The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-11
Sunday Reading.
The Southern Churches.

Sunday Reading.
The Southern Churches.
The Euening Posi- makes summary of the
last months progress in the matter of recon
s~o struction of the southern Churches, from
Z y which we take a few. extracts Of interest:
TIE METHoD1sTs.
The most cheering news concerning the
progress Of anti-slavery churches in the South
comes from East Tennessee The newly con-
stituted Holston Annual Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church increases rapidly
in membership, although the Southern Meth
odist Church intends to contest every inch of
the ground In one presiding elders district
six hundred members have joined the church
since June. Many feel confidence that in less
than five years the Methodist Episcopal
pa Church win be the Methodist Church In East
Tennessee. -gI 81
The prospects in Eastern Kentucky are also
favorable. The eighteen members of the Ken
tucky Conference of the Southern Methodist
Church. who in September united themselves
with the Methodist Episcopal Church, are at
3 work and from several places satisfactory pro-
gress is reported. The loyal people Of the
strong Union counties in Eastern Kentucky
want Union churches, and viii not remain
much longer in church communion with the
friends of the slave power. aassee9
s In Western Kentucky the condition of af-
fairs is less favorable. The Louisville Confer
-.1 ence of the Southern Methodist Church re-
renty held its annual meeting at Russelvlle,
when a series of resolutions was adopted,
pledging the members of the Conference to
stand by the Southern Methodist Church in
prosperity and adyersity, and endorsing the adj
dress of the Southern bishops. Only one
member of the Conference made strong I'm
ion speech, but the great majority was in fa-
vor OF the resolutions. Bishop Kavanagh, of
Kentucky, expressed a hope that reunion
might take place in future, but did not think
. it advisable at present. Zone member, former
ly John Morgan's chaplain, said he never
would unite with the Methodist Episcopal
Church--never! y Go CrgIErE
The Southern Methodist congregations in
Missouri, in West Virginia, and in the eastern
counties of (old) Virginia, are greatly divided
OR the reunion question, and in many cases
the law is appealed to to decide which of the
two parties may carry the church property
with it. But in all these States the Methodist
Episcopal Church is advancing in the territory
OF the Southern church. a&
z4EA THE PREsBYTERIANs. 4
The Old School Presbyterian Church is like
4 ly to lose large portion of those members
who are displeaSed with the lOyai and anti
slavery deverances of the General Assemblies
since 1861 This class of members have been
all throughsthe war in greater sympathy with
the Presbyterians of the slave states than with
the majority of the last five General Assem-
them from speaking out their sentiments and
following their pro-slavery aAinities, they be-
gin to assume defiant attitude toward their
General Assembly, and openly declare that,
unless the latter recedes from the position ta-
Ken since the beginning OF the war, they will
separate. 5g5l1,5
fhe lead in this movement has been taken
So by the Presbytery of Louisville, which, at its
recent meeting, ordered money for domestic
missions no longer to be sent to the church
dofP Ioda h1Itf ho or,ai1 to n aNra-
~ mittee of the Presbytery, and expended by it.
They also cut loose from all the other boards
of the church, except the Board of Foreign
Missions, They offered their sympathy and
help to the ministers in Missouri who refuse
to take the oath of loyalty. They declared
their purpose to treat with contempt the ac-
! ton of the General Assembly IN regard to
the examination administers coming from the
Southern States, and not to obey or enforce
the Assembly's order in regard ministers
3 , who have fed, or been sent BY civil or militia
ry authority, beyond the jurisdiction of the
United States, On account of their disloyaty
They finally signed a declaration and testi-
mony against the erroneous and heretical doc
trines and practices which have obtained and
been propagated in the Presbyterian Church
in the United States during the last five years."
In this declaration and testimony" which
has been widely circulated as pamphlet, they
charge the General Assembly with apostacy
from the true Christian church by its deliver
and call convention ttiIne and place to be
designated hereafter), either to secure the re-
form OF the apostate church or to prepare for
separation. .ieI' t.sI =, ..-l liesaa 49, =
At the Synod of Kentucky which met at
Louisville on October 10, the Rev. Dr. Robert
u Breckenridge made powerful attack upon
the conduct of the majority OF the Louisville
Pfesbytery, and offered a paper declaring the
zen who signed the declaration and testimo-
~, n,,, TO be unqualified, unfitand incompetent
procb
Th;n II ~ sfter very animated discussion,
was as yofed voted do,, n by one hundred and two
a"ai,st t.lo. ao" The Kentucky Presbyte-
rans are not sIone his opposition to the
General Assembly, but the " taken n tiis M
nod OF Missouri have alrea.. < ar hojias in
ground; and it is believed that 9TH Roth
the Dorde-. States may do so likewise. -en-
ssn'~. however, passed resolutions not to.
..rate from the General Assembly of the Unit
These movements are, of course, a great en-
couragement to the southern Presbyt yterians,
whose General Assembly win meet in Deeem-
Der, and will make strenuous eHoifs 10 urve
northern preachers and ministers from soutn-
ern territory. The only place in the seceaea
states where thus far ;antislavery PresbyteIi-
ansm has gained a firm footing is in East
Tennessee There three Presbyteries have
now been reorganized in connection with the
New School Presbyterian Church, and are all
reporting progress. These three Presbyteries
constitute the Synod Of Tennessee. which be-
gan its first meeting on October ~ The pro-
ceedings of the Synod report considerable
progress, especially in the re-establshment of
schools and academies Fifteen ministers and
twenty-one elders were present.
t..... THE BAPTIsTs.
a' The disafection of the southern Baptists to-
ward their brethren in the North seems to
continue unabated Only in the border states
the territory of the northern associations grad
ually extends. In Missouri, where the major
ity of the old Baptist ministers and conGrega-
tions remain in union with the southern asso-
Citations, a state association of the loyal and
anti-slavery Bapfsts, who are in connection
with the northern societies, has this year been
organized, and has recently held its fir!t meet
ing at Hannibal The influx OF immigration
INTO Missouri from the free states Is soon to-
add steadily and largely to the membership OF
this organization 4t.e al a3tt
! s The Philadelphia Baptist Association at its
recent meeting received Baptist church o1
wilmington, delaware. A Baptist church OF
Wheeling, West Virginia, from the pastorate
of which about eight years ago the Rev. Mr..
Malcom was elected by the Southern Baptist
Home Mission Society upon the written
charge of refusing to preach the Gosrel of
Christ In harmony with southern institutions. .
has recently given to the same minister a
unanimous and earnest call. ~ ~
TrE rrnrIrr7p M, FrIII,EN r,r ,,,,,,a