The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-12
THE CUMBERLAND CHURCH
AND ITS PROPOSED CONNECTION
WITH THE METHODS CaURCH,
which Will He Killed Either I'm the
Committee or In the Next GEN
eIaI Assembly.

New York Evangelist: Consider
able interest has recently been ex-
cited in various circles by the sppa-
rent dlspo .ilion of The Cumberland
Presby tsrians to seek organic c. nne c.
ton with the Methodist Church
South. Some of those who have be-
frit nded that body by maintaining
its right to place in the Presbyie tiaD
family, Notwithstanding the somewhat
Tale Dlus Of its creed, have had their
fears aroused by these negotia ions.
And come who ilom the first have dis
puted the right of the Cumberland
Church to tuch Place, are inclined
to wag their heads aud eay IN de-
rision, we Il Id you So
We are happy to say on high au-
thority III t such fesrs sr5 unf)undeo,
and such evll IrJgnotticluous not
iustifi I'd. BIT Que o; two intlueLt al
men ia the Cumberland Chaich srs
really in favOr Of such II 'goiht NJ,
aud s lne do not heslIats 10 pronOuDce
IT great hlunder. There Was in the
last Assem- bly, n4tur. unwilhngntsi
to tpJ jose when snbmlttd scntme
WHICH SEE VI us Eul ~ - Va ~ W
bs in line with that broad and warm
eympa by with CHRISTIAN union so
characteristic of our Gum osriand
brethren. But many fe.t it mistake
t. open such quest on-a question
to which there could, IN their iudg-
ment, be but one CONCLUSION. We are
assured that the PIE sent PROBABILITY is
that the project Ct union will be killed,
ri her in the committee or in the next
Assembly.
The reason is very obvious. 1t
wo1ld be impt s,ible for the Cumber-
land Oburch, at the very outset, to
give up or consent to any large modi-
fi'a.ion of its Presbyterian mode of
COVE rnment. Beyond this, all its his
tory and precedents, it's methods and
temper, would protest aga INST such an
utilization. And still fu Their, as we
have often ventured to tell our breth-
rem, their creed, their p evslent d. c.
trine, their type Of faith aud expert.
ence ally them after all. not with Ar.
mipians, but with the Calvinistic, the
Augustiniap, the distinctlvely Pauline
househo d OF fsi h. We are perfectly
wiling that they should repudiate, il
they like, the Calvinistic, or the
Augustiniau pane. We are will
ing that they should utter thai
protests as earne,t'y as they
please against any fatalism II
our confession, or in cur preaching
.. ii there is ANYTHING of that toit. Blu
there are affiliations with us, histori,
conn ections and spiritual experiences
,, which they cannot shake off If t1e.
would, without going 10 pieces, an'
which in our judgment tnev womb
not shake off If they could. They b
long to our family; they have tn
family Likeness; they wear the ant es
:, trail blue; and, actordiDg to tie oil
provsrb, "blood is thicker than water.
These suggestions are by no mean
st variance with cur declared pc sitio
az to the ultimate union Of all tTu
believers. But such union will ce
tMnly N axe self visible, fist OF sl, {
. the points where there are the gree
u rst histo ic and p'ritusl preparation
for it. 1t will appsar fist in ihos
bodies which are coenate in doctrin
}. in temper, in tender cy. ArminiaI
g will frat come together with Amin
d iaus, and Calvinitts with CAlvinist
Lutheranis m will first II veal unifyir
/ power enough to draw into one y
is own divided households. And whe
IS this is done, the way will be open fl
+ our Cumbel lard brethren to negotia
SUGGEST fully with the MethodistChurC
~ South. But not before