New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-30

wornout preachers. Within these restrictions the
General Conference has plenary powers to alter or
amend
In the growth of this Church many new lines OF
church work have been projected that in the be-
ginning Of the century were not dreamed of aud as
this is the only body that represents the whole
Church, it has fallen out that whatever is done by
the whole Church, such as the prosecution of tho
Missionary Church Extension or FTecdmens Aid
work. is under the direct control of the Conference,
and its managers and principal officers are elected
by that body. The same is true Of the two great
publishing houses both as to general supervision
and the election of agents and editors. This same
| body too. decides whether additional bishops are
| needed and it elects and cOnsecTates them. The
| Episcopacy in this Church is unit
| There is never q vacancy in it while one
| bishop is alive. Every bishop is bishop
| Of the whole Church and in diocesan or
district bishop. 1t is true that the bishops meet
twice each year and arrange their work between
themselves but this Is a private affair made neces-
sary by the vastness of the work. 1t is no wonder
that the auadrennlal meetings of this Conference,
| holding as it does such immense powers should
elicit the iveest interest not only in the Church il
! controls but among those who would keep abreast
of the mighty forces Of the day.
If one were to make abstract of the bills intro
duced into Congress during the FIRST week of it's ses-
| sion and dream of one-tenth becoming laws lie
| might well tremble for the frame of Government.
| And if one in ten of the notifications and revou-
| tons in Methodism which for tho last six months
have been suggested in the public press were
| to be incorporated into its discipline not
only would not John Wesley know his own
nroecny, but even those who know Metholsm now
would know her no more at all forever. Happily,
however, there is no immediate danger, This has
| to come each four years and probably it a wise
Arrangement to permit each restless soul to have bis
| saw lie will feel better, and the Church will be
| safer.
Still, it is doubtless true that some notifications
will prevail even though the Conference is growing
| to be proverbially conservative. Among questions
most widely agitated and likely to receive unusual
attention is the question Of superintendcncy This
| is in MethOdism a broad question. The bishops SUI
perintend tho whole Church the presiding elder
supernends his district of from eight to sixty pas
| toral charges; the pastor his charge, whether ono
church as in a station or three to twenty churches
~ iii circuits the class leader his class Of from
| twelve to sixty members. Bat the parts Of this
! supnrvisional work which In tile past have caused
| most discussion relate to tho bishops and the pre-
siding elders. As matters are at present, the Office
| Of a BISHOP is fo- life This however, Is wholly
! matter of usage There disciplinary provision
for It, and beyond question the General Conference
has the power to make whatever changes it pIeascs
in the length OF the Episcopal term. There is much
said and more felt on this matter at present. though
probably moro noES was made about 1t four and
eight years ago.
Very closely related to this Is the presiding elder
shin question According to present usage, but rot
! according TO original practice the bishops select
| and appoint the presiding elders. In defence OF
this it Is argued that their work chiefly Episcopal
or AZ overseers, and the bishops are responsible
for this work 1t Is only just that they have entire
contrOl Ct it, 1t is also said that the bishops, by
the law OF the Churc h, fix all the pastoral appoint
ments and therefore these should not be an cxcep-
ton 10 this it is replied that the Office of tho pre-
siding elder is IRore than merely pastoral or even
supervisiOna!; that he has more than any other to
do with arranging the appointments of the preach
ers and therefore those preachers ought TO have a
saw in determining who shall fill that Office
and further, that when tho presiding elder
| ia designated he should be gwen an au-
thoritatiye voice in connection with tho bishop
| in fixing the appointments. Before the oreanlZa-
ton OF the delegated General Conference, this
question agtated the Church and sometimes nearly
rent her. and still 1T will not down. Once-in
800 Ire changes were carried by decisive vote;
hut Joshua Soule who, as a bishop of the MethO-
dist Episcopal Church South, died lew years ago.
had lust been elected bishop and refused 10 DC or
doined unless the Conference should recede from
IFS action on presiding elders. t0OshIy enough a
subscuuept resolution was passed suspending the
regulation for four years. ana hnaiy at Inc GGneS'
General Lee In 1861, followed his section into
secession, repealed the entire regulation. 1t IS
doubtful If the coming Conference will do
much TO change the present order, as there
are altogether too many OF those 0ihcefs III
its make uPp[0DaiGdy SeP oi Is ' ineyn6e
that this change should come, anu 1t may Come
soon. III, ILL, roooi,,o
full share of attention is the extension 0i tue limit
OF the pastoral term Three years is now the Longest
time that any man may remain contlllO9 f lan,oI
Of n church. some arc warmly III FAVOR OF removing
ali limit so that the bishop NAY iealpoiht Tue same
man TO Tie same church as long as II IS mutraV
desired This Is sustained by the , usqad 9rea
mrnts for a settled pastOrate with inc noulhca-
tion of lodging the power oi Umpire III uc n f
Of a third party Undoubtedly there IL great lorre
in the arguments espec9S rod isHo Zen, No gthe
general good of the whole Church is c9nsuliou ana
Conserved with the usual results Oh laIlsp ~ SUIT
coecs Recently n suggestion, hfst cIapoihtel
by DR.. Buckley, Of Brooklyn, has receiver i9 9
synnathy and may meet with favor III tue on
ierence-tO permit the bishop Oh tn9 f ,i
recommendation of the quarterly conference OF nc
PASTORAL charge by three-fourths vote ana Oh tle
annual conference by tWO-thlIus VIZ :" hoi
a man IN the same place for period not cAceeuluB
Si After fifty years OF agitation in 1872 Law deega-
tinn was introduced iutO the General conference
kO "%o dnmnnd ia for laymen TO have seats III the
annual conference. The drllt OF Ihe age stelHs "
favor the measure but 1t is not hkey uhat II III
ference will fail to go SLOWLY anu ih"'u'' W." "
Tho two conferences in the mission held OF Ihuia
at recent JOINT session in AlalAbad agIeeI 70 t Or
sanze DELEGATED General CGnieIGpe &c h OF come me
Methodist d b eP hasg Of one member for five in
t5o annual This action is mndGmS'E6ay
i H. Tight direction, but whether 10 may nOt DC
~ ~ tlo ra,,e tnro is wide open question: Iley ask
iha GENERAL Conference for Endorsement OF Their
aco and provide an" ncsDtSe or tsg
prOleEo' # moi in open conference at least IN the
COMMITTEES on MISSIONS Of nearly 100 mem BS sJ5
Il Is likely that there Viii be %5% s,Iodsf GaSc
a. one ,Gder one great organzaLIon while the
thinks It wiser sep fST ssGn and According to
dlNlsIon H. nsneQsties of tho case, only waiting
Until ITs Psnioiepty strong TO insure success. - =,
liz elecfiops will, of course, as Always pe Ol