7

9

Labaree, Pres. Mark Hopkins,1 Rev. William Barrows,' Rev. Dr. J. M. Sturtevant, Rev. Ur. T. M. Post,2 Rev. Dr. Edward Beecher, Rev. Dr. William Salter,4 Rev. J. S. Hoyt, Rev. David Burt, Rev. Dr. J. P. Thompson, Hon. Woodbury Davis, Hon. Henry Stockbridge, Hon. J. H. Brockway, Rev. N. A. Hyde, Rev. Dr. Leonard Swain, Rev. Richard Cordley," Asahel Finch, Esq.," Warren Currier, Esq.," and, by special vote, Rev. Dr. Rufus Anderson." This committee did its work with much care, thoroughly digesting the forms presented to the Council, and published its result in 1872, with the approving signatures of its twenty-six surviving members." It is a valuable statement, the product of much thought, and deserving of great respect. But owing perhaps to the willingness of our churches to be a law unto themselves, and the distaste of the present age for minute prescriptions and elaborate definitions, this document, sometimes known as the "Boston Platform," has never been widely known and has latterly been well-nigh forgotten. It has hardly merited this fate, but the days of elaborate platforms, like that of Cambridge, are as fully past as those of lengthy confessions.

14 Ecclesiastical Polity, The Government and Communion Practised by the Congregational Churches in the United States of America, Which were Represented by Elders and Messengers in a National Council at Boston, A, D. lSGj, Boston, 1872, 2d ed. 1879.

XIX

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL AND "OBERLIN DECLARATION", 1871

Text

Minutes of the National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States of America, at the First Session, Held in Oberlin, Ohio, November 1j-21, 1871, pp. 29-32, 63-67; in the Minutes of subsequent sessions of the Council; in Ecclesiastical Polity, The Government and Communion Practised by the Congregational Churches, etc., Boston, 1872 [1879], pp. 81-86 [without the "Declaration on the Unity of the Church "].

THE

HE success of the Council of 1865 in fostering a spirit of unity and a sense of a common mission among Congregationalists was conspicuous. While the body was without legislative authority, as becomes a Congregational synod, the representative character of its membership and the moderation and wisdom of its actions, only a small part of which have been had in review, gave it a wide influence. It was felt that so potent a possible factor in denominational life should not be occasional, but permanent and regularly recurring. While a few ministers, and some of them of eminent fame in the denomination, feared a possible loss of independence to the churches, the majority were ready to weleome an established Council. These views found expression in a manner well described in the note introductory to the Minutes of the Oberlin Council:1

On the approach of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims, the Church of the Pilgrimage, at Plymouth, Mass., invited the churches to meet by delegates at New York, to consider the appropriateness of particular action in celebrating this fifth jubilee. Such a meeting was held March 2, 1870; and it appointed a general committee for its purposes, consisting of Hon. Edward S. Tobey, Rev. William W. Patton, D.D., Rev. Henry M. Dexter, D.D., Samuel Holmes, A. S. Barnes, Rev. Ray Palmer, D.D., and Rev. Alonzo H. Quint, D.D.; of which the first named was chairman, Rev. Dr. Dexter, secretary, and Mr. Holmes,

treasurer.

1 Pp. 7, 8.

Among the acts of this committee was the calling of a Pilgrim Memorial Convention, which met at Chicago, 111., April 27, 1870, open to delegates from all the churches in the United States.

Of that convention, B. W. Tompkins, of Connecticut, was Moderator; Hon. E. D. Holton, of Wisconsin, Rev. Samuel Wolcott, D.D., of Ohio, and Rev. George F. Magoun, of Iowa, Vice-Moderators; Rev. Henry C. Abernethy, of Illinois, Rev. Philo R. Hurd, D.D., of Michigan, and Rev. L. Smith Hobart, of New York, Secretaries; and Rev. William W. Patton, D.D., of Illinois, Dr. Samuel Holmes, of New York, Hon. C. J. Walker, of Michigan, James L. Kearnie, of Missouri, and Rev. Rowland B. Howard, of Illinois, Business Committee.

Among the resolutions adopted by that large convention were the following:

Resolved, That this Pilgrim Memorial Convention recommend to the Congregational State Conferences and Associations, and to other local bodies, to unite in measures for instituting on the principle of fellowship, excluding ecclesiastical authority, a permanent National Conference.

The General Conference of Ohio was the first to propose definite action. That Conference appointed a committee (Rev. A. Hastings Ross' being made chairman) to correspond with the other State organizations and propose a convention to mature the plan. The several State organizations approved of the proposed National organization, and appointed committees. The General Association of New York proposed that a meeting of these committees be held in Boston, December 21, 1870, and its committee (Rev. L. Smith Hobart, chairman), issued circulars to that effect. The Committee of the General Association of Massachusetts adopted the proposal, and issued invitations accordingly."

2

Thus the steps leading to the permanent National Council were similar to those which had brought about the Council of 1865. In accordance with this invitation, committees representing the state organizations of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, met in Boston at the time suggested, and formed a convention with Rev. Dr. E. B. Webb' as moderator, Hon. A. C. Barstow as assistant moderator, Pres. William E. Merriman as scribe, and Hon. H. S. McCall* as assistant scribe. This body unanimously—

"Resolved, That it is expedient, and appears clearly to be the voice of the churches, that a National Council of the Congregational Churches of the United States be organized";

and invited the churches to meet by delegates appointed in pro

6 Ripon, Wis.

3 For their doings in full, see Minutes of Oberlin Council, pp. 9-12.

7 New York.

portion substantially like the representation in the Council of 1865, at such time and place as a preliminary committee appointed by the convention should designate. It also suggested the outline of a constitution to be presented to the Council that was to be, and entrusted its preparation, as well as the call of the Council, to the following persons, - Rev. Dr. A. H. Quint,1 Pres. W. E. Merriman, Prof. S. C. Bartlett, Dea. Samuel Holmes," Maj. Gen. O. O. Howard, Rev. Dr. W. I. Buddington, and Hon. A. C. Barstow."

Pursuant to the call of this preliminary committee, the desired Council met at Oberlin, Ohio, November 15, 1871, with an attendance of 276 delegates from twenty-five states and territories, and fourteen honorary and corresponding members. After effecting a temporary organization, with Hon. Erastus D. Holton' as moderator, and Dea. Samuel Holmes as scribe, the Council received the report on the proposed constitution and considered it, paragraph by paragraph, at five sessions. The section relating to faith was referred to a special committee,— Prof. S. C. Bartlett, Hon. Elisha Carpenter, Hon. C. J. Walker, 10 Rev. Drs. I. E. Dwinell" and D. T. Fiske"; and various slight modifications of the document were suggested and adopted. A debate and two ballots resulted in the choice of "Council" as the designation of the body. But no serious alterations were made in the draft, and on Nov. 17, the following agreement was unanimously adopted:

"THE CONSTITUTION.

The Congregational churches of the United States, by elders and messengers assembled, do now associate themselves in National Council:

To express and foster their substantial unity in doctrine, polity, and work; and

To consult upon the common interests of all the churches, their duties in the work of evangelization, the united development of their resources, and their relations to all parts of the kingdom of Christ.

1 New Bedford, Mass.

4 Washington, D. C.

• Paragraph 4.

12 Newburyport, Mass.

2 Chicago Sem.

5 Brooklyn, N. Y.

Hartford, Conn.

3 Montclair, N. J. and New York city.

• Providence, R. I. 7 Milwaukee, Wis. 10 Detroit, Mich. ii Sacramento, Cal.

They agree in belief that the Holy Scriptures are the sufficient and only infallible rule of religious faith and practice; their interpretation thereof being in substantial accordance with the great doctrines of the Christian faith, commonly called evangelical, held in our churches from the early times, and sufficiently set forth by former General Councils.1

They agree in the belief that the right of government resides in local churches, or congregations of believers, who are responsible directly to the Lord Jesus Christ, the One Head of the church universal and of all particular churches; but that all churches, being in communion one with another as parts of Christ's catholic church, have mutual duties subsisting in the obligations of fellowship.

The churches, therefore, while establishing this National Council for the furtherance of the common interests and work of all the churches, do maintain the Scriptural and inalienable right of each church to self-government and administration; and this National Council shall never exercise legislative or judicial authority, nor consent to act as a council of reference.

And for the convenience of orderly consultation, they establish the following Rules:

I. Sessions. The churches will meet in National Council every third year. They shall also be convened in special session whenever any five of the general State organizations shall so request.

II. Representation.—The churches shall be represented, at each session, by delegates, either ministers or laymen, appointed in number and manner as follows:

1. The churches, assembled in their local organizations, appoint one delegate for every ten churches in their respective organizations, and one for a fraction of ten greater than one-half, it being understood that whenever the churches of any State are directly united in a general organization, they may, at their option, appoint the delegates in such body, instead of in local organizations, but in the above ratio of churches so united.

2. In addition to the above, the churches united in State organization appoint by such body one delegate, and one for each ten thousand communicants in their fellowship, and one for a major fraction thereof:—

3. It being recommended that the number of delegates be, in all cases, divided between ministers and laymen, as nearly equally as is practicable.

1 This clause, from the word "practice" onward, was substituted for a direct reference to the Burial Hill Declaration by the special committee, to whom this paragraph was referred.