Farewell to the First Congregational Church in Norwalk, Conn. (bound with other addresses)

THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF CONNECTICUT. NEW YORK : PRINTED FOB THE ASSOCIATION OF FAIRFIELD WEST, BY BAKER, GODWIN & CO. Tribnn* Buildings, oppoiite City Hall. 1852. EXTRACTS FROM THE .MINUTES OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FAIRFIELD WEST. ^ ^^^ Anmeal Meeting, Fairfield, May 27, 1851. — " The letter of Hartford Central Association to this body, dated May 20, 1851, was read and referred to a committee, consisting of Messrs. T. Smith, L.BE. Atwater, and S. B. S. Bissell." Adjowrned MeeUng at New Camaan^ July 1, 1S51. — " The committee to wh6m the last communication from the Hart- ford Central Association had been referred, made a report in part, and were continued to report at an adjourned meeting. Dr. Hall was added to the committee." Adjourned Meeting at North Stamford, Oct. 15, 1851. — "The committee to 'jrhom the last communication of the Hartford Central Association had been referred, made a report in part." Adjourned' Meetmg at Fairfield, Nov. 4, 1851. — "The committee to whom the last communication from the Hart- ford Central Association had been referred, completed their report. Voted that the report be accepted." Adjourned M&eting, Norwalh, Deo. 2, 1851. — " Were present, Kev. Elders, M. Mead, S. Haight, H. Fuller, 0. Bentley, E. D. Kinney, E. Hall, D.D., T. Smith, S. B. S. Bis- sell, T. B. Stui^ges, I. Jennings, C. Clarkj A. B. Kich, Gordon Hall, "W. J. Jennings, and B. B. Beardsley. Heard that ?art of the report which relates to Dr. BushnelVs Views.on HE Atonement, as expressed in his book entitled ' Christ in TkEOLOGT.' All the passages referred to, were read from the book, and full time was allowed for comments thereon by members of the Association. Voted, that the part of the report which has b.een read at this session, be approved and adopted." Adjoined Meeting at Stamford, Deo. 16, 1851. — " "Were E resent, Eev. Elders, M. Mead, S. Haight, H. Fuller, J. H. .insley, D.D., 0. Bentley, E. Hall, D.D., T. Smith, L. H. Atwater, D.D., S. B. S. Bissell, I. Jennings, A. B. Kich, and W. J. Jennings. Heard that part ot the report which relates to Dr. BushneWs Views on The Tbinitt, and The Inoaenation, as expressed in his book entitled ' Christ in Theology ;' also that part which relates to his views on SEVEEAL coLLATEEAii SUBJECTS, as exprcssed in his books, 'God in Cheist,' and ' Cheist in Theology.' Voted unani- mously, to adopt the parts of the report which have just been read. Also heard that part of the report whicb replies to the pamphlet of ' C. C.,' and voted to adopt the same, with a view to its being printed as an Appendix." Adjova-ned Meeting at Easton, Dec. 30, 1851. — " Voted that the introduction and conclusion of the report be recom- mitted to the same committee." . . Ad^owfned Meeting at N'orwalk, FA> 3, 1852. — " "Were present. Rev. Elders, S. Haight^ H. Fuller, J. H. Linsley, I).D., E. D. Kinney, E. Hall, D.D., T. Smith, L. H. Atwater, D.D., C. T. Prentice, S. B. S. Bissell, Z. B, Burr, I. Jennings, S. J. M. Merwin, Gordon Hall,, and Martin Dudley. The committee to whom the introductory and concluding parts of the report had been referred, reported an introduction and conclusion. Voted, to accept this report. Voted, to adopt this report. Voted, that the w^hole repbrt, the several parts of which have been adopted by this body, at its meetings, December 2d, and December 16th, 1851, and at this present meeting, be printed, and a copy thereof sent to each of the Associated Ministers in the State ; and that the committee who prepared the report, superintend its publication and dis- tribution." The foregoing are true extracts from the Minutes of the Association. Attest Theophilus Smith, Eegister. APPEAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF TAIEFIELD WEST, c6j? 7l<p'i^L ASSOCIATED MINISTERS CONNECTED WITH THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION or CONNECTICUT ■- Dea/r Brethren : — In Octoter, 1849, the Hartford Central Association adopted and published a minute, respecting the sentiments of Dr. Bushnell, as expressed in his book entitled " God m Cheist," in which the following sentences occur : " We are satisfied, that whatever errors the book may contain, it furnishes no sufficient ground for instituting a judicial process with him." " We regret his departure, in some of his statements, from the formulas of the church. We adhere to these formulas; but we regard him, notwithstanding the exceptions which he has taken to them, as holding whatever is essential to the scheme of doctrine which they embody." "He could not, in our view, be, properly or justly subjected to the charge of heresy, and a consequent trial, or be denied the confidence of his brethren in the ministry." In January, 1850, we addressed a remonstrance to the Hartford Central Association, against their decision in the forementioned minute, setting forth the errors contained in Dr. Bushnell's book, and earnestly requesting them to recon- sider the case, and reverse their proceedings. In March, 1850, the Hartford Central Association made a brief reply to our remonstrance, declining to reverse their pro- ceedings, or even reconsider. the case, but making no reply to the several allegations contained in our remonstrance. We then sent to you copies of our remonstrance and of their reply, and requested you to meet and consider the case, and let us know the conclusion to which you might come. After receiving answers from nearly all the district asso- ciations, we addressed the following Memoeial to the Geneeal Association of Connectioitt. The memorial of the Association of Fairfield West to the General Associa- tion of Connecticut, at its meeting at Litchfield, in Jime, 1850, respectfully sheweth, ' That by the appointment of your body at its meeting at Hartford, June, 6 1848, Rev. Horace BushneU, D. D., a member of the Hartford Central Associar tion, preached to the ministers of this State, a di^oOTse Upon the Divinity of Christ, at New Haven, on the TiieBday preceding the commencement in Yale College for that year : , . That at the time of its delivery, the said discourse was understood, by many ministers who heard it, to deny the orthodox, doctrine of the Trinity ; or, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," are three distinct, coS(iual and coeternal persons in the one substance of the Godhead : That early in the year 1849, Dr. Bushnell, in a volume entitled 'God in Cheist,' published said discourse, with the addition of two others from the same text (eafli of which had been delivered to large assemblies of ministers in Mass- achusetts), which present in greater detail and explioitness the scheme of doc- trine partially developed in the first discourse ; and are, in fact, but the expan- sion and completion of it: That said volume in this manner bearing in some degree ihe sanction of your body, so long as you are silent in regard to it, has been deemed and de- clared, by vast numbers of ministers and intelligent laymen, including numerous accredited public teachers of theology in our own and other evangelical com- munions, to deny and impugn various cardinal doctrines pf the Gospel, particu' larly the Trdutt, the Incarnation, the Atonement, and Justification by FAinr,. as tiiese are held in evangelical churches : That the Hartford Central Association, in view of the cha,rges of false do(J- trine thus "brought against the book from various quarters, instituted an investi- gation of the case, which resulted in their finding, and- publishing to the world, that its author holds whatever is essential to the scheme eotitained in the formu- las of the church, and that 'he could not properly or justly be subjected to the charge of heresy and a consequent trial, or be denied the confidence of his brethren in the ministry,' as by their published report fully appears: That, since the book itself eontams the whole subject matter of the heresy charged, other associations have the same means of judging of the sentiments thus pronounced to be not beretical, which the Hartford 'Central Association have ; and consequently, the question between that, body , and those who except to their decision, is a question as to what are , fumdawiental doctrines and fundamental errors — what constitutes the essence of the Gospel; and that this is the real question, at the bottom of all others now agitating the ministers and churches in connection with this painful subject : That the Association of Fairfield West, grieved with the aforesaid decision in common with multitudes throughout the State and land, having first ascer- tained by private correspondence that there was no prospect that the Hartford Central Association would, ' of its own motion, re-consider said decision, ad- dressed to that body its Remonstrance and Complaint against said decision, pointing out various heresies which, in their view, the said book contained, with the proofs of the same, and on this ground entreating the Hartford Central Association to review their action in tie case ; and that, in answer to said re- monstrance, the Hartford Central Association wholly refused to re-eonsider their decision, imless new evidence of a decisive character should be presented; copies of which Remonstrance and Answer are herewith submitted : That, hereupon, we printed said Complaint a.ud Answer, and sent a copy thereof to each minister in the State, and a circular letter to each District Asso- ciation, requesting them severally " to meet and consider the subject and let us know the conclusion to which they might come :" That we have already received answers from several of our sister Associa- tions, copies of which are herewith submitted ; somBjOf which declare explicitly the opinion, that the errors of the book are fvmdaiMntal, and that if they receive express ecclesiastical allowance in our State, then a good standing in the ministry among us cannot and ought not to be deemed eY&n prima facie evidence of soundness in the faith ; and others say that the book has made such an im- pression aa to fiurnish occasion for putting its author on trial before the proper tribunal