The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-02-16
CHURCH UNION.

Efforts are still being made to reuniie
the two branches of the great Methodist
church, and with good degree of prom
Use that the desired end will be reached
at no very distant day.
We copy the following from Sundays
Globe-DemOcrat upon the subject. The
article from the Christian Advocate al
luded to, has attracted wide attention
and has undoubtedly been seen by many
of our readers. No doubt the desire for
union is very general among the mem
bership of the churches:
In late issue of the st. Louis Chris
tian Advocate a correspondent proposed
plan by which the two great bodies of
Episcopal MeLhodism in this country
might be reunited. The plan suggested
was for the two bodies now known as
the Methodist Episcopal and Meth
odist Episcopal Church South to
agree upon the substitution of
three general conference Jurisdictions,
two east of the Mississippi and one west,
TO he known as the M. +. church north,
the NJ. +. church south, and the NJ. Z.
church west, each working under an
allotted conference jurisdiction as now,
Jul NnC WuOlC RSQcEdl
council composed of all the bishops. The
plan proposed, though elaborate, is SIM
pie, and the end proposed is to remove
the contests or antagonisms of the two
branches as now constituted, in fields of
church work where both are at some
disadvantage; to give new force and
power by removing a division based
upon lines sectional and once hostile,
and TO give q stronger impulse to mis-
sionary Methodism beyond the borders
Of the United States
Many Christians and patriots in this
land have looked forward to the day
when the breach between these two
great bodies might be healed. That
breach, as the institutions of the coun-
try stood in 1874 when il occurred, was
as inevitable as the contest which fol-
lowed fifteen years later, by methods less
reasonable and by resort to arms and
bloOdshed. The existence of slavery
was the cause Of both, and as the oppos-
ing sections of the country were politi-
cally reunited with the extinguishment
of slavery in 1865, so it has been hoped
that the divided church might be.
Progress has been made indeed along
this line. Within few years after the
struggle closed the Christian statesmen
on either side projected the appointment
OF fraternal delegates from and TO res
pectiVe conferences which had formerly
been as aliens to each other, and these
were always greeted with cordially, in
some cases with enthusiasm. Later the
great Pan-MethOdisiic gathering in Lon
don has renewed the ties of sympathy
and utilization. and has better prepared
the general thought of both denomina-
tions for such a restored union as has
been proposed.
A division of like character also ex-
lists in the Presbyterian churches,
which occurred, however, later in point
OF time, and was a more direct result of
war. The st. Louis Presbyterian, the
organ Of the southern branch of that de-
nomination, publishes the plan pro-
posed in the Advocate with words of ap-
proval, and points out q similar one of
the late DR.. Archibald Alexander, one of
the most useful and distinguished min
listers the country has ever produced, in
dicating similar good results TO a re-
united Presbyterianism.
1t may be that some time will yet
have to elapse before the plans for q re-
union of these great religious bodies
can be effected. But since the issues
out of which the divisions grew have
passed away; since the wounds on the
body polite have been healed in large
degree-the country reunited politically,
realizing the fruits of grand progress
and prosperity-so il would seem that
the denominations rent apart might
again come together with the strength
and power for good that lies in union.
1t is, al all events, encouraging to know
that the best thought in the churches is
pointing this way.