New-York tribune., 1878-04-13
,,rruoDTsN VS.. ITINERANCY.


,,>., orr AGAINST THE ARBITRARY TRANSFER
or P.s1oRs-pIscIPIINE NOT RELAXED But
VIEWS CHANGED.
n the Razor Of The Tribune.
SIR; Your report of the proceedings of the
Newark NJ E. Conference the 27th inst contains tile
following statement from the address Of Bishop smp-
son:
He would rather have onehaf the amount OF property
and Of the number Of people than at present ana ne
Them Methodists to the The church took N co
ple who neither knew loved its economy anu u.s. as
into the Conference who hardly knew what they beheved
and who If Presbyterans OF CongregatOnsS oniS
accept the offer He dld not wish TO Keep any man WIN
was not thoroughly hethodlst
Had the good Bishop substituted the word ltinerant
for the last word quoted, he would have equaled his
vspal perspicuity The preachers and people Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church are " Methodists to the
core or they would not remain in It; they would FOL
low the example Of thousands who have left IT, TO hnd
sniritual home under the care Of more permanent
a,orato than their own church now affords. The
700 600 ministers and members remain IN the M l.
bcb because they are not Presbyterians nor Con-
.,ono,istsp but Methodiss. Neither are they
90 Tho doctrines of the Holy Scriptures, az taught
-, v-ley and the early preachers nor dso0edent TO
Netbodist discipline; but what the majority OF oo'h
ministry and aity are becoming restless unoer' is 'e
I,aroncv Herein is the cause of the widespread Spfl
of discomfort Of which the Bishop complains occasioh
not by lack Of love for MethOdism but IN Dehai oi
spirit which coming to suspect the frequent chanses
Of its ministers from one charge to another as
and mperng, instead OF benenHal 10 'ho ui'H '"''
love next tole itself.
The terms Methodism and Itnerancy, often used shohy
uously are of widely different sgnifcation The hrat
Interpretcd by the teachings aud ureicss t'ahseho'
labors of the Wesleys Whcheld, AsDury ana Others
signifies Christianity in earnest" as all eminent ih!us
Ter mot MethodisU defined it while the historic
design of the church is 10 spread scripturh houeos'
The second viz tinerancy, relates to the ministry
means passing from place to place." none CeXcePtng
editors who are usually loud in praises Of the SYSTEM
being allowed to remain three years at one time IN
one charge the average for the whole being less thah
one and half Change! is the cry, If it kills church
Or minister's usefulness for this is the law the entorc
ment of which of the first importance Instead OF
Methodsm thriving unde, such system as some clalm
sober second thought will provoke astOnshnent that
the church has stood tic rack we hundred years
or more It Is evident, at least that there mas hen
spirit which has shaped Its destiny and preseNe1 us
organic life rough hewed" 1t has been. 1t is the
spirit OF MethOdiSm, progressive, large hefico' ycl
EVANGELICAL which the people have loved and stall love-
in spite OF the tnerancy But they now looking Tor
relief from that which has at least outlved It's usefulness
and under mOdltcatiOn suited 10 the present are
hoping TO their church migher in the Iutuie an III
the past They looking for the means, not OUTSIDE
the church but Within But II VIII not ne IOuhu ln
settled pastOrate in any limited extension OF tAe
term of pastoral service from three TO hVo nor even Ten
years. but IN ministerial appointments Delhs ndut as
now. by the year. ana fer as many as pastors gfts
grace and usefulness seem TO warrant his success III any
given charge. This is but one of many which might DC
adopted, but equally adapted TO city, town or
village church. Something however, must be DONE ana
doubtless Will be- The criticism Of the Bishop should
been upon the dlsoyaly OF his preachers nor
people TO Methodsm but directed against that system
In the church which, discovered in the character oi
Reuben Of old caused his venerable father to depore
and assign it as the reason why his tTstbOn would
never excel Let the powers tDat be remove THIS ele
OF instability from the economy OF the church Ien
and pastoral ability tnan upon Episcopal appointment
aud not only Bishop Simpson, 10 whom few are suplor
in piety OF learning but all the Bishops shall rejoice In
finding that both preachers and people. including the
6abbathscnoOl children, are MethOdsts 10 tue core
Jamaica, April ., 1873. ONE OF THEM.