The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-09-21
What will the southea.ser. Conference ao

l OmCe: IN the kOrknef Building. Fast Of the Cifi-
1sn's Bank, and opp osite g. W. Barnes / Co.
What will the Southeastern Conference DO.
The unlocked for defeat Of the Lay
Delegation movement in the Metho-
dist Conference comprising the south
western part of the State, and embrac-
ing the churches west of Meridian street
in Indianapolis. and also in the North
western Conference, has occasioned not
little sensation among the Churches at
large, and especially in our city. The
fact that the Southeastern Conference,
now in session at Trinity Chapel. will
have the same question to dispose of
this morning, causes the Church to turn
with much anxiety in that direction and
ask "What will the Southeass..a DOR
If the action last b~d Dy this Conference
upon the merits of this question may be
taken as = criterion, the public may
hope for better things from this body
than from its sisters in Western Indi-
ana.
By reference to the minutes of the
Conference of 1867, we And the follow
ing in the proceedings of Saturday,
September IA:
81. H. Lozier, from the committee on
Lay Delegation, submitted their report
[see report, p. 2l which was adopted
by rising vote of so for two against -
The following is report No. which
lor
ed:
''The committee on Lay Representa-
ton report that they have had under
consideration the address referred to
them from the Lay Convention held at
Philadelphia in 1864, and that held in
Indianapolis in 1867. together with the
whole subject matter of Lay Represent
alton.
"In our opinion Lay Representation
is closely in consonance with that spirit
Of republicanism which Christianity in
variably engenders. Whatever tends to
bring the pulpit and pews Of our church
es together, and to secure the most cor
dial CO operation of the ministry and
the laity in promoting the spread of the
kingdom of Christ, is eminently desir-
| able. We believe that the attendance
| Of our intelligent laymen upon our Con-
| ference, and their CO. operation in such
business Of the Conference as is appro-
pirate, serves to acquaint the masses of
our churches with those eminent char.
acteristics Of our church polity, which,
when understood, command the admira-
ton of all Christians and strengthens
| the love of our brethren for the peculiar
institutions of Methodism.
''It is the experience Of ministers,
that the better we have become acquaint-
ed with the genius Of Methodism the
stronger has become our affection for
it. The same principle obtains as to
the laity. Therefore we are disposed to
favor whatever legislation will best Sc
cure this end, In our opinion q judi
cious system of lay representation would
conduce this result; we therefore offer
the foil lowing resolutions:
| "Resolved, that we are in favor of ad-
mitting the laity to our Conference, and
to participation in those departments
of business appropriate to the laity.
lSigned JOHN HoGARrH LozIER,
| Chsirman.
w. T. SAUNDERS, Secretary.
If Conference so unanimously and
equivocally in favor of lay representa-
tion prior to the late General Confer
ence should undertake to repudiate
now, when the final decision is left to
them, the public will conclude that they
| iv,f hot
"behaveth not itself unseemly," or in
plain English, inconsistently.-Ind Jour