The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-18
1Os of the Churches and Religious Activities
Methodist Unifcation

over these precious doctrines to an nn- controlled general conference. In the noni which the church is asked to sign this is
 specifically written. The annual confer
 ences are asked and expected to give up all voice in the control of the ritual.
 Not since the diet of Augsburg met
 on that June day in 1880 has Protes- tantism known a more critical day than the day in which we live, Doc Urine, even that relating to the nature of the person of our Lord and the | atonement offered by him is decried, yea, denounced Many with an ignor-
 ance that is pitable and an assurance
 that is blind act as if it were possible to believe without believing anything, ! as if the more definite object of the i faith. the more invalid and valueless
 the faith. Religious vagueness has be- come virtue, and the nearer the ap- | proach to vacuum the greater is Nthe l plenum of truth
 To tell one who doubts not the sal vation of his soul is wrapped up in the truth he believes and lives that he
 must trust the General Conference, | that the body of the church found in the 1 Annual Conferences should not have
 voice in the decision of the ritual, the | very heart of our doctrine. is to tell | him almost of abandon hope, because l a wearied General Conference again
  careless, has even been stampeded. On the other hand, let time be given for a thoughtful consideration by the members of the Annual Conferences for 1 discussion and deliberation in these | separate bodies.
 1 Let this multitude of counsello.s be consulted and the danger is reduced
 to minimum. In addition to the fact
 that it is the privilege of the ian,x and file to be consulted, a sacred privi- 1 lege which must in reason be admitted. it will not do to say that numbers of ! these preachers are not sufficiently in- | formed to exercise the Protestant right to the protection of personal Judgment. since they are personally accountable | for the truth they believe and preacn;i for unless experience be cheat and
 fact liar a soundly converted heart
 makes a Wonderfully clear head, and most of our preachers soundly con- verted. History, despised history. the appeal to which now spreads syer some minds transparent veil of amusement as cover for underlying sccrn, the his tory of the church in any age. in all ages testifies to that fact Since 1892 by the requisite constitutional majority the general conference has on six oc- casions sent it's mendations to the annual conferences and but one of these recommendations has been adopted. Shall the church now deny | to the preachers and layman in annual conference assembled any voice in the determination of the official creed of the church?
 Among the thirteen specified powers, 1 in addition to full legislative power over all matters distinctively connect i ed,' this constitution gives to the gen. ] eral conference the power to control and direct all connectional educational enterprises of the church." 'rhe pro 1 vision for regional control of eiuca l tional institutions of the church. is | specifically confined to those institu- | tions within it's own territory which are not otherwise legally provided for.' and as specifically exeepts those which | are owned. controlled, and supervised 1 by some other organic agency of the | church, In the northern church it is l said that their Freedmans Aid So- | ciety. general conference agency, l owns and controls the educational property used for their colored mem 1 bershIp. Be this as is may. all their | white schools, colleges, universities, | and seminaries will be left to local while our universities. Emory Univer- | sity and Southern Methodist University.
 or to regional ownership and control, l which are under our general conference. | an organic agency of the church. oth-
 
 1 by this proposed constitution be turned I over to the general conference, body 1 in which our people are in a woeful minority.
 1 By this constitution the concurrent vote | of two successive general conferences can l take away territory from any regional Jurisdiction, without it's consent, and after three quadrenniums the boundaries l of a regional Jurisdiction can be changed without the consent of the Jurisdiction. 1 That is, after eight years territory may l be taken away from any regional jurs- diction, and after twelve years it's boun- daries may be changed. Some of the com- missioners stated that this was to provide l for an expected early abolition of region | al conferences. If there were no thought | or purpose of abolition, why this pro- /, vision? Yet the regional conference is proclaimed as great concession to the south and by some advocates of this plan | is regarded as the very center of the 1 system. Twelve years is short life for what is said to be the most important l constitution.
 THE GENERAL CONFERENCE | AN AUTOCRACY
 | The trend of the world toward democ-
 racy has become tidal wave. Autocracy despotism. tyranny is not confined to gov@ l ernments under the control of single | ruler or of few men. Any supreme un- 1 controlled authority is anti-republican, i3 an autocracy. This constitution provides ] for general conference supreme in it's l legislative powers, supreme in it's execu- 1 tive powers, and so all-inclusive as to b6 practically free from judicial control In l addition, once adopted. the annual confer- ences will be without legislative, execu- I &.x~~ s-..~ Il -x<., D1a~