The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1888-05-03
Elder SwIndaII Misrepresents
the Methodist Church.

correspondence VI Aftt RChoS8dbs
Elder Swindall in his remarks to-
night charged the M. +. church, south
of claiming the right to change the
mode of Christian Baptism, or annull
it and become Quakers if so desired. In
proof of this serious and astounding
charge he quoted the Methodist Discip-
line page "A, as follows: Every par
ticular church may ordain, change, or
abolish rites and ceremonies, so that
all things may be done to edification."
This quotation is the closing sentence
of Article XXI of our Articles of Re-
ligion. To take this sentence disJoined
from the major part of the Article and
present it as the doctrine or teaching
of the Methodist church, is a misrepre-
sentation too glazing to be perpetrated
by any man claiming responsibility,
much less by professed christian and
preacher of that gospel that teaches us:
Whatsoever We would that men should
do to you, do we even so to them"
Take the twenty-secoLd Article as it
appears in the body of our Articles of
Religion. pages % and "a of the Discip-
line, and not as misrepresented by the
Rev. Brother, we have the following:
cit is not necessary thatrites and cer-
emonies should in all places be the
same, or exactly alike; for they have
been always different, and may be
changed according TO the diversities of
countries, times, and mems manners,
so THAT NOTHING BE DONE AGAINST COPS
WORD. Whosoever through his private
judgment, willingly and pu-posely,
doth openly break the rites and ceremo-
MES of the church to which he belongs,
which are not repugnant to the word of
God, aud are ordained and approved by
common authority, ought to be rebuked
openly, that others may fear to do the
like, as one that offendeth against the
common order of the church, and
woundeth the conscience of the weak
brethren. every particular church
may ordain, change, or abolish rites and
ceremonies, so that all things may be
done TO edifieation." quote the artic-
| lie entire. ] submit that to quote the
last sentence of the above Article of Re-
| church claims the right to change or
abolish the sacrament of holy baptism
| gross SANDER of a large and influen-
| tial branch OF the church of Christ.
| In the very first sentence of the
| Article the power of the church to Cor
| dain, change, or abolish rites and ccre-
monies" is limited and guarded BY the
clause, $50 THAT NOTHING CAN BIN Or
DAMNED AGAINST COPS WORD"
Again, on page IS we find the powers
of the General Conference, our law
making body, stated in these words !:
'tThe General Conference shall have
full powers to make rules and regula-
lions for our Church, under the follow
ing limitations and restrictions, viz:
ID The General Conference SHALL
NOT REVOKE, ALTER, OR CHANGE our AR
TICIEs OF RELIGION, or ESTABLISH ANY
NEW STANDARDS or rules of doctrine
CONTRARY to our present existing and
established standards of doctrine"
There are six restrictive rules limit.
ing the powers of oar only law-making
body, the General Conference. The
above is the first. On page 40 of the
Discipline there are certain provisions
by W hich the General Conference may
''alter any of the above restrictions,
EXCITING the FIRST article" '"fhe
above restrictions" refers to the six re-
strictiye rules, telling what the GEN
eral Conference cannot do. "The first
article" which is "ExCEPTED, "is the
one | have quoted. Nothing can be
legislation than is guarded the "Artic-
les of Relig ion" of the NJ. E. church,
south. With what show of superior
wisdom and learning, yea, with what
egotism may Brother Swindall stand
before the intelligence of Russellville
and say that ANY person that has the
temerity to intimate that he would mis-
represent sis fit subject for the lunat.
ic asylum judge ye; bnt it is quite ev-
ident that he is ignorant OF the powers
of the Methodist legislative body, or he
purposely misrepresented the Method
ist church, hiding himself, as he sup
posed, behind Methodist ignorance,
thus hoping to escape detection,
j. 5. CLOVER.
Russellyille, May /,