Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-02-13
For the Herald and Tribune.
AMERICAN METHODISM.

l wish to notice q few points whicI
appears in the American Methodist.
paper published in Cleveland, Tennes
see, February 10, 1895. Under the head
lines Church Government We fin,
that one who sign himself "A Churcl
man, says that General Conference
and Synods may declare forever tha
church and State must be kept dissim
liar, but such declarations are, and will
be absurd. There is mutual relation
and interdependence between then
and no power on earth can set it aside. ;
Here we have two very strong asser
tlons, stronger than can be fully and
clearly set up. While we have free
republican form of government, and
while all Americans have granted to
them the right of free speech and press,
and what is better still, they have a
perfect right to worship the Almighty
God In keeping with best impressions
OF their own consciences, there is now,
ever has been and ever shall be dis
similarity between church and State
governments, unless the State govern
ment were made free from tyranny and
corruption. Well, did the apostle saw
1--WE are not under law, but under
grace?" Again ''by the grace of God
am what | am" Christ said, 81 will
give thee the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt
bind on earth shalt be bound in heaven,
and whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven" Here
is a dissimilarity and using Church
mans own language, that mo power
on earth can set aside" Christ built
his church on the principles embodied
in the open confession of Peters faith
in him as being the Christ, &c. He
never recognized the nationality or
government of any people as being
similar to the kingdom of heaven in a
strict sense. Our Churchman knows as
well as he knows there is a ME-.
Church that there are measures admit.
ted and accepted in national and State
laws that are not. never have been nor
never will be admitted nor accepted in
ecclesiastical governments. He SAYS
that the ecclesiastical principle may
differ from some principles of govern
ment that lies at the very basis of her
own institution. doubt his ability in
setting this argument clear to reason
able thinking minds. The NJ. E, Church
can not afford to conform to everything
that is in the form of legal principles
for the petty sake of being called Amer.
lean by name. My opinion is that
better way to bring about stronger
similarity would be to work under the
legal principle to lift it higher and not
to work over the ecclesiastical to get it
lower. The standard of Christianity is
none too high at present. If similar.
ity can not be effected in this way let
dissimilarity remain. The Iron hand"
with which the M. E. Church is said to
be ruling nowadays. must have had a
softer, warmer day some time in her
history than she is now represented
as having. We believe the Soft, warm
hand has been felt in modern times.
Those who are now railing with bitter
epithets upon the mother church were
once nursed in her lap, protected by
her arms and provided for with her
means. "She rules with an iron hand
and does not allow her members to in-
weigh against her government" Yes,
what right has member of any church
to inveigh against its government, af-
ter indorsing and accepting, of their
own free will and accord the doctrines
and principles of government? The NJ.
E. Church should not allow it. She
would be un-American if she did.
Does the American Government allow
it? Does Churchman want to establish
church whose creed will guarantee
the right to its members to fight con-
tinually against the government by
which it is to be controlled? This
does not look much American like.
The principles, doctrine and polity of
the NJ. +. Church are precisely the
same now they were in the foundation,
and those good brethren 1--WE know
them and love them are the men who
subscribed once, twice, yea thrice, to
the principles, doctrines and polity of
the NJ. E. Church. In their reception
before the bar of the church, in the
presence of the congregation, after be-
ing licensed to preach, they stand the
second time, at the bar of the annual
conference and there solemnly pledg-
ed themselves to defend the doctrines
of the M. E. Church. This however
is after they have stood satisfactory
examination in the prescribed course of
studies and the conference mot the
Bishop nor Pre- siding Elder, but the
Conference, votes them Deacons' Or
ders. Then they weary along two full
years longer in this oppression and of
their own free will subscribe the third
time to every form and feature of
Methodist law. land the polity is not
omitted and then the Conference as
before on the same principles and rul-
ing, vote them Elders orders. In the
catechism, they avow to not mend,
but to keep our rules. Then they say
this is oppression. Tyranical, non-pro.
progressive and non American. Bound