Page 155 - 1842 Creeds, and Hymn

155

and discipline who reject some things therein

plainly written , and practiced things not found

therein at all. such men are as sectarian, as those

who have a written creed or discipline, and not

quite as honest. I find that Br. Shinn bone

opponents find it much easier to call him,

an old crazy man, than to refute his argunents

or prove his statements untrue. there is nothing

that recommends a man higher in my estim

:ation than to hear his opponents say ' he is not

worth minding,' or call him by some ugly, or

unpopular name. I allmost take it for granted

that he has the truth on his side, and that the

dare not openly face hime. yours, M. Winans

Jamestown. O., 10th March. 1842

Hymn

Religion is a glorious treasure,

the purchase of a saviours blood

it fills the mind with consolation

and lifts the thoughts to things above

it calms our fears and soothes our sorrows

and smoothes our way o'er lifes rough sea

'tis mixed with goodness, meekness, patience

this heavenly portion mine shall be

This earthly house must be dissolved

and mortal life will soon be o'er

all earthly cares and earthly sorrows

will pain my eyes and heart no more

but pure religion remains forever

and my glad heart shall strengthened be

while endless ages are onward rowling

this heavenly portion mine shall be

How vain, how fleet, how transetory

this world with all its pomp and show

its vain delights, delusive pleasures

i'll gladly leave them all below

but grace and glory shall be my story

while I in Jesus such beauties see

and endless ages are onward rolling --

this heavenly portion mine shall be

this published by Reverent H. R. Lucas

Page 154 - 1842 Creeds

154

July the 30. 1842 it is a raining quit smart

no written creed or discipline, leaving the

world to guess at our faith and manners? this

argument if it proves any thing, proves that

there are none who believe the scriptures,

and practice as they direct, or that the

scriptures are defective, and need emendation or

addition to make them effecive and useful. the argu:

:ment may be condensed thus. the scriptures are a

dead letter and they require a living letter, called

a creed or discipline, to carry them into effect,

who will affirm that a written creed or discip:

:line, has more life and power inlt, than written

word of god has? I goe with the apostle and say that

he who receives the testimony of man can receive

the testimony of god . because the testimony of god

is greater and better tan that of man I was

much pleased with Br. Shinn's last piece on

controversy.' he has expressed my views on

that subject better than I could have done it

my self, and when he shall have proved, that

no class of men are divinely and exclusively

autherised to expound the scriptures, then I

will take his proofs and shew that all creeds

and disciplines are made by just such men as

claim the right to dictate and guide others in relig:

:ious matters, and that all such books, including

the little book; recommended by him, are nothing

more nor less than the expositions of falible men,

and that they all have a tendency to restrict

private Judgment. the chief difference betwene the

man who adopts a written creed or discipline ( other

than the scriptures) and the man who takes the

scriptures alone as his creed and discipline consists

in this, that the former --- ---- reads the

scriptures to find proofs favoring his creed or

discipline, while the latter reads the scriptures to

learn his duty to god, that he may do it. the former

considers all things found in the scriptures noness:

:ential unless expressed in his credd or discipline,

while the latter can consider all the teachings of god

essential and necessary to his welfaire here and

here after I am aware however, that there are men

who profess to take the scriptures alone for the creed

Page 153 - 1842 Methodist Schism, and Creeds

153

A Journal of Radicalism 1842

flag, proves to the world that her officers and

crew are brave fellows, wishing to appear

in their true characters, and so far,

whatever their traffic may be, are worthy

of respect for mee to tell your numerous

readers that the usage of the Methodist prote:

:stant church is directly the opposite of the

laws of the Methodist Episcopal church is to

tell them what they already know. that

we have a lay representation in both gen:

:eral and annual conferance; that all our

church officers are elected by the church

or her representatives; that all her memb:

:ers are received by the vote of the church.

that all her property belongs to the membesh:

:ip, that she always sails under her own

proper flag, and that she never, for conve:

niencesy or other wise, hoists the Episcopal

flag, which fact we pledge ourselves to

maintain, and beg leave to enrowl our name

withe the names of the advocates of religious

liberty Paul . Fry and he lyes to be sure

For the western Recorder

the little book again, friend Springer

in my last I called on Br. shinn for proof

that creeds or disciplines in the general, had

prevented divisions among those adopting

them, and in this I ask him to shew that

the little book, recommended by him, has

been more successful than its predecessors

if he is not already apprised of it, permit

me to inform him, that in the limits of

my acquaintance, some preachers, and

several memebers, who once adopted '

the little book, have either went back into

the old line, or strayed off into other denom:

:inations. so that ' the little book itself; has

proved a failure but onother argument has

been used in favor of creeds and disciplines,

which I must notice, namely, ' it is more honist

and fair, to have our belief written out and

published, so that the world may know exactly

what we do hold to, and believe, than to have