Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-03-21

colleague.
The Methodist Church tho next Victim
of Observation-Disclosures.
This head will undoubtedly startIe ma
my of our readers. but it appears TO b.
nevertheless. true, that the Know Moth
ings of the North have selected the Ne
thodist Church =, the next victim of its
intolerance.
Last fall, the Boston Olive Branch. q
leading Know-Eothing paper. took deci-
ded ground against this church, and in
sisted upon its being embraced along with
the Catholic Church in the exclusion Of
its members from the order and from Of
fee. Recently more formidable effort
has been made to accomplish the same
end. We copy below an article from the
"Trenton True American" which we
know to be reliable paper, edited by
responsible man who would not make a
statement of the kind, without its being
so. We commend its attentive perusal
to the people Of this country, and espe-
CHILLY to the members Of the Methodist
Church who. are disposed to favor the
Know Nothing organization, if any such
there be. We have always been Of the
opinion that the rapacious intolerance Of
this order would, after It had disposed Of
the foreigners and catholics, seek other
objects Of prescription. This realization
Of our auticipations, only confirms us, il
possible, the more strongly in our opposi
ton to ills secret order, But we will not
longer keep our readers from the article
From tic Trenton 7ruc american.
It is well known in this city. and in
many parts of the State. members
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
have been duped into Know Nothing
! Lodges. 1t has been ascertained that
nearly two-thirds Of the preachers OF
that denomination are members, or have
aided this secret combination against the
civil and religious rights Of man. We
! have the charity To believe that many of
them have joined this order, undera mis-
/
Tendencies, and from our knowledge of
the character and devotion of this class
of christians we believe they will rcpudi.
ate this unhnly combination and come
out from among them
We published the startling fact some
time ago that Know nottingham had al
ready directed its machinery to the de-
struction Of the Methodist Church. Salts
fed that they had already siIcnced the
rights Of conscience Of all who were mem>
| bers Of the Catholic Church, this mon
strous foe to freedom OF thought, are
seeking with the rapacity of wolves, for
other objects to gIoat their inQuisitorial
appetite. We mentioned in support Of
our assertion that pamphlet had been
written by member Of the " American"
orders, 10 prove that the Methodist
Church ought not to be tolerated in free
country.
Some friend has forwarded uB a copy
Of this pamphlet which we will take plea
sure in oaning to any Of our Methodist
brethren. But to prove more concluSivcly
that we are right in our assertions we call
attention to the following extracts from
this pamphlet:
" But again, the very organization Of
the Methodist Episcopal Church is dan
! gerous to the liberties Of free people.
Suppose crisis to arrive in political &C
ton, in which the hierarchy Of the Meth
odist Episcopal Church is Interested
From the dependence Of all tie parts or
one great central power, it il easy ~ be-
perceived how the sutlrag"> Of most II h..
members may be controlled BY The Ui.h
ops. Let the bishops suggest to lie pre-
siding elders that the interest OF their &c
clesiasical despotism will be subserved
by the election of a certain set of men to
office:-the presiding elders use their in
Huence over the preachers, the preachers
over the cIass-le leaders. and the cIass-lead
ers over their class embers, and thus
the balance Of power in political contest
may res! in the hands of seven EPISCOPAL
! METHODIST BIsHoPs. There is as much
danger Of this, as there is Of Romanism
accomplishing a similar result, provided
the occasion requires it. 1t may be said
that the members Of the Methodist EDis-
I copal Church are too dependent 10 be
| thus Influenced but, while they submit
! to the degradation to which have shown
they are subjected to in Church matters.
let them not speak ofindcpendence in pos
Ilical matters Let them become ecclesi.
as'cally free, and thenit may be hoped
that they would dare to become politicaHy
free if the bishops undertook to prevent it.
have thus briefly shown that Epis-
cOpal Methodism is an:i-American in its
spirit and tendency, and that it is dan,
gerous foe to republcanism. l have
shown that it had its origin in usurpotion
that its very organization provides
for the support and extension of assumed
Powtr, and that this power may be oppJts-
Sirely exercised without restriction. lhave
shown that Methodist Episcopacy contains
within itselfthe very elements Of absolute
! deSnctisnl and there fore must 11I1i M tnl-.