Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-05-14
For the Southern Standard.
"ReasOnS," "Church" &c.
Mr.. EDITOR

In pursuance of nv promise
made some days since, l avail myself of your kind
ness 10 onerIug your columns for animadversions
upon the article of Church." And / trust in
dong SO to keep within the bounds of christian
propriety.
Before calling attention to your correspondent
wish TO state distinctly the position of AFFAIRS
"Epscopos,' as he claims, was acting strictly nm
on the defensive For years the Methodist Church
IN the Alabama Conference has been ANNOYED by
the PROSECUTING efforts of Bishop Cobb and Nom
bers of his diocese both clerical and laical The
claims set up by these persons are-that tl7ev A.
lone are IN the true church-that they only. have
an authorized ministry and valid sacramento and
mat oy consequence Methodism, its ministry, sac
!aments and even its very existence are unauthor-
lZed by the word of God, and the principles upon
which the church of Christ was organized and
thus the only hope of its members is in the ancog
endnted mercies Of God These allegations ac
companied by profusion of fattery and coaxing
have unsettled the minds of many persons to the
injury of their piey if not to the rum of their sous
IL Is IN this assumed position and character of
superiority that "Episcopos'' arraigns these per-
sons and in that alone. AS branch of the com
mon Notwithstanding only equal rights and
authorlty-Whlle he might have pitied their inef-
hclency, feel confident he would never have cal
led public attention to them in this manner And
let US have that they will cease TROUBLING
our Israel, and "Reasons DC, shall be withdrawn
from circulation. But if they continue their pres
ent course they may rest assured other pubca-
tlons Will soon follow. We are bound TO protect
the sheep which God has committed to our care.
Under these circumstances Church cannot de-
tend himself or his communion from the stand
point of equals He must do it from the position
they have assumed;- as this superiority is
claimed IN PROSECUTING it must be defended in con-
troversy.
am sorry "Church" should have allowed him
self to become much excited for it has led him
to make several hasty and strange assertions
There is nothing in his article that really deserves
reply, and L propose merely to point out the I'M
guarded character of some of its positions, that
your readers may that great allowance will
have to be made for him until he becomes more
calm
Church attributes the authorship of Reasons
DC" to "Rev. Mr.. Hamilton of Mobile" but the
writer of this knoWS that this is all conjecture
He has no authority for it but suspicion, and the
grounds of this could be easily explained If Dr.
Hamilton thinks proper he can speak for himself,
he is neither ashamed nor afraid to do So But if
it will afford 'Church" any satisfaction | can in
form him that not only the 'Rev. Mr.. Hamilton, -
but the ministry of the Alabama Conference gen
orally, sympathise with the main statements and
mined to submit in silence to such depredatons
no longer. ''Church" seems to write like an in
jured man-and as though the circulation of doc
uments without the authors name was wrong and
unprecedented This course has been pursued by
Bishop Cobb and his clergy for years. | have by
me several of the kind which that venerable pre-
late handed to members of our church for prose-
lyting purposes. We wish our Episcopal friends
would giUe 0C0y their strongest ones as we do,
and not tom them with the charge that they shall
be returned-thus trying to conceal from as what
/ they have written. Only short time since we
saw in the Office of gentleman, recently CONVEX
ted alta Methodist meetng-an anonymous pamph-
let, which not only assailed the Methodist church
but all experimental religion 1t had been fur
nished him by an Episcopal minister who hearing
of his conversion FASTENED to prosel yte him. The
character of the work may be Judged of from the
fact, that few months since the same minister
furnished another gentleman who was serious with
one, and he has turned his back upon all religion
and is now recklessy going on in sin These are
the things that called out 'EpiScopos."
But to the point made by 'Church." He char
GEES that the author of the pamphlet has been
guilty of falsehood in sitting himself ''Episcopos,
which ''means bishop" In addition to wha
has already been said in reply to this, will add
that this is a specimen of church reasoning! The
charge could be true only if Church's views were
knoUn by tie a0rjter to be true. The case stands
thus some body supposed to be a Presbyter, has
styled himself ''Episcopos," believing land 81
do Marshall page SO, Bishop Onderdonk and al
candid Episcopaleans) that in the New Testamen
"Presbyter" and "Episcopos' designate the same
order in the ministry. "Church" thinks different
fy and so '.Episcopos' has been guilty of false
, hood in claiming title scripturaly belonging t.
him Was ST. Paul guilty of falsehood, whel
Acts Xxx % he told the elders of the churcl
at Ephesus that the Holy Ghost had made then
: g Episcopo 20 Stand up to your principle
Church. apostles are small affairs IN the pres
ence of hierarchy. But seriously, how far cal
such a writer be relied on
Another of this writer's astonishing mistakes re
lates to Mr.. Wesley. Passages are quoted tror
: his Sermon before and to the English WesteydnS
to prove that the ministry of the Methodist churc
. in America have no authority from him to admin
lister the sacraments None of Mr.. Wesley's che
pers'' were ever ordained in his day, only "receV
, ed" by him as he says What has this to do wit
the authority of american methodists The
did not descend from that line but by a dlstlnt
and special ordination, of which Mr.. Wesley says
Il have accordingly appointed DR.. Cooke and M
Francis Asbury to be joint superintendent owe
our brethren in North America, and also Rchar
= Whatcoat and Thomas Vasey to act as Etdel
y ou,ono them By 6aptising and administering u
3 Lords iSupper; See Works Vol. VII page 81 :
o And the three fold form of conservation IN our oil
n cinline to which Church" alludes was prepare
Of far ms by Mr.. Wesley himself. Was this glvlr
id authority? That in this appointment he ofdalne
:. l. well known. And as to his authority to do S
, - :,oJ L;rocalt IN he a ScTlDtural EDlScOp0S