New-York tribune., 1876-03-25
TIE ADVISORY COUNCIL.

PROF. MEAD-TuE ORIGINAL INVENTORS OF IHE
QUAKER GUN"-THE COMMITTEE READY TO
ORGANIZE TIE INVESTIGATING COMMISSION
WHENEVER CHARGES ARE BROUGHT.
To tAe Edttor OF The 2rsbune.
SIe: In nv communication to TIE TRIBUNE
which was published on Saturday last shower that te
proposl made tho letter OF the Andover seminary
Church was contrary tbs principles OF Congregational
;sr as laid down both tho earlier anu tho later plat
forms But do tie fvs gentlemen 10 Naoh al
luled in my former ottcr begin 20 get Snpso Oh 'ns
fac, han they gravy inform is that we are not Doud 70
these old ruos. Csnsregationasm, says PF0i N
"a free and living yston" Dr Do1teTn similar language
tA ms that living systerr, competent to expand
and extend Itself 70 any emergency very Soon
so say we ALL Congrcgatonalism Is free and hvins
system This l. OF its peculiar slorcs IL Is not
bound to petty rules, thnt 1t cannot adapt scif 10
onerpeucies But We must remember thst 1t is nv
ipgo IL "a also "a svsteIn." 1t is nos something
which has one character to-day snd another tcmoro"
re- not hng which hss life indeed, bus bhe Nhoie o
whose lfe-power may DO exhibited IN changing i''en
into what Is altogether contradictory to s own nature
II cannot destroy itsof and yet continue TO DO soh
man is free and living being ana by reason OF TINS TACT
he osn adau himself TO emergencies which his an
ces;or Eeycr dreamed OF In their experience Dut IT. i'll
tho desire TO proyEe for some peculiar ana e1aehs
CASE he should csmlnit suicide or should turn hE'se
into a horse what would become OF him as mani lie
yyorl have como beyond the proper exercise OF ma e
and Hylpg pow,rs and tho act which he eomU'fted
would DO the nd OF rim. AL that would be seor a'ef
ward would bo "a uaeess hieleSs thLg or nero 'hih'
Our AIaerican TspubUcnism IS iree anu h'nS system
Eut ia lives within tie limitations OF certain sphere
Suppose that some polished members OF Ito TStor"'o
ciety in one of large eues should bs yreaty os-
tyessod because tie rases rising 10 n"ed power
ia the State ard should say Our fathers never Thought
of such an emergency THIS, when mncn' o. SEo1"h'
foreigners should be SOIL and consequently ioey
never provided it, BGt tho evil resulting ro thS uh-
foreseen state of things upon and mast 3sreeied
by strong ard decisive measures with this thoHsht III
mind suppose ton. thoy should say, Our republican
system Twins sys,om, and it must be ablo 10 of'
new measures for emergencies shat are wnoy now 1ho
only measure however 0.at viii meet TINS eh4ofSe1cy
successfully is the establishment Of king snd titled
nobility therefore must devise plan 0y "hi'h theSo
can bcsoeured What should We say to such body OF men
engaged in such alanl We should say You cannot roredy
the evil by this device unless you ont Oh reooaAl'
into some other sysoin. Tho institution OF kiaS ana
nobility something contrary TO the very Ei9ue an1
idea OF rorubicas, and the later is dead 90 soon aS
tho foyner becin TO exist And IL is with C0ngcS
ticnalisn When we say that th2 is free and living
system Whist do We meant Surely we do po mean that
IL can destroy tnc fundamental and essential elements OF
its own nature transform itself into something COM
pletely opposite Eus mean this, aud on! ih-'n@
tlas the power of growth and expansion w!'An 'he
limitations OF i,s own organic life. We do not mean tas
IL can abandon it, distinctive principles ANA taEo NJ
those o an entirely different system. But Ho moan h'i
It can o use tho language of Dr. Storrs apply s pain
eples by some Bormo process IN harmony |iia th'o
principles" to which are novel snd e1aetins'
TWO METHODS or INVESTIGATION
Now bcrs is lust tno difference between the proposal
made in the Andover letter for the inVosigaon Of Ar
Beschers ara me proposal made Ivy Tie Advisory
Council The AnGO,er plan, which was TO try the casa
OF member OF Plymouth Church by mutual conhch'
oehali OF which should De appointed ey The AnooNef
Church was papable violation Of ono Of iis Two OF
I.vr ltfonal liam Ks.tSr
contradiction OF the organie law Of tho aystem Dr.
Dexter is beginning understand this, 2or IN bis most
recent article he speaks adding to the platforms WAic
we pow have new plank called " the AnioYer pianH!
II the principle lying ri the basis OF tins plan wore 10 De
ado;cd-narely that church o@n iDtruoo upon the
ooip n another church for the purpose OF trying or
taking part in the trial o. It's MEMBER 'on@rega
tonalis,n would come 20 lis end. Something might s,
exist bat it would not &c CongTesatonasln 'Ihe pro
posal OF tho Advisory Council, on the Othei mana
although it was n doyico to meet . ne" ana
extraordinary e.se wholly within the organic law oi
$the Con cgaoual system The adoption oi the plan
which IL Involved Woald end.nser no principle "hica INC
churches have held from the beginning; w!e the plan
itself would reach the end desired IN reasorao!c aoa
soro way \ few words will make th.s clear think 10
any fair-Haded person. II the First Church IL NOW
Haven for example, should find itesh IN some internal
1a,rlty exciting 20 the whole ncish0orhood, which 1t
became convinced il could not isen investigate win
such manifest impa iaty as TO commend it' decision 70
al could it according 10 IT. WISE judgment anu lOI
sncient reasons submit the ease 10 three gentlemen 0
IA character in the community, outside OF lis Own
ep,hershp such ~ President ~oolsey Prcout Porter
and Prof Thaehel) aud arec 10 abide ly their decision
An advisory council might 10 tho more natural means
for drong tho case fs the sldinagy pr4cuec is
concerned but nobody would think oiNny Mrclreiy 10
the oner pan in caso there reasonable 2t0ands or
it, IL would be simply the adoption oi board V Ie
ereea constituted py tho church for the particular caae
and would be 90 neutral t-ns under some ciIeiIa
stances that IL would ecommand itself TO every mind
hive no doubt that there have been many Instances ID
the churches in Connecticut in which such course has
boao taken Certainly 1t Is no: such deviation from
frndauental principles when extraordinary con
dop OF things ID appear to be the "sc- course
as to occasion the slightest apprehension oil G"ls'f
But il tbe church in peculiar case cod DO lhS I''o
IL could also ask council, which it nl cal iof lo1
consideration Of the subject, TO gvo II advice as to
whether such q body Of referees Todd not be wise
means to attain tho end IA View Moreover II Me
church could ask such dvice the Council could suggest
and propose 20 the church 20 empower such oVdy 10 a
for II in the emergency And still further, II the
Council when looking into the subject, bhohid Hhd
reason 10 believe that In the church nominated
this body OF referees for Itself, II Tor!d De accseu Vi
pa.tiay and wOud thus Oso part or All oI te Dement,
of thedeeisoB which referees saomd make no one ca
doubt lint IL would be competent for the Council to
advise e church to allow three other persons Gnembers
of the Council itsciD to nominate the referees. Inc
whole power In the caso Is Lett with the church.
notwitt etandlrg this advice, and the Board OF
Reserecs would have no authority or existence except
AZ empowered bJ the church There Is nothing
in such plan devised for an uncommon cnlersehcy
which could by any possibility endanger ohcr the ihdc
pcndencc Of the local church principle OF ellow
ship with other churches. 10 Is simply Al Instance OF
free and living system putting forth s energy 10 meet
a.. d.,,anJa of n wholly novel" and ''rXactDg'