The Abingdon Virginian. [volume] (Abingdon [Va.]) 1849-1883, 1862-11-14

States has been committed, in q sense true of
no other people on the face of the globe, the
guardianship and moral and intellectual cul-
ture of the African race, and that the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church South is, to great ex-
tent, charged in the providence of God, with
the religious destiny Of the colored man,
Peculiarly and intimately related to-the
institution Of domestic slavery in the Con-
federate States, as the Methodist Episcopal
Church South has ever been, and deeply in
volved as she is in the future veal of that
people, it is gratifying to be able to state that
still, as ever she holds it to be her religious
duty to throw the whole weight Of her intiu-
ence, ministerial and lay, into the scale a
gainst the eneroachments of religious tanati-
cism and inf&elity. e~r--
1t was no unnatural result therefore that
the ministry and membership of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church South as a whole alike
because of her historical antecedents and her
doctrinal peculiarities, touching Southern in
stitutions generally and this institution spe
cially, should be found arrayed side by side
with the great masses of the Southern people
in religiously contending in part for the very
same. rights-political. civil and religious
for the security of which they We're compell-
ed. in 1914, to adopt measures for a separate
and independent ecclesiastical organization.
And now, that the Abnlitionists and Black
Republicans of the North, and out Of North
ern churches, have inaugurated. without just
provocation, causelessly and wickedly, a ter
rible and relentless warfare of invasion, plum
der and wholesale confscation, against all our
rights of property, person and conscience, by
an utter, and base prostitution of all the sa-
cred sanctions Of constitutional liberty, with
the repeatedly avowed object of subjugation,
or determination. the people called Southern
Methodists could not SO far forget their past
history, or become so blinded to their pro-
vidential destiny. as not to perceive. with the
clearness of a sunbeam, that the success Of
the Federal Government, in any form and un-.
der any circumstances, as at present related
to this terrible controversy, could only even
tuate in the utter destruction of Southern
Methodism, as well as of true republican
liberty. -
And now, moreover, that the Southern
States, under the blessing and providence Of
A Almighty God. have been enabled to organize
themselves into permanent Contederacy.
with all the machinery of Government in
motion. and with all its resources, internal
and foreign, laid under contribution for the
preservation and perpetuity OF our political,
civil, and religious rights, your Committee,
in common with the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, as a whole. hold it to be the
religious duty of her ministry and member
ship within the limits of this Confederacv,
not only to be subject to the supreme authori-
ty of our country where they may reside, but
also to use all laud;ble means to enjoin ODE,
dience to its established powers. The Scrip
lures and Discipline of our Church enforce
these obligations. Touching the duty with
which your Committee has been charged, >on
behalf of this Conference of Southern Metho-
dist preachers, invested with the spiritual
oversight Of a flock Of perhaps fifty thousand
souls, they, beg leave to say they are panied at
the very thought that any suspicion, much
less well grounded complaint Of disloyalty to
our established Government or of .disafection
to, and WANT of sympathy with, our Govern
ment in its earnest and mighty struggle
against its ruthless foes FIR the blessings and
rights of political and religious liberty.
should lie against, or attach to, any member
of this body.
They feel constrained Furthermore to say,
for the sake of not only themselves and this
Conference but for the sake of all tie people
OF our varloas charges, that no member of
this body is held obnoxious to com plants or
allegations because of former or present opip-
ions touching the abstract political questions
Of secession and revolution, and that such a
representation Of the acts of this body would
be as false as malicious. But now that these
questions have assumed q concrete form, and
under the inspiration of Abolition tanaticism
have kindlea the fires OF the most brutal and
ruthless warfare ever known in the history of
man, involving every interest, political and
religious, held to be most sacred aud absolute
" vital to the present and future veal Of our
people, it is the deliberate aud religious con-
victon of your Committee that no patriot, no
christian, and, last of all, no christian minis,
ter who claims to be a member of the Netho-
dist Episcopal Church South, and citizen of
the Confederate States Of America, and who
is presumed TO be even partially acquainted
with the merits of this unhappy controversy,
can throw the aceiyht of his opinions, acortls or
acts into the scales Of orr enemy against us
with moral impunity, or with a conscience
void of offence toward God and his fellow
countrymen Therefore, in the Judgment Of
your Committee, the following simple princi
pies are held to be true and unanswerable:
First, The word Of God and the Discipline
of the NJ E. Church South as far as it res
poets civil affairs, make it the religi Gus duty
of christians, and especially all christian
minister's, to be subject to the supreme au-
thority of the country where they may re-
side, and to use all laudable means to enjoin
obedience to its established powers. See
Rom, I3-l, Z: Fit, 81; Pet, 2--li: also
Articles of religion, page 80 and l29 Disci-
pine.
Secondly, The Scriptures make it a duty to
e.. -, 20 +;nc orauors and intarcessionS