New-York tribune., 1876-03-14
TIE PROCEEDINGS.

BRETHREN OF The CHrncH: This special meeting, as
yo9 are aWsfe m re- rs Su TTG o ad in pHe ySsteday
morning, but winch viii read az ~ tnis Svening ,e-a
The Rev. r. 3. sToRRs D. D. -,
DEAR D0crGH; The naesgnea & eoe n D' sIistin IN he
srcb m Respect m 70 tie result Of the late ADVISORY Council
Ing e@S SRasa TS G net! Sy Iopasr
tgIeIo M at ocl9cE to consider & w aeuoa % jns t
you Of the result Of n Co9.d TO lhe con
ceTts,iap regalp tn{ yGqTs, ys1cS,.e Bax., 4 G. Allen
son. sidney Green. George D. N holS Lueen Birdseye'
TINS meeting IS called in accordance with this request,
and the business which is be presented TO 1t is the
business winch is referred to In the request nnI 40
other.
Mr. ". T. Hatch-I have been requested TO present
preamble and resolution which with your permission
will now read:
astica law q. the Congregational Church, evidenced by
ito usaees aud its accredited platforms OF poty, ny
which the validity ~ the acts OF churches anu or cOuu-
Cis are deteruinabie; and
when do MOI conform that law dsordery Illegal
and revOlutiuna y, and rot binding upon ln1ividuh
churches OF the CongtgatiOnai Communion ana po,
~ ars ~ or aect dscsre and airI: l That subso,
quent ordinary may Disregard, anIu, and set
aside tue result of previous council which acted within
lettcr-nissyc aMd wtuln the acknowledge oompe-
tency OF a council: (2) that q church may, without
reproach for laIy of discipline, crop member Tor
alleged prolonged absence from ordinances or other
minor Onense without nqurng into the truth OF graver
charges publicly and SPEC ideally made against the moral
and Christian character OF suCh member; selecting
minor "Ofcnse which 1t shall separate hun IRON lis
fellowship" that II may avoid the stAhuaI OF H.
vostIgatng and cutting him off for tmo graver onense;
(D fuAt council IN ~ declare ilself upon matters Of the
gIaYes concern 10 individual chnroh anu to the col
icctvc churches Of tho communion, which are noI sub
pltttd by the le ter mssIye, which, by tc con-
act Of the inviting and invited cdurches the
sole authority OF tue individual delegates ara o tbe col
lec,iye council derived and by wncn IT'S functions IRE
strictly limited % that witnont hearing church .lht
prOnered mutual council 10 SISTER cDWth,
aud with u submission ci th9t question Dy the
letter mssiIo council may advise inc latter Shrch
that such prui1er was unbuJholbel anu sH"u pe re-
jecJed, and thus take upon ltbet the exclusive
responsibility Tor the rejection Oi profer which II was
winn the undOubed competency oi One cndIeu W uaNc
and OF the church u accept t5) that 3ft"r agree
ing to unite III cailhs Mnlua IOunoh v'on P"tH ins
unconditional and unlimited risht oy ouJe,llg 10
exclude fIOm Council any chuTn or munster pro-
posed by the oIheG parry 10 o9 ihvf G otei hnr m mn
istCr Is IN tlutn i'll fact committed 20 PRONOUNCED
T. 81 in Inc Councii: lat such rxut of excursion exists
even alter excluded church or minister has Docn
parties notified that invitation Will bo sent, aud may
Oe exercised 10 exclude from mutual council Tone
ulIf OF which rs TO I've named ly each pnrtyb ali
churc which, and all ministers who hy their maturity
of aso experience aud WISDOM by reason OF YcIage,
special knowledge OF the parties or oI the relevant
faces which the council il 10 pronounce conclusion;
are III nature Of thugs most competent, morally ana
intellectually, cOnclu wisely ANA justly 90 that
pastor (and By purity OF reasoning church member
WHO hos equal rights win the pa7l0r) VINO
ia CHARGED VITA sCaudalOus O1cE3e, may De permitted
10y hs church TO pass 10y the staEdins Examining Com,
m!ttee and constitute SPECIAL committee OF attached
f uds aud business cidtcs synse II whom rOt
mrInIers of tins cnurcbl ~ investigate the charge,
with the assistance and direction OF bis private attorney
and mat the may accept All investigation by such
sDecidi committee constituted ana ulrtCbu, ahI It's
SeIs as aninir and fual or as relieving SUCH ohurcn
OF all duty make further Inquiry INTO Tie ruth Of tue
charge that council may set a>Idc the Oiiery method
~ by elTly con tiIuted council grave
matter winch concerns the purity and good name of all
tne churches may substitute therefor secret cOu-
mission anomalous the mode OF s constitution, In TIE
definition limitation OF its tuncUns, and IN its meth
ods " procedure and IN tie personnel II the tribunals,
s0 nLiIown Al e cannot bo implicitly repJ,cd
Rcsolr,d First That the Church OF tho Pilgrims will
not acceue TO- and will not he bound by the principles
declared te rc,u Of Councll tnat it regards those
principles novel, IalSc and revolutionary and suDver
sve the platforms and pOhty oI the Congregations
communion and that u does NOT hold itself bound 10
continue UNCONVENTIONAL fellowship with any church
winch adheic9 10 those principles.
Resoired, secondly: hat upon the fundamental princi
pies OF Jle Con- onol platform aud poIy-pclncl
pies which undcrnc all voluntary corporate association
aud efOit-wtotor concerns the collective brothern"0d
of tnc churches may he lddRd ny lhst prODelhOOd ia
properly constituted cOLn H. oIGInary or crtIsnr.
binary, accorlps to tue paT'iGglar case; ana
tIat If church proves itseh unwilling or un-
able BY some appropriate eeosslasttoal pro
cedure, instituted by itseL OF In any oIaerly way,
preferred 10y sister churches to rid itself of scandal
which tends and threatens to dscicdt all The churches,
il 10 the rgAt, and may be the imperative duty ~ tne
order to rd itself either OF suc scandal OF OF such
church and that shall regard ins denial Of sirh
rgnt of the brotherhood OF cGurches to investigate in
any case through on ecclesiastical council, ~
eudaugc gciIg only purity but the very existence
OF tue Communion Oi Congregational Churches.
Mr. Hatch after reading the resolutions, sad 81
don't propose say anything myself advocating these
resolutions. for two first because you are all
wei aware not III the habit OF uakng speeches, ald
second. because the speech would have made this
occasion was mado last evening, and don't hiuk any OF
you will think am gifted with undue modesty when
say that that speech much eloquent and fyrc
BILE than anything can say myself" lEaushter
Albert Wbittemorc after referring 10 himself the
Oldest COnnt gauOnaist present made the following
marks;
/ have been conversant with Ccn2IeGationasm a
great many years aud have held the denomination, its
pOty the character Of It's churches ana e eminent use
necticut and OF basarhusetts chiefly spent many years
Ia the m.Dstry and was acquainted win the dlherent
wei as lay members aud / hive enjoyed de.
ligAtnI communion with tlcm, eud Iroiee IN
their prosperity. 1 did not hear distinctly al
-. resolutions that read, but that - not
nee ss;uy. The subsauce, suppose, Is In my mind.
ant 20 near embracing ~ II did lis different views and
feel ngs in regard TO the denomination, its present ood
noble Council that recently closed its sessions for
must say II IS noble Council. arn acquainted with
many Of iS members, praying men Intelligent men, men
striving in al things for tho bost interests OF
Zion and the glory o, Of the eomg,on sesyiGir,
Of God was WITH them directing them.
scientoItsly did they believed 20 be their duty
God, and what in strict sccordanee with the prnc
il not stem of teohnicaiiios; II 50 not system OF
old worn precedrnts; II is not system Of rigid
sehsieaS' .isIs o bTctren and s.srs in Cnfsp 'D cD
deavoring 10 do what they con for each othNr's
spiritual Improvement and the glory Of Cod.
We are far UdyAnced enough ia the nlteenh century
all OF ua to understand thst this CongceHatl0pN'u is
entirely different from any civil court government
though many think that thoy quite analogous
and very alike. No They ere 20 be governed Oy
love have right 10 meet ard 20 cOIl5at and
pray with another and 10 advise one snoiI and 10
advice and To receive Fdyce, srd act upon such
advice given them according SCENE 70 them b. bs
hest CoRgrogati0nalsn 10 NOS dying out II
has been growing IA strength in popularity, IN unity, IN
yigor In usefulness In Us influence al over t- world
in its Sapabe institutions OF leaTpipg iti mlssOn<ths