Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1869-06-17
From the Pittsburgh Commercial.
Address of Bishop simpson on
Lay Delegates. -. ~

| l.tL.- u. .'s - - % .f'
Lay Representation as proposed by
the General Conference, has no. con-
nection with the Annual Conferences,
and Consequently has no influence
upon the appointment of the various
ministers to their fields of labor or
with the examination of their charac.
ter. Again it does not lin any way
modify the constitution of the Gener-
al Con ference, so far. as. the number of
ministers or the mode of their election
is concerned. If Lay Delegation is
adopted the General Conference will
consist of precisely the same number
of ministers from the different Annual
Conferences, us though there were no
lay delegates, and they will be elected
in precisely the same way in which
they now are. But to their number
viii be added two lay delegates from
the membership in the, large Confer
4 denees, and one from the smaller,
Fhese delegates will meet with the
ministers, and will take part in the
various deliberations, but on all Occa-
sions of Interest, when a distinct vote
is called for, they will vote separately
from the ministers. No new law can
be passed, no alienation of the dis.
cipline can be made, except by the
vote first, of the majority of ministers;
and, secondly, by the vote of the ma
jOrity of lay delegates, thus giving eX-
preston to the voice of the whole
Church, both clerical and lay. The
choice of these delegates is to be by
an Electoral Conference, meeting at
the time and place Of the Annual
conference previous to the General
/ Conference. It is to be composed of
| laymen, one of whom shall be chosen
| by each Quarterly Conference. This
is the plan submitted by the General
| Conference. ~
From this brief statement it viii be
seen that all arguments in reference
to the Annual Conferences or to the
influence of Iaymen therein, or as to
the appointments are wholly irrele-
want to thequestiOn. The only change
| proposed is In the law-nlak ing power;
and that, simply by way of addition.
No layman is to take-the place of any
minister, or is in any way to interfere
with either bis privileges or his pre-
rOgatiVes.
A plan so simple, which aims mere
ly to call into exercise another portion
Il
strength would seem, in itself, little
likely to call forth opposition, ei,.HI
| Vet we cannot close our eyes to the
| fact that good and wise men honestly,
seriously and earnestly object to the
iRtroductiOn of this lay element into
the laW-makmg department of our
Church. Nor am / surprised that this
is the ease, when 1 consider that 1t is
right we should object to any change
unless a good reason for that change
can be shown; and am free to admit
that upon the supporters of lay dele
CATION rests the burden of showing
why this measure should be intro
duced. Until that is shown we have
no right to claim the favor or the votes
of the Church. A conservative feeling
is right and proper in its place; but it
may err in declining to examine the
evidence brought i'll favor of any plan,
and of blindly rejecting all PROPOSE
tiOns for change, when these changes
may be an Improvement. a
The grand proposition which we
present is that it is proper that the
whole Church should participate in
making rules and regulations for its
own government. We express only
the common judgment of mankind
when we say that every association OF.
community has a right to form its
own rules and to manage its own
affairs, and that no one class in the
association has right to rule the 9TH
ers without the consent of the body.
This is involved in the ideas of indi-
viduality and of equal rights, and
this lies at the foundation of all free
governments. r.,..s -..-
The Church is an association of
christian people, and as such why
have not its members the same privi-
leges as other associations? Possibly
it is said that the Church differs from
other institutions, in that it is divine
ly established. But so far as regards
the fact of their being, are not civil
governments also of God +? 1.-THE pow
ers that be are ordained of God" and
yet the people have a right to voice
as to form and persons. But it is said
there is a little legislation in the
| Church; that Christ, the great head of
the Church, has taught us the doc
trines, and has established the Ordi-
nRnces. This we fully admit. The
great outlines are so clearly revealed
that neither member nor minister can
change or modify. All we allege is
that what Christ has not clearly es-
l'tablished, but has left the Church free
| to regulate pertains equally to the
whole Church, and not to any pecu-
liar class. But it is said, 1.-THE minis
try is called of God to its sacred office
and hence has a right to govern the
Church" assert and most strenu-
| Iously maintain the doctrine of a di-
vine call to the ministry; but deny
| that the call to the ministry includes
| the right to enact the laws. Christ
commissioned his Apostles to preach
to teach. But the disciplines. of the
Church he committed to the Church
| itself. This is where a brother has
differed, (Mathew XVIII: 17v,) '""If
he shall neglect to hear them tell it
unto the Church, and if he neglect
to hear the Church let him be unto
thee as a heather man and a publi-
can.I' Assuredly if the Church is to
hear to decide and to condemn, it
must have the right to arrange the
mode of its procedure, and, in other
words, to make its own regulations.
/ The Apostle alludes to the various
offices in the Church of this distinc-
ton. when he says, "God hath set
some in the Church, first apostles
secondly prophepts; thirdly teachers;
after that miracles, then girts of heal
| ings, helps, governments, divefsities
of tongues. ~ Christ is the head, the
| Church is His body. 0fthe members
of the Church it is said "Ye are the
body of Christ, and members in par
! ticular." One may be humble as the
foot, another versatile as the hand,
another clear as. the eye. Yet ''the
eye cannot say to the hand have no
need of thee; nor again, the head to
the feet, / have no need of you" The
result of this union of all the members,
is beautifully portrayed by the ApOs-
tie, when he says ''the whole body
fitly joined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth
according to the effectual working in
the measure of every part, maketh in
! crease of the body unto the edifying of