The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1869-05-29
impulse, should it not give that impulse a

impulse, should it not give that impulse a
hearty welcome?
4. Lay Representation, by bringing our
wisest and most thoughtful laymen together
in the General Conference, will strengthen
the unity of the Church. Under the pres
ent working Of our economy, they are
strangers to each other and to all the min
listers, save few General Conference Off
GERS and the pastors of the Conferences in
the bounds of which they live. By bring
ing them together, and into association with
the ministry in the General Conference,
their intensional feeling will be intensified;
they will go to their homes with clearer
sense of the greatness of the work which
Methodism has to do; they will feel that a
part of the responsibility for the execution
of its general plans rests upon them: their
sympathies will be awakened, their liberal
ity brought into fullest exercise, and they
cannot fail to impart their feeling to the
churches. The causes which help to de-
velop in the ministry an intense interest in
the Church will, if brought to apply, pro-
duce the same effects in the experience of
the laity.
5. The fear is expressed that Lay Repre-
sentation may bring into the General Con-
ference impracticable men, whose presence
there will be productive of more harm than
good. If fit lay delegates cannot be had,
what have the ministers who have trained
the laity been doing for the last hundred
years? But the fear is groundless. When
Methodist laymen appear in the great con-
ventions, which are marked feature of
the religious life of our age, the ministry
have no reason to be ashamed of them
They bear their parts well in sustaining the
honor of Methodism and the cause Of
Christ. Besides, impracticable men soon
find their level in large deliberative bodies.
Their power for mischief is quickly limited,
and presently entirely nullifed. 1t is OBJ
jected, too, that our laymen have not the
necessary experience to qualify them to be
members of the General Conference. We
can hardly believe such an objection to be
serious. We answer, however, if Metho-
dist laymen are now honestly serving the
country as Legislators as Congressman,
as Senators, rs Governors, as members of
those voluntary associations of Christians
which meet to promote the religious wei
fare Of society, they are surely competent
to discuss with ministers the questions that
concern the welfare of Methodism.
6. You enter upon this election with a
full approval given to the principle of Lay
Representation by the Episcopacy and sue
cessive General Conferences. The Bishops,
in their address to the General Conference
of 1860, said: GO We are of opinion that Lay
Delegation might be introduced in one
form into the General Conference, with
safety and perhaps advantage" The same
General Conference, in it's pastoral address
to the people, declared: ''The discussion of
the question led US to approve of the prin-
ciple of Lay Delegation in the General
Conference, and that approval expressed by
formal resolution The vote ordered by
this Conference having proved unfavorable,
the General Conference of 1864 said, in its
pastoral address to the churches: " You
are aware that the results (of the vote) were
such as to indicate a further postponement
of the change, Aonerer desirable 1t might be.
We, however, do not regard the questian
so conclusively determined as to admit Of
no further inquiry or consideration. This
was an invitation to the people to open the
question again. The General Conference
of 1868 expressed its full concurrence with
the Conferences of 1860 and 1864, and ere
commended a plan "to the godly con-
sideration of our ministers and people. -
This Conference refused SO say that it sub
nsitted plan; it recommended. The ques-
ton thus comes before you with the advice
and approval of the Bishops and three sue
cessive General Conferences. These Con-
remains only for us, as the laity of the
Church, to say: eve are ready too.''
You can vote, therefore, for Lay Repre-
sentation with the feeling that you have,
in so doing, the concurring Judgment of
the best minds of the Church. This ques-
ton approaches its settlementwithout strife;
our hope is that it will be decided by COM
mon consent. Permit us to urge upon you
the Importance ola full vote in every church.
See that ample notice is given in the socie-
ties to which you belong, and that all ne
cessary arrangements for holding the cleo
ton are seasonably made. The twenty
days notice required by the General Con-
ference can be given most effectually by
being repeated on successive Sundays. See
that this is done whenever practicable
Let the mind of the Church be fairly ex-
pressed, and the friends of Lay Represen-
tation have nothing to fear.
Signed by
CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF n. y,
WESTERN COMMITTEE,
New ENGLAND COMMITTEE