Year: 1876

matte, of The protest nsy are ready 4. ono. 70 sign and
issue tue etter msslfe OF NiS. tns sahses
yoaTs''''' yours '''''''N' THOMAS j. rILSEY


Now is it just under those circumstances for Judge
Van COt 20 state he has here stated that plymouth
broke down by persistng It's claim to exclude four
local delegates out OF the whole number of fifty dele
gates To be united TO constitute the counclfn That
70 state that which not only not true but which he
had the written and the printed documents the time
before him TO show him that not truef II is one
OF those things so hagrant that believe am justified
"a saying that IN this matter he has said that


WHICH Is ABSOLUTELY FALSE


iApplause) And say here again that this church
did not Try TO get rid OF mutual council but accepted
n good iath and was prepared 10 go into It, and
was prepared TO hold the council and let II take us own
VIII 10 respect to the scope Of inquiry that should come
up Ihe church dld not wish TO hinder IT, NO. they
said that II would not be impartial mutual council,
and SO would be likely not TO fully satisfy the people
with lis results II II contained TWO men VINO were
sworn on the other SIDE And TO eharge
this church with being unwilling 10 have a
last Friday night went out through the Associated
Press in al imperfect form through the country,
and heard today from Boston that we have broken
up a mutual council We had not desire to do IT, We
did just the other thing and nobody knows II better
than Mr. Van Cott pass by the slur which be has


THAT Plymouth church sent its solemn protest the
great representative council of 1874 complaining that
the assembly Of delegates from distant churches
directly IN opposition to the genius OF Congregational
poty--One great aim OF which is to confne local
troubles to their locality and TO settle them in the
neighborhood, by the aid OF nelghborng churches,
without spreading the tale Of local dssensons the
whole land Those are our words That
was then true and that is matter which will 20 down
TO history as one Of the proofs that there was
matter that was local that unnecessarily taken up
by them great national council was conyoked, and
that which was at that time local was


AFrERwARD MADE NATIONAL


by their action, and not by And now that II is
necessary now that we are assaled from the other
side call a council that II may determine whether
or not We are wrong and give us advice They hav-
ing thus called council, having thus taken
abroad world wide, and when we now ask Tor
council TO renstate ourselves in fellowship rather
in the good will of other churches they decline be-
cause, they say 1t contradicts our former language


Here Is charge against the action OF the church ana
its committee in 1874. What were the facts in
regard to thatS IL has been trumpeted world wide
abroad by enemies that that committee was APP
pointed by me- selected by me. II was not selected by
me- The names were nominated by me- but the
church elected them and confirmed them. j nomi-
mated them because had In my mind n certain
reason. 1t naturally would fall out that the
Examining Committee would have been the body
TO make investigation into any charges
made against any member OF the church,
and am member Of the church, subject TO its dis
cpline much the humblest person in it,
But the Examining Committee itself had passed through
inconsderable excitement TO the policy OF the
church IN the antecedently. The Examining Com
mlttee themselves being undivided In opinion II did
not though II would be right for them TO act
in this case, because might look as though they had
acted In accordance with my vIews-might look as
though II was a family business.


There is other point which shall notice In this
letter. and that Is the hints and insnuatons which he
makes respecting the investigation of the PASTORS char
acter by the committee that was appointed in 1874
You had, with the boldness OF innocence and truth,
courted inquiry, while Plymouth church from the be-
ginning has sought to evade and cover up and has
again succeeded In evadng though not in covering up.


Mr. Bcecher went on in detail to reply 10 the letter
OF Mr. Cot and ID referring him personally said
this plumed knight a mk-whte pafrey went riding
forth to right the church: riding with Mrs Woodruff
TO right the social economy to-day, and riding the
mik-whte steed to right the churches tomorrow
going forth a series to right the walls OF Zion
10 fortiiy our altars and establish our worship