New-York tribune., 1889-10-17


agent and the expcdency, in view OF the facts which
they may ascertain Of securing closer union between
them especially including the subject Of the selection
Of corporate members and that this COMMITTEES oe ln
structcd TO report what action any, they may uss
wise in this direction at subsequent annual Hce's
Your committee began its work as committee OF
inquiry. They deemed IL their main tash, unGef !oI
instructions. 20 discover wheher any ILss rtb ,be
existed among the Congregational chuiches WIN VIZ tv
ms'hTd d OF al sseS
IL any, and 20 elicit the method which wOull cohm%a AZ
general aud hearty approval. In pursuance o uIs @
aim, ! 3D7 circulars Of which copy is herewish ap
pended, were sent 70 as many cnuIchcsi DotS Ycsr
Isss NOT less than s25 into the treasury OF the
American Board. In addition los clicuas @ W. en @
erai distrbntion and thirty eight circulars were sent
10 professors in our theological semnarles ae % .o.
from pastors OF churches or church clerks seVtS ~
three from corporate members ana hi,een ldO soUce
oglcsl nroessors OF these replies 80 faNorcu soio
change of which number 202 were from pastors or or
church clerks, twenty seven from PT rnmber OF
,enl,es opposing any change 2o6, of which @ lol
were from pastors church clerks, ,ea16gcal ioTS pIo
fcesoTs Tbirfy.nine replies were received in @ which
opinion was expressed al %, s of a tb6se who
solicited responses and abnated me results @ os Gifts
Eaye been more numerous and generous mai'atssa sa
a strange and silent reserve 10 over 80 ri ' iucnt
circulars no answers were received ana .hs iY stG.
cnneiitenny was composed of 915 churches. 9igsi
Ave cornorate members and twenty three neoh"noc ho
pro fsSn one M h Of ihOse whose judgment was so
lIced Little morc than onehiId maze % anS na mo
whatever It IS diacul, to class 'ne i'0-' "'0 fN'
The correspondence Olso brought to ght an 81
variety of Judgment indication OF cet'a, a ee
mental beNidcrment, OF hasty iudgnent a" SSni9ion
suen uncertainty and indenh,eItht iha thtnl, that other
Wsnf H. while they doub' whether any change wCu% ~
result b any @ TsDSdd npcpers d9Ts ss Of change
that If their votes we're counted separaleS .,,i .no
o appear on on t sGs 81 Grounds s declaring
that the present method is thoroughly s bean
SaS,s aS ScGSS %S Gs others es urge It on the Of pure
eXpedcncy declaring the present meIhoo H ~, n ,csI
s6S%g to GefSeyoSS SsS lest fNu pos lS TIC latter the
judgment Of very many business men 40 esSG M 81 any
oninon six tcll us that tho present meihod !. panE
uncongegsonal. and nine insist ma ~ SJ oHai
n0lity No less than thirty substitutes arr ~
Some favor election as well as nohlnaOn t he done
Sndor tbe present charter. OF those VINO ,IaVUor
nomination simply. with elective power & reIS IN ~ a
ihe BOARD som advice haf No co 20 a. m euo r, i Ia"
be elected except upon such nomination by Gmu'1n o
or confepnceG others recommend that one ne .sm % rb
baf or twn.thirds OF such election shan De from SuC
tests of nomination. Many emphasize the WISDOM o,
limiting corporate membership to tsrm % yen5 To ibe
names of such pastors Withdraw INTO cOmm'pIai ~ a.
whose churches 90 p o mshg "a bse spe ANN as to
the body or bodies by which the nomlnauons ,d sna
/ he made few suggest that this duty he assigned
| 10 The National Council. others that theSate cnl, %
fcrcnces be charged with the matter, others that ,e
right belongs to the local conferences "h'ic & son'
insist that some way, of which no him IS given;
must be invented by which every local chuIch shGn
be separately represented IN the corporate memuesIp
| Of the Beard. This plain statement OF iact snoM9 %
that the time has not come for nauglratne IN, ,:t @ni
first be overcome by wider and more thorough gong
discussion and there must be more general agcehcts
form and extent, and to the pr1noipes
upon which such changes should be made. mtnoaoIra
is done principle and not COMPROMISE tf, o ae
our judgment 1t IS clear 10 your comies i' "a a
moment of capitalization has not yet come; and 1t Is
the part OF wisdom TO stay Whele we n dV u't altar
are Ss se srr Ss we gpepared to md any
change present. in the methods of election 10 cor
p'' Your COMMITTEES was also instructed to consider
what measures if any could can be rsheT Roa ar and the
churches We unanimously agree IN nahlnS - sihgc t
and simple recommendaton We % PnnrI be % mad.
ex.ofcio members Of the Prudential COMMITTEE % aha
hat bylaw scyon be 6aTeM6 meMdia s6@tG to the
Board for its action Resolved That bylaw eGVen sl
pSge nc9t toow,Sr TS Seu tbe words Prudential Committee
and inserting in place thereof the words cohsslng
Of the he pTorS oheT aeT the Wo
the shall read a. follow
Committee; consisting OF the peSiueh''
and ten other persons ,...u,,o,,o 60 rsnort NJ
! this annual meeting 1t waS UNDERSTOOD dn1 t9en &
| might require more time than year could givvc vc
Churches contributing to this Board especially OF the
onestion OF methods Of election 10 corporal" mrmoe-
ship G9cn They and pSt sSsfac tory Conclusion unless thai
Board shall deem it needless further to pursue inc
suVi''J J. F. Behrends E. W. Rlatchforl: 4 II. Gulnt'
F. A. Noble, Ralph Emerson A. : Milnston h,s ord n
| GinIev Poval c. Taft, Charles +. Thwing ana T.
Henry whitcomb.
TIGHT WANTED FROM THE COMMITTEE.
A motion was made that the suggestion OF the
committee in regard 10 its being continued should
be beedcd. and on this point Professor George +
Fisher said that the committee should give hgh'
as we'll as receive light on the subject; the mem
hers should not be content with giving un'
opinions of Others. but, after a thorough eXamlna
tion on their own behalf, give an exposition o
their own thoughts -,
DIR Bebrends repied that the committee dli
NOT propose to use inductive logic until they ht'
collected the facts They did not feel JUSTIFIED II
, tolxng any decisive action until they were fully
acquainted with the sentiment generally en'er
tanned in regard to what should be done
DR. w w Patton, of Washington, referred "
the unanimous vote OF the National Couhcil III
week which passed resolution ealing ior tle ap
/ pointment of committee to interview the seyefa
benevolent societies, with the purpose OF MAKING
them truly representative Of the Congregauoha
churches. He added
throughout our denomination, and IN spite OF tb'
fgnres preseDed by the committee lhe suolect - O
hicb have referred indicates 1t is being felt mor
and more that there is something WhGh deTus ,a a.,
i iustment The Board was Instituted III ldtui'..
h ;ay for II then included several different denoml
nations but row that the others have WlihdIaWn
becme the agency OF inc OOuEIcEtlIOhdh
r alone and il Is natural that the latter should Wis
O ii to become fully their organ AT the meecm
Last week of the National Council one OF the sccre
aries Of this Board appeared by virtue OF an arlcI
IN the constitution providing that all Congregations
benevolent societies shall lie entitled Ia represent
IS ative In that body And yet year or two since a.
elaborate document. in behalf OF the Board came 10 II
arcuinr that this was not Congregational bOny
and tTereore il would be very ina proprlate TO max
n"c ~ local councils as might be done if II were
| Congregational body - . .,,.
Rnother fact showing the importance OF continuin
. the committee is that our churches ana especlall
our ministers are troubl d because the present att
| tude OF the Board is inconsistent with Congiesa
| tional fellowship. ApplauseJ Take inc IcCchl cas- ga,
nS a vonnp man Nir. NOycS. who was sent 10 Japa
6y the Berkeley Street Church, Of Boston, to %hGT
The Council gave the right hand ol iclo% spI ~