The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-11-14

the psassnt ssssion bad tbfesGassl - - III
, vast and heretofore compact body Of Chsistians
In piecss. The agitation growing out Of It had
! reached the highest authorities OF The Church,
: and had brought in conflict its chief functiona-
ries and ablest members, and in respect TO which
opinions were entertained and expressed, deep
aud irreconcilable.
la the Judgment Of large portion of the
body, separation was the only alternative to
} peace, the future Christian fellowship and USE
} funess Of the Church. The division of the
property was but a consequence OF separation,
subordinate, and Of comparative insignifcsnce.
Instead Of the decision Of the Church depend
ing upon the decision Of the common propertv
the very reverse 10 the result Of the true construc
ton Of the plan Of separation.
III. Az to the power OF the general conference
to authorize separation Of the Church organi-
cation.
i The Methodist Episcopal Church Of the
United States was established, in its govern
lnent, doctrine, and dcipline, by a general con-
ference Of the travelling preachers 10 this CON-
munion in l724 Down to that time the
Methodist socisties in America had been GOV
erned by John Wesley, the founder of this de-
nomination Of Christians, through the agency Of
his assistants. During this year the entire
government was taken in the hands Of tho
travelling preachers with his appreciation aud
assent. They organized it, established its doc
trines and discipline, appointed the several au-
thorities-superintende or bishops, ministers
and preachers--to administer it's policy, and
promnlgate its doctrine throughout the land.
From that time to this, the source, the fountain
Of all its temporal power. are the travelling
preachers in this connection in general confer
ence assembled. The lay members of the
Church have no part or connection with ito
governmental organization, and never had.
The travelling preachers comprise the embody-
ment of its power, ecclesiastical and temporal:
and. when assembled in general conference &C.
cording to the usages and discipline Of the
Church, represent themselves; and have no
constituents; and thus the organization con.
tnued until the year 1908, when a modification
took place. a ass
| At the general conference of that year COM
posed Of all the travelling preachers, it was re-
solved to have thereafter delegated confer
ence, to be composed of one of every five men,
bers of each annual conference. These annu-
al conferences are composed exclusively of
travelling preachers. The ratio of representa-
ton has been altered, from time to time, so that
in 1874 the annual confe; ences were repre-
scented by one delegate for every twenty-one
members.
The reason for the change to delegation
body instead of the assemblage of the entire
body of travelling preachers, was the great en-
largement of the boundaries of the Church.
which had expanded with the settlements of
the country; the consequent multiplication Of
the travelling preachers; the distance and ex-
pense of travel, and the deprivation of the field
Of their labors for too long period of the
Christian ordinances, and religious institution,
The general conference of 1908, which de-
termined in favor Of a delegated body for the
m fha Of h,I,x
certain limitations, which, in the language Of
the proceedings of the church, are called re-
strctive articles, six in number 1t is declared.
that the general conference shall have full pow
ers to make rules and regulations for the
church, under the following limitations and
restrictions.
l. They shall not alter or change the articles
OF religion, nor establish any new standards Of
doctrine.
2. They shall not allow of more than. one rep
resentative for every fourteen members of the
annual conference, nor less than one for every
thirty
g. They shall not alter the government so as
to do away with Episcopacies, or destroy the
plan Of itinerant superintendencies.
A. They shall not change the general rules of
the united societies.
8. They shall not deprive the ministers or
preachers OF trial by committee, and of an ap-
peal; nor the members of trial before the soci-
ETY. or lay committee and appeal.
6. They shall not appropriate the produce of
the Book concern, nor of the charter fund.- to %
any purpose other than for the benefit of the
travelling, supernumerary, supernnnuated, and
worn-out preachers, their wives, widows and
children provided, that, upon the concurrent
recommendation of three. fou rths of all the q en-
bers of the general annual conferences present,
and voting majority of two-thirds of the gen.
eral conferences succeeding, shall suffice TO alter
any of the above restrictions, except the first
article.
These comprise all the limitations upon that
body assembled by delegates.
That the general conference composed of all
the travelling preachers, and who stabshed the
governments doctrine, and discipline of the
church, professed the power to reconstruct and
reorganze its government, ecclesiastical and tenn
poral, into two or more separate and distinct or
CARNATIONS, is question about which we think,
no serious doubt can well be entertained.
These travelling preachers represented the SOW
ereign power of the government, and were re-
sponsbe to no earthly tribunal for the mode
and manner of its exercise. They were entire.
ly free to exercise their own sense and Judgment
as to what was the best poty and organization y
of the church, TO accomplish this great object
and design of the masters in whose service they
were engaged; and which were. in the language
of their own discipline " to reform the continent
and to spread scriptural holiness over these
lands" AS they might have constructed any
number of separate and distinct organizations in
their first fraternal association and effort in the
fulflment of this mission, accordingly, as it
might seem to them best, so was il equally in (
their power, at any subsequent period of their
labors. The power remained unchanged. -
The only argument urged against this view il
the unity of the first organization Of the church
in l7S4, which, as supposed, evinced design
that it should be coextensve with the territorial
limits OF the United States, neither more nor
less; and to remain and continue united church
within these limits in the exercise of it's iuris.
dction, spiritual and temporal and further, that
IT power exists in any general conference to
break up this organization and poliiy of the
church as originally designed and established, il
belongs to an extraordinary general conference