Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-11-18
NUMBER :5S.

portion OF their sovereign power that cyreser belonged
tem nj ie INST organization since that P1!, aGJ,
they assembled in the 6ubsr Ccarc sGhcc,
disability, before their powers DISTINGUISHED f0wl
those originally possessed. We have been recucd
any such evidence nor have discovered
any do We believe there recorded
aiions OF this BODY TO the effect claimed - hen Jurisdiction
md authority spiritual and temporal in each General Con-
;eencc from l7S to 1903 inclusive the same unlimited
nd unresra!ned possessing al! the power w.:a Lie
after period has belonged To the General and .nrU CIi
!rrenceR combined unctr the orgtnza:Ion This ne
ccssay all the power and authority p"-ssssoi bY
Annual Conferences have been conferred upon them on
| zine ID time by the General Conference.
The Arguments that this body, previous TO 1905 did
possess the competency 10 e0gan!se u
government and the church, they might thk best
great objects OF its mission goes the engih of dcayg
power 10 The action of both the Gencr An.
hral Conference since that period And that icf.
tlng In this Association md system Of policy differing
radically from s others of which have any knowledge
that the constituent representative although cuf,,.
pr!slng every element OF power ap2eriinn! govern
ment can neither change modify il. For the
down this We canno think necessary 10 pursue
ms branches OF the any longer.
As respects the powers OF the General Conference siace
,s hs %ns Of s @ m IL sn5 h1 n"n the va
have been CONSIDERING They relate To the doctrine o one
Church. lis representative in the Gencra! C"i'e:ecc to
Epsc3pacy discussion of preachers and members III: book
Concern and Charter Fund
These concern the exercise Of the administrative powers
Of the Conference and intended as limitations upon !c
10 less conctlrrcd in By the Animal Conferences.
The powers conferred upon the General Conference arc
broad and unlimited subject only to these checks IN Gu-
.ting the doctrine and perhaps discipline Of the Gh"ica
In all er respects and in everything css that concerns H.
this bady shall represent The sovereign power the sac IS
before.
The practice of the General Conference since the car2o
in 1885, confirms this view. The connexions OF The Annnal
U2oer Caaada Conference with the Methodist Episcopal
Church, dissolved 10 lo2S, and that body authorized
itself into independent cccesiacal establish.
mcut.
The force of this preceden: has been attempted 70 be
tbpf nf tho
States; ard it rested upon so OF compact ne - IN
that Conference and this Church. and therefore, t"l 'i'
teen relation TO it. But looking into the history ara
discipline of the Churcn this will be found 10 be- n-ap-
Irehcnsion of that relation; and thai The taHada tn-
ference was brough; within It's o'cs IN ne sane w
these lying upon The frontier settlements within the United
States
Il viii be found that as early l5Qi the Upper Canada
Districts were included n the New York Annual c"nr
cncc and continued part OF il, the other ds.
lrcls ill 1872 when these districts ami also thu Lover
C,na1a districts, were included within Gcncsr" CoHcrtnc"
In 1915 the Lower Canada districts were embraced ".n
the New York and New England Conferences. ia !,-0,
both Upper and Lower Canada were again ncad'd in the
Genesce Conferences and in the same y:dr me b"ps
authoriz ID, with the concurrence OF his C"nie',
10 establish Annual Conference in Canada; aHd ~ ~,
the Canada Conference included HE Whole at 'te lHr"r
Poyncrand thus stood in ISIS when erected iat9 an
independent establishment.
Wr have nothing in the hstor", discipline 1f r7c
cc Of tbs church, rcstctin; lis orsinhlon or L*'n
ahors territorial limits =" the United States oGI wucH
show that both have been steadily devoted t | ac' "n-
'ishnenr OF the high and holy mission avo"si n iannts
scriprural hoi,rs. these !antt.
A. ear as 1910 republic Of lovas was Incorporated
into it's bosom: and Annua! Conference hsthilSna! Ana
doubt but that as The principles % eva H"'' "n
religious oIcraion WORK their way in IN" !Hancsnshi az
civilization regions hitherto ,n',:eaha 10 r ms
s;uary unless ot particular faith this @:'at wrf. G "r
yln!zation and Christian labor will bc carried IN ie.i1ttS3
Of territorial Boundaries, Or iGl< v s"-Glt government"
I'm referring to the practice It tie t. c. i,' nn
overlook The uiGn nf General tunefcuc" al 1911 IN
the instance before he vote npJn ~" H'>l i.s'"-
tiun huniscd anL 'iy-sssen - t"ety- he in
nodv reprcScG'ins than four I'dShhl ta''!.rg
reachers in this coalGinn; aGd amoug &A"i, II Is ih'
10 SUPPOSE were acued Ut The .t""sst 'Np'f"n nee
and knowledge IN administration 7" The toiy - t'e
Church InEred looking into ir Rei"! VI 'e DEBATES
n this ses snn aud into a's:us-"ns ua'n II" f"i"o
tie commit The division u 1re Ch"r: a"a ESP ,l"!
upon the -bsororg subjects tht: I'D y" its 10
one can iaii vita inc ,'ni "r! ""d In
tell r,ce ha lending neabre a. tia" nn"H nor !Jt me
M NJ doubt nj that they profoundly s"!le IN at the
history practices and u-agcs o the Can'n ervetG"rn'
spiritual aud temporal and the na'ae a: Nra o itlt
av.n pawes the highest Jndic.nn h'i"I:"g I" II.
AS il, respects the action 0i tS body N IL" ie! o. ~
vi,;cu no one can pretend bat Hat ru"n A' as
Sumption Of nnaupst0nei "a eject q" Cnnich mo
Two srnaa,. ecclesiastical establishments Ire only t'nnt
expressed in tie plat; u srEat""n ith't w
the DIVISION Of the common property, on account .!
restrictive article which have c"ac'd@' al ninG vas
not within lis competence, but wnlca We sl' Pt'eh'!
1oce more particularly in another part "f III" case i"r'
nendrny of This question Of property the power :" is.f-
,ure 10 written mon every DE- &c Of Proc. c!ins
Having moss arrived IT conclusion tn IN" ''"' IA
Conference of lsi4 competent u make tne G'!s:'n n
IA the only annexed 10 il has beer ;L c"u
with, we are prepared ~ upF'f wv '~i
in this posture Of The case, must govern H.
We have held in previous part &" ls onho' 'h' ."e
compllrnn,s bring themselves whlh ne 9t>ciP,oH
pf persons entitled the benefit Of this ch'"n'. luna 80
ps,c.ihcd BY its original uundrs and ta; "tn 'Gg have
dune this those who deny withhCl! the charity mus t.s
aea case 20 the court taking them of the icsctiEan
This has been attempted showing that they have wrong
fully separated from the connection ant c1mna'In % ,
Methodist Episcopal Church and erected hr' ives 'ho
an ndcnrntent ecclesiastical establishment anu "l'G there
fore cprived themselves Of the character oil brtlcAhs" I"
The fund Having arrived the conclusion that mere no
foundation for this allegation, me Gron" ' u'ehcr, 81
course falls and The compliments still continue Clothed "sh
The c,uacte and rights belonging 10 them tvos 10 e
separation The separation having taken place 10 pursuance
Of the action Of competent ecclesiastical auh'if-oy
tho action of the founders OF the fund h,mseiv s-aEw
can be maintained that the benehclTieS ia'h& whn '
new organization have forfeited the character "lch entities
them to its enoyment2 What act have they done TO dc.
privc them Of the description OF me PERSONS t "
lief its proceeds have been permanently devoted!
II is not pretended put inat lhey ae S i nn
munion subject it's doctrines and discipline; ana '"1
to the accomplishment OF that mission Tor "h'ri ls
Church planted in these United States nor H thHt me
field of their lab0rs is within the donan covered ny It's n-
uinal organization construction OF lis "E WIN
this limit has been determined upon by lis highsS y"'lc
tory in order great mission may be more hhr"n
o,sly and rfccuay carried on. For hS PURPOSE
TWO distinct ecclesiastical organizations We may say he'
caly the same have taken the place " nnetc sa" ds'
cplinc faith, and doctrlne-and all unitcd 10 'ea" '
same gospel and teachings throughout the iand. D..
Assume, therefore, that the Gcnera Ionisrhcc VIZ
abcd On account six restrictive article, from "t"
onng this fund still, if the compliments oIns themselves
within the description Of the bsnccati's theY arr nbt
thereby cprived of it, The law steps IN ANA eniofcrs the
rrht Holding this relation 10 it, and not having in"led
it by any wrong Of their ow; or by any cause SCI up
against them il is not in the competence o the General
Conference and Annual Conferences comHiaed u Gri'c
hem Their right rests upon established princlpss OF
law and equity which make it the duty OF our 81
Chancey to interfere and that the fund is pJc:! cd
! minsie!ed. ,,,
Looking at the position of these compliments arc rose
they represent account of the action o TIE rtiie' On
f,rrnces OF le.i dividing The ecclesiastical n ana
substituting in lis place distinct, hd.peh.r" "i"'
sizes is bv no certain that the dls'Fii'n III cog
:r,yentjun even the sixth restrictive article tit a'
,rats the fund o the bcncI OF the travelling, etprfhia'
ry and preachurs their widows aho ":a.s. - 10
mis- description OF PERSONS "ho il Is d.aatd d! f az
jusica Court. Taey are not only wshi ~ e''
cption but are ALSO the very persons :ft''te " '" u
;,vmcn OF H. and for whom il originally designed
Granting thai these persons have done m "roh'" Ae'
b are still abofng the Church, a. sieEel"r Gn-
der different merely territorial organization, uey ~" C"
ycred by the spirit by the letter OF the restrictive a.
ticc ;..
Upon the whole, conclusion is that ne compliments
are entitled 10 their of the produce i G BOOK Ton
cern and decree will ordered accur.G-i. "Gcher no
funds shal un,n!>rc 5yan a?r i'!" "i me pF'i"ie