The news & observer., 1905-11-19
JUSTICE TO ALL PARTIES.
A Statement BY Minister Who
Knows More Than ALI and Un-
derstands the Circum-
stances.
Mccall, S. c., Nov. 13. 1905.

Mccall, S. c., Nov. IL, 1905.
To the Editor: In you Sundays S
edition you write a very sensible edi-
torial upon the vindication of Rev.
F. W. Bradley before the late session
of the Western North Carolina Con-
ference, but in your efforts to do full
Justice to Mr.. Bradley you uninten-
tionally do great injustice to equally
as good men, who were compelled by
the laws of their church to act, and
who acted in good faith, and with
good will towards the accused minis
ter | know every one of these breth-
rem, and know the facts in the case,
having heard them from the lips of
both the Presiding Elder, and accus-
ed minister involved, and l am free
to say, any other conscientious Pre-
siding Elder would have acted the
same way with the same light be-
fore him.
The fact that Rev. Bradley mar
ried against the advice, and over the
refusal of two of his brethren to mar
ry him, and crossed the State line and
secured a minister to marry him
without informing him of the situa-
ton, was proof they think, that he
was determined to marry whether
scripturally entitled to do so or not.
1t is but fair, however, to state here,
that Mr. Bradley affirmS that one of
those ministers refusing to marry him,
advised him to cross over into South
Carolina and marry without delay.
This looks like double faced duplicity,
if it be as he says, with no explana-
ton to change the face of this state
ment. 1t is not pertinent to this
case, as a matter of fact, however,
whether this be true or not.
Those acting for the church were
acting i'm good faith. and upon the
authority of the discipline and your
structures do them d great injustice. L
am sure These brethren could not
have had anything in view save the
interest of the church, and hence to
leave the suspicion even that they
| were prosecuting the brother in ques-
lion, IS TO say the least of it, unfair.
The discipline Of the Methodist
| church is explicit as to the position
it takes on the divorce question.
Paragraph 1879, Sec. ", page, 62,
| reads: '"rhe ministers of our church
| shall be prohibited ffom solemnizing
the rites of matrimony between di-
vorced LCrsons, except in case of III
! ;'occo parties who have been divorced
| fol The ono scripiural cause,
| You viii see from this paragraph
| that these brethren were acting ac-
| cording to law, as they saw it, and
hence are not to be censured. You
| will see also. that your assertion,
that Methodist ministers would not
/ hesitate to marry such people, is a
mistake. of course upon the decision
of the presiding Bishop, that the
| committee of trial had right to go
behind the courts, and to base their
! findings on the facts thus obtained, "
| the committee, along with the rest of
| Mr.. Bradley's friends and brethren.
were only too glad to have their de-
cision reserved. since by such a de-
! cision. both the church. which they
defended. and MI. Bradley, were ex-
| honorated. This plea for jus.-ce ,
written without solicitation by eony one,
and is written merely as a sense of
! duty to all parties concerned.
l am a friend to all parties and to
| you, Mr.. Editor, as well, and l am
| sure you have not intended to do any
| one hurt BIZ your position, never
! theless it would be we'll to remember,
| that an unintentional blow may as eff
| fectually fell a man, sometimes, as
one purposely given. Let simple JUS
| tice be done all parties concerned.
Get all the facts Mr.. Bradley is not
a very young minister" as you say,
| being, | suppose near sixty years old.
w. II. l.. McLAURIN.