The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-08
Congregational Association,

i
ing of New York and Brooklyn Asso
ciasion of Congregational ministers YES
terday in the Curch of the Pur,tans, the
resolution'of Prof. Martin which pro
vided for the heinvestigstion of Mr.. Beech
ers acts by committee Of fvs from the
Association was lost.
Rev. Geo. Whipple, Moderator read ,
letter from Rev. r. 8. Storrs, which wa,
In substance that DR.. Storrs had heard
that his name had been mentioned iu
connection with the committee to investi
gate the scandal and that he wished tc
decline TO serve.
The resolutions offered by DR.. Henry
Storrs were read.
Resolved, That the committee of five
be now appointed and requested to pub.
licly invite any parties believed or pro.
fessing to have evidence or any knowledge
of evidence not already Investigated.
before civil court, to present the same
before the committee, and the said COM
mittse be requested to give to them, or
any parties bringing definite charges
against Mr.. Beecher, whatever asaistan CO
may seem called for to these parties, and
proper TO the committee, in order to
make such presentment OF the same be.
fore the committee as shall be likely to
secure the earliest possible termination of
the issue.
Resolved, That in the name OF our accused
brother az in the interest of truth and
common christianity, this Association
desire and invite all persons claiming to
have such evidence, or bringing such
charges, to avail themselves of this means,
if they desire such help, for laying
them before that committee of lnvestiga.
ton.
Resolved, That if those who claim 10
have evidence, or to be able to substanti
ate charges of immortality against Mr.
Beecher shall knowingly fail to make
use of this or other means for bringing
such charges or evidence before that COM
mittee Of Investigation, this association,
in the absence Of further light, must hold
itself hcnceforth amply justified in utter
ly condemning these charges, allegations
insinuations and rumors as false and
slanderous, and in defending Mr.. Beech.
er as worthy, honorable and beloved
member of this body.
Resolved, That r. s. Storr, w. j. Bud
dington, j. Smith Hobart and n. w.
Vergen, be appointed as that committee
and earnestly requested to act for the
As :ociation.
DR.. Buddington argued against the re-
solutions. because they committed the
Association to the findings of the advi-
sorry council, which findings he believed
were not all Congregational. He believed
in dealing with the matter as proposed
by Andover church.
Mr.. Beecher said that he yielded to ho
one in the question of the feeling of the
Congregational churches, for he believed
that he understood what it was.
The policy was not in the
least endangered by the proposition
before tho association. You might as
we'll say that an appropriation to clear
the North river would split the Alle-
gheny mountains.
DIR. Buddington-No one is speaking
of goirg out
Mr.. Beecher said his advices were that
the churches in the west and northwest
were a unit-a steadtsst brotherhood. He
wished to say that the congregatioDalism
represented in the Advisory Council was
real Old Puritan congregation
slism, and that that repre-
sented by DR.. Buddlngton and the
Andover Church and others was new
congregation entirely novel, unknown
and untried in churches. The discussion
lasted throughout the day and at five
o'clock the resolutions were adopted by
vote of fifteen to nine, when the follow
ing protest was at once entered:
WHEREAS, The New York and Brook
lyn Association has appointed a com-
mittee to cooperate with tho committee
of the late Advisory Council, 30 called
for the investigation of charges against
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher; and
WHEREAS, 1t is the settled conviction
OF the undersigned that the calling OF
that council BY church to consider its
administration of discipline in certain
cases without the agency or concurrence
of person safFected by that discipline Is
violation of the fundamental principles
of tho Congregational order, which re-
CARDS it as the right OF the humhlest IN
dIvidual to have part in the selection OF
any council which he or she Is TO be
Judged by, and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, there is no
reason, in our judgment, to think an IN
vestigation originating thus in injustice
and carried out by an agency hitherto un-
known TO our churches can result IN any
thing more than another OF those super
fetal inquiries which have already
provoked so much Of public dlssati;!ac.
ton; therefore, the undersigned mem
bers of this Association do hereby eTter
their earnest aud solemn protest on tue
grounds both Of conscience and ludg-
ment against tho aforesaid action OF this
BODY, as wrong in principle and likely
ONLY to result in increased suspicion and
to enbarrass the future action OF the
BODY in deciding. as we are soiemniy
bound to do, on the guilt or innocence OF
Mr.. Beecher.
(Signed.) RS. Storrs, W. Ives Bud
dlugton, H. H. Mcfarland. K. n. Mar
tin, W. ii. Taylor, and W. IL: Ward.
Prof. Martin submitted resolutions IN
favor of ecclesiastical doctrines, the op'
posite OF those espoused by Plymouth
Church and its Council. They were
tabled.
Drs. Buddington, Mcfarland, Tay ylor
and Storrs then sent the moderator n
letter in which they withdrew IRON mem
bership of the New York and Brooklyn
Association.