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SratjjOT Christian
MACON, GA., FEBRUARY 2d, 1866.
THE APPRO ACHING CONFLICT.
From our point of view, we can see that
a great conflict awaits the Southern Metho
dist Church. It is our duty to prepare our
people for it—for “forewarned, forearmed.”
Northern Methodism proposes to take
possession of the field, to press us to the
wall, and finally to absorb or exterminate us.
It makes no offer of terms—will not ac
knowledge us as a church, but rather pro
poses to add another to the denominations
our communion has to contend against, and
that with advantages that will make it more
formidable to us than either of the others;
for it has a church polity identical with ours
—has our forms and doctrines; and it will
claim that ours is a sectional church, kept
alive by reminiscences of the past, while it
is a catholic church, coterminous with the
nation. This argument may avail nothing
with the present generation or the next—
but it is our duty to have an eye to the fu
ture.
Let us look forward a quarter of a cen
tury. Old animosities will have died out
on both sides. Southern Methodism may
have survived, through all this time. But
another Methodism has grown up alongside
of it. Abolition and the war, and the fierce
passions of the Northern church, which en
gendered tho former and made the latter a
fiendish crusade against women and chil
dren, the aged and the infirm* have died out
of the living memory. They survive in
history, but a thousand other vital questions
and present interests that may tend to unify
the people will then predominate. The
country is then at peace, the Union is re
stored in feeling as well as in fact. All
this may not be, yet what Christian man can
wish it otherwise for his childrens’ sake, if
these States are to form one Union. Let us
then suppose there is xmion—areal, and not
a mock political unioD such as Christians
must deprecate. Here, then, will be these
two churches, which just now in 1866, are
entering upon a contest for possession of the
land. At the outset, the one already occu
pying has the advantage. The hearts of
the people are with it. There is a most rea
sonable aversion to the treatment they have
received and are receiving as a people and
as Christians, from the other church. In
deed, that treatment is a foul blot upon
Christianity; and there is no doubt that the
body of Southern Methodists will feel its
approaches—such as they are—to be highly
offensive.
Yet the others have advantages, too,
which will tell in a lons contest. Wb are
impoverished. They are rich. Our churches
are dilapidated in many places destroyed.
We can scarce repair the old— cannot build
new. Our preachers can barely live.
Many are driven !o semi-secular employ
ments. Our schools and colleges languish
—theirs are flourishing. They show them
selves ready to expend fabulous sums of
money for getting foothold here, in estab
lishing missions, in buying and building
churches, and in educating preachers.
Until now, slave labor has directly or indi
rectly very largely supported Southern
churches. Now that support is withdrawn,
and the effort is making by this rival com
munion to attract the negroes to itself. And
they are yielding to the solicitation at many
points. Already, almost before the smoke
of the battle is cleared away, the work of
aggression is begun. A conference of col
ored preachers has set jn New Orleans. An
other, perhaps two) are about to be formed
on oor seaboard. Methodist itinerancy fur
nishes all the needed elements for a wide
spread, universal system of aggression.
Does any one doubt that it will be tried ?
But it will not be confined to the blacks.
It has commenced among the whites on the
border. In Kentucky and Tennessee (and
since this was written, even in Georgia,) con
ferences are established. Central points,
further South, are already in view; and be
fore many years this Northern itineracy
will—if they predict rightly of themselves
—have put a preacher in every Southern
town, perhaps in every county. This church
has the men, the money, the purpose. It
also has the literature—papers, for adults
and children—books, periodicals, printing
houses, schools, colleges, theological institu
tions every thing. We have, it may be,
a dozen papers—none with patronage enough
to live a year by subscriptions alone—and a
book establishment whose existence is per
haps in jeopardy. Os this we know not.
Another advantage it has. The power of
the government is with it,and it is resolved
to keep and use this power, if possible.
Radicalism is the foster child of the North
ern religious mind, and it is now straining
every nerve to put the negro in such ra
tion to the whites as that when the Norths
ern churches have brought him into their
fold, they shall hold a position whence it may
be easy to advance to the absorption or scat
tering of the white congregations. For they
count on weakening and scattering where
they cannot absorb. Rather than see us
survive, they will, by strife and persecution,
if it be possible, make the very name “ Me
thodist” so odious, that another generation
will flee from it, into other communions, as
from pollution. To destroy us they will
court disgrace, where their ends cannot be
otherwise effected. As in the recent con
test in the field, they count on their over
whelming numbers ; on their wealth, which
again is not to be spared; on their unyield
ing purpose, which in thirty years advanced
an insignificant handful of agitators to be
the disorganizers of a nation, and which will
work for thrice thirty years to effect its end.
Such are some of the grounds for hope the
leaders in this crusade set before their fol
lowers, to stimulate them to the conflict.
Time with them is nothing. They argue
that in a score or two of years, with their
power, and money, and numbers, and means
of propagandism, they will succeed in sup
planting our church, by absorbing or dis
persing its membership. Beginning with
the blacks, as a base, they expect to build
themselves up by drawing to their commun
ion immigrants from the North and from
abroad, those who may desert us, those who
never knew or cared about the controversy
between us, and those who by affinity, or
circumstances, or convenience, or by con
version among them may be won over, and
those of the generations coming on, who
shall grow up in a perfected and peaceable
union, not knowing of the war or feeling its
effects.
Now, it behooves the wise men of our
communion to know and to consider these
facts, and to prepare to meet the shock of
this battle. Let us see whereunto God calls
us. Can we maintain through all the future
a church confined to a section, under the
pressure of a powerful organization hedged
in by no territorial lines but national in ex
tent, and also identical with ours in polity,
but many times more powerful in all the
elements of material strength? Can we
live as the church of a section ? Ought we
to seek to perpetuate our communion as the
church of a section, as the “ Church,
South,” —this being our chief ground of
distinctiveness —among a people whose po
litical strength and true national life are
derived from a cordial unity in interest and
sentiment ?
These are questions we may prefer to
pass over to the future. We may wish to
adjourn them till another generation takes
them up, but God has laid heavy responsi
bilities upon us, and we cannot do it and be
innocent— we dare not do it. They must be
answered by some body to this generation of
Methodists—answered satisfactorily, so that
we may know that our work and the work
of our fathers is not to die with us—that we
ourselves are not moving on blindly to a
hopeless conflict. For, as certain as desti
ny, we now stand at the verge of battle, and
we must engage in it or avert it,jas God may
help us.
We do not propose to discuss the ques
tions of success or failure, or to determine
for others what the issue may be. Let each
judge of the future from his own stand
point. Our purpose is one more in the in
terest of peace. We wish to avert the war.
—to save Christianity from the shame of a
protracted partizan contest between kindred
churches—to suggest for Southern Metho
dism anew life, which shall more than ever
show the system that originated with Mr.
Wesley to be a child of Providence. We
wish to see our church adapting itself wisely
to the age, and taking upon it such forms
of catholicity as shall give it the freedom
of the world.
v In another number, we shall set forth
what we believe to be the mission of South
ern Methodism, as indicated by the Head of
the Church.
In answer to a correspondent we state
that the post office of Dr. Huston is New
port, Ky., and of Mrs. Cross, Harrodsburg,
Ky. Any preacher, local as well as well an
traveling, or anybody else, can get the Ad
vocate gratis for a year, by sending the'
money for ten subscribers for the same time
to J. W. Burke & Cos. It is intended to
make the benefit reciprocal; of course, none
can desire it to be otherwise.
Those faying SI.OO and taking the pa
per now for three months can, after the ex
piration of that time, have it continued for
seven months for two dollars, or for one
year longer for three dollars. This, in an
swer to a question propounded by an agent.
The terms are invariable for old subscribers
and for new ones.
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
ECCLESIASTICAL FREEBOOTER.
We cut the following impudently cool
statement from an exchange. Some fiilibus
ter going to Little Rock, Ark., found that
the Southern Methodists had fled before the
army, abandoning their homes and, proba
bly, their libraries and furniture, as well as
their house of worship. The gentleman
takes possession of their house of worship;
and, if he carried out his principles, he toek
a good house to live in, with its library and
furniture. He could justify himself and
retain the sequestrated property, just as he
does for holding the church. Perhaps he
will invite the owner to come in and read a
book occasionally, or may be, will go so far
as to lend him a pot —at least he will let him
use the bellows, if he will not carry them out
of the house. His proposals about using the
church are equivalent to this. He says :
“When I arrived here from our Confer
ence, I found the Methodist church aban
doned by both the preachers and trustees of
the M. E. Church, South. I took posses
sion, of course, without remonstrance, and
continued in perfect peace, until within the
last few weeks. The Arkansas Conference
(South) having sent out their ministers to
reorganize their churches, I was suddenly
surprised by an attempt by the preachers
and some of their more radical members, to
get possession of our church building here.
As an individual, having remained in this
country during the war, endured all the
hardships and dangers incident to the same,
for the purpose of trying to sustain the gos
pel, and having conducted our church mat
ters here on the strictest principles of Chris
tian charity, I felt that my right to occupy
any Methodist church, which had been vol
untarily abandoned was, and is, at least par
amount to that of any other. Consequently,
I declined vacating the house, and still con
tinue in it. The Southern brethren resolved,
not to accept any portion of the time which
might be granted them by us, unless they
could carry the church-key, and control the
whole matter; so that they now occupy the
Presbyterian church every Sabbath. What
the final result will be, tell, but so
far prospects have not been dam
aged.” W
Kind Words. —Many of our cotempora
ries have spoken kindly of the Advocate , in
noticing its change of form and enlargement.
We here tender them our grateful acknowl
edgments. A sense of propriety forbids
our republishing all the good things said of
the paper; and a sense of justice does not
allow us to discriminate among them. We
thank them for their courtesy; and hope
they will find the paper all they have prom
ised their readers it is to be. We are also
grateful to those preachers who have thought
our efforts to maintain the paper, worth a
good word; but we are doubly grateful to
those who are increasing the subscription
list. It grows slowly—alas ! how slowly.—
Brother, you who are reading this line—as
if face to face, we ask, “what are you doing
for the Advocate ?” It is a pity that neces
sity should compel us to say, that the kind
est words in our language to us just now
take the form of proper names, with post
office and Arabic numerals appended.
The Post Offices. —There is already
much complaint from some quarters about
the non-reception of the paper. The postal
arrangements of the South are far from
being regular, yet it ought not to be, in
a post office on the railroad within a few
miles of Macon, that a brother misses his
paper every week; when we know that it
goes in the package from this office. Do not
some persons go so irregularly to the post
office, that the incumbent or his factotum
takes it for granted the paper will not be
called for. Some papers furnish very plea
sant reading for the loungers about country
post offices; and sometimes, if in too great
a hurry to stay long, the paper goes into
the pocket, with—“ Bob, I’ll take this to
night. I’ll bring it back to-morrow, before
old comes to town.” “Be sure,” says
Bob. To-morrow comes, but no paper.—
“Old ” makes his appearance. In
cumbent is furious that “them Advocate
people don’t attend better to their business.
No paper for you again to-day,” and the un
suspecting subscriber sits down and fires off
a load of indignation at the editor and pub
lishers. We are constantly “blown up,”
because there are post office thieves. Oh,
that somebody would blow them up.
Back Numbers.—The surplus numbers
we printed for January are exhausted. We
are sorry that they were few; but paper
costs too much to print many surplus papers.
Subscriptions now must commence from Ist
February.
“The False Cnßisx.” —The beautiful
story we are now giving our readers, is by
the author of the “Cotta-Schonberg Fami
ly” and of many other recent works. We con
sider her among the best writers of the age.
Her “Kitty Trevylyan’s Diary,” we have
already mentioned as the most charming and
profitable religious story we have read—
perhaps ever.
Christian Union Association.
There is an Association in New York
city, which has laid for its foundation the
following declaration of principles:
1. That the unity of the Spirit creates
the unity .of the one Holy Catholio Church.
2. That the doctrines of the common sal
vation set forth in what is called the Apos
tles’ and the Nicene Creeds, compose the
broad basis with which all subsequent form
ularies of the evangelical denominations of
the Christian Church cohere.
3. The Church thus one in spirit, and
agreeing upon the cardinal truths of reve
lation and redemption, ought to be, so uni
fied in visible fellowship, as to give evidence
to the world that it is one in spirit, faith
and purpose.
4. Denominational organizations do not
destroy spiritual oneness—any more than
the several members of the human body
destroy its integrity—so long as they are
animated by the mind of Christ.
5. As the “communion of saints” is an
article in the universal creed of the Church,
and ought to be incorporated among its usa
ges, we believe that wise, fraternal and ex
pedient measures should be taken to bring
into closer union all who now love and serve
the Lord, and confess themselves to be “bre
thren of one another.”
These five propositions compose the fun
damental principles on which this Christian
Union Association has been organized.—
These furnish the warrant for its existence,
and define the main object it will labor to
attain. We believe its aims will be approved
by those who know what the will of their
Lord is respecting his people; and though
obstacles to its realization must be expected,
yet do we fervently thank God for help in
past efforts, and take courage from the right
eousness of our cause to labor for large re
sults in the future.
In. farther prosecuting its undertaking, it
has, in our judgment, become necessary to
define more exactly than has been done hith
erto what is the main outline of the plan of
operations to be observed. For the sake of
clearness, this plan may be deselfced first
in its negative and second in its positive
1 (a) The Christian Uniom
Association docs not intend to assail peciljjj
liarities of denominational doctrine, usage,
or worship, nor to question the right of the
several denominations to maintain their own
forms of culture.
() It does not intend to express its pref
erence for one form of polity over another,
nor for one mode of worship over another;
nor to urge that there shall be but one type
of custom or usage common to all branches
of the Church catholic.
(c) It will not allow any denominational
ascendancy to define its aims, control its op
erations, or execute its plans of Christian
usefulness. Its existence and influence are
both conditioned upon its close adherence to
the fundamental principles herein contained
and in order set forth.
(and) It is not the purpose of this Christian
Union Association to organize anew sect,
denomination or order, nor to aid any one
denomination in finding fault with auother.
The most vital positive feature of its plan
is:
To recognize the existing spiritual uni
ty of the people of God as a grand and po
tential fact, to be set forth, proclaimed, and
enforced by all the arguments and sanctions
of truth and charity.
The third of a series of Sabbath monthly
meetings of the Association was held re
cently in 29th Street Dutch Church, New
York city. Dr. DeWitt, says the Methodist,
offered some remarks, warmly commending
the work of the Association, and the perse
vering labors of the Secretary against great
obstacles of hindrance. The severe weather
did not chill the audience, who listened to
Drs. DeWitt and Church, and Bishop Yail,
of Kansas—representing the three polities,
Congregational, Presbyterian, and Episcopal,
until a late hour. An extended report is
impossible. Bishop Vail's points were: Ist.
Spiritual unity already exists, and generates
all visible unions. A basis for church union
was found in the atonement and correlative
doctrines in the Word of God. Such a ba
sis must be broad. No sectarian peculiarity
could be that basis. For one, he was ready
to assert that the Episcopacy could not be
the ground for them—nor could Congrega
tionalism cr Presbyterianism. They were
too narrow. But a basis could better be
found in a blending of all. He spoke of
American ideas of centralization in Church
and in State as quite likely to work out the
problem. Wo are tending that way fast,
and must come to unity. He spoke feel
ingly of his loved fellowship for the vener
able Dr. DeWitt, and closed with a tribute
to tho Universal Church of Christ. Dr.
Church, ol tho Baptist denomination, spoke
earnestly for union. He surprised all by
taking the name ground as that taken by the
Bishop, that we must give up denomination
alisin to secure unity; that is, that unity
could only bo advanood by exalting the
grounds common to all ercods, keeping back
all differences. l)r. DoWitt was rejoiced to
commond the words of a Baptist as well as
those of tho Bishop.
Bishop Morris, preaching recently at
Xenia, Ohio, was compelled to desist, being
attacked with a slight paralysis of his right
arm.
METHODISM PAST AND FU
TURE.
The Richmond Advocate has begun dis
cussing the questions to be considered at
the next General Conference. In a recent
article the editor says:
“As the primary object of Methodism
was to revive religion and not to organize a
church, more attention was given to spirit
ual life than to ecclesiastical arrangements.
It succeeded. It entered upon a field of
operations wider than the anticipations of
its founders. It became a denomination.
But the rules of the Methodist societies
were calculated originally only for the de
velopment of religious character, and not
for the regulation of a great ecclesiastical
organization. Its denominational constitu
tion, therefore, grew gradually out of its own
experience, and consists now of a series of
amendments and precedents, forming a Dis
cipline not contemplated or foreseen as a
whole. The church acquired immense in
fluence. Some of its friends have even
boasted of its success, and grown vain of
its proportions.
“It is the misfortune of some still to con
template Methodism only retrospectively:
to speak of how much it has accomplished,
and to argue from that to the conclusion
that its futdre must be equally brilliant.
This is shallow reasoning. The future of
Methodism does not depend on the same
conditions as its past. It is not now chiefly
a revival. It finds Christian civilization
materially altered since the days of Mr. West*
ley. It contributed largely to effect that
alteration.
“The question for it to decide now is,
how it preserve all of its valuable ele
ments, and continue, as a church, to increase
in religious usefulness. To this question,
the thought of the church is more than
usually directed. In its consideration, the
ecclesiastical wisdom of Southern Method
ism is to be tested at the approaching ses
sion of the General Conference. It is the
future , not the past pf the church, that con
cerns the past is valuable to us in il
tdijlfef church government, and espe
■Ttne experience we have derived
it in respect to agencies of Methodis
wer and progress.
) . . we . s^ he capable of a judicious
discrimination in examining the forces of
Methodism, and estimating the value of
particular features in its economy; if the
Episcopacy, Presiding Eldership, duration
of the Pastoral Term, Lay Delegation in the
General Conference, and other subjects of
discussion are considered, not in the spirit
of controversy, but, in the calmness of de
liberate investigation of their value to the
future success of our ’ church, we believe
that improvements will be realized
improvements all the more valuable be
cause, not the experiments of empiricism,
but the better and more lasting advantages
that grow immediately out of the life and
action of the system.”
The Rev. Y. J. Allen. —The preach
ers of the Georgia Conference will not for
get that one of their number, the llev
Young J. Allen with his family is far sep-.
arated from them, laboring for the heathen.
Nor ought they to forget that our M issionary
Treasury collapsed with the Southern Con
federacy ; and that these servants of the
church must have aid, or else suffer. The
Georgia Conference thought on these things,
while it was in session. Will the members
think of them until they have taken up the
collection they then ordered for that mission.
It was to be taken up early—taken up in
time to send the money to the General Con
ference by the delegates. They asked us to
remind them of it. We do so now; and we
hope they will get a good collection. No
body may be able to do much. All may do
a little; and if all the congregations have
the opportunity many littles put together
may make enough. Is there a preacher
who will excuse himself from effort? Let
him suppose himself in Bro. Allen’s place,
and then do as he would be done by. His
must be an overwhelming reason for the
omission, who can resist the force of that
one thought.
Aggression Begun.— A friend has seen
published, and reports to us, that a quasi
Conference of the Northern Methodist
Church has been held in Atlanta, by Bish
op Clark, and appointments made for the
W estern Georgia and Alabama Districts.—
He recollects that J. H. Caldwell is appoin
ted to Troup, Harris and Alabama; his bro
ther, C. M. Caldwell, to Forsyth and Henry;
John O’Donnelly, to Palmetto; Richard H.
Waters and Dr. Powell, to Jonesboro; C.
W. Parker, to Griffin, Forsyth and Thomas
ton; and Wm. Brewer to North Georgia.
These names will be recognized as those of
recent traveling and looal preachers among
us. The appointment in Atlanta is D. Ilut
ledge, an importation, we suppose. So the
work of invasion is begun. We presume
these former brethren are duly penitent, and
are received by the immaculates upon con
fession of sin.
The Southern Presbyterian has re
sumed publication at Columbia, S. C. The
present editor is Rev. James Woodrow,,
long and well known as an instructor in
Georgia and South Carolina. We wish him
great suocess. Subscription price $4 per
annum.