New-York tribune., 1886-01-29
NEW PUBLICATIONS,
METHODIST PCLITY.

Iaf ,be ,agorn, which he wishes TO establish IS the
;oosed ?, ,nresentatiou of the laitv in the confer
noes bnt his hook will attract attention less 1or
any novelty i'll his main proposal, when ~ i'."i'''
enough than for the radically democlatc Sp'iI' )"
which il is sustained He bases his claim for eauel
if not prOpOrtionate, representation up"" ''o
tenticn that the system OF government "S Wv
cl.rcv is a dcspotisin set up by preStiy arIos"hre
christ oave no 20 Her of government elther 10 uiS
onostles or his disciples; they were only called 10
preach; aud tho assumption OF divine righ' gwen
to the ministry to rule and command the chuich iS
n, fnll of danger as the assumption OF divine
right to govern nations by klngy power Inc
Methodist Episcopal Chnrch IS at present tyranhHcu
over by a urping clergy, and the privilege OF sell
government now demanded for the laity is only
demand for their natural and inalienabie rights
Tbe;r forbearance aud patience have been sadly
tried but the day of deliverance will come In tNe
deyelopment of these arguments and Opinions
Colonel Wright displays polemlca zeal WHICH
sometimes carries him pretty far lie othoun'os
the opposition of ministers to lay equaiity Ill no
measured terms and he could not treat the uehet"'
Conference with less respect than i; ii we're run ike
n Tammany Convention. But i'll pointing OUT Wh"t
lie sincerely holds to be dangerous aad weak plac's
m the Church. he unl, follows his convictions OF
duty: and he bears testimony on proper occasloiS
to the earnest piety Of the great majority Oh tue
ministers whose policy he cannot approve
In reviewing the re ults of ministerial govern
ment he uses some severe language lie mas Ill
proceedings of the General Conference pam evil
dences of selfish ambition, Dlace-huntlng oIsalh-
ING for Office secret combinations, and the manIpu-
lation OF votes. especially the votes OF coiored
members These are-not supposed to be exactly
clerical practces but Colonel Wright ascribcs them
to the complete prepondcrance of the ciercai
element and maintains that the right way TO purify
tho Conference is by a large infusion OF laymen.
The laity he urges. should also he admitted 10 the
Animal Confereuces-a more radical change than
the increase of their representation IN the Oeheral
Conference for at present they have no part a' an
In the Annual Conferences. The argument Iol tho
innovation is carefully presented; but III lact the
democratic theory of the book, that the Dody ol
believersp stand on an absolute equality, aud that
the practice of setting apart the ministry as
higher authority or distinct order, is dangerous
approach to Roman principles, seems to cover
everything The author devotes chapter to the
charitable funds aud publishing interests OF the
Cburcb where he holds that clerical usuTpaton mas
wrought mischief although he is more concerhed oy
dangerous tendencies observable in these depart
mentS than by any great wrongs actually accom-
plished. .,s
CHAPTER on the evil results 10 the ministry itSeh
from the formation of ministerial class VIII po
read with especial interest. The temptation 10 use
is set before the preachers Of this large and power
fnl denomination by party leaders. and the Church
little suspects how many of them yield to IT, lie
temptation to abandon the legitimate work oil the
ministry for eitorships. secrctaryships ana other
more or less worldly employments under Church
nav. is always present TO the men composing the
Conferences which have the appointment 10 such
postiOns For some years past the seemingly
Greatest source of interest in the meeting of Gen,
I,os, hapD yVhQ
advance through the Church the cause OF the
Master but who should have the Offices. In the
General Conference of 1884, 210 OF the 26o
ministerial delegates received votes for some Official
position and $40 names were used 1or the 1so
official positions and honorary appointments.
Positions in the gift of the General Conference are
rarely conferred upon any except its own members
The smaller places connected with the Annual Con-
ferences are equally sought after by the members
of those bodies. But Colonel Wright recognizes the
fact that the tendency to seculaflzauon OF the
ministry is by no means evil special to the
Metbodist Church. II has its roots IN universal
human nature, and the temptation IS common to all
Protestant Churches in all lands. Another tempta-
tion to the ministry is TO he found in the attempt to
secure certain aims by concert OF acton as class
A combination TO build up Ministerial hleiarchy
has been at work for some years. To exclude the
laity from any further representation in the
Testament to attack the bishops ROVER, and to
nlace a limit on the length of their service is the
second to build up the Annual Conference as
RECOGNIZED power with certain legislative and
administrative rights is the third" This matter is
treated at length and with considerable force
Finally Coloael Wright summarizes his proposals
under the following heads J. Equal representation
and equal powers of the ministry and the laity III
the General and Annual Conferences. 2. The
.1.. 81, VYytr, in fba Can
eral Conference to be confined to the effective
itinerant men. g. The clerical membership i'll an
Animal Conference TO be limited to the effective
travelling ministry. 1. Ministers TO be protected
from temptations to give up the active ministry or
enter upon SECULAR pursuits. To these prime pro-
posals he adds various suggestions more OF less
directly connected with them-such as an equal
reurcsentation of ministry and lai:y in the manage
ment of the Church boards and charitable societies.
the control of the publishinginterests by com
mittee composed Of threc-fourths laymen and one
fourth ministers; ard the setting apart OF the
colored members in an organization of thoir own
which will be better for them and very much better
for their white brethren.
II is probable that the question OF layIeDresenta-
tion will be discussed with some energy in the next
General Conference, to be held in 1883, and the
present publication is important as an early formu-
lation of the wishes of the most radical advocates
of change. The discussion mas gone on lohG euough
already to gather heat and it will gather more be-
fore it comes to settlement. The acrimonious tone
of SOME of Colonel Wrlghts remarks. however un-
fortunate we may think it, is not unnatural. But
members Of the Church may take comfort in the
reflection that if the evils which this aggressive
reformer breads had made any serious inroads upon
the spirituality of the Methodist clergy the aston
isbing vgor which distinguishes Methodism in every
corner of the country would certainly not have
survived.
Nerp pubifations