New-York tribune., 1876-02-07
NR BEFCHER ON THE COUNCIL.

A LETTER IN REGARD TO THE COURSE OF PLYMOUTH
CHURcH-THE MUTUAL co NCiL NOT PEtFfNrkp
ny THg CHURCH-MR. sIIEARMAN pkrKSbkh.
The following letter from Mr.. Beecher has
soen pubshed In Te Chicago Adsdncc (Conresational
To he Editor Of The Adranee: ! confidently rely
conmns for brief statement OF acs suggested by your
editorials OF Jan 20 Ihe tendency Of your roma Ks rs
10 disspae tiCnl churches from accepting e
Invitation of PynOutA Church 10 an Advisory Cgunei
and thus to off that church from the advice Hnea ~
Plymouth Church had eva.ied a Mutual Conncn,
N order 10 call Advisory Council Oh tne me- sn. d
,uieet the proceeding then might have ocen justly 10
oSnhseu. & &As, a. h 'Pxmantl Church to the Council Of
YsyS Rnt ine facts do not support such view III the
yesent ease Plymouth Church was determined 10 SNe
@ kIontoo no reasonable ground for oyading the Mu-
mrs mrs C No formal proiest was entered by
n or its committee, 10 the choice or churoeS Ogoc
t,ons informaIIy and orally stated in conference were
nut in wnung at tho request OF her own LAWYER
and then dcnOminated protest Dy MN Ine Iq I'm
tons: it offered 10 keep them private IT simply
refused 10 statfy its H. aud dlsOwn tne truth Dy wth
drawinc fcnI as niouuded IN objections were botn
sincere and well founded ana the earnest Oner oi VIC
church TO go ON in spite them is itse proof OF It's
genuine wish for u Council one party To arblu alton
saws nriyatey TO tie other: "Two OF the parties you
have named are prejudiced; one Las openly ueclheu
himself against in TINS very case. think You anu
and think IL wOuld be but fair for you 10 name
Others. Nevertheless, am ready TO go or II you
the fact Of an objection having been made shall not .e
communicated to any other parties" The other party
denies not the facts alleged but the right 20 mention
them demands that tle statement shall bo retracted
and protests return against four of the a'b'tIatois
pamed by the nys who immediately oilers Ia s'ilae on
an four n the whose prejudice has been men'lgned
that No. l has by trick broken up the
arbitration ana withdraws from tie alranecment with
much postscript OF gumcnt, iusnuation. an calnny
This is the exact parallel of the recent case. except that
Congregational Mutual Council has not TIE binding iorce
Of an arblt aton and the iparuaty OF It's mhoyis as
to the particular point to he submitted s recognized As
necessary element OF its influence Mrs Multon insisted
Oh the presence OF certain mTi. fyhouMtn M SnuaUh u
not insist Their absence Who evaded tine Councili
Your criticism upon my remarks s based upon very
erroneous rIort oi them and trust you VIII see itS IN
Justice But shall not begin at this period OF my ne,
the practice of critesng Misrepresentation fouhueI
Mr.. sheaszen hes remained silent ulder many charges
IKE thai With You bring asnst nm or III Gayns y gs
Gus way. II is hs rare faculty that he Is Wiling - labor
which In the outset no mas obpose"' anu IL ~
which lie has been outvoted, ana III Is Ills slheu-
count of such measures afterward As u MEM
bcr OF committees from time to time as an officer
accented tie responsibility whatever done by his
colleauos does ne seek 10 bc relieved from IT. Bu
lie is persStontly singled out rs alone rcsonsbc
feel called upon to say that Mr. Shearman has always
been foremost urging bOldness publicity ana prompt
of do not admit that the church has tea
evasivoly uncanddly IN any respect; bnt 90 say
that almost without exception, the acts which us enc
Shearmans advice and have often been rec ~ against
it. In the present instance he has constantly advised
compliance with every demand made by Mis- Mouitoh
in her published correspondence He Is, III particular
not responsible for the sOcaed protest o the recent
prompted it, he osed it likely To he seized upon ny
Mrs Mou tons lawyer pretext for the abandonment
OF the Council.
Tho action OF Plymouth Church is not controlled by
any Ii the result ~ the sincere a earnest
cooperation OF the brethren seeking to do their duty as
shown the by the blessing Of the Divine Silt upon
their paJit inquiries and consultations AT every step
mutual been necessary and Sbsan lal
unanimty has the result We have al strlven 10
do what right and wise, and now We seek upon our
course The counsel Of our brethren Is II tho purpose OI
7he Advance to prevent us fru IN obtaining 1T
HLNRY WARD BEECEER
RrooIIyn Ian 1876.