Methodist Convention

• -1845.

The convention met pursuant to adjournment, Bishop Andrews in the chair. Religious services by the Rev. G. W. D. Harris, of the Memphis conference.

Dr. Smith, of Virginia, rose in his place, and called up the resolution which he, in conjunction with Dr. Pierce, yesterday offered, instructing the committee on organization to bring in a report in favor of separation. Dr. Smith spoke for over two hours in a very plain, but eloquent style, in support of the resolution which they had offered. The audience was very large, and the attention sustained, during the whole address.

We should, said Dr. Smith, be equally unfaithful to the country as to the church. The decision of this high court of appeals, as he had already shown, declared it to be the law and long settled policy of the Methodist Episcopal Church to extirpate slavery from the States of our National confederation-unchecked by the policy and laws of the more immediately concerned.

Here Dr. Smith showed it to be a treasonable movement upon the part of the church, which, however, was not that form of treason known to the statute books, and which implied the taking up of arms against the State, but was nevertheless moral treason; a form of treason more disastrous in its practical operation and final results than that attempted by Aaron Burr and the unfortunate Blanerhassett, because, in its ultimate results, it involved the taking up of arms under a maddened religious, fanaticism more ungovernable than the waves that lash the ocean shore, or the tempest that lays waste the mountain forest. The only safe basis of compromise on which our union could operate conservatively, he felt assured the Northern majority would never consent to. Compromise, therefore, was at an end. He cited the fable of the kite and the cat, which, whilst it exhibited the only ground of compromising the existing difficulties in the church, produced a most thrilling effect.

He commented upon the epithets, "seceders," "disunionists," &c., which had been applied to the South by the editors of the principal church papers. He showed this to be a mere trick of those editors to involve us in the guilt of schism. It was sought to prove us schismatics, to divest us of our legal title to our houses of worship. He examined the property question, and showed that all attempts to deprive us of our houses or worship would prove abortive. He demonstrated that the general conference was but the creature of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and not the Church itself; that, therefore, to separate from the

general conference was not a schism or separation from the Church itself.

"HELP FROM HEATHENS.-The last report of the London Missionary Society, which expends about $400,000, annually, acknowledges the receipt, during the year, of $78,804 from contributors at its various missionary stations."

(->) Upon reading the above in one of our exchanges, we could not help exclaiming:-How unlike the Lord's are the ways of the Gentiles!

After Jesus had chosen his Twelve, and gave them power, he said "go and preach saying: the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass, in your purses,

Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat."

The United States and Great Britain, if they could, would frame a tariff so as to claim duties on the exits and entrances into heaven.-Surely they cross sea and land to make proselytes, and make them twofold more the children of hell, than they were before.

The Infidels have advertised for a convention at New York on the 4th of May next.-All in order: men ought to prove contrarieties and bring out the truth thereby. There is a shaking among the "dry bones," and among the christendom sects, the Infidel ranks first, because he uses reason instead of fire and brimstone: He only lacks revelation to come into all truth.