The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-01-31
Methodist Minister, do not constitute true

Methodist Ministers do not constitute true
marriage"
Answer: II does not follow inevitably at
all, becau.e the accepted opinion Of Cath
lie theOlogians il that the contracting par
tie. themselves are ministers Of the sacra-
ment Of mairimouy, and not the officiating
priest, who il simply an official witness to
the nuptial contract
II What / have said does not convince
my opponent, hereby declare that az a
Catholic priest, do believe that marriages
properly contracted 10 the presence OF any
Methodist minister, in Mississippi, by bap-
tizsd persons Of any Protestant denomina-
ton, are true, binding, and sacramento
marriages, wherever 20 impeachment exists
10 invalidate them My opponent knows
full we'll that ii in this teach anything
CO. lrary to Catholic faith, will be sileuc.
ed by my Bishop. He gently slides away
from the subjrc. in discus.ion, aud ends his
article With the following paragraph:
For these reasons and others which
might be given, l have entertained the
opinion that Roman Catholics did not
believe that Methodist ministers had the
right TO perform true malrimony; true,
not IN the -en-e Of mere legality or conform
ity to civil authority, but true az sane
toned by the church OF the living God
For these reasons have thought and do
slill think that Methodists who send their
children to institutions where such things
are taught, are grossly inconsistent. II the
Rev. Mr.. Duuo really thinks that Meth
odist ministers are authorized to perform
marriage, true, in the sense mentioned
above, ! congratulate him upon possessing
a catholicity and liberality which did
not think belonged to his church.
G. G.. AEDREws."
| will here be allowed to say, respect
fully that | am not concerned about the
opinions Of MIR. Q. q. Andrews about
Roman Catholics, but that | am deeply
concerned with the utterances officially
made by the largest body OF reigionists in
the State in regard to myself and my CO.
religionists. | will quote 10 full the
paragraph in the report on Education OF
the Mississippi Annual Conference Of the
NJ +. Church SJuth, which prompted me
to write my first article
Another duty we would enioin upon
our people, and that is to patronize our
own schools. We have never been able to
reconcile loyalty to our church with the
practice OF pltrunizing the institutions OF
o her churches, especially those where our
children are Taught that ours is no true
church, that our ministers have no right
10 dispense the sacraments, that even the
right OF matrimony performed by them
does not constitute true marriage. We
respectfully submit that any Methodist
who continues to send his child to such a
school, not only has not due respect for his
church, but procllims that ne does not
stop to think that he ever is wanting in
proper respect for himself and his wife"
1t il granted that the extract il aimed
at the Roman Catholics | think that the
paragraph is un charitable and calumnious.
For, in plain language, il means thIs: Do
not send your children to Catholic schools
because they will be taught to look upon
themselves AZ illegitmate children; upon
their mothers, not AS your true wives, but
IA your coucubines, etc. | consider il an
unwarrantable attemp! on the part Of the
Methodist Conference to render odious to
their fellow-cltzens, the Roman Catholics
OF this State.
| here put an end TO my communications,
declaring that it is not my desire to appear
as acontrover~ialist but whenever attacked
will endeayor to give reasons Tor the
faith that is in me. l.. 4. DUTTo.