South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 119

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THE    EX-PARTE    COUNCIL.  109
inquire  into  his  qualifications  for  tliai  oftice,  are  a  contempt
put  upon  tlie  principle  of  communion  of  cliurclies,  and  a
violation  of  the  rights  of  the  complainants.
Third.  The  voting  (»f  women  in  the  Church,  by  which,  in
the  settlement  of  Mr.  Carroll,  the  majority  of  the  brethren
was  overruled,  is  contrary  to  the  Scriptures  (I.  Cor.  xix.  34 ;
I.  Tim.  xi.  12)  and  contrary  to  the  usages  and  principles  of
the  New  England  churches,  and  invalidates  the  act  of  a
majoritv,  which  was  made  such  by  these  votes.
Fourth.  The  refusal  of  the  Clerk  and  Standing  Commit-
tee to  call  a  meeting  of  the  Church  at  the  written  request
of  fourteen  brethren,  (who  were  nearly  one-third  of  the
brotherhood),  for  the  express  pui-i^ose  of  requesting  Mr.
Carroll  to  resign  his  place,  as  provided  for  by  the  arrange-
ment under  which  he  was  settled,  was  not  only  a  violation
of  the  compact,  by  which  the  question  of  his  retirement  is
made  at  all  times  a  proper  question  for  consideration  in  the
Church,  whether  with  or  without  charges  against  his  offi-
cial character ;  but  was  a  gross  usurpation  on  the  part  of
the  Clerk  and  Committee,  alike  hostile  to  the  rights  of  the
members  and  destructive  of  the  organization  of  a  Congre-
gational Church ;  and  the  refusal  of  the  same  functionaries
to  present  a  respectful  memorial  from  twenty  members  to
the  Church,  was  a  similar  irregularity  and  wrong.  The
ratification  of  these  proceedings  by  the  annual  Church
meeting  may  justly  be  regarded  as  an  additional  grievance.
Fifth.  The  brethren  who  had  received  letters  of  dismis-
sion, but  who,  in  a  formal  communication  to  the  Church,
had  announced  their  purpose  not  to  connect  themselves
with  other  churches,  but  to  retain  their  membership  in  the
South  Church,  were  unjustly  excluded  from  participation
in  the  annual  meeting  of  that  Church,  The  decision  of  the
moderator,  Mr.  Carroll,  that  they  were  not  members,  and
the  confirmation  of  that  decision  by  the  meeting,  can  not
but  be  condemned  as  an  arbitrary  and  unjust  proceeding.
Those  brethren  are  still,  according  to  the  purport  oT  the
testimonials  which  they  had  received,  members  of  the
South  Church  in  regular  standing.
Sixth.  The  reasons  for  dissatisfaction  with  the  ministry
of  Mr.  Carroll,  as  alleged  and  proved  by  the  complainants,
are  valid.

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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0119. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 119. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n123/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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