South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 166

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156  THE    EX-PAETE    COUNCIL.
montlis,  and  his  predecessor,  during  the  latter  part  of  his
ministry  at  least,  was  in  full  sympathy  with  the  petitioners
on  the  topics  of  which  they  now  complain.  Why  did  not
the  "seventy"  pour  forth  their  offerings  liberally  to  sustain
Mr.  Noyes  ?  Why  leave  the  burden  of  supporting  public
worship  under  his  ministrations,  as  well  as  Mr.  Carroll's,
almost  entirely  to  "one  man?"  That  one  man,  we  dare
say,  would  at  any  time  have  been  willing  to  have  his  influ-
ence curtailed  in  such  a  way.  He  simply  paid  what  no  one
else  did,  or  offered  to  pay.  As  however  the  petitioners,
with  all  their  ability,  have,  by  their  own  showing,  done
"  almost"  nothing  towards  the  support  of  the  enterprise,
might  it  not  have  been  as  well,  (if  they  were  dissatisfied
with  a  minister  whom  they  had  more  agency  in  procuring
than  the  "one  man"  had,)  to  withdraw  quietly  to  other
Churches,  as  to  get  up  an  Ex-parte  Council  and  excommu-
nicate or  attempt  to  excommunicate  the  whole  concern  ?
However,  if  they  are  satisfied  with  the  result,  we  are.  But
before  parting,  we  will  just  cpiote  an  extract  of  a  letter  from
a  Congregational  minister  in  the  interior  of  the  State,
which  we  hope  they  will  duly  ponder.  In  feeling  and
judgment  at  least,  we  suspect  he  is  one  of  many.  He  says,
"  If  Congregationalism  is  right,  your  Church,  as  respects
the  management  of  its  own  affairs,  is  eminently  right.  If
Congregationalism  is  right,  your  Church  is  not  only  right,
but  prospered  because  it  is  right.  Your  practice  is  in  har-
mony with  common  sense.  Your  reply  to  the  Ex-parte
Council  is  conclusive.  According  to  your  rules,  or  custom,
each  member  has  equal  rights  with  every  other  member  in
strictly  Church  meetings,  and  of  course  may  vote.  In
these  particulars  you  are  on  the  rock.  Unless  I  sadly  mis-
take, yours  is  a  model  Congregational  Church.  I  admire
your  manner  of  duing  things.  J  i)ity  the  Ex-parle  Council.
Of  course  they  will  nut  confess  it,  but  they  must  be  ashamed
of  their  ofTiciousness  as  respects  your  alTairs.  Since  writing
the  above,  I  have  read  the  llejoindor.  If  there  was  no
more  to  be  said,  it  had  better  not  have  been  said ;  for,  in
the  light  of  brother  C.'s  friends'  reply,  what  they  say  is  not
very  creditable  to  theui."

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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0166. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 166. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n170/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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