USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > History of the South Congregational Church, New Haven : from its origin in 1852 till January 1, 1865 > Part 13
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" At the time of Rev. Mr. Eustis's call to the Chapel- street Church, I remember being present at a week-day evening religious meeting in the Lecture Room of the Church edifice, when, at the close of said meeting, Dea. Whittlesey (now Deacon,*) did then and there rise, before
* NOTE BY A MEMBER OF SOUTH CHURCH. - " A Member of the Ex-parte Council" makes a great ado because our "blundering inform-
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any one else, and propose, in a neat little speech, informal action by way of determining how many then present would like Mr. Eustis for Pastor. Suffice it to say, all present felt at perfect liberty to vote, and all who chose, did vote on the occasion."*
"A Member of the Ex-parte Council " is pleased to say that the voluminous replies to the Result of said Council "have not DENIED ONE OF THE FACTS." That is true : the South Church people never deny facts. Noah Web- ster says, "To deny a fact knowingly, is to lie." [See the word "fact " in quarto editions.] But the South Church people have denied or disproved many of the statements of the Council and of the petitioners, either in terms or in effect. In short, if ever the under-pinning was effectually knocked out from beneath an imposing structure, it has been done in the present instance.
A MEMBER OF SOUTH CHURCH.
The above are the principal documents which have heretofore been published in relation to the Ex-parte Council. And now the question may be asked, espe- cially by persons at a distance, " What, after a year's experience, has been the effect of the action of that
ant," as he calls him, gives Deacon Whittlesey his present title. Why should he not? He was writing in 1864 of an event which took place some years previously. So likewise he gives Dr. Dutton his present title, although he might not have received it prior to 1856. If our informant had said Mr. Whittlesey and Mr. Dutton, the same facility of censure which in one case calls him a "blundering informant," would most likely have been offended by his rudeness.
* This statement, taken in connection with a paragraph quoted in my last from " A Member of the Ex-parte Council," together with my comments thereon, sets the matter of female voting in the Chapel- street Church, on the occasion alluded to, in a clear light.
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body upon the South Church, and upon other inter- ests ?. " We answer :'
1. It has freed the South Church from all disturb- ing elements, leaving it united and harmonious in all matters pertaining to its common welfare as a Church of Christ.
2. By so doing, it has provided a pleasant religious home for many families heretofore connected with Churches represented in the Council, (as well as oth- ers,) who had long been deprived of the privileges of the sanctuary, except on the condition of exposing themselves to an installment of politics or war, along with or in place of, what they came to hear.
3. While the action of the Council has doubtless prevented some members of sister Churches from joining us, by a knowledge of the fact that they could not obtain certificates of dismission for that purpose, others have come to us notwithstanding that impedi- ment ; offering themselves for examination by our Standing Committee, as in the case of new members, and thus being admitted on profession of their faith. In a few cases we have reason to believe that individ- uals have joined us because, as they said, they did not wish to belong to Churches which denied to a sister Church, as good as themselves, the common courtesies of Christian recognition and fellowship. The whole number admitted to the South Church during the calendar year 1864, which covers the period since the action of the Council, is 25.
4. In some cases the action of Council has pre-
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vented members of the South Church from joining other Churches. One case in particular is before our minds, where an exemplary member asked and re- ceived a certificate to another Congregational Church, near which she resides, but finding she could not be admitted on the strength of that certificate, unless endorsed by the Scribe of the Council, she returned it to the South Church, and was received back into our fold in the usual way. She is still a member.
5. The action of the Council has established the independence of the South Church beyond dispute. This position it intended to occupy from the first. But experience has taught us that by the simple act of assisting in the organization of our Church, as requested by its first members, and by a few subse- quent acts of intervention when invited by us, the denomination claims to have got us within its meshes, insomuch that any half a dozen of its ministers, by calling themselves a Council, can regulate our affairs without our consent and against our remonstrances, even to the extent of transferring our members to other Churches. As much as this is exemplified in the action of late Ex-parte Council. The South Church repelled the interference, and thus brought the Council to an acknowledgement of its independ- ence, by withdrawing fellowship from it, and advising other Congregational Churches to do the same. It is now, in theory at least, i. e., in their theory, further off from other Congregational Churches, than if it were a Baptist, Methodist, or an Episcopal Church.
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To Churches of either of these denominations, the Churches represented in the Ex-parte Council and others of the same class, would recommend any of their members who wished to join them,-but not to the South Congregational Church. Their ministers, too, would on fit occasions exchange pulpits with ministers of either of those denominations,-but not with the minister of the South Congregational Church.
6. The action of the Council, so far from establish- ing a non-intercourse between the South Church and the members of other Congregational Churches, has had exactly the opposite effect. We do not now refer to the numerous families, recently belonging to other congregations, who have taken slips in the South Church, but to the many visitors, from all the other Churches, who come occasionally, and some of them frequently, (and they are always welcome,) to hear the proscribed minister. If they could hear him sometimes in their own Churches, it might satisfy their curiosity, or whatever motive impels them to hear him; but as they can not, their only alternative is, to go and hear him in his own Church, where they are pretty sure to find him, and not some stranger, in the pulpit.
7. The action of the Council, by placing us outside of the pale of Congregational Churches, has placed us within easy communication with Churches of other evangelical denominations. Accordingly, many per- sons from all those denominations are frequently found in our audiences, and feel themselves all the more at
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home because they are in no other fold but Christ's. They know that the South Church can have no denominational ends to answer,-no ambition to grat- ify except in doing good, -that it welcomes with equal cordiality good men and women of whatever Christian name,-and that they are safe there from the agitations and storms which beset most other Christian organizations. We speak of the South Church as it now is, and not as it was before the action of the Ex-parte Council.
8. The aggregate effect of all these influences is, to place the South Church on a far more substantial basis than ever before ; to enlarge its congregations ; to increase its revenue ; to bind its members together in strong bonds of Christian fellowship ; in short, to make them an eminently united and happy people, whose God is the Lord. If these things are so, it is plain that whoever else may have cause to regret the action of the Council, the South Church has none.
9. Even if the Council could build a Chinese wall between their own Churches and the South Church, the latter would still have scope enough in the " wide, wide world," from which to obtain recruits to its ranks, and all the better for being compelled to obtain them, to a large extent, from the enemy's kingdom, rather than from other Churches. A change of members from one Church to another is rarely of any great advantage to the cause of Christ ; but when converts are gained from the ranks of sin, and become shining lights, that is a change which makes angels
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rejoice. Well, this field of the world is still open to the South Church, and is likely to continue so. There is no repulsion here, except from Satan and his emissaries, but the Spirit and the Bride say come, and whosoever will, let him come.
10. We are not aware that the action of the Coun- cil has conferred any real benefit upon those who invoked its aid. It has separated them from their pleasant religious home, where they had their full share of influence and of privilege, as well as abun- dant opportunities of usefulness,-without providing them with any other. They are now scattered into different Churches, mostly at inconvenient distances from their residences. If this was what they wanted, they had only to ask letters of dismission and recom- . mendation, in order to secure the accomplishment of their wishes. But many of them preferred to go without leave,-thus unnecessarily disregarding our Standing Rules, to which they were voluntary parties. The consequence was, that, with the help of the Scribe of the Ex-parte Council, they were nominally members of two Churches at the same time, for a period of about three months. At the annual meet- ing of the South Church, Nov. 22, 1864, they were all taken at their word, or rather, at their act, (ex- cept one or two who had been transferred by the Scribe of the Ex-parte Council, contrary to their own wishes,) and dismissed, from that date, "in the same sense as if they had asked and received from us letters of dismission and recommendation in the usual
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form." [For particulars, see Catalogue at the close of this volume. There was an effort to raise money and build a Church for the seceders, but it appears to have fallen through. The following are the proceed- ings of a meeting held on the 26th January, a year ago, " by the advice of the Pastors of the Congrega- tional Churches of the city."
CIRCULAR.
At a meeting of gentlemen, convened by the advice of the Pastors of the Congregational Churches in this city, at the Lecture Room of Dr. Cleaveland's Church, on Tuesday evening, Jan. 26, 1864, Thomas R. Trowbridge, Esq., in the Chair, and Edwin Marble, Esq., Secretary, a statement was made by Dea. E. S. Minor with regard to the need of . a new Congregational Church edifice in the south part of the city. He stated that about forty families and some seventy Church members are desirous, as soon as a place of worship is provided, to unite in the organization of a new Church and a Sabbath School. He had received, already, pledges from persons in that vicinity of more than $1,000, as their annual contribution for supporting public worship, and he believed if a Church was provided, that they would be able to maintain Christian worship and a Sabbath School, without further extraneous aid. A place of wor- ship is needed that will seat about four hundred persons, with a room for smaller meetings, (as Sabbath School, prayer meetings, and for a Ladies' Society.) It is estima- ted that $12,000 will be wanted to provide land and a building suitable for these objects.
Remarks were offered by various gentlemen present, and a resolution adopted approving of the object. A commit- tee was appointed to confer with the gentlemen represent- ing this enterprise, and to advise and aid them in the accomplishment of their plans. The said committe having met with these gentlemen, and having made inquiry with
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regard to the parties they represented, as to their character and their ability to sustain and carry forward the enter- prise, adopted the following
MINUTE.
The committee to whom was referred the matter of advising with regard to the enterprise of forming a new Congregational Church in the south part of the city, hav- ing conferred with the gentlemen representing this enter- prise, are of the opinion that it is deserving of public encouragement, and that the estimated outlay of $12,000 is a suitable sum to be invested for an eligible lot and house of worship for their purposes.
The committee recommend that subscriptions for the aforesaid object be made to trustees, under whose direction the lot shall be purchased, and the house built, and in whom the property shall be vested for a term of ten years, when, if the enterprise has proved successful, it shall be made over to the Ecclesiastical Society then existing.
They further recommend that the condition of these sub- scriptions shall be, that the property, when obtained, shall be secured, so as to remain free from all incumbrance for the use of a Church and Society in full and regular fellow- ship with the Congregational Churches of Connecticut; and if, by any reason, this enterprise fail of its object, the trus- tees of this property shall be authorized and required to sell the same, and use the proceeds for the purpose of reli- gious missions in this city, in connection with the Congre- gational order.
The committee further recommend that payment of these subscriptions be made at the call of the trustees, and in such installments as they may consider desirable.
(Signed) THOMAS R. TROWBRIDGE, EDWIN MARBLE,
Committee.
ALFRED WALKER,
SIDNEY M. STONE, 2
N. B .- The following gentlemen have (by request) con-
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sented to act as trustees of the funds subscribed for the above mentioned object, viz :
ALFRED WALKER, Esq. EDWIN MARBLE, Esq. MORRIS TYLER, Esq. MATTHEW G. ELLIOTT, Esq.
On the 11th of February, 1864, a gentleman of the above named Committee inquired of the principal proprietor of the South Church property, whether it could be bought. The answer was in the negative. The next day, to guard against misconception or mis- construction, the following written reply was ad- dressed to the gentleman proposing the inquiry :
NEW HAVEN, Feb. 12, 1864.
DEAR SIR : Your inquiry yesterday in regard to the South Church property was so unexpected that I scarcely knew how to answer, except by a plain negative. Permit me now to say that it is about the last thing I should think of selling-especially at this time, when all our incumbran- ces are removed, and when our prospects of great useful- ness and success are more cheering than ever before. I might be willing to exchange, on fair terms, for the North or Center Church,-as a very considerable percentage of our immense congregations on Sabbath afternoons and evenings, come from the central parts of the city, or beyond-but this, I suppose, would not answer your pur- pose. On the whole, I think the South Church people and those of the North and Center Churches, will be best accommodated by a conservative policy-each retaining their own, and exercising toward each other as much char- ity as is consistent with poor human nature, even when partially sanctified. No more excommunications, if you please.
Truly yours, GERARD HALLOCK.
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On the 24th of the same month, a copy of the Cir- cular was addressed to the present writer by the Col- lecting Agent, accompanied with a courteous note, inviting him to head the subscription list ; an honor which he felt obliged to decline. The following is his reply :
NEW HAVEN, Feb. 27, 1864.
Rev. and Dear Sir :
Your favor of the 24th inst. is at hand, inviting me to head the subscription for building a new Congregational Church in the southwestern part of the city, " say with $1,000 or $2,000, or whatever sum may seem right" to me. While I sincerely desire that the secessionists from the South Church may be provided with a suitable place of worship elsewhere, and thus have no excuse for returning to the fold from which they have voluntarily strayed, I doubt the expediency of placing in the van of the move- ment a member of an excommunicated Church,-excom- municated too by the same Ex-parte Council which recom- mended the establishment of this opposition line. Would not an enterprise so led, " be justly regarded with suspi- cion," and perhaps be viewed as merely another "land speculation ?" It strikes me that it would be better for the members of the wealthy old Churches represented in said Council, to put their shoulders to the wheel, and see what they can accomplish. Should it prove too much for them, and should I have any thing to spare after seeing the South Church established on a permanent, self-supporting basis, I can then, if I find no better use for the money, take hold and help.
In the meantime, I am
Very truly yours, GERARD HALLOCK.
We have heard but little said about the project recently, and are inclined to think it has been aban-
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doned, at least for the present. If, however, it should be carried into effect, it would have no perceptible bearing upon the interests of the South Church and people, who are now so well adjusted on the principle of elective affinity, that no antagonistic establishment would have any attractions for them. In order to make any impression upon the South Church, the leaders of the new movement must find a man for their pulpit, not only of equal talents with Mr. Carroll, and equal qualifications in other respects, but of sim- ilar principles and views as to the proper sphere of pulpit ministrations. If they could induce Mr. Car- roll himself to take the lead of their enterprise, and occupy their pulpit instead of that which he now fills so acceptably to his people, then indeed they might safely count upon a respectable stampede from the South Church, especially if the latter should supply his place with a minister of opposing views. But none of these contingencies are likely to happen at present.
CHAPTER VI.
MISCELLANEOUS.
NEW YEAR'S GREETINGS, January, 1864 .- While the discussion about the Ex-parte Council was going forward in the newspapers, as recorded in the pre- ceding chapter, the South Church people, desiring to express their undiminished confidence in their minis- ters, presented to Mr. Carroll the following Address, signed by more than a hundred and thirty members of his Church and congregation, together with a New Year's gift of five hundred dollars. To his associate, Rev. Myron Barrett, they presented a variety of good things, including a well filled purse, accompanied by an appropriate address from the Senior Deacon.
TO THE REV. J. HALSTED CARROLL :
Dear Pastor,-The undersigned members of the South Church and congregation desire to give you some token of our undiminished confidence in your fidelity to every im- portant interest which falls within the range of your duties as a Christian minister, or as a citizen of our common country : and with this view we beg your acceptance of the enclosed $500 as a New Year's Gift. Most of us, you are aware, are in moderate circumstances pecuniarily,-other- wise we would make the sum correspond more nearly to the proportions of our affection and gratitude to our beloved Pastor ; for such you are, practically and in effect, and such we will call you, even though masters in Israel should command us to hold our peace. Would to God that all
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who are technically Pastors,-as you formerly were, and might be now if such had been your choice,-were as faith- ful in that relation, and in all other relations pertaining to the Christian ministry, as you have been to us. Then might they be as successful in winning souls to Christ, instead of occupying themselves with denunciations of yourself and us, on evidence avowedly ex-parte, gathered from a few disaffected members of this Church, some of whom have very seldom heard you preach or pray, while others are so deeply imbued with the isms of the day, that without an admixture of these ingredients, they cannot be satisfied with the preaching of the word, however faithfully .. dispensed, or with the incense of a pure offering, however fervently breathed into the ear of God. Did the venerable Doctors of Divinity expect, on a basis such as this, to rear a structure which would stand the test of impartial investi- gation by those who know the facts, and know them to differ widely, as a general remark, from the representations upon which the verdict of the Council was chiefly founded ? Did it not also occur to their minds, that possibly an intel- ligent community might deem the judges and jury as ob- jectionable as the witnesses ? They too were ex-parte, selected by a party, and many of them so prejudiced against you, as from the day of your coming among us until now, to have withheld from you the courtesies, not to say civil- ities, usual among ministerial brethren, and even among gentlemen who are bound together by none but earthly ties. The very document which is the product of their three days' labor, betrays the bitterness of local, sectarian, and party animosity, to a degree which probably they were-not themselves aware of, and which, to impartial minds, must afford convincing proof that a verdict from such a source, based upon such evidence, without a particle of rebutting testimony, or any plea in behalf of the accused, is entitled to no consideration in any quarter. Least of all will it have any weight with us, your Church and people, some of whom have listened to all, and most of us to nearly all, your pulpit performances since you first entered upon your labors as minister of the South Church. We are witnesses of the gross injustice of the imputations attempted to be
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cast upon your fidelity to the Government under which we live. On nearly if not quite every Sabbath since you came among us, you have prayed for our country, its rulers, its officers and soldiers, the sick and wounded, the dying and bereaved; that the crushing sorrows which rest upon us may be overruled for the highest good of our whole nation and the glory of God; and that in His own time and way He will stay the torrents of blood and tears which are flowing all over the land, and grant us a righteous PEACE. Undoubtedly there is a marked difference between the tone of your prayers on these topics and those of some of your -ministerial brethren, (certainly there ought to be, if we know anything of the spirit of Christianity ;) but we never heard a word from your lips which, by any fair construc- tion of language, could be made to imply a lack of real patriotism, or anything inconsistent with a faithful alle- giance to the Government of your country. Whether you approve of all the measures of the Administration or not, is another question-with which neither we nor your accusers have anything to do. There never was an Administration all of whose measures were approved by all the people, and we may safely say there never will be. According to the proverb, " Silence gives consent." But in your case, it is construed by your accusers as implying dissent. They demand that you shall speak on these topics. If you speak their sentiments, well and good. If the opposite sentiments,
then of course you are "disloyal." If you are silent, you are "disloyal." A hard case for a minister of the Gospel who has so learned Christ that he deems it his duty to keep politics out of the pulpit. And here, we suspect, is the front of your offending. While you stand up in this pulpit from Sabbath to Sabbath, proclaiming the unadulterated truth of God to large and deeply interested audiences, and reaping from time to time the appropriate fruits of your labor, "you reproach us, also," some of the learned Doctors may say, and say it truly. But we thank God that He has sent us a minister who will not and cannot be made to follow their example in this particular. Truly you have been to us a minister of the Gospel, and not a political declaimer. The talents which God has given you, you
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have devoted to His service. We have seen you in the conference room, the prayer meeting, the chamber of sick- ness, the home of poverty, and the house of mourning ; have known and shared your faithful, judicious, unremit- ting labors as a spiritual counsellor and guide ; have admired the meekness with which you bore reproach and all manner of misrepresentation-when reviled, reviling not again; in short, following the example and teachings of your blessed Master, in this the most difficult, or one of the most difficult parts of the Christian life.
We have known your history-the honored son of a dis- tinguished father, the late Rev. D. L. Carroll, D.D., whom - several of us loved as our Pastor when settled in Litchfield, Conn., as the successor of Rev. Dr. Lyman Beecher,-of your graduating at the University of Pennsylvania before you were eighteen years of age, having already consecrated yourself and your all to Christ; of your graduating at Princeton Seminary, where you received your theological education ; of your ordination to the ministerial office and installation as Pastor in 1855, by some of the most distin- guished ministers of the Presbyterian Church ; your great success as a minister of the Gospel, not only in New Jersey, where you were first settled and remained until excessive labors broke down your health, but wherever else you have statedly dispensed the Word of Life. Even in this South Church of New Haven, during a period of unusual spiritual dearth in the Churches generally throughout the land, the blessing of God has attended your labors and those of your worthy colleague, to a degree which calls for our united thanksgiving.
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