Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-09-03
METHODIST REUNION.
The Great Event Of the Year The Two
Host Influential Religious Bodies
of the Country Compose
Their Differences.
what the Memphis Organ OF the South
ern MethOdists Thinks OF the Re
ag suIt-"CuItivate the Spirit
of Fraternity


Memphis W estern Methodist
Our readers will join us in thanks to
Rev, DIR, Finney, to whom we are In
debted for an early copy of the address
of the Joint committee on fraternity.
We rejoice because the commissioners
have unanimously agreed on basis OF
fraternity-an agreement which calls
for Thanksgiving, above all, to the Great
Head of the church. We trust the work |
done will be accepted and acted upon |
by the ministry and membership OF the |
two branches of our common Method
ism as full and final settlement Of all |
differences, and we hope that hereafter |
there will be between these branches |
pesce always, and love, which is "the |
bond of peTfectness." As to the status |
and relations of the two churches north |
and south, considered in the light Of |
Methodist history and polity, as well rs
ia the light of scripture, the action OF
the joint commission embraces ell
that has baen claimed by the Meth
odist Episcopal church, south. The
and is the plan OF separation, without
which they never could have been
maintained in any court, civil or eccles-
iastical. 1t is OF DO consequences that
the plan is not named in the address Of
the Joint committee-it is i'm material by
what process OF reasoning, or under
what kindly influence, divine or hu-
man, any one, or more, CT all OF the
commissioners OF the Methodist Episco-
pal church, reached the conclusions so
amply provided for and so solemnly
guaranteed in that plan. The Methodist
Episcopal church, south, has always
main tanned her constitutional and his
torieal legitimacy in relation to original
Methodism; she could not, OF course,
fraternize with the Methodist Episcopal
church in the absence OF clear and full
&C nowledgment Of q fact heretofore
questioned, and even denied, without
| just cause, and under the influence OF
passion. This question is now put to
| rest forever question never raised ex-
cept by the Methodist Episcopal church.
As to The rules for the adjustment OF adj
verse claims to church property, they
have oil the appearance of justice and
equity, and we hope they will, when
| carried cut, meet the requirements Of
each case at issue. But with this SUBJ
| ject we are not very fsmiliar-we have
mad but little to do with it, because
| there has not been any special reason
| for It's discussion in the bounds OF our
| principal circulation. However, we are
| credibly informed that, under the ru-
| lings OF The Joint commission, when put
| in force, church property in the Mem
phis conference, particularly in the Paris
| district, and In other districts probably,
will be restored to the Methodist Episco-
| pal church, south-this may be the case
| also In other annual conferences ada.
cent to US. In every instance, whatever
may be the result as to ownership of
church property, the two Metho6,Jms
must, and surely will be honest; ard we
| know CT no better way OF acting hon.
estly therein than to be governed by the
rulings of the joint commis1ion. One
| other point not expressed hrt implied in
the action of the joint Commission de-
north and south, 6 far as we have seen,
very generally interpret this action as
meaning organic union of the two Meth
Odism. OF course it means no such
thing-the commissioners were not
appointed with reference to organic
union, but in the interest of fraternity,
alone; distinction, it seems, beyond
the comprehension OF the secular press.
But-we say it thoughtfully and delib-
erately-the logic of events, displayed
in the action OF the joint commission.
demands the union of northern Method
ists in the south with the Methodist
Episcopal church, south, and the union
of southern Methodists in the north.
with the Methodist Episcopal churcta.
We leave out Of view, brethren, north
ern and southern, on "the bordef,n as it
used to be called, because their case was
provided for in the division OF 1874; and
we leave out Of view also the colored
4. ~,
Methodist Episcopal church, south, have
been settled in their own organization.
But, after these exceptions, we say that
because encroachments,n north and south,
were and are based on facts and princi-
pies, or on misconceptions and preju-
dices, all of which, by the action of the
joint commission, have been aside as
without force, and because fra
ternity, not merely christian, but
Methodist fraternity-a common
membership sin one Method
ist family"-wherever experienced,
must have its development aud demon
stration, 1t follows, Of course, that e!e
long, though gradually, and yet as rap.
Idly as human nature will yield to Gods
grace, there can be in no one territory,
either in our own country or in foreign
missione, two annual conferences, and
there can be in no one city, town or
neighborhood, churches or societies rep
resenting the two Methodisms. The
/ continuance of "altar against altar"
impossible in the loving presence of fir 4
ternity-in the light OF the action of t q,
joint COMMISSIONER the light Of Me tn
Odism as it was, and as it will be, by tn,
Eles9iug Of God. Certainly the &C tiol
of the joint commission, il it N can
anything worthy OF its origin and rom
Use, says-as does also the genius IF GU
holy religion, of christianity in earn
est'i-to southern Methodisis in tn
north, unite with the Methodist Episcc
pal church, and to northern Me EhodIs.
In the south, unite with tie Meth
odist Episcopal church, south. /
this course be "a wise rule of settle.
ment, where property is in contest,u al
recommended by the joint commission
it is S wise rule of settl sment where
property Is not in contest-wiser in the
latter than in the form er case. But II
we have given too large and liberal an
Interpretation to the action of the com.
missioners, we must add that ne are not
satisfied Nth that action. Let it be borne
In mind that the action of the Joint COM
mission is to be reported to the general
conferences of the respective churches,
Meanwhile, to all our readers, and most
heartily, we give the word of exhorta-
ton: Cultivate the spirit Of fraternity,
which ia the spirit Of Christ, and of the
founder of Methodism.
I