FAREWELL TO METHODIST DISCIPLINE by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 14, 1876

“FAREWELL TO METHODIST DISCIPLINE.”

By Dudley Marvin Canright

Like a prophetic lamentation, these words were spoken more than one hundred years ago and placed as a solemn warning in the Methodist Discipline. Alas! for that now proud and mighty church, they have not been at all heeded. The Discipline says:—

“BUILDING CHURCHES.

“Ques. 1. Is anything advisable in regard to building churches?

“Ans. 1. Let all our churches be built plain and decent, and with free seats wherever practicable; but not more expensive than is absolutely unavoidable, otherwise the necessity of raising money will make rich men necessary to us. But if so, we must be dependent on them, yea, and governed by them. And then farewell to Methodist Discipline, if not doctrine too.”

Now go look in all our cities at their costly edifices which virtually shut out both the poor and the gospel. Observe their style and fashion. See them bowing to the rich and winking at the sins of the wealthy. Why is this? Ah! they must have the money of these proud sinners to build and sustain these costly establishments. “And then farewell to Methodist Discipline, if not doctrine too.” That farewell parting took place several years ago. Let us take warning by them.

D. M. CANRIGHT.