South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 170

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160  THE    EX-PARTE    COUNCIL.
"  The  object  alleged  in  the  letters  missive,  is  the  sole  one
which  the  Council  is  competent  to  consider.  The  reason
is  obvious.  Deriving  all  power  in  this  particular  case  from
the  letters  missive,  they  can  no  more  go  beyond,  than  the
government  of  our  country  can  exercise  powers  not  dele-
gated to  it  by  the  Constitution.  Nor  would  it  be  proper,
on  the  one  hand,  that  delegates  asked  for  a  special  purpose,
should  act  for  another ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  that  an
inviting  party  having  secured  a  Council,  should  use  it  for
purposes  not  previously  mentioned,  ('ailed  together  for
one  thing,  they  have  no  right  to  do  another.
"  We  are  aware  that  this  rule  is  frequently  transgressed.
Many  Councils  have  seemed  to  regard  themselves  irrespon-
sible, and  as  being  put  in  charge  of  the  Churches  at  large.
It  seems  to  be  felt  by  some  men  "  dressed  in  a  little  brief
authority,"  that  under  the  high  sounding  title  of  Council
they  are  endowed  with  great  prerogatives.  Whereas  they
are  like  courts  martial  in  respect  to  their  object ;  limited  to
the  precise  work  for  which  they  are  summoned.  For  exam-
ple: a  Council  is  called  for  organizing  a  new  Church,  for
the  alleged  reason  that  great  want  of  harmony  exists  in
another  in  the  san)e  town ;  it  is  then  perfectly  competent
for  the  Council  to  inquire  as  to  the  alleged  dissensions,  and
whether  they  are  such  as  to  furnish  good  reasons  for  advis-
ing a  new  organization,  and  whether  they  are  irremovable ;
but  they  have  no  right  to  proceed  to  an  investigation  into
the  merits  or  demerits  of  the  dissensions, — because  the
parties  are  not  before  them  ;  and  if  they  were,  the  case  is
not."
"Having  carefully  and  prayerfully  examined  into  the
subject  matter,  the  Council  luive  power  to  embody  its  opin-
ion u\nm  tiiat  matter,  and  no  otiihk,  in  a  'result  of  Coun-
cil,' which  is  to  he  signed  by  the  IMinlerator  and  Scribe,  and
be  formally  communicated  tt)  the  parties  concerned."
"  The  Congregational  doctrine  of  the  authority  of  Coun-
cils therefore  is  this  :  Councils  come  into  being  by  the  call
of  parties  inviting.  They  have  power  to  organize  ;  power
to  examine  credentials  ;  with  no  power  to  enlarge  or  dimin-
ish their  number;  power  to  examine  the  subject  specified
in  the  lei lers  missive,  but  no  other  subject;   power  to  hear

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Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0170. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 170. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n174/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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