Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-02-13
BEECHER.
The Plymouth Pastor Answers Bowen.
of the Independent "
He Arraigns Him as a Slanderer and q
Lara Rare Theatrical Scene.

New YORK, February 1l.-At the adj
ioarne meeting of Plymouth church to
night, dismissal was granted to Chas. G.
Duncan at his request. The clerk theI
read the report f the examining com
mjttee, detailing the several meetings
between it and Bowen. When the
reading was concluded, S. D. White of.
fered q resolution which, after several
amendments, was adopted as follows:
@aReSOlUei, That the whole matter Of
the insinuations or accusations OF II. G..
Bowen against the pastor Of this church
be referred back to the examining COM
mittee with instructions to continue the
Investigation begun by them, and that
they be instructed to summon said H.
| G. Bowen before them: having first
given him ten days notice of trial and
place OF that meeting; and to notify him
| that be will be asked to state any and
every fact within his knowledge tend.
ing to support the insinusttons or
charges contsined in his letter Of the
| fourth instant, aud to give the name OF
ali witnesses known to him by whom
any Of the facts swjthin his personal
knowledge may be proved, and to SUBJ
nit to such other and further thorough
and rigid examination as shall be neces-
sary and proper to elicit the fullest pos
sible investigation.
Mr.. Beecber said he was far from feel
ing in a spirited humor. A cCntrover-
sy between 8 pastor and member Of a
church was a very cad thing. To have
! a quarrel was to him in the nature Of a
funeral service. Mr.. Bowen was one Of
the oldest members Of the church; but
he must not fJrget that Mr.. Bowen's
threshold was the first he crossed on
coming to Brooklyn. He could not
think Of anything more sad than to
find man with whom he had walked
arm in arm, and with whom he had
taken sweet counsel, and in whose hos
pitality he had shared, turned against
him.
Mr.. Beecher had, thus far, spoken
very quietly and sadly, but now he burst
forth in laundering toner, throwing into
his words all the vehemeuce possible to
him. He said that ''if fIr the last If
teen years, or more, Mr. Bowen had been
in possession of these facts, aud never
brought them before him, or before an
officer of the church, be was guilty Of
breaking his covenant with the church,
and he ought to be expelled. If he the
speaker was what he was alleged to be,
he should have been turned out of the
church years ago. He was not
guilty, and the allegations made by
Mr.. Bowen were fAlse-he would
pronounce them so. He referred sar.
casticslly to the fact that Mr.. Bowen
had not had time to prepare to answer
the questions, but had had time to
charge him with being a criminal, the
badness of which the three epithets used
by him could hardly compass. There
should be no secresy in the matter il he
could help, and everything should be
sifted to tie very bottom"
Mr.. Beecher had now allowed his
voice to die down to one in which were
expressed mingled sadness and reprosch,
when, suddenly bursting forth with his
lOudest and most vehement tones, he
said: "As for myself, pronounce the
allegations as false, and with Almighty
God before me and the judgment day,
aTralgn him as a slanderer and q liar.n
Then, as he sat down, was enacted a
scene which has never, but twice before,
taken place in the Plymouth church
lecture-rooms. Clspping Of hands,
stamping OF feet, and men hallooing
plaudits at their pastor, while his wife
b1wed her head upon her hands and
wept bitterly for some moments. The
meeting then adjourned.
At the call Of the chairman the ex-
amining committee met Immediately
sitter the s6journment, and decided to
summon Bowen to appear before them
on the evening of the tWenty.third in
slant, at the residence OF the assistant
pastor halliday, there to give proof of
the allegations contained in his commu-
nication of the fourth instant.