BISHOP SIMPSON ON THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH.

" The Cyclopedia of Methodism," is a new book, edited by M. Simpson, D. D., one of the Bishops of the M. E. Church.

A cyclopedia is a book which no one should write without the utmost candor, and great patience of research. The brilliancy of imagination which may fit one to shine as an orator or an essayist, should have no play in compiling sober facts, or established truths. A history is often read for entertainment, as well as for instruction ; but a cyclopedia is useful only as a book of reference ; and if its statements can not be relied upon, it is worthless.

Of the necessity of fairness the Bishop. appears to have been fully mindful when .he wrote his preface, and singularly forgetful when he admitted. his article on " The Free Methodist Church." This article contains several important misrepresentations. This we undertake to establish to the satisfaction of every candid mind, notwithstanding the difficulty of proving a negative.

We do not charge the Bishop with wilfully misrepresenting a single fact. With his motives we have nothing to do. We would not, knowingly) do him the slightest injustice. But false statements, coming from a reputable source, do not need to proceed from malice, to be capable of doing so much harm as to demand correction.

Soon after reading the article referred to, we wrote the Bishop as follows :

ROCHESTER, N. Y., SEPT. 13, 1878.

REV. M. SIMPSON, D. D.,

Bishop of the M. E. Church.

DEAR SIR : I think when one makes incorrect statements, he should have the privilege of correcting them. I therefore take the liberty to address you in reference to the' article in your " Cyclopedia of Methodism," on the . Free Methodist Church. In your preface you say : " The aim has been to give a fair, and impartial view of every branch of the Methodist family. For this purpose, contributors and correspondents were selected, as far as practicable, who were identified with the several branches, and who from their position, were best qualified to furnish information as to their respective bodies."

Either no such selection was made from the Free Methodists, or the information which they furnished, with the exception of the bare statistics, was not given to the public in that article. In either case, what becomes of the claim of fairness ?

In this article there are some fifteen statements or restatements, .which are utterly untrue, and some five or six statements which, though in a sense true, yet are, from the manner in which they aide made, misleading.

If furnished with proof, satisfactory to candid minds, that these statements referred to are untrue, and misleading, will you correct them in the church periodicals, and in future editions of your book ? If not, will you give the authority upon which the statements complained of, are made ?

Yours most respectfully,

B. T. ROBERTS.

To this the Bishop replied as follows :

PHILADELPHIA, OCT. 23, 1878.

REV. B. T. ROBERTS.

DEAR SIR: Returning home from a long tour in the west, I find your letter of September 13th, complaining of inaccuracies in the article on Free Methodism, but without specifying what those inaccuracies are.

I am not aware of any incorrect statements in the article, but if you will furnish me with corrections and the accompanying proofs, I will gladly make any alterations in a future edition, should such edition be called for. I desire to have perfect accuracy in every article, and it will give me as much pleasure to correct, as it can you to furnish the corrections.

Yours truly,

M. SIMPSON.

On reading this letter, the intelligent reader will notice :

1. That the Bishop fully assumes the responsibility for the accuracy of the article in question.

2. That he ,does not, even if convinced of inaccuracies, offer to correct them, until a future edition of his book is called for, and not at all unless such edition is called for, leaving the article, meantime, to create all the prejudice, and do all the injustice of which it is capable.

3. That he gives no authority for his statements.

4. That he does not profess, as claimed in his preface, in order " to give a fair and impartial view" of this " branch of the Methodist family," to have selected a contributor" from the Free Methodists who 'was " identified" with it, and who, " from his position was best qualified to give information " as to his particular body. Nor does he give any reason why this was not considered " practicable. " In the city where he resides, were men capable of giving such information!

We copy, from the Cyclopedia, the article which contains the statements of which we complain. For the sake of reference, we have marked the clauses which we consider untrue, with figures ; and those which are misleading, with letters. We give the article entire, except the statistics.

"THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH."

"The organization of the Free Methodist Church .dates from August 23, 1860, at a convention composed of ministers and laymen, who had been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but became ^adissatisfied with the workings of its government. Though organized at that date, the movement commenced several years earlier, within the bounds of the Genesee Conference, and originated in an ¹association of ministers, who ²thought they had not been properly treated by the leading men of the conference. ³They privately adopted a platform, and in this ⁴organization were known as ' Nazarites.' In their writings, and speeches, they complained of the decline of spirituality in the church, ^bcharging the church with tolerating, for the sake of gain, the worldly practices of its members, and its departure, both in doctrine and discipline, from the teachings of the fathers. ^cThey professed themselves to be moved by the Holy Spirit, and believed it was their duty to bear open testimony against what they alleged to be the sins of the church. This ⁵organization, and its ⁶publications, containing such, charges against the leading members of the Conference, led in 1855, to a very unpleasant state of feeling, and resulted in various church trials. In ⁷1858, two of the leaders were expelled from the Conference ; they appealed to the ensuing General Conference, held at Buffalo in 1860 ; but as they had ⁸declined to recognize the authority of the church, and ⁹had continued to exercise their ministry, and to organize societies, the General Conference declined to entertain the appeal. Even previous to the trial; ¹⁰some of the ministers had established appointments, and 1lorganized societies in opposition to the regular church services.

At the organization of this church in 1860, they accepted the doctrines of Methodism, as contained in the Articles of Religion, and placed a special stress on Christian perfection, or sanctification. They added an additional article which says : ` Those that are sanctified wholly, are saved from all inward sin, from evil thoughts and evil tempers. No wrong temper, none contrary to love, remains in the soul. All their thoughts, words and actions, are governed by pure love.

Entire sanctification takes place subsequently to justification, and is the work of God, wrought instantaneously upon the consecrated, believing soul. After a soul is cleansed from all sin, it is then fully prepared to grow in grace.'

They also added a second article on future rewards and punishments.

^cIn church polity, the name of bishop was abandoned, and a general superintendence substituted. The ^dconference organizations were retained as in the M. E. Church, and laymen, in numbers equal to the ministers, were admitted into each of these bodies. ^eThe name of presiding elder was changed to that of district chairman. No one is admitted as a member, even after probation, without a confession of saving faith in Christ. The ¹²reason alleged by them is, that much of the defection in other Methodist churches, is due to the fact that multitudes who have joined the church. as inquirers, have failed to .pursue a strictly spiritual life. ^f They also require their members to be exceedingly plain in their dress, and they prohibit any one connected with the church from being a member of any secret society. They require not only abstinence from intoxicating liquors, but also from the use of tobacco, except as a medicine.

In its early history, some of its leaders. encouraged a spirit of wild ¹³fanaticism, claiming ¹⁴the power of healing by the laying on of , hands. In ¹⁵many cases the excitement connected with their meetings passed into extravagance, which was sanctioned by their leading men, as being evidence of the . influence of the Holy Spirit. As the denomination has progressed, and has extended its boundaries, though their services are still characterized by much fervor, there is less of these manifestations. The Free Methodist Church is confined almost exclusively to the Northern states. There are at present ten annual conferences, which report for 1876, the following statistics."

We give statistics in full in the appendix.