The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-26
CHURCH OF THE REDEEMER,
REV. 1T. 2. PE4BODY INSTALLED
 ASSIST.ANT PASTOR.

Not Regularly Dismissed From His
 Former Pastorate--Rev. Newman smyth
 Solves the Problem-Rov. MT. Munger
 as Questioning Candidate.
 The Ecclesiastical council of Congre- gational churches called by the society of the Church of the Redeemer of this city to pass upon the qualifications of the Rev. Harry E. Peabody to become its associate pastor was held yesterday afternoon.
 The Rev. I. c. Meserve of Davenport church was appointed moderator and the Rev. MT. Lathrop of North Haven was selected to record the doings of tho council, which was opened with prayer by the moderator. After roll call the candidate was called upon to produce the credentials whereby he was entitled to come before the council. Rev. Mr. Peabody produced letter of dismissal from the Arkansas Valley association dismissing him from membership in that body and also one from the Con- gregational society of Trinidad, Col, dismissing him from the passionate of that church. It was at this juncture that hitch occurred in the proceed ings of the council. The fact that the candidate had no record of his dis missal from the church he formerly presided over, by the advice of coun- Gil called together for that purpose, was made the occasion of a long dis cussion.
 Rev. Dr. Munger did not see this mat ter in the light that his colleagues did and he spoke in favor of going on with the examination without further ad- vice. No one doubted the integrity of the candidate and it was the custom on the frontier to dismiss pastors with out the advice of councils. It did not seem to him at all necessary that the work of the council should be delayed. Rev. MT. Peabody explained that it was almost impossible to get a coun- cil together, so distant, were the churches.
 Rev. Dr. Smyth did not agree with Dr. Munger and thought that the usages of the Congregational church should be recognized by the council. He did not wish to put anything in the way of proceeding with the business in hand, but thought that matter of such importance that it needed notice in some way.
 If the candidate had not been regularly dismissed he was still pastor of the church in Trinidad. He did not wish to ignore the irregularity, but he wished to get around it if possible.
 MT. Peabody-"In regard to my resig- nation I wish to say all the parties in- terested knew of my intention and my action several months The secretary of the Home Missions knew of it and I may say that the alleged irregularity did not occur to me until it was sug- gested here to-day
 twill your successor be installed by the advice of a council?" asked one of the members.
 If he desires it." was the reply. When I went to the pastorate I re- quested council"
 Professor G. B. Stephen-"It seems to me that there is some way out of this difficulty. I think a means may be de- | vised'
 Dr. Smyth did not think that the candidate was dismissed from the church at Trinidad.
 Rev. Dr. McLane of Plymouth church suggested that the council adjourn un- til the society in Trinidad could be communicated with. A circular letter could be sent to Trinidad and members of the council could sign the letter and return it to this council. Dr. McLane cid not see how the council could pro- ceed legally.
 The afternoon was well nigh passed, when the matter was finally settled on | %o int committee of three to draft a minute stating the reasons why the council proceeded with the examination of the candidate notwithstanding the irregu- larity of dismissal.
 pr. Smyth Rev. D. M. James and Professor G. B. Stevens were appointed by the chair a committee to draft the minute.
 | The examination was continued and the candidate read to the council his articles of belief and also statement of his religious history. Both papers were short and to the point. MT. Ste- vens defined his belief tersely and un- derstandingly.
 Dr. Munger moved that the theologi- cal examination be waived, as he con- sidered it useless to question men who had been years in the ministry in the Congregational church, when they | changed the field of their ministrations. The motion prevailed
 Dr. Smyth then read the following re- port:
 Whereas, It appears that the Rev. | Harry F.. Peabody has been installed as pastor of the Congregational church of Trinidad, Col, and, further, that at | his own request he has been dismissed by a vote of that church from its pas torate first, without the calling and advice of a council; therefore this council, in voting to proceed to assist in MT. Peabody's installation as assistant pastor of the Church of the Redeemer of this city, adopts the following min- ute as expressive of their reasons for departing in this instance from the customary Congregational method of 1 procedures:
 First-We do not intend thereby to | contravene or to diminish the force of our general Congregational usage of 1 calling advisory councils as represent l atives of the fellowship of the churches in the dismissal as well as the installa- ton of pastors. On the contrary, we would reaffirm, as important to the or- |