New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-09-12

sia.rr ~ 's bihhoihs. II uaJ"ii'9 w '"'
thought Dot Aggravated 81 this teci-'on' nic''
# ,to-- who had formed the minority Sc
c,dtd Bat these founders OF 3 lev caufcn uia
BOT tucce.d carrying of with tteD al Ire o'u'"-
I'm Methodist 10 all The border Save >'a'e'
m. e ts.rn ch,se T. retain their connection Win
I'll ,,;sinsI church. 80 that there It'll remains
c.r,J. r. HE ru,pheruf .lavefold, n n communion
VIII tie M,,hodi.. Church North-qui'e smN'
p.r. however. Of The Whole number OF southern
men n.rs by lar the larger portion o! woom are
observation-disclosures.
Since this voluntary exodus Of the r1sin body OF
shareholders, formerly in communion WIN 'ns
Methodist church. the question has arisen IN the
church Nort. " neither that which is net seem'y or
tolt rsbe 10 bishop ought 10 be tolerated IN
church u1fmber The connection OF some nirm
b.r.. and e,e, ministers. OF the Methodist Churcn
No,,b With fcrays Tito tie Free States for the re-
coyery of fugitive slaves has excited very unPless
Ant feelings. ard some qualms Of conscience at The
idea Of recognizing, as brother church men,
bers. persons who pal ticiPat, IN such pracuces'
In the General Conference of 1856 this SUBJECT
Was formally brought up for consideration Inc
pro,lrd ~. taken by some of the members o. tnas
b.dy that the old rule in spirit and substance, EN-
braces tie oct Of slavebolcipg; sld they further
Maintained that if any objection existto TIE giving
Of that Interpretation and application to II IN It's
resent sbspe. the rife ought to be So amended a.
10 remo7e that obi .ction This proposition was
then voted down, but the object has stia been kept
II view, opnon has ripene aud IN the General
Conference which is 10 meet IN May next, ana Inc
s1p.intment of DELI gates to which, "a the part oil
the local conferences. has already commenced, It
seems to BE- anticipated tbat msjori'y VIII be
found ready to give thoroughly Anfl-Slavery Guar
sct.r TO the Methodist Church.
Iii pretty plain however, that the members OF
the Lew GeLersl Conference VIII not Dc cole 'his
TO separate their Church from zll connection with
and responsibility for slavebolci1g without the ex-
ercse of coed deal of moral courage, AID per-
tsps admitting to some pretty serious sacrl1ces.
Ar article ia Hrpers' Ueekiy, which msy be re-
ssrded IS solt Of manifesto of the Opposition,
attempts, by a formidable array of objections, 10
ireht.p bat it coucedes will be msjcr,ty of thN
b, cy from the execution OF what It adults viii be
their conscientious purpose. II is alleged that,
l.. EIDE the owners Of the 80 coo slaves estimated 70
BE- held by members Of TIE Methodist Church North,
there are large bodies OF conservative lsymen IN
all tie large cities and some of the rural districts
who viii be ready, rather than submit to this plr-
Cation Of the Church, to join in a Lew secession.
But il is not merely loss OF members-some OF
whom might possibly be spared without any serious
damspe to the Church-with which the Con-
ference ia threatened. They are threatened IN
addition to this with the loss Of their church
ed,6ces. 1t is stated in this article, and we
presume the statement is in accordance With fact,
that most Of the Methodist EpiscOp-' churches in
the North are at present morfgaged for large sums
Of money. We are very sorry to hear this, but 1t
is natural result Of tie habit in which the Meth
od,is, by dangerous departure from their
original simplicity, have Of late INDUCED them
selves of building splendid aud expensive churches
The payment Of the interest these mortgages is
dependent ss well as the salaries of the ministers
ard Other eypenses Of the church. on the voluntary
Sobt,ibutiops Of the lay members and it is alleged
and the allegation is even stated to rest on ga
A" careful inquir,'-,hst the bulk Of tne contrib
utois are strongly opposed to the new rdle-so
strongly opposed TO it that, rather than become
parties to "a wholesale insult upon their Southern
brethren"-that being the light ia which the
Withdrawal from religious fellowship with slave
holders is repres,pted-they would decline to con
tribute anything further toward tbs interest the
debt, and will suffer the churches 10 be sold under
foreclosure Of the mortgages. This statement Of
the case gives to the approaching struggle new
and highly interesting aspect 1t is to BE- con-
rtsr, it seems between the coDsciences If the del
egst-s 10 The Gepers Conference AID of the loc.
Conferences who select them, aud the breaches
pockets End sl,yehodiDg sympathes of those who
contribute the mopey 10 pay tie mortgages on the
churches. The members Of the General Confer.
ence seem 10 be placed b! this thre,t, thus p,raded
before them, 10 the dilemma Of being either bought
up or sold out. Granting the fact of sloh a
dilemma, We cannot doubt, for our part, which
horn of i; TIE Conference viii choose 70 BE- impaled
upon. The Methodist Church csn get along with
out church edifces Ii has done before, and
can do sgsin. Wesley aud Whit-ield used to
preach IN the open fields. But, whatever may be
tie case with some OF its nominal members, the
Methodist Church, considered as a church, could
not, We aPPreberd, get on without conscience.
..