The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-06-04


Well. the Me,hodsts, with all the serenity,
piety, and unanimity to be expected from men of
so high standard in morals and religion have,
at length, agfeed to differ. Let scoffer dare to
say that all their months talk was smoke-all
their expostuations mere braggadocio that a
lame and impOtent conclusion has been the result
of their considerably more tough than transparent
ratiocination.
No, there is nothing impotent in it-quite
the contrary. The very highest species of potency
has been at work-the creative /; and the delec-
table and gratifying issue is, that the Christian
world is blessed with two churches, instead Of
one.
This, to be sure, is not the opinion of many wise
and learned in such matters nay, some OF the
principals in the late war of words in the Confer
ence, have recorded their opinions, that any termi-
nation of the debate slavery, such as has taken
place, must split the body into fragments, destroy
their unity, if not their existence church and,
what was worst of all, give their enemies tri-
umph over them Now, the last appreh ension will
most certainly be realised Why should not their
enemies laugh at them, when those, any thing but
hostile, are unable to suppress smile at witnessing
the union Of such high pretensions and low capa-
city--such iong- winded debates, and short tenn
pered speakers-so much fummery and fimsness-
so much blarney and pickering, in fact, was dis
played at the Methodist Conference.
Johnson said that Christianity was the perfection
of humanity; and in the doctrine OF Christian
perfection, the Methodists sturdy believers.
Well, it is needless to ask them where we are to
look for it. We know they claim il par excellence,
and all we will say, with the fear Of contrasting 1t
with such clever takers, before our eyes-all We
will say Is this, that their late proceedings afford
bur poor proof of its possesslon-that i ID not at
delberativc body thai they &c let their light shine
before men," They have, however strangely II
may sound, adopted the precedent set them by tht
Irish frogs and snakes in the days of the blessed
Patrick, who went TO evangelize the whole natives
of that Island, except the aforesaid " varmlnt"-
they have IN fact, p" committed suicide to AVOID
Destruction"
When calm observer surveys cody such "per-
lection OF humanity as this, flourlshog on such
soil, he cannot wonder at the growth of skeptcsm,
and Iaxlty Of belief in doctrines which he does moi
see realized II he contemplate them as men,
what wonder If his unbiased mind recurs with
respect to the dignity, the untutored grace-the un-
tortured instinct and noble attitude OF the Indian
Sachem, as he pours forth the torrent Of conviction
to the listening warriors around the council hires
OF his nation. What wonder is il that, contrasting
his collected, dignfed, and sagacious counsel with
Mehodists have done, without resolving one dlifi-
Guilty, softenlng one asperly, healing one breach
IN the t0tterlng edlflce OF MethOdlsm ana VINO,
in one of their brilliant intervals Ito use phrase
from one of ihemselyes,) are constrained to
admit that all their long talk" was worse than
useless. What wonder is it that he would doubt
the genuneness of their professions! Tell II nor
in Gath publish it not in Askelon, that in the 10Th
century of Christianity, in a body claiming not to
" be almost but altogether" Christians, scenes
have occurred, which were. fit COUNTERPART fol
the fanaticsm of the rival factions of Simon and
John in the devoted city of Jerusalem factions,
who, when the victorious Romans were knocking al
the gates, thought OF nothing but furious onslaught
on each other and, in whose breasts even the
conviction of common danger, could not quel the
desperate passion OF fratrlcida hostility.
1t is one more lesson to eccleslastlcs in addition
to that unfortunate one furnished by Bishop Hughes,
of the danger they incur in mixing politics with re-
llglon. Yes, 1t shows, beyond shadow. OF doubt,
that union of religion and politics in the CLERICAL
is dangerous to the common veal, dis
astrous to themselves and incongrulty that will
be neither tolerated by the common sense OF man;
nor sanctioned by the pure, immutable and eternal
laws of truth