METHODISTS. 



553 



hare been, so we will continue to be, their friends, 

 and in every suitable way aid their moral develop- 

 ment and religious welfare. 



After reviewing in full the relations of the 

 Southern Methodist Church to the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church, they gave the following 

 reasons for their opposition to a reunion of the 

 two Churches : 



The abolition, for military and political consider- 

 ations, of the institution of domestic slavery in the 

 United States does not affect the question that was 

 prominent in our separation in \844. Nor is this the 

 only difference or principal one between us and 

 them. While testifying with pleasure to the nobler 

 conduct and sentiments of many brethren among 

 them, we must express with regret our apprehension 

 that a large portion, if not a majority, of Northern 

 Methodists have become incurably radical. They 

 teach for doctrine the commandments of men. They 

 preach another gospel. They have incorporated 

 social dogmas and political tests into their Church 

 creeds. . They have gone on to impose conditions 

 upon discipleship that Christ did not impose. Their 

 pulpits are perverted to agitations and questions not 

 healthful to personal piety, butpromotive of political 

 and ecclesiastical discord, rather than of those ends 

 for which the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ was 

 instituted. Without such a change as we see no im- 

 mediate prospect of, in their tone and temper and 

 practice, we can anticipate no good result from even 

 entertaining the subject of reunion with them. Let 

 us abide in our lot, and- be true to our calling, doing 

 what we can to spread scriptural holiness through 

 these lands, and to oppose the tide of fanaticism 

 which, threatens their overflow. 



We therefore more earnestly would exhort you, 

 brethren, to stand firmly on our platform of doctrine 

 and discipline. Know your high calling. Preach 

 Christ and Him crucified. Do not preach politics. 

 You have no commission to preach politics. The 

 divinity of the Church is never more strikingly dis- 

 played than when it holds on its even, straightfor- 

 ward way in the midst of wordly commotions. Be 

 not turned aside from your path by local, specious, 

 temporary influences. And in all your teaching and 

 administration of discipline, keep in view that rule 

 of our faith which declares that " the Holy Scrip- 

 tures contain all things necessary to salvation; so 

 that whatever is not read therein, nor may be proved 

 thereby, is not to be required of any man." 



Tb^e conduct of certain Northern Methodist bishops 

 and preachers, in taking advantage of the confusion 

 incident to a state of war to intrude themselves into 

 several of our houses of worship, and in continuing 

 to hold these places against the wishes and protests 

 of the congregations and rightful owners, causes us 

 sorrow and pain, not only as working an injury to 

 us, but as presenting to the world a spectacle ill cal- 

 culated to make an impression favorable to Chris- 

 tianity. They are not only using, to our deprivation 

 and exclusion, churches and parsonages which we 

 have builded, but have proceeded to set up a claim 

 to them as their property ; by what shadow of 

 right, legal or moral, we are at a loss to conceive. 

 We advise our brethren who suffer these evils to 

 bear them patiently, to cleave closely together, and 

 not indulge in any vindictive measures or tempers. 

 A plain statement of the case and an appeal to the 

 justice of those in authoritv cannot, fail to defeat 

 such scandalous designs, and secure us the full res- 

 toration of all our rights. 



While some talk of reunion of the two Churches, 

 we forewarn you of a systematic attempt, already 

 inaugurated, and of which the foregoing is only an 

 instance, to disturb and if possible _disintegrate and 

 then absorb our membership individually. In the 

 meeting of their bishops and missionary secretaries, 

 alluded to, it was resolved to send preachers and 



plant societies in our midst wherever" there is an 

 opening. 1 heir policy_ is evidently our division and 

 ecclesiastical devastation. Against all this be on 

 your guard. Internal dissensions will do us much 

 more harm than such outward antagonism. Be true 

 to your principles, and under the divine favor they 

 will triumph. In this connection you will be pleased 

 to hear that our people are steadfast. The border 

 conferences, under special trials, present a noble 

 example of steadfastness. 



They announce that the next General Confer- 

 ence of the Church would meet in New Orleans, 

 on the Wednesday after the first Sunday in 

 April, 1866. They close their address with " an 

 urgent and explicit recommendation " to South- 

 ern Methodists to adjust themselves " as citi- 

 zens of the United States promptly, cheerfully, 

 and in good faith " to all their " duties and re- 

 sponsibilities." This course the bishops deem 

 to be called for on the part of Southern Meth- 

 odists both by a " sound judgment " and an " en- 

 lightened conscience." All the Annual Con- 

 ferences which were held in 1865, as well as 

 all the Church papers, which, after the close of 

 the war, were gradually reestablished,* ex- 

 pressed their concurrence with the bishops. 



The only serious attempt to pass resolutions 

 in favor of a speedy reunion of the Southern 

 and Northern Methodist Churches was made 

 in the " Kentucky Conference " (embracing the 

 eastern portion of the State of Kentucky). At 

 the annual meeting of the Conference at Cov- 

 ington, in September, the majority of the com- 

 mittee on the state of the Church (eleven mem- 

 bers) brought in a report declaring that there 

 existed no longer any satisfactory reason for 

 the continued separation of the two Methodist 

 Churches, and expressing a wish that the South- 

 ern General Conference take appropriate steps 

 for bringing about a reunion. The Conference, 

 after a long and animated debate, rejected the 

 majority report, and instead adopted the fol- 

 lowing minority report : 



Resolved, That we hold ourselves ready to consider, 

 through our chief council, the General Conference 

 of the Methodist Episcopal Church South, any terms 

 presented it by competent authority of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church, as to a union of the two great 

 coordinate branches of Episcopal Methodism in the 

 United States. 



2. That we do earnestly maintain our present re- 

 lation until such time as the proper authorities on 

 both sides shall mutually agree on, terms of union 

 honorable, equitable to each of the parties, and ac- 

 ceptable to our people. 



The vote stood : for the majority report 25, 

 for the minority report 37. Eighteen of the 

 minority of 25 withdrew thereupon from the 

 Conference, and were received by Bishop Mor- 

 ris into the M. E. Church. These were followed 

 by several thousand lay members of the Con- 

 ference. 



* In March, 1S66, the following papers of the Methodist 

 Episcopal Church South had betim't-stablished:" Richmond 

 Christian Advocate," "Episcopal Methodist," Richmond, 

 Vu. "Southern Christian Advocate," Mncoa. Ga. ; '-Now 

 Orleans Christian Advocate," "Arkansas Christian Advo- 

 cate," Little Eock, Arkansas: "Nashville Christian Advo- 

 cate," " Memphis Christian Advocate ;" " Christian Advo- 

 cate," St. Louis and Louisville ; " Spectator, v San Fraa- 

 cisco, Cal. 



