Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-03-16
COMMUNICATED.


Smith, published in the Shepherdstown
of Feb. 20, 1878. Now, sir,
in the proclamation which seems to
give so much trouble, and to cut 80
deep, and stirs up the most revengeful
jealousy, the Rev. J. w. Smith simply
stated that he on certain date receiv-
ed into his church, B. +. Cronise. Lo-
cal Elder, from Antietam Circuit, West
Baltimore District, Baltimore Confer
ence, with full authority to perform the
functions of said Office. Now, sir, let
us look for moment at the authority
upon which the said John w. Smith,
with the purest Christian motives, acted.
1t must be remembered that on the 10Th
day of August, 1877, at quarterly
meeting held at Smithsburg, Washing
ton county, Nd, at which MILFORD
Downs was the presiding officer, after
the religious services of the Conference,
the usual questions, as laid down in the
Discipline, were propounded. Among
these questions We found this one, care
there any complaints?" TO which the
preacher in charge answered plainly and
empbatically, "None at ALL" Now, sir,
that every reader of your paper may
understand this matter more fully, it
must be remembered that the Quarterly
Conference is the proper place to hear
complaints against local preachers and
the official members of the Quarterly
Conference. This question being 80
clearly answered, you will perceive at
once there was not blet against the
moral character of any member of that
ecclesiastical court. At this Quarterly
Meeting, for causes of the strongest and
clearest character, which / am not
ashamed to give to any fair minded
Christian man, l withdrew from the
Methodist Episcopal Church, right
that the religious democratic spirit OF
the NJ E. Church gives to every men,
Der of that ecclesiastical body. AT that
Quarterly Meeting, when said to the
presiding officer and members of that
body that / was about to do an act that
| never expected to do in my life, to
withdraw from the Methodist Episcopal
Church, there was a quiet for moment,
when MILFORD Downs, the presiding Of
ficer, looked me in the face and said,
"Bro. Cronisc, do | understand you to
say that you intend to withdraw from
the Methodist Episcopal Church ?"
Eyes sir "Then," said he to me, "you
must have your certificate, either from
the preacher in charge, or from myself
if you prefer it." l said to him, with
all due respect to the preacher in charge
that wanted my certificate from his
own hands, as the presiding officer of
the Conference. He said to me, "Bro.
Cronise, | want little time so that |
may give you proper certificate; l will
send it TO you" Accordingly, on the 9th
of September, 1877, it was sent to
the preacher in charge, and he politely
went to the trouble to put cent stamp
on it, and dropped it in the post Office.
Here is genuine copy OF it-let it be
read by all:
"This certifies that the bearer, Benja-
min F. Cronise, at the time of his with,
drawal from the Methodist Episcopal
Church, August 10Th, 1877, was an &C
ccptable Local Elder in said Church.
MILFORD DOWNS,
Presiding Elder w. BALTIC. Dist,
BALTIC. Conference, M. K. Church.
Baltimore, Nd, Sept. s, 1877.
This is the authority in connection
with letter of advice of the strongest
character from one of the Oldest men,
bers OF the Baltimore Conference, urg-
ing John w. Smith to receive me on
the certificate. as he would gladly do
and be glad to receive many of the
same kind. Now / am informed that the
above certificate is intended to carry on
its face complimentary aspect in addi-
ton to the fact of my withdrawal and
my acceptability as Local Elder. This
part object to, as am opposed to
adding to anything that is finished.
Now, in reference to the parchments
which he says were demanded by the
Conference, want 10 say that MILFORD
Downs, when / withdrew from the NJ.
Z. Church never said to me, "Bro. Gro
Mise, you will have to surrender your
parchments TO the Annual Conference"
or | should have done it at once, but let
the matter stand for six months, aud at
the Fourth Quarterly Meeting Of Ante
tam Circuit gave his ruling in regard to
my case based upon the ruling of Bish-
OPP Foster in 1878. To this / did not
object, but cid object to his allowing
the business that was strictly his own
to be published in the county paper,
and thereby seeking to bury my lnflu
ence in my own neighborhood. At this
same Fourth Quarterly Meeting, l re,
ceived through the post Office letter,
stating that l would oblige him by
sending my parchments TO him, or send
them to Conference, which l intended
TO do. Upon the Conference floor it
was asserted by some member of that
body that l refused to give up my
parchments, when / at once arose to my
feet in the Conference room and said 10
the Bishop that my parchments were
ready to be surrendered at any moment,
and that l never refused to give them
up. Now, from the manner in which
he publishes his card, he makes this i'm
preston: that ! surrendered my parch.
ments by the demand Of Conference,
when the facts in the case are that
was requested to return my parchments
to the Conference from the fac. that I
had Withdrawn from the NJ. z. Church,
and that if desired them again, after
recommendation by Quarterly Con-
ference, and said recommendation being
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