Middletown transcript., 1896-04-04
MIDDLETOwN, DEL, APR. 4, 1856
READ THE ANSWER,

READ THE ANSWER.
"Y our editorial last week on the
BOSS and Bossee' suited me exactly"
said good Methodist friend who is
neither crank nor kicker. 1t seems
to have pleased a number, and SO far
as we have heard it displeased no one,
though one of the 'bossees" in an in
teresting manner answers that it is
best to s'let the church alone" We
trust that all who read the article last
week will read the communication
from our ministerial friend. The ques-
tion is an interesting one and the min
listers in Wilmington propose to dis
cuss it in their Preachers Meeting on
Monday next.
Another friend said, 'you did not
90 far enough; it is not the preachers
but the laymen who should nominate
the presiding elders. The men who
pay the salaries should have a voice in
this ms tier and a controlling voice,
and the nomination of the presiding el-
ders should be by the laymen and not
by the preachers" And this view of
the matter receives unexpected argu-
ment from the communication given
this week. Mr.. Lindale says of the
election of presiding elders by the
preachers, "what wire pullingl what
factional work. what rewarding Of
friendsl'' Is this truep Then by all
means let the laymen nominate, or
elect if you prefer. The objections to
representative government leads
back TO monarchy, and an absolute
monarchy. The present authority of
the bishop is in every respect abso-
lutely monarchial except that his Of
fee comes to him by election and not
by succession. Is government by the
people and of the people failure?
Cannot even the preachers be trusted
to elect their chief officersp We are
not ready to say they cannot, nor do
we believe a constitutional form of
government failure. Read the ar
ticle on s'Let the Church alone"
It was our good fortune this week,
owing to crowded car, to get seat
beside gentleman whose ministerial
appearances and address indicated that he
is entitled to be called Father. ''After
glancing at the newspapers we entered
into what proved to the writer very
interesting conversation. There were
quite a number of ministers in the
same car and the discussion in some
way turned to the very point of this
article and the one of last week-the
power and authority of the laymen in
the III. E. Church. Without the slight
est shadow of criticism upon sister
church, its methods, or its members,
and merely in the way Of seeking in
formation that every well-inforued
man might seek, the active mind and
quick observation of the Father had
evidently discovered that the author
ity Of the layman in the NJ. E. Church
is secondary and merely 10 approve
what the ministers may do. Reference
here to our conversation in the car is
made simply to show that those out
side the Methodist Church recognize
the influence of the laymen in the
church, and the recognition was in the |
case referred to without comment or
criticism. Very naturally any ap-
proval or disapproval should come
from those within the church.
"The agitation of the question of
the election of Presiding Elders" says
Mr.. Lindale, chad something to do
with the separation of the Methodist
Protestants from the mother church in
1925" Certainly, and would it not
have been better to have yielded some
what then that there should not have
been separationp There have been
yieldings since. The rigid rule of two
years pastorate gave way to three
years, that in turn to FIVE; the elders
may now serve six instead of four; the
lay dt legate has been admitted to the
General Conference as a result of that
s'agitation," and after this y.ar that
layman may be laywoman. Is it not
better to advance little more along
this line?
Who "admlts that the power of the
Pastor in the Quarterly Conference is
not abused2" The TRANSCRIPT did
not admit it, nor does it admit it. We
said it is seldom abused, and we believe
we are right. Reference to Mr.. Lin
dale's letter will show that just one
member OF the Quarterly Conference is
nominated outside the pastor, and
usually his wish in the matter pre-
walls in this one nomination. In fact
we never knew 1t otherwise. Thus
we see that the governing body Of the {
local church is in the hands of the pas.
tor and self.perpetuating. "The local {
church is already popularity governed" !
saws our ministt rial friend, the people ,
hold the purse. That is just what the
said: Methodists have
the privilege Of paying the expenses Of
the church hut a popular voice in reg
ulating those expenses or in the gov
ernment OF the church is denied them. g
These matters may be dis cussed with d
Ehe good Of the church in view and d
Nth this Us the objective point the +
columns Of the TRANSCRIPT are still t
'pe" .