failure to complete the
requisite number of five by selecting other
brethren of known ability and intcg-
rity. 1t is provided that the Commission
shall not be constituted unless formal
charges against the pastor snail be brought
before the church or it's committee within
sixty days after the dissolution of the Council
by party making himself responsible for the
same time it shall be adjudged to be expedi-
cnt by the Examining Committee of the
church and the Committee of Three that i'm
portant testimony not previously given,
which might throw light upon the charges
which have hitherto been tried, should be
heard by the Committee. The result of the
investigation by this Commission shall be
reported to the Examining Committee of
Plymouth Church, and be given by them to
the public.
The Commission of Five is to be selected
from among the following: Theodore o.
Woolsey, New Haven, Conn.,; Mark Hopkins,
Williamstown, Mass; Julius H. Seeley, Am
herst, Mass; N. sbipman, Hartford, Conn;
Marietta. Ohio; J. ". Angel, Aun Arbor,'
Mich; w. B. Washburne, Greenfield, Mass;
A. c. Barstow, Providence, R. l.; J. L. Cham
berlain, Brunswick, Me-; c. J. Walker, De-
troit, Mich; Jacob Brinkerhoff, Mansfield,
Ohio; Alpheus Hardy, Boston, Mass;
Ashael Finch, Milwaukee. Wis; 8. B. Cook
ms, Terre Haute, Ind; E. w. Blatchford,
Chicago; William b. Edwards, New York:
Jonathan E. Sargent, New Hampshire; J. G.
Knapp, Keosauqua, Iowa; Henry P. Haven,
New London, Conn.
Previous to the dissolution of the Council,
Mr.. Beecher addressed the assemblage at con-
siderable length