New-York tribune., 1876-03-13

outside OF the church In order to any relief OF religion
from the load II las been carryng aud this s tne Le
ty do this conferred by the letter which was ts char
ter does not in tue least TO have hindei.d
casual. ilIepitImate assembly, a. destitute OF
authority as street meetng but took mp me wok
II proposes instrument for such nvestlgat on ol
parently simple but rally compile ana p9,s thG eS
o particular result as the wheci OF the
iT9p Tp cGmmtse in fc "andi three members @ Of the
council is appointed to organize commission these
person 10 be investigated II said express and
plee Second these meubers IN forming the commission
amonS which twenty are several OF gentlemen whose
eagerness for the result Of yndcaton would be likely to
brought against it. Third, il these five names should
not be able to serve, any three of them are
If Commission Organized like this from is neeI
special result the customary laws winch regulate human
action must have been reversed, and stream ,,Il
com Commission is apparently not to be organized
until after the lapse OF 60 days. during
parties making themselves respOnsibet is not said to
whom-fOr the truth aud proof OF tho same Whethe:
these parties must be members or Plymouth Church or
not does not clearly appear The most intimate repre-
sentative of the pastor IN at church once sd n tat Dy
fHS@' thew cannot know Beforehand who are to
FIRST sight They present F s Ts In the Gara Sep p
hearing any evidence in support of charges may decide
that they have been sufficiently tried that ground
may dismiss the complaint sixth II at the end OF
sixty days charges have been presented IL seems to
me TO provide in strangely complicated series Of
if the Committees OF the Church and the
Council deem it desirable to hear testimony not prey
ousy given which they think may throw light ON the
charges already tried In other words, II the COMMITTEE
Of the Church wish then to present { P9e testimony @ on
organize TO hear such testimony and to render different
things have been that this should turn out to be tho sole
fnnetion OF this Commission. l., A., ,,, so -,
the Investigating Committee this Commission Is author
ized to in secret to its judgment In calling
whether other witnesses would DC material 1t Is unre-
strained by any rules except the discretion OF Its mem
suits for slander account OF their testimony
1t is responsible TO no "ne II =, Is simply TO TO
mtee OF Plymouth Church to be given by them TO the
public and Plymouth Church Itself l. not even advised
TO accept the result to do thing about it, except 10
publish IT, The action OF the Commission ls evidently IN,
tended to be nay, beyond which inquiry never shall
60. II would certainly be unjust TO the many honorrd
members OF the Council suspect tha this would he
allowed by them ~ be organized III their name Tor me
purpose of acquta. 1t might not perhaps he wholly
unjust shrewder minds behind the scenes to suspect
that ney thought il adapted to give show OF readiness
TO me hostile charges without Involving results.
II is not much to say that results in the least
likely TO be attained by such commission can do any
thing toward enlightcnn. and purifying ne darkness
and diIt in which the churches OF Brook
But even If il could, II humilatng II not an
alarming fact that ali the ancient aud honoTed methods
of general administration by meaGs especially OF mutual
councils suddenly and cOmpct y at aside by an as
semby not empowered to do 1t IN favor of conryance
like this egtempOrZel aud possibly attended win more
peril and perplexity than the wisest can foresre'
II IS contrivance as unknown as court
martial 10 all preceding Congregational history. ~
has no ecclesiastical right or privilege. IL conid
not dspace the pastor from his nupi though should
find him guilty NJ ast Of worse ohenses nan ms accnsers
nave alleged. One cannot but stand pcrpcxed and al
put forth IN the name OF the Congregational churches
from the scacoast to the monrains y an assembly not
authorized 10 do such thing, AMI which could not
regard the Andoyer proposal as properly Congregatoa
This novel arrangement for an irresponsible secret co
the platform of the communion IN IT'S previous history
than iron spike driven into lis trunk Is dGyelopmnt
the peachtree II any precedent at ALL it will SIMPLY bo
precedent for unhindered license ,,.
The above OF the principal points IL result
like this of the late Council he accepted then what ~ et
in the congregational plan To be regarded as hndy
settled What can ever be considered nxe ana defined
If Council OYeTturn tho rules which ~ previous
Council certain not Of less intelligence, has declared
Why even contend for rules when the ohy posSDie e
icct be TO heap sand which the next pun OF
breath may blow down l left the positions whch IL
the pressure of these thoughts upon me. dia
do declaring purpose 10 leave the communion
/ born in. and in when my fathers had nnistered
have claim influence others, hut for myself wait
to see what others say what the general nu Gi tne
II may be that such reaction will occur az will give TO
the general scheme OF government winch to me appears
term of life with more stable order and
how any man abide for long in house so fra in its
foundations and so n1n IN It's structure that u may
cannot cannot, nave not NV year, future To re-
to stand / see the heads around me growing winter.
know that whatever force | hayo must now be used
for tn service of God in tho manifestation
of his Divine Son. With me the blossums
have fallen and the fruit of the season
is passing The October tnts not far In the distance
These subjects whicn love to dwell as those VINO
hear me viii bear witness. But these questions OF
external pOlty are not among them. l cannot be
always unavailnsly trying 20 get the very P Pil-
mary rules Of Church order reestaDllshed Inc
Congregational system has had great history,
Its colleges and scminaes well rs lts churches are
trophies that will not let sthers sleep II has given
abundaly other communiOns and been all the time
enriching itself. o-
As at esent pres nted the whole scheme Of Congre-
gationalisln is absurd. The who builds churchts
az The West South in his own city, IN the basis OF
these principles, appears TO be doing all he can
10 keep up anxiety and trouble for himself, and
to make the external Kingdom OF Christ a
mere confused chaotic jumble. Last OF All;
il be said with the utmost candor that mcthOd
he found If one does not exist for securing recos
nzed purity in tht pulpit at least for relieving other
churches in fellowship from all responsibility Tor
any one accused by many voices or reduplcateu
crime and the qu' stiOn OF whose possible gullt
continues year after ncessant subject or puDc
attack The recent Council distinctly admits that lis
accepted congregational scheme has no regular ana a
propiae way whatever for searching into anu setths
a vast public scandaln one Of its churches.