Year: 1875


ance or a SANDER upon your pastor by making IN pri-
vate the same statements which you have since made
in your protest But were not bound 70 take
your word for this and as the Examining
after due inquiry became satisfied that your
sation untrue did not see our way clear 70 oea
ing with you upon this ground. ,.


You mistaken in supposing that the MoucIa'or
Of the meeting at which you appeared ruled that ques
tons to you out OF order. he only ruleu that
we're simply left free to not as you chose
and you chose not 10 answer II ~ also mistake
70 suppose that you snv ,me mins1e1s rbs
your case should be under investigation All
that your counsel offered was to answer questions
when your supposed charges against the pastor should
be tried You were not obliged 70 answer questions,
but since you preferred to be silent you cannot blame
for not imagining excuses for your conduct which
you did not disclose


q Your chief complaint, after all, is that
not harsh enough with you We agree with you that
your protest itself horrible wckedness il II was
not justified by the facts and quite clear that Is
was not thus justified. But since disregard of that
offence led TO termination Of your connection with
the church under such unexpressed censure as was i'm
piled in the reasons for our action While trial upon
that ground could only have been followed by the sans
practical result with the addition OF more formal cen
sure did courts ofjustce dove disposed OF the
hand lrst leaving offences committed In the
course OF the hearing TO be dealt with aterWard they
could be.


T. Your letter says that you never knew before that
false swearing in court OF justice offence which
the Church OF Christ is unwilling unable to punish"
Fortunately for the Church Of Christ instances in
which has had to try charges OF false swearing by its
IiNSSNNANS
be found without recurring TO the of Ananas
and his wife sapphira And II your advisers can fur
nish you with any recorded instance IN which
church, after assuming the expenses of party TO
trial, has been sustained in


PusIsHISG AN ADVERSE WITNESS


for perjury in that trial while the action still pend
ing this church will patiently submit TO the admoni-
tons Of its sister churches for it's failure TO give you
that severe censure which fully believed you de-
served but which did not feel at liberty to admins
ter. We have thought IL meet TO point out the errors
into which you have fallen in your last letter
lad direct the question
council but because it is right that such public mis-
statements should be publicly exposed.


In our former communication we set forth Six points
upon which were willing TO meet you before the mu
tual council. You speak of these six points as ours.
BY recurring to the context Of letter you will
that these were not nts proposed or by us
but were simply definite statement of what appeared
TO us to be all the grounds OF complaint included IN
your first letter to the church The addition IN your
latest letter Of fou4 points seems to us needless
and obstructive We still clearly OF opinion that
all the points raised by your former letter included
in the statement made by Therefore we have gone
as far as by any possible degree OF consideration
for fairness we could be called TO go and although
perceive in the four additional points which you now
propose certain quality of subtle ingenuity we think
that that very account they would tend TO obscure
what is plain and that the form in which they are put
is open to grave suspicion Of an intention to 5e need
lessy offensive to this church. and thus to provoke il
into withdrawal of It's former consent II seems 10 US
that you seek TO evade the mutual council which you
professed desire TO CALL and that you wish to make IL
impossible for us TO take part in II. We cannot
therefore, assent to the additional questions
proceed with the call of council upon the six points
raised by first letter ready unite In the
call That these points all and more than all the
TOPICS which could properly be submitted to council
will clearly appear by reference to the single question
at issue between yourself and Plymouth church. The
whole case seems to us briefly thisf at any period
you had become convinced that the scandalous stories
concerning your pastor true there were open be-
fore you three, and only three, proper courses.


First-You should have laid your difficulties before
the proper ofncers Of the church (other than the
pastor) and asked advice, or


SSecond-You should have taken letter OF dismssion
and removed your connection with this church TO some
other one,


Third-You should have quietly gone on fulfilling your
covenant duties as member of this church; but you
chose another course-namey that OF absenng yourself
from the churcn and all services and neglecting all
the obligations which you had solemnly assumed in
public covenant with us. Even If we should admit
that you honestly convinced of the truth of


AGAINST PASTOR.
you were not thereby justified in violating your solemn
covenants with the church.


Stripped of all renements and accessories, there s
one and only one issue between us, and that s:-


Whether in view OF the conceded fact that you bad
wholly absented yourself from the church for a year
and halt and had taken of the courses properly
open to you, either TO iunl your covenant with the
church or TO relieve yourself from the Obligations,
Plymouth church. having given you full hearing was
justified IN dropping your name from It's roll


On this simple and single issue, which involves the
only act of the church by which, you allege your
rights have been violated, the case should be de-
cided.


In ofer4g - Ivitc. IN calling a council upon the
issues propounded by your former letter we made q
which the ordinary practice of Congrega-
tona churches would not authorize you to demand.
IL must be distinctly understood that don't agree to
council n step which you have right to require, but
because this church. from considerations of the public
good deems it wise TO concede il to you as courtesy
having added to this concession the further ndul
gence of admitting questions raised by you, for the


first time, after the church had acted upon your case
must decline to go any further or to change the
basis of the council to which we have asscuted


Inasmuch as nothing remains to be settled between
and you except the details of arrangements for the
time at which the council shall be held,
and the number and names Of the churches
of which II shall consist all OF which matters
can be settled by the examining committee be-
half we request you to inform that committee as
speedily possible whether you consent TO the call Of
a mutual council to advise and you upon the
which we have agreed to accent These matters OF de-
tail but be settled by personal conference between
you your representative the one hand and the
amning committee on the other; and we therefore
refer the whole matter on our part TO that committee


At the conclusion of the report put before the
meeting for acceptance, and unanimously adopted.


Mr.. Beecher then addressed the meeting folows:-


MR. BEEcHRR's MOTION.


Mr.. MoDERAToR-l have some resolutions which
shall move and which shall accompany with word
or two. will read them, sir


Whereas this church has been recently called in the prov
undeT which II has sndeayored While pursuing is csstisS
work maintain internal discipline and internal fellowship
Of ofCongegatonal churches yet for various reasons and in
various its action has been misunderstood and msrep
resented and whereas the this church
ceye concerning its whole course and spirit its rules and
other churches that Ii be able in accordance with
Christian principles laid down in the WORD OF God
deduced from the churches Of Christ therefore,


Resolved That committee of seven be appointed by the
Moderator OF this meeting, whose duty il shall be- in the
and behalf Of This church, advisory
council OF Congregational churches and ministers be
held at the earliest practicable day for the purpose OF ad
visng this church whether there anything In its order
and discipline which requires correction which could
stute just ground Of complaint remonstrance the
part OF sister churches.


Resolved That this committee hereby instructed
10 this church. early day, the form of letter
nissve for the convenng Of such council together with


list Of churches and ministers which in their opinion,
expedient thai this church should invite


Resolved further instructed
the preparation of such letter missve and In all its
ngs take step which supersede interfere with
the calling of mutual council which the church has
sented they further instructed in the
letter missve to be prepared them the questions which
the church agreed submit TO mutual council but on the
contrary from the sphere of the advisory council
the matters which be submitted to the advisory
cil


After two years OF impertnent harrassing which has
not ceased, and in the prospect in the future OF a
deliberate concerted and continuous interference by
others than the members of this church with our
domestic affairs II seems TO me that IL becomes
sary that this church should take the initiative and
affirmative in respect to It's own affairs from this time
forward Applausel There Is scarcely ything that