New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-12
THE MADISON-AVE. COUNCIL.
,r nrct APES ITSELF TO BE ADVISORY.

A PROTEST FROM THE NEWMAN FAIRLY
The council of Congregational churches IS when
was called TO consider the troubles III Tue M"uIu
10 O'clock in Association Hall. at Twenty third-st
and Fourth-ave. The churches asked 10 take part
in tbc council were represented as follOwS
pigrims Brooklyn, r.. s. storrs ID. D. Joshua NJ va"
o@ niS AVenuc Brooklyn Thoma, b. Mcleod, d. D.;
W II. Harris, delegate. - =, ,,, n
Central. Brooklyn 4. j. 7. Behrends' d. H.; AioeI' -
fT TemrtHs fycnuc. Brooklyn c. D. Wood delegate.
Sonth Brooklyn, A. j. Lyman; s. = Marples, delegate
Puritan Brooklyn. 4. p, IngcrSol, d. d.; A. A spear
RpoSGSav Tabernacle New. York. VI. NJ. Taylor, ID. D.;
Thon as W Whittemore. delegate.
Pilgrim. Ncw-YoIk, :. II. Virgin; the Rev l." H. Cobb
Fnshnc. T.. W. Gilman. delegate.
FIRST Hartford, George L. Walker ID D.; j. T. Parsons
First Springfield, Z. r Terhune, ID.
Park street, Boston, J. L. Withrow, d. d.. j, j. Mcr-
sha%mn Boston, L. b. Webb D. D.. Mr.. Goddard
Albany. W :. smart d. D.; d, A. Thompson, delegate.
Bcleylle Avenue, Newark, George Il. Hepworth, d. d.
Central. PSiadclphis j. r. Danforth; W. II. Lambert
First Washington, ]. E Rankin, D. D.; DIR. C. F. Pres
stiencct1dy, l. IT, MmsclI: NJ H. Browne. delegate.
First Jersey City, A. p. Foster; George W. Cleihe"'
First northampton, Mass, H. W. Lathe; I. C seelye,
FTSt Camlriage Mass A. Mckenzie. D. ID.
Walnut Avenue Boston Highlands, a. H.. Plumb. D. d.
Genire Nw;ayen the Iey + o A. AtT3'I lSe@s W
A. Denbuycm delegate
The other members Of the council were:
The Rev. Or II. NJ Dexter, Editor OF IKE or
Rev. Or. 4. H. Capp, treasurer OF me american houe
Missionary society; and The Rev H. H. Mel AHanu' o. 'h'
city.
The delegates occupied the section of seats in the
centre Of the hall, while in the galleries 2qd under
them there was plentiful, sPrnkImg OF
spectators, mostly women. The Rev. Robert
Colyer. tie Rev. De- O. II. Tiffany. The Rev. pr
Buckley, the Rev. Dr.. Edward Beccher the
Rev Dr. Eaton and the Rev. Dr. WilbuT F,Natl,lns
OY,SC
AT the loft of the platform sat Dr. RanncY and the
four faithful deacons who have supported nm III
the church cOntrON eIsy together with Austin Alb
bolt and William Ives WashbuTn, who acted as
counsel for DR.. Ranncy and his friends On the op-
poste side of the hall sat Deacon James T. Foster
Benjamin Wright. {. d. Brush, superintendent OF
the church Sunday-schooL J. c. Andrews, assistant
Superintendent and other friends OF l'r Newman
The proceedings were watched with great interest
and close attention by the spectators and until adj
tor and members of the council, there was hearty
applause al different times.
THE FIRST PROCEEDINGS
shortly after 20 o'clock the Rev. DIR. I. B. Webb
called the council 10 order, and read the letter
miSSiVe. Upon It's conclusion he was nominated as
Temporary chairman, but asked TO DE excused on
the ground of indiSpoSiton. Tie Kew. 1T H. NJ
DEXTER was then nominated He expressed Il disin-
clnatjon To serve but finally yielded. The roll
being called, Or. Dexter WaSuOmlnated aSmodelatof
and unanimously chosen After the election OF the
Rev DIR. \. VI. Qumt as scribe and OF the Rev H. IL.
Mcfarland assistant scribe, Dr. Dexter offered
PRAYER.
requested by the Mac iSon Avenue Congregational
Church to represent that body before the council;
Deacon Foster asked that proper time 3e named
for presentation of protest. He claimed that the
call for the council bad not been issued IN accord
ance with the statements on the face OF the letter
The moderator declared the first, bust
ness in order TO be the prodctionu
of the records showing authority for
the call Mr.. Abbott read from the minutes of the
meeting held February II, 1884, The Rev. DT.
Rankin asked how the church ne ting was called.
Mr.. Abbott proceeded TO read IRON nenoranaa Z
brief outline of events connected with the church
troubles down TO the call of February II for a
church meeting. This call he said was signed by
five dcacons aud one of the trustees ana forty
members of the church, and mailed to 3l2
members 1t was upon that call that the
members after assembling on the church steps
and finding themselves locked out adjourned
10 Harvard Hail. Mr.. Foster said that
when a statement was made as fact 1t was IN or
der to call it in question. The Manual read that
the Board should consist of thepaStor and n'ne dea
cons. Upon that basis majority would be SIX ana
Mr.. Abbott replied that the question of whether
this a majority or not was one OF the points IN
Mr. Foster reminded Mr.. Abbott, first that there
WAS church clerk, whose duty it was 10 Sigu all
calls meetings. and, second that al NOTICES were
ter then reviewed the action of the meeting OF Jan
uary 81 which DR.. RanncY declared dissolved. The
call for the Harvard Hall meeting, he said, was
signed simply by fOrty-iEc persons and was not
signed 10y the church clerk nor read from the pul
nit nor were All the members given notice, though
-
Thc moderator repeated bis reminder that what
the council desired Was information respecting the
Dr. W. ii. Wood called for the reading of the
Mr. Foster said that both Mr.. Abbott aud him
self being lawyers, he would propos" an exchange
of papers.
attended q number of C"uncils his experience led
him to believe that the less lawyers said about
themselves or their profession the better the effect
PROTEST FROM Or. NEwNAN's ADIEEENTs
Deacon Foster then proceeded with the reading
of the protest, as follows:
To the Eccesastical Co,toca.
MES AND BRErnREN: with your leave, lay before
you protest, church, against any action on the
topics OF the ettcrml~syc by which YOU have been con
vened on the ground that this f. or c council Of
the kind that SYSTEM fotoids An e[ plc council
implies the existence OF two contendne parties III
churvh. II they agree together TO call council to advise
party to the difficulty calls council TO advise tIen-
selves without the corcurreuce ana cooperation Of the
advice does not make IL merely technical advisory
council All councils are advisory If called by one
parry Only il is p0rc council 1t IL called by one
paly It's interest, and il advises only that one
one-sidcd council Of this kind Conc1cea ionslism al
ways condemns unless the party calnug has offered
mutual council TO The other party ana mace every proper
effort 10 induce the other parry TO accept IT, d. Dexter
says truly and emphaticay No e. pare council has
right 10 Proceed to consideration OF lh' case bol"fe
until il has satisfied itself that every reasonable cdeavOr
to secure mutual council ma. pen lile4 aII 1lIcd
Oo1ters " COngTgd1oiai,n' D. 65; iS'lJ II tnl' cdl
be Shown iii this case this council has no rSlt TO adj
visO the points proposed % Only NlusIfSaiiohd
ism but the highest principles Of equity decide.
principles are OF special Importance IN tins case
Never there u winch the contest OttWo parties
obvious more intense and with regard Ia more
fundamental ~ Hcipes and issues. IT not merely
conflict between some agg1lcNcd members aud an dt-
knOWledged church. II Is conflict between two parties,
as to which l. the church.
Those who have called You claim to he the Madison
Avenue Church; letters are issued ~ their
insist that they not tlic Madison Avenue Church
At al. and are able dccycy to prove II Ifso, yourlct-
tiers from church and have authority. One
of parties processes have dismissed the pastor Of
the Madison Church after a ain date We,
the other party insist that those VINO have done this act
are not the Madison Avenue Cuch at ALL and that their
act is not the act Of that church but Illegal and void.