South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 120

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110  THE    EX-PARTE    COUNCIL.
1.  It  is  a  sufficient  reason  for  dissatisfaction  with  his
ministry,  that  he  was  employed  by  the  Cliurch  and  Society
without  exliibiting  any  proper  and  adequate  proof  of  his
regular  standing  in  the  ministry.
2.  The  sympathy  of  Mr.  Carroll  with  the  existing  rebel-
lion, exhibited  as  it  has  been,  not  only  negatively  by  his
not  saying  the  things  which  he  ought  to  have  said,  but
positively,  by  saying  what  he  ought  not  to  have  said
against  the  Government,  and  against  the  struggle  of  the
nation  to  defend  itself,  and  to  perpetuate  the  inheritance  it
has  received  from  God ;  his  personal  influence  in  the  con-
gregation, "leading  captive"  unthinking  and  unstable  per-
sons into  outspoken  sympathy  with  the  most  stupendous
crime  recorded  in  history  since  Christ  was  crucified,  and
his  silence  in  regai'd  to  the  atrocious  heresy,  religious  and
ethical,  now  so  widely  maintained,  that  it  is  right  for  white
men  to  make  slaves  of  black  men,  being  made  more  signifi-
cant by  his  endeavors  to  suppress  in  the  Church  all  allu-
sions to  so  great  a  wickedness,  are  sufficient  grounds  for
formal  charges  against  him ;  and  being  proved  on  trial,  are
sufficient  for  his  condemnation,  if  there  be  any  ecclesiasti-
cal body  to  which  he  is  responsible.
Such  being  the  facts,  and  our  judgment  upon  them,  we
are  prepared  to  answer  the  questions  which  the  complain-
ants have  proposed  to  us  for  our  advice  :
First.  In  consideration  of  the  facts  which  have  appeared
before  this  Council,  and  which  we  have  already  recited,  we
advise  the  complainants  that  the  South  Congregational
Church,  so  called,  ought  not  to  be  recognized  any  longer
as  a  Congregational  Churcli,  and  as  a  Council  we  advise
the  Churches  which  we  represent,  and  all  other  Churches  of
our  communion,  to  withhold  from  that  Church  those  acts  of
mutual  recognition  and  f.dlowship  which  are  customary
among  Congregational  Churches,  and  which  are  the  form  of
their  unity  as  an  ecclesiastical  commonwealth.
Second.  We  advise  the  complainants,  and  as  many  other
members  of  that  Church  as  may  associate  with  them,  to
withdraw  from  their  present  relations  to  it.  And  we  au-
thorize our  Moderator  and  Scribe  to  give  to  them,  collect-
ively or  individually,  in  our  behalf,  letters  certifying  their

Cite this page

Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0120. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 120. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n124/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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