LETTER.

WILTON, MARCH 7, 1823.

To the Pastor and Church of Christ in Wilton.

REV. AND BELOVED,

We the undersigned, a committee of the minority of the church, who profess themselves to be aggrieved, and who have called an ecclesiastical council to give them their christian advice in their present unhappy case, now furnish you with a copy of the result of said council, and certify you that the minority have accepted it. In this way they.now express their earnest desire that they may in their present connexion enjoy the regular and stated administrations of the gospel, in accordance with the principles of the confession of faith which the church in 1803 adopted, as we have manifested our views of it. To this letter the church gave the following answer. ANSWER OF THE CHURCH.

The Church of Christ in Wilton to
BRETHREN,

Committee, &c.

Your letter of the 7th of March inst. and the result of the council accompanying it have been communicated to us.

It has been with deep solicitude, that we have observed in any members of this church an appearance of a voluntary neglect of an ordinance, which Christ has specially appointed to be observed, when most of those who have had this appearance of neglect, have expressly covenanted with God and this church" to attend diligently to the institutions and ordinances of the gospel as God in his providence shall give them opportunity." And we would have you understand, brethren, that it would be esteemed by us great cause of religious joy, that any member, who has exhibited such neglect, should with sincerity and piety of heart return to the observance of the ordinances of the gospel. As the holy scriptures are given for our guidance, and most of those whose request you declare in your letter, have in their covenant engagement with God and this church expressly promisised to receive the holy scriptures as the rule of their faith and practice; candor forbids us to suppose that they wish for the administrations of the gospel to be made according to any principles not established in the holy scriptures. We do therefore most cheerfully and cordially assure you, that you and the members for whom

you act may enjoy with us the regular and stated administrations of the gospel in their present connexion with this church, conformably to the earnest desire expressed in your letter. And may the God of all grace make his word and ordinances profitable to us all, and to the building up of this church in the faith, peace, and purity of the gospel of Christ.

THOMAS BEEDE, Moderator. Notwithstanding the desire expressed by their letter to the church and the answer they had received, the disaffected members continued their neglect of attending the regular and stated administrations" of the Lord's supper with the church. The forbearance of the church still gave them opportunity for reflection and to return to the privileges and duties of members-but in vain. Without giving to the church any notice of their designs, or any explanation of their conduct in not conforming to what they had in their letter of March 7th so expressly requested, their committee, in order to assemble a council, issued letters missive in this form:

LETTER MISSIVE.

To the Church of Christ in a number of members of the Church of Christ residing in Wilton send greeting. Whereas in the course of divine Providence it is so ordered, that a religious society is formed, according to the law of the State, in this town, to be known by the name of the 'Second Congregational Society in Wilton,' we hereby request your assistance by your Rev. Pastor and Delegate, in council with other churches, on Wednesday the 18th day of June instant, if it shall appear consistent, to form us into a regular visible church, in connexion with said society.

Wishing you grace, mercy, and peace from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and requesting an interest in your prayers for us, we subscribe, your brethren in the faith and fellowship of the gospel.

Wilton, June 2, 1823.

(Signed.)

On the day next before the date of their letter missive, the pastor of the church had publicly announced,

that he should be absent the two succeeding sabbaths. The annual visit he was accustomed to make to an aged parent and friends residing at considerable distance, with other known engagements, made it sufficiently certain, that he would not return before the time appointed for the council to meet. This proceeding of their committee, who, with advice from abroad, appeared all along to have exercised full control in the business, was not known to all, and perhaps to very few of the disaffected members, until a very considerable portion of the time between the issuing of the letters missive and the assembling of the council had elapsed. When it became known to them, such was their secrecy, or silence, if they choose to have it so called, that between those of the same church and family, and in that nearest connexion of life, which most of all requires mutual confidence, this proceeding, which, according to its design, was to separate them from each other's communion as christians, was not divulged until a few hours before the council met. The knowledge that a council for such a purpose was contemplated, was thus almost wholly limited to the disaffected members and to those in their confidence, up to the time when the council met. Information, however, from a neighboring town, where their letter missive had been read, arrived to certain members of the church in season for them, as individuals, to prepare with haste a remonstrance, which was presented to the council and noticed in their result.*

*Though this remonstrance was only the individual act of the few members who subscribed it, and was never acted upon in any manner by the church; yet that there may be no pretence that any paper relating to the subject is kept back, it is here given. If, in any respect, it need to be viewed with an eye of candor, that may be claimed on account of the suddenness of the occasion which was fitted to excite emotion, and the necessary haste with which it was prepared.

REMONSTRANCE.

To the Council requested to convene in Wilton, for the purpose of organizing a Church.

GENTLEMEN,

Whereas, and their associates, have formed themselves into a Society, known by the name of the Second Congregational Society in Wilton; and have requested certain churches to send their Pastors and Delegates to organize them into a church: The undersigned feel it a duty incumbent on them to state, that the aforesaid gentlemen, together with other members of the church, then in good standing, did more than a year ago absent themselves from the communion, and have ever since continued to absent themselves without any just ground, in the opinion of the undersigned, for thus

The council met at the time appointed, and without giving to the church any notice, or opportunity to be heard, and without having before them any testimonials from the church of the membership or regular standing of the dissatisfied members, produced the following result. violating their covenant engagement. The undersigned would express it as their opinion that those who have thus absented themselves, have violated the commands of Christ and the injunctions of his Apostles, and that their conduct has not been dictated by the wisdom that is from above, which is pure, peaceable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. That they should thus turn aside from the path of duty, the undersigned deem a matter of deep regret; to be lamented not only as it respects themselves, but as affording a pattern for the highminded, contentious and overbearing, to depart from the simplicity of the gospel; and instead of becoming humble advocates of pure and undefiled religion, attempt to climb the pinnacle of fame over prostrate altars, and the ruins of churches; the glory of which consists not in having risen to eminence over the pile of the martyrs; but which have been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets; Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; a foundation which, though the mountains depart, and the hills be removed, shall remain invulnerable to every attack. Whilst the undersigned have beheld with pity these wanderers from the fold of Christ, they have hoped that the spirit of lowliness and meekness, longsuffering and forbearance, which the church have exercised towards them would have a tendency to recal them to their duty. The undersigned cannot think the venerable council will deem it consistent to adopt a measure, the effect of which they cannot but be aware will prove detrimental to the peace and order of their own societies. Though, notwithstanding the zeal of partizans, and the superstition of bigots, there will be those who will maintain the pure religion of Christ in its simplicity; yet, when party spirit is aided by power and authority, the humble christian has reason to fear being deprived of the liberty of worshipping agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience, having none to molest or make afraid. The undersigned cannot think that ministers, whose office it is to publish the gospel of peace, would deliberately encourage their hearers to say, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas; did they thus do it, the undersigned should think the words of the Lord by the mouth of the prophet applicable to them: "Wo unto the pastors that scatter and destroy the sheep of my pasture, saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, against the pastors that feed my people. Ye have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and have not visited them; behold I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord." The undersigned think the amicable termination of the subject in question in the late Convention in Massachusetts, ought to be a signal to contending parties to lay down the weapons of war, which have only been brandished in defence of a party. The undersigned think if councils will take disorderly members of churches, and constitute them into a church, while they ask no acquittance from their covenant engagements, that churches and covenants may be considered, nothing more than a name; and with the same propriety they may take any individuals without requiring any profession, and organize them into a church. If this were suffered, all ecclesiastical order or authority would be at an end. The undersigned have witnessed with feelings of regret, the discord which has arisen in the

RÉSULT.

Delegations from the following churches, viz. from the church in Temple, Rev. Noah Miles and Deac. Silas Keyes; from the church in Mason, Rev. Ebenezer Hill and Deac. Hezekiah Richardson; from the church in Holles, Rev. Eli Smith and Deac. Stephen Jewett ; from the church in Lyndeborough, Deac. Aaron Lewis and Deac. Benjamin Goodridge; from the church in Milford, Rev. Humphrey Moore, by virtue of letters missive from a number of the members of the church of Christ, residing in Wilton, assembled at the house of Doct. Ebenezer Rockwood to take into consideration their request to be organized into a regular visible church; and formed themselves into an Ecclesiastical Council by choosing Rev. Ebenezer Hill Moderator, and Rev. Humphrey Moore Scribe..

Introduced the business of the Council with prayer by the Moderator.

• Examined their proceedings,* by which the said memchurch in this place. It has extended not only amongst friends and neighbors, but even into families; endeavors have been made to separate husbands and wives, parents and children; and the way of truth has been evil spoken of. The undersigned humbly hope and trust, that these matters will be taken into serious consideration by the venerable council; and that the result will be an endeavor to promote that christian charity without which, all professions of religion are vain, and the effect such as will entitle them to the character of the children of God.

(Signed by thirteen brethren of the church.) *The proceedings, which we understand comprehended all that was offered to the council on the subject, were publishing in a newspaper an advertisement purporting to be signed by the clerk of the society, in which it was stated, that three persons named therein (the same who had acted as a committee of the dissatisfied members) and their associates, "in conformity to an act of the said State, (N. H.) passed June session, 1819," had "formed themselves into a religious society, to be designated and known as the Second Congregational Society in Wilton." By the law mentioned, a voluntary association of individuals thus advertising, might become a corporation for certain purposes. How many other individuals had associated with these three, so as to be members of the corporation, we have not been able to learn, though inquiries have been made for the purpose. The formation of this incorporated society appears to have been thought of much importance towards forming a church, for it is mentioned with great solemnity in their letter missive, and is the only reason there given to the several churches, for the request of these persons to be formed into a separate church.

If ecclesiastical bodies, in advising to the formation of new churches, are to have régard to corporations of this description, which by the present law may be indefinitely multiplied, it would seem very proper