History Of Methodist Reform, Volume I - Media Sabda Org

Art. 13th. It is true, to a great extent, that throughout all the divisions of the Christian world,
intellect has taken but comparatively little hold of the subject of religion, and still less of the subject
of church government; and this affords the ministry an opportunity of misleading the people, on the
subject of their rights, and in but too many instances, they resign themselves the passive subjects of
their religious teachers, without once inquiring, whether in doing so, they do not dishonor the Great
Head of the church, in his members. Christian ministers are men of like passions with other men,
they are equally liable to err, and become depraved; they should not be watched with an eye of
malignant jealousy but their errors, oppressions, and usurpations, should be met and resisted by the
people, with confidence and firmness. The people should teach their rulers, that they will find them
alike free from the spirit of faction, and the tameness of servility. They should let them know, that
with every disposition to render proper obedience, they are determined not to be oppressed.
Art. 14th. Whenever the members of a church resign the right of suffrage, and of discussing freely
and fearlessly the conduct of their rulers, whether it he done by direct concession, or indirectly by
attaching themselves to, and continuing within the pale of a church, where such a system of polity
obtains, they renounce to a fearful extent, one of the first principles of the Protestant religion, and
bring dishonor upon its name. Whenever spiritual rulers, attempt to check a perfectly free
communication of thoughts and feelings among the people, — when the lips and the pens of the laity
are interdicted, without their oversight and license; when they attempt to repress honest convictions
and free inquiry; when their disapprobation is shown to all, who do not support them, and their
displeasure incurred by the diffusion of intelligence among the people, not calculated to increase
their power and reputation; then it becomes the duty of the people, to decline their oversight, as men
unworthy to rule the church of God. The rock on which the church has split for ages, is that the
sovereign power, to regulate all ecclesiastical matters, (not decided by the Scriptures, and which of
right belongs to a Christian community, as such,) has by a most mischievous and unnatural policy,
misnamed expediency, been transferred to the hands of a few ministers, who have been in part, the
patricians of the ministry, and the aristocracy of the church.
Art. 15th. Government, as a fixed and stable cause in the progress of human affairs, is finally
productive, of a large amount of good or evil; it is strictly in its operation, a moral cause, in the
formation of character; for it necessarily presents circumstances and considerations, in the light of
reasons and motives which lead to results in the formation of character, that become habitual and
permanent. The good of all concerned, therefore, should be the object proposed in the adoption of
any form of government; and when a system of government is adopted, which calls off the attention
of the governed, from the general welfare, by depriving them of all control in the enactment and
execution of the laws, the natural and unavoidable tendency, of a government of this description, is
vicious and demoralizing; and such, are the character and influence, of all non-elective governments.
The members of a community, who place themselves under the exclusive control of a few
irresponsible persons, as their sole masters, in matters of government, thus tamely depriving
themselves of the right of representation, and even of existence, except by expatriation, betray a
criminal negligence of their best interests, and great inattention to the general welfare; and all
governments recognizing such a distinction, contravene necessarily the influence of enlightened
conviction and independent inquiry.