Year: 1876

churches named in my protest could not aterd
the council because OF the illness Of its pastor After
our meeting adjourned, and late in the evening,
ceived a communication from your committee, signed
by Mr. Tilney as as CLERK. proposing to withdraw
counIerprotest tone of which had already declinedl
If would withdraw the names OF the two churches
against whom you had protestedto W.T. the Church Of
the Pilgrims and the Clinton avenue church The next
morning notified you that would communicate my
answer on the 18th Of January Before the 10Th had
received an official copy OF the resolutions by which
the Central church OF Brooklyn had declined the pro-
posed invitation.


AS l had pursuant to our mutual arrangement sent
provisional invitations TO the pastors OF the Church OF
the Pilgrims aud the Clinton avenue church, would
not, without gross breach Of courtesy and placing
myself IN false position, consider the question OF
withdrawing those churches without communicating
your protest TO their pastors and asking what their
churches would probably do If invited afer not hcaton
OF your protest Before receiving dehnitive answer
from them on the afternoon OF the 18th OF January
met MT Shearman as your representative and, after
recounting the foregoing lacts told him shut up
TO the choice OF one of three alternatives as to which
could come TO no positive decision until
churches you had protested against Those alternatives
were:-Frst TO adhere to the churches protested
against with the serious RISK that tue protest would
prevent their acceptance OF invitation 70 the
Gil second. TO waive those churches aud name substi
tutes; third to insist that Plymouth church, having
IN form agreed TO mutual council and, in fact, as
sened 70 my selection Of churches and ministers to be
invited and made It my duty to send inquiries to
the probability of their accepting an invitation to the
council It's subsequent protest subverted


THE FUNDAMENTAL IDEA or MUTUAL COUNCIL,
and effect refused and defeated what had agreed to-
and that If It's protest not Withdrawn Mrs. Moulton
might be constrained 10 refuse 60 further and
public the reasons for her refusal at the
informed Mr.. Shearman that If you would withdraw
your protest would withdraw my counter protest and
would instantly name church IN place OF the Central
church and procure Mrs Moulton's signature TO the
letter missive. Mr. Shearman retired, promising a
written answer from the committee. In the evening
received your communication over the signature of
Mr. rIlney. IN which you say your committee "cannot
change their position the matter OF the protest ~


Before had received your nnal refusal to withdraw
the protest the pastors of the Church OF the Pilgrims
OF the Clinton church had notified me that
they would not and OF the opinion that their re-
spective churches would not accept an invitation to
come TO the council, coupled with protest against
their coming i annex copy OF their letters, marked
and c. Without scrutiny and without criticism, Mrs.
Moulton had acquiesced in your selection of all the
churches and ministers named by Plymouth church.
Plymouth church, by subtle evasion OF her right OF
equal choice, has practically overrued her selection
and thus excluded IRON the proposed council OF
the prominent and weghty churches OF their de-
nomination, and among the very Oldest and rep
resentave of the Congregational churches Of New
England Plymouth church, TO be sure offers q
formal consent 10 their coming TO the council
but couples with the consent protest that nulcs it
and precudes the coming OF sef-respectng churches
with the certain additional elect of causing the refusal
OF other churches named by her to come TO a council
from which leading local churches have thus been
cuded The crafty contrivance of protest which thus
practically excludes two leading churches may be in
definitely extended TO the exclusion OF every great
church and OF minister most eminent for charac
ter and wisdom In the denomination. IL palpaby
lates the right of free and equal choice which rests
upon obvious principles of justice and established
uniform and venerable usage of the Church. II
TONED, IL puts end to mutual councils, the
strong bond OF unity of the collective Congregational
communion and Mrs Mouton will not, by her acqu
escence raise such an abuse into dangerous prece.
dent


MT Van Cott here enters into a long review of Mrs
Moultons case and into recital Of the effects OF the
Plymouth church party's tactics, backing his state
ments with references to Congressional and common
law


The local pastors presumably would know and
could fairly represent to the council the standing
estimation of Mrs Mouon in the society in which
she has lived and been known for many years; but
members OF council from distance could know moth
ing of the personality OF lady living IN tho retire
mcnt OF private life, except what they might learn
from the hostile, oral and published uttcrances OF Ply
mouth church and its members One local church
having declined our invitation and the other having
been excluded from the council by the practical effect
your protest. she is deprived Of great and nest-
able advantage | am assured by her that in the two
brief interviews she has had with other
OF the pastors OF the two excluded churches inquire
to the formal steps necessary TO convene church
council neither of them ever intimatcd an opinion
the guilt of your pastor the credit due her
testimony acted Tor her in tho selection of those
two churches, under profound conviction OF their
prudence and judicial mpartlay, and that they would
hold the scales with even aud steady poise That is
still my mistaken conviction, and protest against
your protest cruel injustice to Mrs. Mouon.
IL Is particularly TO be observed also that its in
furious effect does not stop with the exclusion
OF the two churches for / distinctly ad-
vised that other churches named by will not
tend II leading local churches not form part of
the council The Church and the world must judge
whether 1t not the subtle purpose OF your protest
produce the mischeis have pointed out, and thus
TO prevent the convening OF mutual council TO
slider questions gravey affecting the integrity of
your pastor. Aud of the Tor defeating such
council thoughtful men must judge


am instructed by Mrs Moulon to say that she
arms the charges made in her written protest before
Plymouth church. the sincerity and integrity OF her
belief in their TRUTH and her readiness to produce
ample evidence 10 justify her belief and her conduct
She willing be judged by the public opinion of the
world which is usually right at last, and by that final
judgment IN which there will be no admixture Of


l. with pleasure, express my sense OF the mutual
courtesy that has marked our interviews. Most re-
spectfuly yours, JOSHUA NJ VAN CoTT


INVITATION TO JOIN COUNCIL


BRooKLYN Jan. g. 1876


REV. AND DEAR SIR-Plymouth church, represented
by It's committee and Mrs Emma q Mouon, repre-
sented by me- have agreed letter msslve for the
call of u mutual council in Brooklyn, the 18th OF
January to advise the parties in answer to ques
tions they have agreed To submit They have also
agreed upon the churches and ministers 10 be invited
TO the council, and earnestly desire that
their invitation shall be accepted. As the churches
and ministers must all be named in the letter missive
and the parties wish that all proposed TO be invited
shall attend we have agreed TO make preliminary in
qwry OF each TO the probable acceptance OF the
vitaon, and each party has agreed to address letter
moety OF the churches and ministers agreed upon
asking for Information on that point II is our wish
that the council shall be composed OF the representa-
tives of twenty prominent churches and of ten minis
ters not representing churches In OF this
arrangement address this communication TO you, and
respectfully ask whether will probably comply
with the earnest wish Of the parties in response the
letter missive to be sent As early day is fixed for
tue council prompt reply to this by telegram, or by
letter IL more convenient to you, TO my address will
greatly oblge us With Christian regards very truly
yours JOSHUA NJ VAN COTT


% William street, New York


sToRRs


No so PERRRPoST STREET


BROOKLYN, N. ", Jan ~ 1875


MY DEAR SIR-When you asked me the other day in
regard to my willingness and the probable willingness
the Church Of the Pilgrims 10 take part the
council proposed be called by Plymouth church and
Mrs. MOultou, replied that II tho invitation
cordial from both parties, as understood IL TO be-
should be ready TO accept II, and presumed that the
church would be also; and that whatever could
give the adjustment OF the matters to be brought be-