The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-10

Z
/ long as these three marks concur IN
any ono. We believe he IS called of
/ God To preach. These we receive as
/ sufficient proof that he is moved by
/ the Holy Ghost.
Now as the candidate had met all
the requirements and tests demanded
/ In such eases. the question turned on
! the use of the masculine gender IN the
paragraphs we have quoted.
t This ruling opens the whole ques-
/ tion of women 10 that denomination.
/ For, following out this ruling TO its
/ legitimate sequence. we aud that wo-
men may not be ordained because the
use of the masculine gender in the
Discipline makes it illegal for them
TO be licensed.
They cannot exhort, for IAN ex-
horter shall be constituted by the
! Recommendation of the class Of which
T be is member, or the Leaders and
Steward meeting, page 20
/ They may not become Stewards, for
| the Discipline, page 12l says Let
/ the Stewards be men of solid plety,
&c.
/ They may not become class leaders.
/ Discipline. rage 46: Let report of
! the coalition of his class be presented
/ by the leader at each quarterly con-
ference. Let each leader be careful
! TO inquire how every soul OF his class
i prospers. &c-
There Is section. page Al. Revised
/ Discipline, allowing the preacher in
! charge TO appoint women as leaders OF
+ of children classes, of the age of
ten years or younger. But the ques-
/ ton of membership could not be made
i to run in their favor on that, as on
page 2o6. Revised Discipline. it is
/ very clearly shown that persons may
/ hold office in the Church, may be
/ trustees and not be members of the
/ Church
| Nor may they become members.
'.The visible Church of Christ is
! aggregation of faithful men, in which
/ the pure word of God is preached"
| &c. Revised Discipline, page %.
In the general rules a further state
| ment is made in connection with the
history of the rise of Methodism in
Europe and America. and il IS assert
ed in page 81, Revised Discipline, that
such a Society Is no other than a
| company al men having the form and
/ seeking the power of Goodness, etc.
Aud these men are exhorted to con,
| tinue in we'll doing. by doing good OF
/ every pUCSipft ECIt anu dS ld1 DIS RDs-
| sible 20 all men. Discipline. page 81.
So, following out this ruling, the
| Church is composed of men. and they
must give their energies to the sal
walton and care Of men. And this
| plan is followed when members are
/ received into full connection. Ad-
| dressing the candidates, the pastor is
| instructed to say. Dearly Beloved
| Brethren.
! We had always supposed that breth-
ren included sisters, and that men
meant women as we'll; and when the
Bishops or ministers addressed their
instructions and appeals TO the Dear
! Brethren, we very naturally con-
| cludeo that the women were entitled
| to full share of the pastoral advice
| and instruction.
But it may be some consolation to
our Methodist sisters to know that
under this ruling they cannot be tried,
or expelled IRON the church. After
stating the manner Of proceeding with
| the trial of member, the Discipline
says: Ii the accused person be
found guilty by the decision of ma
jority Of the committee. and the crime
be such as is expressly forbidden by
the Word of God, sufficient TO exclude
person lIoul the hiHguuni Vi SidCS
and glory let the preacher IN charge
expel him.
IF the accused person evade trial
by absenting himself, after sufficient
notice has been given him. he may be
tried in his absence, and if found
guilty he shall be expelled
And the same rule holds good in
the matter of giving. discipline,
page 30 Notwithstanding, every
man ought, of such things as he ros
sesseth, literally to give aims to the
poor according to his ability.
But we need not pursue the subject
farther than to say that it is not so
much a question as to whether women
shall be ordained or not, as whether
they have under this ruling place in
the church or not. As bishops do not
make laws, issue eiicts on church
policy or gospel truth, but are the in
terpreters of the laws as they stand in
the BOOK of Discipline, all outside
questions of Scripture teaching and
church policy are shut out, and they
are limited to the law. So (if they
have not gone beyond the Law in this
matter,l by their ruling, if carried to
Its legitimate seque nee. 1T Is illegal Tor
women to become members oil the NJ.
E. Church, and clearly within their
province to rule every woman out OF
the church And such action would
be in harmony with the Interpretation
put upon the Book of Diseil line. in
relation to licensing women. More
than o-thirds OF the church are
women, and they possess large share |
of her moral power, and crowd her
treasures with their consecrated Of !
ferings.
How the Methodist church would |
shrivel and shrink 10 a mere skeleton |
if this ruling va. carried out TO its
legitimate results An attempt was
made at the last General Conference
to strike out this distinction in sex,
but it failed. So the question is an
open one. as to whether women have !
rights and privileges in The Methodist !
Episcopal Church as members. |
In the House of Representatives, |
r. x II