Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-06-25

= the plan provided by that conference fol
hour being constituted distinct ecclesias-
s9ticaI connection, separate from the North
sThe committee on organization, being
#composed oftwo members from each of
8,he annual conferences, was furnished with
Sample means of obtaining satisfactory in
s Sformation. The members of The commit
@tee held meetings with their several dele
8gations apart. and on comparison OF
giher several reports carefully made. il
Twas found that both as to The members OF
Gthe annual conferences, and the local min
&istry ard membership Of our entire terri
8tory. the declaration had been sustained,
Ssand separate organization called for, by
Sas great a majority as ninety ;fus to tue.
Nor did it appear that euen five in a hun
&dred were disposed 10 array themselves
4agains, their brethren whose interests were
&idenlicai with their own, but that part were
saNorthern brethren sojourning in our Dor.
Sders, and part were awelliug 10 sections Of
#,he country where the questions involved
%did not materially concern their christian
&privileges, or those of the slaves among
Zthem. So great appears TO have been The
Isunanimity of opinion prevailiug,- both
Iamoug the pastors aud the people,a as 10
4the urgent necessity Of The great measure
(which We were ,deputed 10 effect, by or
1 sganizng on the basis of lhe discipline, aud
Bthe plan provided by lae late General
sConference, The Methodist E.. Church.
s South.
4 That on SO grave question, concern
Aing interests 80 sacred, and affecting so
numerous people spread over the vast
aextent of the country from Missouri to the
4 jAllanlic ocean, and from Virginia TO Tex
las, there should be found some who dis
asent, is what we could not but expect.
but that the namber dissenting should
have been so small compared to the NUNS
Aber of those who have required US to act.
ais, a, least to our minds, conclusive proof of
Sthe absolute necessity Of this action. as
saafording The only means left in our power
Ito preserve the church in the more South.
Aern States from hopeless ruin. Indeed
9the action Of the late General Conference,
withom the Intervention of The declaration
of the Southern delegates, and The provis.
3ioual plan for separate Southern connec-
%tion, u,usl have Immediately broken up
Fall our missions TO The people Of colour,
Sand subjected thei, classes in most of Inc
aSoulhern circuits to ruinous deprivatioDs.
SOf this the evidence has been unqueslion-
Sble. And il must appear to-you, brethren,
4that for whatever reason so great an evil
Shas threatened for cause which The
SSouthern delegates did nothing to pro-
aduce, but resisted in the General Confer
Renee, that evil could not fail of being in
8licted with redouoled violence, and 10 a
.3still greater extent, if we, having plat.
form legally furnished for separate or
aganicalion, should hesitate moment 10
laval ourselves of it. 1t would be, in ef.
%iect, 10 put ourselves, in relation to the
flaws aud policy of the Southern people,
9In The same position which was so iDju.
Eariousy offensive in our Northern brethren,
4 while it could not be plead in extenualion
sgof The fault that that we were Northern
y men, and ignorant o: the state ofafairs al
& the South. Inlo such position we could
= not possibly put ourselves; nor can we
salhink that reasonable men would require
';aus 10 do so.
q We ayow, brethren, AID We do it will
1.-The greatest solemnity, thai whilewe have
4 thus been laid under the imperative force
!3of all absolute necessity to organize the
ASouthern aud South Western Conference:
|dinto an independent ecclesiastical connec
3lion, whose jurisdiction shall be exclusive
Col all interference on the part of the North
q we do not withdraw from the true Chris
5tian and Catholic pale of Il e Methods
8Episcopai Church. And that whilst we
&have complained, with grievous cause, oI
s5the power of the majority of the Genera
aConierence on that power has been con
astrued aud exercised, We have not com
Explained, and have no complaint, agains
1.-The church 10 itself. The General Con
Inference, or majority thereof, is not the
achurch. Nor is i, possible that tba
Z should be the Methodist Episcopal Church
4 which wilhdraws the ministry Of the ses.
|Apel from the poor, and turns her aside
from her calling of God ITO spread scrip
|sture holiness over these lands" in orde
3 10 fulfil some other errand, no matter what
{ We could nul be Methodists at all, as We
q Ehave been taught what Melhodisin is, il
with our knowledge Of its nature, its aim
+ It's constitution, its discipline, and of The
II ruin inevitable 10 the work of !he ministry
& in most Of the Southern States, if uol il
q Jail Of Them, should we still cIeave TO {
E5Norhern Jurisdiction; we nevertheless
81 could he persuaded to yield the gospel Iol
Ea jurisdictional affinity with brethren, who
E4w we believe in our hearts, cannot govern
Il us without great injury 10 the cause o
Is Christ in most parts of our work.. IL we
#err,i it is The spirit of Methodisn which
us 10 the error. We "call Got
Efor record" that. as far as we know ou
E hearts, we intend uolhing, we desire moth
Eiug, We do nothing, having any other OBJ
Meet or aim bul that the gospel may bt
Eproached, without let or hindranc". in al
parts of our country, and especially 10 the
h poor. There is nothing belonging of righ
n to the Church-her doctrines, her discip
line, her economy, her usages, her eli
M cheney. which we do mol cherish iu our in
IA most hearts. II is mol the Church, mol