, 1870-05-24
The Triumph OF Lay Delegation.

| After eight years OF unceaslng effort, the
Methodist has the satisfaction OF announcing
the triumph OF lay delegation The East
Maine Conference, the last in the United
States to declare its opinion, has given vote
Of II for to II against This, with the sur
plus available, secures the necessary three
fourths, even though tho vote Of the Germany
Conference should be unanimously against
But such vote in Germany is not suppoaahle;
on the contrary, all our adviees leave Us to
expect that the vote Of our brethren in Europe
| will be unanimously for us. By singular CO.
incidence, tho German Conference meets this
year in one Of the cities Of the Palahnate, the
ancestral home Of tho founders Of American
spot whence the Pa1atins set forth :tirst tor
Ireland. and thence in the pessons of their
| descendants to America. -,
And SO the great debate OF fifty years comes
to peaceful conclusion. The movement, sup
pressed in 1829, reaPpears in. 1851, Is pro-
nounced lnexpedient by the General Confer.
ence Of 1852, offers its modest petition in 1856,
and meets with sufficient faTor from the Cen
eral Conference Of 1860 to obtain q reference
to the vote Of the ministry and people, The
Church is not yet 1ipe for lay delegation; the
people and the itinerant ministers vote it
down Undismayed By defeats. its friends be-
gin again, md rest not TIL they win the Church
over to entire acqtieacence in their opinions.
Beginning with the John street meeting, in
March, 1853, and from thence to the St. Panls
Convention IN New York; thence to the COZ
yention Of 1867, the first ever held slmu1ta-
neously With = meeting Of General Confer
ence, and the first, also, to present direct ad-
dress to that body; from thence to tho sessions
Of the Annual Conferences Immediately fol-
lowing, which were successfully appealed to to
ratity the pledge gwen BY the General Confer
also meeting simultaneously with the General
Conference, aud presenting to it, q second
direct appeal, and finding its appeal welcomed;
and thence to the recent popular aud minis
te1ia1 Totes-the movement has found an ever
poses By the Church. Ita army Of friends has
increased; its line has become longer and
stronger; they, who hastily cried "faction"
have been effectua11y si1enced- Here Is no
faction, but great Church, whose stations
are found in both the old world and the new,
fundamental principle OF Protestant Chris
It Is to the honor Of The laity that, while
engaged in promoting this change in Our &C.
clesiastical polity, they have sustained with
entire fidelity the institutions Of Methodisn.
Since the defeat Of 1852, aud the inception of
the last and successful effort, they have. en-:
tered into the Church debt-paying moyement.
and have contributed for its purposes untold
thousands they have brought the missionary
contributions Of our connection to their present
unprecedented amount; by their iberalty
hIcthcdiam memorable fact in modern
Church history, and they have increased
their individual benefecG0ns to the cause Of
education, both in numbers and amount. |
First and Inst they have been for the Church;
we're they defeated to-day, they would still be |
for the Church. In all their weary waiting, :!
they have had faith in their brethren, they
have had faith in God.
We willuot mar the happiness OF such time
as this BY spesking at length OF the opposition.
which the Lay Delegation has encountered It
Was natural that The motives of the friends Of |
cur cause should be misunderstood and they
have been misunderstood. It Was natural |
that there should be harah criticism Of their. |
md harsh criticism there has
been. But re can point to the fact OF fun
damentA change in the polity Of the Church, |
party organization and without the manifesta- 1
foa On the part Of its advocates Of party pas-
6ions. They have laid restraint upon them
selves that they might win their cause-a1id
they hare won it fairly, honorab1y, and Chris-
tian1y.
Ne have reason for rejoicing, too, that tho
travelling ministers have fuldlIedrthe pledges
given By them to tho people, Despite the ef- |
forts Eado to mia1ead them, they. have not ]
been misled. They have kept faith, and have !
swersed not from their steadfast integrity.
The future historian Of the Church VIII dwell !
upon the. fact Of the cheerful assent by 'a
compact and powerful corporate body to the 4
claim Of the people to SHIRE the government |
with them. It viii be proof that Ia at least !
one instance Of church history, the Iong aud \
1ndisputed possession OF power has not
darkened the sense Of Justice. As we a1Hays !
said they would, the Methodist ministry have
show1 themselves equal to this great that.
And 80 the new era hopefully begins. ! !