The New York herald., 1879-08-24
METHODIST FRATERNITY.

METHODIST FRATERNITY.
AS IT APPEARS TO NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN
PREACHERs-A BLATANT BISHOP DEPENDED
RECORD OF MINISTER'S MURDERED.
A good many Methodists. North and South. never
had much hope of the development of fraternal
relations between the churches Of the same faith
and name in those sections. and they have less
to-day than ever. Tho Cape May compact few
years ago. instead Of helping toward the long sought
and prayed for result. appears to have hindsred it,
The press of both churches. with single exceptions
here and there do not favor the kind Of fraternity
that Is shown on both sides. And now the Christian
Advocae published at Nashville Tenn. organ Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. South. allows corre-
spondent. who signs himself IA Southern Meth
odist" abuse wholesale the bishops and press Of
the Northern Church. This correspondent suggests
to the Southern bishops that they should
not appoint fraternal delegates to the Gen.
eral Conference Of the Northern Church next
year; but II the appointments have been
already made those delegates should stay
at home and send formal letter. The correspou d.
ent speaks Of journal of the Northern church,
which he says is maintained at much expense. to
"gather up lying and baseless reports against our
(their) church and people and sends the dirty COM
modify to its Northern allies. some Of whom use it
literally" Referring to Bishop Gilbert Haven. this
is what the southern Methodist" is allowed to write
and publish "a blatant Bishop of theirs resident
among us for peace sake) we had got used to. His
average statements against us and our people were
being received cum grano-the public. North and
South. made = safe discount on them. Even the
secular press understood him.
DEFENCE BISHOP HAVEN
The New York ChrisiaB Adrocate analyzes this COM
munication and thinks that IL the bishops of the
Northern Church are are not the Ia men teey Were sup
capable of and are not to be permitted to speak
word in defence OF ministers whom they send to
needy fields of labor, North or South without being
maiened therefor; II the Southern Methodist
papers have not word of condemnation for the
criminals who shoot down Northern ministers. but
have ample space give to ISLANDERS and innuendoes
against mon whose characters are above reproach
and on whose account the Church has never had
cause to blush. it Is time that these things were
known. and that the sham of fraternity was
understood. Referring to Bishop Haven the
correspondent of the Nashville Adrocax calls him
"a blatant bishop" OF the Church North resident
among us (Southern Methodists) for peace sake"
This epithet the New York Advocate thinks is not
fraternal 1t sounds coarse and unbrotherly TO
hear such brave Christian minister. with brains
enough TO supply some Wnoie aenominaons; mat. ana
and convictions enough to shake into agonizng re-
pentance some great communions. termed blatant.
W. BLACK
And then the other part Of the sentence looks to
local contemporary like threat. Docs it mean.
editor asks. "that he s allowed to live there lin
the South the sake of maintaining peace because
1t might disburb friendly relations which are so
shot down in his own house. like Rev. Jesse knight
(whte), in Morgan county. Ala; or Rev. America
Trsrhblies (colored). in Chambers county. Ala or
shot while Ut prayer like Rev. Peter Smith. ut Grant
ville Ca shot in the pulpit like Rev. W. johnson
(white,. in Fayetteville. Aia shot when returning
Brinkley, Ark; shot while standing q plat
like Rev. Brother Randolph (coored) ut Hodges
Station s. c.? Is this what is meant by the state
mentg II so, not willing to comprehend it,"
NORTHERN METHoDIwTs TO STAY SOUTH
Then. contrasting the sentiment OF the North with
that of the South. the New York Advocate says:--
Living in community that is none too free from
SIM and in contact and fellowship with churches
that are too pure. still we have never known
OF any Protestant churches church members that
Join in mobs mask themselves to murder men at
night or ssa thsr usv hays
known them to countenance such crimes. We
have never known them not to condemn
the criminals. to fail to help the authorizes and
public sentiment against such crimes and criminals
1t is not important to discuss fraternity
We have made extreme advances for 1t. We stand
where we stood In 1874 ready to work in friendly
relations with any and every Church that Is doing
the Masters work In the south. We are pleased to
be greeted with eiodspeed on that soil. But this
greeting not ut all necessary to our success. We
In tho South to stay. II our ministers are mar
tyred can do no less than the infant Church did
send out Others It's battle against sin and ignor
snce. and going to wan. OF course. some
will fall. ~ in any battle. but that is not de-
feat. that secures success.
From all this 1t would that after hve years
gushing fraternity between the two Methodisms
the thing itself Ia much stranger to the rank
and hle ii not indeed to the officers and ministers of
the churchs North and south, as 1t was previous to
1874 fnueeu any Since lost. Anu tnis IL piau
to every ybody not bndedby favor. affection preju
Dice There too much haste and too much eush
fraternity mt first to have 1t last long, and
there In nothing to be gained by processing afec
ton which neither feels. The southern Church has
sought to show its Northern brethren that under
the plan Of fraternity thoy have no right on South
ern soil and the Nashville Advocate wanted them to
turn their colored members over to colored organ
zation. IL the parent body would withdraw from
south and promise not to teach preach to the
freedmen, southern Methodists would. no doubt.
be swcetly affectionatc toward IL; but we hope
doomsday.