Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-01-28

\ card from DR. Edward Baecher, chair
man 1.-THE Examining Committee oi Ply
mouth Church, is published. in which he
.ays that the mutual council was not reject
ed BY Plymouth Church Excepting the
place Of meeting. Mr.. Moalfon was offered
her own way on every point. Tie church
wanted the mutual council and still desires
it, and /, willing 10 70 On with IL. The
churches named by ler were accepted and
would have been called She withdrew
from "a mutual council simply because We
exercised our manifest right of suggesting TO
her the reasons form calling two churehe-.
At the same time. leaving her the right to
call them unimpeached and unquestionei
On that ground and on that only She drew
back
At the last Friday evening meeting of
Plymouth Church, Mr. Beecher replied
sharply and at some length, to the assaults
made upon him by Judge Van Colt. Mr.
Moulton counsel in published letter A.
luding to the Examining Committee of lS74.
he said
1t was said that be should not have nom
mated the men who composed the com
mttee. that they We're his friends OF
course they were hi, friends. and if they
were not he would have been obliged 10
leave Brooklyn Did Judge Van Colt
mean To say that these men conederated to
cover up the truth They had complained
that the council did not take the evidence
Of Franklin Woodruff, Francis D. Moulton,
Joseph Richards, Mrs Bradshaw, Mr.. and
Mrs Tilton, Rev. L. ). Storrs, and Rev
". " Patton, the evangelist of mischief
from the Northwest. 1t was said that they
would not call Mrs Tilton. She appeared
twice. Mrs Bradshaw had refused 10 come.
Mr.. Richards came, and he said he would
not answer lie (BeecAer) held a letter in
his hand from Mrs. Bradshaw containing |
her refusal one from Frank CARPENTER. in |
which he piously refused to appear, and |
Others OF the same class, and now Mr.. |
Van Colt charges the committee with hay
ing slurred over the evidence. II wonder, /
however, said the speaker, strongly en-
phasizing each word that man bowed |
down with tAtherly grief (Judge Van Colt |
had alluded in his letter to the recent |
death Of his dagghter) should have gone |
30 tar. He Is the paid counsel Of Mrs. |
Moutou. and is no doubt acting rightly for
her Blood will tell. The spirit o. gentle
man will show itself whether he IS acting
As an ex-parte counsel or not. 1t is an in
fanny and shame for him today the uall
over his daughters face and to charge his
own partner, John Hinslow (who was one
of the Examining Committee), with trying
to evade truth.
Mr. Beecher then went on: This letter
very fifty closes with this strain Of piety
You (Nrs. Moulton) have been too long
and too well known IN the best circles and
the best Christian society of Brooklyn to
make it necessary to yindicate yourself
here You have properly cared for the good
name and fame Of the Congregational
church, but the church must take care of
itself 1t must determine for itself whether
its members can be driven from its pale
without a hearing and trial after they mad
Staid away for two years, and whether in
EQUITY can be 50 securely intrenched within
it, walls that inquiry cannot drag it forth
to the light of day" Inquiry, said Mr..
Beecher, is welcome to drag forth what it
can. Mr.. Van Colt speaks of unrevealed
testimony. Yes, there Is no doubt plenty
Of testimony in the sources from which the
other was taken, but there is no eridence.
Congregationalism itself is now on trial. The
questions now on trial were these Whether
neghboring churches may interfere with the
discipline of another church whether they
may violate the proprieties of neighboring
churches. and whether they may act IN
charitably and insincerely, and then call
an ex parte council to ratify their conduct
1t was not on trial with any doubt in his
{ Beecher y mind as to the issue. Councils
might die. but the Congregational church
would live, he thought, until the milen-
NAL day.