South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865 · scan page 188

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178  MISCELLANEOUS.
who  are  technically  Pastors, — as  you  formerly  were,  and
might  be  now  if  such  had  been  your  choice, — were  as  faith-
ful in  that  relation,  and  in  all  other  relations  pertaining  to
the  Christian  ministry,  as  you  have  been  to  us.  Then
might  they  be  as  successful  in  winning  souls  to  Christ,
instead  of  occupying  themselves  with  denunciations  of
yourself  and  us,  on  evidence  avowedly  ex-parte,  gathered
from  a  few  disafiected  members  of  this  Church,  some  of
whom  have  very  seldom  heard  you  preach  or  pray,  while
others  are  so  deeply  imbued  witli  the  isms  of  the  day,  that
without  an  admixture  of  these  ingredients,  they  cannot  be
satisfied  with  the  preaching  of  the  word,  however  faithfully
dispensed,  or  with  the  incense  of  a  pure  oflering,  however
fervently  breathed  into  the  ear  of  God.  Did  the  venerable
Doctors  of  Divinity  expect,  on  a  basis  such  as  this,  to  rear
a  structure  which  would  stand  the  test  of  impartial  investi-
gation by  those  who  knoiv  the  facts,  and  laiow  them  to
differ  widely,  as  a  general  remark',  from  the  representations
upon  which  the  verdict  of  the  Council  was  chiefly  founded  1
Did  it  not  also  occur  to  their  minds,  that  possibly  an  intel-
ligent community  might  deem  the  judges  and  jury  as  ob-
jectionable as  the  witnesses?  T/ici/  too  were  ex-parte,
selected  by  a  party,  and  many  of  them  so  prejudiced  against
you,  as  from  the  day  of  your  coming  among  us  until  now,
to  have  withheld  from  you  the  courtesies,  not  to  say  civil-
ities, usual  among  ministerial  brethren,  and  even  among
gentlemen  who  are  bound  together  by  none  but  earthly  ties.
The  very  document  which  is  tlie  product  of  their  three
days'  labor,  betrays  the  bitterness  of  local,  sectarian,  and
party  animosity,  to  a  degree  which  pro])ably  they  were  not
themselves  aware  of,  and  which,  to  im])artial  minds,  must
afford  convincing  proof  that  a  verdict  from  such  a  source,
based  upon  such  evidence,  without  a  particle  of  rebutting
testimony,  or  any  plea  in  behalf  of  the  accused,  is  entitled
to  no  consideration  in  any  quarter.  Least  of  all  will  it
have  any  weight  with  us,  your  Church  and  people,  some  of
whom  have  listened  to  all,  and  nn)st  of  us  to  nearly  all,
your  pulpit  performances  since  you  first  entered  upon  your
labors  as  minister  of  the  South  Church.  Wc  are  witnesses
of  the  gross  injustice  of  the  imputations  attempted  to  bo

Cite this page

Silent Grounds Collective, Church Burial & Death Records, CH-P004-0188. South Congregational Church history and catalogue, 1852–1865, printed page not verified, PDF page 188. Hallock, Gerard, 1800-1866; digitized copy contributed by University of California Libraries https://archive.org/details/historyofsouthco00hall/page/n192/mode/1up Accessed September 8, 2026.

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