South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 65

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MINISTRY  OF    REV,  MR.  NOYES.  57
to  the  brink  of  ruin,  is  to  be  infused  into  our  church  and  to
become  dominant  in  its  management, — which  I  do  not  be-
lieve,  though  I  thus  speak, — I  have  only  to  say,  I  shall
want  the  buildings  for  their  original  purpose,  and  my  money
to  sustain  the  enterprise  on  that  basis.
It  is  but  a  few  months  since  Ilev.  Dr.  Bacon,  seeing  Dr.
Stiles  in  his  congregalion,  came  down  from  the  pulpit,  and
in  the  most  cordial  manner  invited  him  to  preach, — which
he  did.  Are  the  South  Church  and  congregation  so  much
more  intolerant  than  Dr.  Bacon  and  his  congregation,  as  the
facts  stated  in  your  letter  would  seem  to  imply?  I  doubt
it.  I  should  like  to  see  the  experiment  tried.  I  believe
that  a  fair  expression  of  the  views  of  our  people  would
show  that  they  are  generally  conservative,  and  that  the
class  of  persons  to  whom  you  allude,  are  in  a  lean  minority.
From  what  I  have  said,  you  are  prepared  for  my  opinion,
which  is,  that  such  intolerance,  discourtesy  and  ingratitude,
towards  a  faithful  soldier  of  the  Cross,  as  would  be  exem-
plified in  his  exclusion  from  our  pulpit,  for  no  assigned
cause,  but,  so  far  as  appears,  to  gratify  an  unreasonable  and
cruel  prejudice,  should  not  be  yielded  to, — no,  not  for  an
hour.  Three  or  four  years  ago,  a  few  disafi"ected  persons,
of  the  same  class,  left  us  in  disgust,  and  we  have  had  peace
ever  since.  If  those  who  now  threaten  to  leave,  unless
their  wishes  are  complied  with,  should  do  so  in  fact,  the
probability  is  that  the  church  and  society  will  be  stronger,
happier,  safer  and  better  in  the  end,  than  by  retaining  tliem
within  its  bosom.  I  know  not  who  they  are ;  I  am  glad  I
do  not.  But  whoever  they  are,  however  many  or  however
few,  I  cannot  advise  an  act  of  palpaljle  injustice  and  wrong,
for  the  sake  of  retaining  them.  Let  us  i)rotect  and  honor
God's  faithful  ministers,  and  he  will  protect  and  bless  us.
As  to  temporalities  I  have  no  fear.  And  I  am  sure  no
spiritual  blessing  can  be  expected  as  the  result  of  proscrip-
tion such  as  is  sought  to  be  imposed  upon  us.
Should  you,  all  things  considered,  conclude  to  invito  Dr.
Stiles  into  your  pulpit  once  before  he  goes  South,  permit
me  to  suggest  that  a  ii(»tice  of  the  fact  be  given  in  the
niiWspapiMs.  Then  any  who  are  unwilling  to  hear  him,  can
stay  away,  and  thus  avoid  the  indecorum  of  leaving  the
5*

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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0065. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 65. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n67/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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