The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-18

Philadelphia, Pa, May 16.-Tho
Board of Bishops, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, through it's sec
retary. Bishop l.. B. Wilson, tonight
issued an official statement, which
had been prepared by the board, at
its meeting in Chicago on May 8, rel
ative to the Italian mission. The
statement is the outcome Of the re-
cent controversy in Rome caused by
the visit of Col Roosevelt.
The statement follows:
"Deploring and at all times seeking
TO avoid INSTRUMENTATION contro-
Versies, we are, nevertheless, compell-
ed TO recognize occasions when per-
sonal preference must yield to a prop
CT sense of official duty.
I'VE cannot allow to pass unnotic-
cd the recent unprOvoked and un-
warranted attempt to discredit one of
our must useful missions, by widely
published accusations which. if based
upon truth would be nothing short
OF dishonor upon the Church which
supports that mission.
We regret that after repeated
challenges for details of the specific
acts supposed to justify these charges.
they still remain in such general
terms that their validity cannot be
tested before the judgment of the
world. We can only observe:
Il. That ordinaril the use of
pohedian adjectives is suggestive of
anger rather than Of reason.
"2. That the methods of our mis-
9lons In Italy, now for the first time
thus publicly condemned, are the
same that have been pursued from
the beginning, almost forty years ago.
"3. That the same methods,
namely, preaching the Gospel in it's
simplicity and conducting schools
where they are needed, schools which
recognize the plain teachings of the
New Testament as a supreme author
ity in religion and ethics, have long
been followed by our missions in
South America and Mexico, as we'll as
in Rome, and no such indictment has
been brought against those missions
even to this day, so far we are in
formed.
"A. From these facts the inference
apnears to be irresistible that other
con- ,derations than the methods of
our mission in Rome must have been
tie real cause of this sudden outcry.
o. Possibly some urgency Of our
diplomacy, local in it's origin, but far
reaching in it's portent, required this
attack with all it's hazard, as a diver
sion from the real issue involved.
THE facts that support this infer
ence are known to all who have fol-
lowed the course of recent events in
the city of Rome.
Had there been any other way to
avoid certain issues Of etiquette and
precedence created by coincident cir
cumstances of a public nature, the
Methodist mission might have escap-
ed calumny and thus lost the valu-
able recognition of it's success.
Under such circumstances we en-
ter upon no defence of our work in
Italy, and make no plea for abate-
ment in the judgment of the world.
I'VE decline at the present time to
enter upon any counter attack upon
the Roman Catholic Church.
I'VE ask only that all fair men in
terested in the situation study for
themselves its methods Of propagan-
dism and the traditional attitude Of
that church toward other Christian
faiths.
I'VE believe that there are stand
ards of equity and moral rectitude by
which, in the estimate of all progress
sive peoples, all religions and all
methods must be rated by what they
contribute to intelligence and moral
character.
we now content ourselves with af-
hrming our entire confidence in the
moral integrity Of our missionaries
and methods in Italy, and against the
denunciations of their accusers we
pace the wide open record of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, both as
10 teaching and method, in America
and throughout the world"