The Sun.
London, England, 1835-11-19 00:00:00

• verence or the preachers ? No, said the minutes Of Con-
.erence of 1797—they gave up the poxer to the people.
Mr. DAY—Only the greater part of it:7-(Laughter.)
Mr. ECKETT—That was the way with many people—the
further they went the worse they got into the mud. He was
satisfied with the admission, that was what he wished to have
proved, but being admitted he would pass on.
.They would
see that one of the particular things given up, was what they
were now contending for, the power of expelling officers and
members• being lodged in the hands of the people. It was
so arranged that no one could be expelled without the con-
sent of the majority of a Leaders' Meeting. It migl.t be
useful to show the meaning of the terms so often used.
The Conference was composed of itinerant preachers,
who were paid for their labour. The local preach-
.ers were men in business or trade, who attended their
calling thrOughout the week, and on the Sundays gave up
their time and talents gratuitously for the benefit of their
brethren.—(Cheers.) Leaders were men selected to meet
weekly with a certain part of the congregation to exhort
and comfort them. Stewards were the Treasurers of the
Society. Notwithstanding this document of 1797, the
Preachers now denied that any power was parted with by
the Conference ; but was it possible for any disinterested
person calmly to examine the state of the question as it ex-
isted at that time without coming to the conviction that
the Conference gave up that power to the people. In the
minutes they were informed that the power was limited and
regulated in 1794, y.t in 1796, there was great agitation,
and that was followed by the Conference of 1797, when the
agitation not having ceased, the power was given up to the
official meetings, so that without the consent of a majority
of that meeting, no one could be expelled. Then, again, in
the printed rules of the Society, printed by the 'Conference
printers, and circulated by them, it is stated that no leader
or steward can be removed from his place but by the ma-
jority of a Leaders' Meeting.—( Cheers.) No one could be
expelled by the sense of a meeting of men •who were
ap-
po to watch over and comfort the souls of their brethren.
Was that not the natural tribunal for the trial of offences,
and which should award the punishment? Was it not
better to be decided by the vote of a majority than by the
mere caprice of a superintendent ?—(CheerS.) That was
What Methodism was of old, as was witnessed by men then
on the platform, who had been connected with the Society
-for from forty to fifty years. It was only within the
last few years they had found it said that that
would not continue to be Methodism—it was within
these few years that a Leaders' Meeting was dispos-
sessed of the power to determine who ought, and who
not to be expelled. The law of the Conference now
was that such should be the act of the superintendant alone.
It should be borne in mind that this change bad not been
effected all at once, but step by step had the preachers
climbed that eminence from which ilia Association would
most assuredly make them fall.—(Lbud cheerS.) It was
in 1827 when the Leeds outrage was committed—When the
Conference forced an organ on the Brunswick Chapel there,
in spite of the remonstrances of the leaders and stewards,
that they first began—that act alone separated several hun-
dreds of its most valuable members from the Connection, li
who were so to the present day. It was no wonder, then,
that in various places the people should complain to the
Conference ; but they disregarded them, *and refused to
allow the official meetings to approach them even by peti-
tion, drowning their voices by their own tyranny.—(Hear.)
He would now pass on from that part to what had taken
place within the last two years, when it would he remem-
bered the Conference attempted to establish what it had
since done—a Theological Institution. At this 'an emi-
nent preacher had been treated in the most unmerited Man-
ner by the Conference, and in consequence a number -of
persons formed themselves together, to raise.the Methodist
Connexion from ecclesiastical domination, and to assert
that liberty by which Christ made them free.—Cheers.)
Then, it was that the preachers buckled on their armour'in earnest, and prepared for a conflict 'they were
determined to wage.—(Cheers.) Then it -wag that
they asserted that those who associated theinselVes With
that Institution should be ,expelled the Methodist con-
nexion, and then it was that a Mari of high character, emi-
nent abilities, great learning, and extensive usefulness, was
severed by a proceeding totally unheard of, from that body.
(Cries of " Shame.") Were such things to be endured ;
were the real Methodists, when such things were passing
before their eyes, when deelarations were made against the
principles of truth ancrof juStice, tamely to submit, calmly
lick the dust, andeoncede to those that rode over them
(Great Cheering.) Never.—(lncreased cheering.) Such
was the cause that had determined them to assert their
rights. The Conference, in language not to bemisunder-
stood, had expressed its determination that their rights
should not be conceded to them.—(Shame.) Thank God,
however, meetings like the present would be paramount in
their resistance to the power that had been exercised over
them ; and ultimately it must and should be subdued.—
(Great cheering.) The Conference were but mortals, like
then-Bellies. The meeting had truth on its side ; they were
prepared for a mighty war, and they had no doubt even
the Conference itself would be made to submit.—Hear.)
He would now draw the: attention of the meeting to the
last public document that had been issued by the Methodist
Conference, taking it. for granted that the .friends of Mo=
thodism were never afraid or ashamed to see Methodisin as
it was pourtrayed.—(Cheers.) In that document, they were
informed that considerable bickerings existed in different
parts of the Connection, and that the Conference, kindly
taking into consideration these things—(Laughter)--bad
done the best for. the Connection they • could.—(A laugh.)
Now what bad the Conference done ? First as to the finances :
they had, kind souls, said that it was right that those who
had contributed the funds should have a share in the ad-
ministration of them.—(Laughter.) This was a hopeful
beginning=--(Laughter)—and they said they should be glad
to be relieved from the onerous duty of distributing the
funds of the body. That concession, if such it could be
called, related to the Contingent and Auxiliary Funds.
The former arose from the col!ections in July, and the
other from the contribution in the Classes made in the
month of March, which amounted to many thousands a-
year. Now what had the Conference done as to the ad-
ministration of the funds ? Why they had agreed that they
should be disbursed under the direction of a Committee,
that Committee to consist of 22 members of this our own
body, with 17 members of the Society—(Laughter)—
twenty-two preachers; and seventeen lay members.—
(Laughter.) This, it was said, was giving the people an
effective share in the administration of the funds
(Laughter.) Now, he thought it did not require much
knowledge in arithmetic to know that 22 could out vote
17.—(Laughter.) But how were the 17 to be elected ?
Why the Conference had so regulated it, that no person
could become a member of the Committee of the Contingent
Fund, unless he basked in their favour—Laughter)—for he
must be a circuit steward, who should be nominated by the
superintendent preacher.—(LaUghter.) Now there was
something like generalship in that.—(lncreased laughter.)
After that, it was provided' that the mixed committee
should meet at the place where the Conference was
to meet, one week before the meeting of the Con-
ference, and they were not to close their meetings
till the close of the Conference.—(Great laughter.) So
that probably before the close of the Conference, which
sometimes lasted three weeks, the lay members who came
fsom some distance might have returned to flair residences,
and left the preachers to settle all important matters.—
(Laughter.) So much with reference to the concessions
respecting the finances. Who could be satisfied with such
things ? It was disgusting and despicable in the highest de
gree. He would now come to the minutes of COnfe-
rence with respect to the expulsion of members.
Where was the • power of expulsion ? Was it in
the hands of the Ministry alone, or the Church, or
the representatives of the Church? Why, accord-
ing to the Minutes .of , the last. .Conference, :it was in
the hands of the Preachers alone.—(Hear, hear.) He
challenged a denial of the statement, for his proof was the
Minutes of the Conference itself,—(Great cheering.) By
the Minutes of the Conference the power of expulsion
was left in the hands of the Superintendant Preacher. It
was said that the laws of the Methodists were analogous to
the laws of the country. He denied that the laws of the
country provided certain punishments for certain offences,
not so the laws of the Methodists ; they provided no spe-
cific punishment for the committal of any offence ;
and yet such being the law, the Conference had placed the
power of sentencing an individual to punishment, even to
expulsion, in the hands of the superintendant preacher.-
-(Shame.) Nay, they had even given him the power of
expelling a person, who had been pronounced innocent
at a Leaders' Meeting.—(lncreased cries of " Shame.")
Was ever anything so monstrous heard of—was ever
anything so unjust ?—(Cheers.) For the purpose of putting
an end to such a state of things the present Association
was formed.—(Here Mr. Day called out, " Your's is only.
a vo'untary association.") It was so—(Cheers)—he glo-
ried that it was so—(lncreased cheers)—it was a volun-
tary Association, founded on that voluntary principle
which would so brii4 down ecclesiastical despots.—
(Tremendous cheering.) Methodism as it was, claimed
for the preacher such absolute power ! !
Mr. DAY—Had they not the same power when you
j&ned them? ,
Mr. ECKETT said certainly not.—(Great cheering.) For
it was only at the Conference of last year that the altera-
tion was made in the minutes of the Conference, giving
them that power. The fact was, that Mr. Day had shewn
himself utterly ignorant of the constitution of Methodists.—
Cheers.). [Mr. Day here called out " Read the new law.";
As he was willing to oblige all, he would do so. Mr. E.
here read part of the Minutes of the Conference, from
which it appeared that five preachers alone had the power
o altering the opinion of the. Leaders' Committee.—( Here
the greatest confusion prevailed, in consequence of Mr. Day
again getting up, and expressing his determination to address
the meeting.) When a little order had been restored, •