The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-14

| of the W Wesleyan ministers we're. was bound
| TO say so. They were more intelligent IN
their Judgment upon social questions. HIS
| own wife and her sisters had been forty
| years leaders, and he would rather be led
| by them than by the president of the con-
ference himself. They would have more
time to think of what they were going to
| say. 4 recess was then taken.
wOMAN's WORK IN THE CHURCH.
Kind Words for Her from All Delegates, Ex-
cept a Few Southerners.
A discussion Of the general subject of the
church and her agencies was continued at
the afternoon session. Rev. DR.. ID. j.
Waller. of London, secretary of the Wes-
leyan Methodist Conference, presided. Mr..
I. NJ. Harvey, of London, read from the
Scriptures After prayer had been offered
by Rev. Joseph Nettleton. of London. Rev.
DR.. Benjamin Fry. of the Methodist Epis-
copsl Church, st. Louis, and editor of the
Central Christian Advocate, read q paper
on the subject of woman's work in the
church. He said that women among tine
Jews were more highly regarded than
among other nations. But it was not un-
til Jesus entered upon His ministry that
women were admitted To the high degree
of regard that had since prevailed. There
was a ministry of women in the church in
apostolic times. This became an established
order and was of assistance to the
church. Professionalism had generally failed
to secure the tull measure OF help from It's
women. IL had been afraid of the charge
Of following papal practices. Methodlsm.
as it grew, had produced many women
worthy of association with the mother
of the Wesleys. We boast OF the energy
and courage of :his century. But in Chris
tlan lands there were thousands of persons
who had 10 knowledge of Christ. A hun
dred should enter the work where now one
was engaged, and women must take q
prominent part in 1t. The place where the
children were born and raised was not
open to men. but when that fact was real
lied the women had organized and sent fe-
male missionaries abroad. Man could not
deal with the victim of mans lust; it was
work for women themselves. The church
could not do the work before it without
the aid of women. The way to deter
mine the proper sphere OF wOmons work In
the church was by the same rule that ap-
piled to men-their individual fitness for
their duties.
Rev. William German. of the Irish Meth
odist Church. Belfast made strong plea
for women in connection with every phase
of church work. Woman might bring all
of her graces to the altar but the power of
her speech. She might sing hymns and
work in the homes; she might teach her
son to preach: she might perhaps help her
could not preach. Truly, her element was
motherhood. But motherhood was the
divinest accent of peace; too often absent
from the masculine voice. That there
should be need for the organization of
women for the regeneration of woman was
blot upon the church which should be
wiped out On the battlefield woman
stood by the cot like an angel of God. She
his life ebbed she poured into his ear
the story of Christ. Would you stop her be-
cause she wasa wOman3 Was she obnoxious
in the pulpit Well. that was q simple
mechanical question. Let the pulpit be
taken and the woman be left. lApplause.l
Everywhere was woman welcomed; theoso-
ply held open arms for her. Was she TO
follow Blavatsky or Annie Besantf With
the advancing corruption of the Chnrch of
Rome had grown the theory that woman
could do little good but much harm. Bat
Methodlsm. thank God. had been the Zerub-
abel Of her libecty. Applause.
ABOVE MAN IN DEVOTION.
Prof. j. p. Landis of the United Brethren
in Christ Dayton. o., would not be thought
behind his predecessors in his respect for
woman. Woman might. could, would and
should preach the gospel If she wanted to.
The greater part of those who attended
church were women, and she had demon
strated that she was not only on level
above him In devotion.
Rev. Thomas III. Hunt. of the Primitive
Methodist Church, Manchester. England,
thought that as woman constituted the ma
jOrity of the church attendance she should
assume part of its work. All would agree
that woman's chief work was in the home,
but he preferred to think that there she
w8s more than q "manageress." and was
minds of her children. They might gain
admission where men could not. and In the
hour of sickness aud death their ministra-
tions were of value. In reclaiming fallen
women and in the field of temperance their
influence was great. They could particl-
pate in the missionary work side by side
with men. There was no great wish on the
part of women to occupy the pulpit. but If
she had the necessary qualifications, then
why nOtf If she was engaged In church
work. if she carried the gospel to the unre-
generated, why that was in the nature OF
preaching. If God had so ordained q
woman, why should not the church rocog-
niZe tho OrdlnatiOnf
Rev. j. w. Lewis, of the NJ. +. Church
South, said that it was q bold. bad.
dangerous fallacy TO believe that because
a large majority of people were hammerng
and pushing after thing it was mani.
them male and female" not female and
male" [Cries of 'Oh; oh. no."l Woman
was first in the transgression, but also in
the front in the redemption. She was ex-
pecIeu unu6E QlVlu0 pTOVlue0co 10 Su6thln
the relation to the masculine church thai {
she did to the family, not one of eubordina-
ton, but of equality in certain lines.
Rev. DE-. Buckley. of New York. said that
many sensible women must have felt sick
at heart TO lear the platitudes delivered
to-day. Women should not give up high
or power for p lower. st. Paul said they
should not taks the place of men. Women
could not do the work of preachers without
collision with the laws of nature. They
must be mothers or they must be preachers;
not both.
Mr.. j. Il. Slnok. of London, held that
women must discover their own work in
the church, and that without help.
A NONPLUSED soUTHERNER.
Rev. DR.. Hass. of the NJ. +. Church South,
| invited any body who had higher estimate
| of woman than ne had himself to show his
| face. Scarcely had the words been uttered
before large proportion of the delegates
stood up in answer, amid applause from the
| others. The Doctor was q little non
| plnsed. but continued with his remarks,
| holding that If God had intended man and
| woman to do the same work he would have
| made them alike. He. too. called attention
| to st. Paups word
Rev. DR.. Hamilton, of New York. held
| that 1t was wrong representation to
say that the men wanted women TO become
bishops He wanted them to take up the
WORK for which they were specially fitted.
| Rules of sex were not to invalidate the
gifts of God. If the greatest expounders
of the Methodist Church had held tn at