Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1865-07-26
Reunion Of the Churches.

The several Christian Churches of the United
States had their fullshare in preparing the way Tor
the late rebellion The division of the Methodist,
Presbytherisn and Baptist denominations into sec
tional bodies divided by geographical line, paved
the wav for schsm and secession in the body polite
and the act of separation, by these denominations
was hailed with joy by al enemies Of the Union.
They separated upon the issue of slavery. Now
that the war is over, and the question of slavery
which SO agitated the different sects is forever on
the shelf and no longer be bone Of contention
the time has come when much of the mischief done
by these heated bgot ambitious sectarians and de-
signing men, may be atoned for by d cordial reun-
ion of those who should never have separated. The
Methodist Church at the North has already moved
upon this subject and moved in the right direction,
by organizing an Annual Conference in East Ten
nessee and by putting to work the machinery of the
Church. We speak by the card when we say this
| Church will continue to occupy the ground until
there is Conference in every seeded State. The
Church North, and the Church proper, will ask no
terms for reunion on the part of the Southern Meth
odists, except loyalty and the abandonment of sla-
very. Neither Of these will be objected to by men
who are worth place in any Church, or who do not
wish to keep up war and trouble. The issue is now
one Of loyalty and disloyalty, and the people are
safe in regarding every man as a rebel friendly to
further wars, who is found opposing friendly re.
union; and they should treat them as enemies to the
Church and the country. A disloyal christian is a
theological paradox, slavery is a dead issue, and
those who refuse to come into our Methodist Com
munion upon this platform had as well count them
selves out of the Church altogether.
The Methodist Church South has become hope
lessy entangled and bankrupted by the late rebel
lion. No power on earth can rescue that body from
the reproach Of its part in this Devils Play but the
ministers and members can be saved from further
obloquy by coming back to the old Church again,
their old home, making conditions except that
they give assurances of agreement in reference to
loyalty to the Government, and an abandonment OF
slavery the known and acknowledged cause of the
rebellion. No man can see anything unreasonable
in this, who does not sympsthize with treason. And
let all MethodistS understand this. Let Us who are
in the old Church yearn over our unfortunate breth
rem let us ask them in the spirit of our Master tC
come back to u.s. let make the conditions so easy
and just that a reasonable and good man can't OBJ
ect and then the world will approve our course and
above ALL our God will approve our offers, and only
bad men will misrepresent and find fault Our eff
forts made to reunite our people must be made il
good faith and with good feeling. No other effort
can or ought to succeed. We should not reject al
who hare been, rebels but have sincerely repented
their folly. The Good Book everywhere recognize!
the duty and efficiency of repentance. There is Nc
use Of opening aid sores, and insisting that all The
wrong was done in the South. examinations snd
determinations must be laid aside and all must for
give, if they cannot forget the Of the past
Let Danish al animosities, swear together upon
common altar, and vow eternal allegiance to oul
country and our God.
We speak more particularly to Methodist s-no
because We belong to that Church, but because VI
know the discipline, doctrines and usages Of tina
Church, North and South, to be one and the same
except as 20 slavery-that, we repeat is dead, anC
cannot again be in the way And as we are deter
mined TO be understood, we repeat, and re-repeat
that men who persistenty reject all offers Of recon
Citation, and insist upon Church South, are ye
deeply guilty concerning the recent rebellion. Pub
lie sentiment will condemn such men, and branC
them as traitors to their country and their God
Those men Of the South who are not utterly falle1
will unite with the old Church and form a unio1
that can never be severed.