The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-13

'thNt 10 nut trust IN tnelF hctlOns ! ne Uloidi
weight Of the council Of 1874 had been very
gre,t, because n was known that 1t was COM
posed Of members chosen Unfortunately as
to opinion, and was not partisan In its constitu-
tiOn. The weakness Of the Advisory Council
had been In the fact that tho majority OF US
members were believed to he in sympathy with
the pastor and the church calling them, and but
for the high standing of some Of its members,
the public would not have regarded II with
much consideration.
scoRcHISo TnE BEECHER COMMITTEES.
Fifth-Tho council had assured the public
that II saw no reason to call In question the
manner Of forming ana Of conducting the inyes-
tigating committee or the method Of its pro-
cecdings. That the members OF that famous
committee were men Of high reputation aud
c ally the case that council consisted en-
tirely Of personal friends of the accused person,
some OF them should not be members OF tho
church. ltwas not customary for the accused
person q trnv We council as aleca advocate
hls devoted ana diliRent attorney 1t would not
be difficult to show that the attorney had taken
witnesses aside and had arranged questions for
them, 80 as to keep certain damaging testimony
from coming before the council. This had been
done IN at least one instance. II was not Gus.
tomary for a council to- select witnesses and
judge beforehand whether their evidence would
be material. A minister would have to be exact
Ing indeed not to lie satisfied with the proceed
ings Of such council. ON this plan the Exam
lining Committee might be wholly lald aside.
The council had approved the constitution ana
Sixth-Lest this arrangement should not De
enough TO protect minister ch feod with
which made him almost entirely safe. lnc An
dover church had In a very friendly aud proper
way sent "A letter to Plymouth Church asking
that mutual council bo called to protect
tie pastor N he was innocent, and tho ChurCucs
| If he was guilty. The council took w this let
| ter, anu thht was an act iom Whlch u was
wholly deb rred. IL had no more right to act
upon that letter than it had to entor upon the
| simultaneous trial OF Gen. Babcock. The old
rule was, that an ex parte council should not he
| hcld until alter mutual council. Here the rule
had been reversed, and council virtually eX
parte declared a iu1ure mutual council entirely
out Of order.
At this point DR. storrs, by n detailed illustra-
| ton Of the action OF suppositious churches
under liko circumstances showed how the ac-
| ton uf the AndOver Church had been perfectly
| proper. and how improper the action OF the
Council had been on that point what damag-
the Council would exert, and now a minister
| charged with crime might In that way be pro-
tected against all investigations. II WIS., he said,
| tho most perfect Illustration OF the way not TO
| do 1t since the act of the young man in the para
o'e. who kept saving Behold, go" and went
| not. llaughter.l
"ESoUGH OF IT."
| "1f this Is Congregation onalism," DR.. Storrs
| ADDED with great earnestness. then | cannot
| think but that the Christian mind of the coun-
| try will think we've had about enough of It,"
| This declaration OF the council he continued,
| really almost amounted To practical invitation
| TO any deceptive rogne to enter the Congrega-
| tional ministry and there get a protection that
tue world outside would not afford him. His
| security would be about as perfect as that sur
| rounding Turkish harem. The Andoyor pro-
posal had been In perfect Intimate harmony
later OF Congregationalism, although 1t touched
| on n new matter
Soven.-H4 wing made mutual councils Of
| churches practically impossible by the power Of
veto by one party over the members selected by
vided for an Investigation out of the church.
he fact that It had had no authority to do so
did not seem TO have lessened the zeal with
which Il acted. For ony such purpose as what
follows It had no more authority than street
meeting.
DIR. S.orrs then gave a sketch OF the compost
tion OF the Committee OF Investigation pro-
vided for by the council. The result tnat this
committee would arrive at he declared would
be rs much In the hands OF one party as the
rudder is under the control OF the wheelsman.
committed to a special result, then the laws Of
human action had been reversed. Ii was unre-
strained bv any rules except its own; Il
probably could not protect witnesses II
was responsible TO nobody and its action was
evidently intended to be ahnality beyond which
unjust to the shrewd minds that hai been be-
hind the curtain to suggest that 1t was Intended
to make a show of investigation without really
l, was an ecciesia.tical Quaker gun from
whose dumb, wooden mouth could 90 forth no
shot.
1t was a contrIvAnce as unknown to congre;
gAtlonal history as a court martial, and n could
not displace pastor from his pulpit though
ho should be found guilty Of worse offences
than any that were charged against MN.
NO STABILITY IN THE CHURCH
DR.. storrs then briefly and effectively summed
uD his argument against the council. II It's re-
suits were to be taken "a final, there would be
| no StaDlllty IN tno OnuTCu.
| He would wait to hear what other churches
and other ministers had to say about the extra
ordinary proceedings Of the council reaC-
tion might occur which would give the com
munion new strength and stability.
| =" But unless that comes he added solemnly,
amid perfect silence In the vast congregation
that seemed to hang on his words don't see
| how any man can abide In a house whose walls
are 80 crumoly, and which may tumble down
about him. Certainly cannot"
| lie said he had left the position which II had
ben pleasure for him to OCCUPY because OF the
pressure Of these thoughts upon him, and not
as declaring his intention TO leave the com
his father had laoored before him. COngregation-
Others sleep but II IL was to hold Its influence
preached, and 1t must assure the world that "
had established rules OF government. and
tnat any minister In It's communion accased
OF gross sin should be fairly and speedily Judged
by proper and competent tribunal. But ~
presented IN this recent result the whole scheme
was absurd. Last OF all method must oe
found, II II did not exist, to secure recognized
purity in the pulpit, or at least to relieve othei
churches from responsibilit for a pastor who /:
accused and whose guilt or innocence continues
to be publicly discussed year after year
| He concluded by declaring eloquenty that
he was too old TO srebuild his foundation
and although he did not now sig
nifty his Intentions to Withdraw from
Congrcgatio asm. yet he had more necessar,
things to talk and labor about than the keeping
up OF church organizations which was continu
| nlly changing.