The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-08-29
TIE HOLINESS QUESTION.
A Louisville special to the Memph


Louisville special to the Memphis
Commercial Appeal says;
"At present the chief leader Of the
second blessingists' is Rev. ID. Z,
Morrison of Louisville. publisher OF
the Pentecostal Herald. a Holiness
naner He mas issued call for a
sunion' of the Holiness people and mas
formulated a constitution. ne openiy
charges that the chief men Oh 1he
Methodist church, South, nave gone
away from Wesley and the Bible. IN
order that the doctrine may be preser-
we'd he thinks distinct ORGANIZATION
on this line is necessary. Mr.. morrison
is gifted and popular and has a large
following throughout the South. IL 10
confidently believed that some OF ms
charges against the church VIII De
seriously considered at the coming
Kentucky conference.
Somewhere in Shakespeare writings,
Hamlet we believe it was, who said
There is nothing, good or bad, but
thinking makes it So So if the Rev.
Mr.. Morrison thinks that the church
TO which he belongs has become de-
generate, and that in order that the
true doctrine of its founder may be
preserved" it is necessary that a dis
tinct organization should be formed
why the very thinking of the thing, II
seems to us. would make it encumpen'
upon the Rev. Brother to get move on
himself and organize new Methodist
or as it was formerly called, Wesleyan
church. according to the doctrine al
expounded by st. Morrison.
We hold that church divided against
itself ca mot stand. The Methodist
church is an offshoot from, and. as Its
promoters believe, an improvement
upon, the Episcopal church. Whether
it be an improvement or no, is mat
ter of individual opinion: but certain
it is that these two great protestant
denominations have thrived and flour
ished and prospered better, and beer
worth more to the world and to Its
suffering humanity, by their agreement
to disagree, than they would had they
ATTEMPTED to live together in discorc
and friction. The very best woman
this writer ever knew was Methodist
| And next to her one OF the best We
ever knew was an Episcopalian. They
lived together and loved together anc
communed together. But one of then
was distinctly Methodist and the
other was distinctly an Episcopalian
and they were each happier and better
and more useful in their own church
So if MIR. Morrison thinks, and has
any considerable number Of followers
who think that "the Methodist
church, South. has gone away
from Wesley and the Bible. they
should by all means follow the lead Of
their conscience and stay with thu
Bible; it does not matter SO mucf
about Wesley. For, though he wal
one of the great men Of earth, he was
vet fallible. The Bible is not. And Il
is the truth of the Bible we all wan'
to know and to hear preached.
The Methodists, however, have a rlgh
to expect of all their members, loyalty
Every man has the right to worship
God according to the dictates of hi
own conscience. But if man is dis
satisfied with his church, he shoult
change. He has no right to purpor1
to be Methodist, and yet give his
time and money and influence tt
another organization or faith or follow
ing. His church vows obligate hln
to Support the church and its ordl
nances. - He cannot be very anc
altogether holy and disregard hls
church VOWS.
John Wesley, the founder of Method
ism, and Alexander Campbell, the
founder of the Christian Church, dle
not ask anybody's consent to preacl
and teach the doctrine they believed
They simply went about preaching
and teaching and organizing their dis
cinles. And that is what Mr.. Nor
rison ought to 40, and no one ough'
TO. and no one will, try to hinder him.