The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-08-12
Dress.

Quite spicy debate took place in the Metho-
dist General Conference lately held IN Nashville,
on proposition to amend the Discipline +" Of
the church by striking out the rules respecting
dress. The article on that subject has the fol
lowing passages
Receive none iuto the church till they have
left Off supernuous ornaments. Give
no ticket to any that wear high heads, enormous
bonnets, rutiles, or rings. The putting on of
gold and costly apparel is also in another place,
reckoned among sins to be avoided.
"The Rev. Mr. Lush, of Mississippi, the
mover Of the resolution to strike out, contendcd
that the lay was dead letter. and that it was
a 'scandalouS Inconsistency that the preccpt
and practice OF the denomination should be so
widely at variance with each other, Such was
the laxity of administration that candidates
would be received into the church though load
ed down with weight of gold under which
they could scarcely walk The speaker was
very severe upon his brother ministers for wear.
ing gold spectacles. He said the glass would
magnify just as we'll il set in steel or iron. He
denounced gold studs, gold watch chains, gold
headed canes and diamond breast-pins with
much fervor
Another speaker was for bringing the prac-
tice of the people up 10 the standard of the
| Discipline, Instead of accommodating the Dis.
cpline to the practice of the people. He
thought it very ridiculous to admit that super.
fluffy of dress was wrong, and then expungc the
rule because people would not comply with it.,
L " Another contended that the rule against
'superhuous ornaments did not apply to such
things as spcctacles and walking canes He
agreed, also, that even if these things were for
hidden, there was not word in Scripture against
the use Of them by men-that the precept ap-
| piled exclusively to the women
The Rev. DR. Lee of Virginia was in favor
of expunging. He admitted that he had to use
his gold spectacles to see what was in the Discl-
| pline. He did not understand, never had un.
derstood it, What ornaments was superiluous?
Who could say at what precise point ornaments
ceased to be allowable and become superluous?
He ridiculed the idea that we might carry as
many twenty dollar gold pieces in our pocket as
we please, but if we should stick a little bit OF
it in the bosom, somebody would be greatly
scandalized He always found enough to do in
preaching about more important ma tiers, with
out descending to these trfles.
| "Ano her member from Virginia protested
against Dr. Lees speech going forth as au expo.
nent of the sentiments OF the Methodists Of that
| State.
1.-The Rev. Mr.. Deems depre Gated the tenden-
cy TO supernuity in dress, but was in favor OF
| aboliShng the rule. He represented it, as lift
ing straw to the whiriwnd. 1T might do for
the regulation of society, but for the church to
assume to be the mantua- maker, miiliner and
tailor of her members, was contemplate desc.
Grafton OF her sacred office He was in favor
of getting the true sap TO circulate through the
tree, so that it should put forth healthy leaves
but did not believe in pulling off this leaf and
that, &c.
"After considerable discussion, the subject
was definitely postponed"