Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-09-27
From Harper's Weekly
The Future Of the Meth Odfst EpiscO-
pal Church I'm the North

pal ChUrch In the NORTH
The elections of delegates to the General
Conference of May, 1860, are proceeding.
and the indications are that the ultra north
ern party will succeed in Obtaining some
thing more than majority in the General
Conference, which is TO be held at Buffalo.
The question to be decided by that body is
of sufficient public interest to observe some
notice at the hands of the secular prefs.
Those who are unfamiliar with the subject
NAV need TO be informed that rule of the
Discipline Of the Methodist Episcopal Church
excludes from membership all persons who
engage in 1.-THE buying and selling of men.
women and children, with the intention 10
enslave them" This rule has always been
so interpreted as to apply solely 10 persons
who reduce free human beings into slavery;
the mere act of slaveholding has not been
considered as covered by this rule; and, I'M
til 1856, no attempt has been made TO i'm
pugn the membership of lay shareholders
who belonged to the Methodist Church North.
Even those northern men who, in 1874, took
so active part in denouncing the Southern
Bishop who had acquired slaves by his wife,
did not, at that time, question the right of
laymen to hold slaves without impairing
their Fundamentally. lii the General
Conference of 1856, however, the ground
was taken 10y some members. that the rule
covered the mere act OF holding slaves, as
well as the act of reducing freemen into
slavery; and that if the present phraseOlOgy
of the rule was not plain enough on this
point it ought to be made palmer. A vote
was taken the advocates of the new view
were defeated and the old Interpretation of
the rule was sustained.
Ever since then the extreme Northern men
have been actively organizing for renewal
Of the struggle in 1860. One election has al
ready been reported; the others which are to
follow will, ii is supposed, result in giving
the ultra and anti-slavcry pariZans ma
jOrty, which will secure the adoption of their
rule by the General Conference, and its sub
sequent ratification by majority of the
Annual Conference. The two Maryland Con-
frrences, the Philadelphia Conference, the
Conferences in New jersey, and perhaps a
few others, may oppose resolutc front to the
innoyators; but it is considered likely that
they will constitute minority.
Under the circumstances, the prospect is
well calculated 10 provoke earnest, sober
thought among the members of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. There are, ii is estimated
10000 slaves owned within the limits of the
northern division of the Church. In the
event of the adoption OF the proposed rnle
declaring slayeholding sin, these and their
owners would, OF course, he at once driven
ont of the pale of the Church into some other
denomination. Besides these there are, in all
the large cities, and in several rural dis
tricts as well, large bodies of conservative
laymen who may be expected TO object to the
Wholesale denunciatiOn OF their slayehod.ng
brethren. Many who submitted to the
Church as an evil which. under the circum-
stances, it was difficult to prevent, may not
prove as passive on this Occasion, when they
are requested TO endorse measure which is,
at least. a barefaced affront to the entire lalty
of the Southern portion of the Church.
1t is quite likely that the partizans of the
new opinion have contemplated th,s result,
and are prepared to carry out be dictates oil
their 'cOnscience;" even at the cost OF one
half of the body of which they are members.
The rules of the Methodist Episcopal Church
like those of the Roman Catholic, do not
grant TO laymen any voice in the government
of the church. which is wholly in the hands
of the clergy. The members OF the Coulter
ence have, therefore, the power 10 carry out
their views. What disposition is TO he made
OF the property of the church. in the event OF
new division, remains. however, to he
ascertaincd. Most of the Methodist Eplsco-
pal Churches in the North are at present mort
gagged for large sums Of money. The inter
est on these mortgages is paid out of The con-
tributiOns of the laymen belonging to the
church. We understand that careful Gu
quiry establishes the fact that in many sec
tions. the bulk of the persons who contribute
towards these payments are opposed TO the
enactment of the new rule; so strongly OPP
posed TO it. in fact. that should it be estab-
lished they would. rather than become par
ties to n wholesale insult on their Southern
brethren. decline to contribute anything fur
Their toward the interest on the debt, and
would suffer the churches to be sold under
foreclosure of the mortgages.
1t is not unlikely, moreover, that questions
may arise with regard TO the legal right OF
the Conference to enact an er post fdcto rule
affecting vested rights. Whatever conditions
a Conference may impose on future applicants
for membership in the Clutch. legal authOri-
ties doubt whether it be in the power of that
body to invalidate membership already ac-
quired and actually existing. In the some
what analogous case of the natural cation
dispute. it was admitted. even by the ex-
IRENE American leaders. that no law Of Con-
gress could disturb acquired rights of citiZ"n-
ship. Why the rule will not apply equally
to Church membership. the advocates OF the
change will doubtless be pre-, red to show
us. They will do well, also. 10 come pro-
vided with arguments and authorities to
prove that the vested rights of the Church
members in the property Of the Church, as
well as ChuTch-memberShp NAV be con-
fiscated at the pleasure OF the Conference.
1t is well that the minister of the Metho-
dist Episcopal body should bear these con-
ungencles IN mind we DO not, OF course,
presume to Offer advice where there are so
many and so much ADLER advisers in the
ranks OF the religious press. Possibly it may
he for the advantage o, most of the clergy
OF the church to have further split in the
northern body; we, as laymen, are not COM
petent to Judge of such matters. Nor should
we presume to offer an opinion to the
probable effects on Mehodism of a strife
which should throw number of its most
eloquent men and able preachers into the
arms of EpiscopOcy or Prrsby terianism: this
too, is matter of which secular writers
must, Of necessity, be imperfect judges. But
if the adoption of the new rule is to lead TO
the sale at auction of the principal Methodist
churches in the large cities. the event ac-
qnires seculaein crest. and we rather think
it will have effect on the market for real
estate.