Is the M. E. Church Antinomian?
By John Harvey Waggoner
THIS is an age of changes, and we hardly know where to find any man or class of men. The Methodists, from their rise, were untiring in their opposition to Antinomianism, and Wesley uttered strong cautions against such as teach the Law is abolished. In enforcing the obligation of the Sabbath, we have always appealed confidently to their respect for the authority of the Ten Commandments. In the discussion at Memphis, Mich., Mr. Kelly, a Methodist minister, argued the abolition of the Law, much to the astonishment of many Methodists, and of all who were not Methodists. Since coming to this place we received a letter from Memphis, stating that Mr. Kelly had been cited to appear before Conference and answer for positions taken in the discussion. For the honor and consistency of the M. E. Church, we hoped this might be true; but in the published proceedings of the Detroit Conference, held at Hudson, we noticed the statement by some one that Mr. Kelly had done much to put down Adventism in Memphis. Whether his course came up for examination did not appear; so, according to the report of the Conference, the church stands committed to Antinomianism. The tendency has been in that direction for some time, and hereafter we may expect to meet the question with Methodists on the abolition of the Ten Commandments. Be it so. There is no point on which the Scriptures more “thoroughly furnish” the man of God than on the perpetuity of the Law. There seems to be a disagreement among them, however, in regard to the influence of the Memphis discussion. A Methodist minister recently stated, in Holly, that it was “best to let these men alone,” because a debate was lately held with one of them, much to the injury of “our cause.” So the advice prevails to “let it alone,—it will soon die out, of itself.” Doubtless they judge thus of our work from the well-known effects of their own revivals! But in this they under-estimate the power of God’s truth. “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Holly, Mich., Sept. 21, 1866.