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j?(m%rn Christian
MA(ON GA., JANUARY 19 h, 1866
THE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES
OF METHODISM.
Methodism has been successful wherever
there was a demand for the exercise of the
evangelical or aggressive functions of the
ministry, or, more exactly, for preaching in
Dew fields; its failures have grown out of
its neglect to cultivate to its fullest capacity
its pastoral or conservative functions, and,
at the same time, to develope fully the
evangelizing function of the church, or its
outgrowth as an organism.
When the Church of England ceased to
be aggressive, Methodism under Wesley
went to the neglected masses and grew into
a vast system. In America it found a peo
pie without a ministry, or moving forward
perpetually into new regions without the
minister, and on the Wesleyan aggressive
plaD, it has sought these out and planted
churches. On this policy it has been sue
cesslul; and it retains its hold on every
community until a church appears there
whose strength lies in a regular pastorate.
Then it holds its own only so long as it
combines the pastoral with the evangelical
system. W 7 esleyan Methodists in England
has so strenuously resisted change as to
itinerancy (though it has yielded to pres
sure in many other respecls,) that there
have been several divisions among them;
and now, in London, the old society is fail
ing behind and the new forms of Method
ism are rapidly outgrowing it. In some
districts in London it has died out. It has
clung to the aggressive feature of its econo
my, neglecting the conservative, and it loses
ground. In our country, it is no better, we
fear. W 7 e have not the figures at hand to
settle the question, but we will venture to
Fay, that if the growth of our church be
compared both with that of other churches
and of the population in the older seetionb
of our country, it will be found that we
have not grown, but rather have fallen back,
while ether churches and the population are
increasing. Onr system is grand for found
ing churches, but fails where we coine into
competition with churches where the pas
toral function is exercised. We have imi
tated the apostles—a pioneering and tempo
rary order in the ministry —we have not
developed ourselves in the pastoral work,
and brought the church, as organized con-,
gregations, up to their full efficiency, as the
centres of an expanding Christianity. We
could do well, when the gospel was a novel
ty —where we could draw congregations—
but we do not use those means which make
them out of the neglected classes, as Wesley
did. Our towns and cities
are growing faster than our churches there.
In such places, aggressions have almost
ceased outside church walls, and our form
of pastorate does not bring the aggressive
power of the church into its fullest exer
cise
The church is an organism, the pastor, as
it were, its heart. He gets into his proper
relation to all his members, he infuses his
spirit into them all, he begins his aggressive
work, leading, directing them, and they aid
ing him ; and when the work is well under
Way, he is transferred to some new centre,
and anew leader and guide is put into his
place. The organism is disturbed, and the
expansion ceases for a time, till' the new
pastor has taken the same initial steps as
the old. And then, change comes again,
and again a suspension of activity. This
system could succeed were the church a
piece of machinery, and the pastors parts of
it in duplicate and triplicate, so that one
could displace another—both being of pre
cisely the same pattern —without interrupt
ing the work of the machine. But are our
pastors such ? And if they were, is not
every congregation an organism—and can
its heart be taken out and replaced by an
other, every little while, without damage
Again, if this be best under some circum
stances, is it best untler all? Every church
must be developed according to conditions
inherent in its individual members, which
conditions give it a character of its own.
This must be taken into account in settling
the laws of its self-development. What
suits one time, one section, one st.ige in the
progress of society, one set of circua dances,
will be injurious to another. Yet Ai thod
ism has cut the same pattern for e’. "ry
preacher and every congregation. It h. s
given no option to the free life within; ana
in theory it holds that, with a few varia
tions, every preacher is suited to every con
gregation, and that constant change works
no danger.
Great as lias been the success of Method
ism, this want of elasticity has been detri
mental to its prosperity It has been ag
gressive, but wot conservative—it has gain*
ed, but not held.
Can it fall upon some plan, by which it
may do both—gain and keep ? For gaining,
the itinerant system has worked well—on
the whole, better than any other. It ought
to be clung to with tenacity; but it needs
modifying, as to method. It is too inelastic
as now worked. The imperative change
every two years, in every charge, works
damage, when it disturbs the vital action of
an organized congregation, moving forward
happily in the proper work of expansion.
The momentum of growth and improvement,
gained in the two years, is checked, and,
too frequently, wholly lost. But this may
not be true universally, or even generally,
taking the entire field into account, yet it
is true in so many places that modification
of the itinerant system has become ipmera
tive—or the frequent checks Methodism
meets with, where it competes with an able
and powerful pastorate, will end in its de
cay.
This modification may be easily effected
by giving to the episcopacy a larger freedom
as to the term of pastoral appointments,
whether in the stations or on circuits.
Change every year may be allowed, as now,
but to change need not be obligatory. It
may sometimes be necessary to change a
preacher, for both his own sake and that of
his congregation, and this may require the
change of one whom all would agree, for the
sake of both preacher and congregation, had
better remain. Then, let him be moved;
but, surely, to do this there needs no law
compelling the bishop to move every other
man in the conference who lias been two
years in a place. Because twenty men
ought to be moved, should he be compelled
to change forty others, who are edifying the
church and expanding its borders—the only
reason for removing them being, “ their
time is out V ’ The questiou admits but one
answer.
Such a modification of our system we be
lieve imperatively necessary, not merely for
the growth of Methodism, but to our per
forming well all the functions of the church
and ministry. There is an outcry against
it, as leading to Congregationalism. It may
make our congregations larger, and interest
them more in the work of the church, and
make them aggressive upon the surrounding
masses of sinners; but this is the only
“ Congregationalism ” we can see in it. The
essence of that system is independency.
The choice or rejection of pastors is deter
mined by the pew-holders—not the church
members merely. But we propose no
change in the itinerant ryethod cf annual
appointments, unless the bishops should feel
unwilling, with so large a libeity, to bear all
the responsibility of making the appoint
ments. in that case, we would suggest the
election of presiding elders, and thus crea
ting an official body in each conference, to
make the annual changes that may seem ne
cessary. There is no Congregationalism
here. And, we believe that, on this plan,
there would be far less friction than at pre
sent in the working of the itinerant system.
The church would, therefore, have its evan
gelical function unimpaired; while it would
cultivate a pastorate of the highest order,
and we would have solved the problem of
gaining and keeping—of conquest and
growth —of pioneering on the frontier, and
doing more and better than other churches
where society is stable More and better
we say, not from vain glory, but because we
believe that the doctrines of Methodism,.her
fervor, her revival zeal, are as well adapted
for the work of thorough evangelization even
in old and crowded communities, as they
are “on the borders,” where her success is
acknowledged by all men. Only give her
the pastorate of the primitive church, in
which other denominations now excel her,
and allow the self developing power of the
church to be felt, and she will soon prove
that the old glory has not departed from her.
It will he seen, that we have no sympathy
with those who cry out that the church has
lost all its spirituality, and the ministry is
backslidden. To say this of them certainly
would do them great wrong, ( and be far
more damaging in the eyes of the world
(sometimes given the reason why the
church is deserted by our young people,)
than to say that the adaptation of her sys
tem to the present wants of the country is
not perfect. Some assert the former, but
we only the latter fact. True, there may
be some decay. There is periodicity in
everything human. Mr. Wesley ’3 Journal
abounds in complaints of backslidings. The
amo thing is repeated in every decade.
L t those of our. time are very largely pro
duce! by our systeni—by imperfect pasto
ratimj -by failure to “edify”—by constant
ly distui ing the orgauism of each charge—
removing 1 l, e centre of its activities every
two years. At this point is the weakness of
Methodism—:l:e sburce of its apparent
failure.
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
Again ; we object to their theory that we
are all backslidden, 1. Because by it the
cure of the evils complained of is largely in
their hands, and yet we are not healed; and
therefore it is proved false by results. For,
as we think too well of these brethren to
believe that they set themselves up as better
than others, they will, of course, acknow
ledge themselves as backslidden with oth
era. If thus backslidden, there is oppor
tunity and occasion for their doing better —
for healing the church on their own theory,
that revival influence and spirituality are all
that is needed. If they, seeing what is
needed, cannot bring even themselves back
to the old standard of Methodism, will they
tell us how is the entire church, not feeling
and believing as they do, to be brought
back ? They tell us we are sick, pronounce
what the disease is, and what the remedy,
but do not tell us when and how to obtain
it—do not even get it for themselves. If
not backslidden like the others, the results
of their ministry declare their theory wrong,
for we do not find that those opposed to
change bear more fruit than those who favor
it, or if borne, it is not more permanent, in
their case, than in that of others. 2. We
object, because the theory is inconsistent;
for it declares, Ist, we are a backslidden
church, loose in discipline, and a worldly
minded and unsanctified ministry, and 2d,
that because we are a holy people and insist
on such a strict religious life, that our con
gregations leave us, and go to other denom
inations where they are allowed a large/
license Is the argument consistent ?
No, the symptoms of the disease have
been mistaken for its cause. The prescrip
tion offered will only modify the symptoms
—not extirpate the disease. We go back
to its cause. If the church is backslidden
it is for want no tof a pious ministry, but of a
proper development of its pastoral function,
and for repressing the free life of the church
by trying to model all communities after
one pattern, and checking its growth, by a
periodical interference with its pastorate.
THE PUBLISHING - HOUSE.
We are frequently asked what the Gen
eral Conferent e will do with its Publishing
House. We cannot answer the question.
We have published the resolutions of the
South Carolina Conference, indicating its
wish to see it disposed of, and anew sys
tem inaugurated. The St. Louis Christian
Advocate, commenting on the action of this
Conference,
Let us be Jin aright. Appoint a competent
agent, o**," to superintend the publication
antkdistv and sale of books, and let the
books be published where it can be done best
and cheapest. There are large publishing houses
in different parts of the country, that would
gladly undertake the work in whole, or in part,
and perform it at a cost greatly below what it
has been done, or is likely to be done for on the
old plan.
Besides, with a correct knowledge of the
great Bock Concern of the Northern Methodist
Church, who that desires the purity and real
prosperity of the Church would desire such an
engine of power among us? One of the most
learned, most exemplary and far-seeing men of
that Church, lately wrote to the Advocate as fol
lows :
‘•The Northern Church, that is, the adminis
tration of it. is exceedingly puffed up with what
it, calls prosperity, but which is only power.—
Through the concentration of all influence in a
few hands, the pulpit and press being absolute
ly controlled by a few score of men, the whole
services of the Church, and particularly the po
litico-moral fetJjhgs of the membership, are
directed by this dominant few; and into them
the lust, of power and the lave of sway have en
tered.in the garb of angels of light. In the
meantime, while you see the full evils of that
ecclesiastical sy.-tem which gives the press and
the pulpit, and the schools, all into the same
hands, will you persist in doing the same ? Will
you build up yous ruined Book Concern when
you see witat a curse i> is at the North ”
These are the views of one of large experi
ence—of one who has been closely and intimate
ly connected with the infernal affairs of that
Church—knows how. those affairs have been man
aged, and knows something of the effects of that
management. But we might do better To be
sure we might, *nd then we might do even worse
Let us try another plan, and thus avoid the
risk
CHANGE OF ARRANGEMENT.
For sundry reasons of convenience, for
gaining roma, etc., etc., we consider it best
to dispense with one of the heads to our
double paper. This, however, does not in-
J dicate a purpose to abandon our design of
giving the best family paper we can get up,
I one giving the news, the markets, and a
| great variety of articles on subjects of gen
-1 eral interest.
■*
j Marriage k ees —A correspondent says :
I know some places where a little paragraph
to about this effect would benefit: Marriage
! fees to parsons should not become obsolete.
I On the contrary, to give them would be a
j most wholesome practice, though not neces-
I sitated by law. Especially is this becoming
I and desirable, and needeth ir»c ease upon
the past, in order that the parson may drop
the seedy homespun for the more becoming
black suit. A word to the wise, we hope,
J will prove sufficient.
THE LOUISIANA CONFERENCE.
We are indebted to Rev. R. J. Harp for
the following information from the Louisi
ana Conference. The session was held at
Mansfield, by Bishop Andrew. The Con
ference passed resolutions to memorialize the
General Conference, “To abolish the sys
tem of receiving members into our church,
on probation. ” 11 To so change the man
ner of voting in quarterly conferences as to
provide that all voting in licensing preach
ers, recommending them for admission into
the travelling connection and for local Dea
cons, *br elders orders shall be by ballot.
“To establish some solemn and uniform
method of receiving members into the Com
munion of our Church.”
“ To take into consideration the proprie
ty of extending the term of the pastorate, to
four years, at the discretion of the Bishop. ”
“ To observe the Friday immediately pro
ceeding the meeting of the General Confer
ence as a day of public fasting and prayer,
for the blessing of God, upon the delibera
tions of that body. ”
The Delegates to the General Conference
are J. C. Keener, Linus Parker, Joseph
B. Walker, Robert J. Harp, Wm. E. M.
Linfield. Reserves—N. A. Cravens, J. A.
Ivey.
The missionary tneeting was held Satur
day night. The audience was addressed
by Drs. Marvin and Walker—collection (in
cash) something over five hundred dollars.
The following resolution also was passed:
Resolved, that the thanks of the mem
bers of this Conference are due to the own
ers of the “Era Line” of Red River Steam
ers, plying between Shreveport and New
Orleans, for their generous liberality in
trensporting free of charge the preachers
travelling on their bqats, to attend the Con
ference.
To estimate the liberality to which the
above refers, it must he known that the fare
from New Orleans to Shreveport is &50 00,
and nearly the same to the Mansfield landing.
Messrs. Couns (consisting of five broth
ers,) who own this line of boats have had
eighteen years’ experience steamboating on
Reds River, are sober, Sbliging, and at
tentive to their business; take their own
risks upon their vessels and of course will
exercise the utmost caution.
The following is a list of the appoint
ments :
New Orleans District —John C. Kee
ner, Presiding Eider.—Carondelet Street
Church, J. B. Walker; Felicity Street, L.
Parker; Moreau Street, Robert J. Harp;
First German Church, to be supplied; Sec
ond German Church, do.; Lafayette Ger
man Church, John A. Pauley; Jefferson
City and Louisiana Avenue,/C. E. Evans;
New Orleans Circuit, Mat. D. Thomasson;
Baton Rouge, Wm. E. L. Linfield ; Plaque
mine and Gross Tete, to be supplied ; Pro
fessor in Centenary < ollege, A. G. Miller;
Wesley, Soule and Winans Chapels, to be
supplied.
Opelousas District —Alex. E. Good
wyn, Presiding Elder.—Opelousas Station,
Jas E. Bradley; Washington and Bayou
Boeuff, Fisher T. Rawson; Lafayette Cir
cuit, J. H. Nimmo (supply); New Iberia,
Jos. D. Adams; Franklin, A. E. Goodwyn;
Pattersonville, Henry B. Frazee; Thibo
daux and Houma, R. Hardie, Jr.; Plaque
mine Brulee, John S. Davis; Opelousas
Female College, Ben. F. White.
Alexandria Dist—Philo M. Good
wyn, Presidinh Elder. —Alexandria, Philo
M. Goodwyn ; Rapides Circuit, William J.
Atwood; Calcasieu, to be supplied; Grand
Cheniere, S. J. Graves; Centreville, A. W.
Moore; Harrisonburg and Trinity, to be sup
plied; Columbia Circuit, E. W. Yancey;
Evergreen and Big Cane, Henry 0. White;
Marksvtlle, Robt. Parwin; Winfield, John
H. Boult; Atlanta, J. F. Wynn; Chicot,
Fred. White.
Homer District. —Reynolds Trippett,
Presiding Elder.—Homer Circuit, Nehe
miah A. Cravens; Yernon, Whitmell P.
Kintha'l; Louisville, Wm. Waldrip, Benj.
F. Baker. Assistant, (supplied) ; Farmers
ville, R. T. Parish ; Ouachita, C. W. Hodge;
Donnsville, Wm. D. Staylon; Monroe, Rey
nolds Trippett.
Minden District —S. S. Scott, presid
ing Elder. —Minden Circuit, J. A. Miller;
Haynesville, Jno. F. Trustlcw; Mount Leb
anon, R. A. New; Sparta, Thos. J. Upton ;
Bienville, R. M. Crowson; South Bossier,
Wm. D. Shea and S. B Suratt..
Shreveport District— B. F. Alexan
der, Presiding Elder.—Shreveport, Thos B.
White; North Bossier, Nathaniel M. Tal
bott; Greenwood, Sam. J. Hawkins; Caddo,
L. M. Lewis, (one to be supplied); Mans
field Circuit, John Pipes, Jas. L. Chapman ;
Pleasant Hill, Wm. H. Moss; Maney,to be
supplied; Red River Circuit, J. C. Reid,
R. R R. Alexander; Bayou La Chute, Bax
. ter Clegg; Campte, Jesse Fulton.
Bastrop District —J. A. Ivey, Presid
ing Elder. —Bastrop and Wright’s Chapel,
Chailes W. Carrer, Jos. H. Stone; Bayou
Bartholomew, to be supplied ; Jefferson Cir
cuit, do.; Bayou Disiered, W. C. Haislip.
Tensas District —W. G. McGaughey,
Presiding Elder.—Lake Providence, Ah
thony Cannon; Wesley and Jordan Chap
els, P. H. Dieffeinwirth ; Tensas and Wa
| ter proof, J. Little (supply); Bayou Macon,
i Henry L. Green; Winnsboro, Thomas H.
McClendon; Delhi, Thos J. Lacey; Car
roll, T. Reneau (supply); Deer Creek ahd
Sicily Island, Lewis A. Reed; Concordia,
I Fielding Bell; lon, Joshua F. Scurlock.
Superannuated —Thomas Sanford, Da
vid Kinnear, Henry C. Thweatt, Joel San
ders, Samuel Armstrong and Chas. J. Hal
berg.
Transferred. — Hast Texas ( oufertn.ee,
Wm. C. Young, appointed to Dallas circuit;
Daniel S. Watkins, appointed to Jasper
Circuit. . .
Louisville Conference. —Philip L. Hen
derson.
Left without Appointments.—Clay
ton C. Gillespie, on account of ill health;
J. F. DeWitt; Anderson B. Fly; Wade
H. Frost; Arthur W. Smith, on account of
their locality and circumstances being un
known to the Conference; Jeptha Landrum,
withdrawn from Conference and the minis
try. .
£orasj)oni)ctut.
FROM WESTERN ALABAMA.
New Year—The Dead— Edwin Cull—Dr Sassnett—RA
Baker—The Church, etc., at Greens-boro’, Ala.
Mr. Editor: A happy New Year to you,
and a prosperous one (o the Advocate ! It
looks like a biting irony to wiite of happy
and prosperous Ntw Years; but let us, by
the grace of God, make the year happy and
prosperous. According to Faber, Gumming,
and other prophets, this year—6o6 plus 1260
= 1866, Q E. t D—is the grand Millennial
Year. But you and I know better, and it
may not be amiss for sober and sensible
men to explode and refute the mischievous
and baseless fancies of those visionaries.
It is demonstrab y false that Jcsu3 Christ
w 11 make a bodily advent to our earth be
fore the millennium. He will do no such
thing. That is a negative which I w.ll en
gage to prove when circumstances favor the
undertaking.
I have just been meditating on the mor
tality among the great and good of the
world since we of the S >uth were en rapport
with the rest of mankind. I wish you
would take the pains to maae out a necro
logy for the past five years. What names
will you have in the list! Is iac Taylor’s
will be there. Wtat an exquisitely beauti
ful tr.bute to the mernoiy cf that wonder
ful man was that of your gifted corrtspon
dent, Tullius!
Since the war, I have received a letter
informing me of the death of a young kins
man of mine, El win Cull—the author of
some admirable papers on the G.eek Tra
gedy, which appeared in the Q mrterly Re
view of the M. E Church, South, a little
before the war. He was a graduate of Co
lumbian College, Washington, D C , and a
lutor of Languages after his graduation.
To fit himself more fully for the Professor’s
chair, he repaired to Berlin to pursue his
utudies in that University. There he died
of consumption, in November, J,862. „His
brother and brother in-law (a Baptist min
ister ) reached Berlin four days after his
death and took his remains to Washington,
where they now lie, with tfcoae of his kin
dred in the Congress cemetery. My cor
respondent says— ‘ E twin would shortly
have received the degree of Doctor of Phi
lology. Though our best scholars, such &s
President Felton, cf H irvard,, had tried
to get that honor, none of them had suc
ceeded, and no American has ever been
feble to obtain it from the University of
B rlin. He was cor eiders and by the best
scholars of Berlin the mest wonderful and
best scholar in America. He was spoken
ol in the highest t< rms and wih the great
est enthusiasm, by all the scholais of Ger
many who were acquainted with him. They
were astonished to find one so young—not
quite 21yeais of age—so profoundly learn*
ed.” The death of such a yourg man is a
great loss to the country. If the Q mrterly
should be rent wed, I expected to get
considerable assistance from him, if [ had
anything to do with its editorial manage
ment. °
Then there is the death of that great
hearted, noble, intellectual Chri-tian min
ister and philosopher, Dr. Sasneti 1 What
a loss have we sustained in his removal to
Paradise! What a loss have / sustained!
But th s is no place for the expre s ion of
personal griefs. I hope some competent
hand will give us a werthy memoir of our
departed friend.
Then, too, there is the death of that great
layman, Robert A. Baker, another of my
most intimde, mucb-lovfd and devoted
friends. The whole Sou! hern Methodist
church should go into mourning lorß.bert
A. Baker, and funeral sermons should be
preached for him, at least all over the Ala
bama Conference. When sych a standard
bearer falls, we may well ask, « Who will
be baptized for the dead V*
In this connection, I may as well give
you the proceedings of a meeting held last
night at the parsonage, in rcfeience to this
mournful event.
“ At a meeting of the Trustees and Facul
ty of the Southern Uoive> s ,y, held in
Greensboro’, Ala., Jan. 1 1866, the R v. Dr.
W'ghlman was called to the ch» ir and T.
N. Lupton wt-s a; pointed Set retaty. 'I he
chairman stated the ot ject of the meeting
to be to give expression to our feelings iu
regard to the death of Robert A Btker.
0 > mo'ion, a committee ot thtee consisting
of '‘£ R v D . Simmers, J J Hu chirson
and D . Wa«ts*o rth was aj pointed to draft
suitable resolu ions. Toe committee re
ported the foil wing, which were unani
mously adopted :
I “ Whereas, it lire pleased Almighty God
, to remove from this world, by a euddei?
| death, on D.c. 22,1865, our beloved broths,