The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-30

the pastor, while ii was promptly sup
pressed when Mrs. Cooper held the floor.
After Rev. DIR. ]. J. Mclean had made
the last talk on the Bible lesson read by
DR.. Brown the latter came to the front OF
the platform and said:
The joint committee appointed by this
church and the Bay Association and the Off
GERS and trustees have certain reports TO
make to the church, and l will ask Deacon
Dexter to take the chair while this business is
being transacted.
Deacon Dexter promptly left his seat in
the rear of the packed room and pro-
| ceeded to the platform. He then ex-
planned the proceeding which had been
taken by the joint committee and the
officers and trustees of the church at their
various meetings, adding that Rev. J. j.
Mclean would present a report for the
consideration of the members of the
church. DR.. Mclean, in presenting the
report, said:
would like to preface this matter by saying
that l do not know why should have been Sc
lected 10 come TO the meeting and make this
report. / came under my continued q nd earn
est protest. But the voice of the general COM
mittee was so strong that could not resist the
call to be here. The officers of this church am
sure are perfectly competent to act in this
The short resolutions that have been adopted
by these bodies seem to need no explanation
They are of no uncertain sound. Dear brethren
we hereby submit them. They sufficiently ex-
plain themselves.
He then read the following preamble
and resolution, which was passed at the
meeting of the general committee on Mon
day night:
The committee, having canvassed the whole
subject, have come to the unanimous con-
clusion that it is unwise 10 enter upon any ex-
tended investigation as expressed in the fol-
lowing statement:
This joint committee, consisting of the
standing committee OF the First Congrega-
tional Church and a special committee of the
Bay Association of Congregations! Ministers,
submits TO the public the following statement
bearing on the case of the Rev. c. o. Brown,
D. D., against whom serious charges are cur
rent in the community.
The committee of the association desires to
be understood that it is notintrusted with any
authority under the usages or according to the
principles OF the Congregational churches TO
This is the function of the local church. as
sisted at its own request by an ecclesiastical
council.
The standing committee OF the church, while
recognizing the fact that it is its duty to take
the initiative in this as in all matters of church
discipline yet asks the attention and the can
did consideration OF the pubic to the follow
ing facts, and the committee of the association
Endorses most earnestly this request.
First-That there are possible contingencies
in the processes of the Superior Court in which
our brother will be arraigned, as we'll as the
defendant, in view OF which he is forbidden by
the evident necessities OF the case and by the
imperative interdicts of his counsel, from
making pu bile those statements which he con-
fidently believes would remove the suspicious
now existing, and that we deem il inadvisable
for him to make any statements to us privately
which he is not allowed to make publicly.
Second-That we have found our brother
eager TO welcome, and impatient to insist upon,
the most thorough investigation of his conduct
And as soon as the impediments now existing
are removed by the conclusion of the legal trial,
he has assured US he win ask the church to
institute this investigation, assisted by an &C.
clesiastical council duly convened; and,
Third-That in view of these things, we pro-
pose for ourselves and we ask of all others q
suspension of judgment in the case of DR..
Brown, and we hereby express our confidence
in mis- integrity.
In speaking to the report DR.. Mclean
said:
The point that wish to call attention to is