The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1867-11-13
Ecclesiastical Robbery.

]
At a recent meeting of the
Methodist Clergy of Charleston
District, the following special re-
port from the Committee on the
State of the Church was adopted ::
With the close of q sectional
war, the disbandment Of sectional
armies, the removal by emancipa-
tion Of one great cause Of sectional
strife, thousands ofwarIn, Southern
Methodist hearts believed that Sec
tional church differences were at
an end, and looked with eager hope
to the early reunion of the two
great divisions Of American Metho-
dism. The expectation in the
South was general, in this district
the hope was almost unanimous.
But this bright vision-worthy Of
millennium--has been rudely dis
pelled, proving that slavery was
neither the cause of disruption nor
the ground of continued separa.
ton.
Asa representative portion Of
the church, this District Confer
ence solemnly and in the fear of
God disclaims any responsibility
for the present awful spectacle OF
a divided Methodism. With the
entrance Of the Federal armies to
this section came the missionaries
Of the NJ, E. Church CNorth), who
were most ~afectionately,:i and
warmly welcomed by. our people.
They were invited to-, oar. homes
and in the absence Of our own
pastors, as brethren beloved, cheer
fully given possession. Of our pul;
pits. =
TO our horror and disappoint-
ment when our own pastors re-
turned, these. missionaries, who
! had breathed only brotheriy affec:
ton, refused them admittance to
their own pulpits: and turned upon
us with military orders, under
which they claimed. forcible and
continued possession ofour church
property, and still SO hold''some Of
it, despite our. remonstrances. and
entreaties.
Spring-streetAC Church, Charles
] ton,, cost US $4,000. Of this
amount, s275 was contributed by
the coloured membership, now its
occupants, in the name Of the NJ
E. Church North, and this trans.
action is permitted by a church
numbering its millions of dollars
collected in celebration of. its cen
tenary What a growing act tc
the centenary Of Methodism We
call Heaven and earth, to witness
that as a church, we are free from
the guilt Of dishonour entailed by
such acts upon our common Mother
We most solemnly deny. what has
been charged against us, that we
I are in any way responsible for th'
revulsion of public sentiment il
this section against the n. E
Church ENorth), or arc in any
! shape or formthe authors of tht
profound contempt in which jt'
name is now held, nor of the ab
| horrence with which its agent
here are now regarded: They an(
| they alone, arc the sole authors o
this infamy, and we can. only wee
over the indelfible dishononr thlj
! inherited by our common Method
1ism., This Conference, however
cannot but believe that the Bishop
and leading men Of the d. E
Church (North), arc misled by th
Misrepresentation. of. their loca
agents-thereforc, =. ..
RcsoZucd, That the Secretary b
hereby instructed to, furnish a
official copy Of this declaration t.
Bishops Morris, James and SimT
son, in the full expectation tina
they will interest themselves TO
the protection Of the fair namc {
their church, and the enforcement
, of justice and that copies he ful
nished to the Christian Aduoca7
and Methodist, in New York, wit
a request TO publish them.