The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-29

General Conference of our Church is nm Ter
Christ it's highest legislative body, and the ex-
clusion Of the laty from that body has been as
is well known, a cause of complaint agitation,
and secession. Some sixteen years since large
convention of the friends OF lay representation
met in this city, nd determined 10 agitate.
without secession. Ihe movement was an emf
nently loyal one.
The brethren who were engaged in it had no
private eriefs that made them do it, no selfish
nor am bilious ends to serves but looking solely
TO what they conceived to be the best interests
OF the Church, they commenced the great WORK
OF persuading the clergy TO share their immense
powers with the laity who supported them. l
call their powers immense because the highest
judicial tribunal in the country has ruled that
they were greater than the people had ever
Imagined or the clergy themselves had claimed.
IT was toreseen that these powers were liable to
abuse, for the clergy, as well as the laity are
but men. single class should not legisate for
all others, nor for any other exclusively. All
should legislate for all, and then all interests
and opinions will be represented.
The movement has been not only loyal, but
persistent and progressive. il a few have
tainted by the way, a hundred for one have
taken their places. In many of the annual con-
teTences majority of the preachers now favor
the change. The old warehouses who opposed
us at the beginning still neigh their dissent but
with feebler energy, A new generation Is COM
ing forward upon the stage, who know their
rights and are resolved to have them. A new
generation OF ministers are taking our pulpits
who recognize the laity as members of ChTIsts
afraid that they will tear the Church in pieces.
They say come up and help us. Let US work
together in peace for the extension of ChIist's
kingdom and the glory of God.
When the movement began predicted that II
would require twenty years to carry the Church
with us. was not prophet nor the son of
prophet. Will not make another prediction.
The world and the Church move fast ia these
latter days. will only say that the indications
now are that four years must be subtracted from
that score-and that the Geueral Conference Of
1868 will take step which will soon place the
NJ p. Church at the head of the Protestant
churches of the world.
All who have read the learned and able arti-
cles of DR.. Crooks IN the Methodist in reply to
DIR. Porter's argument in favor of the divine
right OF the ministry to govern the Church,
Will admit that on that point he has covered
the whole ground. There IS little LETT for us
but TO repeat-Sipplify land enforce upon the
mind of the Church the arguments which he
and others have already adduced. But our
opponents like Goldsmith's schoolmaster in the
poem of "The Deserted Village "even though
Vanquished, can argue still" Driven from
their favorite theory of divine right (Which
is the most offensive lolm of Apostolic success
sion, and worthy only of the Church OF Rome),
they take refuge IN the negative argument OF
inexpediency.
The Autocrat of all the Russas might use the
same If his people should demand parliament to
make their laws 1--WE govern you very we'll
better than you can govern yourselves. Let we'll
enough alone" Ay, that brake to stop the
wheels of pregress-that paralysis of head and
heart and hand.-'Let we'll enough alone"
| The truth is, nothing is good enough which can
be made better; and there are few institutions
in this imperfect world which are not sus-
cep,ibe OF Improvement. Times change, and
If Institutions are not changed to adapt them to
the new conditions, they become fossils but the
living world moves on.
There is also an dd captandon argument
which our opponents have put in the mouths of
some honest but not very farsighted laVmen
that lay representation will enable rich
men to govern the Church. And the cry, BE
1c doc. IS tg
raised on all sides. But who cried beware
when Daniel Drew offered his half million? Did
| they stand aghast at such dangerous mans
| money? Oh no, not the money, but the man.
| Take the money, but beware Of the man. He
| might have too much power. If laymen were
| admitted to Conference he might buy an cleo
| ton, and once seated in conference, buy the
| whole of us and carry of the Church in his
Verify the argument, if 1t prove anything,
| proves that those who make it have little conf
| dence in the power of the clergy to resist "the
| mammon of unrlghteOusness.n We have q better
| opinion of our preachers thanSthIs. We do not
believe that they are in the market for sale, nor
that they would barter the interests OF the Church
| for lucre. While their hearts are pure and their
| hands clean, we do not see how rich men are to
| govern the Church.
Mr. President l am detaining the audience
| too long with dull speech, while they wait for
| the banquet OF eloquence with which the other
| speakers are prepared to refresh them. / will
only add that have not for moment, during
the ldSI blSl6eH years. IOsJ ldlIu Jue
bility, eXpediency, or justice of lay representa-
ton. All the Protestant Churches in the coun-
try, except ours have adopted it, not one of
them has derived from it anything but benefit;
not one of them would abolish it, even If the
decision were left to the clergy alone.
The Roman Catholic Church alone standssIde
by side with us on this question, and adberes TO
| her ancient hierarchy. Let us earnestly work
and ferVently pray that the next General Con-
| ference may place our Church in the line OF pro-
gress with her Protestant sisters, and remove
| from our Zion a stumbing-block which deters
thousands from entering her gates.
After President Allen had concluded his re-
marks, the following resolutions were read and
| adopted
| Whereas, There is a deep and abiding conviction
the Introduction OF lay represen taton n It's councils
| would promote the cause of Christ-by introducing
| laity-by more completely identifying Its members
with heir Church thereby increasing their apprecla-
its efficient ministry aggressive policy-by adding
renew vigor to the grand enterprises OF the Church
/ ''the lands" and by harmonizng its organization
more tuy with the spirit of the nation thus maktnR
II more congenial 10 the education Of the American
For these and many other good and sufficient rea
sons, II is thought eXpedient 70 form society The
object of which VIII be- by systematic effort TO ditfusC
l Information and excite thought upon this lmpOrtan
question: thereby securing, through petitions TO the
assemble at Chicago In May, 1865, an expression o
the settled conviction of the lay of the NJ f. Church
| within the bounds of the Philadelphia Conference
| Pesoired That we deem it expedlent to form per
manent organization for the above named object thu
| name OF which shall be The philadelphia COME
renee Society," for Promoting Lay Representation II
the M, K. Church
The officers OF said Society shall consist OF freSl
dent y Vice Presidents ito be selected from eecl
District In the Conterenee), Recording ana Cor